Amen, so we're there in Romans chapter 2, and I want to preach a sermon tonight
Just kind of springboarding off of the first four verses there where it begins in verse 1. It says therefore thou are
inexcusable o man
Whosoever thou art that judges for when thou judges the another thou condemnest thyself
For that thou judge it thou that judges do us the same thing so of course you know the greater
Theme that he's dealing with here is the hypocrisy specifically the hypocrisy of the Jews of that day
And he goes on and says here
but we are so sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commits some such things and
Thinkest thou this o man that thou that judges them which do such things and do us the same
That thou shalt escape the judgment of God so he's saying you need to understand that you know
Even it doesn't matter who's doing these sins
We all agree that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commits such things and he's saying you're no exception
Basically is what he's getting at that God as he goes on and says there's no respecter of persons, right?
It doesn't matter if he's a Jew
Inwardly outwardly, you know, we're all going to be subject to the law of God
but then here in verse 4
He kind of opposes this question to them. It's kind of something we're thinking about he says or
Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance and
That's really the part I want to focus in there where it says that latter half that question
He says that the goodness of God
Leadeth thee to repentance the goodness of God. That's what I want to preach about tonight is the goodness of God
You know God truly is good and God, you know, that's not even something that you know
Just saying that doesn't give God justice. It doesn't do him justice
But I think sometimes in our lives we can forget just how good God is and often when we think about the goodness
Of God we think about the things that we're thankful for we think about all the great things that God has done for us by
Giving us salvation giving us a church and Bible Holy Spirit our families our health
You know, we think about all the things that God has blessed us with in this life
Then that causes us to say, you know that God is good and truly obviously that's that's a you know
That that's something that's worth doing
You know, we should praise God be thankful that God has given us those things
God is good, but that's not the only aspect in which we can praise God for his goodness, right?
The goodness of God is what leads us to repentance, right and it's God's forbearance
It's God's putting up with it's God's long-suffering his patience
that we can also be thankful for right when we
you know our
Find out, you know find ourselves as Paul's admonishing the Jews here to recognize the fact that we're all sinners
That we've all come short that God is no respecter of persons that we have all committed sin and that God
You know obviously is going to judge those which commit such things when we realize that God often
Doesn't judge us because of those things that God has given us long suffering and forbearance and has put up with those things
You know that should cause us to repent right? That's what should actually bring us to God obviously, you know a lot of times
You know, we think about trying to get people to start living a more righteous life, you know
You as a preacher you try to warn people about the wrath of God
You try to warn people about God's judgment and that's a very real thing. I'm not saying that shouldn't be preached
That's definitely something that people need to have brought to their attention, right?
But you know
They also need to be reminded the fact that that God is long-suffering and that God is good and that God
The God's forbearance and and his putting up with us and the fact that he doesn't always come down on us like he could and
sometimes does is
Also a reason for us to actually repent right God's the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance
It's not always the wrath of God the judgment of God that leads us to repentance
Sometimes the things that's going to bring people around and want get them to start
Doing the things that they should is the fact that God is good
They see God's mercy they see God's grace in their life and often that's what brings them around and truly
You know, I believe that is what probably keeps people
Living for God for the long haul right, you know, there's the old
the old illustration of you know, if you're trying to get a turtle to go somewhere you sit on its shell and you have
The you know the carrot on a stick right to kind of lead them
You put it out and you dangle it in front of them and you can kind of steer them that way, right?
You know, we use that illustration different situations and you know
Sometimes, you know, we obviously need to be more stick than carrot as the saying goes some people they need the rod, right?
They need to be reminded that there's a stick involved here, right? You know, maybe it's not always gonna be the carrot that they're after
That's gonna motivate them and get them to move them in the direction. There is a time for the stick, too
There's the time to just you know, forget the carrot and start, you know
Laying into things and start whipping people into shape right and God will do that. God will come down on us
God will judge God will
You know judge sin
I mean that's what Paul is being very clear here and saying he's saying
That we are sure verse 2 that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. It's true
God is against these things
But sometimes people, you know need to be reminded that of the carrot right the good thing that's there
you know God God's goodness is often what will lead us to where we need to be and
You know if God came down on us for everything that we did even
You know, none of us would make it even the things that we don't even think about right?
