The Promises of Jesus  Part 1
 
We have been given so much, but we need to remember that the best is yet to come. The promises of God have always come true, we see that in the bible, and the promises of Jesus are something we can cling to.  Today we are going to talk about just three of the promises Jesus gave to all of us who are true believers.
 
 

1. Life

Matthew 16: 24-25
  a
 
Conditional: Deny yourself – lose your life to find it. But what we gain is so much more!
 
Luke 14: 27

•  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple

 
1 Peter 4: 1-2  Jesus didn’t ask us to do anything He didn’t do himself
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
 
Rich young ruler Mark 10
 
21-22  21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
 
John 10:10   Abundant Life
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

1. Acceptance.  Condition – come to me.

John 6:37
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away
Guaranteed acceptance is hard to come by, but this is a promise of Jesus!
John 17:20-24
 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
John 10:28-30  No one will snatch them
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
 
Matthew 11:28
 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Romans 5: 1-2
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God.
John 15:15
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
 
 
 

1. The Promise of Reward – Condition: sacrifice

Mark 10: 29-31
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
 
It is easy to follow the promise of immediate gain to self- to obtain the promises of Jesus takes patience and sacrifice.
 
Nothing we can ever surrender can exceed the gains promised by Jesus – nor can we sacrifice more than Jesus did to provide us with  the promise of gain!
 
Matthew 5: 10-11
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
 
Luke 22: 28-30
28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
 
 
 
 
 
Revelation 2 :8-11
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
 
Revelation 3: 7-13
7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

We humans have been blaming others for our bad behavior since the beginning of time.

Adam blamed God and Eve for his sin.

"The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”" Genesis 3:12

Eve blamed the serpent:

"The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”" Genesis 3:13b

No matter how others treat us we are responsible for our responses. 

And Jesus said:

"There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day." John 12:48

He will ask each of us individually, Did you do what I told you to do?

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built." Luke 6:46-48

If we rely on someone else's faith it will fail. The world and Satan want to destroy yourr foundation.

Seek Maturity:

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling," Philippians 2:12

Salvation -- what you do with it is how you mature.

"Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble," 2 Peter 1:10

Practice! Practice! Practice! Practice your faith. It will get stronger and deeper the more you practice it.

When you get into the Word, when you get into a study you are practicing your faith.

"for each one should carry their own load." Galatians 6:5

We are so blessed! The Word is one of the biggest blessings God has given us. We have such a good Father. We have every resource we need to mature spiritually.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48

Do something with what God has given you. 

In the parable of the talents, the 3rd servant blamed the master for his own lack of action. You are responsibly for how you respond to other people's actions (good or bad).

"Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[b] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so." Hebrews 6:1-3

Don't keep building the foundation over and over. Build on the foundation.

Seek Mature Spiritual Food:

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:11-14

Again ..... Practice.

Be who you are supposed to be! It's okay to be nervous to take the first step. The steps get easier and easier the more you take. Don't stop growing.

Be filled with knowledge and understanding:

9" For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God," Colossians 1:9-10

Knowledge, practice and education will help mature you spiritually.

"until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." Ephesians 4:13-15

Grow up.
 
Self Evaluation:

Where am I at? How can I get closer to Jesus? Where do I need to go today? Is there anything holding me back from getting closer to Jesus?

Everyone starts at the same place spiritually -- 0. What would you like to have more of in your spiritual life?

Shannon recorded this live on Facebook today. You can see that here if you'd like or you can listen to it below on the Youtube link. I happen to have Shannon's actual sermon notes today, so I will cut and paste those in this blog post. We are missing Sunday Service with everyone, but God will get us through this time and we can all get back together and shout Halleluia together! Below are Shannon's notes:

2 Timothy 3:16 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
Theopneustros – God Breathed.
2 Peter 1:21   21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:13  13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.
John 5:39  39 You study[a] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
 
Bible Facts/history
40 authors
Over period of 1500 yrs
Over 25,000 manuscripts – 98% accuracy
95% of entire bible accurate to other manuscripts
Most historically accurate documents in the world.
 
