Life Reimagined and the Promises of God (Expanded)
Copyright: South Bay Community Church
Sermon Preamble
Last week, Pastor Tammy Long introduced a new sermon series entitled “Life Reimagined.” From the beginning of human existence on the planet, God has wanted us humans to be Stewards. To broaden our thinking and envision what a reimagined life can look like, we define stewardship as:
“to trust in the promises of God, to deploy the resources of God, to accomplish the mission of God for the glory of God.” This week, we unpack the first segment of this definition and wrestle with the implications of trusting in the promises of God. Then as now, early Christians struggled with learning how to work with God’s promises. During immense persecution and about to be executed, Peter wrote to Christians like us, who are going through difficult times, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises so that through them, you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2nd Peter 1:3). Peter is saying that the promises of God are supposed to do something. Through the promises of God, the character of God is produced in us. Promises are a big deal.
What is a Promise?
Have you ever had someone promise you something and not follow through? Whether a big promise or a small promise, when someone breaks a promise, it makes its way through our emotions into our heart and mind. There is incredible power in a promise. We can feel angry, or feel disappointed, or feel disrespected when someone makes us a promise and breaks it.
Have you ever considered what a promise is? A promise is not just empty words out of a person’s mouth; it is not meaningless text on a sheet of paper. A promise is a commitment, and commitment is something we take very seriously. When someone makes a commitment, we expect them to keep that commitment. With promises, we may have to rearrange schedules, say no to other opportunities, or otherwise change our behavior because we have made a commitment we must live up to. The message of a promise is an affirmation of love, respect, friendship, and connection with us. A promise says to us, “You care about me.”
The reality of promises raise questions about application to God and the Bible, for God has made promises.
Are all the promises in the Bible for me?
So, what about the promises in the Bible? There was a cute song that said, “Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line, all the blessings of His love divine; every promise in the book is mine.” The song sounds cute, but it is just not true, and its theology is wrong. Every promise is not mine; every promise in the Bible is not made to me. Some of the worst theology propagated in the Christian community today is in erroneous songs. Song writers don’t always get it right. We sign songs written as though the songs came straight from the throne of God, but they are not.
Many of the promises in scripture are not for us. Some of the promises are specific to an individual; some of the promises are made to nations; some of the promises are made to certain situations.
If we don’t get the promise right, then our expectation from God is not right. When God doesn’t come through on a promise God never made, then it affects the relationship we have with God. It can make us afraid to trust God.
Look at the promises of God through the same process of interpreting the Word of God
The way to determine if a promise is for us is to apply the same process that we should apply as we interpret any Scripture in the Bible. When you read the Scriptures in the Bible, you have to remember that the Bible was not written to you, but for you. The Bible tells you clearly who the promise was written to. For example, Paul says this is a letter to the Church at Rome, or a letter to the people of Philippi. The Bible has been preserved for you, but it was not written to you. Some of us, when we read the Scriptures, we treat the Scriptures as though it was written directly to us. You cannot read Scripture as though it was written right to you, because it was not written to you. It was written to someone else.
What is the message in Scripture to the original hearer or receiver? What did they hear?
When we read Scripture, we have to take the time to understand the message to the original hearer or receiver. What did they hear? What did the original hearers understand? If we do not understand what the Bible was saying to them, we will make it say something to us that it was never saying. When we make it say something to us that God is not saying, then we put words in God’s mouth that God is not saying. The first thing we must do in Scripture interpretation is ask, what did the original hearers hear?
What is the message in Scripture that is only for the original hearer?
The second question we must ask in interpreting Scripture is, what did the original hearers understand what they were to do? This will give us an understanding of the message that is only for the original hearers.
Is there something in the message that goes beyond the original hearer and is for everyone?
What is there in my understanding that applies to us in the time, culture, and environment I find myself today? What is there for me today? In other words we need to separate what was said to the original hearers in their culture from what is being said to me in my culture. Is there something in the message that applies to everyone regardless of who or where they are?
As an illustration, let’s interpret, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16). What part of that scripture should be applied to us today? If God’s truth is not true for every culture, at every time, in every place in history, and in every situation, then it cannot be God’s Word to us. When Paul says, “greet one another with a holy kiss,” the holy kiss cannot be the issue for us today. Every culture does not kiss. Some cultures do not want men kissing men. In some cultures people do not want other people touching them with their mouth. The issue has to be something more than the kiss. The greeting is the issue applicable to us today. When we read the text, the greeting fits every culture, every situation, every person in the world, every place in the world, at every time in history. Paul says whoever you are, greet one another. In this country most people do not greet with a kiss. In the Middle East, you find that they greet people with a kiss. The real issue of the text is not the kiss, but it is greeting each other. The greeting applies to every time in history every place in the world.
How do we steward and understand the promises of God that are for me?
How do I determine which promises of God are for me and which promises are not for me?
We cannot steward the promises of God if we don’t know them
To be able to make the most of the promises of God, we need to understand and know the promises of God. We cannot steward the promises of God if we do not know them. “God has given us his very great and precious promises so that through them, you may participate in the divine nature” (2nd Peter 1:3). I cannot be transformed by the promises of God if I do not know them.
The Bible is full of promises that we can celebrate with certainty. The Bible has some incredibly wonderful promises for us. God promises to give us wisdom if we ask (James 1:5). God promises to provide a way out of temptation (1 Corinth. 10:13). God promises that our salvation is secure, no matter what (John 10:28-29). God promises never to leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)). God promises to finish the good work God has begun in us (Phil. 1:6). The Son of God promises to come back (Luke 12:40). These promises have much more to say about who God is or how God is sanctifying us than about the outcome of our specific circumstances. The more we know God’s promises, the stronger the anchor for our soul.
We cannot steward the promises of God if we misuse them
We misuse the promises of God, if we confuse a promise with a principle. Promises are always fulfilled 100 percent of the time. Principles state general truths. The book of Proverbs is often mistaken as a book of promises, when it is really a book of principles. The principle of “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6) is generally true and wise to heed. But it is not a guarantee that every child raised with godly instruction will become a believer in Jesus.
We misuse them if we ignore the "if" Promises that contain an "If" and require some form of obedience before we can expect them to come to pass in our lives. They are conditional. If we want to claim them, we had better be ready to act in obedience to what they require. God grants us wisdom if we ask (James 1:4). But we have to ask. We misuse them when we try to manipulate God into doing our will rather than his will. The promises of God are to help us grow into the likeness of God to help us submit to his will, not bend him to ours.
We cannot steward the promises of God if we don’t trust them
Promises are only as good as the person who makes them. One of the great realities about God is that God is trustworthy. So when you lean on his promises, you can count on his promises because God always keeps his word. God keeps his promises. God can't help himself. God has to keep his promises. God is perfect. God cannot lie, so God keeps promises. God is eternal. God never forget, so God keeps promises. God is faithful. God never changes, so God always is going to keep promises. God is all-powerful. God always has the ability and power to keep promises. God is love and wants what's best for you in your life. So God is going to keep promises.
How do we activate the promises of God?
How do we activate the promises of God? Act on them as life deals us a hand to be played. Stand on them when our knees are shaky, and our hands are shaking. We don't choose what will happen to us in life, but we do choose how we will respond to it.
To live a reimagined life would mean to live it by God's promises. To trust in God is not an attitude: it's an action, it's a decision, it's a step, and this life of faith is deciding that amongst all the things you can lean on in this world, we are going to lean on God's promises.
Jesus gives us a big promise in Matthew 17:20. He says, "I tell you the truth. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Jesus gives us this mountain-moving promise. We all face mountains in our lives, every one of us. A definition of a mountain is something too big to move. But Jesus promises to move it.
Two things are required. First think big; nothing will be impossible for you. Second, start small. If that mountain is going to be moved, Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, "…if you have faith like a mustard seed," God can move the mountain. Nothing will be impossible if you have faith as small as a mustard seed.
You hear people say this all the time? If I had enough faith, God could do this through my life. They must have enough faith. It's not a matter of having enough faith, Jesus said. "If you've just got a small mustard seed of faith, God can work with that." Because it's not a matter of how much faith you have, it's not a matter of how big your faith is; it's a matter of how big God is. A little faith and a great big God is more than enough.
The message on the promises of God is captured by this song.
1 Standing on the promises of Christ my king,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of God my Savior;
standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.
2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
3 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to him eternally by love's strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit's call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Sermon Preamble
Consider 2 Peter 1:4, a statement about how we may participate in the divine nature from God.
How can knowing the promises of God, with much to say about who God is and how God is sanctifying us, develop a divine character in us?
What is a Promise?
How have you felt when someone made a commitment to you in a promise and did not follow through on their promise? How does another person following through on keeping a promise to you impact how you feel towards that another person?
