Pentecost Sunday “A Promise is a Promise and may not be broken.” Sunday 15 May 2016
1. Today, 15 May 2016, Christian Churches worldwide are celebrating Pentecost.
2. The Jewish nation calls it Shavuot, the Hebrew word for "sevens." This is because Shavuot is to be observed on the fiftieth day after Passover, after "seven sevens" — that is, seven weeks — have passed. In Christian tradition, the festival is called Pentecost, which is related to the Greek word for fifty.
3. God designed the festivals in a specific order and timeline for Israel to focus the Israelites' hearts and minds on various elements of His person and plan. The festivals also point to the coming of the Messiah.
4. The Element of God’s Person and Plan I want to teach on today, is the one of a Promise Maker and Promise Keeper. There are more than 3000 promises made by God in The Bible alone.
5. As early as in Genesis we read of God making Promises, the called covenants.
6. When God made a promise or deal or covenant with His people, it was like CONTRACTS ON STEROIDS.
7. I’m sure you have heard the term “to cut a deal” with someone AFTER A NEGOTIATION PROCESS AND SIGNING OF A CONTRACT. Well, that saying originated from the Bible.
8. Back in Bible days folks talked about “cutting a covenant”. If you “cut a covenant” with someone, you’d go through an ceremony where you’d cut an animal in two. Parts were placed a few feet apart creating a path between the pieces of the dead animal. Then the parties to the covenant would walk between those dead parts. They were essentially declaring: “May I be like this dead animal if I ever break this covenant.”
9. These promises, covenants, contracts and deal cutting was not only made to that person, but to us all. Note that every PROMISE IS PRECEEDED BY AN INSTRUCTION. There are many promises, I have time to deal with only two PROMISE-EVENTS this morning:
10. FIRST PROMISE-EVENT:
10.1. Instruction:
10.1.1. Genesis 12: 1 p10 NLT. “Leave your country, your relatives and father’s house, and go to the land I will show you.”
10.2. Promise:
10.2.1. I will cause you to become a father of a great nation;
10.2.2. I will bless you;
10.2.3. I will make you famous;
10.2.4. I will make you a blessing to others;
10.2.5. I will bless those who bless you;
10.2.6. I will curse those who curse you;
10.2.7. All the families on the earth will be blessed through you.
10.2.8. Gen17:8 “I will give all this land of Canaan to you and your offspring forever. And I will be their God.” Modern-day Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank was seen as Canaan. Ancient Canaan also occupied parts of the coastal regions and areas of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. In the Bible, Canaan was known as the Promised Land.
10.3. Action:
10.3.1. Gen 13:17 “Take a walk in every direction and EXPLORE the new possessions I am giving you.
10.3.2. Note: There are SO many new territories to be explored, so much possessions God has already given us. But if we do not EXPLORE it and MOVE out of comfort zone, you will wonder why God’s promises are not being fulfilled!!
10.3.3. It gets worse. In order for Abraham to explore new territories and discover new possessions, he had to go to war with some nations. GETTING WHAT YOU TRUSTING GOD FOR ARE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE EASY.
10.3.4. But the most crucial part is this: Genesis 17:9 “Your part of the agreement, God told Abraham, is to obey the terms of the covenant, promise, contract that you AND your descendants must keep.
10.4. Outcome: Is still being played out right before us. Every personal victory in a person’s life is a testimony of the outcome of the deal Abraham made with God.
11. And so, through every generation, God confirmed his PROMISES. Abraham came first, then Isaac, then Jacob (who became Israel), then Levi, then Moses and so forth, until Jesus came to FULFILL the old covenant and introduce a new relevant one on this day of Pentecost, to you and me.
12. Then “Change” happened, seasons changed. Jeremiah 31:31, 33."’The day will come,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. . . . But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’"
12.1. Over generations they misinterpreted the essence of the law. They tried to obey the WRITTEN LAW, but disregarded the SPIRITUAL or HEART LAW.
13. When God’s Spirit was made widely available on the Day of Pentecost, that goal became possible.
14. SECOND PROMISE-EVENT:
14.1. Instruction:
14.1.1. Acts 1:1 p827 NLT “Dear Theophilus. In my first book told you about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day He ascended to heaven after giving his chosen apostles INSTRUCTIONS from The Holy Spirit.”
14.1.2. These instructions came not from a written law, but from a voice that wrote it onto an individual’s HEART.
14.1.3 In many cases, religious dogma unfortunately reverts back to new written laws, something we should all be aware of.
14.2. Promise:
14.2.1. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive POWER (Dunamis) = Dynamite.
14.2.2. You will tell people about me everywhere (spontaneous as part of a lifestyle).
14.2.3. Anyone who calls on my name will be saved.
14.3. Action:
14.3.1. Did you notice this Book is called ACTS of the Apostles? They took action, moved by an inner energy. It was inner driven, not outer.
14.3.2. They preached and taught Good News of a new deal with Christ.
14.4. Outcome:
14.4.1. A better and personal RELATIONSHIP with God;
14.4.2. A better and personal UNDERSTANDING of God;
14.4.3. A better and personal (unique) WITNESS for Christ.
15. Altar Call:
