The Goodness of God - Part 5 - God’s Goodness of Protection and Recovery

We're living in victory The battle's won in victory We've overcome whatever comes our way No one can change the scene We're living in victory Through our Lord Jesus Christ Hello, this is Mike Kennedy with the Living in Victory broadcast. We're continuing our series today about the goodness of God. We have such a good God and we need to understand more about His goodness. And as we do, we see how we can obtain more of His goodness, how to get more operating in our lives. Amen? Join your faith with me, Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father, we come to You asking You for understanding of Your Word that we can experience more of Your goodness. Live in victory, overcoming every attack of the enemy, thriving in Your goodness, Father. We ask You for it in the name of Jesus. Amen. Well, the series is based on two scriptures. Psalms 34 8 says, Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him. And in John 10, the thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and they may have it more abundantly. I want abundant life. I am experiencing an abundant life, but I know there's more. There's more to experience and there's more for you to experience as well. Amen? Well, turn with me over to Romans 8 28. And we know that all things work together for good. We hear that statement numerous times by people. All things work together for good. That's not the end of the scripture. We've got to read the whole scripture. A lot of false doctrines, people get off by not reading the full scripture,

the full chapter before and after. They take a little piece of what God said. This is about a specific group of people. It says, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God. If you don't even believe in God, let alone love Him, it's not working for your good. To those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. God is good and does good to those who love good because God is good. To those who love God. Amen? Are you doing His will, His purpose, His plan for your life? If not, well you can make that change today and start doing His plan for your life, His will, being bold for Him, walking in righteousness, walking in goodness, and experience more of His goodness. It's not too late to experience more. Amen? We need to find and fulfill the plan of God for our lives. The more we do His will, the more we experience His goodness in our lives. Amen? I'm finding out more and I'm coming up higher and walking in the goodness. And God wants you to have the same experiences. Amen? Romans 8 verse 31 says, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? No one successfully, if you stand and fight, resist the enemy. Amen? The Living Bible says in Romans 8 verse 31, What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? If God is on our side, who can be against us? Well, if you are a child of God, He is on your side. Amen? I assure you, you don't want to be against Him. You don't want to be resisting Him. More importantly, you don't want to serve a weak God like Satan, a defeated foe. He's not a God, He's a defeated demon. The easy to read version says, So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us and God is with us. Glory to God.

Romans 8 verse 32 says, He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? If God is willing to give us Jesus, What is a car compared to his son? He gave us all he had with his son, his only begotten son. His goodness includes financial provision, healing, strength, amen, favor, protection. There's more for us to experience. I'm gonna read a couple of verses to you, but I'd like you to turn over to Luke 8, verse 22. Psalm 16, 11 says, You will show me the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. We have a God of pleasures. He wants to give you pleasures, enjoyable things, amen, righteous things. First Peter 1.8, whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see him, yet believe in you rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Now that alone is the goodness of God. Psalms 5.11 says, but let all those rejoice who put their trust in you. Let them shout for joy because you defend them. Just think of that. God is your defender. As you are on his side, he will defend you.

He will protect you. So you need to rejoice, amen. Faith rejoices before it happens. Glory to God. Psalms 28.7 says, the Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted in him and I am helped. I want the help of God, amen. Because if he's helping me, I come up, I come out, I win time and time again. You know, God is good even whenever things around you in this life are not good. There are three things in this life that we will experience. I'm not declaring it, the word says it. You're gonna have trouble. There's gonna be storms. You're gonna have surprises come up in your life where the enemy may get in a sucker punch. But three things we can be certain of, of God in this life, overcoming, living in victory, restoration, and the verse that we just read, all things working together for my good because I love him, amen. I'm fulfilling his call. Well, in Luke 8.22, the disciples and Jesus were in a boat and Jesus said, let's go to the other side. So they launched out. Well, Jesus took a nap in the bottom of the belly of the boat.

