God Will Deliver on His Promises.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them to Romans chapter 4. [0:03] We’re going to be starting in verse 15 this morning. [0:07] But before we get into that, in all of your handouts, there should be a card that says [0:11] the 233 Fund. [0:13] And a few weeks ago we announced to the church that we were in the process of taking a look [0:19] at a building that’s over on Courthouse Road that we are now under contract with.

[0:24] And so the closing date will be in a little bit. [0:28] We’ll announce more about that as word comes in. [0:32] But as we said at our members meeting a couple of weeks back, we have the financial means [0:38] through our reserves to pay the down payment for the building, to receive the loan, and [0:45] all of that is fine. [0:46] But to be wise stewards of God’s money, we also told you that as a church we think it

[0:52] be wise for us to over the next year to restock our reserve funds so that we won’t totally [1:00] be depleted on that. [1:02] And so that is what this is all about, is that over the next year we think it will [1:06] be wise for those who call Village Church home to give towards the 233 Fund. [1:11] And our goal is to within, towards the end of 2015, to raise $100,000 back into our [1:19] reserve funds.

[1:20] And so our whole goal of this is to be wise stewards of God’s money as we’re always seeking [1:26] to be wise stewards of God’s money. [1:28] But God has opened up a great door of potential for us. [1:33] We have, as you can see, we’re at capacity every service here. [1:37] We’re at capacity in our children’s and our village kids meeting areas. [1:42] And God has opened a door for us to go into a facility that will at this time be more

[1:48] than adequate for our needs as a church and actually put us into an area of Chesterfield [1:54] County that will put us about 15 minutes from any area in Metro Richmond. [2:00] So that enlarges our capability to reach different areas of the Metro Richmond area and more [2:07] of the population than we have been even reaching now. [2:11] And we look at what God has been doing and what God has done and through moments like [2:16] this we can begin again to dream about what more does God want to do?

[2:21] How much more of an influence will God give us in this area? [2:25] And He’s not just expanding our meeting space, but rather what’s actually happening is God [2:30] is expanding our ability to influence this area. [2:34] And so we all want to give towards that. [2:37] And it’s our responsibility as the people of Village Church to cast a vision for ourselves [2:43] each and every day of how we can sacrifice to give towards that need.

[2:50] Like I said is that we’re seeking to restock our reserve funds and by God’s grace by the [2:56] end of the year we’ll be able to raise about $100,000 in what we’re calling the 233 Fund. [3:01] You say, where did you get that number? [3:03] Well that’s the address for the new building, 233 North Courthouse Road. [3:06] So we got our crack creative team on that one and they really blew it out of the park. [3:11] I’m on that team, there’s like three of us.

[3:16] Some of you right now, you have the financial means to know exactly what God would lead [3:25] you to do in this area. [3:27] So you could probably be certain right now, here’s what I can do, I can do it today, I [3:31] can do it one day over the next few weeks and I can give towards that. [3:35] Some of you are not in a place where you have the financial means to make a large gift today [3:40] or the next few weeks, but rather you can kind of look at things and say hey, over

[3:47] the next months I can give a little at a time and here’s what I believe God wants to do [3:53] through my family in 2015. [3:56] So those two options are on that card. [3:59] And so what we’re asking you to do today is hey, if you’re prepared for this and you’re [4:03] ready please go ahead and give, mark that fund to be towards the 233 Fund, use the envelope [4:09] and the card that’s been provided and do that.

[4:11] But if you’re at a place right now where you’re saying you know I don’t really know off bat [4:15] what my finances look like, what my projections are going to look like, please feel free to [4:19] take this card home and actually use this card in your family devotions and really [4:24] cast some vision for yourself, for your family, maybe even for your children and say hey, [4:29] here’s some places that we’re going to sacrifice in the coming months so that we can give towards [4:35] what God’s going to do in Village Church and in the coming weeks bring this back,

[4:39] put it in the offering basket. [4:41] What we’re really calling you to do is realize that we are one church on one mission and [4:46] that this is something that we’re doing together and this is a mission that we’re going to [4:51] live together as a church and as Jesus told us, he says hey, where your treasure is there [4:57] your heart will go also and so in the modern day context where your money is, that’s where [5:03] your heart’s going to go.

[5:04] And so we’re asking you to move your heart by moving your money towards this new work [5:10] that we believe God wants to do in this building. [5:13] So pray with me for this new building and this new fund. [5:16] Our Father, we come before you right now realizing how unworthy we are for you to work through [5:26] us but so thankful that you do. [5:30] Lord, we realize that you’ve poured this extravagant grace on us by saving us through Jesus Christ

[5:37] and every day we experience more of that grace as you also join with us and partner with [5:44] us to live your mission in this world. [5:47] Lord, I pray that you would continue to use us as you have used us in the past. [5:52] I pray that you would enlarge our influence for the gospel in the Metro Richmond area. [5:56] Lord, continue to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ and continue to use us as your [6:02] ambassadors.