The bible is a mirror, not a window
Coloring book version – Samson, Noah, David and Goliath, Jonah
 
Example : Jonah 1:1-2   The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
Nineveh was the capital of Assyrian Empire during the reign of King Hezekiah of Israel
Jonah rebels, flees
Great fish
Jonah 4:6-11 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
 
How do we become a “man after God’s own heart” like David?
Joshua 1:8  Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Psalm 1: 1-2  Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
 
 

1. Read the bible for yourself.

Understand: God’s interactions with man
              God’s plan for redemption
              God’s promises
              God’s character
2 Timothy 2:15  15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
 

1. Study the bible yourself

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you.
Reading does not equal studying
Commentaries, bible study, Sunday school
 

1. Meditate on the word

Edmund Burke “To read w/o reflecting is like eating w/o digesting”
Matthew 13:19 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path
 

1. Apply the word

James 1:22 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
 
Let the Spirit lead
John 14:16-17  16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you.
John 16:13 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
 
The written word leads us to the Living Word
The word made text leads us to the Word made flesh. 

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains--
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip--
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:1-4

Man is trying to get bigger and bigger and making God smaller and smaller. God's bigger than all of it. God will never be left out. God is still on the throne. He's still saving souls. He's still creating.

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11

Jesus is alive and well andw orkin in the world. He is alive. We serve a risen Savior.

"When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?" Psalm 8:3-4

I. God is the Maker of All Things

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:3

Only God can make something out of nothing. God spoke all things into being.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6

If we do this He'll take care of us. Humans want answers. Don't ask why. Ask "What can God do with this?"

II. God has already worked things out for your good.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

This is a promise to all who love God!

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

God is always faithful to us.

We have seen God in action. But sometimes we forget what He's done.

III. Help is on the way

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18

He's at work in our lives. Always at work. He's already in our future waiting for us to get there. No matter what path we take God is there.

God is our potter. We are the clay. We are the diamonds. God is the master cutter who makes the rocks shine. They don't shine until they are cut. God is polishing and refining us.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." 1 Peter 1:3-6

Ultimate paradise -- being with God. Welcome back -- this is where you were meant to be!

"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." Isaiah 40:31

Anything we are going through is temporary. All will be well. If you hope in the Lord He will renew your strength. God is waiting for us to trust Him.

"See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
    and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him." Isaiah 40:10

We just have to hold on. The end is in sight.

Background for before Matthew 13 when the parables begin:

Sabbath is a day of rest. Jesus was again confronted by the Pharisees about Him breaking "their" rules. He had been giving them two years of direct quotes from Scriputre. He had to have constant arguments with the Pharisees. He healed on the Sabbath and all they could think is that he broke "their" rule. He finally was just done with them and their hard-heartedness. The parables were in a sense a kind of judgment on them.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Matthew 12:30-32

"But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Matthew 12:36-39

Why Parables?

Pride-- the mind of man: Science and theology and higher education. All these were created to bring us closer to God. But often man's pride will use them to feel like they are so important. Life becomes a theory, not a life application. When we are living in theories rather than really living there is a problem. 

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."
1 Corinthians 1:21-27

It's not about how smart you are, it's about how much God loves us.

Parables fulfil prophecy

"In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them." Matthew 13:14-15

Jesus is done arguing with them.

Parables: they are all reflections of the kingdom of God. It's all about the heart -- the soils parables. Parables -- unfinished, not logical. 

"I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—" Psalm 78:2

They aren't just stories. 

Parables show the spiritual kingdom to Believers.

"With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything." Mark 4:33-34

Explanation to the disciples.

"But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." Matthew 13:16-17

Blessed are we. We get to see it all.

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:10-12

It's to us they were written. We have so much potential that is unrealized. Am I being a Jonah? When I use my own "wisdom" I'm being a fool.

What are the parables to us today?

Examples of the kingdom of God.

God wants us to be hungry for Him. Then we will seek Him.

Through the discernment of study and the Holy Spirit, understanding.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

An "If" passage...If you do____________you wil get_____________.

If you don't seek it you will never find it.

The tools I have don't work if I don't use them. We can't fake our way through. We have to get to be one with God. 

Are you seeking?

Is your heart soft enough, are your ears and eyes open?

Are you willing to surrender your own pride to see what the Spirit is revealing?

In faith, the answers are waiting for you. 

"Because I said so" from God is enough.
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