Goodness of God: "He is Good" 11-3-24

Overview

He Is Good: Giving Thanks for the Goodness of God

The familiar children's table grace—"God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food"—sounds simple, but it carries a profound biblical confession. The song of thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16:31–34 calls heaven and earth to rejoice that the Lord reigns over all creation, and then turns to prayer: "O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever."

Scripture reveals that God's goodness is multifaceted. First, there is no fault in Him—He is perfect in word, thought, and deed. As Jesus said in Matthew 19:17, "There is only one who is good." Second, He is kind to all He has made—Psalm 145:9 declares, "The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made." Third, His goodness is expressed in mercy, grace, and patience. Exodus 34:6 describes Him as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger," and 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us that the Lord's apparent slowness about His promise is actually patience, "not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance." Finally, His goodness is seen in His love—a love that desires relationship with us. 1 John 4:8 tells us "God is love," and in Jeremiah 31:3 the Lord declares, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Yet God's love does not nullify His holiness. A truly good God cannot simply wink at sin—if He did, He would cease to be just. As Jesus warned, we should fear the One "who can destroy both soul and body in hell" Matthew 10:28. One day every person will stand before the Judge. This is why the second table grace—"Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed"—matters so deeply. It echoes the final prayer of Scripture, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus" Revelation 22:20. We can pray that prayer with confidence because the verdict is already settled: in baptism, God claimed us, washing us in the promises won at the cross. As Titus 3:4–5 proclaims, "When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us."

The supreme demonstration of God's goodness is the cross and the empty tomb—and our response is both gratitude and reflection. God brings forth from us what He has shown us: mercy Luke 6:36, love for one another 1 Thessalonians 4:9, and patience that bears with one another Colossians 3:13. So bow your head and pray with the simple confidence of a child: God is great, and God is good. Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Transcript

Would you open your Bibles please with me to first Chronicles the 16th chapter. 3s

First Chronicles is in the Old Testament. 8s

If you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture you're going to find that on page 347. 11s

First Chronicles the 16th chapter. 16s

It was the Saturday morning. 21s

It was rainy. 23s

The story goes. 24s

And the mother was taking her little daughter into the diner that they would frequent quite a bit. 26s

They were going to go for a Saturday morning breakfast. 34s

It was a little diner. 39s

They loved it. 41s

They always liked to sit in the same area if they could. 42s

When they walked in that Saturday morning it was was unusually quiet in the diner. 49s

That great day a rainy day. 57s

And so you wonder if people were just kind of just kind of waking up that Saturday morning. 60s

Having their their first cup of coffee or maybe looking forward to the eggs or pancakes that would soon come. 65s

The mother and the daughter they ordered their food. 73s

The server then in a few minutes brought it to the table. 78s

Server placed the right plates in front of the right people. 82s

But before anybody picked up the fork the little daughter turned to her mother and said, 88s

Mommy, why don't we pray here like we do at home? 94s

The mother turned to her daughter and said, 111s

Honey we should. 113s

In the server turned to the little girl and said, 117s

Sweetheart why don't you say grace for us why don't you say grace. 120s

So the little girl folded her hands. 126s

And then she stood up as tall as she could in that booth. 130s

And she looked around and she said, 136s

Okay everybody bow your heads. 139s

And the cups of coffee went down and the forks went down and the hats came off. 146s

And the little girl prayed, 151s

God is great and God is good. 154s

Let us thank Him for our food, Amen. 160s

And there was a chorus of amen's that went through the diner. 164s

And the diner became different. 170s

We started a new sermon series today. 177s

It's entitled Thank You Notes for the next several Sundays. 180s

We're going to look at biblical expressions of thanksgiving. 184s

And we focus today on giving thanks that God is good. 190s

That God is good. 201s

I think a perfect text to lift up is the one that we've selected here for this sermon text for today. 208s

It comes from first Chronicles, the 16th chapter. 214s

And this rather extended section in which we're going to only look at a very small part. 218s

It's a combination actually pulling together of three songs. 223s

You heard one of them in the responsive reading today. 228s

So it pulls together this material for the worship life of the people. 233s

And we focus first on a section of this that's focusing on God's rule. 240s

Take a look please, at verse 31. 245s

Let the heavens be glad. 249s

Let the earth rejoice. 251s

Let them say among the nations the Lord is king. 252s

Let the sea roar and all that fills it. 256s

Let the field exalt and everything in it. 260s

Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord for he comes to judge the earth. 263s