There's things that we do say or think that are an offense to God probably on a daily basis
If not a weekly basis, you know to some degree, you know
We're always doing things or there's you know
The Bible says to him that know what to do good and do with it not to him it is sin
sometimes that's not even things we are doing something it's the sins of omission things we're not doing and
Yet God in his forbearance and his long-suffering
Doesn't always just rain up or cloud up and rain on us
God isn't just ready to just drop the hammer on us and a moment's notice and
sometimes we need to have our attention drawn to that fact and
And be reminded that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance
That one of the reasons we should love God and serve God is because of the fact that God is good the goodness of God
And this is something, you know, I've only got a few pages of notes tonight of Scripture
But there's so much on this topic just the goodness of God and we could come at it from so different many
So many different angles go to Psalm 52 and we'll look at this a little bit
It's topic of the fact that God is good and that it's God's goodness
That will cause us to want to serve him for the long run to go the distance with God and
You know, we should always be aware of the fact that yeah, the wrath is there the judgment is there
But let's not forget also that that God isn't just some you know
Angry father in heaven who's just waiting for one of us to step out of line. You know, God is also good
God is far more long-suffering
Merciful and forbearing than any one of us is right
and I'll remind us, you know when
Solomon's dedicating the temple and in second chronicles chapter 6 and he has that great prayer that he prays and
You know afterwards the next chapter, you know, the presence of God comes and fills the temple
It's a great powerful moment
But in closing that prayer Solomon says now therefore arise O God into thy resting place
Thou and the ark of thy strength let thy priest O God be clothed with salvation and let thy saints
rejoice in goodness
You know, the Christian life is not something to be loathed
You know, the Christian life isn't something to be endured. The Christian life is the good life
You want to know what the good life is? It's being a saint
It's being clothed with salvation and being able to rejoice in the goodness of God and we need to be reminded
You know, and if we read our Bibles we oft will be that God is good
And it's an important message because the fact today that so many people have this misconception about God and what he's like
And they just want to paint him as just some you know, wrathful cruel vengeful spiteful
Mean, you know old man in the sky or something that people have this these
skewed
Ideas of what God is and who he is
But God is good, right and and
Solomon said and prayed, you know, let thy saints rejoice in that goodness, you know, that's something to rejoice in
The goodness of God and that will lead us to repentance
You know if we're reminded of how God truly how good truly God is
That might be cause enough for us to you know, get sin out of our lives
To stay on the straight and narrow and to serve God as we ought to for the long haul
For the long haul
You know, it's it can't always be just the looming threat of judgment. That's gonna keep us serving God
Because you know, sometimes that it doesn't always come, you know, sometimes God is just being merciful
God is being long-suffering
God is forbearing with us and
Hoping that we will just recognize that God is good and that will be enough to bring us around to repentance, you know
Look at Psalm 52 verse 1
It says why boast why boastest thou thyself in mischief o mighty man the goodness of God endureth continually
So you have some people out there that you know as a saying you're the mighty man, right those that are
You know mighty to drink wine as the Bible says those are those sinful men powerful men people who are of this world
They boast that themselves in mischief, right and you see this all the time in the world
People are boasting themselves about what the sin that they're into
They're boasting themselves about how much they don't care about the things of God this this attitude is out there
Where people mock God they scoff at Christianity they they mock at the Christian life
I mean it's in our culture everywhere. They just they want to paint all the Christians as just these, you know, these uptight
Stiff, you know stick in the muds or something like that, right?
But the truth is is that you know, we have much to rejoice over
You know, and I'm not waking up every morning loathing my existence that and because I'm a Christian
I'm not just lamenting all the sin
I you know, I can't get into that I want to because I'm afraid of what God's gonna do to me
You know oftentimes will if we're tempted we might rejoice in the fact that we no longer have to give into that temptation
That we've been freed from that bondage that God has delivered us
From sin that we no longer have to be slaves to sin that we can have the victory over sin
That's something that that's that's the goodness of God that we can rejoice over in our lives
Let thy saints rejoice in goodness, you know as as
Solomon prayed the goodness of God endureth continually. It's always going to be there, right?
