Trusting Divine Promises

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The reason we are going to talk about God's promises is because through His word He has made tremendous promises to us.
Illustration:
If it weren't for the Bible.
An anthropologist visiting the Fiji Islands, an atheist, said to an elderly chief, "You are a great leader, but it is a pity the damage done to you by those foreign missionaries. They only want to get rich off of you. No one believes the Bible anymore. People are tired of the nonsense about a Christ dying on a cross for the sins of mankind. They know better today that this is not true. I am sorry that you were fools to accept this story."
The chief's eyes twinkled and he said, "Do you see that big rock up there? On it we smashed the heads of our victims. Notice the furnace next to it? In that furnace we formerly roasted the bodies of our enemies. If it hadn't been for those good missionaries and the love of Jesus that changed us from cannibals to Christians, you would never have gotten out of this place alive!"
You had better thank the Lord for the gospel we have received, otherwise we would be eating you now…
Let's Pray…
2 Peter 1:3–4 NIV
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2 Peter 1:4 “He has given us his very great and precious promises.”

Characteristics of God's Promises

I believe in a great God who can do great and precious things.
"He can Heal... He can Deliver... He can Save... He can Restore... He can Transform!"
We must live in the expectation that God will manifest something great in our midst at any moment.
The reason I want to talk about God's promises is so that you know that there are promises for you too.
What God Promises, He Fulfills!
All of us who are here this morning have received promises from God:
There are Promises that are Common to all of us.

Common Promises

He promised them to me, to you, and to all of God's children.
Genesis 12:1–3 NIV
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 13:14–17 NIV
14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
Now, When Abraham died, God's promises were far from being fulfilled.
1 son of promise;
The only piece of land he had was a place to be buried.
He lived in tents, the only permanent structure was the altars erected to worship the God who had made all these great and precious promises.
God promised everything a man of his time apparently wanted;
land, many children and something even greater, "all peoples on earth" would be blessed through him.
God's Promises to All of His Children
Our Thought: It’s Impossible
God’s Promise: All things are possible. (Luke 18:27)
“I am very tired.”
I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30)
“No one really loves me.”
I love you. (John 3:16)
“I can’t go on.”
My grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Psalm 91:1515 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.”
“I can’t understand it.”
I will direct your steps. Proverbs 3:5–6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
"I can't do it"
You can do all things. (Philippians 4:13 )“13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
"I am not able." -
I am able. (2 Corinthians 9:8 “8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
"It's not worth it."
It will be worth it. (Romans 8:28)
"I can't forgive myself."
I forgive you. (1 John 1:9; Romans 8:1)
"The numbers don't add up."
I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:1919 My God will supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
"I am afraid."
I have not given you a fearful spirit." (2 Timothy 10:12) 1:7“7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
“I am always frustrated and worried.”
Put all your worries on my shoulders. (1 Peter 5:7) “7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”
“I don’t have enough faith.”
I have given everyone a measure of faith. (Rom. 12:3)
“I am not smart enough.”
I give you wisdom. (1 Cor. 1:30)
“I feel so alone.”
I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Heb. 13:5)
Now, let's look at some specific & individual promises…

Specific and Individual Promises

Psalm 37:4 NIV
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
You receive specific promises & individual promises as you walk in fellowship with Him. (RHEMA)
Illustration:
Peter asked Jesus if he could walk on water and Jesus said sure, come! … Peter received an specific & individual promise.
Sarah, you will have a child at age of 90 years of age.
Hudson Taylor said: "There is a living God, He spoke through the Bible, He is determined to do everything He said, and He will do everything He promised."
But then come the difficulties of life: lack of money,...; health, disobedient children, persecution at work, etc.
And then we live as if without hope, without a future, without any promises.
Dear ones, ff 2025… , in the name of Jesus, do not live this way!
First, the Bible says that the angels of the Lord encamp around those who fear Him. (promise)
To reach me, you have to go through God.
Second, I do not live without hope because God has not yet fulfilled all of His promises in my life.
And even if I die, God is faithful to fulfill what He has promised.
We should not be worried about what may happen in the future.
85% of the things we worry about do not happen.
Stand firm in the Lord's promise.
The Bible says that
"he has given us his very great and precious promises"
It was God who made the promises!
It was not from men,
it was not from the pastor,
it was not from the brother,...
It was God!
There is a big difference between God's promise and man's promise...
When man promises he can fail, He promises but he can not do it, he speaks but he does not do it.

