Understanding God’s Character through His Promises

Understanding God’s Character through His Promises

Numbers 14:18

The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.

Why is this description of God important to us? 

We are rebellious and sinful repeatedly.

Allen – Children of Israel and us – Same

Does this passage describe God as someone who is never angry?

How does the Bible show God as angry?

1Samuel 2:6-8

This passage is part of Hannah’s song. She was Samuel’s mother – she was childless and asked Eli the priest to pray for her, and she prayed for a son. When Samuel was granted to her, she gave him to Eli to serve as a priest.

What do you think is the most significant attribute she ascribes to God? 

Job 19:25-27

In this passage Job is lamenting all that has happened and is speaking in response to his “Friend” Bildad.

What does this passage say that Job knew about God? (He lives, Job would see Him in the end).

There are lots of passages in the New Testament about Jesus eternal Kingdom, but this is from possibly the earliest recorded writing in scripture (estimated at 2000 to 2500 b.c. Isn’t it remarkable these key components of God’s plan are repeated over thousands of years.

 Does our view of God change depending on our circumstances? i.e. when our circumstances go from good to bad or bad to good?

These passages tell us that our ALL Powerful God is too big for us to totally comprehend.

Famous OT Promises

Famous OT Promises

Abraham

Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;

² And I will make you a great nation, Lot of counting – 2 Samuel 24:9 1300k fighting men

And I will bless you, - Genesis 24:1 The LORD blessed him in every way.

 And make your name great;

And so you shall be a blessing; Mathew 1:2 – Abraham – to Jesus

 ³And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. Many OT fulfilling – Egypt, delivering Israel from slavery.

 And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” – Jesus

1)      Looking at the fulfillment of these Promises

2)      Who Do these promises apply to? – Abraham, Clearly not anyone else.

3)      As we look at the promises of God, we will see some apply to one person, some to Israel, and some to all of those with faith in God.

4)      Why did God promise to make Abraham great, but not me?Why can’t I take every promise in scripture and apply it to me?

The Burning Bush Exodus3:1-8

God kept this promise. He took His people to Canaan, but the timing was not exactly as Moses might have expected. God’s people alive at that time did not get to see this promise fulfilled (except Caleb and Joshua, Numbers 13).

What can we learn about God’s timing from this Kept Promise? God’s timing may not be what we expect.

How do we normally respond when we demonstrate our faith by believing in one of God’s promises, but His fulfillment takes MUCH longer than we expect?

What can we do in this situation?

A conditional Promise - Solomon at the Temple Dedication

1 Kings 8:22-24

God’s Promise and Warning

1 Kings 9:1-9

Who are these promises to? Solomon and his sons

Although these promises are not made to us, we can learn something about God by looking at them.

What do these promises tell us about God?

                God wants his followers to be faithful to Him

                Israel (and the Church) are used to demonstrate God’s plan and His Glory

                God keeps His promises

Promises of God – God is Able to Keep His Promises

Promises of God – God is Able to Keep His Promises

2 Timothy 3:16- 17 All Scripture is inspired by God 

Types of Promises

                Positive – Good stuff, blessings

                Negative – Correction, punishment

                Unconditional – “I Will …”

                Conditional – If you X then I will Y.

Before we explore God’s promises, let’s look at why we believe that God can keep his promises.

We all want to keep our promises. We want to be a “Man of our word”, but sometimes we don’t keep our promises.

What are some of the reasons we sometimes make promises, and fail to keep them?

               

o   Reasons beyond our control

o   We change our mind

o   We decide something else is more important.

Why doesn’t God have these excuses?

Matthew19:26 (nothing is beyond his control)

Psalm136:10-12 (He is steadfast, not wishy washy) 

James 1:17 (He will not change his priorities)

He is ABLE

Ephesians3:20  

Colossians 1:16 

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

Micah 5:2-4 Prophesy of Jesus' birth

Prophesy regarding the birth of Jesus

Micah 5:2-4   8 Century B.C.

Isaiah 9:6-7 Somewhere between 740 to 680 B.C.

Isaiah 7:14

Luke 1:26-38      10 months B.C.

Isn’t it amazing that God used the ancient prophets to provide notice of Jesus’ coming?

What can we learn about God from these prophesies?

                He is eternal

                He has always known that we would need to be redeemed

                He has always had a plan to save us

                His plan came to pass, and we can have confidence that the whole thing will be fulfilled

Jesus coming was prophesied, announced, and occurred. He showed up, lived a sinless life, then gave himself on the cross to pay the price for our sins. You have accepted his salvation, and in this joyous season we celebrate that amazing part of God’s plan that brought Jesus to us.

I’d like to ask you to think back over this past year, since last Christmas. There have been weddings, funerals, graduations, births, successes, challenges, and life has gone on. I’d like to ask a few of you to share how knowing Jesus has made a difference in your life over the past year or in other words, how has your relationship with the savior shown up this past year?

As we celebrate Jesus birth this year, I challenge you to think beyond the manger and to the presence of Christ, living in us day by day.

John 14:16-29 - Holy Spirit

Role of the Holy Spirit

Is that the  prompting of the Holy Spirit, or  coincidence, or just my own selfish desires?

John 14:16-29

What do these verses say about the Holy Spirit?

· Jesus asked the Father to send Him

· He is with us forever

· He is the spirit of truth

· The world does not see per receive him

· He abides with us and will be in us

· He is the Helper

· The Father sent Him in Jesus name

· He will teach us all things

· He will help us remember what Jesus has said

How can this person we are describing help us understand God’s will?

Romans 8: 26-28

²⁶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;  and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Ephesians 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

Isaiah 30 - God's will

God’s Will

How to know God’s will – After the fact.

Walking by faith – Sometimes the “Faith” part of our walking with the Lord is to use the tools God has given us (education, wisdom, knowledge, common sense, etc.) to decide on a given course of action.

Hannibal Smith – A Team -Have you ever heard the saying, “I love it when a plan comes together”.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit will confirm to us that we have made the right decision in a very special way.

There are a couple of scriptures where we can see how God confirms the rightness of obedience after the fact. Let’s look at those this morning:

Exodus 3:10-12

¹⁰ Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” ¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” ¹² And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

Two Promises: I will be with you; I will give you a sign

How did giving Moses a sign after he obeyed the command help Moses?

Have you ever had a situation where you were sure you did what God wanted – but only after the dust had settled?

Isaiah 30:19-22

¹⁹ People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. ²⁰ Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. ²¹ Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” ²² Then you will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!”

Passage written for Judah, and speaks prophetically about Christ’s coming and the work of the Holy Spirit. The OT context for this passage is Isaiah telling Judah they would be punished for worshipping Idols, they would then turn back to God and he would hear and answer them.

God has not changed. He sometimes molds us and allows us to grow in our reliance on him through adversity.

Do we look at adversity and affliction as bread and water?

How can adversity help us to hear that voice saying “This is the way; walk in it.”?

Psalm 127 Prosperity

Prosperity Comes from the Lord.

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.
² It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors;

For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

What does it mean for the Lord to build the house?

Solomon talked about Vanity in Ecclesiastes.

2:12-17 Wisdom is vanity

2:18-23 Work is vanity

5:10-11 Being rich is vanity

Ultimately he says in Ecclesiastes (12:13) Fear God and keep his commandments.

Children

Blessing and a responsibility

³ Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.
⁵ How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Blessing

Tim speaking at Graduation Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Responsibility

How do the blessings and responsibilities of being a parent impact you?

How can fulfilling the responsibilities of parenthood be a blessing?