[6:04] And Lord, I pray that you would more than equip us to live your mission. [6:09] I pray that you’d bless this new fund and bless those who give towards it and use it [6:18] all for your worship and your glory. [6:22] In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. [6:24] Amen. [6:24] You know, for the last few weeks we’ve been in Romans 4 and we’ve been talking about

[6:30] building a life on a foundation of faith that God, number one, is who He says He is and [6:38] number two, He will do what He says He will do. [6:42] And this is the foundation upon which faith lies. [6:45] This is the foundation upon which we believe God has given grace into our lives through [6:51] the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. [6:54] It’s faith and faith alone that saves.

[6:57] There is no work that you will do in your life that will gain you an audience with God. [7:05] There is no work that you will do in your life that will pay off the debt of sin that [7:10] you have. [7:12] It is faith alone in the work of Jesus Christ that saves us from sin. [7:17] It’s faith alone in the work of Jesus Christ that reconciles our relationship with God. [7:22] By God’s amazing grace, Jesus cancels out the record of debt that stands against us

[7:28] and gives us God’s unending favor. [7:31] And He did this by bearing the penalty of God’s wrath on the cross as He died for my [7:37] sin, as He died for your sin. [7:40] And God calls us to do one thing. [7:44] He calls us to believe. [7:46] He calls us to trust.

[7:47] He calls us to put our faith in Him. [7:51] And He calls us to live a life that is built on faith in Jesus. [7:56] This means that you trust what God has promised to do in your life. [8:02] You trust what God has said that He will do in saving you. [8:05] But who are these promises dependent on? [8:08] They’re dependent fully on God.

[8:10] And what has He called you to do? [8:11] He’s called you to believe Him.

[8:15] This changes everything. [8:17] This changes everything about the way that you view life. [8:20] This changes everything about the way that you live life. [8:22] It relieves the pressure off of you in attempting to earn your self worth. [8:30] Faith in Jesus means that you belong because God says that you do. [8:38] But God will deliver his promises for one reason.

[8:41] He said that he will deliver his promises. [8:44] So faith is trusting in God’s word. [8:47] Faith is trusting that God is telling the truth. [8:50] And that’s it. [8:52] This also changes the way that you view the purpose and direction of your life. [8:57] And that your life is one that is guided by the fact that you believe that God will do what He says that He will do.

[9:04] You have faith that God will deliver on his promises. [9:10] So Paul again goes back in Romans 4, 15, as he has throughout the entire chapter of Romans 4, [9:18] to show us once again the life of faith that God is calling us to by using Abraham as the example. [9:24] So look in Romans chapter 4, starting in verse 15. [9:29] The apostle Paul writes, and he says,

[9:39] It depends on faith.

[10:13] You know, number one this morning, I want you to understand through this text that faith must be anchored in God. [10:20] Faith must be anchored in God. [10:23] You know, faith is not hocus pocus. [10:28] Faith is not something that in and of itself is a power. [10:32] Faith is not something that you just use to heal. [10:37] Faith is not something that you just use to heal.

[10:40] Faith is not something that you can call on in some mystical realm. [10:44] And faith in and of itself has power to do things. [10:48] Faith must be anchored in one who is capable to do things. [10:54] Faith must be anchored in one who is trustworthy. [10:58] Faith must be anchored in one who has the power to move. [11:03] Faith is only as powerful as the object in whom the faith is.

[11:12] Faith must be in God. [11:14] Because only God has the power to move. [11:18] Only God has the power to guarantee that His Word will be accomplished. [11:24] Only God has the power and capability and has the history of being proven trustworthy [11:29] again and again and again to bring about the promises of His will. [11:35] You know, we’ve told a little bit of the story of Abraham over the past few weeks.

[11:38] So if you weren’t able to join us, I invite you to go on our website and listen to the recordings [11:43] or watch the video of those services. [11:45] But for our purposes today, I want to go to a point in Abraham’s life [11:49] where God is actually making a great promise to him. [11:52] And the way in which God brings about that promise and says, [11:56] this is what the promise is dependent on.

[11:58] So God called Abraham to himself and he says, Abraham, you get up, you take your family, [12:04] you move and I’m going to bless you. [12:06] I’m going to make you a great nation. [12:08] And so Abraham does it and Abraham moves. [12:11] And when God is coming to the point where he’s going to give this covenant to Abraham, [12:15] every time that God makes a covenant, sin must be expunged.

