"Standing Apart" 
Psalm 119:65-72
Sunday, September 30, 2012

Introduction: When you think of the word “good,” you might think of someone who is talented; someone who is good at something. Whether it is cooking, sports, art, music, they have a talent and are good at what they do. But another aspect of being good could bring about thoughts of someone who is kind; they do good deeds; they are helpful to others; they are a ‘good person.’ Still another direction you could go would be thinking that something tastes good. You might say: “that food is good.”

            This morning we finish our series on the attributes of God as we look at God being good, holy, and loving. This month we have talked about the attributes of God being all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, great, almighty, merciful, gracious, faithful, sovereign, unchanging, transcendent, infinite, and the One who provides. Let me assure you that these are by no means all of God’s attributes. I hope that this series is helping you to broaden your perspective of who God is, and how truly great God is. The wonderful news is that God brings all that He is to us in a personal way!

I.                   God is Good- (James 1:17; Romans 5:3-5; Job 1:9-11, 2:9-10, 38:1-42:6, 42:10; Psalm 119:65-72)

a.      The Source- Let’s first think about what it means for God to be

good. James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” God is the source of all goodness. Every thing that we have received, saw, felt, heard, tasted, or smelled that was good came from God. Therefore, good cannot be found apart from God.

            Because God is absolute goodness, He has never done, nor can He ever do even one thing that is not good. That is why it is absurd for us to blame God for the evil that exists, or blame God for anything bad that happens in our lives. EX. There is a well-known book called “When Bad Things Happen To Good People.” This book was written by a rabbi named Harold S. Kushner. He wrote the book because his son Aaron died of premature aging. He wrote this book for people who have been “hurt by life.” In this book Kushner deals with topics like “Why do the righteous suffer?” “Sometimes there is no reason.” “God leaves room to be human.” And, “God helps those who stop hurting themselves.”

            Most people want a trouble free life. They think that God being good means that God gives them only good things in life. So when anything bad happens, God gets the blame. People wonder how a good God could allow any suffering to exist. But there are many reasons God allows trouble and heartache to enter our lives.

            Reason 1- To wake us up. The trials of life have a way like no other of focusing our thoughts. These trials can remind us of what our priorities really are, and what our priorities should be. It is not uncommon for someone who regularly smokes and drinks to have a heart attack, and then change their lifestyle to where they no longer smoke or drink. The heart attack woke them up to the fact that their current lifestyle will lead to their death.

            Reason 2- To point out a sin. Sometimes we are lost in a sin, and that sin leads us to trouble. This trouble is a reminder of the outcome of the decisions we have been making.

            Reason 3- Trials and trouble help us to be more prepared for life. As Romans 5:3-5 says, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Perseverance is an important quality in life, because without it we will quit and be unproductive. Through our perseverance, we move forward in life, and our character is strengthened in ways that, “having things easy,” could never produce in us. And throughout all of this, we have hope that God will not disappoint us, but will work in and through us.

            Reason 4- We live in a sinful world, and as such evil exists. Since we are in this world, we will be affected by the evil that is all around us!

b.      Job- One of the most profound stories in the Bible is that of Job. A

whole book, 42 chapters long, is dedicated to this story of a man who suffers greatly. Job was not a person of great sin. Job was one who believed in and followed God. But Satan wanted to destroy Job, and so he got God’s permission to take some things away from Job, thinking that removing these people and possessions would cause Job to curse God and stop believing. So Satan takes away Job’s property, servants, children, and health! Now, obviously, the 42 chapters of the book of Job could be a long-term study; more than we have time for this morning. But for our purposes here this morning, I want to look at 3 important teachings that we can learn in regards to God’s goodness in the story of Job.

            First, God believed in Job. When Satan comes before God, with the other angels, Satan attacks Job’s character. Job 1:9-11,  “⁹ ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ Satan replied. ¹⁰ ‘Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.’” God knows that Job is a man of faith, and will trust God in all things. And in the end we see this to be true.

