The Original Definition of Good

Introduction

Indeed, our God is good. I want to spend some time with you today in an attempt to discover or appreciate more deeply the goodness of God. We rejoice with two of our young people who have returned, Meredith and Sage, as they both have put on the Lord and have chosen to be disciples of Jesus. And we rejoice with you two young sisters and praying for your walk with the Lord. And we are blessed to have so many good things happening here in this group of the Lord’s people. The Lord has been good to us. What is the goodness of God supposed to mean to you? When I talk about God is good, and we sing that song, it’s simple. It’s a simple song. We sing the God is good line twice.

What is that supposed to mean to you? And as I talk today about the goodness of God, both this morning and this evening, is this going to be a real yawner? This is all so simplistic. God is good. What can he say about that? Oh boy. I feel the sleepies coming on already. Is there something here that you’ve missed? Is there something here that I’ve missed that could well be key to a more faithful walk with God that could well be key to eternal salvation and appreciation of the goodness of God? I want to tell you it is an important truth. It was an important truth that Jesus emphasized to the rich young ruler. Good teacher, what should I do that I might inherit eternal life?

And he asked, Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. Why emphasize that? And we’ve talked in Bible class about it’s really sort of a mind-blowing response to the question. Is it about Jesus’ identity? Is he challenging the young ruler to understand who it is that he’s actually talking to, the one who is God in human flesh? And only God in his essence is good. Do you realize who you’re asking this question to? There may be something else here that struck me this week. Why does the young ruler walk away after asking such an incredible question? I want eternal life. How do I find it? How do I get it? Good teacher, explain it to me. Maybe the goodness of God is the solution to his problem.

The goodness of God is more important than your wealth. The goodness of God will satisfy you where your wealth cannot. Give it up.

And come have treasure in heaven. Follow me. I think we have watered down the term good as it relates to God. We call so many things good. Eating a piece of watermelon after you’ve lifted heavy furniture for the Harkriters was good. Nice call on the watermelon.

Or better yet, that big, thick, juicy steak. You know, I always get talked to. You always talk about how much I mentioned Mexican food, then everybody goes out and eats chips and salsa at lunch. Today I’m talking about steak. As you cut it with that steak knife, and it’s good when you get steak like that. It’s delicious. Or we talk about a good book. You’re totally enthralled and enraptured with it because it’s got such a great storyline. It’s compelling, and you just can’t wait to read the next chapter. You get within three chapters, it’s 11 o’clock at night. You need to go to bed, but you’ve got to finish the book. So good. Or the movie. Oh, that movie was so good. You talk about a term that’s watered down in relation to I watch movies now and I’m disappointed most of the time.

1. God Is the Original Definition of Good

Where are the good movies anymore? It’s just, you know, beat up everything and fly through everything, and you know, everything’s destroyed, and the good guys, you know, somehow come out on top at the end. It’s like every movie’s like that. But we talk good. It’s a good movie. I want to tell you something this morning. The essence of our God is good. He is the original definition of good. Everything that emanates, everything that is God is good. And what that means is that at the very core of who our God is, he is generous. God is good. Well, I got this graphic, and I noticed Psalm 23, 6 pasted below it, so I thought I would reference it, even though it’s not the main part of what I want to talk about.

Going to spend some time in the Psalms in a sec. You know Psalm 23, right? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And all that God does in that Psalm for David the shepherd, as the Lord is his shepherd. And what he says something interesting in verse 6. He says, Surely goodness and mercy, surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. We sort of get to verse 6, sort of run through it. The good stuff was at the beginning. Six is the last verse. We read it, we’re done. No. He says, surely, goodness and mercy or loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Why is that? Because God is good. That’s why. Because God’s goodness is being showered on him. That’s why. Psalm 119, verse 68. Boy, how many times have I passed over that. Because it’s simple. But it’s important. You are good. And you do good. Teach me your statutes. God is good. God is intrinsically good. And he wants to lavish and overwhelm you with his goodness. And the Bible affirms that those are God’s actual thoughts about you. And that he wants to lavish upon you and bless you. God is for you. He has your back. He’s there plotting to do you good.

He’s up to something, and that he wants to do you good. He’s plotting to do you good. You are the object of his affection. Because of his divine nature, all that he expresses comes from an expansive, overwhelming God sized generosity towards you.

2. A Constant Old Testament Refrain

Do we think about that? Do you realize how the Bible is replete with the thought that God is good? It is a constant old testament refrain. Just look at Psalm 107. In fact, everything I consulted on the goodness of God referenced Psalm 107. Because there is so much said about his goodness there. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His loving kindness is everlasting. Move down to verse 8. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loving kindness or his goodness and for his wonders to the sons of men. For he has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul, he is filled with what is good. I want to tell you about Psalm 114 and verse 9. That’s what this is all about today, people.

He has satisfied the soul with what is good. He has filled the hungry soul, he has satisfied the thirsty soul, and he wants to do that for you. That’s what this is all about. Being filled up to all the fullness of God. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. This emanates from our God, and he is good to so bless us. I have verse 8 highlighted because that same verse is repeated three more times in Psalm 107 in verse 15 and in verse 21 and verse 31, it says, Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and his wonders to the sons of men. We should spend some time contemplating the wonders of God. It is a constant Old Testament refrain.

