Living the Promises of God
Faith Service Worship Vision
There may be times when you find it difficult to reconcile God’s truth to your own opinion or worldview, God’s truth is eternal, it does not change, our understanding of the truth does change as we allow God to work in our hearts and minds. These sessions are not about opinion, they are about learning truth, the truth contained in the Bible, together we are going to focus on how we apply God’s truth, black & white in a grey world. To set godly priorities, grow in Christian character and live according to God’s standards so that we are a living witness to others. Notes from previous sessions are available from the Bible Study Section of www.ashingdonelim.co.uk.
Session 1
11 January 2011
Faithful to His promises Russell Herman was an American man who left trillions of dollars to thousands of people he’d never met. But, there was a slight problem. Russell Herman didn’t have trillions of dollars. He was just a very poor carpenter. The Last Will and Testament that he left behind, promised the “beneficiaries” many things, but they were promises that could never be fulfilled. Russell had great intentions, but he lacked the resources needed to make them a reality. Thankfully God is different. God has made great and precious promises, He has the ability to follow through on every single one of them.
How do we know that God will keep His promises? The Bible declares that God is faithful and it reveals the history of His faithfulness. There are also countless stories of the faithfulness of God to His people every day. Our focus in this group of studies is: n to remind us of the fact that God is faithful to his promises; n explore some of the promises that God has made to us His people; and n help us to see how we can apply God’s promises to our daily living.
How many promises do you think are in the Bible? (100? 1000? 10,000?) The preacher and evangelist, Dr. Reginald Dunlap, spent months analysing the bible and he calculated that there are approximately 30,000 promises in the Bible! We will not be looking at all of them! Peter wrote about the promises of God: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:3-4) Peter calls these “PRECIOUS” promises and it seemed that he liked that word. He used it at least 5 times in his two books: Precious Faith (1 Peter 1:7, 2 Peter 1:1), Precious blood (1 Peter 1:19), Precious stone (1 Peter 2:4-6), Precious Lord (1 Peter 2:7) and Precious promises (2 Peter 1:4). Here’s a wonderful thought and reality: Peter declares that claiming these precious promises makes us “partakers” with Christ. A “partaker” is a participant, partner, or sharer. We claim these precious promises as our own when we become a Christian. This then allows us to share in the “Divine nature” When we partner with Christ we can become like Him. But this new nature is not automatic. We must flee, “escape” the corruption that is in the world by evil desires. That’s why Peter goes on to describe the great effort we must put in to add to our faith all kinds of godly characteristics.
What is it that makes God’s promises so great and precious? 1
Five great promises
They come from a great God who can do the impossible and because they lead to an abundant life. A few of the verses that declare that God is faithful to His promises.
“I will build my church”
Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”
Jesus said “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18)
How does this promise make you feel? How does it motivate you?
1 Kings 8:56, “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses.
The church has been in existence for over 2000 years and it will remain until the Christ returns.
Joshua 21:45, “Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”
While the church has faced its attacks from outside and inside. Satan continues to try to destroy it, but God will not allow that to happen.
Joshua 23:14, “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”
“I will be with you.” God has made this promise to his people throughout time.To Joshua God said, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
In the Great Commission Jesus said, “And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”
In 2 Timothy 4:16-17, Paul wrote, “At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength…”
“You can’t break God’s promises by leaning on them!” God wants us to lean on his promises. He wants us to stand on them. And count on them. There is an old hymn that expresses this, Standing on the promises of Christ my King.
Are there specific times or circumstances when you are more aware that He is with you?
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Standing on the promises of Christ my King, through eternal ages let his praises ring; glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing, standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour; standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.
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Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, 2 Thess. 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will by the living Word of God I shall prevail, strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” standing on the promises of God.
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Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord, overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword, standing on the promises of God.
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Standing on the promises I cannot fall, listening every moment to the Spirit’s call, resting in my Saviour as my all in all, standing on the promises of God.
Does the fact that you are never really alone please you or concern you? That’s what God does for his people. He sticks close to them. When we go through our darkest nights he won’t leave us alone!
“I will strengthen you.” Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
That’s why Paul declared, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13).
When we encounter a problem, why do we so often try to solve it in our own strength first? Why do we often find it so difficult to claim the promise of God’s strength? I know that it’s because of God’s strength that I am who I am and do what I do. There’s no way I could do even half of what I do on my own!
