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We aim to reconcile people unto God through Christ
SERMON TITLE:
PREACHER:
DATE:
Attributes of God – Faithfulness
Jared Kwant
31.08.14
God’s love - shown through His faithfulness
What’s really unfair is that God continues to forgive you and
me and pursue us with such a deep love!
We don’t deserve his love and grace because time after time
we sin and we turn our backs on God, we grumble and
complain and put idols (sport, our bodies, careers, money)
before Him - yet his love pursues you!
Read through Nehemiah chapter 9.
Nehemiah 9:26-28
28 “But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was
evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of
their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they
cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your
compassion you delivered them time after time.”
Israel’s Unfaithfulness seen in:
1 - Marital unfaithfulness, 2- Breaches in the law, 3- Prostitution,
4- abandoning God, 5 - disobedience, 6- Trust in money and
possessions, 7- Doing wrong to others, 8- Marrying foreign
wives, 9 -Withholding tithes and offerings (Just a few examples).
Unfaithfulness was a characteristic of God’s people throughout
history YET the characteristic of God throughout history was his
faithfulness. WHAT A LOVE STORY!!
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 NKJV
He is in pursuit of his people and he will not stop until he has all
of our attention.
AV – clip of 50first dates
How many times have some of us fallen in love with God but
we never stay in love. God continues to romance each and
every day.
That is Gods relentless love for us, he doesn’t give up on us! His
love is unfailing! And we don’t deserve it.
Psalm 23:6 (NLT)
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
David is amazed at His unfailing love but acknowledges he
needs to remain/dwell in Gods house or His presence. Our
challenge is to remain in His presence and stay in Love with
Him!
Hosea’s 3:1 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your
wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an
adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they
turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
We are Gomer in the book of Hosea, adulteress people, turning
away from Him yet He always goes back after us!
His love for us is STEADFAST, RELENTLESS and RUTHLESS!
Gomer didn’t deserve Hosea’s love and we don’t deserve
God’s love but remains faithful to us.
One day the Israelites are in love with God, and the next day
they go against him!
Hosea 6:4 God speaking of His people says: “O Israel and
Judah, what should I do with you? For your love vanishes like
the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight”
Through all our faults and failures God doesn’t let go of us.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 NKJV
With this being said we cannot continue to live how we want in
our sinful habits and think its ok because God loves us the
same. His love won’t change towards you! BUT there are
conditions to experiencing His love, his blessings and his favour
etc. If we live in sin there are always consequences and
discipline!
But where there is true repentance there is forgiveness!
Lamentations 3:31 “For men are not cast off by the Lord
forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so
great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring
affliction or grief to the children of men.” (He disciplines those
He loves)
Don’t think he has given up on you because of how bad you
have been, that’s not true, he won’t give up on you.
The church has no greater need than to fall in love with Jesus
all over again! “Vance Havner”
We NEED to fall in love with God and stay in love with Him!
Being half dedicated to the Lord is of no benefit to you or God!
Rev 3:16 says rather be hot or cold, not in between.
God says He doesn’t want a relationship with us when we are
half committed to Him. His desire is that we would be fully
committed to Him.
If we want a deeper intimacy with Him and experience Him
more in our lives - We have to realise that the intimacy and
closeness with God is only going to be as good as what you
are willing to put into the relationship!
The commitment from God’s side is always there and it will
never change! BUT it’s Our side that is often what’s lacking!
GOD IS FAITHFUL in his unfailing, steadfast love for His people!
His attention is on you! You are Gods passion! You are on Gods
mind! You are his desire! You are the best thing He has created!
You are at the centre of His heart! You are what he cares
about most! You are his lover!
In all Israel’s unfaithfulness, God should have given up on them
a long time ago, but he romances His people over and over!
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 NKJV
I am constantly amazed at His love and pursuit of His people in
the OT. The pinnacle of His unfailing love came in the act of the
cross! This is the high point of his love!
COL 2:13-15 13 “ When you were dead in your sins and in the
uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ.
He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the charge of our
legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned
us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
That old arrest warrant cancelled and nailed to Christ’s cross.
There were wanted posters around for you and I, and God has
taken them down! He has set us free!
His Relentless Love demands one thing from us! For us to
relentlessly pursue Him! To pursue Him with an unyielding,
unfailing love!
Will you do anything to love the Lord your God with all your
heart, strength, mind and soul!
Love for God is not love at all unless it expresses itself in a
practical way “John Benton”
When we live for God with all our hearts life becomes
meaningful! Because only His love can fulfil the empty space
that we sometimes feel!
When we are faithful to God, He promises blessings for us:
 “Lord, you have stored up great blessings for those
who honor you. You do much for those who come to
you for protection, blessing them before the watching
world.” Psalm 31:19 (NLT)
 “I will cause my people and their homes around my
holy hill to BE a blessing. And I will send showers,
showers of blessings, which will come just when they
are needed.” Ezekiel 34:26 (NLT)
 “Even more blessed are all who hear the word of God
and put it into practice." Luke 11:28 (NLT)
 “Blessed is the man… whose delight is in the law of the
Lord, and on his word he meditates day and night. He
is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields
its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 NKJV
I don’t want to be characterized as being unfaithful! I will
relentlessly seek God, because He deserves it!
We need to make decisions in our lives. How are we going to
relentlessly follow God and stay faithful to Him?
LIFE GROUPS QUESTIONS
1. What hinders you from pursuing God with all your heart?
2. What hidden sin (if any) do you have in your life that you feel
is stopping you from experiencing all that God wants you to?
(You may want to share this with an accountability partner or a
pastor)
3. Do you have a problem understanding Gods love? Why?
4. What did you take from the message on Sunday? How did it
challenge or encourage you?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 NKJV