Today's Sermon

 

“God is Good – Talking About God 8"

 

Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come into God’s presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is God who made us, and we are God’s; we are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasture. Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and God’s courts with praise. Give thanks to God; bless God’s name. For the Lord is good; God’s steadfast love endures forever and God’s faithfulness to all generations.

“For the Lord is good.” God is good! That sentiment is expressed over and over again in the Psalms. Not only that God is good, but also that we are called to praise God’s goodness. “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth,” says the Psalmist. We are called to sing out in praise that God is good. So … that is exactly what we are going to do today. We are going to sing. We are going to celebrate that God is good.

“How Good It Is” by Tomlin, Cates, Mohilowski

Enter God’s gates with thanks. Enter God’s courts with praise.
Bring God a shout of joy. Sing of God’s endless fame.
For the Lord is good, and God’s love endures, God’s love endures forever.
We remember this, we remember this.
Oh how good that it is to sing praise to the Lord.
Oh how great is the Name above all Names.
From the rising of the morning sun, to the setting of the same.
Oh how good that it is to sing praise.
How good it is!
Rivers will clap their hands. Mountains will lift their song.
Even the rocks cry out. Creation stands in awe.
Of the One who was, and the One who is, and the One who reigns forever.
We remember this, we remember this. 

How good it is to celebrate God’s goodness. We have been using Matthew Fox’s book “Naming the Unnamable” as a companion for this worship series. In his chapter titled, “God is Goodness,” he writes, “To praise is to recognize goodness – and rejoice in it by celebrating it.” I think the Psalmist would agree. Let’s hear from Psalm 145.

One generation shall extol your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts.  They will recount the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works I will meditate.  They will proclaim the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.  The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  The Lord is good to all, and God’s compassion is over all that God has made.

“Goodness of God” by Bethel Music

I love You Lord. Oh, Your mercy never fails me.
All my days I've been held in Your hands.
From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head.
I will sing of the goodness of God.
All my life You have been faithful.
All my life You have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
I love Your voice. You have led me through the fire.
In darkest night You are close like no other.
I've known You as a father, I've known You as a friend.
I have lived in the goodness of God
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me.
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me.
With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now; I give You everything
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me. 

One of my favorite lines in that song is in the bridge – “Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me.” The Psalmist reminds us that God is good to ALL, and God makes sure that all people know that. There is no escaping the goodness of God. Even when we stray. Even when we sin. Even when we make bad decisions … God still runs after us, finds us and showers goodness upon us. God is good. Let’s hear now from perhaps the most famous Psalm, Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. God makes me lie down in green pastures; God leads me beside still waters; God restores my soul. God leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

We are going to hear that Psalm again next week, as we think about God as the Good Shepherd. So this week, I want us to focus just on the end, and the fact that God’s goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life. There’s that theme again .. God’s goodness will follow us … will run after us. God’s goodness will always be with us.

“Good to Me” by Audrey Assad

I put all my hope in the truth of Your promise.
And I steady my heart on the ground of Your goodness.
When I'm bowed down with sorrow I will lift up Your name.
And the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy.
Because You are good to me, good to me.
You are good to me, good to me.
You are good to me.
And I lift my eyes to the hills where my help is found.
Your voice fills the night; raise my head up and hear the sound.
Though fires burn all around me, I will praise You, my God.
And the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy.
Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all my life.
I'll trust in Your promise.

Finally, we’ll hear from Psalm 34.

I sought the Lord, and the Lord answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Look to God, and be radiant, so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord and was saved from every trouble.  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear the Lord and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in the Lord.

I love that image of “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Don’t just know it intellectually … really use all of your senses to experience the goodness of God.

Now, the Psalmist was not referencing Communion when he wrote this, but it is easy to see the connections. When we celebrate Communion, we experience God’s goodness with our senses and our bodies. We see bread broken and the cup poured. We touch the bread. We taste it dipped in the juice. And through it all, we remember. We remember that God is good. Especially on this World Communion Sunday, we remember that God’s goodness is for all. We remember that God’s goodness draws the circle wide and includes all. Everyone is invited to the table.

“Taste and See” by Rob Leveridge

Taste and see, taste and see, the Lord is good, the Lord is good.
To those who search, to those who mourn,
To those who seek a place to lay the burdens borne.
Come in and rest, come be made whole,
Come in and feast among the gifts of love with welcome to us all.
For those who trust, for those who doubt,
For those whose difference others use to cast them out,
The table’s set, the circle’s wide
The banquet doors are open, welcoming everyone inside.