How has God strengthened you recently? 2
“I will pour out my Spirit.”
How can we know what God has promised if we do not hear His voice in the pages of the Bible?
This promise was uttered by prophets for centuries, and was first realised on the day of Pentecost. God promises the Holy Spirit to people who have put their faith in Christ.
We can’t and that is why many Christians have a poor understanding of God. We must search the Scriptures to find and claim each one.
Ephesians 1:13 states, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.”
The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
Can you claim every promise in the Bible as yours? Some of the promises God has made were for specific people at specific times, in specific circumstances - not every promise in the Bible is applicable to everyone.
Do you find it easy to allow God’s Spirit to comfort, strengthen, lead and guide you? Why?
“I will come again.”
For example, the promise that God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12:2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you”, does not mean we should expect our own nation! Many assume that God has made certain promises to them, when in fact He has not. While God has a perfect plan for each of His children, and specific promises that are ours. We should never try to force God’s hand by claiming a promise that is not ours.
John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
If Jesus came now, are you ready to be with Him?
What is the best promise God has given you?
How wonderful to know that we are saved and that we have eternal life.
God has promised us himself. He is all we need.
Patiently waiting
1 John 2:25, “And this is what He promised us – even eternal life.”
Hebrews 6:15 says of Abraham, “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”
1 John 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Abraham waited 25 years--until he was 100 years old-between God’s original promise and the birth of Isaac.
Jesus is coming back, and he will take us to live with him… forever. That’s a promise!
Have you waited a long time for God to fulfil a promise?
Having examined five of the great and precious promises of God, do the promises we have considered excite you? Do you appreciate that our God is a Promise Keeping God?
We can not rush God. He will His own work in His own time. King David is an example, God promised him he would be the king of Israel. Yet he had to wait for years during the reign of Saul before he came to the throne. And through it all he learned patience.
Receive the promises
In the book of Genesis the Lord promised His people a Messiah. But it took centuries for Christ to come in the fullness of God’s timing.
How can we receive the promises of God?
Practicing obedience to God’s will
Prayerful Study of the Bible The Word of God is the treasury of every one of God’s promises. We need to deeply examine all of God’s Word to discover its gems.
Hebrews 10:36 teaches that obedience is a key to obtaining God’s promise: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”
There’s a story told of a little girl who pointed to the Bible that stood untouched on the bookshelf and asked her mother, “Whose book is that?” Startled by her daughter’s question, the mother answered, “Why honey, don’t you know? It’s God’s book.” With eyes wide open the girl replied, “Then don’t you think we should give it back to Him? No one around here ever reads it?”
Some of God’s promises are conditional. We have to fulfil our responsibilities before we can receive the rewards of God. Think about salvation in Jesus Christ. God does not give the salvation of His Son to everyone automatically. Before He becomes ours, we must repent and trust Him as our personal Lord & Saviour. It’s a conditional promise, we need to obey the gospel.
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Persistent Faith
We must learn to believe God’s precious and magnificent promises. It will change the way we pray and it will change the way we live!
Does being a person of faith mean that we should never doubt? No. But it does means that we should
believe more than we doubt!
“What God Hath Promised”
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
God hath not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
Our trust in God is the key. Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. God hath not promised we shall not know, toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
In 2 Corinthians 5:7 Paul states that, “we walk by faith, not by sight.”
He hath not told us we shall not bear, many a burden, many a care.
By faith, as hard as it is, we trust in the invisible God, our loving Father, and we stand on His promises.
God hat not promised smooth roads and wide, swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Believe your beliefs & doubt your doubts
Never a mountain rocky and steep, never a river, turbid and deep. But God hath promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way,
What is the promise you need to claim?
Grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love.
The Promise of Peace Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Annie Johnson Flint
For Personal Reflection
The Promise of Victory “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
God has promised us a life that is filled with His Presence and peace, a life that overcomes the shadows of sin and death with the brilliant Light of Jesus. God holds out the promise of a life that is said to be ’abundant’ and marked by freedom from slavery to sin.
The Promise of Wisdom
It is not just a better life for the present, but is fully realised in the gift of eternal life when this earthly journey is over.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)
The Promise of Restoration “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10)
The Promise of Forgiveness “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John. 1:9)
Whatever it is that you need, God is able to keep His promises. When we really learn to trust God according to His promises our lives will never be the same.
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