God is God of all the creation. 274s

God owns it all. 277s

And these soaring words here. 279s

Pulled from these songs. 282s

It's as glorious, glorious message. 285s

Then you go into a section that's really a prayer. 288s

Look please, at verse 34. 294s

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good. 296s

God is great. 309s

And God is good. 313s

Why that little table grace used by that girl in that diner? 321s

You can think upon first reflection of it. 326s

It is rather simplistic. 330s

But in actuality, it communicates this powerful, powerful word about God and His goodness. 333s

Scripture reveals that the goodness of God, it is multifaceted. 348s

One of the aspects of the goodness of God is that there is no fault in Him. 354s

There's no fault. 360s

He's absolutely perfect. 361s

What He says and what He does, what He thinks. 363s

He is absolutely perfect. 367s

That's an aspect of His goodness. 369s

Jesus said in Matthew the 19th chapter, he said, 372s

Why do you ask me about what is good? 375s

There is only one who is good. 378s

Not only is God perfect. 384s

Not only is God without fault. 386s

But another aspect of His goodness is that He's kind. 389s

He's kind to His creation. 393s

Psalm 145. 396s

The Lord is good to all and His compassion is over all that He has made. 398s

His goodness expresses itself in the fact that there's no fault. 407s

His goodness expresses itself and that He's kind to His creation. 411s

Scripture reveals that His goodness expresses itself in that He is merciful and gracious and slow to anger. 416s

Why Exodus 34th chapter uses those very words. 425s

His goodness expressed in that He's patient and aspect of His goodness is His patience. 431s

Peter writes in 2 Peter 3, 441s

The Lord is not slow about His promise as something of slowness. 445s

What's the promise being referred to here? 451s

What's the second coming of Christ? 452s

The Lord is not slow about His promise as something of slowness, 455s

but is patient with you. 459s

Not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. 461s

Mercy and grace and kindness, patience, long suffering. 469s

All of those are synonyms that we see in Holy Scripture for the goodness of God. 477s

And the next part in our text for today reveals another aspect of His goodness. 488s

Look, please. 495s

There is 34, 1 Chronicle 16. 495s

Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good. 499s

4, here's the connector, here's the reason. 504s

4, His steadfast love in doors forever. 507s

And aspect then of the goodness of God is God's love. 516s

God loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. 527s

John writes in 1 John 4, 535s

Whoever does not love does not know God. 538s

For God is love. 543s

Jeremiah 31, God says, 547s

I've loved you within everlasting love. 549s

And aspect of His goodness is His love. 558s

And now importantly, 564s

God's love does not nullify His holiness. 569s

Now what do I mean? 584s

Several years ago, I was talking with a friend who's a lawyer. 589s

And I said, oh, I might see you in court this week. 596s

I got jury duty. 600s

You looked at me and he said, well, you'll show up there for the first day, 603s

but you're not going to be put on a jury. 609s

I said, oh, yeah, why? 613s

You go, because you're a pastor. 615s

I said, oh, really? 618s

You go, yeah, honestly. 619s

He said, stereotypically, most lawyers, he said, look at pastors, 621s

and they never will put you on a jury because they believe that you will act to the extremes. 627s

That you will either say to someone who has had the most minor of infractions, 639s

they should be put in prison for the rest of their life, 646s

or you will say, and let it go. 652s

Let it go here. 658s

Let it go. 660s

He goes, you will never serve on a jury. 661s

The week before last, I spent all week on a jury. 668s

It was an interesting week, actually, it was an interesting week. 674s

And one of the things that struck me, one of the things that immediately came to mind 683s

is when the judge walked in and the bail of said, all rise, all rise. 691s

And we all stood. 701s

That's right, isn't it? 706s

That's right. 708s

Because it's a respect for the law. 710s

It's a respect for the person who has the judges robe on. 713s

It's right. 719s

Every time we did that, over the course of the week, 723s

that struck me a new. 727s

And then when the case was over and we had rendered the verdict, 731s

and we were back in the jury room, the judge came back to thank us for our service. 736s

