2023.03.05 Sermon Notes. Alive and Living by GOD’s WORD. Standing on HIS Promises
William Akehurst, HSWC
Scriptures Referenced: Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Isaiah 40:31; Matthew 11:28-30; Isaiah 54:10; Isaiah 43:1-2; Colossians 1:13-14; Ephesians 1:5-6; Romans 8:15; Exodus 14:13-14; James 1:5; James 4:7; 1 John 1:9; Romans 6:6; Luke 6:37; Matthew 23:12; Deuteronomy 31:6; John 3:16; John 8:36; Mark 11:24; John 14:13; 1 John 5:14; James 1:6; Luke 17:6; Philippians 4:19; Psalms 50:15; Psalms 37:4-5; Revelation 3:5; Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:31-33; Proverbs 3:5-6; John 14:3; Romans 8:16-17; Revelation 22:12
Matthew 4:4 And He (JESUS) answered and said, “It is written*, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” *see the original from Deuteronomy 8:3
Big Idea: We are made alive by GOD’s WORD, therefore we need to understand and STAND upon HIS WORD to us.
All scripture is GOD BREATHED, so it comes from the Mouth of GOD as GOD’s WORD.
GOD’s WORD equips us for life. We are made alive by GOD’s WORD.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
At a current revival, I heard individuals share various scriptures throughout the meeting. At the end of each passage, the leader responded, “Hear the Word of the LORD”; to which the congregation would respond, “I AM Alive by GOD’s WORD”.
I love that…"I AM Alive by GOD’s WORD…"
25 PROMISES FROM GOD’S WORD TO US.
Promises on which we can stand.
***Quote
Credit: The 25 Promises of God and How to Stand on Them
https://connectusfund.org/promises-of-god
#1 He gives strength to the weary.
When you are feeling weak, especially in your quest to follow, honor, and serve God, He promises “power to the faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
#2 He will give you rest.
Relatedly, the Lord promises to give us rest.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
In Christ, we can pour ourselves out “like a drink offering” (2 Tim 4:6), but the way of Christ is a light yoke because it is his yoke. Jesus has borne the burden of our salvation, we have only to follow him in his gentle path.
#3 His love never fails.
Do you hear questions in your mind like, “If God loved you, you wouldn’t be going through this,” or “What kind of Father would let his child go through something hard?”
Isaiah 54:10 “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you.”
His love for you is more permanent than a mighty mountain. Don’t believe any version of the lie that says God could stop loving you. He is your Father in heaven.
#4 He has redeemed you.
God is holy and righteous and requires payment for sin. Our problem is that we are born in a fallen world, with a fallen flesh, and we sin because we are sinners. If we have to pay our own penalty for sin and rebellion against God, we will truly perish. But God has redeemed us.
Colossians 1:13-14 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
This simply means that Jesus took our place on the cross and paid the penalty for our sin, and we received the righteousness and clean record of Christ.
***side note
I'm adding #4a. I love this passage from Isaiah 43:1-2
Not only has He redeemed you. But He says that He calls you by name…and even better…you are mine!
Isaiah 43:1-2 (ESV) 1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
***end side note
#5 He has adopted you.
Some people are blessed with good earthly fathers. Some are not. But our Father in heaven is a great Father.
Ephesians 1:5 “He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”
If you witness an adoption in a court of law, you will hear the question posed to the new parents, “Do you understand that adoption is an irrevocable act and you cannot take it back?” Once God has adopted us as his children, it is forever.
Through the finished work of Christ he has adopted those who believe by him we cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15)!
Settle it in your heart that you are a child of God and loved by him.
#6 The Lord will fight for you.
In the Book of Exodus, chapter 14, the Israelites have just recently been rescued by God’s mighty hand from slavery and oppression in Egypt. No sooner had they escaped into the desert than they saw the might of the Egyptian army with chariots, horses, and men-of-war bearing down on them. They were terrified and cried out to Moses.
Moses conveyed the heart of God with these amazing words in verses 13 and 14…
Exodus 14:13-14 “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
The next time you are fearful, go to God who promises to fight for you.
#7 God gives wisdom to those who ask.
Have you wished that you knew more about life and had a better understanding?
James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
This means you can become incredibly wise by just asking God. He says that he will not reproach the asker. He will not berate you for being so foolish. Everything that can be known is known by God, and he is willing to share his ways.
Seek him in prayer, in the Word, in the wise counsel of Christians whose lives seem worth imitating, and then live wisely. Knowing what to do is knowledge. Doing what you know is wisdom.
#8 The devil will flee from you if you resist.
Jesus Christ was sinless, perfect. Matthew 4 tells us of how he was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan. There we see an example of what it might look like to resist the devil. Jesus resists him, and the devil flees.
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Submit to God. Give him your life and be about his will. As you follow him, you can count on opposition from satan. Learn to resist the devil, and he will flee.
#9 He forgives us when we confess our sins.
When we put our faith in Christ we are filled with the Holy Spirit. When you do this your life will begin to change dramatically because you are made new.
But if you do sin on your way to being transformed,
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
There is something powerful about honesty before God. Not only does it restore our soul to come into the light with our sin, God, our Father who loves us, wants to forgive us. When you feel conviction and confess sin before God, believe that you are cleansed and forgiven. He has accomplished your cleansing and it is a fact in heaven.
#10 Your old self is dead.
Romans 6:6 “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
Jesus taught that whoever sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). He took care of the problem when he took on our sin and the wrath of God for it on the cross. We are now set free from our sin because our old sinful self was crucified with him.
If you have put your faith in Christ, put away sin. You are dead to it. When temptation comes, resist. This is good news, but the evil one will do everything he can to fool you into thinking you can’t help it.
#11 He forgives us when we forgive others.
In a very real sense, God’s forgiveness is a free gift because of Christ’s work on the cross.
