Believing God's Promises

Why God Keeps His Promises

Dec 23, 2012 AM (Following the Christmas Play)

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com

 

I.                   Introduction – What a wonderful Christmas Play! The Christmas Promise!

 

A.    There are many Commands in this Book – wise commands; life saving commands – not suggestions, but clear instructions on how to live, and how to live long!

B.     And there are many many promises too!

C.     Did you know that…

 

1.      When God gives a command He says, "YOU WILL" ("THOU SHALT") – is to be obeyed! A command must be obeyed

2.      When God gives a promise He says, "I WILL" (see Exodus 6:6-8) – they are to be believed! A promise must be believed.

 

D.    What is a promise?

 

1.      "Words said or written, binding a person to do or not to do something."

2.      So, when a person makes a promise he or she is giving their word that they will do something, or not do something.

3.      Yet, to most people, a promise is nothing more than a best wish; a good intention - Easily ignored when it gets hard to keep.

4.      People usually see promises as something that can be broken – they expect it.

5.      People make promises, and people sometimes break promises.

 

a.       "If you let me borrow €5.00, I’ll pay you back tomorrow."

b.      "I’ll meet you at the soccer field at 1:00 p.m."

c.       "Have a safe trip to Australia. I’ll write to you every week!"

d.      "I’ll be sure to pray for you."

e.       These are all good intentions – best wishes

 

6.      But when God makes a promise in the Bible, He is doing more than just expressing wishful thinking. He is giving us something that we can absolutely trust, and believe with all our heart!

 

E.     Many times people break their promises.

 

1.      Maybe they forget

2.      Maybe they changed their mind

3.      Or maybe they just failed attempting to do what they said they would do.

4.      Sometimes people break their promises because of situations beyond their control (bad weather, a flat tire on the road, sickness, etc.).

 

F.      Well, people may break their promises, but there is One Person who never breaks His promises. There is a faithful, promise-keeping God in heaven!

G.    I want to remind everyone of a few reasons why God is faithful to keep His promises!

 

II.                Message - Why God is Faithful to Keep His Promises

 

A.    Because It’s in His Nature to Keep a Promise (Heb 6:18) “That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us

 

1.      Every man is a liar!

 

a.       It is in our nature to lie. To exaggerate. To stretch the truth. To make promises that we are not sure we can keep.

b.      We WILL from time to time fail to keep what we promise.

 

2.      But not so with God!

 

a.       He cannot lie. It is not in His nature. He doesn’t change with the weather, or economy

b.      He can not NOT keep His promises!

c.       If He says something, He HAS to do it – That’s the God we know

 

3.      God will keep every promise He has made in this Book, because that is WHO He is

 

B.     Because He is ABLE to Do What He Promises (Romans 4:21), “And (Abraham) being fully persuaded that, what he (God) had promised, he (God) was able also to perform.”

 

1.      No matter how impossible!

 

a.       To save a wayward son or daughter

b.      To save a broken marriage

c.       To forgive our every sin: past, present, and future ones included!

d.      To actually CHANGE someone as thick, and stubborn, and sinful as YOU!

e.       He is SOOOO able!

 

2.      Aren’t you glad our God, THE God of this Book is able to do whatever He says He is going to do!?

3.      That ought to thrill us…

4.      AND it ought to scare us!

 

a.       He WILL judge all mankind!

b.      He will burn up this universe and make whole new one – with no sin or sinner in it!

c.       Believe me – He made this universe once; He can make it all again!

 

5.      God will keep every promise He has made in this Book, because He is Able!

6.      We just had better be on the good side of His promises!

 

C.     Because It is For Our Benefit for Him to Keep Every Promise (Joshua 23:14)and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.”

 

1.      The promises of God are all FOR us

2.      Isn’t that amazing?!

3.      When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, and turned their back on God and brought death into the world, God made a solemn promise to reverse the curse – to restore the damage – to pay the price of all our sin

4.      And He did it because of love! Love for a world of lost, ungrateful, sin-loving sinners!

5.      Thank God His promises are for our benefit!

6.      God will keep every promise He has made in this Book because He thinks we are worth it

 

D.    Those are three pretty powerful reasons why God keeps His promises. Can you think of any promises He has made to YOU?

 

III.             What Promises has God Made to Every person Today?

 

A.    The Promise of Forgiveness. Acts 13:38,39 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Romans 10:13 For whomsoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

B.     The Promise of Eternal Life. 1John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. Romans 6:23 The gift of God is eternal life!

C.     The Promise of the Holy Spirit in your life. John 14:16,17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

D.    The Promise of a Sound Mind. 2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

E.     The Promise of everything working out for our good. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

F.      The Promise that Jesus is coming again, real soon! John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.

G.    And the list is only beginning!

 

IV.             FACT: God’s wonderful promises do us no good unless we believe them!

 

A.    Consider Hebrews 4:2. “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

B.     The children of Israel were given a promise but they did not believe the promise. God’s Word will not profit us unless we mix it with FAITH.

C.     And they won’t be any good to any of YOU unless you start believing them!

D.    EXAMPLE: Think of a seed.

 

1.      When planted in the ground a seed can grow up into a wonderful plant and bring forth much fruit.

2.      But if that seed is kept in a packet or bag, it will never do anyone any good.

3.      God’s Word is like that seed. God’s promises must be planted deep in our hearts and we must believe what God says.

 

E.     What are YOU struggling with, failing at, simply because you won’t believe HIS promises?

 

V.                Conclusion

 

A.    A children’s song goes

 

1.      "Faith is just believing, what God says He will do!"

2.      He will never fail us - His promises are true.

3.      If we but receive Him, His children we become,

4.      Faith is just believing that, this wondrous thing is done!"

 

B.     What is a promise?

 

1.      "Words said or written, binding a person to do or not to do something."

2.      When God makes a promise in the Bible, He is doing more than just expressing wishful thinking. He is giving us something that we can absolutely trust, and believe!

 

C.    God is Faithful to Keep His Promises!

 

1.      Because It’s in His Nature to Keep a Promise – He Cannot Lie

2.      Because He is Able to Do What He Promises – He Can Do Anything!

3.      Because It is For Our Benefit for Him to Keep Every Promise

 

D.    What Promises has God Made to Every person Today?

 

1.      Have you believed… The Promise of Forgiveness?

2.      Have you received… The Promise of Eternal Life?

3.      Have you experienced… The Promise of the Holy Spirit in your life?

4.      Have you enjoyed… The Promise of a Sound Mind?

5.      Have you trusted… The Promise of everything working out for your good?

6.      Are you believing… That Jesus is coming again, real soon?

 

E.     God’s wonderful promises do us no good unless we believe them! He wrote them all down so that you could read them, and believe them, and experience them!

F.      It is up to you now. Will you finally, believe them?