God is Faithful

Good morning and happy Mother’s Day! Today, as we reflect on the essence of family and the foundations God has laid for us, let’s take a moment to pray. Father in heaven, we give you thanks and praise because You are wonderful and worthy of worship. We lift up all the mothers here today and thank You for the families You have placed us in through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Understanding the Family Structure

On this special day, I find myself thinking about mothers and their integral role in our lives. But we must remember that you cannot have a mother without a father. This brings us into a conversation about husbands and wives, a union established by God before the fall of man. God saw Adam alone and declared it was not good for man to be alone. So, He created woman from man’s rib, marking the crowning achievement of His creation.

In Genesis, we see that God placed man in a position of dominion over the garden. However, He also said it was not good for man to be alone. This leads to two foundational aspects we see before the fall: family and work. Family is the core of godly society, the foundation of every blessing. When families are destroyed, the world becomes barren and desolate. Work, on the other hand, was a special type of labor without the toil and sweat that we associate with it today. It was meant for the expansion of God’s kingdom on Earth. We are called to be fruitful and multiply, creating more laborers to extend the borders of God’s kingdom. Isn’t that a beautiful vision?

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The Heart of the Father

The heart of the Father is to transform the entire world into a paradise, similar to the Garden of Eden. This brings us to the scripture from Ephesians 5:25-32, which speaks about the relationship between husbands and wives, paralleling it with Christ and the Church. Paul instructs husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, giving Himself for her to sanctify and cleanse her. This relationship is a covenant, much like the covenant we have with God.

Understanding this covenant is crucial. Just as in a marriage, where promises are made to love and cherish one another, our relationship with God is defined by His faithfulness to us. God never breaks His covenant; He is always faithful. This is a profound truth that can help us comprehend our lives, our families, our church, and even history itself.

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Lessons from the Wilderness

Let’s delve into a fascinating passage from Numbers 20:2-13. The Israelites found themselves in the wilderness without water and began to complain to Moses. They expressed a desire to return to Egypt, lamenting their circumstances. In response, Moses and Aaron went to the tabernacle to seek God’s guidance. God instructed Moses to speak to a rock to bring forth water. However, in his frustration, Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it.

This disobedience had significant consequences. God told Moses that because he did not believe and hallow Him before the people, he would not lead them into the promised land. This story teaches us about the importance of obedience and the connection between belief and action. When we disobey, we misrepresent the heart of God, which can lead to serious repercussions, as it did for Moses.

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The Rock That Follows

Interestingly, traditions suggest that the rock which provided water to the Israelites followed them throughout their journey. This rock symbolizes Christ. The first time Moses struck the rock, water gushed forth, illustrating that Christ would be struck for our sins, providing us with living water. Yet, when the Israelites continued to complain, they found themselves thirsty again.

This raises an important question: why were they still thirsty when they had a rock that provided water? The answer lies in the process of maturation. God wanted to grow His people, to move them from a mindset of slavery to one of maturity. He wanted them to rely on Him, to trust Him, and to seek Him in their trials.

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The Test of Faith

Testing is a part of our spiritual journey. God allows us to go through trials not to punish us but to refine us. Just like the Israelites, we may find ourselves in situations where our faith is tested. We might feel abandoned, wondering if God is angry with us or if we have sinned against Him. But the truth is, these tests are opportunities for growth and transformation.

As we face challenges, do we turn to God or away from Him? When we are in the heat of the moment, it is essential to fall on our faces before Him, seeking His guidance and understanding. Just as Moses had to learn to leave behind his anger and frustration, we too must let go of our negative emotions and trust in God’s plan. God’s heart is to bring forth living water in our lives, to sustain us even in the wilderness.

God’s Faithfulness in Our Lives

In our journey, we often face mountains that seem insurmountable. But God’s word assures us that these mountains will become plains. We are called to trust in God’s promises and to declare His faithfulness. When we gather as a body of believers, we are not just a congregation; we are a family, bound together by our faith in Christ.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let’s remember that the family and the church are intertwined. The health of our families reflects the health of our communities and our nations. When families break down, so does society. We must strive to uphold our covenants in marriage and our commitments within the church.

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Rebuilding the Temple

In the same way that the Israelites were called to rebuild the temple, we too are tasked with rebuilding our families and our churches. This is not a task we can accomplish by our strength alone. Zechariah 4:6 reminds us that it is not by might nor by power, but by God’s Spirit that we will see transformation.

