Remember The Promise

It's going to be here with you, we always great to come together and gather and worship together even study God's word together and so I'm just very delighted to be here and I appreciate the opportunity and not just everything that this church is doing to help us to plant churches for those you don't know me my name my name is Luis Tambor action on staff here as a transplant pastor as he said in and I were actually planting in East Orlando and so sort of leave in about two months, my wife and I we have three children to uproot our lives will go to Orlando to plant there and and that's actually our hometown sore from there we moved up here in July just to be a part of the church to be a part of the residency program and never go back to plant a church for King Jesus down there and you know one of the number-one questions that I've been asked since I've been purely little is like not about theology or so teleology you know dispensationalism anything like that. It's what you think it is like what you think it is. And so I'm learning that that's kind of really big deal outside of Orlando much bigger deal than what I ever expected.

And for me, my answer is I have like these flashbacks.

I did have some nightmares when it when it comes to Disney and the reason is because I have one of my worst most horrific experiences of my life when I was there one time okay. Just want one. I love Disney I'm I'm not hating on them to say I want the worst, most horrific experiences of my life.

There is one had to take my four-year-old son to the bathroom I saw how to take him to the bathroom right and while were there when I put the seed on lockdown so I don't know if there's parents in here like I'm a bit of a German folk when it comes to public restrooms, kids don't don't like me taking them to the bathroom because they say it takes too long in the prep the seasonal. I'm done I put toilet paper on the sea under the seat so they don't touch the side of the bowl. It's all germs are on lockdown right so I put them in my guardrail is gobble taking the bathroom. I put the germs on lockdown seats covered.

He does his business and I bent down to help him to pick up his pants right. I've been out of the man and the automatic flush goes off. Listen, no water splashes and hits me in my literally business in my time and no joke. Like everybody knows you cover-up the automatic flush right such an amateur move. I forgot I got ambushed and so much stress and running. I'm literally running out of the bathroom with my son. I grab some sanitizer I start sharpening in my it's burning like five minutes but at least my eyes clean this. My eyes clean.

He's looking at me like I'm crazy like the people I processed. I don't like is my wife's thinking I'm crazy but what you doing I sent the business in my flesh got me so she starts laughing like little tears while laughing at me right now he is traumatizing. I could feel it, so she's laughing and I'm started getting ready to take the next Disney person says to me have a magical day magical day magical about it so we go from literally having to wait an hour long lines of if you've been to Disney before you know that's like you're waiting in line for like an hour and 1/2 Florida no AC. While some dudes rubbing up his sweaty bird flew all over you in a magical nasty listen I start getting grumpy and my mouthful tell you that my wife and I start walking around. I try to make space in a crowd this day like I'm getting grumpy so start ramming people to scroll like I'm going to do one of these jobs not right there looking at him like a sorry excuse me. Excuse me sir, your pastor may likely random people to stroke because today I'm being sanctified and I go well. I was a front listen nightmare when I think Disney I love it, but I have these flashbacks of that day which was no Disney fairytale has no Disney for today were to be continuing the series called the whole story were going through the entire Bible in a year effective the other Bibles go ahead and turn the Genesis chapter 16 were to be in Genesis chapter 16 today.

Some of 17th and today working on to talk about the story of Abraham, also known as Abraham, and let me type his his story, his life was no Disney fairytale is no Disney fairytale. A lot of times we tend to skip to Genesis chapter 22 where we see Abram having this great faith. Such faith that he's willing to hand her son over to the Lord. We tend to skip Genesis 1221 we see the faults, failures and sins of April. So today I want to take us to Genesis 16 wants to be able to see the faults the failures the sins of Abram, but more importantly above all else I want this to be good. What you see that despite Abram sends God remembers his promise, despite his sin, God remembers his promise to do the same for you.

Do the same for you. And remember his promises was prep) a preacher father God we we thank you so much that you have not left us empty-handed that you have given us your word. So, would you allow the gems of Scripture to pop out right now.

