Father God
8/19/06
Romans 2:1-4
…Do you not know, that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentence.
Our father is omniscient-all knowing. Omnipotent-all powerful, omnipresent-everywhere.
To think of the Creator of the universe, being all of these things, it is awesome to think that he still thinks about you and I. Sometimes when we think of the earth, and all of creation, we wonder how it is that God could even remember us, let alone answer all of our prayers. But the fact of the matter is that God knew you before you were ever formed in your mothers womb.
The bible says that he knows your thoughts afar off, and that his thoughts are above our thoughts, and his ways are above our ways. He knows you so well, that the bible tells us that your very hairs are numbered. Jesus said repeatedly in the book of revelation, I know thy works. This means he knows why you do the things that you do, and what your intentions are for doing them.
Who can know the mind of God? Is a question that David asked. John wrote at one time, that no man has ever seen the father, except for the son. The translation for the word seen literally means, fully understood, or totally comprehended. While it is impossible for us to know the very thoughts of God, it is possible for us to know the heart of God.
Phil 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
Nothing else even matters anymore, he was saying. It is all worthless, everything that I used to strive for, and work so hard to get, is nothing but dung, or waste, or garbage.
The very reason for Christ coming to this earth, was to restore relationship between God and man. What God desires more than anything else, is a covenant relationship with you.
God does not want a shallow Sunday morning relationship, he does not want just an outward religious form of a relationship, he wants for you to know him, and his heart for you, and his love for you.
Jesus told the Pharisees, that they were like the whited sepulchers, outside looking good, but were inside full of dead mens bones.
The Pharisees were the religious folks of their day. Covered in their religious robes, on the outside, they looked like servants of the most high God, but Jesus said that they were completely missing the mark. Its not about what you look like on the outside, its what is truly going on, on the inside that matters.
The Pharisees had a bad habit of judging people, and putting people down. But how many of you know that when people are talking about you, its only to try and make themselves look better.
But in actuality, when you judge someone, you are guilty of doing the same thing that they are doing.
Paul wrote to the church at Rome, that there is no excuse for you o man, whoever you are that judges another person, for when you judge someone, you are condemning yourself. For you that judges, does the same things.
No matter how holy you think that you may be, you are never better than anyone else. Paul said, I don’t want to be found as having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but I want to have the righteousness which is of God by Faith. Without Faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is……….
It’s the goodness of God, that leads man to repentance. Its not the trying to scare someone into believing in him, that leads them to repentance, Its not the telling someone that they are a worthless sinner that leads them to repentance, But it is the goodness of God, that leads them to repentance.
Repent means to change your mind, and you can not make someone change their mind.
Because if you can talk someone into repenting, then someone else can talk them out of believing. This is not a relationship that can be understood by the carnal mind, but it can only be realized by faith.
We do not serve a God that is always looking to bash you on the head every time that you mess up. We serve a God that is full of compassion, love, mercy, and grace.
Paul said in our text, in verse 4 why would you despise the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering. Some people would rather live under the law, than under grace.
Under the law, the Pharisees were about to stone the woman who committed adultery, but you will remember that Jesus said, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
We are always quick to cast a stone, when it is someone else who has sinned. We are always fast to point a finger when we realize that they have messed up, But as Jesus said, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
People for some reason have been under the impression that it is our job to be judges in this earth, but I believe that Jesus told us to go into all of the earth and be witnesses for his kingdom, not judges.
We do not serve the God who causes the storm, but we serve the God that is the very comfort in the midst of your storm.
We are not serving the God who brings sickness and disease upon your body, we are serving The Lord God Almighty, Jehovah Ropheka, the Lord our healer. We serve the one who paid the price on Calvary, for our sickness and our sins. Who bore the stripes and carried the cross so we would not be lost.
We do not serve the God who will get you worked into a frenzy on the verge of losing your mind, just so he can calm you down, Because my bible tells me that God is not the author of confusion. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Above all else that God is, he is our father. Its hard for many of us to comprehend the love of a father, because maybe our earthly father was not there for us, or worse than that, maybe he was there, and he was abusive, or an alcoholic, or just didn’t care.
But our heavenly father gives peace, which surpasses all understanding. Our heavenly father gives love without conditions. He gives joy unspeakable and full of glory. He gives water in the midst of your desert. And peace in the middle of your war. He brings deliverance to the captives, and heals the broken hearted.
He makes all things work together for the good, to those who love him, and are the called according to his purpose. God gives you a way of escape, when it looks like there is no way. He makes sure that all things are possible to those who believe. With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.
His love can not be measured, and to his grace there is no end. He said come unto me, all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. God cares for you, and he can not fail.
It’s the goodness of God, that leads men unto repentence.
