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God's Promises are Sure! (Part V)
I. INTRODUCTION / LIFE NEED / REVIEW
A. A blind woman stood on a really busy street corner, with her white cane, obviously hesitant to cross. As she
waited, unsure of herself, a gentleman came up beside her, touched her arm, and asked, "May I cross over with
you?" Appreciative, she thanked him and took his arm. The path they took was anything but safe. The man
seemed to be confused as they dodged vehicles and walked in a zig-zag pattern through the jungle of traffic,
honking horns, and screeching tires. When they were finally safe, the woman angrily told the man, "You
almost got us killed! You walk like you're blind!" The man responded, "I am, that's why I asked if I could cross
with you."
B. It was in Matthew 15 that Jesus said of the Pharisees, "They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind
leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch." For the past few weeks we've talked about how sure God's
promises are. If we in the church don't have a handle on God's promises, we'll be like the blind leading the
blind.
1. Jesus says the church is the light of the world. He
also said we're the salt of the earth.
2. In both teachings, we are to impact the world. We
are to penetrate the world. We are to influence the world.
3. How can we do that if we don't have absolute
confidence in God and his word. How can we persuade others to believe, if we don't believe
ourselves?
C. Review
1. In the last few weeks we've focused on
understanding the promises of God. Much of the disappointment with God, and the disillusionment
with God is because of misunderstanding his word. Paul told Timothy to do his best to "correctly handle
the word of truth." We must do the same. This is especially true when it comes to God's promises. Be
sure you read the fine print.
2. God's promises are either conditional or
unconditional. Most of his promises are not blanket promises, no matter what. In most cases we must
meet his conditions in order to see the fulfillment. When you're reading your Bible, be certain you look
for your side of the bargain in any of God's promises.
3. Furthermore, not all God's promises are for all God's
people.
a. Some promises are for all the earth, for all
people.
b. Some were intended just for Israel.
c. Some are for baptized believers.
d. Some were for specific individuals.
e. With some of the promises, it's a bit difficult to
know just what was intended, and for whom. The broad strong prayer promises are an
example we looked at last week. Mike Moyer pointed out this past week that "praying in the
name of Jesus" may be a key. That formula no doubt means more than tacking those words on
at the end of each prayer. I think that idea is worthy of study.
f. At any rate, we need to be careful we don't
misappropriate someone else's promises.
D. There is a quote that makes a lot of sense to me. I've come across a couple versions of this, so I'm
not sure I have it quite right, but I think I have the concept. "I know you think you know what I said, but
I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." There is so much truth in this. I think this
is so applicable to God and his promises. Let me repeat it. "I know you think you know what I said, but I'm not
sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." This morning let's realize that God may intend
something far different from what we think he has said.
II. BIBLE LEARNING
A. Open your Bibles To Isaiah 55:8-11.
1. Passages like this give me great confidence in God.
a. There are times when I know I'd do things
differently than God, but then I realize that's why he's God and I'm just John Railton.
b. He not only sees the bigger picture; he's the
artist.
c. His thoughts and ways are not like ours. Thank
God!
d. His word will be accomplished. He illustrates
this with rain and snow. Just as surely as they come down from heaven and water the earth, so
his word will accomplish that for which it is sent! We can believe he will do what he says,
yet we may not understand or expect him to do it the way he does.
2. The promise of messiah is a prime example.
a. This is an unconditional promise, made to the
nation of Israel.
b. After putting all the hints and promises together,
Israel fully expected a great king to arrive on a white horse who would destroy all the enemies
of Israel, and exalt her to a position of peace, prosperity, and leadership among the nations.
c. But when Jesus came he was born in a stable,
laid in a manger, and eventually went about the countryside teaching and preaching. This was
nothing like what they expected! It's no wonder they didn't recognize Jesus as the Christ. I say
that, not because God was at fault for not fulfilling his promise, but because their
expectations were so far off from what God planned. He fulfilled his word, but not as
anticipated. We see this many times in scripture.
3. Let's give God the benefit of the doubt. When
there's a gap between God's promise and your expectation, work on the confidence that your
expectation is wrong. There is too much evidence and testimony to God's faithfulness to doubt his
word. If it appears he's not fulfilling his promises, back up and rethink your expectations. Realize God
may already be working it out by some other means than what we assume. As the heavens are higher
than earth, so are his ways and thoughts higher than ours! Although his reasons may elude us, and his
methods may surprise us, God always fulfills his word. As Paul said in I Corinthians 1:25, "The
foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's
strength."
B. Some Of God's Promises Have Been Fulfilled Exactly As Expected.
1. In Exodus 8 God told Pharaoh he was going to send
a plague of frogs. He promised they'd swarm up out of the Nile. They'd be in the palace, in their
bedrooms, on their beds, in their ovens, and in their kneading troughs. They'd jump all over the people,
all over the land of Egypt. For Rose Noell it'd be like a dream come true. But it all happened exactly as
you'd expect. The frogs came and they were all over the place.
