November 17, 2024

• Welcome and Announcements
• 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
• Prayer of Invocation
• Good, Good Father
• Scripture Reading and Prayer - Mark 10:17-22
• Goodness Of God
• God You're So Good
• Pastor's Message - Good God
• God You're So Good (Reprise)

Mark 10:17-22

¹⁷ As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
¹⁹ "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'"
²⁰ And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up."
²¹ Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
²² But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

SERMON NOTES - Good God

INTRODUCTION

• Psalm 34:8 - O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
• Psalm 100:5 - For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
• Psalm 135:3 - Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
• Psalm 145:9 - The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.
• Nahum 1:7 - The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
• The Bible says, "As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?'"
• Luke says that the man was a ruler (specifically what kind we don't know) which is an important piece of information because the person asking the question sets the context of the answer. We also learn from harmonizing the other gospels that this man was not only a leader but was young and very wealthy.
• His question was about what he needed to do to inherit eternal life but I want us to focus on how he approached and addressed Jesus; he ran up to Jesus and knelt before Him., which seems to indicate an eagerness, earnestness and sense of urgency, but also a demonstration of humility. He fell on his knees before Jesus.
• He falls on his knees and addresses Jesus as Good Teacher. What is significant is Jesus' response, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone."
• Jewish rabbis did not allow the word good to be applied to them. Only God was good, and the word was reserved for Him alone.
• Was Jesus then denying that He was good? Absolutely not. What He is doing is probing into this young man's understanding of who He is and who God is.
• In the context of how the rich young ruler approached and addressed Jesus, there is no evidence of insincerity or flattery, but Jesus challenges the young man with the implications of what he was saying. Jesus was essentially saying to him, "Do you realize what you are saying when you call Me good?" Jesus was not denying His divine nature; He was actually affirming it! In effect Jesus asked: "Since only God is good, and as you call Me good, are you willing to admit that I am God?"

GOD IS GOOD IN WHO HE IS

• Jesus said, "No one is good except God alone." That does not mean there is no human goodness. Many of God's attributes are communicable, attributes of God that we human beings share in a limited sense, and goodness one of those shared attributes.
• God's goodness and our goodness are not identical. God alone is perfectly good. God is the standard of all that is good. His goodness is not defined by our understanding or our opinion of Him.
• "God is only originally good of Himself. All created goodness is a rivulet (spring) from this fountain, but divine goodness hath no spring; God depends upon no other for His goodness, He hath it in and of Himself." - Stephen Charnock
• "God is not only the greatest of all beings, but the best. All the goodness there is in any creature has been imparted from the Creator, but God's goodness in underived, for it is the essence of His eternal nature... All that emanates from God-His decrees, His creation, His laws, His providences-cannot be otherwise than good..." - Arthur Pink
• Think for a moment about what God's goodness means in your relationship with Him. His intentions and motivations are always good. Because God is good, His intentions and will are always what is best for you, even in life's most painful experiences.

GOD IS GOOD IN WHAT HE DOES

• What God does is a reflection of His character.
• Dr. Haddon Robinson said, "Whenever you come to deny or doubt the goodness of God, then at the point in which you struggle in your soul, you'll come to deny his Word."
• Though they had no reason to do so, our first parents questioned God's goodness and rebelled against Him and because of their disobedience the entire human race live in the world that the consequences of that disobedience.

GOD IS GOOD IN WHAT HE GIVES

• James summarizes it well (James 1:17), "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." What God gives is always good. God is the ultimate generous Giver. No one can outgive God.
• God's provision for His children goes far beyond physical needs, but encompasses all of life. God also gives: His presence (Hebrews 13:5); His power (Ephesians 3:20); His protection (Psalm 46:1); His purpose (Romans 8:28); His precious care (1 Peter 5:7); His permanent Love (Romans 8:38-39)
• God's goodness, God's generosity, God's grace are expressed in the death of Jesus on the cross for the sins of all mankind.
• The Apostle Paul wrote (Romans 8:32), "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him, freely give us all things?"