Things That Abide

Things That Abide

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

Psalm 90

1 LORD, You have been our dwelling place

    throughout all generations.

2 Before the mountains were born

    or You brought forth the whole world,

    from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

In this throw away culture we long for things that abide. Relationships can terminate quickly. People end relationships with little reason today. Things we buy do not last. They expect us to throw things away. We have watched stores and restaurants and sadly even churches close after many years of operation.

There are things that abide. The Bible tells us so!

1. God Abides

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.

Psalm 102.25 Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Thy hands.

26 They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed:

27 But Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end.

    

Psalm 102.25 In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth,

    and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

26 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.

27 But You remain the same,

    and Your years will never end.

From Everlasting to Everlasting

God had no beginning

He will have no end

The Eternal Now 

God is not bound by the space/time continuum. He is everywhere. He was and is and is to come.

He is our dwelling place... Our true home... The closest thing to heaven on earth is the church when it is what God desires it to be, when we abide with Him and others.

Dr. Russell Metcalfe:  There is a recurring theme here of "home" or "dwelling" or "abiding." The Psalmist says, "Lord YOU have been our dwelling place." Then in Hebrews and again in Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 God is spoken of as dwelling or living in us. Hebrews seems to say that together, as a body, Christ is building us into a house where he can dwell. Paul prays "that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." And do you remember Jesus saying to us (John 15) "If you abide in ME, and my words abide in you . . . ask what you will!" We do not dare overlook this theme of abiding, dwelling, being "at home."

Psalm 93.2 Your throne was established long ago;

    you are from all eternity.

Heaven is timeless. No night there.

The LORD God abides! and we with Him!

2. The Word of God Abides!

Isaiah 40.8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

Matthew 24.35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

For, "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever." And this is the word that was preached to you. I Peter 1.24-25

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted

’Mid the raging storms of time;

Its pages burn with the truth eternal,

And they glow with a light sublime.

Refrain:

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,

It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;

I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,

For the Bible stands.

The Bible stands like a mountain tow’ring

Far above the works of men;

Its truth by none ever was refuted,

And destroy it they never can.

The Bible stands and it will forever,

When the world has passed away;

By inspiration it has been given,

All its precepts I will obey.

The Bible stands every test we give it,

For its Author is divine;

By grace alone I expect to live it,

And to prove and to make it mine.

We can trust what God says in His Word.

We can build our lives upon it.

Matthew 7.24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

There are different theories floating around out there and in the church that diminish the Word of God... General  Superintendent Emeritus Jim Diehl:

Ordination Service in Central Ohio

Watch out for false doctrines... Preach the Word of God

There are those in our church that are trying to blur the lines. If we drift away He will find someone else. His Word will be preached.

There are those trying to take us down a liberal road and it is all about the authority of the Word of God.

The LORD God is eternal, His Word is eternal...

3. The Soul of Man

Ecclesiastes 3.11  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

God has placed eternity in the hearts of men.

We will live forever in one place or another.

My friend, Paul Moore, planting a new church in the city, mission work in the DR. Pilot and his wife plane went down in a storm on the way back to the DR from Haiti where they had delivered medical supplies.  Chuck Ritzen and his wife Candy along with Benjamin Cole Brown, a photo journalist from Orlando. Their plane went down but they went up. Pray as they try now to recover the bodies of these two servants of God and memorial services take place. In tragedy God's people triumph!... And are transformed. 

We will live forever with Jesus if we believe and follow Him.

4. Heaven

Abides

II Corinthians 5.1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Jesus preparing an eternal place, His Father's House... As we sang this morning... We are inviting people to go with us. 

Being like Him

Being with Him

Buildings are temporary.

Photo #1 

Photo #2

5. The Kingdom of God Abides.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

    and your dominion endures through all generations. Psalm 145.13

Oswald Chambers October 19th

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world." —John 18:36

Election time. We need to remember where our citizenship is. 

The Kingdom of God is invisible.

It is not a matter of talk but of power.

It is within you.

John 3.8  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Born again

Filled with the Spirit.

It is among you.

Jon Scott, ticket on the LIRR this week. Conductor heard us talking after he could find his ticket. She passed him. Then the guy sitting next to us said she will get you the next time..."' Jon was stressing. I said, "Let me do the talking" but I did not have to. 

Conductor, "Not doubled but substantially more."

Photo #3

Only God knows. And He does know! How many times have you heard someone say, "I was out of money and then a $10 bill came floating on the sidewalk." A few come right to mind... My Dad saying to himself,"If I just had another $20 for our family vacation...." Steve, "God if You are real, please feed me!" $10 bill on the sidewalk. 

It is coming.

United Nations is not the answer. It is an attempt by man, not a bad idea, just not God's solution.

Air Train, watching the people of the world come into that place... All of the world's great people...

Christ will soon appear.

We will cease to pray "Thy Kingdom come." When we get home.

What a day that will be!

Holy Holy Holy to our LORD God Almighty

Who was ans Who is and Who is to come.

Give yourself to things that abide, the eternal things that will  remain.

God, His Word, The souls of people, His Kingdom, Heaven