Our Constant

 My Grandma Buche passed away back in 1977. My Grandpa Buche passed in 1985. My father would have been 44 years old at the time and I would have been just 17. I remember Dad working through his grief, and he made the observation, only half joking - he said, "I'm an orphan." At the time, with my very limited life experience - I didn't really get it. I mean, I understood what he was saying - but when I thought of the term 'orphan', I thought of 'little kids' who had lost their parents - not a full grown man with a family of his own.

But by the very definition of the word - he was indeed someone who had lost both parents - he was an orphan. And of course, the ability to process the loss may be different for an adult versus a child - but the relational loss is still the same. As a child, as far as I knew from my experience - my parents were always adults and I couldn't imagine a time when they wouldn't be there to love and support me. As we grow up - we better understand how life works and how everything changes.

There are circumstances or things we like to think of as 'constants' - our homes, jobs or financial security. But we've really learned over the past two years that very little is as certain as we'd like to think. But I don't mean to focus on the uncertainty of this life to bring us down - but rather to highlight The One who is our anchor, our constant in ever changing times. One fact upon which we can completely count is this...

I. God is unchanging

The Bible is very clear on that fact. And that's a very reassuring thing in a universe of change. God has no need for updates or upgrades, there's nothing He needs to learn - He's perfect. The word used to describe this part of His being is "immutable". And there are over a dozen scriptures which affirm that fact. We won't be reading all of those passages this morning, but we find this section about God from Psalms 102:25-28 (NIV)...

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. (26) They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. (27) But you remain the same, and your years will never end. (28) The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.

God has always been and always will be. He is the same God who was with Moses as is with us today. "The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you." If God allows this world to continue - our great, great, great grandchildren will be serving the same God we serve long after we're gone. Everything else in creation changes, it grows, it erodes, it shifts, it transforms over time - but not God.

God is amazingly consistent in a creation that is always changing. God is always right and He always does the right thing at the right time and in the right way. There is absolutely nothing or no one to measure Him against. He is The Standard by which all else is measured! God wrote the rules, God made the laws - physical, natural and moral!

The only reason we have any measurable understanding in science is because of the 'order' and design and consistency that God placed into mathematics and physics and logic by His laws. And those things are a reflection of the Creator, a reflection of God's character. And that's another thing that is unchanging...

A. God's character

The same God who banished Adam and Eve from the Garden, who blessed Abraham, who flooded the earth during the time of Noah, who lead His people out of slavery, who both punished King David and called David a man after 'His own heart' - the same God who came in the flesh in the person of Jesus to die for our sins - everything God does is born out of a consistency of character.

James 1:17 (NIV)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

There is a distinct difference in what we see revealed about God when comparing the Old and New Testaments, but God's character is consistent. How God chose to handle sin differs drastically once Jesus appears, but it's still the same character. What God loved and encouraged in the Old Testament, He loves in the New. What God hated in the Old Testament, He hates in the New. God's character, His values, His morality, His justice, His righteousness - all of that remains the same even as He expanded His promises beyond just the Nation of Israel. Jesus brought a new covenant, a new way of doing things - but the love and conviction behind God's actions was always the same.

Some would look at the Old Testament and suggest that God was arbitrary, unfair, and even 'mean spirited' in how He dealt with people and sin in the past. But God doesn't ask us what we think should be 'fair' based on our very limited perspective. God doesn't ever claim that things will be fair. God is a loving God and God will do what is just - and as our Creator, He knows exactly what is best.

And being 'fair', treating us as we deserve - that's not really in our best interest. Based on the fact that I have sinned - what I deserve, as spelled out in the Bible - what I deserve is death. But because of the grace of Jesus, because of His sacrifice - I receive life. And by very definition that's not fair.

God's character didn't change between the Old and New Testaments - how He related to mankind through Jesus changed. From our perspective, we may look at it as a 'God of wrath' in the Old Testament and a 'God of Love' in the New - but it's only perceived as a change. And the only way you can understand that - is if you understand one more unchanging thing...

B. God's purpose

God's purpose in the Old Testament was to provide a way for His people to have a relationship with Him. God's purpose in the New Testament is to provide a way for everyone to have a relationship with Him. And that has always been God's purpose, and it has always been on His terms - knowing that His way is the best way! We read from Psalms 102, I want to skip ahead now to the next chapter...

Psalms 103:7-14 (NIV)

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: (8) The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (9) He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; (10) he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

(11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; (12) as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (13) As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; (14) for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

God's purpose has always been to restore His creation into a right relationship with Himself! This passage was written under the Old Law. They still had to make offerings and sacrifice animals all the time to pay the price for their sins when David wrote this. But he was inspired by the Spirit of God to foreshadow the coming New Covenant under the promised Messiah, Jesus! God's purpose and intentions never change. God has one revealed objective and that is the redemption of mankind for eternity! Everything He does, everything He says, and everything that He gives and allows is consistent with that purpose!

God's purpose for us here in the Church, in this life, is not necessarily to make us safe, content, rich, healthy, popular, happy or comfortable. God's purpose is to use everything in this life, good and bad, to bring us closer to Him! God's primary objective is not just to make us better people - but to make us holy; set apart for His use. We become holy as God uses us for His Work. God has created us with the potential for far greater things than physical accomplishments.