But the mighty people of this world they want to boast in their mischief. They don't want to praise God for his goodness
They don't want it they don't care about, you know living a godly life in Christ Jesus
They just want to get into mischief talk about mischief boast about mischief and the sin that they get into
This stuff's everywhere
He goes on about the mighty man here who boasts
Says in verse 2 thy tongue deviseth mischiefs like a sharp razor
working deceitfully
Thou lovest evil more than good and lying rather than to speak righteousness
There's some people in this world. They love evil
They look at the goodness of God
they look at clean wholesome living and
They scoff at it. They hate it
They love evil more
They would rather, you know spend their time getting into sin getting him into mischief devising mischiefs
Working deceitfully. That's what they love. That's what they want in this life
and they're like
The Jews in Romans 2 work where Paul is putting it to them and saying
Noest thou not that the goodness of God leadeth thee the repentance. They don't they don't even know the goodness of God
But they love evil more than good
Verse 4 thou lovest all devouring words owed thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee forever
He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living
You know, there is an end to the sinner there is you know going to be judgment that eventually is doled out
Now we might not always see that immediately in this life, but you know, that is the end of all the wicked
Now look at verse six because this is kind of kind of interesting the righteous all shall shall see
So what are they going to see they're gonna see
That God is going to destroy them and take them away and pluck them out of their dwelling place and root them out of the
land forever
Okay
The righteous are going to see that and here's how they're gonna react. They're going to fear the righteous shall see and
fear
You know a lot of times when we see people being stupid and committing sin as Christians we go
Makes us wince
Right when you see people that get backslitting get out of church that are doing things that are contrary to the Word of God
You know it our first impression you should be fear for that person
We're afraid of what God's going to do to that person
But you know and it's really not our job to go and necessarily all the time try to correct those people
Although there's a time and place for that
But a lot of times what we should be doing is just praying for those people
Man God take it easy on them. You know in wrath remember mercy
The righteous are gonna see all this happen and fear
There's gonna be a time and place for that, but then it goes on and says and shall laugh at him
There's a time to fear for these people that don't know what they got coming and there's also a time to laugh at them
When you have people that you know aren't just committing sin
But they're actually boasting themselves in sin when they're just defiantly opening
You know openly just committing mischievous. They're devising mischief. They're just purposely being rebellious
They're going against what they know is right, and they're and they're just kind of
Wagging it in everyone's face
You know we fear for that person, but you know eventually those people are when they get what's coming
You know there's gonna be a time to laugh, too. I
Mean obviously this is talking about very wicked people right this isn't just someone who's
you know
Out there just being stupid committing sin obvious talking about mischievous people people who are
You know whose tongues are like sharp razors. They love evil more than good right these are really bad people
There's gonna be time that we're gonna actually laugh at them, and it's not just you know
The you know just laughter is like in a belly laugh, but there's actually a statement that's given here next
This is what they're going to be saying in their laughter
Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trust the abundance of his riches and
strengthen himself in wickedness
So obviously this isn't your run-of-the-mill sinner. This is talking about a very wicked person, right?
Because you know how do you know that well he trusted in the abundance of his riches?
You know there's a lot of sins that some of us are never gonna be commit simply because we can't afford it
And that's not the only reason I'm half joking right, but as he said in first Timothy
You know they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and too many foolish and hurtful lusts
Which drown men in destruction and perdition that they shall be thrust through with many sorrows, right?
Unless and we shouldn't just immediately despise anybody that has well people that have worked hard and and and and gotten well
But you know there is also the case where people who have a lot of wealth are often very wicked
Sometimes those two things go hand in hand they that will be rich right people who just want to be rich
They have to be rich. They just want wealth for themselves. They're just you know, they're covetous people
They're greedy right that often leads to other sins. Okay, and makes them into wicked people
And
This is important today because you know, we see a lot of very wealthy and wicked people
That are you know, pulling the levers of our society
They're kind of at the helm as it were kind of guiding us as a nation as a world
To wherever it is. They got us going which is no place good, right?
It's you know, the George sources sources and others of the world, you know, it's it though that that ilk
Right the the wealthy the elite that are
Shaking their fist at God, right? Well, you know, there's gonna be a time
You know, we're going to fear and perhaps even fear what might happen as a result of those people being in charge
But there's also going to be a time when we'll laugh at them and we'll laugh and say this is the man that made
Not God not his strength. This is the person that
Trusted in the abundance of his riches. He thought his riches were gonna protect him
The Bible says that his riches his gold will actually be witness against him
And he strengthened himself in his wickedness
And I love how he is
Laughing this right the wicked shall laugh and they saying this and then he says in verse 8
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I
Trust in the mercy of God forever and ever so who's laughing now
The guy who just made his life all about wealth and pleasures and sin and just chasing after these things
Who mocked and scoffed and didn't love the good and loved evil more, you know, who's laughing in the end?
It's the righteous
You know, we end up being the ones with the last last laugh as it were
We're the ones that can look back and say well, you know what?
