Rom 15-Standing on the Promises

| Standing on the Promises! Romans 15:1-13

August 31, 2008 (New International Version) 1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.” 10Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.” 12And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  PRAY Scripture Memory: Let us aim for harmony in the church & try to build each other up. – Romans 14:19 (NLT) Intro:How many of us have been disappointed by someone who failed to come through as they promised? How many of us have failed to fulfill things WE promised?Is it any wonder that we have a hard time putting much stock in God’s promises?God’s promises are:Confirmed in the incarnationConfirmed in the changed lives of the saintsConfirmed in the hope, joy, & peace, etc. that we enjoyThey are intended to: teach us, to give us Hope, to enable us to persevere. to bring glory to God, and to bring others to Christ 1. God’s promises are Confirmed in the incarnationv. 8 – For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchsJesus Christ is the apex of history.Everything before His incarnation points forward to it and everything since then looks back to it.Romans 8:32 (NIV) – If God didn’t even spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not, also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? 2. God’s promises are Confirmed in the changed lives of the saintsv. 4 – For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.I believe in miracles. I’ve seen a soul set free.Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.Saul of Tarsus – PaulC.S. LewisNikki CruzThe Auca IndiansME!3. God’s promises are Confirmed in the hope, joy, & peace, etc. that we enjoyvv. 4 & 13 – 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) – Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…#2 – external evidence of changed livesThis point: internal evidence of changed heartsSpecifically, here:Hope: a confident expectation based upon a sure promiseJoy: Joy in the Lord, the ability to rejoice even while enduring painful circumstances – explain…Peace: Peace that transcends understanding…Bottom Line: God’s promises are worth knowing and relying upon. We know this because of who God is, but He has also given us reason to trust Him in this by the incarnation of Christ, by the changed lives of so many Christians, and by the changed hearts we experience in our own lives. 4. God’s promises are Intended to: &    Teach us v. 4 – Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.Everything was written to teach us. Teach us what?●   To teach us who God is●   To teach us His promises●   To teach us His standards●   To teach us TRUTH God’s promises are Intended to: &    To give us Hope v. 4 – Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.Hope is vital - in fact, it is critical - for our every day survival in life. God understands that. God’s kind of "hope" could best be described as an attitude of confidence, expectation, and trust.Jer 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.The man or woman who is hopeless either does not know the promises of God, or does not believe them, or is just temporarily suffering from a brain cramp…The Scriptures are given to us a GIFT, not as another obligation we have to fit into our already busy schedules! |   | God’s promises are Intended to:&    To enable us to persevere v. 4 – Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.We gain hope by perseverance.It is God’s practice not to always give us what we want when we want it. Why?●   To teach us to wait upon Him●   To teach us greater appreciation for what He does give us●   To enable us to see more clearly that HE is the One who has given them to us●   To prepare us to better hand the responsibilities that come with the things He entrusts to usMany of the things we desire in this life - we are not ready to handle yet. We are not mature enough.There is great strength and power to the one who knows and believes the promises of God. This strength and power translates into an unbelievable ability to wait for God, and to not despair, even though circumstances may appear hopeless.This is seen in:●   The young adult who is willing to keep sexually pure until marriage because they believe that God’s standards work best.●   In the student who refuses to cheat, even though everyone else seems be doing so, because they believe that it is God who will provide for their future…●   In the employee who resists pressure to lie or to do something illegal because they believe that God honors those who do what is right out of conscience towards Him.●   In the person who accepts difficult circumstances with joy and peace because they believe that God uses these types of things to build the peaceful fruit of righteousness in us.2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV) – 3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. God’s promises are Intended to:&    To bring glory to God vv. 5-6 – 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.This is what we were created for.This is what we find our ultimate fulfillment in doingThe chief end of man is to:                     glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.Why does this bother some of us?For the same reason we have a hard time really believing His promises: We tend to view Him as a glorified man, rather than as the unique, self-existent God who stands apart from any and all created beings – The woman who asked, “Is Satan divine or human?” &    To bring others to Christvv. 8-12 – 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.” 10Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.” 12And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”God created the heavens and the earth.He created mankind to rule over creation under HimOur first parents rejected God’s rule and died spiritually, and eventually physically, also.All mankind, since then, have been born alienated from God, without hope and unable to see God and live.God gave us MANY very great and precious promises that he would restore us to Himself.Finally, at climax of all history, Jesus Christ came into this world, God in human flesh, born as helpless baby, in a humble home, to live a perfect life…Why: To reconcile us to God…Therefore, we must never lose sight of this goal…Question: What are YOU doing to share this good news with those whom God has put in YOUR life? Why do we fail to experience these intended goals of Scripture?☞    We don’t make the time to get to know them – We don’t take advantage of the abundance of opportunities to receive good teaching – We don’t make personal time in God’s Word enough of a priority – Many of us find it too easy to neglect weekly worship – We don’t encourage one another with Scripture☞    We struggle with unbelief. It is hard to believe that these promises are really meant for ME!☞    We have a tendency to reduce God and His Word to the level of humanity – We view God as an immensely powerful being, but not as the unique uncreated creator of all that is – We view the Scriptures as we do history books, reserving the right to disagree and even to reject what it says if we disagree with it.While hunting, Larry and Elmer got lost in the woods. Trying to reassure his friend, Larry said, "Don’t worry. All we have to do is shoot into the air 3 times, stay where we are, and someone will find us." They shot in the air 3 times, but no one came. After a while, they tried again. Still no response. When they decided to try once more, Elmer said, "I hope it works this time. We’re down to our last 3 arrows." APPLICATION: Larry and Elmer were putting their hope in the advice of others, even though they did not understand that that advice did not apply to shooting arrows.People in difficult circumstances often rely on advice of friends, neighbors, and experts. Just like Larry & Elmer, they will listen to others, placing their hope in the wisdom and experience of those they trust. When, in reality, the problem is that we need GOD’s wisdom. We need to place our hope in HIM and in the promises He has given us in His Word. A Truth to Remember: God has given us his very great and precious promises so that we might glorify and enjoy Him more and more! A Challenge to Consider:Are you investing time on a regular basis in God’s Word so that you might know Him, and the promises that He has given us, more fully? One thing I heard this morning was…   |