Rock Springs Anniversary Service

God is good.  I hope you’ve heard that message loud and clear today.  God is good.  But are you aware of how great God’s goodness truly is?  I did a word study on the goodness of God this week.  All of God’s goodness is wrapped up in all that we think is good:  All that is pleasant, beautiful, favorable, beneficial, happy and right.  All that is morally excellent, all that might prosper you practically, relationally, and yes, even materially and physically.  The warmth of the sun, a good night’s sleep, a gourmet meal. Smiles, hugs, joy and laughter.   A soulmate to share life with. All good things God has created and wants you to enjoy.  But in the midst of God’s goodness there is one quality about God’s goodness that makes it possible for everyone to enjoy.  At the core of God’s goodness is His generosity.

So that means, His goodness is abundant and active toward us every day. If you’ve been around Rock Springs for long, you’ve heard me speak to the final verse in Psalm 23, that reminds us how God constantly pursues us with His abundant goodness. David said it this way: Surely, your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalm 23:6

They key to understanding God’s active goodness to us is found in this word “follow.” The Hebrew word “follow “is a hunting term. That means at this very moment God is actively pursuing you like a hunter. But rather than hunt you down to do you harm, God is hunting you down to do you good.

This is who God is. God is good. He exists to give you what you do not deserve, and He does it every day. Because God is good, there will never be a time when God will not love you or do good for you.He is committed to you for your good. That’s why He will never force you to do His will and why He’ll never shame you or guilt you.  No, because God is good, He will always has your best interests at heart.

But sometimes we need a reminder of how God is does this. That’s where Jesus comes into play.  When you look at Jesus, you see the goodness of God in action. You see how He takes delight in every person he meets. You see how Jesus includes them, imparts grace and mercy to them.  You see how he heals them, restores them and sets them free.  You see how He loves them, forgives them and never gives up on them. 

It’s this goodness that draws us to Jesus and moves us to trust and follow Him.  And today we get to continually experience His goodness to us.  In fact, that’s why God puts us together in His Church.  For today, His goodness flows through His people, when we love and serve one another. And we’ve heard testimonies of how His goodness has touched lives through the people of Rock Springs Church.  But right now, I’d like to listen to a few more.  This one’s from Carol Ilten.  She writes: “I was happy when Rock Springs came to Robson, because we had been looking for a church home for some time and it just wasn’t coming together. But thanks to the dedication and prayers of many, the church was launched here, and we found our home. The spiritual blessings from the messages each week were evident from the start, but a few years in, the church family took things up a notch. When I was recovering from surgery for cancer, the Mercy Team and other church friends lovingly stepped in with wonderful meals and encouragement to help us weather the storm. So, our church has provided not only spiritual but physical nourishment and friendship as well. And with the fellowship and spiritual support of my Journey Group, the blessings just keep coming. Thank you, Rock Springs family for who you are and all you do.”

Here’s another that one comes from a woman who chooses to remain anonymous.  These are her words: “I was led to Robson Ranch by God after a life altering event. I was scared and alone, but once again, God led me to a journey group of such warm and welcoming ladies whom I now call my sisters in Christ. The way God is working in our group and the Ladies I’ve made friends with, can only be by God’s hand and has been such a blessing in my life.”

God is good. And now as recipients of God’s constant goodness to us through Jesus Christ we’ve come celebrate our good God today. But we don’t just want to celebrate His goodness.  We want to share His goodness.  So I have a question for us today, and it comes from Psalm 116.  What shall I return to the Lord  for all His goodness to me?  Psalm 116:12

What a great question:  What shall I return to the Lord  for all His goodness to me?

First, I want to be thankful.  Any good in my life has come from His hand.

Second, I want know Him better.  For the more I know Him, the more I know His goodness will change me, and produce good through me.

Third, I want my life to be pleasing to Him.  I want what He wants.  I want to love like He loves me.  Forgive like He’s forgiven me. Serve like He’s served me.

Finally, I want others to know this good God who gave His all for me.

What shall I return to the Lord  for all His goodness to me?  How might you answer that question yourself?