Long ago, God told Joshua to believe God's promises, and act upon them (Jsh 1:1-9) . Likewise, God has made promises to us as well, which we should understand and act upon. Let us discover, in the following sermon material, four great marks of God's promises, the foundations of our HOPE:
Precious promises
"Very great and precious" (2Pe 1:4)
Forgiveness and victory over sin (Jer 31:31-34 Heb 10:14-17Jhn 6:37 Rom 8:1 Jas 4:7-8)
Answers to prayer (1Jn 5:14 Acts 10:1-4)
Gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39 Jhn 4:14; 7:39)
Security of our souls (Jhn 10:27-29 Mtt 28:18-20)
Resurrection from death (Jhn 5:28-29)
Safety through the Judgment (Rom 14:10-12, 2Tm 4:2, 1Jn 3:21)
Eternal life in heaven (Jhn 3:16 Jhn 14:1-3)
Promises for everyone
"As many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38-39)
All humanity --the whole world (Jhn 3:16 1Tm 2:4 1Jn 2:1-2)
Jew and Gentile alike (Gal 3:14, 26-29)
Trustworthy promises
History and human experience confirm them
"Not one word has failed of all the Lord's good promises" (1Kg 8:56)
"Great cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12:1, see chapter 11)
Our hearts affirm them
We can respond to God's promises with "full assurance of hope"(Heb 6:9-20)
All Gods promises are "Yes" and "Amen"[Note those are affirmations] (2Co 1:20-22)
God will not change or withdraw them
"No shadow of turning" with God (Jas 1:17)
God's counsel is "immutable" [Note immutable means unchangeable] (Heb 6:17-20)
Conditional promises
Joshua and his people had to
observe conditions (Jsh 1:7)
Likewise promises given us have conditions[Note significanceof the word "if"] (Col 1:23 Jhn 15:14)
Since we have these promises, we cleanse ourselves of sin "perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2Co 7:1)
This in no way devalues the promises (2Pe 1:2-12)
Conclusion
God's promises are "very great and precious", so we should appreciate how magnificent they are.
God's promises are for everyone, so we should make sure we answer the invitation to believe and receive them.
God's promises are trustworthy, so we should assure our hearts with them.
God's promises are conditional, so we should let God help us to apply ourselves to fulfilling them.
There is far too much in the above material for one sermon or class lesson. You could make three or four lessons from the outline, so be selective.See also series
GOD'S MAGNIFICENT PROMISES
There is far too much in the above material for one sermon or class lesson. You could make three or four lessons from the outline,