But hear what Jesus said in
Luke 6:37… “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
The fact is that anyone who chooses to withhold forgiveness has not been to the cross and has not allowed God to forgive them of their own sins. Not being willing or able to forgive those who have sinned against us is a sign of unbelief.
#12 He will exalt the humble.
A theme that runs through the whole Bible as much as any other is that God humbles the proud, and exalts the humble.
Matthew 23:12 “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Humility is one character trait that is impossible to achieve by focusing on it. The only way to become humble is to look away from yourself, and then look to God and others. Fixing your eyes on him and his glory will keep your own self in a proper perspective. When you are humbled in this way, God’s promise is to exalt you.
#13 He will never forsake you.
Anyone who has ever felt abandoned should take heart in the promise that our Father in heaven will never give up on us.
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Trust him in this. You will never be alone. Therefore you can “be strong and courageous.” God may lead us into dark valleys and call us to hard battles for his name’s sake, but he will be there always.
#14 He has given us eternal life.
We were created to exist forever. We will either die and continue eternal life, or we will die and continue eternal death.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Not only will we live eternally, but we will be in a wonderful place where there are no tears, no death, no sorrow or pain.
#15 He will set you free.
In #10, we said that the old self is dead and set free from the sin to which we’d been enslaved.
John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Don’t allow the evil one to lie to you and say you are still in the same bondage. You are free indeed. Believe it. You are free of unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, rage, lust, and pride. In your flesh, you can still experience temptation, but you are not obligated to the flesh now.
#16 Believe you have received what you have asked for in prayer.
It is astounding that Jesus says this in
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Jesus understood that if we truly believe we have received the thing we have asked for, then we must have prayed in his name (John 14:13), according to his will (1 John 5:14), and in faith (Luke 17:6). Walk with Christ every day and become quick to pray as you are led by the Holy Spirit.
#17 He will meet all your needs.
Jesus taught his disciples to pray for their daily bread. He also said that if God provides so well for the flowers and the birds, how much more will he care for you (Mt 6:26).
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
It helps a lot to live according to his principles of work and financial stewardship, but even when we fail at this, he always manages to find a way to see that his children are provided for.
#18 Call on him and he will answer.
In Psalm 50:15, the Lord says…“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
Here he says that he will come to our aid when we call on him so that we can give him glory. This is a very good deal for us, and a solid promise. God will help his children when we need him. Why? He loves us, and it brings him glory.
#19 He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
If you will make it your business to delight in him, enjoy him, he will put desires in your heart that are from him, and then he will give you those things he causes you to desire.
#20 He will never blot your name from the book of life.
If you have believed in Jesus then you have received the seal of the Holy Spirit. This means that you cannot lose the free gift that has been given to you.
Revelation 3:5 “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.”
What a wonderful promise! By Christ’s blood, we have conquered and cannot lose our place in his kingdom. Trouble may come, but if you have received the free gift of life, it cannot be stolen from you.
#21 All things work for good for those who love God.
Romans 8:28 says it like this…
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
No matter how difficult your circumstances, this promise never fails the Christian. What falls under the umbrella of all things? All things! Believe this and trust him. Is he teaching you? Is he refining you? It is common not to be able to understand when things are hard, but have faith that God is still on the throne and has a good purpose for all things.
#22 All things will be added when you seek first the kingdom.
There is nothing more powerful in the Christian life than living under the rule and reign of God in his kingdom. The kingdom of God is the opposite of the kingdom of the world and submission to God’s rule will radically change your life for the better.
Matthew 6:31-33 says…“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (provision) will be added to you.”
Learn to radically trust God. Seek his kingdom and leave the rest to him.
#23 He will make your path straight.
One problem that many people have is a lack of direction. What should they do? Where should they go? They sincerely want to know what is God’s will for their lives and they are looking everywhere to find it.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says…“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Believe in his promise and your paths will become straight.
#24 He has prepared us a place.
Jesus promises that his Father’s house has many rooms and there is a place prepared for us with them in heaven (John 14:3).
Romans 8:16-17 says…“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
This means that, though we suffer with him now, we are also co-heirs and will receive an inheritance in heaven in him for eternity. Spend some time imagining what it might be like in the FATHER’s house with many rooms. Live with him today, so that you can live with him forever.
#25 He is coming again soon.
Jesus will come again and will take his own with him at the resurrection of the dead. He promised it just before he rose into heaven, and the last book of the Bible restates it:
Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done”
It is wonderful news that he is coming again to make all things right, but it also means that we should live in a state of readiness for his return. Seek his kingdom and trust him. Walk in his Spirit and do his will. He will indeed come. Just like the Jews waited for the first coming of the Messiah, we wait for the second. He will come. Be ready!
***End Quote
One last thought.
If we are ALIVE in GOD’s WORD, we are ALIVE in CHRIST JESUS, “THE WORD” in flesh. And when JESUS said on the Cross, “It is Finished”, and HE gave up HIS SPIRIT...
Galatians 4:6 (NLT) tells us... "And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ ”
Therefore, from that same SPIRIT that CHRIST gave up from the Cross…We are made ALIVE BY HIS SPIRIT IN us.
FATHER GOD, we come into YOUR Presence, ALIVE by YOUR WORD IN us. ALIVE by YOUR SPIRIT IN us. ALIVE for YOUR HONOR and GLORY. We give YOU Thanks for all the blessings YOU have given us. For YOUR Love, Mercy and Grace overflowing our hearts to YOUR Praise. Thank YOU LORD for these promises from YOU WORD. I AM Alive because of YOUR WORD IN me. Thank YOU JESUS. Amen!
Yes, I AM ALIVE by GOD's WORD in me...
And I trust the same for you as well.
Be blessed and be a Blessing,
Bill