Would you allow the gems of Scripture to shine forth shine brightly into the person here who was already a Christian. In such a way that they would walk away from here today having greater confidence in the truth of your word knowing that they can trust and every promise you've ever said, would you allow that the non-Christian the unchurched person the Dietrich person. The person who might be a skeptic in this room here today, would you let the gems of Scripture shine forth into their lives so that their heart and their minds would be illumined the repentance of sin believe the good news of the gospel sees every promise that you ever written for the God which you allow the gems of Scripture to shine brightly in this place today brighter than the mouthpiece that speaking pray this in Jesus name, to give you just a little bit of context on JD for just a passenger needed just such a masterful job last week and talking about Noah and the flood and help out knowing the flood was was God's way of rebooting the world because of sin, and so God comes in. He reboots the world because of sin and then he makes a promise to the world. He makes a promise that he promises that he'll never flood the entire earth again and God's kept that promise. Even though we still sin. Today God remembered that promise, and he's kept that promise. And he's never flooded the entire world again in Genesis chapter 12 we learn that God makes another promise he makes a promise to Abram any promises this to Avery promises that the Abrams he's going to make a great name of a great nation and a great blessing out of Abram. Those are the promises that he gives able to make a great name, great nation of the great blessings out of able now for Abram when he hears this is music to his ears and he gets all fired up and excited where he describes his baggies like Arbor were grand like me and Sarai my wife orients he's excited because because at this point in his life. He's broke, he's married, but he can't have kids and so this is all promises manages dear to his heart so he he takes off and he goes to the land where God promises and were God shows him. He goes there and then famine strikes the land, and what we see is Abram sends ready since he trusts in the provision of Egypt over the provision of God. He sends and then he also sends by basically pimping out his wife literally. Supposedly, his wife is like this.

This gorgeous this gorgeous supermodel, ladies is like a man she's she's so hot that that I'm worried that the Egyptians are coming there to kill me to get to her.

So instead of instead of saying that that she's his wife.

He says she's my sister since sins yet despite his sin, God remembers his promise in Genesis chapter 12 the 15 what we would learn is that God comes and he saves Abram and Sarai, Sarai, before she actually right before she's about to marry Pharaoh.

He saves them and starts to build and grow their faith and continually reminds them of the promise. That's what you get. In Genesis 12 to 15. Let's pick it up from there.

Here we go. Genesis chapter 16 says this now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar and Sarai said to Abram, behold now the Lord has prevented me from bearing children go into my servant, it may be that I shall obtain children by her Abram listen to the voice of Sarah go social after Abram had lived 10 years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian her servant and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife and he went into Hagar and she conceived basically to both send the docent you got you got Abram's is Pimpernel Sarai. Sarai spent about Abram and they're both not trusting in the provision of God. They sin affect what they're doing is they're trusting in their own works, rather than in the works of God. This is about works righteousness versus faith righteousness. They are trying to obtain the blessings of God by their own works. We see the look in the text that it actually says I'm sorry says that I may obtain that I might obtain children. She is trying to obtain the blessings the favor.

The promise of God through her own works, rather than through the works of God and Abram goes along boatswain boatswain despite their sin. God remembers the promise is for and he went into Hagar and she conceived when she saw that she had conceived. She looked with contempt on her mistress, so there's Hagar sin.

She looked with contempt on Hague on her mistress and Sarai said the Abram made the wrong done to me beyond you listen I love this part of the tax right because it's it's so accurate when it comes like dating a marital relationship tribe you notice what happened with me enables God to be confused like this is what you asked me to do like gasket outs Mary Hagar to have a baby with a garden so suddenly what you write is gotta be confused with automatics my wife for 12 years and I still get confused she says you meant something different but I didn't I didn't catch that right is not the smartest dude. So for example one time my wife was pregnant, she came up to me and she says you want to store with me. I'm thinking as a guy I'm thinking that's an option is an option I could go or not I could go or not go right size and listen him to stay here to preach denies some dissolute last-minute things in my sermon and I'm afraid some fine fine fine fine. Just stay here myself. Unlike after 12 years but like I'm learning right think before I speak. So I'm thinking my head like she has me question was an option. She's pregnant.

She's a long while I try to tell her that she's arm will arrive my dog my 85 pound dog is like a brochure fight at a mine.

He takes off like some guard dog right he's gone as kimonos, honey. Listen what you asked me a question and answered it. Look, if you want me to go just tell me you want me to go about what was it about you that I want you want to go really like that. So my household ever since that moment we have this thing really just talk I talk talk be straight. I can't read the subliminal messages is but in this case I can't put the blame just on Sarai Abramson home if I don't put a greater blame on Abram for not stepping as I listened know this is a good. We got to trust God.

