Living the Promises of God
Faith Service Worship Vision
There may be times when you find it difficult to reconcile God’s truth to your own opinion or worldview, God’s truth is eternal, it does not change, our understanding of the truth does change as we allow God to work in our hearts and minds. These sessions are not about opinion, they are about learning truth, the truth contained in the Bible, together we are going to focus on how we apply God’s truth, black & white in a grey world. To set godly priorities, grow in Christian character and live according to God’s standards so that we are a living witness to others. Notes from previous sessions are available from the Bible Study Section of www.ashingdonelim.co.uk.
Session 7
22 February 2011
Don’t doubt the promises of God Do you ever doubt anything? What causes the most doubt in your life? Do you always find something to worry about? Does society strengthen or weaken your faith? Does your family strengthen or weaken your faith? Does your church strengthen or weaken your faith? How do you strengthen or weaken your faith? If our goal is to grow in faith, why do we have so many doubts about the promises of God being relevant to us? If God says He will do something for you, He will do it! He always keeps his promises, but there are some things that you have to do in order to receive from Him. The best example of this is seen in the life of Abraham. The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
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He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.” 3
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.” 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. 6
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“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said.
Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” 10
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” 11
Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 13
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Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”
But he said, “Yes, you did laugh” (Genesis 18:1-15)
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When God promised Abraham that Sarah would give birth to a son, Abraham had to ignore his natural circumstances, have faith in God’s promise, and believe that God was powerful enough to do what He said he would do.
A person who staggers or wavers in faith will not receive anything from God. – “6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6,7)
Romans 4:19-21 reveals the steps that Abraham followed to receive the fulfilment of the promise God made to him: 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:19-21)
I know people who have read a faith-inspiring book or listened to a powerful sermon and felt “sky high” spiritually – really strong in faith. They’d make all the right confessions and keep concentrating on the Word. But a few days later they would start to waver, so they never received the answer to their prayers. They did exactly what they weren’t supposed to do. They began to consider the situation. (Considering not and staggering not go hand in hand. You can’t separate them.)
This passage of Scripture makes one thing clear: If we’re going to receive from God, we’re going to have to do the same things Abraham did – consider not, stagger not, give glory to God, and be fully persuaded.
Why does Satan always try to get us to focus on the circumstances? When you make a statement of faith declaring what you’re believing God for, the first thing he’ll do is start asking you questions and sowing seeds of doubt, saying “Have you considered this? Have you thought about that? Do you know that what you’re believing for goes against what’s happening in the world?” The enemy may ask, “Why hasn’t God answered you yet? If God were going to answer you He would have already done it.”
Consider Not Do you allow circumstances to effect your faith, look at everything through the ‘eyes of faith’? Abraham considered not. He didn’t take into account the natural circumstances that told him it was impossible for him and Sarah to have a child. He did not let those circumstances influence his faith. I’m not suggesting you ignore the natural circumstances and do something crazy. But your focus, in faith, needs to be on believing to receive the fulfilment of a promise from God. Abraham looked at the circumstances of his and Sarah’s body through the eyes of faith. It doesn’t matter what you’re believing God for— you need to see beyond the circumstances that surround your particular situation. If you dwell on the natural conditions or what so-and-so said, it can weaken your faith.
Actually, the tactics of the enemy are no different today than they were in the Garden of Eden. The enemy came to Eve and said, “Well, God said such-and-such, but have you thought about this?” If the devil can get you to consider everything around you, he can get you to stagger at and forfeit the promises of God. So don’t consider the situation or the circumstances!
When we don’t consider the circumstances, are we denying that the situation exists? Now that doesn’t
Abraham’s faith was not weak. The word weak means, “to be feeble; to be diseased, impotent, sick, etc.” A lot of people have diseased faith. Abraham’s faith was not sick but well.
mean the circumstances don’t exist. Of course it exists. We would have to acknowledge that first before we could even do something about it. We had to acknowledge we were sinners in need of a Saviour before we could ever be saved, didn’t we? Well, in the same way, we have to acknowledge that we need a Healer before we can ever be healed. In other words, we have to acknowledge the facts—but we don’t have to dwell on them.
Abraham’s faith was so strong that he didn’t consider the fact that both he and Sarah were beyond the age of having children. God promised that they would have a son, and Abraham did not allow the obstacles that were in front of him stop him from believing God.
Stagger Not
Abraham acknowledged the fact that he was almost a hundred years old. He knew the condition of his body. But he refused to consider those things and chose instead to consider what God said.
Do you doubt first and trust later, or trust first then allow doubt to creep in? If you’ll go back and read the story in Genesis 18:1-15, you’ll see that Sarah laughed at the whole idea of bearing a child at her age. Experience tells us that a 99-year-old man and a 90-year-old woman are not going to be able to have children. But Abraham didn’t say anything against it at all. In other words, he didn’t waver. The Contemporary English Version says: “But Abraham never doubted or questioned God’s promise.”