People do not sleep in turmoil, in strife, in fear when they're anxious. They sleep when they are in peace. So they are going across this ocean, this lake, and a windstorm came down and they were filling the boat with water. There's sandals floating in the bottom of the boat. Jesus is just sleeping. The wood from the boat is cracking and creaking like it's gonna break. Waves are crashing over the boat. And the different people on the boat were in fear. They were in jeopardy. Verse 24. And it says, and they came to him and awoke him. They woke up Jesus, the master. Why did they do that? Because they were moved by what they saw. They were moved by feelings. They were moved by fear. They said, master, master, we are perishing. Then he arose, rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and they ceased. And there was a calm. But he said to them, where is your faith? Oh my. You know, recently I had a situation where I was watching a YouTube video of a pastor and they went through a hurricane that came through Florida, the same hurricane that came through our house.

And the pastor, he said, well, I went out and I started to speak to it. And I thought, this is stupid. What am I doing? Get back in the house. And Sharon and I and other people at our church, we went forth with the power of the word because in Genesis, in the last message, we talked about this. God gave man, Adam, in Genesis 1, 28, authority. He gave us power and authority and might over the things of this world to subdue it. So he was on the right track, but then he made fun of it. He listened to the enemy and his church was damaged. His house was damaged. Well, take a look at this picture. This shows you what happened. There's a heart in this picture. We live right in Sarasota. This storm came up, cat five, separated and went right around where we were because we spoke to it with the authority that Jesus gave us, amen. And you may think, oh, you guys are weird. I was protected. My stuff was protected, amen? Christmas time this last year, right after Christmas, we were at my mother's house in Illinois. I'm gonna show you a couple pictures of that. They were talking about the day we were leaving,

Cher and I were getting ready to head to the airport. Didn't have peace, so we stayed a little bit longer. And they were talking about bad weather. Well, sirens went off, tornado sirens. I went outside when I saw this black cloud coming. And I spoke to it, commanded it to dissipate, declared over it, it would not affect my mother's house. Well, this blue house that we're showing you a picture of is the house across the street, directly across the street from my mom's house. It was, the whole roof was gone. It's moved off its cinder blocks and sideways. The house was destroyed. My, my, my. But my mom's house is the next picture, this white one. The things you see on the roof and the damage, those were things from the house across the street, gutters, things like that, that flew towards my mother's house. Not, I mean, minimal damage to my mom's property. The other house is destroyed. You have authority in you if you stand on the word of God to speak to things, amen? You should know who you are in Christ Jesus and the authority and empowerment that you have. You may laugh at it, but my mom's house is protected, amen? She was in her house that day. No problems at all, didn't lose her electricity, nothing. My, my, my, that is the goodness of God. The NIV Bible in John 16, 33 says,

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble, but, but, take heart, I have overcome the world. What does that mean? Don't be moved by it. I've overcome the world and I'm giving you the authority. I'm giving you my peace, amen? I like this capital but, and I cannot lie. Second, Corinthians 4, 8 says, we are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed. You know, there was a rapper called Sir Mix-a-Lot and he sung a rap song, you know, but I sing God's word. You know, if the enemy is coming after me at times, I sing praises to the Lord. I build myself up and remind myself of what he said. So in 2 Corinthians 4, 8, I may sing, we are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed, amen? Sir Mix-a-Lot may have sung it, but it wasn't a righteous way of singing. I sing, I don't record, you can tell why. But notice, these are all conjunctions in here. Conjunction, junction, what's your function?

The function is that God is functioning in my life. His word is operating in my life. That's what's functioning in my life. What about you? Because him functioning in my life, I win, I win, I win because of his goodness, the goodness of God, amen? So when the enemy attacks you, you may need to sing to yourself. Sing that you're coming up, amen? The joy of the Lord is your strength, amen? So if you're facing loss, if people are talking negative about you, if you were just laid off, you got a negative doctor report, if you're in pain, you may need to start singing praise songs to the Lord and reminding yourself what his word said. You know, Paul in prison, he said this in prison. He was not moved, amen? Blessing the Lord is an act of our will. Paul was in prison, but not moved. Acts 20 verse 24 says, but none of these things move me. Do not be moved by the schemes of the enemy, by his tax, amen? Nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy in the ministry or the service which I received from the Lord Jesus