2. In Jeremiah 25 God told Judah (the two southern
tribes of Israel) that because of her sin, her spiritual adultery, that she would be conquered by Babylon
and carried away captive for 70 years. Sure enough, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquered Judah
and carried her away for 70 years. Then she returned.
3. In Matthew 24 Jesus said the temple would be
destroyed. In 70 A.D., just a few years later, Titus marched into Jerusalem for Rome and demolished
the temple.
4. In John 14 Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, the holy
power of God, to be given to the church. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, in the form of fire,
wind, and miracles, came upon the church.
5. In Acts 18 God told the Apostle Paul to stay in
Corinth and keep preaching the truth. He promised to be with him and to keep him from harm. Just as
God promised, Paul was protected from harm. Now that doesn't mean he wasn't threatened, or ever in
danger. Nor did it apply to Paul for the rest of his life. But for the next year and a half Paul stayed in
Corinth and was protected from harm by God.
6. These were all fulfilled just as you might expect. Of
course, there are many more examples we could cite.
C. But there are others where fulfillment was not as expected.
1. God had promised to deliver the Jews from the
oppression of Pharaoh and his army. They were so excited when they left Egypt. Yet, it wasn't long
before they heard the rumbling of Pharaoh's chariots. They melted in fear. But God miraculously
led them through the Red Sea, on dry ground. Then when Pharaohs army followed they were drowned.
That's in Exodus 14.
2. In Josh. 6 God promised the Israelites victory over
Jericho. But then he had them march around the city every day for 6 days. How ridiculous they must have
felt. Then, on the 7th day they were to march around the city 7 times. But that's when the walls fell. What
would have happened if they had gotten tired of all this and attacked on their own? What would have
happened if they had quit on the 6th day? I wonder how many times we deprive ourselves of God's
working in our lives because we grow weary and don't obey.
3. Then there's the time God promised Hezekiah
victory over Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Sennacherib's army had besieged Jerusalem and
starved it out. The end appeared near. There was no
hope, other than what appeared an empty promise from God that Sennacherib would be defeated. But
then II Kings 19 tells us, during the night, the angel of the Lord went throughout the enemy camp and
put to death 185,000 men. The survivors didn't even know it had happened till the next morning when
they saw all the bodies.
4. Turn with me to Matt. 16. This is toward the end of
Jesus' earthly ministry. He was teaching his disciples about his coming death. This was new information
for the disciples. Keep in mind this is after the disciples had already been preaching the gospel (the
kingdom message). They knew the gospel message of the kingdom, but didn't know anything about the
death, burial, and resurrection. Don't let anyone ever tell you the gospel message is summed up by the
death, burial, and resurrection. (Any gospel message that does not include the message of the kingdom
of God is inadequate and incomplete.) Peter had preached the kingdom, but didn't even know about
the death, burial, and resurrection. He went so far as to say such a thing would never happen. Jesus
assured them it would, but also assured him it would not jeopardize the coming kingdom. Let's read Matt.
16:28.
a. That's certainly a big promise and no doubt
convinced the disciples the kingdom was within a few years. But did it come? Are the disciples
not dead and buried? Let's read on.
b.
Matt.17:1-13. Comments.
1. Jesus' promise in Matt. 16:28 was fulfilled in the vision.
2. The coming of Elijah (another promise) was fulfilled in John the Baptist. That fulfillment
had come and gone, and even the disciples didn't catch it till Jesus explained it to them.
3. Many of the Lord's promises are fulfilled exactly as promised, but not necessarily like
one might expect.
5. The Psalms contain many statements about the
intent of God to bless the righteous with protection, wealth, health, peace, and long life. We would be
wrong though to conclude that we can expect nothing but physical prosperity in this life. One look
at the life of David who recorded many of these statements contradicts that idea. His life was one of
repeated threat, conflict, pain, and sorrow. And yet David maintained a tremendous confidence in God.
Could it be that some of God's promises will be fulfilled in the kingdom?
V. BIBLE APPLICATION / LIFE RESPONSE
A. We need to have confidence in the promises of God. We'll never impact our world if we're like the blind
leading the blind. When we consider the promises of God, let's remember some are conditional, some are
unconditional. They are not all for all men. Some are applicable to us today, many are not. Remember too the
methods by which God fulfills his word are far above anything we would ever imagine. He will sometimes
work things out in ways we would never dream. He's sometimes already worked things out and we haven't
even recognized it.
B. When we consider the promises of God, let us remember the faithfulness of God. Keep in mine verses such as...
1. 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
then not fulfill?"
2. II Tim. 2:13, "If we are faithless, he remains faithful;
he cannot deny himself."
3. II 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." "Amen" means "I agree" or "it is true." We are to testify to the faithfulness of God.
4. This is how we can impact our world. This is how
we can penetrate our world. This is how we can influence our world.