Give Glory to God Now look at the second half of Romans 4:20 because is was also an important step that enabled Abraham to receive from God: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, GIVING GLORY TO GOD.”
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Of all the statements in Matthew 6:25-34, which one challenges you the most?
Notice that Abraham gave glory to God for the blessing before it ever happened. That lines up with what the New Testament teaches. You have to believe God & thank Him for the answer when you pray.
Be Fully Persuaded
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
Abraham was strong in faith, so he didn’t consider the circumstances or stagger at the promise of God through unbelief. He wavered not concerning what he believed. Why? Because he was fully persuaded. Unfortunately, many people today are in a position of staggering or wavering. They’re wondering if the promises of God are really for them.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers.” (Philippians 4:6 TLB)
When you pray about a situation, do you ask God to answer or thank Him that He will answer? Do you wait until you get the answer to praise God for it?
When the Apostle Paul was on a ship heading for Rome, the wind & the waves tossed the boat back & forth so violently that the men on board the ship gave up all hope of being saved.
Today you may be facing obstacles, circumstances or situations that have you worried. You need to recognise the facts that exist, but don’t let them be your total focus, consider them – then consider what God says.
After several days, Paul encouraged them with a message that the angel of God had given him. He said, “therefore take heart, men, for I BELIEVE God that it will be just as it was told me” (Acts 27:25). NIV – “So keep up you courage, men, for I HAVE FAITH in God that it will happen just as he told me.”
It’s difficult to consider what God says, if you don’t know His Word. Many people try to receive from God, but they don’t know His Word for themselves. Maybe someone told them what God said, or they heard a testimony of how God’s Word delivered somebody else. But that’s not good enough. If you know what God says you can begin to praise Him for it.
Paul was full persuaded that God would do just what He said! It’s not feasible that a ship would go down during a violent storm without someone dying. But that’s exactly what happened (vv. 41-44). If God says He will do something for you, He will do it, if you’ll stay steady & not waver.
If you’re going to consider what God said, you’re going to have to know His Word for yourself. It’s one thing to say “I think so” or “I heard,” but it’s another thing to say, “I know!” When you say “I know,” that means you’re persuaded beyond a shadow of a doubt.
You may feel as if you’re in the middle of a violent storm & your ship is about to go under. But if you will keep believing God, He will deliver you. He may have to give you a new ship, but He will deliver you!
Do you always trust God in every situation or do you persuade yourself to trust Him?
Some people think, “Well, if God was really in the situation, there wouldn’t be any problems or tests. There wouldn’t be any trouble.” No, the Bible never said that!
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 25
Paul, who wrote about Abraham in the Book of Romans, was beaten repeatedly & faced death many times. Yet he said, “I thank God, I am always victorious in Christ!” Paul had all sorts of trials & tribulations, he went through those trials-—but he considered not the situations, staggered not at the promises of God, & was fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was also able to perform.
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 28
Do you ever ask “Why do I have to go through this.”? We may never know why until we are in Heaven, but keep believing God, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! Be fully persuaded that what God said to you will happen!” Abraham was so fully persuaded that even after Isaac was born & God told him to offer Isaac, he obeyed. Abraham was so sure that God would keep His Word that he took his son Isaac up the mountain to offer him (Genesis 22). By his faith, Abraham gave glory to God.
(Matthew 6:25-34)
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Look at the word “able” in verse 21. It means “powerful, mighty, having power for something.” Abraham believed that God had the strength to do what He promised. He was strong enough to do what He promised. He was capable enough to do what He promised. We are to be like Abraham—fully persuaded that what God has promised, He is also able to perform. We have to believe that whatever God has said, He is able to bring to pass!
Mature Christianity Would you call yourself a mature Christian, do you think you have a mature faith? Why? A few years ago there was a study done and hundreds of Christians were surveyed and the results were a list of the seven characteristics of a mature faith. You may not want to agree with everything on their list, but it’s interesting to look at the conclusions.
Characteristics of Mature Christianity 1. Trusts in God’s saving grace and believes firmly in the humanity and divinity of Jesus. 2. Experiences a sense of personal well-being, security, and peace. 3. Integrates faith and life, seeing work, family, social relationships, and political choices as part of their religious life. 4. Seeks spiritual growth through study, reflection, prayer, discussion with others. 5. Seeks to be part of a community of believers who give witness to their faith and support and nourish one another. 6. Holds life-affirming values, including commitment to racial and gender equality, affirmation of cultural diversity, and a personal sense of responsibility for the welfare of others. 7. Serves others, consistently and passionately.
Which of the 7 characteristics are most obvious in your Christian walk? Which of the 7 characteristics are least obvious? Which of the 7 characteristics do you struggle with the most? What is it that you need God to do? While you’re waiting for the promise of God to be fulfilled in your life, maintain your confident trust in Him. Refuse to consider the circumstances or anything else. Don’t stagger at the promises of God through unbelief but, instead, thank God in advance for causing you to triumph. Then stay fully persuaded that whatever God promised, He is able to do. And it will come to pass.
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