The Second Greatest Promise in the Bible - Genesis Part 55

Okay so you know last week with three part series coming out of Genesis 22, entitled how to have a massive spiritual life, because we said that in Genesis 22. Abraham demonstrated for all three of the principles involved in how to have a massive walk with God and just to remind you they were number one absolute surrender to God. Number two full obedience to God. And number three order trust in the promises of God and if you missed any of those messages I want to urge you to please a go online and download them or podcast them at all, or via CD and catch up with those three messages.

Yeah, I can't tell you any more important.

Three principles about walking with God than those three and so this week I will go to move on to Genesis chapter 23.

But as I was praying at the beginning of the week about what we should do, really, since the Lord, saying, lawn not yet, not yet. I want you to do one more message on the promises of God which you were talking about last week and focus. This one on one of the promises you mentioned but didn't really go into last week and so that's what were going to do today. Today were going to talk about the second of greatest promise in the Bible makes it a lot if you say it's the second greatest promise. I mean, what's the first graders promised in the Bible.

Well I'll tell you what I think it is the first greatest promise in the Bible I believe is John 647 where Jesus said, truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me has eternal life. Jesus says that person's eternal destiny is settled. They are spending eternity in heaven with me both severe here and you don't know for certain that your spending eternity in heaven with Jesus than this verse definitely becomes your most important verse because this tells you how you can be sure of that and it's not by depending on our good works, or are trying to keep the 10 Commandments, or trying to be a nice person or being baptized or been having been bar mitzvahed and none of that.

It has to do with whatever the word first said one of the bursae. The first said he who believes in me has eternal life, and so I want to encourage you if you're here and you've never trusted Justin what Jesus did for you on the cross was nothing to do and I want to encourage it to junk all that other stuff all those other remedies. They're not going to work and put your complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. This then becomes your verse and your most important verse in the Bible. Your most important promise. Now, having said that, what is the second most important are our greatest promise in the Bible. Well, it's my opinion that it's Romans chapter 8 verse 28. So let me read it to you. It says, and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. And what we want to do today is we want to dissect this verse we want to take it apart. It has five key components we want to look at each of these five parts of this verse individually. Make sure we understand what they're saying and then put them back together and when we do the verse will be even more marvelous than it is when we read of the first time. So are you ready to go are a part. One member their five-year window part one.

Let's talk about the owners of this promise.

Who is this promise made to well the Bible says it's made to those who love God, to those who are the called book according to his purpose. And then the next verse defines who these people are whom God foreknew he also predestined and whom he predestined he also what there we go, and whom he called, he justified now. The called people in this verse, therefore, are justified people. So who does God justify let's go back to Romans chapter 5 verse one and will find out. The Bible says having beer next word justify. There's our word by faith we have peace with God through Bhutto through Confucius through Mohammed through Joseph Smith through recycling know we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ friends. God justifies people who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore the call because they're the justified are also people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. These are the people that God makes this promise to, and may I add, they are the only people to whom God makes his promise. They are the owners of this promise. Not all Americans. God did make this promise to every American. He doesn't make his promise to every human being and he doesn't make this promise to everybody who sits in a church on Sunday. He makes this promise people would been justified by God because of their personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If that's you then friend this is your promise is part of your birthright as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is yours a man that's good news. Now. Second of all, what's the extent of this promise while the Bible says God causes what all things, yes, that's right, the extent of this promise is not something or a lot of things or most things if all things. There is absolutely nothing in the universe.

No matter how big, no matter how small that lies outside the scope of God's promise in Romans 828… Right number three.

What is the promise itself. Well, the Bible says God causes all things to work together for good to the owners of this promise. Now let me just remind us God is not saying here in the Bible that all things are good there not bankruptcy is not good. Getting a cancer that is not good sickness. That's not good.

Car accidents is not good, family problems, the death of a loved one. Children with disabilities in fertility. These were not good. God's not trying to convince you, they're good, that's not what the promises about God is saying that he will take all things, the good the bad and the ugly, and that he will blend them together. He will work them in concert with one another such that the end result will be good and beneficial and a blessing for us now is a lot like baking a cake. You know when you start to make a cake or some ingredients that go in, none of which are all that attractive all by themselves. First of all there's bleached flour. Most people I know don't stick a spoon in it. Need bleached flour and then of course there's vanilla you know.

I knew folks when I was using drugs and drank vanilla try to get drunk but you gotta be really desperate to drink vanilla to do that, then there's a stick of butter. Who's going to sit down about in their right mind need a stick of butter.

This baking powder I've never even tasted it. Why would I there are raw eggs want salmonella help yourself you'll get it. And finally there's pure cooking oil. Nobody would drink that unless they were trying to get their cholesterol up who drinks that stuff now. All of those are the ingredients that go into a cake and by themselves. Honestly, not a single one of them is very attractive but you take him and you mix them together. John Streit and you put them under Joss the right amount of need for jaws the right amount of time the limited when there have faith or stay still and taste all that good, talk about half-baked. I'm saying you let it bake for just the right amount of time and voilà all man. I'm getting hungry just looking at that yeah and this is exactly what God is promising God is not promising that the all the ingredients that go into your taker attractive. They're not going to be what God is promising is his ability to take all of these ingredients and mix them together just right so that the end result is beautiful. Remember Romans 828 is not a promise about perfect beginnings.

