Istand - Standing On The Promises

iTruths: Life Lessons for the iPod Generation – iStand

We continue our iTruths series today focusing on standing on the promises found within the Word of God. Standing on the truth that we gain from knowing Him, from loving Him, from telling others about Him and from serving Him. We know that within His arms we find everything we need to be successful in life.

As we move through our lives, we are always presented with situations where need owners manuals. We buy a new TV, we get an owners manual. We buy a new VCR, we get an owners manual. We buy a car, we get an owners manual. The interesting thing is that we never look at the owners manuals.

We try to figure these things out on our own. We see this over and over again. I know it’s true in my house. And we feel like we can get these items to operate just fine without reading the manual. We figure out where the record buttons are, where the power buttons are, how to make it work. Unfortunately, we never really get the full functionality out of these items because we don’t understand the intricacies of their operation.

That is exactly what happens in our lives. We go through each day operating under the assumption that we know enough to make it. We know enough to get things done. We know what we need to live. Unfortunately, we never get the full functionality out of our lives without reading the manual. And that manual is without a doubt the Word of God.

Within the Bible, we find all that we need to know to truly live. And not just live, but I mean…REALLY LIVE! God gives us promise after promise within this Book that will guide us through the ups and downs, give us direction in the midst of confusion, and will bring us through in victory.

A few weeks ago, I shared with you the theme verses for our series. John 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

That claim is what the Church was founded on! And those who had fixed their mind on Christ and the fact the His Word was true, went through a lot of scrutiny and persecution…but they never wavered in their resolute commitment to the Word of God!

That was before Christ died/rose again on the cross.

Even after Christ rose from the dead and returned to heaven, the same disciples maintained the same resolute commitment to the truth of the Word of God!

Acts 4:18-20 18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

So, what got them ‘in trouble’ with the community?

Why were they so mad at Peter & John?

What could they possibly have said that would have angered them to the point of threatening them?

Because they were preaching the Gospel:

Acts 4:11-12 11 [Jesus Christ] is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

They stood on the Word of God and proclaimed the central theme of Bible – the Person of Jesus Christ who is God come to earth.

Four Principles On Why We STAND On The Word of God!

1. We Can Count On The Promises Made

2. The Promises Change Our Lives

3. The Promises Change Our Hearts

4. The Promises Change Our Future

1. We Can Count On The Promises Made

a. God’s Promises are always true!

Is. 55:10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,