[12:20] As God calls Abraham and he says, I need you to make a sacrifice towards me. [12:24] And so Abraham gathers the animals that God calls him to gather. [12:27] And he does this in foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus is going to make on the cross. [12:34] And in making this covenant, God says, Abraham, I want you to cut these animals in half [12:39] and place them on opposite sides of one another. [12:42] And then to seal the covenant, we’re going to walk between the carcasses, basically.

[12:49] Now, I know that this is a little outside of your context. [12:52] When you are signing your mortgage on closing day, no animals were injured. [12:56] In the process of you making your mortgage. [12:59] But in dealing with God, understand that sin must be dealt with. [13:03] The price of sin must be paid. [13:05] And as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ death on the cross,

[13:08] God shows the cost of Abraham’s sin in this moment.

[13:14] But when Abraham’s getting ready to walk through the animals with the presence of God with him, [13:20] God does an amazing thing. [13:22] God causes a deep sleep to fall on Abraham. [13:26] And while Abraham’s in this comatose state, the presence of God comes down. [13:32] And the presence of God walks through the animals alone, without him. [13:39] And then when God is done and the covenant is sealed, God rouses Abraham from his slumber.

[13:46] And God doesn’t call Abraham to walk through the animals. [13:51] And don’t miss the reason that God did that. [13:54] The reason that God did that is because the promises of God were not in any way to be dependent on Abraham fulfilling them. [14:02] God did not desire for his promises to be dependent on an imperfect and untrustworthy person. [14:09] God did not want his promises to be dependent on someone who could not fulfill them. [14:15] Who did not have the power.

[14:17] Who did not have the perfection. [14:18] Who did not have the holiness. [14:19] Rather, God made the promises solely, completely dependent upon himself. [14:27] Because when God makes a covenant, God means to have that covenant come to fruition. [14:33] God will every time deliver on his promises. [14:38] And the sole reason that the promise of God to Abraham could be trusted is because God never once made the promise dependent on Abraham.

[14:49] He didn’t make it dependent on Abraham’s faith. [14:52] He didn’t make it dependent on Abraham’s ability.

[14:56] God said the promise is dependent on God and God alone. [15:02] God’s promises are always dependent on him because only he can fulfill the massive promises that he makes. [15:11] So how can you trust that?

[15:14] Paul goes to two different reasons that we can trust and that Abraham could trust that God would fulfill these promises. [15:22] And he alludes to these promises down in verse 17. [15:27] Here’s what he says.

[15:30] He says, As it is written, I have made you, God speaking to Abraham, the father of many nations, [15:36] in the presence of God in whom Abraham believed. [15:38] And it is God who, both number one, gives life to the dead. [15:46] And what Paul is doing right there is he’s alluding to something that happened recent. [15:50] He’s alluding back to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. [15:54] And he’s saying, How do you know that God can fulfill a promise if God says, Hey, this promise is going to happen and I’m the only one that it depends on?

[16:01] And he says, Look no further than, number one, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. [16:05] God can bring life from the dead. [16:09] He’s proven it. [16:11] But then he goes to something that, quite frankly, is even more magnificent than that power. [16:17] Number two, this is what the text says. [16:20] He said, And calls into existence the things that do not exist.

[16:28] And so what Paul’s pointing back to in that passage is he’s pointing to the very creation of the world itself.

[16:36] He’s saying, God did not, like the grand builder that you would see in the Lego movie, [16:43] he did not bring a bunch of pieces together that already existed, made something pretty amazing, [16:49] and then said, Look at what I’ve done. [16:51] And understand, that would be pretty amazing. [16:54] That would be pretty awesome. [16:55] Anytime you see someone say, I’m going to build something, and then they build it, I’m amazed.

[16:59] I can barely hammer two boards together. [17:02] So you build anything, I’m like, Yeah, you’re good. [17:06] You’ve got more ability than I do. [17:09] God’s not like that. [17:12] Look at what Hebrews chapter 11 verse 3 says. [17:14] The author of Hebrews writes, By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God.

[17:23] So that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. [17:29] The author of Hebrews and Paul are saying is that God, by His very word, [17:36] has the power to speak into nothingness and make something. [17:43] That God has the power to say, exist, and something that did not previously exist, it’s there.

[17:54] What Paul and the author of Hebrews are ultimately pointing to is they’re saying, [17:58] You want to know why you can trust God? [18:00] It’s for the very same reason that he said in Romans chapter 2 that you should know that God exists. [18:05] He says, Look at the creation that is. [18:08] His creation screams that there’s a designer behind it. [18:12] And here, in Romans chapter 4, Paul’s upping the ante,

[18:16] and he’s saying, Not only did God design it, but God spoke into nothingness, and all of this was created. [18:23] All of this came to be. He spoke, and it was. [18:28] He didn’t put things together that were already there. [18:31] God spoke into nothingness and created solar systems. [18:35] God spoke into nothingness and created planets. [18:39] God spoke, and there was earth.

[18:42] God spoke, and there was fire. [18:44] God spoke, and there was wind. [18:45] God spoke, and there was water. [18:48] What Paul is saying is that if God can call into existence things that do not exist, [18:55] he has the power to keep any promise that he makes within the realm of what does exist, [19:02] because he made it exist.

[19:05] This is why your worldview of origins of this world is so vital. [19:12] This is why where this world came from is so important, [19:18] because Paul wants us to understand the very trustworthiness of God [19:21] is built and based on his power to move in such awesome ways. [19:28] His trustworthiness with this world is built on the back of the fact [19:33] that God had the power to speak, and it exists.

[19:36] Hebrews goes further and actually says that the world is sustained by his word.

[19:44] He didn’t have to use his hands and take things that already were and make. [19:48] God simply said, be, and it was.

[19:54] Your view of that is vital, and believing that God can fulfill his promises [19:59] is quite counter-cultural to believe. [20:03] Everything that is came out of a God who was. [20:09] But understand that the reason that I believe it is the same reason [20:13] that I believe that God can save me from my sins. [20:15] I believe it because God says it’s true.

[20:20] You understand that must be the foundation upon which you build your faith.

[20:26] I believe it because God said so. [20:29] And then I watch God say, and then I watch God do. [20:33] When you believe any other word that contradicts God’s word, [20:40] you’re saying that that other word is God. [20:43] You’re saying that that other word controls how God moves. [20:46] You’re saying that that other word restricts God’s power.

[20:51] But understand that when the word says that he called things to exist, [20:55] he spoke into existence the things that were not there. [20:59] And you say, that doesn’t add up to my view, then your view needs to change. [21:05] God is calling you to repent of your lack of faith. [21:08] God is calling you to believe him rather than believing the other. [21:12] God is calling you to believe in the basis of his power,

[21:15] that he has the power to do what he says he has the power to do, [21:18] even if it doesn’t add up to you. [21:20] Because you wouldn’t be here if God didn’t speak. [21:23] You wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the word of God. [21:27] God controls all things. [21:29] Therefore, he can be trusted to have the power to do anything that he says he is going to do.

[21:37] So what good is that to us? [21:39] It’s good to us because the Apostle Paul says this faith [21:45] and the God who brings life from death, this faith, [21:48] and the God who speaks into nothing and makes everything, [21:50] this faith is for everyone. [21:53] And God is the source of that faith.

[21:56] He speaks into the life of Abraham and he says, [21:58] Abraham, I’m not going to just make you the father of a nation. [22:03] That’s why he says in the text, he says, [22:05] that promise that was made to Abraham is for everyone. [22:07] It’s for us. [22:09] It’s because it is not limited to ethnicity.

[22:13] It is not limited to race. [22:16] It is not limited to where your citizenship happens to be [22:21] because God is not limited to any of those things. [22:25] It is not just a promise for the nation of Israel. [22:28] Abraham is more than the father of the Jews. [22:31] Abraham is the father of all who believe in Jesus,

[22:34] regardless of where you came from, [22:36] regardless of what country you’re a member of, [22:39] regardless of your ethnicity, regardless of your race. [22:41] God is the God of all, and God means to save all through faith. [22:47] Therefore, faith is for everyone. [22:51] You must believe that because God has not limited his scope to anyone.

[22:56] He is the source, and there’s no power apart from him.

[23:03] But understand, faith, number two this morning, [23:07] is believing God no matter what. [23:13] Faith is believing God no matter what. [23:17] Abraham’s faith was firmly based on the hope [23:20] that springs from the promise of God. [23:24] Look in verse 18.

[23:26] Here’s what the apostle writes.

[23:30] He says,

[23:43] He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, [23:48] which was as good as dead since he was about 100 years old. [23:52] Now, that’s not the nicest thing.

[23:57] But Abraham from heaven was like, [23:59] Thanks a lot, Paul.

[24:02] You know, nobody wants to hear that at any age. [24:04] Man, you’re so old. [24:06] You’re as good as dead. [24:07] [24:07] I love the sarcasm of the Holy Spirit.

[24:14] Or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. [24:18] Listen to this. [24:20] No unbelief, some versions say distrust, [24:23] no unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God. [24:29] But he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God. [24:33] Note this.

