Sermon Title: Living FOR God’s Ultimate Promise
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
As servants of God, we don’t simply ‘live in’ the Promises of God; we must ‘live for’ His Promises – in the way that our lives remain constantly aligned to how His promises will be fulfilled and consequently, remain constantly available to the Holy Spirit in being co-workers in the fulfillment of His Promises – and therein, lies the Christian’s task.
To properly understand the Promises of God is to understand His divine reasons and purposes for making those Promises.
Without a relationship, promises mean nothing.
To even consider yourself a recipient of God’s Promises means that you must actually have a true relationship with the Promise-Maker.
You may personally sense that God has given you some precise Promises that will be fulfilled in your life; and you may be right.
However, every of God’s Promises must lead to His Sovereign Will - that flows from the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ – in fulfilling His ultimate covenant with His People – that is, to inbreak His Eternal and Perfect Kingdom.
And what is this ultimate outcome of each of God’s Promises?
Christ will introduce the millennial age, restore Israel to her own land, lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God. (Ref: PAOC STATEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL AND ESSENTIAL TRUTHS 5.8.4B)
GOD FULFILLS ALL HIS PROMISES TO US; AND TO THE WORLD.
Promises may be understood differently, or even wrongly, between the maker and the recipient of the promise.
As we contemplate the Promises and Covenants that God has made, we need to understand the divine context and eternal fulfillment that will culminate with the return of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom.
To this, we must recalibrate our understanding of the Promises of God by understanding how those promises will ultimately be fulfilled.
Bear in mind.
Every Promise of God must lead us to Christ, and to flow out of Christ’s Life, Death and Resurrection toward the decisive and glorious establishment of his Eternal Kingdom.
Revelation 20:4-6 reveal key aspects of how God’s Promises will be fulfilled.
“4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.
They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.
They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.)
This is the first resurrection.
6Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection.
The second death has no power over them,
but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Indeed.
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection.
The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”
The ‘blessed’ are also the ‘holy’.
Those who are ‘holy’ will be resurrected in Christ and given an eternal, imperishable ‘New-Creation’ body.
Because they were born twice, they died only once.
And they will be servants of God and of Christ, by the infinite Power of the Holy Spirit; and will reign over all Creation with King Jesus -initially - for a thousand years.
Every divine prophecy and promise - first through Israel by the prophets, then to the church and the whole world by our Lord Jesus – will be completely fulfilled in Revelation 20:6.
God promised that He would restore the world unto His holiness; and He will.
What has the Lord promised you?
Have you held onto any promises of God?
Is your life guided by His Promises?
But do you understand His Promises properly and clearly?
Do you look forward to God’s personal promises to you fulfilled in the ways that we are reading here in these Scriptures that precisely detail how those promises will be ultimately fulfilled?
For most of us, we must recalibrate and realign our understanding of the Promises of God.
As much as we desire that we are personally blessed, there must exist in each of our hearts a selflessness in deference to His Kingdom; and a surrendered-ness to His Sovereign and Perfect Will; so that His Promises of healing, deliverance, redemption and restoration fulfilled in your life will serve to open your hearts to accept the fulfillment of His ultimate Promise – the inheritance of His Kingdom; and your eternal calling to His Holy Priesthood.
God keeps every single one of His Promises; and will thus, “restore Israel to her own land, lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God.
From as early as Abraham, the Nation of Israel was so named and destined to be “Victorious or Triumphant with God”.
The Promised Land was to be God’s sacred touchpoint to the world; and the people of Israel – His ambassadors of love, redemption and restoration.
Every war waged by, or against, Israel was spiritual, as much as it was physical.
They were not meant to take lives but to saves lives.
Israel’s victories on the battlefield was meant to teach their neighbours and enemies that YHWH is the one true living and loving God; and to give them divine time and opportunity to – quite literally - consider a change in nationality, allegiance and religion.
Their obedience to the laws of God that would consecrate and sanctify them as a holy people and nation was meant to exemplify lives deeply blessed and a culture so divine - that it would be impossible to ignore the reality that YHWH is, indeed, the only true, faithful and loving God.