And most of us at that point, we were just putting some things away, 742s

getting our things together. 746s

There were some that were seated. 747s

But when the judge came to the doorway, 750s

those that were seated, they stood up. 753s

They stood up. 757s

They stopped doing what they were doing, 759s

and they stood. 762s

That's right. 765s

That's a sign of respect. 768s

That's right. 772s

And every time we did that, 776s

I thought to myself, 779s

and one day, 782s

one day we will stand before the judge, 784s

the capital T, 793s

judge capital J. 795s

One day we will stand before the judge. 798s

The love of God and aspect of his goodness 808s

does not nullify his holiness. 815s

The love of God and aspect of his goodness does not nullify his holiness. 823s

In other words, 830s

God cannot be good if he doesn't punish 832s

sin. 837s

If God simply winked at sin, 842s

then God would violate his goodness, 844s

God then wouldn't be perfect. 846s

God himself wouldn't be just. 847s

God can simply wink at sin and say, 852s

it doesn't matter. 856s

His love does not nullify his holiness. 859s

Jesus said, 866s

do not fear those who kill the body, 869s

but cannot kill the soul. 872s

Rather fear him, 874s

who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 877s

That speaks of the holiness of God. 883s

Well, we're all sinners. 887s

So what then? 891s

There's another table grace that can be in the rotation. 900s

It's certainly in the rotation in our home. 905s

There's the God is great in God is good. 911s

And then there is the com-lord Jesus, 914s

be our guest, 920s

and let these gifts to us be blessed. 922s

Both in the rotation, 926s

I imagine you've probably used them yourself. 928s

Again, you look at that prayer 934s

and on the first kind of thought, 936s

you can think it's rather simplistic. 938s

It's rather simplistic. 940s

But just like that other table grace, 942s

it communicates a powerful biblical word. 945s

Why in Revelation the very last chapter? 954s

The last prayer recorded in Holy Scripture. 960s

Right after it says, 966s

the one who testifies to these things 967s

says, surely I'm coming soon, 970s

right after that, John writes, 973s

Amen, come, 976s

Lord Jesus. 981s

So when we pray then, that table praise. 984s

When we pray that table prayer, 989s

when we are asking for God's presence at the table 991s

with regard to our meal, 993s

that is also a reminder of the very last prayer 995s

in Holy Scripture, 999s

the very last prayer, 1002s

where we are praying for the Lord Jesus to come, 1004s

to come again. 1007s

We want you to come now, 1011s

Lord, we want you to come at this very moment. 1012s

We want your second coming now, 1017s

and we can pray that prayer. 1022s

Not only asking for the blessing of God upon the table, 1026s

and upon the meal, 1030s

but also praying the prayer of coming again. 1031s

We can pray that prayer in absolute confidence. 1035s

Why? 1038s

Because of the goodness of God, 1039s

the goodness of God. 1042s

We can pray that prayer with absolute confidence, 1046s

because we don't have to wonder what the verdict is 1049s

with regard to us. 1053s

We don't have to wonder if God is going to have to deliberate 1056s

a long time over us, 1059s

to see what the verdict is for us. 1062s

Because when God beloved claimed you and the waters of baptism, 1064s

that was the last judgment in miniature. 1068s

And God said, 1071s

you are mine, 1072s

and I wash you in the promises that have been won 1074s

through the cross of Jesus Christ. 1078s

You are forgiven. 1080s

You are mine. 1082s

I hold you, 1084s

and I'm not letting you go. 1085s

You see, we can live in that confidence, 1089s

because of the goodness of God. 1092s

The goodness of God, 1095s

that our sins have been a tone forth 1098s

through the blood of Jesus Christ, 1100s

and that the tomb is empty. 1101s

Paul writes in Titus 3, 1104s

but when the goodness and loving kindness 1107s

of God, our Savior appeared, 1111s

He saved us. 1115s

When the goodness of God appeared, 1120s

He saved us. 1126s

We'll give thanks to the Lord for His good, 1134s

for His steadfast love, 1141s

and doors forever. 1143s

And a way that we give thanks unto God 1149s

is to reflect His goodness. 1153s

In fact, 1158s

God brings that forth from us. 1160s

Scripture says, 1165s

in Luke 6, 1166s

be merciful, 1167s

just as your father is merciful, 1168s

and God brings forth from us mercy. 1171s

The Scripture tells us in 1st, 1178s

the salonians, 1180s

for you, 1181s

yourselves have been taught by God 1182s

to love one another, 1184s

and God brings forth from us. 1186s

Love, love. 1191s

The Scripture says, 1194s

Colossians 3, 1196s

bear with one another. 1198s

Put up with one another. 1200s

And God brings that forth out of us. 1203s

Come, Lord Jesus, 1211s

be our guest. 1214s

God is great, 1218s

and God is good. 1220s

Those two prayers are keepers, 1226s

aren't they? 1230s

They're keepers. 1232s

And in the words of that little girl 1237s

in the diner. 1241s

Okay, everybody. 1245s

Bow your heads. 1249s

Grace, you're sevenly father, 1253s

we give you thanks. 1254s

We give you thanks for your goodness. 1257s

We give you thanks for the supreme example 1260s

of your goodness, 1262s

shown to us through the cross 1263s

and the empty tomb of our Lord. 1265s

We give you thanks, 1270s

O Lord, that you bring forth from us 1271s

a reflection of your goodness. 1274s

O Lord, 1280s

you are great, 1282s

and you are good. 1285s

In Jesus name, 1290s

Amen. 1293s

Amen. 1300s