[24:34] Fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised. [24:41] Abraham believed the word of God. [24:44] Abraham believed that God would deliver on his promises. [24:49] I want to talk about what it means to put hope against hope. [24:51] Because he’s saying that Paul, excuse me, [24:53] Paul’s saying that Abraham put hope against hope

[24:55] and one of those hopes won out [24:57] and it was the hope that he had in God. [24:59] He’s saying that Abraham had two choices [25:01] when God intervened in his life and said, I’m going to do this. [25:04] Abraham could have used the reason of man, [25:07] which is one hope,

[25:09] and looked at his circumstances, looked at his situation, [25:12] looked at the fact that he’s nearly a hundred years old [25:14] so he might as well be dead, [25:15] that his wife was completely barren [25:18] and passed child rearing years. [25:20] He could have looked at the reason of man

[25:22] and put his hope in that and said, [25:24] there’s no way I can believe the word of God [25:26] because this hope defeats that hope. [25:31] But he said there was another hope. [25:33] And that was the hope that God is who he says he is [25:36] and that God is going to do what he says he’s going to do

[25:40] regardless of any situation in my life. [25:44] And in this case it says that Abraham put his hope in God [25:51] above what the natural world said was possible. [25:54] Above what the reason of man said should and would happen. [26:00] Reason of man dictates that there would be no children [26:04] for Sarah and Abraham.

[26:05] They would have no descendants [26:08] because Abraham and Sarah were just simply too old.

[26:14] The hope of God is based solely on God being able and trustworthy [26:20] to fulfill his promises. [26:21] And the hope based on God won out and Abraham believed God. [26:27] Abraham believed what God said. [26:29] He put his confidence in the Lord. [26:32] Pastor Tim Keller once wrote,

[26:35] he says reality is greater than how you feel or how things appear.

[26:43] Let me ask you, how often is the hope for your life [26:47] based on how you feel when you wake up in the morning?

[26:51] How often is the hope of your life based on how you feel [26:55] after an argument with your spouse? [26:58] How often is your hope based on how you feel [27:02] after an unfortunate conversation that you have with a friend or family member? [27:07] How often is the hope of your life based on how you feel [27:10] after a crummy day when things didn’t go the way that you wanted them to go?

[27:15] When you didn’t get the promotion that you wanted? [27:17] When you weren’t treated by a co-worker the way that you feel you should be treated? [27:21] Your boss didn’t notice how good of a job that you did. [27:23] How often is your hope based on how you feel? [27:28] And how often is your hope based on your circumstances [27:31] and the situation that you currently find yourself in?

[27:34] How often is your hope put in the number on your checking account? [27:38] How often is your hope put on your physical ability or disability? [27:42] How often is your hope based on the fact that what you were planning to do [27:47] and the vision that you had for your life or your career or your education, [27:51] let’s just call it what it is, that vision failed. [27:55] And your circumstances and your situation are not adding up

[27:59] to the life that you always dreamed about and the life that you always wanted. [28:05] How often is your hope based on you?

[28:12] What the text is telling us through the life of Abraham [28:15] is that your hope that you need in God is bigger than you are. [28:22] That reality is bigger than how you feel. [28:26] It’s bigger than how you see things. [28:29] It’s bigger than how you view life. [28:31] When you limit reality to you, you make yourself God.

[28:40] What he’s telling us through Abraham is that your destiny is not determined [28:44] by the limitations based on your feelings and your life [28:48] and your situation at any given moment. [28:50] Your destiny is based, number one, 100% on God [28:55] and what God has said and what God promises.

[29:01] Abraham’s faith was in God’s promise. [29:04] And here’s what God’s promise was in Genesis 15, starting in verse 4. [29:08] Behold the word of the Lord. [29:11] Look at that. [29:13] What does it always come from? [29:15] God speaks.

[29:17] This is the word of the Lord came to him, Abraham. [29:22] It said, this man shall not be your heir, because here’s what Abraham had done. [29:26] Abraham has heard the promise of God and it’s been a little while. [29:29] And things aren’t adding up. [29:32] So Abraham’s like, OK, God, I’m going to give you a plan B. [29:35] I’ve got this servant.

[29:36] He’s a good guy. [29:38] He’s trustworthy. [29:39] Sarah, we’ve been trying. [29:41] It ain’t happening. [29:42] And so I’m going to leave it all to him. [29:45] He’s the one.

[29:46] Let’s designate him my adopted, my son. [29:49] He’s got it. [29:50] And God said, I didn’t give an option B because there is no option B. [29:54] God said, I’m not going to give it to him. [29:58] He says, your very own son shall be your heir. [30:04] God doubles down.

[30:06] God looks at Abraham’s doubt and said, this is why I walked through the animals alone.

[30:15] Because I knew something like this was going to come up. [30:18] That’s because he’s God.

[30:21] God says, Abraham, I’m going to do what I said I’m going to do. [30:25] Maybe not according to your timetable, but it’s not on your timetable. [30:30] Reality is not limited to you. [30:33] It’s a reality that’s bigger than you. [30:36] Reality is as big as God. [30:38] That’s why I always get so irritated when people tell me that they need to prepare for the real world.