to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. If depressed, sad, oh, woe is me, then you're not confident in the things of God, in his word, you're not trusting God. That's when you need to get in the word, build yourself up, stir yourself up, because if that's the way you're living, you're not on a path to get yourself up and out. You need to get on a path to come up and out. Amen? The New Living Translation of Acts 20 24 says, but my life means nothing to me. My only goal is to finish the race. I really like 2 Corinthians 2 14. Now thanks be to God who always leads me in triumph in Christ Jesus. He leads me there. I follow him. Amen? Because if I'm following him, if I'm right on his coattails, there's only one way I'm going and that's up and out. Amen? Glory to God. You know Edgar Allan Poe on his book about the raven. Nevermore, nevermore. Well that raven is not something you should be listening to. You should be listening to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came down as a dove. Now that's the bird we need to listen to. Amen? And the Holy Spirit says always causes us to triumph. Triumph, to overcome, means you whoop the enemy time and time again. Now that's part of the goodness of God. You may need to open up a can of POJ, power of Jesus on the enemy, by speaking his word, by praising him, by thanking him. That's a way up. That's a way out. Amen? God created you to be a conquistador, a winner, an overcomer. He created you to take out giants, to be a giant killer. Luke 4 36 says, for then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, what a word this is! For with authority and power he commands unclean spirits and they come out. That's right and might. You've got dunamis power there. You've got exesia, which is the right, and dunamis, which is the might. You know, King David understood this. In 1st Samuel 17, this is when King David showed up on the scene to take out Goliath. And Goliath came out every day mocking the army of God. And he spoke 82 times, threatening them, mocking them. King

David, in faith, a man of faith, a boy of faith, he was a shepherd boy. He came out and he spoke one time, I come to you in the name of the Lord. And boom, King David, who wasn't king then, he was a shepherd boy, he took out Goliath. Goliath fell down, he took his head out, cut it off. But before he went to battle, he went and got five rocks. And you say, why five rocks? He only needed one for Goliath. Goliath had four brothers. See, I think that he was a good southern boy. He was a good, strong, mighty warrior. He knew that if he needed to, he'd take Goliath out and then take out the whole family. You see, you cut one, we all bleed. And he's like, you gonna come after me? I'm gonna take you all out. He was a mighty man. That's why he was such a leader. He didn't have fear. He was willing to go and fight. But there was a time when some things happened in his life and he had to stir himself up because there was attacks, there was turmoil, there was things going on in his life. And he had to build himself up, which is what we're talking about today. Stirring yourself up, praising the Lord, reminding yourself of the goodness of God. In 1 Samuel chapter 30, David and his men were out. And they came to Ziklag on the third day and they found out that their women had been attacked, their houses and everything had been burned up, their children, everything they had had been taken captive. They didn't know where to go. There wasn't, you know, roads that went places. They were out in the middle of nowhere and all their assets were gone. And so David and his men, now these are warriors, came to the city and there it was burned with fire. And their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept. They didn't praise the Lord. They wept until they had no more power to weep. Painful experience. Their wives and children were taken, crying, weeping. Well that drains you of strength. It will make you weaker and weaker and weaker. Verse 6 of 1 Samuel chapter 30 says, Now David was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him. So his own people said, This wouldn't have happened if you didn't lead us in battle. Now look, we come back and everything's gone. They wanted to take him out. They wanted to stone him.