3 Clear Characteristics of God's Promises

1. He Watches Over His Word.

Jeremiah 1:12 NIV
12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”
The reason we can be joyful is because the promises that were given to us were given by a God who watches over His word.
What He promises He will fulfill.
As far as it depends on Him, He will fulfill it!
No matter the circumstances.
He is faithful!
The second characteristic of God's promises is that

2. They Never Fail

(A word of gratitude from king Salomon …)
1 Kings 8:56 NIV
56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.
Guarantee that God never fails, What God speaks in our lives will not fail, not even a single word.
The third reason why God's promises are so tremendous is because

3. He can fulfill, He has the power to fulfill.

We serve a God who can do everything; when God speaks, He guarantees.
God is all-powerful!
Paul speaks in the book of Romans 4:21
Romans 4:21 NIV
21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Romans 4:21 “21 being fully persuaded that he was able to perform what he had promised.”
Paul uses a word in the superlative; that is, he uses the strongest way to express something.
For example, in our language.
Ex. Great x Greater. It is the strongest word you can use.
"being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised"
Do you know what fully is?
It is complete certainty!
Without a shadow of a doubt, total ability!
Why can we trust God's promises?
because:
• He watches over His Word.
• They Never Fail
• He Has the Power to Fulfill.
Now, let's look little closer at some of God's

General Promises

First
Romans 10:9–13 NIV
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
What is God’s promise in this passage?
SALVATION!
Second…
1 John 1:9 NIV
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
What is God's promise in this passage?
FORGIVENESS OF SINS!
HOW MANY SINS CAN GOD FORGIVE?
ALL OF THEM!
Can God forgive you?
Yes, only He can...
Third:
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
What is God's promise in this passage?
RESTORATION!
God promises that He has absolute restoration for your life!
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Restoration
For the life of the church, for the life of the nation!
That is why we must pray for the leaders of our nation, so that they may fear God!
So that they may lead the nation to repent of its sins and seek the face of God.
The answer for the country is in the people of God!
He has a promise of restoration for you!
Fourth promise…
Exodus 15:26 NIV
26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”
Healing our physical needs!

What do all these promises we have just seen have in common?

They are all conditional! "if"