As we face the challenges of our time, we must remember that God has given us the tools we need to succeed. The living water that flows from Christ is our source of strength and hope. It is through our brokenness and humility that we can become vessels of His grace, extending His love and mercy to those around us.

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Conclusion: Embracing God’s Purpose

As we reflect on the significance of Mother’s Day and the role of families and the church in our lives, let us commit ourselves to being faithful to God’s calling. Let’s choose to represent His heart in everything we do. Remember, as we celebrate today, that God is faithful, and He desires for us to grow in our relationships, both with Him and with one another.

May we embrace the journey of faith, trusting in God’s promises, and allowing His living water to flow through us, bringing life and hope to a world in need. Amen.

1. God is doing something exciting at LSCC
   1. Breakthrough – I have experienced breakthrough numerous times in my ministry.
   2. In my early days when I tried to describe it to someone, I said it was like having a hot knife while cutting butter. – Echelons
   3. I have not experienced it since my kids were old enough to truly participate in it, and this is one of the burdens of my heart.
   4. I can see we are standing at the brink of it right now at LSCC.
2. God is faithful to remember His promises
   1. God makes many promises and keeps every one of them.
   2. His promises range toward the whole world, down to very personal promises to each of us.
   3. God is real, and if you seek Him, He will give you personal promises and they will change your life.
   4. History is the story of God’s faithfulness to keep His promises.
   5. His promises give us assurance as we wait for the birth of His Kingdom.
   6. God is birthing His kingdom in the world in our lives and in this community, it is personal, and we experience it personally and corporately.
   7. Let us look at some scriptures that will help us see God’s faithfulness:

Isaiah 60:19–22 (NKJV) — 19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. 20 Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended. 21 Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. 22 A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

• The picture painted in this picture is beautiful.
• Where do you locate this scripture in history?
• Chapters were not originally in the scriptures, let’s read on:

Isaiah 61:1–4 (NKJV) — 1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. SHIFT TO AMBASSADORS

The Kingdom Promised – Isaiah – about 700bc

Luke 4:20–21 (NKJV) — 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

3. Think about the fulfillment of the promise
   1. A time of faithful waiting.
   2. When it came, it was barely noticed in the world
4. Every promises of God needs to be birthed
   1. From Hope to Substance
   2. Imagine the world and our lives are a garden, and the seed of God’s word wants to grow something beautiful in it.
   3. There is a process to breakthrough and birth
   4. James 1:12 (NKJV) — 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
5. These scriptures are fulfilled in your hearing!
   1. John 4:35 (NKJV) — 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
      1. The woman at the well – discovering the Messiah & living water
      2. Two scriptures that highlight this theme
   2. John 7:37–39 (NKJV) — 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
      1. Water from the pool of Siloam was carried to the temple and poured out while the shofar sounded
      2. Dr Carson, Pillar NT Commentary – Moreover, these ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles were related in Jewish thought both to the Lord’s provision of water in the desert and to the Lord’s pouring out of the Spirit in the last days. Pouring at the Feast of Tabernacles refers symbolically to the messianic age in which a stream from the sacred rock would flow over the whole earth (cf. J. Jeremias,^[1]
   3. John 8:12 (NKJV) — 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
      1. ‘He who has not seen the joy of the place of water-drawing has never in his life seen joy’: this extravagant claim stands just before the description of the lighting of the four huge lamps in the temple’s court of women and of the exuberant celebration that took place under their light (Mishnah Sukkah 5:1–4). ‘Men of piety and good works’ danced through the night, holding burning torches in their hands and singing songs and praises. The Levitical orchestras cut loose, and some sources attest that this went on every night of the Feast of Tabernacles, with the light from the temple area shedding its glow all over Jerusalem. In this context Jesus declares to the people, I am the light of the world.^[2]
   4. The Jewish experience faded each year, Christ only fades when we turn away or fall asleep.
6. God is Faithful!
   1. He remembers His promises
   2. He remembers your prayers
   3. He remembers you
   4. Pass the test and become ambassadors
   5. Awakening the manifestation of Christ’s Kingdom
7. Let the Rivers Flow

^[1] D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 322.

^[2] D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 337.