[30:42] Or you’ll see when you get to the real world. [30:45] I’m in my mid-30s and I still think that the real world is God’s world.

[30:53] Created by him, sustained by him. [30:56] There’s no greater authority than him. [30:58] So what he says is what goes. [31:00] And here’s what God continues to say. [31:03] He says, he brought him outside. [31:05] He said, Abraham, get up.

[31:06] Go outside. [31:08] Look toward heaven. [31:09] Number the stars. [31:11] If you’re able to number them. [31:13] There’s God, the Holy Spirit, being sarcastic again.

[31:19] Because Abraham had to cop to it and say, oh, wow, okay, I lost track at 90. [31:25] I think I can count a couple of them three times.

[31:29] And that’s God’s point. [31:31] See, I can’t even number the ceiling tiles, man. [31:33] I’ve tried, dude. [31:33] I get lost at like 10.

[31:37] God says that’s the point. [31:39] God says you can’t. [31:41] But he can. [31:44] He can’t just number them. [31:45] He spoke and they were.

[31:49] He says, look toward heaven. [31:51] Number the stars. [31:51] If you’re able to number them. [31:52] Then he said to him, I’m going to up the ante. [31:57] So shall your offspring be. [32:00] He says, look, I’m going to give you a son.

[32:03] I’m going to give you a nation. [32:05] Then I pluralize. [32:05] I’m going to give you nations. [32:07] And he says, you know how many nations go outside? [32:09] Look at the stars. [32:09] That’s how many.

[32:13] In the pivotal verse of Abraham’s life, we talked about it a few weeks ago. [32:16] Genesis 15, verse 15. [32:17] And Abraham believed God. [32:21] Hope against hope. [32:24] And it was counted to Abraham as righteousness.

[32:29] For in faith is believing that God is who he says he is. [32:31] That God’s going to do what he says he’s going to do. [32:35] Abraham was old. [32:36] His wife had passed childbearing years and was still barren. [32:40] Human reasoning said it wasn’t going to happen. [32:42] But all that matters in this world is what God says.

[32:47] What God says is going to happen because God promises and he delivers. [32:54] All of life for Abraham needed to be driven by a belief in God’s promise. [33:01] That is why God credited righteousness to him. [33:04] But let me tell you what God didn’t promise. [33:06] God didn’t promise it would be easy. [33:09] God didn’t promise that there wouldn’t be any suffering.

[33:13] God didn’t promise that people wouldn’t rise up against Abraham. [33:18] No. [33:19] God promised that even if all of those things occur, and they did. [33:25] God says even if those things occur, his promise still stands true. [33:32] Once God makes a promise, I want you to understand this. [33:35] Once God makes a promise, nothing can stand in the way of God fulfilling that promise.

[33:41] Nothing.

[33:44] But what I want to caution you on, I want you to understand about faith in God’s promise. [33:49] That our belief is based on what God has done and promised. [33:55] Not on what we hope he will do. [34:00] See our faith needs to be firmly rooted in the promises of God. [34:03] And those promises are contained in Scripture. [34:07] We must know the word so that we will know what God has promised.

[34:11] We must know the word so that we will know what God said will happen. [34:15] We must know the word so that we will know what God has said. [34:19] This will happen. [34:20] And we can bank on every one of those promises 100% guaranteed. [34:27] Don’t doubt they’re coming or they’re already here. [34:30] Those promises are certain.

[34:33] As certain as God. [34:34] And that is where we must learn the history and the story of the Gospel of Jesus. [34:39] Do you know that Abraham was limited?

[34:45] See we’re not on the same page as Abraham is. [34:49] Abraham never got to see the descendants that outnumbered the stars in this world. [34:53] He saw it from heaven.

[34:56] See but we’re on the other side. [34:58] We look back and we see that God did give them a son. [35:04] And then through that son was birthed a nation. [35:07] And through that nation of Israel came the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, God the Son, into this world. [35:15] And that’s why God could say, hey I know it’s going to happen. [35:18] And then God looks at us and he says none of you are going to make it happen.

[35:21] So I’m walking through by myself because I’m going to make sure it happens. [35:24] And so God himself steps down from his throne and he says I guess I’m going to become one of you. [35:29] And he does and he comes and he dies and he rises from the dead to secure that it’s not one nation. [35:36] It’s all nations that can come to faith in Jesus Christ and have their sins forgiven. [35:43] This is why when we go into the world around us we take good news.

[35:49] Because we have seen it. [35:51] God has delivered on all of his promises. [35:55] We can go to any nation in the world and say Jesus saves and we’re telling the truth because he rose from the dead. [36:03] That’s why we must go. [36:05] You can trust any promise that God has made. [36:10] But understand that oftentimes your faith problems sometimes have a root in holding God accountable for promises that he never made.

