When The Promises Don't Work Part 2

One reason for us Jesus. When we pray there is a bigger purpose at work. Then we realize the answer is all-consuming for God developing our characters is the real objective today. Coming to grips with what to do when our prayers seemed to bounce off the ceiling from the Moody Church in Chicago.

This is when Dr. Irwin Luzerne was clear. Teaching helps us make it across the finish line certain I'm sure we all want our characters to go, but in a time of crisis. Having a prayer answered seems more David really does seem more important and right now it seems important to me to many people here at the Moody church yesterday a young mother died of cancer. Of course many prayers were offered to God on her behalf, trusting, believing, interceding, and yet she was taken home to heaven to leave her family behind. It's very difficult to trust in the midst of a situation like this, in which we know that God could have spoken the word and she would have been healed. It's difficult to trust, but that's what we are required to do. I think that that's why this series of messages is so important is to build faith in our hearts that we might go on believing no matter what. Let's listen carefully. I am now in verse 35 therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God. You may receive what is promised. While you have need of endurance you're running well you accepted it well, but as it goes on, year after year after year and no doubt they cried to God and said God deliver us, bring us some justice, that justice was not coming and they became weary and they were about to take their confidence in God and thrown overboard and say were finished. That's where they were at.

I'd met Christians like that Christians who threw away their confidence because they live with injustice and on answered prayer for so long. They said if there's a God in heaven. If there's a God in heaven clearly doesn't care. I'm finished and they thrown away their confidence in the writer is saying don't you dare do that because if you throw your confidence away also with that goes your great is a don't throw away your confidence, which has great reward. I've known Christians who have thrown away their confidence because of other Christian they had dealings with some Christian they say I did some work for him. He never really paid me.

I'm out of here.

I'm I forgetting the Christian faith. I'm leaving if that's catch you here it you heard it a dozen times. If that's the way Christians really are. If that's the way they are. I want nothing to do with them and I want nothing to do with their God. I remember a man in Bible school very sincere fellow. He believed that there should be no joking that there should be no jesting and some of us didn't adhere to that all the time and so when he saw us laugh or when he saw us put on a skit is funny he just thought it was such desecration year and 1/2 after being in Bible school. He just left the Christian faith so far as I know he's never returned to the Christian faith just thrown it all overboard and said if that's the way Christians are.

I don't have anything to do with them now.

Maybe we did fail him.

Maybe we did what was wrong, but you know his excuse is not awash in the presence of Jesus when he stands in the presence of Jesus.

He's going to say we know the reason I threw away all my confidence in you is because of the way in which those students acted in Bible school better when Luzerne remember what he used to do. It's his fault. God is not going to buy that. And God won't buy your excuse for casting away your confidence that often happens because of unanswered prayer. Maybe in another message.

I'll tell you about a woman who said in light of the fact that God didn't heal this man for whom we pray to so long and so hard I'm never going to bother God with another request again. Why should I she said it in anger not going to pray again.

Why should I pray to all old now are getting serious.

Don't you dare throw away your confidence because it brings great reward. You throw away the confidence that you have in God, you throw away your great reward.

So you'll notice that they had this attitude well, what's the reward that they were to receive and would receive if they were faithful there several ways to describe what your Bible is open in verse 34 it says that that you know that you had a better possession in verse 35 it says you know that you have a great reward in verse 36. Notice it says you need in Lawrence that when you have done the will of God. You may receive what is promised.

There it is called what is promised and then you'll notice in context, it says for yet a little while and the coming one will come and will not delay this is a reference to the return of Jesus in verse 38, God is speaking, but my righteous one, but is you and me if we know Jesus shall live by faith.

And if he or she shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. Well talk about people tempted to shrink back because God isn't intervening and changing their situation, but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed about.

Of those who have faith and preserve it, their souls, what a solemn warning.

So what is this great reward that they should have remembered it is going to take place at the return of Jesus Christ. You see folks there are many promises that are health and wealth.

Preachers want us to believe. And those promises are valid and good, but their delayed promises. You see, we don't have it all. Right now, and there folks were telling you things, they are overpromising.

What the Bible promises in this life and their leading others to disillusionment in God. Why is it that I can't speak things into existence.

They think to themselves, and they are disillusioned because they don't see the total teaching of Scripture on these points, oh my dear friend today.

