“God is Faithful to all Generations!"
Pastor Jerry Ingalls
July 11, 2010 – FBC-NC Centennial Celebration!
The theme for our Centennial Year which started on July 7, 2010 and finds its conclusion on July 6, 2011 is “God is faithful to all generations!” God is faithful past, present, and future! God is faithful whether we can feel it, taste it, hear it, smell it, see it, or believe it. This is the reality of our God and we have committed ourselves to this one theme to guide us throughout our big events of this weekend as we draw a line in the sand and say, “As for me and my household we are celebrating the goodness of my God and His character—He is faithful to all generations! This is the God we serve!” We gathered last night with a big party to commemorate our past 100 years of ministry! We come together this morning to celebrate the reality of God’s faithfulness in the sacred moment of the present. And we will gather again tonight for a very special service to cast a vision for the future that has this one reality in mind—God is faithful to all generations!
Friends, this is not just a theme that I grabbed out of thin air. This is a biblical theme for life! So, let’s turn now to the Scripture which has inspired our theme.
God word from Psalm 100 (NIV) declares to all who have ears to hear, “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
It is my hope this morning, to highlight from this text and from our faith as followers of Jesus Christ why we celebrate God today. As long as today is called today, we will celebrate God's faithfulness!
Remember, today is a gift that is why we call it a present. And that leads us into our first teaching point: WE CELEBRATE GOD TODAY BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL TO SAVE!
In Psalm 100:3, the Psalmist declares, "Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture" (Psalm 100:3).
Our Psalm declares that God made us and we are His people; we are the sheep of His pasture. And we see the love of the Father expressed so clearly in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
God is the great Gift-giver! He is the giver of life; the Creator! And we celebrate God today because He has given you the very life you experience, the breath you breathe, and for those who call upon the Name of Jesus Christ, He has given you the gift of salvation.
The Bible declares of God’s love in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
How do we see the faithfulness of God to save through His Son Jesus Christ?
The Bible teaches us in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The reality of our situation is that apart from God's love and faithfulness we are destined for death! But, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to take that which leads to death (sin!) and that which separates us from the love of God (unrighteousness!) upon Himself so that we can be acceptable to God and live in Him for eternity. How do we attain this gift?
We are taught in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
We celebrate God because He is faithful to save you and me through the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ; through the forgiveness of sins that is available to you today if you admit that you are sinner and need the forgiveness of God only possible through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Then, you must not only admit that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, you now must move this confession from your mind into your heart and confess your sins asking God for forgiveness and He is faithful! Jesus Christ has forgiven you of the sin that leads to death and taken upon Himself all of your unrighteousness so that you may be pure and holy in the eyes of God through the Holy Spirit. God has given you His Spirit and in the moment of the Holy Spirit coming into your life you experience the gift of salvation--you are alive!
And this reality of God’s faithfulness to save brings us into our second teaching point: WE CELEBRATE GOD TODAY BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL!
Not because He is faithful to save or heal or teach or do anything else, but because His very character and nature is faithfulness! We celebrate God; the great I AM!
Our Centennial theme Scripture verse, Psalm 100:5, proclaims, "For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
God’s character (the LORD is good!) and God’s love endure forever! God’s faithfulness is for you, just as it was for you parents and their parents; just as it is for your children and their children!
God is faithful past, present, and future! God is faithful whether we can feel it, taste it, hear it, smell it, see it, or believe it. This is the reality of our God and we must commit ourselves to this reality of God regardless of how we experience Him in our circumstances. How we walk through life must be based on the reality of God, not on the sensation of our senses.
Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 1:20, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."
We celebrate God today because we know that all the promises of God have found their completion in Jesus Christ! We celebrate because of what He has done for us and this allows us, one day at a time, to persevere until the end. Because as long as today is called today we are called to celebrate God and live a life of praise and worship!
And before we move into our last teaching point, I want to remind you that this too is the work of God through the Holy Spirit—His presence in your life.
Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
God is faithful to all the generations and the same Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus Christ at His baptism is the same Holy Spirit who will sustain and empower you to receive the gift of faith the leads to eternal life as well as empowers you to a lifestyle of faithfulness! God ushers us into the Kingdom of God so that we will worship Him with every breath we breathe. God is calling us to live a praise habit!
That leads us to our last teaching point: WE CELEBRATE GOD TODAY WITH A LIFESTYLE OF FAITHFUL SERVICE!
There is a lot of action in our Scripture lesson. Psalm 100:1, 2, & 4 "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
Listen to this action-oriented praise and worship! So there also should be action in our lives as Christ-followers! We have learned good reasons why we celebrate God today and now we learn the best way to live out this celebration of God's faithfulness...through our faithful service to the Kingdom of God!
God never intended you to only praise Him once a week! God intended you to live a life of praise! God did not save you so that you can keep what you have to yourself with a private religion! God saved you so that you would give away all that you have so that others would experience the same love and forgiveness that you yourself received!
God is calling us to a life of action—a life of love, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation, joy, and praise!
Paul teaches Christ-followers in Romans 12:11-13, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."
When we are confronted by the love of God, then everything changes at the deepest core level of who we are and why we do what we do. Our lives become a celebration of God’s faithfulness; His covenant-love in Jesus Christ! We are given the security of the faithfulness of God and that means we can take our eyes off of ourselves and toward the God who made us, saved us, and now empowers us to share the love of Christ with the world through our words and deeds!
The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 10:23-24, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."
And what is the reward for living a life of faithful service to the One who saved you and called you to be one of His precious children?
The reward is both in this life and the next, every day that is called today you can rest knowing that you are loved with an everlasting love; you are secure in the hand of the Father!
And after a life of faithful service to the God who made you, saved you, and loves you, we each hope to hear these words from Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
God is faithful to all generations! This is His promise; this is the good news of Jesus Christ; and as long as we gather together on the Lord’s Day, this is the message of hope and promise you will hear! And as long as you have breath in your lungs, this is the mission of your life! To live out the good news you have been saved by!
Response Time
Blessings,
Jerry
"Jesus Christ must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30
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