Sermon Tone Analysis

*Santa and Canada Post are Ok… but God delivers Faithfully! *– A Look at Deuteronomy 7:7-10

 

Secular: I think there is a special relationship building in my life…

This year the presidents of Chapters, Amazon.com,

Grace Books and Barnes and Noble all sent me Christmas cards… go figure…

Ok… not really… but I know they have special place in there heart for me… as a church and as a pastor we order many… many books.

And most of them show up via Canada Post.

I have had some very interesting deliveries…

* One time it looked as if the box had been ravaged by a pit-bull… shredded… books hanging out

* Canada Post sticker… it arrived at the depot this way?

* Another time we had a box show up in a huge blue US Postal service bag…

* That made me nervous… I mean isn’t the box… with BOOKS in it not secure enough..

* Again… the side were blown out… somebody had to drop it from the top of building…

* Frustrating not to be able to depend on the Postal service for care and delivery…

* CBS News report on Oct 20, 2002… talked about a piece of mail that had been lost in the system for 60 years!

* I have had some packages take longer but sheesh…

* FIRST NEED… security… need to trust… not abandoned… baby (actually premarital).

Biblical: Deuteronomy 7:7 "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9 "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face.

Personal:

*  

*  

*  

*  

*  

*  

Bridge:

The Text says God has been faithful to His People and to his character in the Past

The Text says God is faithful to His People and to his character now.

The Text says God will be faithful to His People and to his character in the future.

The text says God Delivers… when everything else fail… when human strength fails, when relationships fail, when we fail… God faithfully delivers!

Body:

*O God Our Help in Ages Past*

Deuteronomy 7:7 "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

*  Love not based on us

* Our #’s… our attractiveness… our good behaviour

* God loves us … because of his oaths, his promises… because of his Character

*  He has demonstrated that love, faithfulness… trustworthiness in so many ways!

* He led his children out of slavery…

* Through the Red Sea… I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.

* Through the desert… The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

* Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you… He cared for them…

* Ultimate act of love… faithfully caring…John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

*  God’s promises uphold creation…

Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease."

(Promise to Noah)… And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power

* God promises His providence… to uphold creation

* God under girds our very existence…

* We have wonderful view with hindsight to see how God has been faithful to his people in the past… how He cared for the Old Testament children of God,  how in his perfect timing He sent His son to defeat sin and death!

How his Promised Spirit has been working in his church…

* His action declares his faithfulness… His trustworthiness… God delivers.

*  Even in His covenant with Abraham…

* Abraham prepared the sacrifice… it was God who walked between the pieces…

* Life or death covenant… for the vassal

*  We failed… Jesus paid… Covenant fulfilled in Christ… because God delivers!!!

* *O God our Help In Ages Past*

 

 

 

*Faithful One*

"Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant…

* The prospectus…

* Who

* How Long

* Returns

* Fees

* $ under management

* We are not investing in the past… but the past is a reasonable measure of performance and ability….

Character measured in past behaviour

* Credit ratings

* Rental ~/ Employment references

* God has delivered in the past… He has proved his faithfulness to his people

* PROOF in ACTION… Faith without Works is Dead

* Say and Be

How do we know God has been faithful… demonstrations in the past, through his word, testimony of creation… and ultimately in Jesus Christ…

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

* Scripture says God is faithful… and bears it out in his action

*  Jesus was God’s promised Messiah…

* You trace this promise all the way back to Gen 3… and God delivers!

*  Trusting in a God who does what He promises…

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

* Does as He says… is of Good character… faithful

* Good to walk with… journey with… trust

* God delivers….

Delivers us from Sin, Delivers us from Death… Delivers on his promises…Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.

*  It is finished… Jesus delivers…

* Know the Character of God… Trust Him to deliver… He is our *Faithful One*

 

*God Holds the Future in His Hands*

"Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face.

* God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow…

*  Same character of love and mercy…

* Same character of Justice, Holiness and righteousness

*  Matthew 13:41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

* But God has set apart… has promised eternal joy in his presence for his children…

* Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ;

*  

 

2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

* With a solid promise it is easier to endure the hard times!... to stand boldly for the truth… to go with confidence into the future…

* Endure times of separation….

Because of the ultimate reunion

*  Power of God faithful to protect our soul!

* Power of God  to uphold the Gospel!

*  Unchanging Alpha and Omega! – beginning and the end…

* Knowing the ending!

Psalm 89:1 I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. 2 For I have said, "Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness."

* Rooted in the Past

* Realized in the Present

* A Promise for the Future

* God delivers…

*For God Holds the Future in His Hand!*

*/ /*

*/God Holds the Future in His Hand/*