            Second, Job continues to believe, even when he gets terrible advice. Job gets advice from his wife and three of his friends. The worst of this advice is from his wife. We read in Job 2:9-10, “⁹ His wife said to him, "Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!" ¹⁰ He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”  What an example Job sets for us to trust God even through the bad of life.

            Third, Job’s understanding of God is expanded. At the end of the book, God and Job have a dialogue. Job, like any of us, questions God to some extent about all that he has encountered, and the losses he has suffered. But God reminds Job that God is the creator, and Job is the creation. It is a powerful discourse that runs from chapter 38, verse 1, all the way to chapter 42, verse 6. And then we are told at the end of the book of Job, 42:10, “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

We see God’s goodness in that He is willing to allow us to go through many

circumstances so that we will be all that God wants us to be! God’s goodness shows itself in helping us to be able to live in this sinful world as faithful followers. So in the end we can echo with the psalmist in Psalm 119:65-71, “⁶⁵ Do good to your servant according to your word, O LORD.  ⁶⁶ Teach me knowledge and good judgment, …⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. ⁶⁸ You are good, and what you do is good; …⁷¹ It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”

II.                God is Holy- (Revelation 4:8-11; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Titus 2:11-14;

                                                1 John 3:2b-3; Proverbs 9:10)

a.      What is holiness? The second attribute is that God is holy. Isaiah

6:3 tells us, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” In Revelation 4:8 we read “Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: " 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come." The Bible tells us that God is holy. But what is holiness?

            Holiness is the term that is used to describe something that is set apart from sin. To be holy is to have no sin. This term (in the Greek, “hagios”) is used of God to show that God alone is holy. Because God alone is without sin, perfect, without blemish, God is holy.

            In 1 Peter 1:15-16, there is a challenge issued to us by God: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.” We read this and we wonder how we could live up to this challenge. The truth is, there are many people who give an appearance of trying to live right, but the truth is, we all struggle in doing what is right.

EX. Let me describe 2 houses to you. House #1-  A 20 room mansion ( not including 8 bathrooms ) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest-house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more
energy than the average American household does in a year. House #2- Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every
"green" feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is
collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville, Tennessee; it is the house of the so called "environmentalist" Al Gore. HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas; it is the residence  of former President, George W. Bush.

I was astounded when I read about this. But it reminded me that we can appear to be seeking a higher standard of living, and yet we struggle to maintain it.

b.      How can we be holy? So how can we be holy? How can we live up

to this calling God has placed on us? Because God would be denying His very character if He overlooked our sin, God had to find a way to bring holiness to us. And so through Christ’s death on the cross, God comes to purify us. We read about this in Titus 2:11-14, “¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” God does desire for us to live a godly life……….It might be similar to this type of thinking: You wouldn’t want to go to a surgeon who used un-sterile instruments. One thing about good medicine is that you follow the rules of sterilization…. In the same way, we are instruments of God, and as such, we need to be as pure as we can be!

            1 John 3:2b-3 tells us: “…but we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”/  In Christ, we can become pure. But how can we hope to maintain this purity? By refusing to let the filth of our lives stack up; by continually looking at the purity of Christ. By reminding ourselves daily of the expectation of God on our lives. By following our conscience, which reminds us of the temptation to sin.

            And as we let Christ help us to be holy, as we let Christ impart His holiness to us, we will find that this holiness brings us many things. Holiness brings us peace. We are at peace much more in life when we are doing the things we know we should be doing. Holiness brings us strength. When you live right, you have more energy, more enthusiasm, more desire to live. This all leads to increased strength. Holiness also brings us freedom. As Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “Knowledge of the Holy is understanding.” True knowledge is knowledge of the things of God and the way of God. When we seek holiness, we seek the true knowledge only God can give.

III.             God is Love- (1 John 4:7-11; Romans 5:8)

a.      God’s Love- Our last attribute of God for today, and for our

series, is the attribute of God’s love. What is it like to be loved by someone whose love for you is not influenced by anything you ever did, are now doing, or will do; whose love could never weaken or fluctuate? The truth is, this is the kind of love that God has for us. God loves us unconditionally!