What is it that you are going through what tears at your soul today. Could I remind you that that the coming of Jesus Christ. We shall receive our new bodies at the coming of Jesus Christ. We shall receive justice at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We shall receive all God ever promised in glory. And then there's something more important than justice.

And there's something more important than divine healing in the new bodies that were going to have. There's something more important and that is the possibility of receiving the very pleasure of God. Notice it says if he turned back. The Bible says my soul, God is speaking, shall have no pleasure. God is no pleasure in those who toss away their confidence because they lack endurance and to hear Jesus say well done, thou good and faithful servant. I mean if you were to say that not sure that anyone of us could expect that at all.

But if he were to say that that would be, well, you know, we used to sing the old song. It will be worth it all. When we see Jesus, don't throw your confidence away. It has great reward couple of observations.

First of all, sometimes people who suffer often when they suffer they are in the will of God is your finger in the text today. Notice what it says you have need of endurance. I love that word. Some translated patients, but the idea is in you RNC had just go on believing no matter what you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you'll inherit the promise God is saying this idea of your homes being plundered and your property being stolen is for you.

The will of God. Don't ever let a preacher tell you that if you're suffering you're out of God's will, because all that you need to do is to exercise your authority and to get out of that suffering because sometimes it is God's will for you to suffer Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

There was no escape hatch father if it be thy will let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt.

People were suffering in other countries today, believers were sitting in jail. Believers who are being wracked and tortured and I know this is tough to say that I'm going to say it, they are suffering within the will of God, and I would like to just be an observer regarding their reward that they shall someday receive some of us are going be so far back when the rewards are handed out all that will be able to do is to see others, but that in itself would be a great blessing as we see them reward it because they know they know that they have a more enduring possession. The text says, and they endure it for the cause of Jesus. Another lesson to be learned is that suffering doesn't last forever.

But God does. God does or let me say it this way. Suffering doesn't last forever, but eternity does. Eternity is a long time. Paul says that the suffering of this present world cannot be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

He calls it the light affliction, which is but for a moment you civil pastor Luther I have lived with injustice for 1020 years, there are scores that have not yet been settled. Let me quote the Scripture again your light affliction, light affliction, not heavy, but light is but for a moment. In comparison to the eternal weight of glory.

Paul is saying what you need to do is to take a scale on one side of the scale you put all of your affliction. All the things that God hasn't done for you, and you put it on this side and it would be like a feather and on the other side, the eternal weight of glory would be like an elephant stepping on the scale. There you see the difference. The eternal weight of glory, and so we come to the bottom line here.

The bottom line folks is that there's nothing wrong with the promises every promise of God is he a and on. Then in Jesus Christ. But but we need to realize that until we see Jesus face to face.

We live with unfulfilled promise. We live for. With unfulfilled promises in this series of messages I'm gonna go through the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews and I'm going to show you that Abraham dies without seeing the promise and will look at all of the promises that God gave them, but he dies any will he see them. Yeah, you'll see them.

He will still see them, but he died without them. Could I put it to you this way my friend today.

Today we have the drop but the Bible says that the day is coming when were going to have the whole ocean.

Today we have the flower but the day is coming when were going to have the guard today. We get the hors d'oeuvres. But the Bible says that the marriage supper of the Lamb awaits us. It is worth it. It is worth it to follow and keep on believing whether God answers your prayers or not it is worth it. You say will. Should these people have been praying yeah that they were living by promises not promises of deliverance promises that God would give them endurance. Knowing that many of their promises were still future that God would give them endurance, so that when they had done the will of God, they would receive what was promised at the return of Jesus. God says we have to wait we don't get it all. Now I don't agree with the book that says heaven now know, not even in Chicago. Is this heaven now all right but there is something in the text that I want you to see it says that the righteous one, my righteous one I love that God is saying my righteous one shall live by faith. You belong to God you live by faith and the way in which you belong to God, is also by faith. Remember, this was the text Habakkuk and then later on, also, as it's reiterated in the book of Romans that sparked what was known as the great Protestant Reformation has people wondered how they could get God's approval.

They wondered how in the world they could meet God's high standard. Nobody was meeting God's high standard. They never even pretended they could because it was July and no matter how often they confess their sin tomorrow was another day like trying to mop up the floor with the faucet running and so they knew not where to turn. And suddenly, as the pages of Scripture were unfolded. It was discovered that wonderful ancient doctrine embedded everywhere on the pages of the New Testament that it is through faith that we come to God, faith in what Jesus accomplished for us.

