Thy Will Be Done (Part 2)
Luke 11:1-4
Intro. – We already have everything we need to be great successes in God’s kingdom, but most of us are rendered incapable of doing such because we do are not aware that we have them! We have at our command, the entire blessings of God’s power, and we don’t even know it.
Illustration - During the Great Depression, there was a man named Yates who ran a sheep farm in Texas. Times were very hard, and he was quickly going under. Things got so bad that he finally had to go on welfare just to feed his wife and children.
Just about the time he was thinking of packing up and walking off his land, a team of geologists contacted him and told him that they thought oil might be under his property. They said that if he would give them permission to dig, they would give him a percentage of any oil they found. Mr. Yates may have been poor as old Texas dirt, but the man was not stupid. He knew he had nothing to lose, and maybe everything to gain, so he gave them the legal permission to dig on his land.
They finally got all set up and began to drill. They went down 500’ and no oil; 800’ and no oil; 1000’ and no oil. They had decided that they would drill once more and then if they did not find any oil, they would close shop and leave.
The next day, they started drilling, and when they reached 1100’, they found the second largest oil reserve in the state of Texas. Overnight, the Yates family went from being destitute and hungry to being one of the richest families in Texas.
Let me ask you a question. Before they found the oil, was Mr. Yates sitting on millions of dollars? Yes he was, but since he did not have any knowledge of it, it did him no good at all.
To have heaven on earth we must educate ourselves to the blessings that are in store for us.
Ephesians 1:3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"
Paul tells us where the blessings are: in heaven and they have as their source the completed work of Christ.
Jesus said that we should pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Question: How can we have heaven on earth?
We have to understand the basis for having heavens blessings on earth – The promises of God.
Notice with me two truths about the promises of God:
I. The Nature of the Promises of God
A. The definition of the promises – A promise is the declaration of some benefit to be conferred providing a basis for hope and an expectation of its fulfillment.
B. The simplicity of the promises (1 Cor. 1:20).
1. The value of the promises is that they are stated in clear, precise, understandable terms that add value to the hope they provide to us.
2 Corinthians 1:20 – For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
C. The stipulation of the promises (Hebrews 11:1, 6).
1. Faith is required to be on the receiving end of God’s promises.
2. Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
3. Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
D. The certainty of the promises (1 Kings 8:56).
1. The promises of God do not fail (1 Kings 8:56).
a. 1 Kings 8:56 says – Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
E. The guarantee of the promises (Hebrews 7:22).
1. Hebrews 7:22 – By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
F. The source of the promises (2 Timothy 3:16).
1. 2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
2. Apart from the Bible we have no direct revelation of and from God. The Bible is the only source of any promise that we have. It comes from nowhere else.
G. The scope of the promises (2 Timothy 3:15).
1. 2 Timothy 3:15 – And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Transition: These are the nature of the promises. Secondly, notice with me:
II. Steps to Obtaining the Promises (Genesis 15:1-11)
A. Know that God wants to bless you (Genesis 15:1).
1. The bible reveals that God’s nature is a nature of blessing not cursing. He does not take delight in punishment but in rewarding.
B. Know what the promises are that address your need (Genesis 15:2-4).
1. Hosea 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
2. 2 Timothy 2:15 – Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
C. Believe the promises for yourself (Genesis 15:5-7).
1. This requires that you understand two things:
a. Faith (Romans 4:13)
1. Where does faith come from? The word of God.
2. Romans 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
b. Be fully persuaded that God will do what he has promised (Romans 4:21).
1. Being fully persuaded involves two important things:
a. Drawing near to God.
1. Hebrews 10:22 – Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…
b. A refusal to give up.
1. Hebrews 10:23 – Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
D. Defend your right to be blessed (Genesis 15:8-11).
1. Abraham was not going to allow the enemies of blessing to take from him the promise that God had made to him.
2. Story of Shammah, one of David’s mighty men.
a. 2 Samuel 23:11-12 (ESV) – And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.
Conclusion
There are many things wrong on the earth but heaven has what it takes to make it right.
Philippians 4:19 – But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