Here you went along with it.

Boatswain give responses, and Sarai said to Abram wrong done to me beyond you. I gave my servant to your embrace and when she saw that she had conceived. She looked on me with contempt.

May the Lord judge between you and me, but Abram said to Sarah, behold, your servant is in your power to to her as you please and Sarai don't partially with she fled from her listen you see the imperfection of Abram legal right to 22. This word harshly here means that she literally sorry literally be Hagar Peter to the point where she had to flee to where she had to run and this is what sin does to us.

Sin beats us, beats us and we should be fully to the cross, fleeing to God because we need.

We can't do it on her own to conquer fleets in because sin will tear us apart. Sin hurts you have to be a Christian you know that sin hurts.

It hurts you and everybody else around you and what Abram Sarai and Hagar experiencing the consequences painful consequences of sin.

Despite their sin remembers. He remembers his promise if we were read to read the rest of chapter 16 what we would learn is that God comes in and he saves Hagar and and allows Hagar and able to have that child is smile but it's miles, not the promise, God reminds him that is miles, not the promise. The promise wasn't supposed to come through Haberman, Hagar, that's workspace that's works righteousness made that the child was supposed to come through Abram and Sarai is of God. In chapter 17 reminds them yet again of the promise in chapter 617 lessens the anticipation builds if we were to really study all of chapter 16, 17, you would you would see in that God uses the word covenant 13 times in this chapter alone in all of Genesis, the words used on 26 times half of them are in chapter 17. So what's happening here is is God's basically think I listened to the promise is common is, in fact, in chapter 6 is a town by this time next year. Have a child through Haberman size can be Abram sounds child. I and so the anticipation for Abram. If we are to read this text as his mentor's building in the says this in chapter 17 verse one when Abram was 99 years old listen is 99 that's 25 years over 25 years since God first gave Abram the promise is a long time. Listen I have a hard enough time waiting 25 minutes long 25 years.

No wonder why the guy struggling struggling to be struggling to some of you in this room here today. Some of you struggling some of you are struggling with waiting, waiting for the promises of God for your life to be filled. Some of you have stories like Abram and Sarai were you want to have kids to have been able to see the left waiting. Some of you are in here today if you want to get married but you're still single, struggling with waiting some of you in here today. You want a career change maybe pray that I may discern 95. I know this is Rick I am going to be doing something different but you're still at the same job in your struggling with that waiting. Listen. Some of you in this room here today struggling with waiting for very hard when were in a place of light and nobody knows the pain of struggling with waiting regarding your situation situation than you. Nobody knows that pain more than you will not stand up here and act like I know the pain that you're going through them not to stand up here and and act like I said I know your struggling to stand up here and act like I I know why God is making you wait because I don't I don't know why God's making you wait. What I do know is that God has very good reasons for making April very good reasons to give you one of those reasons and maybe that reason speaks to your situation. Maybe it doesn't.

God has very good reasons many reasons for making only making April weights.

I give you one because he's not ready is already is not ready for the promise of things that God's going to ask of Abram in chapter 22 to be very difficult and Abram is not ready yet to handle that promise, he's not ready yet to be held actually handle that blessing. So God says wait time. I need to grow your faith. I need to grow you to a place where you can actually handle that blessing and handle the problems. So for now, wait a put you like this is a lot of joy and freedom that comes with being able to drive a car lot of freedom is a lot of joy that comes with with being able to drive in the blessing that we would call a car, but that doesn't mean I have my four-year-old dickies right here.

My four-year-old dickies why because he's not ready is already itself. So as a loving father. What I do is II basically going to give my trike first and then after the trike a given training wheels and I'd take the training wheels off and I give my bike and and little by little he started enjoying more blessings, more of the freedom and and I'm growing him in the process of that so that one day he didn't come to a place where he can actually handle the blessing of the car.

How unloving would it be for me as a father to hand him the keys of four years old. Listen, that would be a blessing to be a tragedy tragedy is not ready Summit God's your father father he loves you, loves you tremendously as a loving father.

