The Promises of God PT.2 (Promises to the Church)

What does the Bible consist of?

Promises

2 Peter 1:4 “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Prophecies

2 Peter 1:19–21 “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Spiritual Principles

Doctrine

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

This morning we are going to focus on Gods promises to His church, individually and also corporately

The word Church as defined in scripture has a double meaning

Ekklēsia is what the church is called in the original New Testament language of Koine greek. The first meaning of Church means “that which is called out (me and you have been called out of the world to follow Christ

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

and then Jesus Himself testifies that those who follow Him will called out of darkness

John 8:12 NKJV

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

That means that before we were called out to follow Jesus we were in darkness, following the course or ways of this world.

Ephesians 2:1–2 NIV

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

God saw us and had mercy on us to bring us into His family, through the sacrifice that Jesus completed for us on the Cross.

Ephesians 2:4–5 NKJV

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

The Bible is very clear what our condition was before Jesus calls us out of the world. We are called out of the world into The Kingdom of God which is at work through The Church, The body of Christ.

The 2nd meaning of the word “church” means “assembly”

This means that you and me being called out, now come together as a family, to live, worship & do the works of Christ

Titus 2:14 NKJV

who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

We come together as a family because The Father in Heaven has redeemed us to live out His will for our lives together through the church, we are now His spiritual house on earth.

1 Peter 2:5 NKJV

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The assembly of The church is also important to understand because we aren’t walking with Jesus alone.

We have brothers and sisters in the faith that we should be doing life with. Sharing good times and tough times with, encouraging each other to keep following Jesus when life gets hard & when trials arise in our lives.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Hebrews 10:25 NKJV

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

That “Day” this verse is referring too is the coming of The Lord. How much more now as we see all these things happening around the world that we should be assembling & gathering together more often.

The two meanings of church are critical too understand because we see how God’s promises are corporate, as a group, and individual in nature.

Jesus’s sacrifice has established better promises for us

For The Church as a whole

For individual believers as well

Hebrews 8:6 NKJV

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

These better promises allow us to trust in and experience our life in Christ here on earth, even when things get difficult,and according to Jesus life will get difficult at times.

John 16:33 NKJV

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

When we are experiencing trials of different kinds we can hold on to Gods promises by faith because God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He needs to repent.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

The promises to The Church corporately

Ephesians 2:14–16 NLT

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

Now because Jesus has brought Jew and Gentile together in one body as The Church we are all direct recipients of promises that cant be taken away from us, unless we chose to forfeit them.

As The church our mission is to be sent, it is Apostolic in nature, the word apostle means “a sent one” as we go to all people of the world, all nations of the world, to share who Christ is, and what He has done,one of our promises is that the gates of hell will not prevail against us

Matthew 16:18 NKJV

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

As the church we have the promise of experiencing the presence of God within our assemblies.

1 Corinthians 3:9 NKJV

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJV

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

2 Corinthians 6:16 NKJV

And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”

We as the church have the promise of being God’s spiritual house

1 Peter 2:5 NKJV

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

As The church we have the promised Holy Spirit poured out

Luke 24:49 NKJV

“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Ephesians 1:13 NKJV

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Luke 11:13 NKJV

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

The Holy Spirit poured out upon us corporately and individually allows us to be witnesses, to experience Gods presence among us and allows us to distinguish spiritual gifts among each other.

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 NKJV

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

Each spiritual gift we receive is for the good and building up of the church

1 Corinthians 14:26 NKJV

How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

As we see these spiritual gifts manifest in the church, especially in our local assemblies we start to realize and experience God’s presence among us.

God has promised individual believers that they will know Him in a more intimate way

John 7:38–39 NKJV

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Jeremiah 31:31 NKJV

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—

Jeremiah 31:33 NKJV

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Ezekiel 36:25–27 NKJV

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

This new covenant was first made with Israel, in turn granting us (Gentiles) the same promises afterwards.

John 10:16 NKJV

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Now we are brought near by the blood of Jesus

Ephesians 2:12–13 CSB

At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Now we have access to the throne of Grace

Hebrews 4:14–16 NKJV

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God has promises for our families

Acts 2:38–39 NKJV

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Psalm 22:30 NIV

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.

The New King James Version Psalm 102

The children of Your servants will continue,

And their descendants will be established before You.”

The Lord has also promised us healing internally and externally

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

The healing described in this passage is a spiritual healing, a relationship that had to be restored because of a separation from God because of our sins.

Now Jesus not only restored our relationship spiritually with God, we also have a physical healing we have access to.

Malachi 4:2 NKJV

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

God’s Word brings us healing & deliverance

Psalm 107:20 NKJV

He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.

Proverbs 4:20–22 NLT

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.

The Lords promises extend for us into eternity

We are promised a resurrected body, just as Jesus had when He rose from the dead, a body that will never see death again

Philippians 3:20–21 NKJV

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Gods promise is that you be saved Body,Soul, & Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NKJV

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

The fullness of experiencing Gods promises for The church, as families and as individual believers are in an ever expansive understanding that we have a higher calling on this earth

Today as we close our message, I want to ask you are you experiencing The Lords promises? Have they not come to fruition in your life, now it is the time to stand on them and put your trust in them, to declare them & to live them out