However, it was not to be.
In their persistent failure to recognize the Lord Jesus as the Son of God and Saviour of the World - lies the tragic failure of Israel.
Through the ages of the Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists – and even till today - Israel remains a “stiff-necked people” whose “hearts and ears are still uncircumcised”;
a people who is still - just like their ancestors, always resisting the Holy Spirit! (Acts 7:51)
And yet, true to His immense and infinite faithfulness, God continues to bless the present nation of Israel; keeping each of His Promises to them - as would a good and faithful master in honoring the pension of a retired employee. (More on this in a while.)
But there’s more.
Though old Israel failed, she is promised a new covenant – one that is built upon God’s covenants with the nation - stretching back to Abraham (Ref: Genesis 12:1-3).
Remember.
Every covenant and promise of God is a divine part of the progressive revelation that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour of the world; and in Him, God’s ultimate fulfillment of His Kingdom is established.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Israel will repent and return to God.
The world will know God.
Everyone will know God and have a right relationship with Him.
Israel and the world will be restored.
This happens when Christ ‘touches down’ on earth in power and glory.
Isaiah 2:1-4 - The Mountain of the Lord
1This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
We want to live in His favor; and He will teach us how.”
And so – God will “restore Israel to her own land, lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God.”
The world draws near and worships the God of Israel.
From Zion (Meaning in Hebrew : Highest Point), the highest law will come from the highest place; and from Jerusalem (‘Jeru’ – the Lord will uplift; ‘Salem’, similarly ‘Shalom’ – Peace), His word will come from the holy place of peace – peace that God will uplift and fill the world with.
God will teach us His ways; and we will live in His Holiness.
He judges fairly; and there will be no more need for compromises or combat; everyone will become fully involved in the stewardship of creation – in fulfilment of God’s covenants from the days of Adam, and Noah.
Brethren, this is our glorious hope and future in Christ.
In His divine program of revelation, Israel was meant – from the days of Abraham - to be God’s ambassador, His representative, and His Witness.
But because they persistently reject Christ even till this day, only upon His return, will Israel as a nation recognise Him in the way that we, the Church, recognise Jesus Christ as our Saviour, Messiah and King.
But because God is faithful, He continues to keep and fulfill all His covenants and promises to Israel; and to us.
Today, even though Israel does not recognize Jesus Christ as the God and Saviour of the World, they remain overwhelmingly blessed, despite their geographic and geopolitical circumstances.
Our assurances and confidence in the faithfulness of God is clearly evident in present-day Israel.
For if God faithfully fulfills each and every historic promise to Israel – His ‘chosen’ people, who have been consistently unfaithful to Him, and even rejecting Jesus, His Promised Messiah – we can be sure that He will certainly fulfill His Promises to us who are in Christ.
God is a faithful and fair Master.
Israel may have retired from active duty in God’s program of inbreaking His Kingdom through Christ the Messiah, but they remain on God’s Pension Plan.
Imagine the magnitude of Israel’s blessing today - even whilst on God’s Pension Plan – have brought for them miracles upon miracles of survival, restoration, victory and prosperity in the face of overwhelming tyranny and oppression; for the Church who is on active employment receiving full pay and benefits, are we actually doing the work that we are tasked with?
Are we fulfilling the task of being God’s ambassador, His representative, and His Witness?
Are we living FOR the Promises of God?
Church, we have a divine role in fulfilling God’s ultimate covenant of inbreaking His Kingdom.
How must we hold on to God’s Promises with a more accurate understanding of what His Promises are really about? How do we align our heart to the heart of God?
We must have no doubt that God keeps all of His promises.
He promised to send His Son for the work of redemption and restoration immediately after the fall of man – and He did! (Ref: Genesis 3:15)
God has fulfilled His role in making and keeping His Promises; and we must fulfill ours in fulfilling the tasks of living in fulfillment of His Promises.
What are we tasked with - in order to live FOR the Promises of God?
The Apostle Peter directs us in 2 Peter 3:8-15a
“8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:
With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…”
1. Tasked to know God; to know His Character, and to know His ultimate Plan.
God transcends time.