He's going to come in sometime since he's going to see what we cannot see in our limited four-year-old perspective and sometimes is going to say wait, wait, not because he's trying to deny you for blessing, but because he try to protect you from a tragedy tragedy that you can see from your limited four-year-old perspective, but that he sees from his eternal perspective from his omniscience, so sometimes he says for 25 years you today.

We wait managers not ready. So for now loving father, I want you to but the times finally coming.

God is reminding him of the promise of getting the same and it's almost here. Listen to God's almost here, but this time next year it's gonna happen. And so with great anticipation of promises coming again 17 verse one says when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him I am to him. I am caught God almighty walk before me and be blameless that I may make my covenant between me, me and you and may multiply you greatly.

He says mama multiply you greatly answer to listen the promises, 13 times in chapter 7 God says make a covenant with your making a covenant with you making a covenant with you and so with great anticipation, Abram is like a man listen is going 25 years for the same, let's go. I'm ready for this, make a great name nation a blessing ready for this God verse 11, God says this should be circumcised. Verse 11 you shall be circumcised because even respond to that. He's been waiting 25 years for the promise of God says in verse 11. Circumcised and as if that's not bad enough, God says later on, a little bit later he said not only that, but you need to circumcise every male who's going to become part of your child every dude wants to be a part of your job, you gotta circumcise implement trigon people to sign up for that new members class right you want to join our church great minimum 99 years old baby by the way, we need to circumcise you. Once when this wasn't happening may been happening at some of the surrounding regions but it wasn't for Abram. He's 99 years old still not certain.

So this is a hard sell for him… I I'm a church plant pastor. We are recruiting people right now.

May we you get an invitation. I assume it is so openhanded. They allow us to get it.

You have an invitation to come with us back to Orlando to help us plan we need that we want that we need young and old, to help us to go back to Orlando to be a plan to build a plant a church for King Jesus, but I'm pretty sure this strategy is the best strategy to do that right like to join a large team of a 99-year-old duties walk around claimant have a baby want to circumcise people. Anyone anyone. This is madness right is complete madness and years ago I was an atheist and as an atheist I challenged this text. This is crazy. It's crazy if it's crazy still talking about Christian let the strength in your face if you're not a Christian. If your skeptic if you cut off the on the fence. I don't know what the believer will not listen to think about that. If this is all madness. If this whole story is crazy, then why are we still talking about today. It's been 4000 years since this text happened. Many names do you remember from from the year 2000 BC. How many names do you remember from 4000 years ago.

Listen, there is absolutely no reason for us to still be talking about April 1 to still be talking about a guy who was walking around 99 years old, claiming to have a baby and want to circumcise people.

There's no reason for us to still be talking about in this God made a promise and he kept you can't manufacture that type of a legendary status with your name, not with the criteria was given the works of God, not the works of humanity. Abram's name to be preserved the 20 16th were were still talking about today spiting them soon remembered his promise reminds me again. Verse 19 this time even giving his son. The name Isaac verse 19 God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him is an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. Notice that he says it's an everlasting covenant. He's giving Abram and everlasting covenant, meaning that it's never going to expire and it's going to come to his son Isaac. This work covenant literally means contract to contract itself binding contract between two people.

In this case, a finding contract between God and Abram between God and us. We should be astounded by that. We should be astounded. Moved by God's graciousness by his love the fact that he would actually mean this is how loving our God is gracious and gentle and merciful. He is that he would actually come in and make a covenant with us. I mean, he is the creator of all things is the creator of the heavens and the earth is the creator of the six 6 billion planets that exist in the known universe. You know how many planets it is a lot that goes millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions, Quintilian, and then sex civilians and astronomers today believe that there's roughly 6 6 billion planets that exist in the known universe.

Actually, recent studies, some astronomers are claim, maybe even as many as 306 billion planets that exist in the known universe and yet God created all of that in existence by a simple spoken word. He simply spoke a word in an roughly 306 billion planets came and he did it all without breaking a sweat. Try cross fitting that without breaking a sweat. He simply speaks a word, 316 point he has no reason to be talking to us. He has no reason to be conversing with us out of his great love he comes in he comes to us becomes a tour for-year-old prospective make a covenant with you all make a cut and I'll put my name on the line. I'll put my name on the line so that's what he's doing here. He's put his name on the line. He's putting his name and his reputation on the line. I mean if you're if you're not sure whether or not to believe the story.

