PROMISES, PROMISES

Eltham Baptist 14th October 2012

No. 393

Last week I preached a sermon on the need to hear the Alarm call of God in these Last Days, the call to wake up from our sleep. One of the reasons for preaching this sermon was because I of all people needed to hear that sound loud and clear. Not only the trumpet sound of the Lord's soon return but the sound of the abundance of rain. Angus Buchan (Faith like Potatoes) has said over the last couple of weeks that not only is Jesus coming soon but He's on the way! Let's be about our Father's business redeeming the time and occupying (being active) 'til He (Jesus) comes. Hallelujah, even so Lord Jesus Come. (The Spirit and the Bride say come!) I have been struggling of late in spiritual stamina and the sound of the Shofar helped to wake something up in my Spirit last Sunday for I felt like I was falling asleep. What scared me more than anything was that I looked at one of the promises that I had fasted over, prayed about and really once believed with all my heart, only to say "I don't believe it anymore and don't want it either." "I must have been mistaken." Satan was whispering in my ear like he did to Eve, "Did God say?" The Holy Spirit then whispered to me - as He does and said, "It can still happen you know." "Wake up from your sleep and believe once more!" I'm sure Abraham wondered if his promise from God really was the Lord speaking to him too and even if it was God did he still want a child in his old age? Wouldn't it be easier to just go with the flow like everyone else? The trouble is, if God has given you a promise, then He expects you to believe it. If we don't believe then we become weak and the loss of vision cripples us. Look at Zechariah after an Angel came to him with the promise of a son in his old age. He was struck dumb.
Zechariah asked the angel, How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. The angel answered, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time. Luke 1:18-20

Look at the man at the gate in Elisha's day who didn't believe the prophecy of abundance and never ate a morsel and was trampled to death.
Elisha said, Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria. The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen? You will see it with your own eyes, answered Elisha, but you will not eat any of it! 2 Kings 7: 1-2

Look at the Prophet who was told to go straight home but ignored the word from God and was then eaten by a Lion. I don't think God will kill us like these men for not believing, but we will have our witness muted, our prosperity whittled away and could be overcome by the roaring Lion. You may say that you knew someone who was believing for a healing once and yet they died..? How can you then believe? Abraham died not seeing all of his promise fulfilled, but it was fulfilled in us. Jesus died too and it seemed like God had let Him down yet it was also fulfilled in future generations. I believe it is better to die believing than to die in unbelief. I remember one of the first times I have ever thought God spoke to about being used in healing and miracles. I had been walking down the Matopos Road in Bulawayo, which is about a 45 min walk praying in tongues as a new believer. The Bible says that "with stammering lips and other tongues will God speak to His people." I believe God spoke to me back then. The trouble is nothing happened in the next month or the next year. About 2 years later I wrestled with God over this and decided to fast about it. I fasted for 40 days and still nothing happened that was remotely

miraculous but during this time I was given a promise in the Book of Ezekiel.
"Nevertheless I will remember my covenant (Promise) with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish unto you an everlasting covenant." Ezekiel 16:60

I was encouraged by this and thought that even though it hadn't happen right then it would happen when I was still young. Well the decades have gone by and now when I look at it again I can see that the Lord was saying that He will remember His promise that He gave to me when I was young, even though I am 62 years old. A year after this 40 day fast I went to Bible College and remember getting another promise on my first preaching engagement. I had gone for a prayer walk and was sitting on a seat reading my bible. I was feeling a bit discouraged that nothing much was happening in my ministry.
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay." Hebrews 10:35-37

Cast not away your confidence for there is a great reward. Amen. Persevere and do the will of God. Quite a few years later I hit rock bottom again and was very disappointed that my desires seem to be ignored by God. I cried to God with tears and He gave this verse in Proverbs.
"For surely there is an end (reward); and your expectation shall not be cut off." Proverbs 23:18

God is saying, "What are you expecting to happen?" Whatever you are expecting I will not cut it off, but will fulfill. There still is a reward ahead. I have been through the mill and come to the place where I have not even wanted it any more. The vision has died. I was reminded of Moses who had the same thing happen to him. He wanted to deliver Israel so bad that he even killed and Egyptian to help God along. Realising he had done the wrong thing he fled into the wilderness for 40 years. He came to the place where he didn't even care and made no attempt to go back. It was there that God met with him (the murderer) at the burning bush and reminded him of the call.
"And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, " Hebrew 11:32-33

The Heroes of faith were those who obtained promises. God has given us promises too and He wants us to take hold of them. Don't let them drop. Maybe you're feeling so weak today because you aren't believing anymore and are just going with the flow. You need to hear the trumpet call once more and wake up from your slumber. We need to get back to that place where we are excited about the promises of God once more. If the world excites you more than the things of God, repent. God is not a killjoy, He wants us to have fun and enjoy life, but if something comes between you and Him it can kill your love for God. He is a jealous God and wants first place so that He can bless us more. It's not too late for God to act. Abraham must have wondered at 100 years old whether it was too late but it wasn't too late. Noah must have wondered if he had got it right too for he was 480 years old when he was told to build the ark and 600 when the flood came. That's 120 years of waiting in a hostile environment. Right up until the animals went into the ark there was no sign of rain - then suddenly. I love this word suddenly. The Bible is full of 'suddenlies'. Just because we have not seen any rain, not even a drop of revival doesn't mean it's not going to happen. During the famine in Elisha's day, he prophesised that it would happen the next day and suddenly it all came together. Elisha wanted a double portion from Elijah and nothing was different for him right up until that special day. There was no gradual anointing, or practise run but a suddenly of God. All he had to do was not cast away his confidence and serve Elijah. Remember the day of Pentecost that suddenly changed all the disciples lives forever? Remember the encounter Mary and Elizabeth had with the Angel that changed their lives forever as well? God can still fulfill His promises even though you are old and grey haired. Remember Simeon who

was promised that He would see the Christ before he died. Luke 2:27-30 God can fulfill His promises to you as well. Don't give up. http://hottersermons1.blogspot.com