It turns out we were right you were wrong and
Part of the reason we're able to do that is because of the fact that we're in the house of God
Why because we recognize the goodness of God. He says like I'm like a green olive tree
I'm as I was preaching this morning
fruitful right they have strength there's you know
Strengthen their limbs they bear fruit there and they're in the house of God they're planted in the house of God
It says I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever I will praise thee forever and ever
Because thou hast done it and I will wait on thy name for it is good before thy saints
So again, what are we talking about tonight the goodness of God?
the goodness of God is what's going to lead us to repentance and
People who don't see the goodness of God they go down a wicked path often
You know people they they scoff and they mock at God
They'll even laugh at the idea that God is going to judge them or perhaps they're getting into sin
And God it seems like God's not judging them
Which is also a fearful thing because the Bible says that if thou be without chastisement
Thou are bastards and not sons because he chases every son whom you receive it
So either God's just being forbearing long-suffering
Or you're not even saved those are kind of the options of God's not chasing you
God's not chasing you but you know a lot of times that people will just mock and scoff and they'll ridicule the Christian life
and they'll just
you know
flaunt their sin in front of God and everybody and they think that God's not going to do anything and what they fail to
See is that's the exact reason why they need to repent because God has been is being good
Because God is being long-suffering and forbearing with those individuals
And hopefully people see that
If you would go over to Psalm 73 Psalm 73 is you know
I wanted to just read this whole chapter because it's such a powerful chapter
You know Asaph where he you know is envious at the wicked
he sees that there's no bands in their death that their children are strong that their eyes stand out with fatness and
He says you know until I went into the sanctuary of God then understood I their end
Right his feet had well nice slipped
He was as a he said I was as a beast before thee
When he was envying the foolish when he was envying the wicked
He was like a dumb animal who was gonna just slip and slide down the slopes of sin, right?
That's basically what he's saying there
My foot had well nice slipped right? I was as a beast before thee. I just wasn't getting it
I was just focusing only on the don'ts of the Christian life everything
I didn't get to do, you know the wicked they get to go and do this they get to go and do that
They get to enjoy this and they get to enjoy that sin because there is pleasure and sin for a season
They they don't have no bands in their death. They're not concerned about the things of God
They're not worried about the things of God. They just live carefree
They just their philosophy is eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die and that's what we see all around us today
Hedonism
it's it's rampant in our country and in our world and
It's because we people have so much access to so much sin and pleasure people have so much ease
so much comfort so much idle time that people have just given themselves over to all kinds of just
pleasure seeking and
Often through very by sinful very simple means right and we as God's people need to be careful and guard our hearts
And not become like Asaph and
Start to envy the wicked and the cure for that is to go into the sanctuary of God
Until I went to the house of God then understood I their end
Then God will have them in derision. God will be laughing at them. God will mock and scoff back at them eventually
It's a great psalm. If you've never read that psalm you need to read that
But look at verse 27. He said for lo they that are far from these shall perish
Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee
But it is good for me to draw near to God
I have put my trust in Lord God that I may be clear all his works
You know God is good. There's and we need to understand and recognize the fact that drawing near to God is a good thing
It's a good thing to be get right with God
and it's not just you know some burden to be born and
It's not just you know God constraining us and restricting us and saying no to everything that we want to you know
It's a good thing to draw near to God
It's a good thing to get sin out of your life
It's good thing to live
Soberly and Godly in this present world. It's a good thing and
Guard your heart and don't start looking at what the wicked are getting away with in this world
Don't you know envy and covet all the sin that they're getting into because God destroys all them that go whoring from them and
the only reason God often is holding back on people and not judging them is because he's merciful and long-suffering and
That's the exact reason why it ought to lead them to repentance. It's
You know, but unfortunately a lot of times people just don't see that
They don't recognize the fact that God is holding off and and and they don't recognize the goodness of that
Go to Psalm chapter number 8 go Psalm 8
So what I'm getting at tonight, you know, is that the good the goodness of God
Yeah, we we ought to draw near to God. We need to recognize that God is good
And not just for the things that he does for us, but for some often times the things that he doesn't do to us
And if we're in sin, you know if we if we're backslidden if we're in sin if we are
You know coveting the wicked we're envious of the foolish like Asaph was, you know, we need to get into the sanctuary of God
And we need to understand there in there's there's nothing to covet in the world
There's nothing good about going to hell there's no thing good about living a life of sin rejecting God and then going to hell
It's a wicked thing it's an unfortunate thing
Look at Psalm 8 look at verse 9
It says behold our Oh God our shield and look upon the face of thine anointed
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand
You know a day one day in the house of God is better than a thousand days here on earth
I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Oh
It's great to dwell in a twint of wickedness right? Oh because they have shelter they have all these pleasures
They can do all these things, you know, they're in private. They're secluded
No one sees
There's all kinds of sin to get into and all the pleasures that come along with it
Yeah, but you know what? It doesn't compare to just being a doorkeeper in the house of God
Doesn't even come close to stepping one toe into heaven
Look at verse 11 for the Lord our God for the Lord. God is a son and a shield
He will give grace and glory. No good thing will he hold with them that walk uprightly
You know if you walk uprightly you do what's right?
