Sermon Tone Analysis

Preliminary:

I know its Wednesday night - but I felt impressed to share this little truth with you tonight - Thanks for testimonies and singing tonight.

We will be looking at several scriptures tonight first will be found in Psalm 102

Introduction

About 500 years before the birth of Christ in ancient Ephesus - there lived a pre-Socratic philosopher known by some as the ‘weeping philosopher’ due to “bouts of melancholy” often so severe he was unable to finish his philosophical writings.

In fact his writings were more like one-liners than articles or paragraphs.

Some because of his obscure riddle like statements referred to him as “the Riddler”

His name was Heraclitus and he made three major contributions to the philosophical world

He believed that fire is the basic material of the world

Principle of Unity of Opposites or that opposites coincide

The one that concerns us tonight - Principle of Universal flux - that is that everything is constantly changing.

There is nothing fixed or permanent in the world.

Heraclitus gave us a famous aphorism, “No one steps in the same river twice”

While there is some controversy of interpretation - Plato interpreted this to mean as William Barclay put it:”

“You step into a river; you step out; you step in again; but you do not step into the same river, for the water has flowed on and it is a different river.”

The Gospel of John, Volume 1 (The Greek Background)

You could interpret it like this: “the world is like the river it doesn't persist but is constantly flowing there is only change and nothing ever remains the same from one moment to the next one”

On the other hand, Parmenides another pre-Socratic philosopher claimed that, “Nothing ever really changes, and appearance in the physical world is always illusion.”

It does seem that as some other philosophical thinker quipped - “the only thing constant in life is change”

Change is sometimes hard for us to do or go through:

we attempt to cope by calling it nice things like “new normal”

Someone else has quipped that the only two constants in life is death and taxes -

It was probably this kind of thinking that prompted someone to pray...

God, give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

—Reinhold Niebuhr

I want to remind you tonight - that in the midst of all the change there is a constant that is more constant than change, or death, or taxes

That constant - is GOD

Theologians call this changelessness of God “Immutability”

Immutability is a primary attribute of God and simply means that he is changeless.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism with Scripture Proofs

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

A. M. Hills wrote so beautifully: “So God is absolutely immutable in His essence and attributes.

He can neither increase nor decrease.

He is subject to no process of development, or of self-evolution.

His knowledge and power can never be greater or less.

He never can be wiser or holier, or more righteous or more merciful than He ever has been and must be.” (P167)

The Bible gives at least three instances of contrast between the constant change in us and that of the constant unchange in God.

Lets look at these together.

1. Contrast of human fragility and God’s immutability

Psalm 102:27 But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end.

‌Psalm 102 is identified as a prayer of an afflicted man.

Psalm 102:1-2 the Psalmist begins by asking God to listen and end the feeling of separation and alienation.

Psalm 102:3-10 the Psalmist describes his suffering - it consumes him, body and soul.

He burns with fever and can’t eat.

He feels utterly alone.

You see the big contrast of fragility and immutability in Psalm 102:11-12 listen to this:

The Psalmist points out his own transient life - its like a vaopor or puff of smoke and its gone - they pass in the blink of an eye

“But thou, O LORD, - you live forever unchangeable

One commentator put it, “Human frailty encounters divine permanence”

This passage declares how transient man is.

Life is so full of change from birth and development to our demise.

Many of us notice the changes in our aches and pains, or vision, or thought process as we age -

Someone has said… “You’ve reached middle age when all you exercise is caution” - anonymous - The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 4,500 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions Copyright © 1997 by Roy B. Zuck

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The Psalmist continues down to Psalm 102:27 “27 But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end.”

So we have seen the contrast of human fragility and God’s immutability now lets look at the next one -

2. C‌ontrast of the Fickleness of Israel and the Faithfulness of God

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

We see first of all in clear black and white - God’s Word - stated clearly, precisely and concisely that “I am the Lord, I change not...”

Sometimes I think if we just had that clause instead of the Bible that would be enough.

In these seven words we have a revelation of God’s character that is phenomenal and worthy of exploration.

It is due to these seven words that Christianity teaches that God is immutable - unchangeable.

(This shows the somewhat relational aspect of this attribute - they deserved to be consumed and yet because God is changeless in his decree’s and essence - he is faithful to himself and kept his promise)

In God’s changelessness - they were condemned but could changes -

I do want us to Notice God gives instructions on what they could do to change things - look at Mal 3:7

Mal 3:7 “...Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

...”

They were not consumed but they were cursed

Mal 3:9 “9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, Even this whole nation.”

and they were told how that could be changed - because God is immutable - changeless - he won’t go against His character -

(The curse bought a devourer Mal 3:11 “11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, And he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; Neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.”

but they could prove or see that God means what he says Mal 3:10 “10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be meat in mine house, And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven, And pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

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I’m sure you can all see the modern application of this truth - it isn’t just the fickleness of Israel but all humanity.

Here is solid comfort.

Human nature cannot be relied upon; but God can! However unstable I may be, however fickle my friends may prove, God changes not.

Arthur Walkington Pink

we see not only the contrast of the Fickleness of Israel and the Faithfulness of God but we also see the...

​3.

Changeless Ultimate Source of Goodness contrasted with the Unfortunate Choices of Humanness

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

‌This section begins with James explaining that God is not the source of temptation or evil, but rather man’s desire.

The unfortunate choices of humanity bring about the evil that he is talking about here.

But James admonishes against error in thinking any different - any and all good gifts and perfect gifts come from God

who has no variableness - no change - not passing from one state or phase to another - he doesn’t get better he doesn’t get worse - HE IS

there isn’t even a shadow of turning - not even a shade or tint of turning or reversing course.

Changeless ultimate source of goodness contrasted with unfortunate choices of humanness

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4. The Changing with the Changeless

Hebrews 1:12 “12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”

The Changing with the Changeless (Thou are the Same)

One day this world will as I believe Peter prophecies, “Melt with fervent heat” its going to pass away -

Be folded up like bed sheet or piece of paper

but God remains unchanged

We are faced with a big question in all of this talk about God being unchanging - that is that God does seem to change his mind - or repents -

Exodus 32:14 “14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.”

1 Sam 15:11 “11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.

And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.”

Jeremiah 26:3 “3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.”

Jonah 3:10 “10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”

How do we reconcile these apparent changes in God’s mind with the scriptures that say “I am God I do not change”

First of all you have to realize that God is not as Aristotle attempted to paint him - apathetic or emotionless or some static deity who sits unmoved and unfeeling in the heavens

as Truesdale put it, “unaffected by worship and rejection...”

I have even fallen in this trap before - I used to shudder when people would say things like, “How do you think Jesus feels when you do…you fill in the blank”

While they are perfect, and not twisted by the fall - God still has - He has to have - some type of emotions - and some type of emotional response - and this in no way changes Him being God.