Are all the promises in the Bible for me?
As we read scripture, why is every promise in the Bible not directly for us? How might we feel towards God if we mistakenly interpret a Biblical promise as directly applicable to us?
Look at the promises of God through the same process of interpreting the Word of God
Paul’s letters that are biblical books begin with a greeting such as, “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:2a). Why is it important to understand the culture and situation of the people in Rome to properly interpret the message of Scripture, including promises, made to the people in Rome?
What is the message in Scripture to the original hearer or receiver? What did they hear?
Since the Scriptures, including promises, are messages to the original readers in Biblical times, why is it important to take the time to understand what the original readers and hearers heard and understood?
Is there something in the message that goes beyond the original hearer and is for everyone?
After we take the time to understand what the original audience heard and understood, how do we determine what message applies to everyone regardless of who, where, or any special situations of that time? In applying scripture to us today, why is it important that the message fits every culture, every situation, every person in the world, every place in the world, and every time in history?
We cannot steward the promises of God if we don’t know them
Review the list of examples in the sermon text that are promises we can celebrate with certainty. What do these promises say about God and how God is sanctifying us, rather than promised outcome of our specific circumstances? Why are these promises a strong anchor for our soul?
We cannot steward the promises of God if we misuse them
What is the difference between a promise and a principle, (such as Proverbs 22:6), that is sometimes mistaken as a promise?
How would we misuse a promise when we ignore the conditions for the promise contained in the conditional “if” clause?
How have some misused a promise of God to manipulate God into doing our will rather than the will of God? Why can the promises of God help us grow into the likeness of God to do God’s Will, not our own will?
We cannot steward the promises of God if we don’t trust them
What are some reasons that we can trust God to keep all of God’s promises to us?
How do we activate the promises of God?
To activate the promises of God, we must trust God. In what specific ways do we trust in God through faith in action that is more than an attitude? Why does faith in action not depend on favorable external circumstances?
Review Matthew 17:20. Why are the promises of God not based on the amount of faith we have, but rather how awesome and all mighty God is.
Sermon Preamble
Last week, Pastor Tammy Long introduced a new sermon series entitled “Life Reimagined.” From the beginning of human existence on the planet, God has wanted us humans to be Stewards. To broaden our thinking and envision what a reimagined life can look like, we define stewardship as:
“to trust in the promises of God, to deploy the resources of God, to accomplish the mission of God for the glory of God.” This week, we unpack the first segment of this definition and wrestle with the implications of trusting in the promises of God. Then as now, early Christians struggled with learning how to work with God’s promises. During immense persecution and about to be executed, Peter wrote to Christians like us, who are going through difficult times, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises so that through them, you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2nd Peter 1:3). Peter is saying that the promises of God are supposed to do something. Through the promises of God, the character of God is produced in us. Promises are a big deal.
What is a Promise?
Have you ever had someone promise you something and not follow through? Whether a big promise or a small promise, when someone breaks a promise, it makes its way through our emotions into our heart and mind. There is incredible power in a promise. We can feel angry, or feel disappointed, or feel disrespected when someone makes us a promise and breaks it.
Have you ever considered what a promise is? A promise is not just empty words out of a person’s mouth; it is not meaningless text on a sheet of paper. A promise is a commitment, and commitment is something we take very seriously. When someone makes a commitment, we expect them to keep that commitment. With promises, we may have to rearrange schedules, say no to other opportunities, or otherwise change our behavior because we have made a commitment we must live up to. The message of a promise is an affirmation of love, respect, friendship, and connection with us. A promise says to us, “You care about me.”
The reality of promises raise questions about application to God and the Bible, for God has made promises.
Are all the promises in the Bible for me?
So, what about the promises in the Bible? There was a cute song that said, “Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line, all the blessings of His love divine; every promise in the book is mine.” The song sounds cute, but it is just not true, and its theology is wrong. Every promise is not mine; every promise in the Bible is not made to me. Some of the worst theology propagated in the Christian community today is in erroneous songs. Song writers don’t always get it right. We sign songs written as though the songs came straight from the throne of God, but they are not.
Many of the promises in scripture are not for us. Some of the promises are specific to an individual; some of the promises are made to nations; some of the promises are made to certain situations.
If we don’t get the promise right, then our expectation from God is not right. When God doesn’t come through on a promise God never made, then it affects the relationship we have with God. It can make us afraid to trust God.
Look at the promises of God through the same process of interpreting the Word of God
The way to determine if a promise is for us is to apply the same process that we should apply as we interpret any Scripture in the Bible. When you read the Scriptures in the Bible, you have to remember that the Bible was not written to you, but for you. The Bible tells you clearly who the promise was written to. For example, Paul says this is a letter to the Church at Rome, or a letter to the people of Philippi. The Bible has been preserved for you, but it was not written to you. Some of us, when we read the Scriptures, we treat the Scriptures as though it was written directly to us. You cannot read Scripture as though it was written right to you, because it was not written to you. It was written to someone else.
What is the message in Scripture to the original hearer or receiver? What did they hear?
When we read Scripture, we have to take the time to understand the message to the original hearer or receiver. What did they hear? What did the original hearers understand? If we do not understand what the Bible was saying to them, we will make it say something to us that it was never saying. When we make it say something to us that God is not saying, then we put words in God’s mouth that God is not saying. The first thing we must do in Scripture interpretation is ask, what did the original hearers hear?
What is the message in Scripture that is only for the original hearer?
The second question we must ask in interpreting Scripture is, what did the original hearers understand what they were to do? This will give us an understanding of the message that is only for the original hearers.
Is there something in the message that goes beyond the original hearer and is for everyone?
What is there in my understanding that applies to us in the time, culture, and environment I find myself today? What is there for me today? In other words we need to separate what was said to the original hearers in their culture from what is being said to me in my culture. Is there something in the message that applies to everyone regardless of who or where they are?
As an illustration, let’s interpret, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16). What part of that scripture should be applied to us today? If God’s truth is not true for every culture, at every time, in every place in history, and in every situation, then it cannot be God’s Word to us. When Paul says, “greet one another with a holy kiss,” the holy kiss cannot be the issue for us today. Every culture does not kiss. Some cultures do not want men kissing men. In some cultures people do not want other people touching them with their mouth. The issue has to be something more than the kiss. The greeting is the issue applicable to us today. When we read the text, the greeting fits every culture, every situation, every person in the world, every place in the world, at every time in history. Paul says whoever you are, greet one another. In this country most people do not greet with a kiss. In the Middle East, you find that they greet people with a kiss. The real issue of the text is not the kiss, but it is greeting each other. The greeting applies to every time in history every place in the world.
How do we steward and understand the promises of God that are for me?
How do I determine which promises of God are for me and which promises are not for me?
We cannot steward the promises of God if we don’t know them
To be able to make the most of the promises of God, we need to understand and know the promises of God. We cannot steward the promises of God if we do not know them. “God has given us his very great and precious promises so that through them, you may participate in the divine nature” (2nd Peter 1:3). I cannot be transformed by the promises of God if I do not know them.
The Bible is full of promises that we can celebrate with certainty. The Bible has some incredibly wonderful promises for us. God promises to give us wisdom if we ask (James 1:5). God promises to provide a way out of temptation (1 Corinth. 10:13). God promises that our salvation is secure, no matter what (John 10:28-29). God promises never to leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)). God promises to finish the good work God has begun in us (Phil. 1:6). The Son of God promises to come back (Luke 12:40). These promises have much more to say about who God is or how God is sanctifying us than about the outcome of our specific circumstances. The more we know God’s promises, the stronger the anchor for our soul.
We cannot steward the promises of God if we misuse them
We misuse the promises of God, if we confuse a promise with a principle. Promises are always fulfilled 100 percent of the time. Principles state general truths. The book of Proverbs is often mistaken as a book of promises, when it is really a book of principles. The principle of “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6) is generally true and wise to heed. But it is not a guarantee that every child raised with godly instruction will become a believer in Jesus.
We misuse them if we ignore the "if" Promises that contain an "If" and require some form of obedience before we can expect them to come to pass in our lives. They are conditional. If we want to claim them, we had better be ready to act in obedience to what they require. God grants us wisdom if we ask (James 1:4). But we have to ask. We misuse them when we try to manipulate God into doing our will rather than his will. The promises of God are to help us grow into the likeness of God to help us submit to his will, not bend him to ours.
We cannot steward the promises of God if we don’t trust them
Promises are only as good as the person who makes them. One of the great realities about God is that God is trustworthy. So when you lean on his promises, you can count on his promises because God always keeps his word. God keeps his promises. God can't help himself. God has to keep his promises. God is perfect. God cannot lie, so God keeps promises. God is eternal. God never forget, so God keeps promises. God is faithful. God never changes, so God always is going to keep promises. God is all-powerful. God always has the ability and power to keep promises. God is love and wants what's best for you in your life. So God is going to keep promises.
