The Big Picture - "Big Promises"

---

The Big Picture - "Big Promises" Sermon by Pastor Bryan Tomes – 2/4/18 Intro: •

Today we are wrapping up our series "The Big Picture" o God's Big Plan - God has a plan to give us a hope and a future – to prosper and not destroy o Our Big Parts – we have a part we have to do to enable God to do what He has to through us o Have Big Dreams – we don’t serve a small God with small dreams, we serve a big God so we can dream big. If your dream is able to be accomplished with your resources, it’s not big enough. We don’t serve a limited God but an unlimited God. o This morning we are looking at "His Big Promises"

•

How many have children? One of the things my kids love to do is get you to agree to something so they can bombard you with the ol' - You Said, You Told Us, You Promised Me !!! o I'm very careful now to what I agree to and what I don’t! o As a father once that happens - "I'm locked in" to carry that promise out - so I don't break their trust! • I think I bought my kids things I didn’t agree to because I couldn’t remember the conversation! ▪ We have contracts now !!! Blood Covenants !!!

•

There are some of you in this room that have trust issues because of broken promises - show of hands - how many have had a promise broken or even broken their promises? o Here's a problem: because some of us have lived a life full of broken promises from our

earthly father, we approach the Lord as if "He" might do the very same thing. o Here is the reality: that you need to come to grips with! • Numbers 23:19 (NLT)- God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he

does not change his mind. ▪ God is not made in our likeness - We are made in His. ▪ We shouldn’t try to model His life after ours - we should model ours after His! ▪ We shouldn’t think He would lie just because we do! God makes promises, but He never breaks promises. Text: •

2 Cor. 1:20 (ESV) - For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. o There are approximately 8,810 promises in the entire Bible. o In the Old Testament there are 7,706 and in the New Testament there are 1,104 wonderful

promises! o Deuteronomy 28 has 133 promises, which is more than any other chapter in the Bible.

Too many people are sitting on the premises of God's Word; when they ought to be walking in the promises! It’s one thing to know about the promises of God and another to receive the promises of God. These 8,810 promises are for you and me! Walk these out because obedience manifests the blessings of God.

•

The Bible records two kinds of promises from the Lord - unconditional and conditional. •

The first type of divine promise is unconditional (there’s nothing we have to do) o An unconditional pledge is one whose fulfillment rests solely with God; His commitment is independent of people and situations. • An example would be His covenant never to send another flood to destroy the entire earth (Gen. 9:11). ▪ No matter what people do he will never again destroy the earth by flood!

•

The second type of divine promise is conditional. o In other words, the Lord is willing to act under certain circumstances. • Gods promises are not discovered by reading God’s word, they’re discovered by obeying God’s word. o It’s often written as an “if-then” statement and involves our cooperation. • Obedience Manifests The Promise !! •

•

2 Chronicles 7:14 - if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2 Cor. 1:20 (ESV) - For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. We find all the promises of God, IN HIM - 8,810 – how many do you know? Our God doesn’t change, these are still for us today. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. His promises back then are just as good today as they were back then. God’s promises don’t come by reading them, but by obeying them. •

Let’s quickly look at 3 NT Conditional Promises involving salvation, forgiveness, and wisdom. o Romans 10:9 - If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised

him from the dead, you will be saved. • Your Declaration needs a Proclamation – with your mouth - Confession! • Believe in your heart - because from the heart the mouth speaks • Salvation is simply the platform upon which we may leap into depths of the Lord’s riches o 1 John 1:9 - if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to

cleanse us from all wickedness. o James 1:5-6 - If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not

rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Stop asking everyone else – ask God for wisdom. You need to ask. Stop asking others who can’t do anything about your situation. Ask God who can change things for you. And don’t be double minded when you ask.

•

Lets Look at Some Huge OT Promises

•

Genesis 12:1-3 - The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. (Father, I Pray The blessings I receive aren’t just to meet my needs but overflows so greatly to help me meet the needs of others) I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” •

•

The Apostle Paul in Galatians declares the Lord has made good on his promise and has brought not only salvation but the blessing to all people through the Lord Jesus Christ o Galatians 3:9 - So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed. Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. V.7 “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven! “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you. V.11 “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. V.14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.

•

If my word remains in you and you in me - ask whatever you want - it shall be given to you -John 15 • The blessing of Obedience isn’t faithfulness it’s fruitfulness! • Fruitfulness is the result of faithfulness – you will bear much fruit as you walk in Him.

•

Closing • Hebrews 10:23 - Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. • Hebrews 10:35-36 - So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.