It's a promise about perfect endings and God is promising us that he will override all the circumstances, even the most terrible events in our lives and he will convert them into a blessing. By the time he's done got the promise body. Okay here we go, number four go is the maker of this promise will what is the verse say, the verse is God causes hey Romans 828 does not come true because a blind log or because of the power of positive thinking or because of our ability. Humanly in our cleverness to manipulate circumstances.

It comes true because of the intervention of the sovereign God of the universe into the affairs of our life.

Praise the Lord and listen. A promise is only as good as its maker and what makes Romans 828 such a massive promise is that it is made by the massive sovereign God of the universe. That's why it's such a great promise.

Finally number five about the certainty of this promise. How does the verse begin. It begins and we know their true words in the Greek language that are translated KNOW in English. The first one is the word good no scope which means to know something by experience, you know you stick your hand on a red-hot burner on the stove and so you know, for the rest of your life is hot right that was experiential. You learned that's not the word that you steer the word that's used here is the other Greek word oil dock which means to know something a certain fact it doesn't have to be experienced.

It is simply known to be true, and utterly sure. And that's the word that you steer. God wants us to know for certain that this promise is good. He wants us to be absent until he Plaza lewdly no ballot doubted sure that we can take this verse to the bank sure about it is we are own name because God promised and friends. He promised it for all things. Doesn't matter what circumstances are done. Matter how impossible they look God said what's impossible with men is possible with God, or that they look God can do anything he is going to keep this promise to you and to me, so can we summarize this with the verse and God causes.

There's the maker of our promise all things, there is the extent of our promise to work together for good. There is the promise right to those who are the called and who's that that's us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are the owners of this promise and friends. We need to claim it and believe it because it's ours. It belongs to you and you can take it before the throne of God and remind God in a humble way. But in a Bold Way, Lord. This is my promise you made this promise to me as a follower of Christ and you said you would keep it and I'm here, Lord's order to remind you not, that you may need to be reminded but that's order here to remind you this is my promise and thank you for now that the stars were going to go in the passage because were going to stop now going to ask our most important questions all you guys at Tysons Prince William and Bethesda and on the Internet and an edge in here loudly ready ready all right here we go nice allowed Juan to pray lovely you know what folks I got to thinking this week as believers in Jesus Christ. We may not know any everything, but because of Romans 828 we know one thing for sure, and that is that when the dust settles in this world and it's all over, God will take in every situation in our life and work it out for our good. We know that and hasn't God done that for people before they think of Joseph. Didn't God do this for Joseph remembers brothers sold him into slavery and then Parker's lion wife got him thrown into jail and then he was betrayed by Pharaoh's butler and he was in jail for 13 years.

From the age of 17 to the age of 30 and it looked hopeless for that poor guy that he was ever getting out of jail. But wait a minute the cake was only half baked not done yet because never Pharaoh had those dreams and they called him out of jail and he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and before you know it is the prime minister of the whole stinking country. Remember that and his brothers came down to see him and they were they were scared to death. He was going to kill him for having sold them in the slavery and I love what Joseph said. Joseph said to Genesis 50 verse 20 he said you meant evil against me.

I know you did I know you hated me, but God overruled your evil God meant it for God turned it into good. Hey, when God was finished having God kept his promise for Joseph.

You better.

They have of the apostle Paul to God keep his promise to him.

Remember in acts chapter 21 he was thrown in jail in Israel and then they shipped him off to Rome to stand before the Emperor. He was shipwrecked he was bitten by this nasty old snake oh man that would been worth part of the whole thing for me being bitten by some snake all right anyway. Then he was taken to Rome, he was put back in prison. He spent another year in prison in Rome, I mean you know it look like God had just completely forgotten about the apostle Paul, but the cake was only what half baked us right. Listen to what Paul says Philippians 112, he said, but I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me all the jail all the shipwrecked all the snakebites grew has actually served to advance the gospel and he says in the next verse.

Why, he says, because before was over I got to share Christ with the entire palace guard. The entire praetorian guard as well as Emperor Nero himself. The praetorian guard was the most elite section of the Roman army. They were the Emperor's personal bodyguards.

And here's the cool thing any prisoner that was to scheduled to appear before the Emperor had to be guarded by the praetorian guard okay so here's Paul in jail and can you imagine you get you get Paul duty today for an eight hour shift your chain to the apostle Paul, do you imagine being an unbelieving Roman soldier and being chained to the apostle Paul for eight hours, you think you hear the gospel how many times you think you hear the gospel and then you come around again in a week a month two months in your chain to him again and he goes hello how we do and you come to Christ.

Yet know will listen and away we go again meant a whole bunch of these guys came to Christ and not just them but listen to what he says at the end he said all the believers at the end of the book of Philippians here in Rome greet you, especially those of Rose Caesar's household. This guy Paul got to go in before Nero and his entire household and preach the gospel and many of Caesar's old house soul came to Christ. There is no way that would've ever happened if Paul had not been put through the jail.

