God Promised

Sermon by Pr. Paddick Van Zyl (M.Th)

8 Dec 14

Title: God Promised

Theme: When God makes a promise He keeps it...

Intro:

A wise teacher sent a note home to all parents on the first day of school. It read:

"If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I'll promise not to believe everything your child says happens at home."•

Have you ever had someone promise you something only to be left disillusioned and upset because what they said never happened? Have you ever made a promise and did not keep it? Well, God is not like man. What He says He does and that is a Promise!

Text:

2 Peter 3:1-13 NKJV

Sermon:

How many promises are found in the Word of God? A staggering 3573**

Fact: when God makes a promise He keeps it. He has never broken a promise and never will - He simply can not. His nature and character does not allow it.

2 Corinthians 1:19-20, NKJV.

"For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us"

So what is a promise actually:

According to the Oxford dictionary:

Promise* : A declaration or assurance that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen:

[REPORTING VERB] Assure someone that one will definitely do something or that something will happen

Origin: late Middle English: from Latin promissum 'something promised', neuter past participle of promittere 'put forth, promise', from pro- 'forward' + mittere 'send'.

We find the very first promise in the Bible, made by God Himself in Genesis 3:15:

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." This was fulfilled in-

•Galatians 4:4

•Luke 2:7

•Revelation 12.5

•God will not break a promise He has made:

Psalm 89:34, TLB.

"No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back one word of what I said."

•His promises never fail:

Joshua 23:14, NIV.

"You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."

•Salvation as well as eternal life (life as God has it, in His presence) is promised to us and our children by God:

1 John 2:25, NKJV.

"And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

Isaiah 49:25, NKJV.

"For I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children."

What has God promised those, in His Word, who excepts His plan of salvation? Three amazing promises:

•A new heart

Ezekiel 36:26, NKJV.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

•Forgiveness of sins

1 John 1:9, NKJV.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

•Removal of our transgressions

Psalm 103:12, NKJV.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

God promises us that His Spirit will be given to those who ask, to dwell within them:

•Luke 11:13, NKJV

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

He also promises to Supply and take care of all our needs, not wants:

•Philippians 4:19, NKJV

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

•Romans 8:32, NKJV

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

Wisdom and peace are promised in the Word of God

•James 1:5, NKJV

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

•Isaiah 26:3, NKJV

"You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

God also promised help and victory over temptation for the believer:

•1 Corinthians 10:13, NKJV

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."