And the process of becoming holy, of becoming a disciple is much bigger than just sitting in a pew on a Sunday morning. You see, God never changes. God's character and His purposes are unchanging, but...

II. God wants to change us!

God is perfect in His holiness and His consistency - we are not. All of us are far from what God created us to be, He wants us to learn to trust Him. He wants us to show more love to others, to introduce them to Jesus. He wants us to live forever with Him in perfection and to bring as many people along with us as we can! - God never changes but we are called to change to become more like Jesus, to reflect His character.

1 Peter 1:13-17 (NIV)

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (14) As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (15) 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." (17) Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

The primary drive of the New Testament is a challenge to allow God to help us to 'become' what God wants us to be. The whole process of Christian growth and maturity is one of 'becoming', of change. We never get to the point in this life where God is through with us. We can't ever 'settle in' if we are to live our lives in a way that's fully consistent with the will of God. And God is so firm on this kind of 'change' that He sent His Holy Spirit to help bring about this change. Jesus said about the Holy Spirit, in John 16:8 (NIV)...

When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment

That 'convicting' part of the Holy Spirit's work is the work of showing us what needs to change in our lives. You can't truly be a Christian without a drastic change. And what our unchanging God called people to in the past is the same thing He calls us to today...

A. A call to repentance

Repentance - the changing of one's heart and actions - it's a huge part of becoming what God wants us to be. Many want to come to God on their terms, their own personal values and beliefs - they want God to fit their plans into His plans rather than the other way around. They expect God to accept them just the way they are - and He does. BUT, He then wants to help you to change - to turn away from your ways and to embrace His ways.

John the Baptist was given the job of 'preparing the way of the Lord' - his ministry was all about repentance. John demanded that people change. John challenged the current morality of his day, even to the point of being put into prison for preaching against 'sin'. John was even killed for his call for change in people's lives, values and morality. And when John was imprisoned, Jesus Himself then continued to call for change.

Mark 1:15 (NIV)

"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

The 'believing' part is easy compared to repentance. You can adopt any belief you want, but if that belief doesn't change your actions in any way, shape or form - what difference did that belief really make? Repentance requires that you act on your belief in Jesus, in God - in your belief that God actually is who He says He is, and what He wants for you and from you. And even when we are following Jesus, perhaps there are still areas of our lives where we still need to evaluate and then...

B. Turn around

I want us to think about this idea of 'turning around' a bit differently. We usually think about repentance as turning away from committing certain sins - which it is. But maybe we need to also think about the things we're 'omitting' - meaning the things we're not doing that maybe we should. Life 'post covid' has changed us drastically. Our routines have changed, how we engage and interact with people has changed. We didn't have much of a choice - but I think we've gotten into 'habits' from which we may need to 'turn around'.

God's purpose for each of us and for His Church has not changed. But things that may have been necessary for a time are now keeping us from that unchanging purpose. We've had to become comfortable with being separated and doing things online and basically limiting things to 'this' Sunday morning service. But this isn't all we're called to. We had the 'opportunity' of becoming observers rather than servants. We've gotten out of the habit of fellowship with the Church.

I'm extremely grateful for those who have continued to reach out, to serve. And we need more. We're not called to be comfortable, either in our personal lives or corporately, as the Church. In every season of our life, change is required at some level. And this season is no different.

God didn't send His Son to redeem us so that we could "settle in". He redeemed us for His purposes, and He still demands that we submit ourselves to His will, not our own. I've seen many Christians early on in their spiritual journey surrender everything to God - only to slowly pick those things back up over time. They grow comfortable in their faith and their pew and they forget that God is never finished with them.

This long season has lent itself to complacency in many areas of our lives. When it comes to God's purpose in us - we can't ever stay complacent. We need to continue to resubmit our will to His if we are going to continue to be useful to God's purposes and His Church.

The one who follows Jesus has to ask - 'How can I become less and reflect Jesus more? How can I position myself more as a servant, one who tries to focus on the needs of others?' And as we seek to get back to God's business - that will only happen if we take our focus off of ourselves and turn it to the needs of others. And perhaps our new roles in this new season may be very different from how we served before. But that's okay. Everything changes - except for our God!

So What?

God is a constant who desires change in us. And change will happen to us as we age - but it's up to you who you become. Are you personally changing each year into someone who is more and more a blessing to God's Kingdom or an obstacle for others to God's Kingdom? Are you becoming more like Jesus or have you just become comfortable with your way of doing things? You're either intentionally moving closer to God and His Will, or you're drifting further away - you can't really just tread water in your relationship with God.

And the same principles apply to us as a Church. Are we, as Deep River, growing each year into a congregation that's more and more a blessing to God's Kingdom or an obstacle in showing people God's love? Are we intentionally trying to become the Church He wants us to be - or are we just comfortable treading water? As time continues on, we will change as a Church - we don't really get a choice in that matter. We either move forward and grow, or we slowly fade away. Understanding God's unchanging nature and His unchanging purpose - what will you do to become the Church that God desires us to be for His purpose?

And I wanted to point us to one more passage from Psalms to close us out this morning...

Psalms 68:4-6 (NIV)

Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds - his name is the LORD - and rejoice before him. (5) A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. (6) God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

We've gone through a season of 'disconnectedness'. And many things into which we may have placed our hope have changed. But we're not orphans! God has placed each of us into a family - and God placed you here at Deep River for a purpose! Seek Him and His purpose for you in His Church!