Think about what God is doing here. He's making an everlasting covenant.

He's putting his his name and his reputation on the line because if the promise doesn't happen if the company doesn't happen if the contract doesn't happen.

If he doesn't fulfill his end of the deals that mean she's a liar. We can't trust him and there's absolutely no reason to be worshiping him if the covenant doesn't come true, then there is no reason for us to worship him.

His name is on the line but but if it does happen.

If it does come true, then it means he is trustworthy and we have every reason to worship. So the question we have to ask ourselves here in 2016 is that happen did the covenant happen they come true. And the answer to that is yes it did come true.

Yes, it did happen because here we are 4000 years later 20 16th still talking about his name. God promised he would make a name out of Abram as God promised he make a great nation.

Today we have roughly 2.2 billion Christians that exist in the world today who can trace their lineage back to this promise. That's not including the billions of Christians who have come before us, God promised he would make a great name out of Abram Diaz were still talking about. He promised he would make a great nation out of Abram, there's over 2.2 billion Christians the world tonight to trace himself back to the promise. He also promised that he would make a great blessing out of Abram Jesus Christ.

He has to Jesus Jesus is the everlasting covenant of promised, here in the text. He's the everlasting covenant. He's going to come 2000 years later a part of the dissent for the lineage of of Abram and he comes in and he gives us the everlasting company gives us the everlasting promise that through his life, death and resurrection, we will receive eternal forgiveness of sin, we will receive eternal salvation will receive eternal security. We will we will be able to be a part of the eternal family of God. Yes, a part of Abram, but eternally a part of the family of God. Jesus is the everlasting promise and if you're Christian, you're part of that family. If you're not a Christian and repent of your sins believe in the good news of the gospel who Jesus is and what he's done for you on the cross become a part of the family.

He called part of this 4000-year-old promise those of your Christians listen you are the fulfillment of the promise. You are the living proof of this €4000 covenant which means that yes he is trustworthy. He's worthy of all worship your living proof is trustworthy because the covenant happened. He's worthy of all of our worship. So let's get to the heart of message and skip your heart despite Abram's sin.remember the promise, despite Abram soon remembered the promise and listen he's going to do the same for you can do the same for us. He will remember every promise he ever made for us every promise if if God can fulfill this 4000-year-old promise with the criteria Abram was given.

If God can fulfill that promise, he means he can fulfill every promise that is ever been written in the Scriptures. Every promise, and on that and on that will work. In the end by remembering some of the many promises that God made, and by remembering some of the many promises of King Jesus because it all points back to King Jesus, every promise is fulfilled for him. It's always about Jesus and we pointed back to King Jesus. He's the everlasting covenant is today, but by putting it back to King Jesus by pointing back to the promises that we haven't King Jesus the promises about who he is, his character, and the promises regarding what he's done and what he's going to do so. I just read to you some of the promises there.

Paraphrasing we have Scriptures for some of them will be on the screen. Some of the multi point this back to King Jesus and read you some of the promises that we have inherent the unchanging promises and his character. Some of the promises regarding what he's done some promises regarding what he's going to do what we can trust every single one of these promises so the church listen to. We listen to our God is listen to what he's done.

Listen to what he's going to do this is King Jesus.

He was never created.

He is the creator of everything is God is God incarnate, fully human and fully divine essence never changes. He is all-powerful he is all-knowing he is all loving he is ever present. He is holy. He is righteous, he is just as sinless is gentle. He is merciful. He is forgiving he is humble he is the way the truth and the life. He is the great physician. He hailed a man from he healed the paralyzed man, he healed a blind man, he healed a man with a withered hand healed a woman who was averaging yield many other sick people. He walked on water, the store, he said 5000 hungry people. He raised Lazarus from the came to save sinners like you and I is the cross reconciles us with God justifies those he sanctifies as he redeems us victory gives us eternal life he gives us everlasting righteousness, he rose again on the third day, proving it ought to be true is alive as well. He's coming back in power and glory.

Some he's kind of like you with me with that promises that actors come back in Revelation 21 first every tear from their every tear from their eyes and ears. Avoid the tears of depression. The tears of mental illness. Tears of the health issues you have the tears of losing people we love the tears of every tear with her experience.

Now we know it's all true because despite arson.

Remember systems your members