Standing the Test of Time
Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not;…
School Chapel message – Grandparent’s Day
Intro: The world is changing at an unprecedented rate of speed. It is mind-boggling when you realize how far man has come with their inventions and ways to make life easier.
- Transportation – walking; riding horses; horseless carriage; trains, steamboat, airplanes, NASA; self-driving cars; unmanned drones and aircraft.
- Communication – cuneiform, parchments, quills, stone tablets, smoke signals, carrier pigeons, telegraph, Pony Express, telephone, fax, email, social media, airdrop,
- Information – wise men studying the stars, manuscripts, books, encyclopedias, internet, Siri…
- Food – hunting and gathering has now been replaced with the Burger King drive-thru and GrubHub!
The ever-changing world creates some anxiety and concern for many people.
We can take consolation this morning in the fact that God will never change.
Society is changing due to the demands and wants of civilization.
People demand it and the manufacturers respond.
People have been demanding the removal of God for thousands of years.
They have called for Him to be outlawed, destroyed, and eliminated, but they can’t change Him.
I. The Memory of God
Many great things have happened that have been forgotten.
Many great men and women have done great things that have been forgotten.
But God will never be a thing of the past.
God and His work will outlive and survive even the museums and displays of ancient artifacts.
- Psalms 102:12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
- Psalms 135:13 Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.
Those that spend eternity in the lake of fire will never be able to forget God.
He will be at the forefront of their memory for the rest of eternity.
Those that rejected His gift of salvation will never be able to put that decision behind them.
II. The Majesty of God
Kingdoms and empires rise and fall, but God will stand the test of time.
The Persians, the Babylonians, the Romans, the Greek, the British, and on and on…
ILLUSTRATION: the Mongolian Empire I went to Mongolia in 2015. They used to rule the world.
One of the largest contiguous land empires in history, the Mongol empire spread throughout the 13th and 14th centuries CE. It rose from a collection of nomadic tribes in central Asia and at its height extended from Central Asia to Central Europe and to the Sea of Japan. The empire’s best-known leader was Genghis Khan, who founded the empire in 1206 CE. They built the Great Wall of China to stop the invasion of the Mongolians. I stood on that wall and thought of the fear that motivated that project.
- Psalms 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
- Psalms 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
- Psalms 146:10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
- Luke 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
III. The Mercy of God
One thing that I am extremely grateful for this morning is the never-ending mercy of God.
- Psalms 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
- Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
- Luke 1:50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
Jeremiah the prophet wrote the book of Lamentations.
In chapter three, he made a powerful observation.
- 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
- 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
I have tested His patience; I have pushed the limits of His longsuffering, but He is still merciful.
I am grateful that God’s mercy has stood the test of time!
IV. The Message of God
- Psalms 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
- Psalms 105:8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
- Psalms 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
- Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
- Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
- Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Conclusion: The greatest message that has stood the test of time is the story of Jesus and His love for sinners.
From the beginning of time, God has demonstrated His love for man.
Before the foundation of the world, God had created a plan of salvation to make a way for fallen man to be forgiven and to spend eternity in Heaven. Have you accepted God’s timeless, eternal plan of salvation?