God's gonna bless you
You know, that's that's the goodness of God
It's not just that God saying well, you know if you do right, I just won't punish you right
You know going back to that analogy of carrot and the stick sometimes got to give you this carrot do
You get a nibble right you get a bite
Positive reinforcement is a very real thing. It's a powerful thing
You know, and I think a lot of times, you know
people get this idea that because we you know preach about punishment and it's a very real thing and even corporal punishment and
Discipline and these things like that that you know, we're just all stick all the time
But you know
Positive reinforcement is also something that we need to consider
Because that's what God God using. Hey, it's the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance
You know God will bless us if we walk uprightly
it's not just what you know, if we walk uprightly then you know, we can just
Don't have to worry about God, you know coming down on me like a ton of bricks
Well, it's yeah that that is a relief. That's nice. Right? It's nice to not have to worry about that stuff
But how about the fact that God it says will hold withhold no good thing from you either
Everything that's good for you. God's gonna give it to you
You know, God wants to give good gifts unto his children, you know, if we being evil, you know
You know how to give good gifts unto our children. How much more shall God give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
God wants to fill us with the Spirit. God wants to make us into the Christians that we ought to be
God will help us do that
That's why it's good for us to draw near to God so he can do that
that's a good thing and
And don't buy this
You know lie that's out there
That the Christian life is just some hokey stupid thing. Look, you know, I try not to use a lot of worldly examples
but it's come to my mind already more than once during the sermon and
Yes, I watched The Simpsons quite a bit growing up
So, let me just say this
You know drawing not a God night of God God God's not trying to turn you into Ned Flanders
Okay
This is okay. Now everybody can relate and now everyone's perking up a little bit. Okay
Now I see what he's getting at right? Sometimes you got to use these you got to get on the people's level
You know got to speak their language, right? God's not trying to turn you into Ned Flanders
or
Whatever he said, you know, right
the dweebie
Christian that lived next door
Right, but that's that's the picture that the world paints. Oh you want it you want to be a Christian you want to go
to church. Oh you want to be some
sweater vest wearing dweeb
Look, I think sweater vests are great. You know, I don't wear them. I'm not against anybody wears them
That's not it. That's just a vest. That's not a sweater vest. That's a three-piece suit that man's he's looking good
All right, he's he's doing it right he's coming to house of God looking sharp, okay
I thought he was preaching tonight when I saw him
Nothing wrong with that right, but you know, he's not trying to turn you into mr. Rogers
right
Now I love mr. Rogers. Okay, nothing against mr. Roger. Nice guy, right?
You would never have guessed that he was a Vietnam sniper with over 50 confirmed kills
Just kidding
No one knows about that the
People used to say the reason why I always wear long-sleeve is because he had all the Marine Corps tattoos on him and stuff
Anyway, stupid joke, but you know, that's not what God's trying to turn you into
It's just some some dweeb right and and that's the picture that the world paints and the sad thing is
That's the lie. A lot of Christians believe
They don't want to serve God. They don't want to live for God
They'll never know the goodness of God because they want to just be seen as cool they just want to fit in
They don't want to be perceived as you know
You know some some dork or something
Whatever, right? It's like well again, that's a false dichotomy. It's like it's not either-or
You know, you could serve God and love God and not be a wicked person
and
Not be a complete nerd either
You
Don't have to be a geek to serve God, right?
You don't have to be a dweeb. God's not gonna turn you into a dweeb
Alright
But I you know, and I'm kind of you know, obviously it's funny
But it's just like I think that's what some people especially young people. That's the the idea they get
Oh if I serve God that people are gonna think I'm just this this dweeb II guy or something
Who first of all who cares I
Mean who cares what other people think about you?
And and and don't go too far with that. I mean, I think we should care at some point
Right if everyone around us is just like oh man, what are you doing?
Maybe we should start caring about what people think obviously, I'm not saying you're saying we shouldn't worry about the impression
We're making on other people but who you know, we're not trying to win a popularity contest here
We're not we're not trying to win a popularity contest here
We're not trying to impress other people. We're not comparing ourselves among ourselves because those that do the do that are not wise the Bible says
You know the the the mischievous man the boastful man the mighty man
Mocks at God scoffs God, you know, he's the cool guy
You know, he's the man's man. He's the you know, the guy that can drink everyone under the table
He's a guy that can go out and just get all the women and whatever
cover his body and tattoos and just be like the world and
People are gonna think oh, he's so cool
You know what? God's God is going to cloud up and rain on that guy someday
And that guy doesn't get saved. You know, he's gonna go to hell
Who cares how cool you are in this world doesn't matter if God's not pleased with you
Because no good thing will God withhold from them that walk uprightly
So, you know for Christians a lot of times. I think I ask themselves is what do they want out of this life?