How do we activate the promises of God?
How do we activate the promises of God? Act on them as life deals us a hand to be played. Stand on them when our knees are shaky, and our hands are shaking. We don't choose what will happen to us in life, but we do choose how we will respond to it.
To live a reimagined life would mean to live it by God's promises. To trust in God is not an attitude: it's an action, it's a decision, it's a step, and this life of faith is deciding that amongst all the things you can lean on in this world, we are going to lean on God's promises.
Jesus gives us a big promise in Matthew 17:20. He says, "I tell you the truth. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Jesus gives us this mountain-moving promise. We all face mountains in our lives, every one of us. A definition of a mountain is something too big to move. But Jesus promises to move it.
Two things are required. First think big; nothing will be impossible for you. Second, start small. If that mountain is going to be moved, Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, "…if you have faith like a mustard seed," God can move the mountain. Nothing will be impossible if you have faith as small as a mustard seed.
You hear people say this all the time? If I had enough faith, God could do this through my life. They must have enough faith. It's not a matter of having enough faith, Jesus said. "If you've just got a small mustard seed of faith, God can work with that." Because it's not a matter of how much faith you have, it's not a matter of how big your faith is; it's a matter of how big God is. A little faith and a great big God is more than enough.
The message on the promises of God is captured by this song.
1 Standing on the promises of Christ my king,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of God my Savior;
standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.
2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
3 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to him eternally by love's strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit's call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Sermon Preamble
Consider 2 Peter 1:4, a statement about how we may participate in the divine nature from God.
How can knowing the promises of God, with much to say about who God is and how God is sanctifying us, develop a divine character in us?
What is a Promise?
How have you felt when someone made a commitment to you in a promise and did not follow through on their promise? How does another person following through on keeping a promise to you impact how you feel towards that another person?
Are all the promises in the Bible for me?
As we read scripture, why is every promise in the Bible not directly for us? How might we feel towards God if we mistakenly interpret a Biblical promise as directly applicable to us?
Look at the promises of God through the same process of interpreting the Word of God
Paul’s letters that are biblical books begin with a greeting such as, “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:2a). Why is it important to understand the culture and situation of the people in Rome to properly interpret the message of Scripture, including promises, made to the people in Rome?
What is the message in Scripture to the original hearer or receiver? What did they hear?
Since the Scriptures, including promises, are messages to the original readers in Biblical times, why is it important to take the time to understand what the original readers and hearers heard and understood?
Is there something in the message that goes beyond the original hearer and is for everyone?
After we take the time to understand what the original audience heard and understood, how do we determine what message applies to everyone regardless of who, where, or any special situations of that time? In applying scripture to us today, why is it important that the message fits every culture, every situation, every person in the world, every place in the world, and every time in history?
We cannot steward the promises of God if we don’t know them
Review the list of examples in the sermon text that are promises we can celebrate with certainty. What do these promises say about God and how God is sanctifying us, rather than promised outcome of our specific circumstances? Why are these promises a strong anchor for our soul?
We cannot steward the promises of God if we misuse them
What is the difference between a promise and a principle, (such as Proverbs 22:6), that is sometimes mistaken as a promise?
How would we misuse a promise when we ignore the conditions for the promise contained in the conditional “if” clause?
How have some misused a promise of God to manipulate God into doing our will rather than the will of God? Why can the promises of God help us grow into the likeness of God to do God’s Will, not our own will?
We cannot steward the promises of God if we don’t trust them
What are some reasons that we can trust God to keep all of God’s promises to us?
How do we activate the promises of God?
To activate the promises of God, we must trust God. In what specific ways do we trust in God through faith in action that is more than an attitude? Why does faith in action not depend on favorable external circumstances?
Review Matthew 17:20. Why are the promises of God not based on the amount of faith we have, but rather how awesome and all mighty God is.
Posted in Life Reimagined
Posted in Reimagined, Steward, promise, 2nd Peter 1, Bible Interpretation, Original, Romans 16:, misuse, trust, activate, faith
Posted in Reimagined, Steward, promise, 2nd Peter 1, Bible Interpretation, Original, Romans 16:, misuse, trust, activate, faith
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