And He is patient with us –“not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance”.
Daily, devote time to learn about Him; but more time to learn from Him.
2. Tasked to live Holy and Godly lives.
We must be holy as God is holy (Ref: Leviticus 11:44); to this, we strive to live at peace with God through Christ – our Redeemer – and “be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”
To live godly lives is to bear both the fruit of the Spirit (Ref: Galatians 5:22-23); and the fruit of the Gospel – by the Power of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Christ’s Commission over our lives.
3. Tasked to look forward to the return of Christ, His eternal Kingdom and “speed its coming”!
For the Christian, the Promise of His Salvation and Kingdom must be central in our hearts.
To the Christian’s mind, every desire for worldly things must have already been melted “in the heat” of the all-consuming and consecrating fire of the Holy Spirit. (Ref: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Hebrews 12:29)
We must live utterly “looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells”; for to do that is to truly know the heart of God.
And that is the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ who said to the disciples:
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said,
“Take this and divide it among you.
18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:14-20)
What are we tasked with?
Like Christ, we must daily and utterly look forward to His Kingdom.
When we partake the emblems of communion, we commit to remembering, trusting and obeying Christ’s words to actively look forward to the inbreaking of His Kingdom.
4. Tasked to love and serve as Christ loved and served
“24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
26 But you are not to be like that.
Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?
Is it not the one who is at the table?
But I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22:14-27)
To live for God’s Promises is to daily and conscientiously live out Christ’s Commands and follow His holy example.
“14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:14-17)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
As a Church, we must strive to be like Jesus – ever-ready and ever-willing to serve by the Power of the Holy Spirit; fulfilling our eternal destiny in our present lives.
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection.
The second death has no power over them,
but they will serve as priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)
Service unto God is our design and destiny; and as such, it must be our desire.
How are you serving today?
You might say, “but the work of God is vast… I could serve anywhere…”
As your pastor, I will say to you.. “That’s right. But to serve anywhere oftentimes gets you serving nowhere.”
You keep your options so open that you become closed to everything right in front of you.
We are a church; a spiritual family.
There are opportunities to serve right here - where God has evidently placed you.
Serve here.
I am constantly praying for you - that you would step up and serve the church family in any capacity.
Talk to me; and I will pray along with you.
Let us serve the Lord together.
Let us build God’s Temple together – our renovation plans are still in our fundraising stage.
May the Lord prompt you to commit to serving Him and giving out of the immense blessings that He has bestowed upon you; that you may begin to cultivate the holy desire to build His sacred place of worship, fellowship and ministry.
To serve the Lord is the only way to understanding God’s Covenants and Promises for us.
You may think, “God has promised me something, but I have not yet seen the fulfillment of it today…”
Well, you step up and serve him today, and I assure you that the breakthrough will come.
The breakthrough may not be how you expected, but you will get receive the breakthrough regardless; and not to mention, any breakthrough that you receive is exactly the one that you need.
When you start faithfully and wholeheartedly serving the Lord, your breakthroughs will definitely be in the right direction.
Look back in your life.
Doesn’t the promises of God seem more real and more frequently fulfilled when you are actively serving Him?
Remember.
Even the priests who carried the ark had to wet their feet on the water’s edge before “the water from upstream stopped flowing.” (Joshua 3:15)
The biblical narrative is filled with testimonies of personal and corporate breakthroughs that come with faithful service unto the Lord; to those who stood by Christ through it all.
5. Tasked to stand by Christ through every trial.
“28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials.
29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30)
Those who serve Christ are those who stand with Him.
As a church, we must stand firm by Christ.
To be conferred a kingdom, to eat and drink at Christ’s table in His Kingdom and to
“sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” is Eschatological (End Times) language revealing that those who remain in, and stand firm by Christ through every of life’s trials will accompany and reign with Christ when His Kingdom comes.
As a church, to stand firm by Christ is to make a habit of encouraging one another; to always call upon the Name of the Lord together.
We don’t need to understand the details of the circumstances, or the challenges. All we must do is to make the time and effort to call upon the Name of Jesus; to bring our lives before the Lord together.