What do you want?
Do you want the pleasures of sin for a season?
And all the heartache and the scars and the shame and the guilt that comes along with that
You just want to be like everybody else just live for the flesh just be hedonistic just be carnal
Just gratify and satisfy every lust and impulse have no self-control
Have notice and just it feels good do it. And is that that the crowd we want? Is that what we want out of life?
Because there's a lot of people they that's what they're doing and they're living miserable lives
Yeah, but man they don't know what's telling them what to do, you know, they don't have any responsibilities
Yeah, those people are called bums
They're all cowering under the under the overpass right now
Because they're exposed to the elements
Does that yeah, that looks like a free life, doesn't it?
Yeah, but look they don't they don't have any responsibilities
You know, they're they're free to do whatever they want
To satisfy every every impulse and look I'm not without compassion for people that are in that situation
And sometimes people get a mixed message there. They get the wrong idea. I
Feel for people that are in that situation, honestly because
Anyone who's ever even struggled with any addiction to any degree understands how powerful that is
These people can't deliver themselves from that what they're in they often
There needs to be intervention and I'm not trying to preach a whole nother sermon here
Okay
But you know, that's where that kind of mentality could lead. Hey, you know, I'm just I'm not gonna listen to my parents
I'm not gonna listen to my pastor. I'm gonna do whatever I want to do. Whatever is cool
You know, I'm gonna start taking drugs because I'm just so cool
Look people boast themselves in these things the mighty man boasts himself in his mischief in his mischief
You know, they'll start doing drugs. They'll start talking to other people about all the drugs they do how much drugs they do
They get into it
And you know and those people that they're talking to and hanging around they might think they're cool
But from my perspective from the Christians perspective from the upright man's perspective, you know, we look at a person like that and we fear
and we say they're fools and
When we say this person these people they don't even see the goodness of God
In the fact that he's not that he's in the fact that he's being long-suffering with them
They're blind to it they need to repent
No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly that's the catch there, isn't it? That's the rub. I
Want the blessing of God in my life. I want God to be pleased with me walk uprightly
walk uprightly and
Who cares if people what they think? Oh, you don't drink. Oh
You don't smoke. Oh
You don't party you don't run with us, you know, you don't want to do that stuff anymore. You're so much holier than thou now
Yeah
I've never I mean I remember when I first you know
Started stop hanging out with the old crew and started going to church and trying to clean myself up and get back on
You know live you start living for God
One of my friends, you know went to his mother and said oh and she asked about me says, oh he
He's so much holier than thou now
And she his mom was actually relating the story to me. Mrs. Hobbs
and
She said yeah, he said that her son and I looked at him and said well he is
He is holier than you
You know and that's true
You know and they that's see that's the thing all the wicked they look at they look at people that are walking uprightly
They're living in God. Oh, you're so much holier. You're such a holier now. Well, yeah, we are I
Mean I don't know what to tell you and
I don't mean that and you know in a condescending way, but it's it is true. I mean, it's like well you said it
You're the one who said it and when you think about it is true
You know if I'm living a godly life, I'm sorry, you know, you're welcome to do the same anytime you'd like
But you know, they don't people don't like that they want to they want because it reminds them of the fact
That they have sin, but they're not right with God. That's what's really going on there
Anyway, I know I'm kind of ranting tonight, but
You know, this is the goodness of God tonight, you know God
leads us to repentance and
Who cares what anyone else thinks about it?
If you would go to a Philippians chapter number four Philippians chapter number four
Actually, you know what I got I got a wrap-up go to 2nd Corinthians 7 2nd Corinthians 7
The Psalmist said in Psalm 143 teach me to do thy will for thou art my God
You know if somebody claims the name of Christ if they claim to believe the Bible they would do what's in it
Doesn't that seem like a pretty natural response?
Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God
And we're gonna profess that we know that we believe in the God of the Bible doesn't wouldn't just make sense that we would then
Want to do the things that are in the Bible?