The shipwrecked the imprisonment did God do for Paul what he said he was going to do. Yeah right. And I think a Johnny Erickson taught a finally, many of you might know her story right. Not far from here in southern Maryland. She was 16 years old was diving into a river which more shallow than she thought. She broke her neck.

She of the doctor said you could be in a wheelchair. The rest of your life as a paraplegic or quadriplegic and the man that looked terrible on me. What a tragedy but the cake was only half baked because God went on to use this woman. She is had the most amazing ministry.

She is ministered to millions and millions of people around the world and has galvanized churches all over the world including ours to have a ministry to people with disabilities God has used her life in the most amazing way in a way he could never have used her life if she had not been in a wheelchair. Did God keep his promise to her did eight US Johnny shall tell you he did so, let's conclude when it comes to this promise and God promises we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose when it comes to that promise. My friends, God wants you and me to know that it is indelible that it is unchangeable than we can take it to the bank and I gotta tell you I walked in here this morning with a really heavy heart.

I've got some problems going on in my family was one of my children that is ardent. It is charming.

This is said one of the saddest things other been through.

I mean, you know, I heard a man say once you're only as happy as your saddest child and is a lot of truth to that, and I mean it. It's brought me to tears I got on my knees and said, Lord Jesus, I don't even know how to pray for this_grown like it says in Romans eight you put, you let the Holy Spirit pray for me, Lord. I don't even know what to do. I don't even know how to begin to put Humpty Dumpty back together again on the situation and I don't and so I walked in here with a heavy heart this morning many many of you walked in here with a heavy heart for different reasons.

Perhaps maybe you're having real trouble at work in somebody's picking on your work of the bosses making life miserable for you or you completely overloaded at work. Or maybe it's your children maybe you got young children and and your your you know you are driving you crazy and you don't. I you even going to keep going one more day with all of the energy to put now, or maybe have older children and one or two of them is away from the Lord and it's breaking your heart to see your child away from the Lord.

Maybe you lost a loved one in death and they've left a gaping hole that nothing has been able to fill except the Lord himself.

But it's still all made maybe you been overwhelmed caring for an aging parent or maybe you just got a cancer diagnosis. Or maybe somebody you love. Just got a cancer diagnosis or or maybe you know you are in financial difficulties and for the life of your you don't know how in the world you're going to solve it.

Or maybe you're in a romantic relationship and y'all are broken up and and I mean is you you you are just heartbroken about it. Or maybe your husband's walked out on your your wife is walked out on you and you and left you with children and just absolutely shattered you look folks.

We all got trouble, trouble. Maybe somebody at schools picking on you. I don't know. I'm reminded of the old spiritual that says nobody knows the trouble I've seen nobody knows but Jesus say, but I'll entice them.

That's good news because Jesus does know the trouble. You see, see, that's the point. He knows he sees it all and with all the trouble that you and I've seen, and with all the trouble you and I are going through right now he's got a promise force God causes all things to work together for good to those who love him and we should know it because he promised went great promise and doesn't matter, folks, how bad the outlook is and it doesn't matter how impossible it seems that he could do that and it doesn't matter how bleak the outlook who clears were dealing with God. Here the things that are impossible with man are possible with God. So let me urge you don't evaluate the cake half baked this thing that I'm facing in my family. The cakes have baked I can evaluate whether God's been faithful to me what I have baked cake and neither can you, and maybe that maybe we get to heaven before some cakes are fully baked. But I promise you you'll stand on the shores of heaven and you shake your head in the affirmative, and you will say yes God I didn't see how you could ever do it but you kept your promise. Yes God you did. I promise you that will happen but don't judge a take half baked you wait and let God finish just keep trusting them just keep believing he's going to be true to his promise. Folks, your salon is great but you know while the cakes have baked.

I mean how do you how you what I weigh on me with a relocate smell it and it smells great and you're like oh boy, are you know it's not quite done. You have a man when it is, while it is really good.

But how do like how I encourage myself when the promise of God is half big while the same way God is given us a verse in the Bible that is the aroma that we can smell while waiting for the cake to finish and it's in Titus chapter 1 verse two and it says God cannot lie. That's our rollouts. God cannot lie, I got 1/2 baked cake, but God cannot lie, I got a have baked cake but God cannot live in.

You just keep smelling that man. That is the sweet aroma in the middle. While the cakes finish in its God cannot lie and I believe that therefore the cake may not be known yet but it will. And when it's done. God would've told me the truth. Folks, God's just not a promise maker. God is a promise keeper list trusting to be that in our lives. Spring Lord Jesus. We don't know how you going to solve our problems.

In many cases we can figure out one way in the world that what were facing is going to turn out for good Lord, you know what we don't have to. That's not our job that your job all we have to do is trust help us do that.

Lord, please help me and everybody here just to be like a child.

Trust and know that it's you cannot lie. Lord Jesus give us hope even in the midst of some really tough circumstances.

Hope it doesn't come from this world. Nono but hope that comes from the word of the living risen Christ and that's real hope so. May that be where hope comes from this day. Thanks for speaking to us from your word or change our hearts because we were here today and we pray these things in Jesus name God's people said Amen