That in the Name of our Lord Jesus, we would together, drive out demons, be protected, speak in new tongues, and when we lay hands on the sick, they will be healed. (Ref: Mark 16:17-18)
Ministry is never a solo endeavor; it is always in fellowship – in Christ, and for Christ!
6. Tasked to engage in Spiritual Warfare
“31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.
32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.
And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me.
Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That’s enough!” he replied.” (Luke 22:31-38)
We must embrace the reality that as Christians, we are at spiritual war.
Even today, our Lord Jesus is praying for us (Ref: John 17:20-23, 1 John 2:1).
And Christ forewarns us that in this war, it is “not by might nor power”, but by the Holy Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6)
Never engage in spiritual warfare with human strength and weapons.
And when we fall, we must trust that God will Himself give us strength to return and strengthen the fellowship.
Christian ministry is never easy; because it is executed in the midst of spiritual warfare.
Christ rebukes His disciples when shown the two swords, because they have misunderstood Him; for the Church is not in an armed battle against the enemies of this world, but a spiritual war against the power of darkness.
To the world, a physical war takes lives; to us, a spiritual war is saves lives – leading people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The story of David and Goliath is a story about war between Israel and Philistines – a war between the forces of heaven and the forces of darkness.
“45 David said to the Philistine,
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.
This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
After slaying Goliath, more lives were saved than were taken that day because David knew to wage spiritual war against the gods of the Philistines.
The Philistine soldiers who successfully fled that day had a chance to consider a change of religion.
Spiritual warfare is not about taking lives, it is about saving lives.
Church, we must be armed and armoured ready for battle each and every moment.
The Apostle Paul who spoke about putting on the armor of God never said anything about ever taking it off. (Ref: Ephesians 6:10-17)
We are tasked to engage in spiritual warfare, so that the whole world would know God.
To arise in this battle is to be Christian.
Indeed, the battle is the Lord’s, and so are you! Stand up for Jesus!
7. Tasked to pray
“39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.
“Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46)
To live solely for God’s Promises is to remain close to Christ.
And the only way to remain firmly in Him, to live holy and godly lives is to pray as Christ prayed – that we may never fall to temptations that rob us our eternal, kingdom inheritance.
To remain prayerful is to participate in the task of Christ as He intercedes for us; that we may submit ourselves wholly to God and in His authority resist the devil, forcing him to flee from us. (Ref: James 4:7)
What is prayer?
It is our means to talk to God.
It is our means to build a relationship with God.
It is our means to express our love, gratitude, fear and reverence to Him.
If you do not devote your life to prayer, you have not devoted anything to God at all.
Brethren, we must constantly pray to God, in the Name of Christ Jesus our Lord; and by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
For only in constant prayer, may we truly become servants of God - empowered to live for His ultimate promise of inbreaking His eternal Kingdom; fulfilling every task required to be counted worthy of being His good and faithful servants.
As servants of God, we don’t simply ‘live in’ the Promises of God; we must ‘live for’ His Promises – in the way that our lives remain constantly aligned to how His promises will be fulfilled and consequently, remain constantly available to the Holy Spirit in being co-workers in the fulfillment of His Promises – and therein, lies the Christian’s task.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit, guide my heart and mind that I may align myself perfectly to the Promises of God in accordance to His Perfect Will and Purposes – in ultimately inbreaking the eternal Kingdom of my Saviour and King, Jesus Christ.
Grant me courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to know You more; to live holy and godly lives – bearing the fruit of Your Spirit and the Gospel – in each day yearning deeply for the coming of Christ Jesus our Lord!
Lord Jesus, imbue in my heart an urgency for Your coming return and a profound disregard for the things of this world. Recalibrate my eyes and my heart, that I may store up for myself “treasures in heaven”. (Ref: Matthew 6:19-20)
Teach me, Lord, to love and serve, as You did; to stand resolutely by You through the trials of life.
Grant me audacious faith to actively save lives with You, through Spiritual Warfare; and hold me, Holy Spirit, to a life of steadfast prayer, just like our Lord Jesus Christ – that I may grow deep in faith, and close to You, more and more each day.