Thy spirit is good lead me into land of uprightness
God's spirit is good. God is good doing the will of God is good. His commandments are not grievous and
He will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly
And yet today you have people they want to claim the name of Christ they want to say they're Christians and they do the exact opposite
of the Bible says
And it's something and I get like no one's perfect people make mistakes people do things and they get stuff wrong and
People sin and then they got to repent and they got to get things I get that but it's when you see people just fall
Into just a pattern a behavior of just constantly doing the opposite of what the Bible says
In spite of the fact that they know better sometimes you start to wonder is the God of the Bible even your God
Because if you believe that the God of the Bible is real and that he was your God
It just makes sense that you would say something at least to some degree along the lines of teach me to do thy will
That if you actually believed in this book and the God of this book that you would actually try to do the things that are instead
of
Excuse me the exact opposite of what's in it. I
Mean teach me to do thy will why cuz thou art my God
This isn't complicated. This is simple
Look at Philippians chapter 4 verse 6 be careful for nothing
But in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God
And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus
You know, we're living in a time where we hear a lot about people who are anxious
And that and I'm not making light of that
That's that's a real thing people who suffer from anxiety
depression
right
Paranoia right people have you know
You know
Psychic problems they have
Neuroticism sometimes they have things that they're dealing with even just in their mind and their psyche that are very real
And that's what he says he shall keep your hearts and your minds right
He's gonna guard your mind even that's what the peace of God does for us
That's what the peace of God does for us
If we're careful for nothing if by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving we make our requests known unto God
The peace of God which passes all understanding shall keeps our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
You know if we pray and say God teach me though I will thou art my God
And we actually start to do the things in this book and we actually start to believe these things and walk with God
And say as Asaph said it is good for me to draw near to God we are going to have the peace of God that passes all understanding
It's better than any prescription
It's better than any substance
We don't have to numb ourselves. We don't have to you know take drugs and alcohol or whatever in order to escape
You know some inner struggle
You have the peace of God
That passes all understanding
Because he is the God of peace look at verse nine those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen and me do
And the God of peace shall be with you
God is the God of peace
God is good
God is long suffering God is forbearing
Yes God has all those other negative attributes too and they're just and holy and right and real
But God's not all stick he's carrot too
God has the you know this is some positive reinforcement
I mean doesn't the peace of God sound pretty good
I mean being a doorkeeper in the house of God sounds a whole lot better than tents of wickedness
Having the peace of God knowing that I'm right with God in this life on this earth is a wonderful thing
I mean I can't understand how some people can even make it through this world sometimes
The way things are and sometimes they let it slip
You know because when we're out and about people are we're all always just projecting
We're always just kind of putting up for it. That's just that's human nature. It's what we're supposed to do
Good night I couldn't handle it if every single person you ran into just broke down and told you what they were really thinking and how they were feeling
It's like hey man you know I don't have a couch for you to lay down on and tell me your life story
Right we have to do that we got to just suck it up and go out there and you know man up whatever right I get that
But you have to understand people are always putting on a front
So many people out there they're anxious they're worried they have no peace
Whatever they're discontent they're dissatisfied they're depressed anxious I mean the people have all kinds of problems
And I'm not saying we're never going to have problems but you know what in the midst we'll have you know we'll have peace the peace of God
Because God comforts us in the midst of all our tribulations
I mean we could be going through such hard difficult things and God will see us through
And we'll have the peace of God because he is the God of peace
One last passage if you would go to 2 Corinthians chapter number 7
2 Corinthians chapter number 7
You know sometimes people just need to be reminded of the goodness of God
Because it just seems like some people you can't get through to with you know the judgment of God the wrath of God
Look that's going to get through to some people some people are going to get that and be like oh yeah I don't want anything to do with that
But I don't know if it's just some people they don't believe in that or they just don't think it's going to happen to them
Or they think there's some kind of an exception
And it doesn't matter how many times you tell them you're not the exception I've seen it in my life I've seen it in the life of those around me
God will chase in his children count on it it will happen
And just because it's not happening right now doesn't mean it's not going to happen to you
You know that message doesn't always get through to people
You know a lot of young people think oh yeah whatever it's just the old guy you know the old man's up in the pulpit just rattling his cage in just blowing out some steam
You know maybe sometimes another approach is well hey how about the fact that God is good
How about he's the God of all comfort how about he's the God of peace
How about he can keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus
And he can give you that no good thing will he withhold from you if you walk uprightly
That it's good for you to draw near to God and who cares what anybody else thinks about you know the way God wants us to live
2 Corinthians chapter number 7 look at verse 9
Paul rejoices not that you remain sorry but that you sorrow to repentance
And Paul is referring to the letter he wrote in 1 Corinthians where he told them to you know put him out
To kick out the guy who was committing fornication that was not so much as named among the Gentiles
Deliver such one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh you know practice church discipline and they did that
And now Paul's following up saying hey I rejoiced that when I wrote and rebuked you in that letter you were made sorry
And he's saying I'm not rejoicing that you were sorry but that you sorrowed to repentance
For you were made sorry after a godly manner that you might receive damage by us and nothing
He's saying basically you know I'm rejoicing because I warned you and you took action
But look at verse 10 for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of
But the sorrow of the world worketh death
Godly sorrow is a good thing because it works repentance
And sometimes if people are reminded of the goodness of God that might be what makes them sorry
Maybe if people would realize a little bit how good God truly is
They would actually bother them that they're doing things contrary to his word
That they're actually grieving the Holy Spirit that they're actually quenching the Holy Spirit in their life
If people could see that maybe that would work godly sorrow to repentance
And not the sorrow of the world which works death
You know people get into sin and the wages of sin is death
People get into sin and they reap what they sow and they're sorry about it
But they're not sorry because they upset God
They're sorry because it works death that it doesn't lead to anything good
You know the godly sorrow at least it works repentance
At least it causes people to change course
At least it gets people back on the straight and narrow
Gets people back on living a godly life
And that's what he goes on to explain here
This godly sorrow he was glad he rejoiced that they sorrowed after a godly sort
Verse 11 for behold this selfsame thing that you sorrowed after a godly sort
What was the result of that? What carefulness it wrought in you?
