The Blessed Promises of God
Categories: Sermon Outlines, Topical Sermon OutlinesSermon on the Promises of God
Date written: December 21st, 2002
Bible Text: Acts 13:29-33
SUBJECT: Salvation
TITLE: The Blessed Promises of God
PROPOSITION: The character of the promises of God is such that God’s promises are 1) Sure, 2) Full of Hope for the Righteous, and 3) Conditional.
OBJECTIVES: Each hearer should understand that God’s promises are 1) Sure, 2) Full of Hope for the Righteous, 3) Conditional.
AIM: I want to encourage the brethren to put their trust in the promises of God.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Read: Acts 13:29-33
2. About the Text:
1) Paul and Barnabus were on their first missionary journey.
2) They had just arrived at Antioch of Pisidia.
3) They were invited by the rulers of the synagogue to speak regarding any matter.
4) Paul stood up and preached.
5) He spoke concerning the resurrected Christ.
6) This, he said, was the fulfillment of the promises made to God to the fathers.
7) These promises were 1) Sure, 2) Full of Hope, and 3) Conditional.
8) The character of God’s promises is just as faithful today.
9) It is on account of God’s promises that we live the Christian life today.
10) Let’s look at character of the promises of God.
3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.
DISCUSSION: The character of the promises of God are such that God’s promises are . . .
I. Sure (Faithful, Enduring, Everlasting, Without End, Incapable of Not being fulfilled). We know this because…
1. God cannot lie.
1) Hebrews 6:13-18 “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”
2) Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”
2. God has always kept His promises to men.
1) Noah — Genesis 6:17-18 “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.”
2) Abraham
a. God promised Abraham a child. Genesis 17:19 “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.”
b. Romans 4:20-21 “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
3) Others
a. Moses — deliver the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
b. David — establish his throne.
c. Daniel — delivered from the lions den.
3. God kept his promise to the world.
1) Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
2) This promise was fulfilled in the Christ.
a. Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
b. We read in Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
c. Notice Romans 4:16 “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,”
4. God kept his promise to His Son, Jesus.
1) Peter says that the promise God made in Psalm 16:10 was to Jesus, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
2) This promise was fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ. Acts 2:31-32 “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
3) Because God kept his promise to Jesus, we can be assured God will keep His promise to us as well. Romans 6:5 ” For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”
II. Full of Hope for the Righteous
1. Our hope rests upon the promises of God.
1) Hebrews 6:18-19 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”
2) Our hope is based on our faith in God. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
3) Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).
4) Hope comes through hearing God’s word and the promises that are therein.
2. And God has promised great things to give hope to the faithful.
1) To the faithful He promises freedom from sin. John 8:32
2) To the faithful He promises forgiveness of sins. Acts 2:38
3) He promises that the faithful are His children. Romans 8:15-17 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
4) He promises to take care of the faithful. Matthew 6:33
5) To the faithful He promises to give us abundant life through His Son Jesus. John 10:10b “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
6) To the faithful He promises a new glorious resurrected body. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
7) To the faithful He promises that we shall be like Him and see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. “
8) To the faithful He promises eternal life. 1 John 2:25 “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”
III. Conditional Upon our Obedience
1. Have always been conditional.
1) Noah had to build the Ark.
2) Abraham had to offer up Isaac.
3) Moses had to appear before Pharoah.
4) God reiterates these conditions to the children of Israel again and again.
a. Exodus 15:26 “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
b. Leviticus 26:3-4 “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.”
c. Deuteronomy 30:10 “If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.”
2. Are conditional for us today.
1) John 8:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
2) John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”
3) Romans 11:22 “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”
4) Colossians 1:21-23 “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…”
5) Heb. 3:14 “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;”
3. If we fail to meet God’s conditions, another set of promises awaits.
1) 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”
2) Romans 2:6-9 “Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; “
3) Hebrews 2:2-3 “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;”
CONCLUSION:
1. The promises of God are . . .
1) Sure
2) Full of Hope
3) Conditional upon our Obedience
2. Invitation
1) If you are a Christian but have fallen away
a. How have you regarded the promises of God.
b. Do not neglect them for they will be fulfilled.
2) If you are not a Christian this morning . . .
a. God has two sets of promises for you.
b. Which set of promises will be fulfilled for your life?
c. God’s promises of salvation are conditional and here are those conditions.
a) Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing . . .”
b) Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”
c) Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).
d) Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).
e) Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15,16).