God Cares

God Cares

January 11, 2015 – Pastor Tim – “God Cares”

Romans 2:4, Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

To the religious zealot it may sound too loose and simplistic, but we need to remember that it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance.  Repentance comes because of the unfailing love of a perfect God, a God who cares for the cracked vases that others would have discarded.  Our Father’s love is too true to be weak. Because He loves His children, He chastises them that they may be partakers of His holiness. With this glorious end in view, He spares not for their crying… The sons of God are trained up to obedience and brought to glory through much tribulation.-Tract.

Romans 8:18, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

It is His great love that causes a decision to be made in the heart: I must live for Him!

There is no way that we can see Him stand with us when all others forsake us, and not want to please Him!  There is no way we can weather a storm in His loving arms and not say, “I am Yours, Lord.”  One gaze into His holiness will bring us (the sinner) crashing to the floor on bended knees, confessing and forsaking, every issue that has engulfed us, affixing our eye’son the manifold graces of God!

Accepting the rejected is not the weakness of the gospel; it is its strength!  As we (the Church) make opportunity, the lost and hurting will come.  They will need much of the Word and much time before their marriages cease to tremble and their self-images improve.   They will have flashbacks and relapses, and require intensive care.  Yet we swing wide the doors of ministry.  Still we say, “Come,” for we are not the medicine—it is Christ who is the cure!

Galatians 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Unity is the heart and soul of the kingdom of God and all His children are welcome. However, unity should not come at the expense of uniqueness of expression.  We should also tolerate variance in social classes.  It is wonderful to teach prosperity as long as it is understood that the Church is not an elite organization for spiritual yuppies only.

Uniqueness is to be appreciated racially and socially.  For example; Male and female are one in Christ.  Yet they are unique and that uniqueness is not to be tampered with.  Let the male be masculine and the female me feminine!  My point is simply that unity does not negate uniqueness. We don’t all have to be the same to have unity.

Ephesians 5:1, 6-10, Therefore be imitators of God as dear children…6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.  8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,  9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),  10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

God can appreciate our differences and still create unity.  It is like a conductor who can orchestrate extremely different instruments into producing a harmonious, unified sound.  Together we can produce a sound of harmony that expresses the multifaceted character of God.

To the overlooked and the castaway, to the downtrodden and the wayfaring, we cry, “Come into this shelter; come out of the cold.  If nowhere else, and by no one else, you are accepted and loved!

 

Did you miss a sermon?

Find them on our media page. Has God blessed you through our online ministry? We would like to give you the opportunity to help our ministry grow.

Help Support Living Water