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? Have you ever written down for yourself a purpose statement. If you have, you know that it gives you guidance in helping you understand why you exist. It is supposed to be a “being” statement, not a “doing” statement. It is to first and foremost be about who you are, not what you do. Once you understand who you are, then you can start to figure out what you are called to do.  Most people, when thinking of their purpose, think about what they are called to “do.” It is difficult for us to write a statement that doesn’t include what we are here on this earth to do. WHY? Because we are conditioned to think that what makes us important to others is what we do. We don’t understand what it means to be loved for who we are. But the truth is, God loves us not for what we do, but for who we are, just as you love your children and grandchildren for who they are, not for what they do……….When I wrote my purpose statement, it said this: “The purpose of my life is to know God intimately through my relationship with Christ, and let God’s Spirit work in and through me as I abandon myself to Him.” This statement has wonderful phrases like “know God,” “let God’s Spirit work,” and “abandon myself.” I exist to be known by God and know God, and to be loved by God and to love God.

In 1 John 4:7-10, we are told that God is love. Love is the essence of who God is. More than His power, or His holiness, God is love. And God loves us first. God doesn’t love us because we love Him. God just loves us. As the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 5:8, “For God demonstrated His love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” It isn’t about what we have done for God or what we will do for God. It never has been, and it never will be. It is about the fact that plain and simple, as love, God loves us!!

b.      Learning how to love like God- We need to allow ourselves to be

loved in this way. And as we do, as we reflect on this love, we should be inspired to love others as God loves us. Story: “The Giving Tree,” Stories for the Heart, p. 120.

            There is a story called “The Giving Tree,” about a tree who loved a boy. When the boy was young, he swung from the tree’s branches, climbed all over her, ate her apples, and slept in her shade. These were carefree days for the boy. The tree loved those years……..But as the boy grew, he spent less time with the tree. The tree would call out to the boy, trying to get him to play, but the boy was too busy; the boy was too busy trying to make money. So the tree encouraged the boy to take her apples and sell them for money. The boy did, and the tree was happy…….In time the boy left the home where the tree lived, and didn’t return for a long time. But one day the boy, who was now a man, passed by. “Come on, let’s play,” the tree shouted out. But the man was older and tired. The man wanted to get away. “Cut me down and take my large trunk and make a boat to sail away,” said the tree. The man did just this, and the tree was happy…………Many years passed, and in time the man found himself back at the house by the tree, who was now just a stump. “Why don’t you sit down on my stump and rest,” suggested the tree. The man did, and the tree was happy.

            How many people have been there to help us in life? And how many of those people have we failed to thank, or see how we might be able to help them? There are many people throughout the years of our lives that have been giving trees to us, who have released a part of themselves so that we might grow and prosper.

            I don’t share this to make us sad, or to chastise us, but to remind us that we should not let love be one way. We need to love back those who love us. And even more, we need to love like God, and love those who need love, regardless of whether they love us back. I know that in the times I have been hurt by another, I question whether or not my love to them has been in vain. This is a wrong way of thinking. God shows us an example of unconditional love, so that we might share this kind of love with others. We share it because it overflows from a heart filled with love!

Conclusion: We don’t always see the goodness of God. But that is because we are not looking in the right places and in the right way. God is everything that is good. Beyond this, God is holy. God has no imperfection in Him. Because of God’s desire to see us be holy, God imparts this holiness to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Will you accept this holiness? Will you seek to live in this holiness? Or will you wallow in the mire of your sin? The choice is yours. And if you choose right, you will not only taste of the love of God fully given to you, but you will be able to love like God!

            God is amazing. Good. Holy. Loving. How wonderful for us that we get to experience this goodness, and holiness, and love! How wonderful for us that we can take it with us today. So I pray, that we would have a deeper, more meaningful understanding of God. Don’t try and keep God in a small box that you can hold on to. See God for the wondrous being that He is. And let Him fill your life with all that He is, and all that He wants for you. Amen.