What clearing of yourselves?
Yea what indignation? Yea what fear? Yea what vehement desire?
Yea what zeal? Yea what revenge?
I mean there's an exclamation point there
And all things you have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter
He's saying you were made sorry by that letter and you sorrowed after a godly sort
And it was the sorrow that worked repentance and it actually brought about a change in you
And what was that change? They became careful, right?
You sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you?
Well I don't want to do that again
Right? When people realize oh I've offended god, god doesn't please with this, I've upset god by doing it
Let me be a little more careful so I don't do that again
What carefulness, right?
Cause the word careful in the bible is often associated with our word worry
Right? Concern
Like they became more concerned about what they were doing
What carefulness it wrought in you? You know it caused you to tighten things up a little bit
What clearing of yourselves?
You know they got their name back, they cleared themselves in this matter
Yea what indignation
I love this, that these people actually got mad at sin
And this is the problem sometimes with people
They understand they shouldn't do something, they want to be careful about it
They want to stay clear of it, right?
But they'll continually struggle with it because they never get mad at the sin
You know if we're struggling with sin maybe we should just get mad at it
You ever just get mad at your sin?
You just get mad that you're even tempted to do something you know you shouldn't do?
Argh! It just makes me mad
That's what he's saying happened here
They were sorry, they were reminded of how good god is
Cause the goodness of god leadeth thee to repentance
And they repented after a godly sword, they were reminded of the goodness of god
It made them careful, it caused them to clear themselves
It caused them to get mad
They had indignation
And fear and what vehement desire
You know you start living for god, you just force yourself into it
You might find yourself actually wanting to live for god
You might actually say, well this isn't so bad after all
I'm not Ned Flanders
I thought for sure I was going to turn into that dweeby christian guy on some show
And I didn't! In fact this christian life is pretty good
I want more of it
You might actually put some vehement desire into you
When you see how good god really is
I mean, does it ever just hit you sometimes how good god is?
Does it ever just cause you to get on your knees and just
Through tears and shouting and joy just say
God it's good!
It's been so good to me
I mean sometimes I gotta pinch myself
And you say, sometimes you gotta go
What's the problem anyway?
Sometimes we just get an attitude
And we just get so damaged like
What's the matter?
Oh god's been good to you?
Oh poor thing!
You know? And sometimes we just
We need to just look at where we've been
And where god's led us and say well god is good
And if we would recognize that
You know we'd probably say well I want more of that
It might put some vehement desire in our hearts
And cause us to
You know seek god
And draw an eye to him
And then you know no good will he withhold from us
Yea what vehement desire, yea what zeal, what revenge
They actually took revenge on their sin
You ever done that?
You ever just think, go back and think about
Man I did this for so many years
But I've been clear of that for so many years
I've taken revenge on it
You gotta redeem the time sometimes
You gotta look back and say you know
All those years I spent not living for god
All those years I spent living for sin
All those years I've been living for the world
I'm gonna take revenge on them
I'm gonna get that back
All that time that sin, the devil, the world robbed for me
I'm gonna get it back
I'm gonna take revenge on it
But you'll never get there without vehement desire
You'll never get there without zeal
You'll never get there without indignation
You'll never get there without carefulness
You'll never get there without repentance
And you'll never get there without
Understanding that the goodness of god
Needed thee to repentance
Let's go ahead and close the word of prayer