COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY AND DAILY STUDIES BASED UPON OUR PREACHING SERIES AT COMMUNITY CHURCH PUTNEY)
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COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY STUDY NOTES
We are surrounded by change. As we get older change seems to
speed up and one can feel wistful of the past when things may have seemed
better. Our own bodies are constantly changing. Did you know that your entire
bone structure is replaced approximately every ten years! The planet on which we live and universe are
in flux. The earth is moving around the sun at around 67,000 mph. And we are
told that even the universe is expanding. Everything changes… everything, that is, except God. God, in
eternity past to eternity future has not changed in the slightest.
WHAT IS GOD’S IMMUTABILITY?
God’s immutability means
that, unlike everything else in creation, God does not change in any way. He
knows everything so learns nothing new. He is perfect in every way and so does
not need to improve.
Ø What do Hebrews 1:10-12 & 13:8 say about Jesus in regard to change?
Read Malachi 3:6-8
Ø What does God say about His immutability? (3:6)
Ø How had the people changed, what
were they failing to do? (3:8)
Ø What was to be their response and how would God respond? (3:7b)
This seems to infer that God
does change. God’s immutability however means that, whilst never changing, He
does relate to people in a relationship with true expressions of His current
feelings on a particular circumstance. Thus it can be said, in response to
man’s wickedness, ‘The Lord regretted that he had made human beings
on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled’ (Gen. 6:6). This in know
way means that God got it wrong, would do it differently, had learnt from His mistakes
etc. It simply communicates His current feelings.
LET’S RESPOND TO WHO GOD IS
Ø i) Trust: God’s immutability gives us great confidence. For example, Romans 8:1
gives us an amazing promise. If God could change, what would that mean for such
assurances?
Ø ii) Obey: His unchanging nature is also a warning as we are tempted to ‘update
God’ and become progressive and liberal to accommodate sin in the church. Read
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 for some examples.
GOING DEEPER PERSONAL DAILY STUDIES
Definition of
Immutability: God is unchanging in his
being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions,
and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations. (Wayne
Grudem)
Monday: Leaders teach the unchanging Jesus
Hebrews 13:7-8
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the
outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday and today and forever.
It’s our desire as an eldership
team at CCP to teach and live the truths of scripture. The writer to the
Hebrews speaks of leaders and Jesus’ immutability in the same breath. Why? This
is because the role of leaders is to teach a faith that is built upon the
unchangeable Jesus. Let me exhort all the readers of this study to do just that.
Tuesday: God the unchanging foundation
Psalm 102:25-26 In
the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the
heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and
they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
(Quoted about Jesus in Hebrews 1:10-12 which is a great proof for the deity of
Christ)
All of creation had a
beginning and is in process of wearing out. I’m sure that you’ve walked on the
sand. We all know that it’s just pebbles (which seems the hardest thing ever!)
which have broken down. The toughest things and people are in process of decay.
Nothing is worthy to be the foundation of ones life and joy except the
unchangeable God.
Wednesday: Put your anchor into immovable
rock
We change for good and bad. Our
emotions are also, like weather, very changeable.
C. S. Lewis urges us, “Don't let your happiness depend on something you may
lose.” Let’s anchor our
hearts to the immovable rock, setting our
joy in God because all other anchors will come loose and the tide take us.
Hebrews 6:17-19 Because God
wanted to make the unchanging nature
of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed
it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable
things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take
hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this
hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
In
summary, God’s ‘unchanging purpose’ is to bless the world through Jesus. He has
made this a ‘double lock’ by also stating it as a promise (‘oath’). Our
salvation and standing with God is built on the unchanging holy character of
God – this is an anchor!
Numbers 23:19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that
he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he
promise and not fulfil?
Thursday: God does not change; He remains
good, even when we suffer
James 1:16-17 Don’t be
deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who
does not change like shifting shadows.
Don’t be deceived about two things:
firstly, That God only gives good gifts and secondly, that He does not change!
They were being tempted to doubt God’s goodness because of suffering. Let’s
hear their encouragement for ourselves, particularly when life is disappointing
– God has not changed, He remains good!
Friday: God is unchanging in His rule and
power so pray to Him
God, not matter what, and no
matter who opposes us, is on the throne. Let’s trust but also pray in spiritual
warfare against evil.
Psalm 55: 16-19 As for me, I
call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and
noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He
rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose
me. God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change – he will
hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.
Saturday: God is unchanging in His affection
for His church
A God who can be updated may seem like a good idea, but it
undermines our confidence in Him and destroys the very foundation of our
security. Let’s finish with a beautiful Psalm that speaks of our frailty but
God’s unchanging strength and affection,
Psalm 103:13-18 As a
father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has
compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers
that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a
flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its
place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with
their children’s children— with those who keep his covenant and
remember to obey his precepts.
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