[36:22] Friends, God did not promise that we would not suffer.

[36:27] Friends, God has not promised to heal us of every illness in this life. [36:33] Friends, God didn’t promise that you would have all the money that you want. [36:38] Friends, we must put our faith in what God has specifically promised. [36:45] And then trust him in every other area in light of those promises. [36:52] Friends, I’m convinced that some of our frustrations with God stem from the fact that he won’t supply us [37:00] with false idols that we want to replace him with.

[37:05] Friends, if your doubts about God are based on issues that are apart from what he has promised in the Gospel [37:10] then the answer is to trust his promises in the Gospel. [37:16] To endure you through the unknowns of this life. [37:20] Friends, he will deliver you. [37:23] But you don’t know when. [37:26] Neither do I.

[37:26] There are some issues that God won’t deliver us from until we’re dead. [37:34] But he will deliver nonetheless. [37:39] You know, God calls us to bring every need that we ever have before him as a child would to a parent. [37:51] Believing that God can work. [37:54] And trusting that he will work in accordance to his wisdom. [38:02] I mean, we know that he can do it. He can do all things.

[38:04] I mean, Jesus himself says in Matthew chapter 19 verse 26, he says, [38:09] But Jesus looked at them and he said, With man it’s impossible, but with God all things are possible. [38:16] So we know that he can. [38:19] The key is in realizing that whatever God decides to do in the specific situations that come up in your life [38:28] you must trust in his will. [38:30] You must trust in his wisdom.

[38:32] And the question that you need to ask yourself is, [38:35] Do I trust God to work things out differently than I would have worked them out? [38:44] Do I trust God to have more wisdom than I have? [38:50] Do I trust God to have more perspective into any given situation and circumstance than I have? [39:00] You know, one thing that I’ve found true about me and my life is that there are so often things that I request of God. [39:08] That if he’d given it in, he’d given into my demands, it wouldn’t have worked out as well.

[39:16] And if he’d done specifically what I said, I’m believing you for this God, [39:22] God said, Oh, you don’t want me to do that. [39:25] It’s like a child who night after night after night wants ice cream for dinner. [39:30] And you know that’s not a good idea, but he thinks it’s the best of ideas. [39:35] I’m in my mid thirties and sometimes I still think that’s a good idea. [39:40] That’s how limited my wisdom and my knowledge is.

[39:44] I need an authoritative perspective. [39:47] I need a perspective that can speak and things just exist. [39:51] I need a perspective that can bring life from the dead. [39:54] I need the perspective of an almighty God. [39:58] God to not simply work, but to know specifically how to work for my greatest joy, for my greatest good. [40:13] And that is what God has always promised to do.

[40:19] You know, when you look to the life of Abraham, when you look to the story that God tells us through his life,

[40:27] we can say for certain that God took Abraham, let’s be honest, down a much more difficult path than he would have gone down apart from God.

[40:41] But the end of following God is eternal joy. [40:47] If Abraham had not believed God, stayed where he was, done what he had always done, I truly believe Abraham’s life probably would have been easier. [41:00] Abraham may not have suffered some of the consequences that he did end up suffering if he had just stayed where he was. [41:07] But understand that if Abraham had walked apart from God, had gone through life without God, then the end would have been eternal torment. [41:21] I believe that because that’s what God says.

[41:25] Life is better with him, regardless of the specific situations, than life without him. [41:31] Because in his presence are pleasures forevermore. [41:35] And apart from him is nothing other than a destination of eternal condemnation. [41:44] Regardless, friends, of where following Jesus takes you, keep trusting, keep walking. [41:53] He will deliver on his promises no matter what. [42:00] Because of that, number three this morning, you have to believe God will deliver on his promises.

[42:09] There is no other option for your life that will turn out to your benefit. [42:17] There is no other choice that will work out for your good. [42:23] You have to believe that God will deliver on his promises. [42:28] Because the basis of faith in life gives you purpose. [42:35] You know the very first phrase in verse 16 is the phrase, that is why it is dependent on faith. [42:42] And I believe that the end of chapter four puts a bookend on that statement.

[42:46] Here’s what it says, starting in verse 21. [42:50] He says, Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. [42:55] And that is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. [42:59] But the words that were counted to him were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. [43:07] Note this. [43:07] It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord.

[43:17] Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. [43:23] You know without God, you can’t have purpose. [43:28] But with God, you already have purpose. [43:32] Even if you can’t quite see it. [43:35] Abraham didn’t know exactly how God was going to fulfill the promise. [43:41] But we see how he did.

[43:43] Abraham just trusted. [43:45] Abraham just followed. Why? [43:46] Because he believed that God was good. [43:48] He believed God was who he says he was. [43:50] And that God was going to do what he said he was going to do. [43:52] And so Abraham followed.