Capital punishment. David refused to get bitter. He didn't say, well look after everything I've done for you. How you've won battles and you were, you know, just wanders and now you became mighty warriors. It did not say that that he was bitter towards his troops for feeling this way. Let's continue on. Now David was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved. All his people grieved. That's another word for bitter. They were bitter at him. Every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself and the Lord his God. It didn't say that he felt like it. God did not initiate this. David had to stir himself up because he understood that the joy of the Lord is your strength. And he understood that sadness will drain you. Amen. You ever been in a situation where you just felt drained? Attacked? The enemy does a pileup attack. He attack you here. Then he'll attack you here and he piles up all these things to weaken you, to take you down. Amen. But God has given us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Isaiah 61 3. We need to start praising him and thanking him. Amen. Glory to God and he will bring us up. You know depression is a choice of what you are thinking about. Are you thinking about God and his goodness? The things he's brought you out of and how he can bring you out of this and will bring you out again if you trust him. The 8th of Philippians 4 8. There's eight items in this verse. These are the things we're supposed to think about to keep us from getting depressed. They says brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, is there if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these eight things. Amen. Well it goes on in verse 7 of 1st Samuel 30 and it goes on where David he decided to go seek the Lord and he inquired or prayed of the Lord saying shall I per se pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? You know pride assumed. Let's go get them. No, we're never gonna get them. Oh woe is me. No, David inquired. He asked of the Lord and because he asked, God answered him. And he answered him, pursue for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all. He asked the Lord what do I

do? And the Lord told him, we need to be humble enough and wise enough to ask the Lord what do we do when the enemy comes to attack. This is part of the goodness of God. Amen. If we do it his way then he will he will bring us up and out. He will show us the way out. Remember that we started off reading in Romans. All things work for the good of those who love God. Well if you love God you're gonna turn towards God and ask him for direction. Ask him for wisdom. Amen. And so David he asked. Hmm. Isaiah 54 17 says no weapon formed against you shall prosper. The Living Bible says shall succeed. And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. The Message Bible says but no weapon that can hurt you have has ever been forged. It's never been made. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. So you say well wait a second I've been hurt. Well you can come up and out. Amen. You do not have a testimony until you pass a test. You see these different people. I've heard people try to say they've got testimonies and it's all a lie. Why? Because they want all. Oh look what he did. Whoo. Man what a great testimony. Look how he fought. And they didn't do anything but they want attention. Pride. Ugly. Lying. Deception. Amen. Glory to God. So in verse 10 David pursued. He and 400 men. Wait I thought he had 600 men. He had 600 men but 200 of them decided to stay back because they were tired. They were all oh woe is me. But 400 mighty men went forth. It goes on to say that they went forth to get back their wives. Can you imagine whenever the wives come back and they figured out that a third of the men were quitters. They were mama's boys, they weren't willing to stand and fight and go get their wives back. Husband sees them, runs up, oh baby, give me a hug. That wife is saying, no touchy, no huggy, no kissy, till you become a mighty man. No, you should be a mighty man of God, not living in fear. Amen. God is merciful, but he expects us to fight the good fight, not to quit. Amen. You are supposed to be a fighter. Well, we know that they ran into a man that showed them where they were and David went and fought and he took everything back. He not only took what they took from him, but he took back the spoils from the enemy, the same enemy that took their wives and children. They had taken spoils from other places. So he got all his stuff back, wives and children back, and he took back things that he didn't have before that they stole

from other people. Amen. Second Corinthians 4.13 says, and since we have the same spirit of faith, not fear, not weakness. Amen. The same spirit of faith winning. Amen. According to what is written. That's why we need to know the word. We need to know scripture. Therefore, I believed and therefore I spoke. We're supposed to speak. Amen. That is the goodness of God giving us the ability to speak to things because he gave us authority over it. I believed, therefore I speak. Amen. We need to speak forth the word of God with authority, with power, with confidence, just like those storms that came towards my mom's house and our house. When there's storms of life coming, we need to speak to them because just like Jesus and his disciples in the boat, they were in the storm. He delivered them out of the storm, not from it. There will be storms in this life because of Satan, but you need to stand, fight, resist, speak to that storm, ask God what to do, and take steps. Faith without action or works is dead. You need to take steps and do what he calls you to do, and he is faithful to bring you up and out every time. Amen. Well, this is Mike Kennedy with Living in Victory. Remember, 1 John 5, verse 4 says, For whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Glory to God. Amen. Have a blessed day.