Let me show you. Psalm 118. The book ends of the verse. The first verse and the last verse. And whenever the psalmist does that, he is framing everything that he says, all the little specifics that follow. He is framing it with this great thought. Here’s the frame of Psalm 118. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. And in this in verse 6, the Lord is for me. I don’t need to be afraid. The Lord is for me. What can man do to me? Thoughts of that are actually found in 1 Peter chapter 3. You know what else you see in Psalm 118? I’m told that Psalm 118, verse 8 is the center verse in the Bible. That is, as all the Bible has been separated into verses and chapters, that as you take all the verses and find the one that’s exactly in the middle of the Bible, it’s Psalm 118 and verse 8.

I’ve just got to tell you, I’ve not done the math on that. But I’m going to get Owen on that this afternoon. Owen, I want to have that done by tonight. He’ll have it done. He’ll count it all up and do whatever math tricks he needs to do. And we’ll confirm tonight that Psalm 118 and verse 8 is actually the center verse. And how perfect it is, if indeed, that is so. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in men. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. And in this Psalm that is bookended with give thanks to the Lord for he is good, we have this prophetic message about salvation in Jesus, him being the chief cornerstone.

And this is the day that the Lord is made rejoice and be glad in it. Hosanna, salvation is coming. In the name of the Lord. All of this found in Psalm 118. And while I’m emphasizing the Psalms, I want to take a brief detour back to 1 Chronicles 16, because you can’t talk about the goodness of God without talking about 1 Chronicles 16. And those Levites who and ministers before the Ark of God, the Ark of the Covenant, were to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel. And they repeat over and over again, oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. For his loving kindness is everlasting.

The constant refrain of the Old Testament, O taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for to those who fear him, there is no want. Just like Psalm 23. Because God is good, and because you trust in him, to fear him means there is no want. This thought came to me a few minutes ago. Though the earth should change. That verse struck me a while back, Psalm 46 and verse 2. Though the mountain should slip into the sea, you know that happens a lot. Yeah, thank you, Scott. I can count on Scott to catch the humor.

You know, it was the other day when the Himalayas slipped into the sea. Mount Everest, gone. It’s gone. Don’t have to worry about people dying on Mount Everest like they’ve been doing the summer. Because there’s too many people up there. It’s too crowded. It’s really cold. Why do people have to climb Mount Everest? I don’t know, but they’re wanting to do it by the hordes. And people are dying up there. Well, I died on Everest. Congratulations.

3. Though the Earth Should Change, God Will Still Be Good

I don’t understand what the attraction is. But plus, have I mentioned it’s cold up there? That’s a reason not to go. But where was I? Okay, the mountains slip into the sea. What if what if something catastrophic happened in the next 24 hours? What job?

Believe me, if something of the nature I’m talking about happens, my livelihood’s going to be affected. Contribution goes way down. Nobody has a job. I’m looking for a different line of work. At least to support myself physically or financially. Though the earth should change.

It could, you know. Life as we know it could be taken away from us quicker than you possibly could realize. I know there’s a lot of gloom and doom statements that people make, and perhaps this way of life that we’ve known is going to go on for many more decades. I hope it does. Maybe. Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not. Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. And if it all goes away tomorrow, and this is the last time I wear my Willy Wonka suit. Thomas. Though the earth should change. Though the mountains slip into the sea. God will still be good. If you give up everything that you have to serve the Lord and live a different life.

4. The Nearness of God Is My Good

God has been generous to us. And thus, the nearness of God is my good.

And that is said in one of my favorites, Psalm 7328, where the psalmist is decrying the seeming incongruities of the world. The unfairness of it all. The wicked have the world by the tail, it seems, and the righteous are suffering. It just doesn’t seem to be making any sense until I go to the sanctuary of God. And then it all becomes clear because God is the rock of my heart, and all of those who oppose God will be destroyed. The nearness of God is my good. Thus I have made the Lord God my refuge. And so I make this point. God is not a disconnected, distant entity. He is near. He is good. And I think we get into a lot of problems spiritually and don’t grow spiritually, or simply don’t pursue spirituality because we think even if God exists, that he’s somewhere way out there and he’s disconnected, he’s not involved in my life.

Wrong. That is absolutely not what the scriptures are telling us. Are you enjoying, relishing, savoring the goodness of God? If you appreciate who God is at his core, at his essence, you will be motivated to walk with him and to love him.

Do you ever think about the fact that God is good to you? God is good despite where we’ve been, what we’ve done, all of our hang ups. Some of you have more than others. I have some too. All of your baggage, all of your junk. God is saying, I want to be generous to you.

Not because you deserve it. It’s not about you. It’s about who I am. I want to lavish on you. I want to be generous to you. He saves us not because of who we are, not because we’re so lovable. He saves us not on the basis of deeds that we have done in righteousness. It’s according to his mercy. Think about that. It’s according to his mercy. God’s wanting to do for us. He saves us not on the basis of whom we are. I’ve said this before. He saves us not on the basis of who we are, but who we can become in him. What he can mold us into being. This is about him. What we’re doing here today, it’s about him, not about us. We by products of what he has done.