God said I will save, but you have to call upon the name of the Lord,
He said I will forgive, but you have to confess.
God said I will restore, but you have to humble yourself, you have to pray, you have to turn away from your evil ways, you have to seek God's face.
Illustration: I want you to understand one thing, the reason why many times we do not receive what He promised is not because He forgot, or because He cannot do what He promised, it is not because He does not have the power,
it is because we do not do our part!
The blame never, ever lies on God's shoulders.
The blame falls on our shoulders.
If the church pews are not full...
if there are no baptisms...
If your life is not a life of victories...
If the local church struggles financially…
it is not because God does not want to do it, it is because WE ARE NOT DOING OUR PART.
I believe this with all my heart!
If I'm not seeing more miracles in my life, it's not because God doesn't want to do them,
it's because I'm not yet in the place I should be so that He can perform extraordinary miracles through my life.
(Acts 19:1111 God was doing extraordinary miracles through Paul,”
“Extraordinary miracles”
The God you and I serve wants to do even greater things!
Paul says that He wants to do beyond all that we ask or imagine.
God loves you so much, my dear!
God loves this church so much!
He wants to do tremendous things in your life!
In our midst.
But we have to do our part.Many of God
Malachi 3:1212 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be a delight,” says the Lord of hosts.”
God’s purpose is for the world to look at you and say, “There you are, a blessed people,” “blessed.”
God wants the best for you, do you know why?
Because God is a Father!
There is no self-respecting father who does not want to see his son/daughter well.
Well fed, well clothed, well educated…
A father likes his children to be praised.
A father will go hungry in order to give food to his child.
If we, imperfect like we are, are capable to act like this, do you honestly think that God takes any pleasure in seeing you in need?
God takes no pleasure in seeing you in need.
God wants you to be well,
God want His church to be well…
but He wants you to do your part.
And your part is to seek Him first...
God wants to fulfill the promise in your life.
"If you believe, you will see the glory of God."
There is a promise from God for every situation:
• If you are sad, there is a promise to make you happy.
• If you are depressed, there is a promise to deliver you.
• If you are distressed, there is a promise to give you relief.
• If you are sick, there is a promise to heal you.
• If you are worried, there is a promise from God to give you rest.
There is a promise from God for every situation.
The only way we will not receive the promises is if we are not doing our part.
Psalm 103:1–3 NIV
1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
What does "forgives all your sins mean?"
Some sins? A few sins? Is there any sin that God cannot forgive? ALL OF IT!
"And what about the unpardonable sin - The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is when a person has gone too far and gone against the One who could convince them of sin and righteousness.
They reject God's plan, and the reason sin against against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable is not because God cannot forgive, but because the person does not want God's forgiveness.
So let's start from the principle that God forgives ALL OUR SINS.
• Does God forgive lying?
• Does God forgive adultery?
• Does God forgive homosexuality? Promiscuity …
Murder… abortions…
Look at…
Proverbs 28:13 NIV
13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Yes, just confess and forsake He will forgive you!
No matter what kind of sin you have committed, God can forgive you!
IF YOU CONFESS THIS MORNING, JESUS ​​WILL FORGIVE YOU!
• And there's more, He heals all our diseases.
This means that Jesus can heal any disease, He can heal all, He can do everything!
I want you to believe in God's promises!
And the only reason you are not seeing God's miracles in your life, in the life of the church, is because the "If" is not being fulfilled.
I pray this morning that in 2025 God will release our faith.
There is tremendous potential here in this church, if we join our faith we will see this city transformed by the power of God!
But we have to do our part.
God has tremendous promises for this church,
promises that were made when this church was established,
we have seen this, people who one day came here without any commitment to God,
with corrupt and worldly interests and today they are preaching the word of God, God is Faithful!
And even today He has promises to be fulfilled here, so we have to do our part!
And I believe that God's candlestick is still lit here in this church!
The anointing of God continues to flow! and we will see greater things because God promised!

Now Let's Do Our Part and our part includes:

• Believing!
• Paying the price in sanctification in separation, fellowship…
Time with God in prayer;
Contributing - Being faithful to God in tithes and offerings
So let's live attentively, in the expectation that at any moment God will do something tremendous in our midst.

Conclusion:

(All Standing)
I believe that the reason God brought you here this morning was to encourage you and tell you that you are part of God's promise, as it says in the book of Acts 2:39 "39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off, to all whom the Lord our God will call."
You are part of God's plan!
There are tremendous promises for us.
General promises and individual promises.
God has made tremendous promises to me, some of them have already been fulfilled, others are yet to be fulfilled.
God has made them for you.
I want to assure you this morning that everything God said this morning will come to pass, because He is Lord!
God has made great promises and we rejoice with Him.
Let's Pray:
Speak to us this morning.
Send your blessing. Only your power... only your power breaks the chains.
(We speak of promises of salvation and forgiveness).
The God I serve is here. He wants to purify you and renew you, no matter what you have done, or where you are from.
He is able to forgive you, to give you a new life.
Today, He is willing to tell you, "Son/daughter, the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
He is willing to make promises for your life, just like the stars in the sky.
The darker the nights of your life, the brighter they shine upon you.
If there is anyone here this morning who needs God's forgiveness, where you are, raise your hand. I would like to pray for you.
Lord, I pray in the name of our eternal Savior Jesus Christ that You do what I cannot do: Forgive their sins, Save them, Restore them.
Lord, there are people here today with wounds that no one sees, but You know them. Come and touch them with Your power. With Your love, heal their pain.
Prayer of God's love; deliverance; ministering God's blessing on people's lives, Rebuke the work of the Devil in people's lives.
Help us to walk as overcomers.
As someone who has already died to sin, world; and in You was resurrected!
You have never failed and will never fail, Jesus you are the reason we cannot fail!
For the sake of your mighty name, we pray. Amen!
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