God Keeps His Promise, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ is every so consequently God is talking about this idea of the endgame even when Christ comes back or we go to be with him and he says look, I promise the way these things are going to turn why because I need comfort so you joining us today on this additional fellowship in the work of Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana going Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again shows us how God's word. Our world is just went through another Rolex in the great things are going to get all lot better now. I heard them talk after they want it promised the definition of a promise is a declaration of a future surety when it comes to the promises of politicians. I think were skeptical.

In fact, most of us are downright cynical, but really our politicians any different than the rest of us. When it comes the promises you own a friend money and they promise to repay you and your still waiting to tell a secret to a friend and within hours. It's public knowledge. Your teenager tells you that if you would let it slide this evening that by Saturday morning. The room will be virtually spotless. It's still a war zone on Saturday we stand before God and witnesses and we give promises we call them Bob's and almost half of us break that promise. Courts are filled with lawsuits and breached contracts. You see, human beings are not very good at keeping promises. Thank God that God is God keeps his promises. And that's because God in this will be your word for the day has veracity veracity simply means he has an adherence to the truth. You see, God keeps his promises because God can not lie that would violate his major so when God promises he delivers and that's a good thing. The Bible is packed with the promises of God, depending on who you read some of said there are about 3000 promises in the Bible. Lockyer, who is simply an expert on list says that there are 7474 promises in the word of God. If that would be true. That would mean there's 113 promises in each of the 66 books of the Bible. So apparently it's very important to God to make promises to us now. When we think of promises, though there are some truths that we need to understand. Let's begin by opening your Bible to second Peter chapter 3, the apostle Peter is responding to people who are unbelievers you people that are believers keep saying that Jesus is going to come back. But where is he. And that's how Peter responds in verse one. He says this is now beloved the second letter that I am writing you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder that you city said, remember the words spoken before hand by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts and saying where's the promise of his coming for ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation for one day maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water in it, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water, but by his word the present heavens and earth, he said, are being reserved for fire For the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men, and then this he says do not let this one fact escape your notice. Beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like one day the Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

I read all that the simply say this one truth about God's promises. God is not in a hurry.

He's never in a hurry not understand it when you were waiting for promise to happen in your own life you want this to move along quickly, the apostles, when you read in the New Testament epistles, Peter and Paul what they talked about often as they want to the Lord to come back now they were sure he was in fact, Jews who had converted to Christ stayed in Jerusalem in the book of acts because they were so sure that the Lord was coming back because he promised to come back, but the difference is, God is not in a hurry. You see, had a plan very city wanted to be patient with men give men more time to come to Christ. CR problem with it is, we see the world or the world like looking through a straw. That's how you see your life. You simply look through the straw and that's all you see.

And somehow you think you see life, but you don't.

God doesn't look through a straw.

God sees everything at once.

You see that often we see that phrase a thousand years like a day in day is like a thousand years. We often want to say the only thing we speak of is the thousand years like a day. God, it might be 2000 years since Christ was here until now but it's only two days, the God, but the other thing that Peter writes is to God a day can seem like a thousand years.

Think about that thing about it from that point of view. God knows every thought, every person on the planet has every moment of time in one day he sees every sparrow fall in creation. Everything that goes on he sees the universe expanding just imagine how many things are going on and one day the gods fully aware of. That's why says the God they can even seem like a thousand years. You see, we are constrained by time and we don't like it in time to losses.

One of without requesting the inevitable enemy of all of us.

We don't have enough time in the day.

We don't have enough time in a life time becomes this initiative was God's not in a hurry because he's not all constrained by time is outside of time he created time is of God's point of view.

Time is a meaningless thing. It has no bearing at all except on how it weighs to us. So God's role is that he will make the promise and he will see that it comes to pass our role in this is a probably don't like is the weight you see he wants us to wait in order to wait. It takes faith. In fact, to wait a long time takes a lot of faith in so God makes promises, but God's not in a hurry. Secondly, God never forgets his promises. That's reassuring to us told me not of first Thessalonians 4.

This time the apostle Paul, here is a church of believers and they are anticipating the return of the Lord that promise is going to take place. However, they run into a dilemma. What is happening to those of us in our church who are dying were all here waiting for the Lord.

But what about those who die. What about those who sleep in the Lord what's going to happen to them and that's where the apostle Paul weighs in, in verse 13 he says we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are sleep. He says so that you do not grieve as do the rest who have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him. He says those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. There is the promise worried about.

A dead believer. They say don't you worry about those asleep in Jesus when Jesus comes back is bring him I promise. Then he says for this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who will fallen asleep. For the Lord himself with the sent from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first and then we were alive and remain will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the year and so we shall always be with the Lord of the promise that he says this. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

You see, one of the most important things about the promises of God. God gave him so you be comforted.

We live in a cursed planet among sinful people. Pain-and-suffering is the staple here is everywhere and so consequently God is talking about this idea of the endgame even when Christ comes back or we go to be with him and he says look, I promise the way these things are going to turn why because I need comfort so you so God is not a hurry and God we find out never forgets his promises. And there's one more thing.

God's promises are always limited to the context in which they are given. That's very important for us to remember Jesus says come unto me all you that are heavy leg and I will give you rest. That universal Jesus is basically saying that everybody look you want rest. Come to me is a universal type of promise in John chapter 5, John writes, this is this truly, truly, I say to you that he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but is passed from death and the life.