5. God Gives Good Gifts

God gives good gifts. Now, if you look at Luke 11, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. This sounds a whole lot like Matthew 7. And plus you have the Lord’s, what would it call it called the Lord’s Prayer, which is really more the disciples’ prayer in Luke 11, 2 through 4. So it is very similar material to the Sermon on the Mount and what we read in Matthew 6 and Matthew 7. It’s separated by a chapter there. But this is obviously not completely the same occasion. There are different things happening in Luke 11 versus Matthew 7. Now there’s some similarities like the asking, seeking, and knocking, the receiving, the finding, and that door being opened. But actually the order is rearranged between the two texts.

But there’s some differences. The father, the son that asked for the father, asked the father for a loaf. Will he give him a stone? I’m glad I’m referencing this on Father’s Day. You know, what kind of father have you been to your son? If your father won’t acknowledge you on Father’s Day, if you do what this passage is saying, he asked you for a loaf and you gave him a stone, he might not acknowledge you. He might not send you a card on Father’s Day. He said, What kind of father does that? The boy is hungry and he says, Oh, here, son, have a stone. Oh, great dad, thanks. He goes, that’s not the kind of fathers we are. But the Luke account is different. We have a friend asking for three loaves because of an out-of-town guest.

And at first he’s put off. Look, dude, I’m asleep for the night. You’re wanting three loaves of bread. I’ve already gone to bed. And yet, because of his persistence, it’s like the widow in Luke 18, because of the persistence of the neighbor, he finally gets up and gives him the bread to feed his guest. And so that’s one of the differences in the story. Another difference that’s found only in the Luke account and not in the Matthew account is the son that asked for an egg. And I did a quick search. Now, again, I want if I’m wrong, but I did a quick search. I think this is only found in the Luke account. I know it’s not in Matthew. Don’t think it’s found anywhere else in the New Testament.

Where not only do we have the son who asks for a loaf, he doesn’t give him a stone, does he? But here the son asks for an egg. And you should like eggs. Eggs are good for you. I like them. Have one almost every day. Boys eat your eggs. A lot of protein. The son asked for an egg. Oh, okay. Here, have a scorpion. Go play. Go play with the scorpion. What kind of father does that? Terrible Father’s Day. Don’t do that to your boys today. A third difference between the two. The conclusion of these thoughts about asking and receiving and seeking and finding is if you then being evil, in the great, if your children acknowledge you on Father’s Day when really you’re evil. Well, in comparison to the heavenly Father, we’re not good.

And that’s what I was going to say earlier about God’s goodness versus ours. We’re nowhere close. We’re not even in the same ballpark in terms of goodness. There is none who is good, no, not one. That’s really the point of Romans 3. Because of our sinfulness. But you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more shall your father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask him? Do you just skip right over that? Okay. God gives what is good. Just like the son who gives, the father who gives the son bread and an egg so that he can eat. Your heavenly father gives what is good to those who ask. You need to be asking of your Father.

That He give you what is good. But the Luke account actually says something different. And really they’re the same thing.

He gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. And that tells me something about all that the Holy Spirit has done in our salvation. All the Holy Spirit has done and is doing in your salvation, in your transformation, and your renewal, whatever the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives, it is good. And we need what he does.

It was divine power and guidance in the absence of a completed mystery revealing. It was supernatural endowment. People were doing miraculous things. They were speaking in tongues, and the sick were being healed. And beyond all of that, it was the assurance and edification that came that God was working in their lives. And in the midst of all of this supernatural endowment, there is illumination. The will of God is being revealed, and the purpose of man is being explained. Everything that comes from the Holy Spirit is good. The things that we’re studying in our Bible class as young people, they emanate from God, and thus they are good. Therefore, our well being always and our betterment.

It thrills our God to give good gifts. Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above. Coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. I’ve received a lot of good gifts through the years, and a lot have come from my parents. But the good gift and perfect gift that comes from God is what I need. The absolute most. And what about this? He who didn’t, this goes to Sean’s comments, really, he who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How will he not also with him freely give us all things? God the giver. How great is your goodness that you have stored up for those who fear you and accomplished in the sight of everyone for those who take refuge in you.

You hide them in the protection of your presence. You conceal them in a shelter from the schemes of men, from quarrelsome times. Lord, help us to appreciate your good gifts. Isn’t it interesting that the fruit of the Spirit of the nine qualities that are listed there? One of them is goodness. We are taught to be good as God is good in our relationships. Embrace His awesome provisions. God has been good to you. God has been good to give you parents who have taught you and exposed you to the ways of the Lord. Those of you that have had that’s another good gift God has given. God has given you the opportunity today to blend your voice with all of these people to the praise of your Creator.

Conclusion

And God gives you now the opportunity to embrace the provisions of salvation while there’s time and opportunity. God is good. And there is more good He wants to do for you. If you need to respond, come now as we stand and sing.