That's why say to you today. If you're not one of God's if you're not his righteous one noticed there my righteous one, if you're not one of his righteous one, the way you become righteous is not trying to clean up your life. However valuable that may be the way you do it is you accept the righteousness that Jesus provided for those who believe and that's the way in which you can be saved and once you are, then the life of endurance begins and the life of believing were saved by faith and we live by faith, and we live by all the promises.

Just knowing that many of them will not be fulfilled. Even in our lifetime and in the end that'll all prove out to be true noticed that the text is this the author is optimistic. Verse 39 but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed. What he's doing is talking to Christians who could shrink back and you met them knife to, and they will be destroyed and their souls will not be preserved. I don't think this is a reference to hell what it is. It is a reference to the ruling of those who believe in Jesus, but for some reason throw away their confidence and they give up and they stop believing in sin begins to take over and corrodes their souls and in that sense, they are destroyed. My question to you is this, do you endure the first move that you and I need to make is to receive Christ as Savior is a free gift. Now that's a promise you can depend upon.

That's a promise for the here and now, whoever hears my word and believes on him that sent me is everlasting life.

Jesus so that's that's where it begins after you received them. It's a life of faith, day by day and you keep on believing no matter what the result great possession better promise great report. Would you join me as we pray our father, we want to thank you today that you to answer prayer. We thank you father, that is, these people cried up to you and they were not delivered that you didn't give them endurance, which was a great answer to prayer, so that they honored you through their lives, and we believe entered into partly at least their great possession to be fully realized at the return of Jesus. Now, father give us endurance for the person who's here today willing to give up on you, hasn't prayed in months maybe seriously prayed because they don't think you answer anyway help them to confess that sin and to say we will continue to believe and to trust and to relate.

No matter what. For those who may be here who never trusted Christ as Savior. They can't look at this text and say why belong to the category there that says my righteous one because they never received the righteousness of Jesus, would you cause them to believe.

Grant them the ability to do that.

And now, before I close you talk to God. If God is talk to you father hear our prayer and encourage us. We pray, amen, this is Pastor Luther my friend the message that you have just heard is very relevant for today because we are not only facing the mysteries of life and death were also facing pressure from our culture pressure to give in to what is happening around us, rather than standing against the culture and taking the consequences. Recently, I did a DVD entitled what faithfulness looks like in a collapsing culture. In it I delineate five or six different kinds of pressures that we need to stand against.

I think this DVD or CD. Your preference will be of great help to you as you think through what is happening around us for gift of any amount.

It can be yours.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the DVD.

What faithfulness looks like in a collapsing culture. You will be encouraged to walk with God joining Saints of the past to have suffered for their faith. And that's where we are at. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us financially because together we are making a difference as we preach the gospel in a collapsing culture. Time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Some of the things Jesus said are very hard to understand and some even sound like he could never have said them. This is bothering Krupa who asks in Mark 412 after telling the parable of the sower. Jesus said that seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing they may hear and not understand lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Can you please explain the meaning of this verse. Thank you so much for writing about this and I need to admit that this is a very difficult passage and of the reason is because we ask ourselves, could this be the same Jesus who stretches out his hand and says to everyone, come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And yet here Jesus seems to be implying that he is withholding truth from people just in case they believe and are forgiven.

I think that the clue to this needs to be said. First of all, Jesus was presenting himself to the nation, people had many opportunities to believe on him and now Jesus when he tells parables says that these parables will both fit revealed truth to the initiated, to the disciples, and those who believe but the parable will also conceal truth from those who harden their hearts.

You know that there are some people who want an excuse to not believe. I think that that's what Jesus is giving the people here.

He's giving them an excuse to not believe he's withholding truth so that the hardness of their hearts would be confirmed.

It's a form of judgment. It's a form of judgment, because they had opportunity to believe bypassed it now were looking for opportunities to continue in their hardness of heart. And Jesus is saying I'm giving you that opportunity.

Bottom line, you're listening today and you want to believe in you want to come to Christ. You can.

This is a judgment for those who've chosen not to do so. Thank you Pastor Luther for handling a very challenging question if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor answer or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614.

We're drooling creatures of the clock to us waiting these minutes, hours and days, months and years. That's tough to take one-way prayers may go unanswered is just a matter of schedule.

Next time I'm running to win.

What to do when the answer is delay. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin lutes are this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church