Great Is Thy Faithfulness

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

Lamentation 3: 22-25

Good News Christian Fellowship

BUCAS, Daraga albay

October 1, 2006

Introduction

A. Greetings

B. About Wednesday’s Typhoon “Melinyo”

1. All of us have been caught by surprise. We didn’t expect that the typhoon has a strong wind of 230kms/hour. Our Weather Station failed to determine the exact strength of this typhoon. As I remember, they announced that it has a sustain wind of 135/kms. While the typhoon unleashing his strong winds, I and my wife prayed. We pray that God will prepare our hearts, brothers and sisters, to accept whatever damages the typhoon will bring.

2. The following morning I went out and survey the area. I saw a lot of houses without roof and walls. Electric posts were toppled. I saw twisted steel beam. My mango tree tilted to its side. Roof of my garage was also damaged. As I survey the area, I remember our brethren in Bulawan, Sorsogon. I believe they experience much devastating effect. I hope I will be able to visit them this coming week.

C. In many respects the event is very timely to the message for today.

1. Today, our Church celebrates its 3rd year anniversary.

2. Is there something we can celebrate despite of what had happened?

3. Can we say, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”?

D. Beloved of God. God’s faithfulness is something that we can celebrate.

1. We live in a literal sewer of unfaithfulness. There is so little that we can trust everyone.

2. Husband and wife abandon their promise of “till death do us part” and meet – and part- in a divorce or annulment court.

3. There is very little security in man’s word today. Unless he is a man of integrity, it is more natural to expect him to break his promise than to keep his word.

4. But God is not a “man, that he should repent” (change His mind). God said, “I am the Lord, I change not.” When God make a promise He makes a promise. He keeps it!

5. Our God is a faithful God. We can trust Him. This is not a truth just to be heard and forgotten. But one that need to be reminded constantly.

6. Personally, I don’t remember that God has ever let me down. He was always given me what exactly what I needed, when I needed it, whether it was provision, an encouragement or strength.

7. I experience success and failures. But God is always there. He remains faithful.

How refreshing, how blessed it is to lift our eyes above the world, and above ourselves, to behold One who is faithful, faithful at all times, faithful in all things!

This year marks the 3rd anniversary of Good News Christian Fellowship. There’s a reason for us to celebrate: God’s Great Faithfulness.

I. EXPLORING THE CENTRAL PASSAGES

A. From the Old Testament

1. Exodus 34:6: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

2. Deuteronomy 7:9: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations…”

3. God is as faithful today as he was yesterday. "Your faithfulness continues through all generations" (Psalm 119:90).

4.”O Lord, you are my god; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness” (Isa.25:1)

B. From the New Testament

1. “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1Cor. 1:9)

2. “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1Thessalonians 5:24)

3. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2Timothy 2:13)

4. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all righteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

These verses establish that Faithfulness is an attribute essential to God, without which he would not be God. It is a most glorious attribute of his nature.

The Lord our God is faithful, always faithful, in all things faithful - This is our confidence in him.

Now let’s turn to Lamentation 3. As you turn over there, I’m going to talk to you this afternoon about the faithfulness of God. We will be going to see when God is faithful. God is worthy of our trust no matter what we go through. Jeremiah went through almost everything he goes through in life that is awful. However, before we went further in those verses let’s first have a brief overview of the book of Lamentation and about the life of Jeremiah

II. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF LAMENTATION

Lamentation has been called “perhaps the saddest book of the Old Testament.” (Charles Swindoll, as he quotes Bruce Wilkinson).