[43:54] Abraham shows us the importance of acting on God’s promises and his word even when it was hard. [44:03] Verse 16 tells us that it all depended on faith. [44:09] And that faith sees its fulfillment ultimately in Jesus Christ. [44:15] The outcome of Abraham’s trust. [44:17] Note this. [44:19] Was greater than he would have ever imagined.

[44:24] The outcome of Abraham’s trust was the outcome of God becoming man. [44:30] And God rising from the dead in order to count millions and millions righteous in Jesus. [44:40] God made promises to Abraham and saved him because he believed he was counted righteous. [44:46] But look at the way the text ends. [44:49] The text tells us that God has also made promises to us through Jesus. [44:56] And that God is the one who saves us and saves us if we believe.

[45:02] In 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 20, Paul writes and unfolds that every promise that God has ever made finds its yes in Jesus. [45:12] And that says at the end of the text, it says that is why it is through him, Jesus, that we utter our amen to God for his glory. [45:23] You say, but my situation, you say, but my feeling, and God friend you’ve got to understand reality is not limited to you. [45:33] This world is bigger than what you’re enduring right now. [45:37] This world is bigger than how you feel in this moment. [45:40] You say, how big is the world? The reality of the world is as big as God.

[45:45] And God says Jesus saves. [45:49] You can trust it because God did come to this world. [45:55] And Jesus did do exactly what he said he was going to do. [46:00] Jesus rose from the dead. The grave could not contain him. [46:05] The same type of power that can speak nothing into creation is the same power that can take a man who died to bear the penalty for your sin, for my sin. [46:18] And raise him up from the dead so that you can believe that there is life after death.

[46:26] Because of Jesus you can believe there is righteousness after sin. [46:32] Because of Jesus you can believe that there is hope to be put up against hopelessness and be absolutely victorious. [46:43] Friends, the life of faith is not a perfect life. [46:49] It’s a life that clings to all that God says God will do. [46:54] It sees struggles, it sees joy, it sees failure. [46:58] It sees all of those things as a means of increasing our dependence on God.

[47:07] Because he keeps his promises. [47:10] Jesus was delivered up for our sin. [47:16] Everything in the world was counted against him. [47:21] Did you know that? He looked beaten. [47:25] He looked defeated. [47:28] Jesus looked more barren than Sarah and Abraham.

[47:33] Jesus looked more lifeless and more dead than Abraham. [47:38] But just like God delivered life into an elderly couple’s womb, God raised Jesus up from the dead. [47:52] To ensure your forgiveness. [47:55] To ensure your life in Jesus.

[48:00] The most important thing that you can trust God for is a reconciled relationship with him. [48:07] Where your sin is not counted against you and God’s righteousness is counted for you. [48:14] Believe in Jesus. [48:16] You will have the greatest gift that has ever existed. [48:20] You will have God. [48:23] You will have a relationship.

[48:25] You will have an audience with the one who speaks. [48:29] And things exist. [48:30] The one who dies and then rises again for your redemption. [48:37] Believe in Jesus and be saved. [48:40] Friend, why? Why should you do this? [48:44] Because that is the plan that the God of the universe has made.

[48:52] And he has said, trust me. [48:56] He has said, Jesus saves.

[49:02] He is God.

[49:06] Abraham proves that what God has promised is greater than anything I’ll ever expect.

[49:18] As the band comes forward.

[49:24] If you are in here this morning.

[49:30] Something in Romans chapter 4. [49:33] The Holy Spirit has moved in you and said, I don’t know if I have that kind of faith. [49:38] I don’t think my faith has ever really been in the promises of God. [49:42] I’ve always wanted some certain things to happen. [49:45] But I’ve never known that this is what God has promised. [49:48] This is the life that God wants me to enter into.

[49:52] I want to be saved by Jesus. [49:53] I want that type of faith. [49:56] Friend, this morning you can have it.

[50:02] The call of God to you is to place your faith in Jesus Christ. [50:07] And be saved forever. [50:09] Place your trust in him. [50:12] And he will change your life.

[50:15] If you are in here this morning and you have faith. [50:19] Maybe even just for a moment you have that kind of faith.

[50:23] I want to invite you this morning to the communion table. [50:26] There are six of them throughout this room. [50:30] I want to invite all who believe to eat and drink. [50:35] Be filled by the God who promises that through Jesus. [50:41] He will save you. [50:44] He will change you.

[50:46] And ultimately he will bring you into the presence of Almighty God.

[50:54] As you come this morning.

[50:57] Come trusting. [51:00] Come believing. [51:01] Come proclaiming. [51:03] God will deliver on his promises. [51:08] When you are ready, come.