The Power of 1: The Kingdom is Unchangeable

 

The Power of 1: What God Can Do Through You! Sermon Notes Pastor Brad Myers

Today: The Kingdom is Unchangeable! June 2, 2024

Today: The Unshakable Kingdom of God is Unchangeable.

• Shaken World: Changeable
• Unshakeable Kingdom: Unchangeable
• A Changing World and an Unchanging God

Thought: The world is changing because we, as people, are always changing. Ever since the fall of Adam, when sin was introduced into the world, change has been a part of life. The moment we are born, we begin to age. We grow, develop, and then deteriorate with our memory being one of the first things to go.

CHANGE! The most dreaded word in the world!

• Fear or Excitement!

God hardwired our personalities with five unique characteristics.

Big Five Personality Traits: OCEAN

1. O: openness to experience (curious vs. cautious) (open to change)
2. C: conscientiousness (efficient vs. careless)
3. E: extraversion (outgoing vs. reserved)
4. A: agreeableness (friendly vs. critical)
5. N: neuroticism (nervous vs. steady)

Three Factors affecting how we deal with change

Fear of the Unknown
Burned by Change in the Past
Simply Don’t Like Change

Kubler-Ross Change Curve

Thought: The idea that God is unchanging in a changing world is a theological concept called the immutability of God. The Bible says that God’s essence, attributes, and purposes do not change. This means that God does not evolve or devolve, and he never gains or loses attributes. 

Malachi 3:6 (NLT)

“I am the Lord, and I do not change.

Thought: People are mutable; they are subject to change in any degree. Therefore, our only hope in life is this: Since God never changes, He is the one constant we can count on while everything around us radically changes.

Thought: “All that God is, He has always been, and will forever always be.”

• Means: Constant and Steadfast

We can also use the word ‘always’ to express this truth about God.

• God is aways wise, sovereign, faithful, just, righteous, holy,……

1 Samuel 15:29 (NLT)

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

God’s unchangeability is seen very clearly in the life of Abraham

Hebrews 6:13-20 (NLT)

Four truths the text in Hebrews 6:13-20 reminds us of:

1. God’s Promises are Unchangeable. 

• Genesis 15: Abraham was given a promise that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. 

Genesis 15:6 (NLT)

And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Q) Why did Abraham believe God’s promise? It wasn’t because he saw the immediate fulfilment of it.

Romans 4:20-21 (NLT)

• V21: “Fully convinced”
• We break promises and change like the wind but God is unchangeable.
• SO, God’s promises are unchangeable when it comes to you!

2. God’s Purposes are Unchangeable.

Hebrews 6:17 (NLT)

God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.

• God purposes are never subject to change.
• Abraham was about to slay his son when the Lord stopped him.
• After Abraham is found to be obedient, God took an oath.

Genesis 22:16-17 (NLT)

Q) Why does God need to take an oath to show that His purposes never change? Isn’t His word enough?

Thought: An oath is a confirmation of the integrity of God’s Word. God’s purpose will never change, and you have His word on it.

Example: We change our plans all the time.

• We start our day one way but due to circumstances it ends up another way.

3. God is Different!

Isaiah 14:24 (NLT)

1. God’s Character is Unchangeable.

Hebrews 6:18 (NLT)

• Abraham’s faith rested on the unchanging character of God.

Q) Does your faith rest on the same unchangeable character of God?

• Abraham believed God told him the truth.
• One was the original promise, the other was the oath He took to fulfil that promise.

Q) What would happen if God’s character changed? How would we approach Him if His character was constantly changing?

• We would never pray.
• We could never trust Him
• Woe wouldn’t step out in faith
• We would never ask for His help. 
• We would have nothing of any substance to hold onto.

4. We are Changeable because God is Unchangeable.

Hebrews 6:18 (NLT)

Thought: Because God’s promises, God’s purposes, and God’s character never change, He has made it possible that we can change!

• This hope of change is an anchor for your soul. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

Thought: We need an anchor in these changing times because we our prone to drifting. 

Thought: An anchor prevents us from drifting in the choppy seas of our lives. It keeps us from sliding away and helps us not be swept away by the winds of change and uncertainty. An anchor is like an immovable rock that we can hold onto. This Anchor has a name and it’s Jesus; He is the Power of 1!