Who does that apply to everybody. It's a universal promise. All God's promises are not universal in second Samuel chapter 7 God is speaking to David and he says this your house and your kingdom will continue before me, for all time and he says in your throne will be secure forever.

That doesn't apply to you. That doesn't apply to me. That applies the David he gave it specifically to David. He says they Abraham in Genesis 15 look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendents you will have that was made Abraham some of God's promises are universal. Some of them are personal and some of God's promises are conditional. In fact, think about John five that I read I read it again.

But think about it from that point of view. Truly, truly, I say to you, here's the conditions he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, there's the condition of the promise. If you do that you have eternal life, and do not come into judgment, but a passing death in the life, so some of God's promises are universal. Some of them are personal and some of God's promises are conditional now with all of that in mind about God keeping his promises. Let's revisit Abraham, the friend of God and his wife Sarah Genesis chapter 21 God first made the promise to Abraham Abram at the time when he was an early was going to come out of the Chaldeans and go into the land of Canaan. It's been 25 years. The please understand something when God made the promise that you're going to have an error in the whole world is going be blessed through your son when God made the promise. Abraham was 75 and Sarah was 65. So God made the promise, and as this is typical of God, I'll make the promise and now you have a job, wait. Now we been studying Abraham house awaiting the not so well how would you like to be told when you're 75, your wife, 65, you going to have your child. Not what you want to figure my look. If you don't get moving pretty quickly here, nothing's going to happen, but God doesn't move quickly in a year goes by. Five years ago by 10 years of buying 20 years go by.

You see he has them leaving for this promise. That's the context of what God is doing. Why did God wait. I don't know God only fully knows my suspicion is this Abraham was not ready for the film of the promise that Abraham was not spiritually mature enough we've seen the maturation of Abraham and the difficulties that he's faced. There was a drought in the land and instead of trusting God.

Abraham went to Egypt and then we got to Egypt. By the way, what happened to.

Then he told Sarah you lie and say you're my sister so that they won't kill me instead of protecting his wife. He made his wife extremely vulnerable to Pharaoh's court. Then when I got back back in the land of Canaan and still no child. Sarah comes up with an idea and says that Abram look.

How about if we take Hagar, my Egyptian slave and you have a child with her and Abram agrees, and Ishmael was born see another terrible idea, and then just in a chapter before the one were looking at now. They run into a situation with Abimelech another king and guess what Abraham asked his wife to do. Tell him you're my sister I meet you see is a lot like us. By the way you ever repeat any sin more than once. I'm just guessing yes yes he does it again but he's maturing.

Remember he went to battle for life and rescued him. He also pray for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with God. He cared about other people. He is maturing so 25 years pass and then we went into these verses the Lord took notice Sarah that he had said the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised, and then verse two, and so Sarah conceived in his son born to Abraham in his old age. At the appointed time, of which God had spoken. Just imagine some server running out of the tent. It's a boy. She's 90 it's a boy what an amazing thing when you think about, but there's something in here that makes it even more intriguing to me. It says so Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abram in his old age and then this phrase at the appointed time at the appointed time that Hebrew word means exact specific at the appointed time. In fact, if you turn the page back to eight chapter 18 remember what God said in verse 14, we covered this before, but look at 1814 God speaking is anything too difficult for the Lord at the appointed time. I will return to you.

He said at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son becomes even more specific.

At the appointed time.

Not just any time hold your place here and go with the Meadville Ecclesiastes chapter 3 Ecclesiastes chapter 3 very familiar versus do you.

I believe it was Simon and Garfunkel that saying this to start verse two Solomon the wisest man on the planet. At the time writes this a time to give birth and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted the time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down a time to build up a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones.

A time to embrace and a time to shine and bracing. A time to search and the time to give up as lost at the time he says to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart in a time to sew together. A time to be silent in a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. 26 times time time time the verse I didn't read his verse one there something else there is an appointed time. While Sainsbury's is Genesis. There is an appointed time for everything there is in a time for every event under heaven.

From what perspective here from God is an appointed time you see this is interesting. God keeps his promises. There's no doubt about that but the ideas God's that one can understand something I am sovereign over my creation. I am sovereign over time that the stomach by the way some of you don't like that. A lot of people don't like God's sovereignty at all. They just don't a lot of them satellite that if God sovereign and I'm somehow diminished know you're not diminished you're not diminished at all. In fact, God's sovereignty is clear doesn't exclude our free will at all were still have free will.

But God saying I'm sovereign over everything.

A second point might be this free was not that good a deal. I know you may not know it's wonderful.

It's most wonderful thing about us. So we have free will know that's not the most wonderful thing about us the most wonderful thing about us as were created in the image of God, which includes free. Let me ask you when Adam and Eve exercise their free will that work out what happened. You see the exercise their free will, they became less like God and became slaves to sin and we inherit their nature, so the whole ideas. I want our free will. It's man our free will is what rings okay.

Man's will is free and let's look at it historically house it worked out.

How is man treated man with his free will. How many men have murdered men how many countries have destroyed countries agreed genocide.

How many were exercising our free will. Be careful. Our free will is not really as wonderful as we might think it is God's as I am sovereign over all of this, God's plan is to redeem us from our free will and are evil desires and chores listening to pastoral on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly report to the one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and O LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sensors are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the message you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Gebhardt.

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