Align my heart to Yours, O God, that I will fulfill every Christian task in living for Your Promises and share in the first resurrection; becoming a priest of the living God, and reigning with You for a thousand years!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
As servants of God, we don’t simply ‘live in’ the Promises of God; we must ‘live for’ His Promises – in the way that our lives remain constantly aligned to how His promises will be fulfilled and consequently, remain constantly available to the Holy Spirit in being co-workers in the fulfillment of His Promises – and therein, lies the Christian’s task.
To properly understand the Promises of God is to understand His divine reasons and purposes for making those Promises.
Without a relationship, promises mean nothing.
To even consider yourself a recipient of God’s Promises means that you must actually have a true relationship with the Promise-Maker.
You may personally sense that God has given you some precise Promises that will be fulfilled in your life; and you may be right.
However, every of God’s Promises must lead to His Sovereign Will - that flows from the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ – in fulfilling His ultimate covenant with His People – that is, to inbreak His Eternal and Perfect Kingdom.
And what is this ultimate outcome of each of God’s Promises?
Christ will introduce the millennial age, restore Israel to her own land, lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God. (Ref: PAOC STATEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL AND ESSENTIAL TRUTHS 5.8.4B)
GOD FULFILLS ALL HIS PROMISES TO US; AND TO THE WORLD.
Promises may be understood differently, or even wrongly, between the maker and the recipient of the promise.
As we contemplate the Promises and Covenants that God has made, we need to understand the divine context and eternal fulfillment that will culminate with the return of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom.
To this, we must recalibrate our understanding of the Promises of God by understanding how those promises will ultimately be fulfilled.
Bear in mind.
Every Promise of God must lead us to Christ, and to flow out of Christ’s Life, Death and Resurrection toward the decisive and glorious establishment of his Eternal Kingdom.
Revelation 20:4-6 reveal key aspects of how God’s Promises will be fulfilled.
“4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.
They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.
They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.)
This is the first resurrection.
6Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection.
The second death has no power over them,
but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Indeed.
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection.
The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”
The ‘blessed’ are also the ‘holy’.
Those who are ‘holy’ will be resurrected in Christ and given an eternal, imperishable ‘New-Creation’ body.
Because they were born twice, they died only once.
And they will be servants of God and of Christ, by the infinite Power of the Holy Spirit; and will reign over all Creation with King Jesus -initially - for a thousand years.
Every divine prophecy and promise - first through Israel by the prophets, then to the church and the whole world by our Lord Jesus – will be completely fulfilled in Revelation 20:6.
God promised that He would restore the world unto His holiness; and He will.
What has the Lord promised you?
Have you held onto any promises of God?
Is your life guided by His Promises?
But do you understand His Promises properly and clearly?
Do you look forward to God’s personal promises to you fulfilled in the ways that we are reading here in these Scriptures that precisely detail how those promises will be ultimately fulfilled?
For most of us, we must recalibrate and realign our understanding of the Promises of God.
As much as we desire that we are personally blessed, there must exist in each of our hearts a selflessness in deference to His Kingdom; and a surrendered-ness to His Sovereign and Perfect Will; so that His Promises of healing, deliverance, redemption and restoration fulfilled in your life will serve to open your hearts to accept the fulfillment of His ultimate Promise – the inheritance of His Kingdom; and your eternal calling to His Holy Priesthood.
God keeps every single one of His Promises; and will thus, “restore Israel to her own land, lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God.
From as early as Abraham, the Nation of Israel was so named and destined to be “Victorious or Triumphant with God”.
The Promised Land was to be God’s sacred touchpoint to the world; and the people of Israel – His ambassadors of love, redemption and restoration.
Every war waged by, or against, Israel was spiritual, as much as it was physical.
They were not meant to take lives but to saves lives.
Israel’s victories on the battlefield was meant to teach their neighbours and enemies that YHWH is the one true living and loving God; and to give them divine time and opportunity to – quite literally - consider a change in nationality, allegiance and religion.
Their obedience to the laws of God that would consecrate and sanctify them as a holy people and nation was meant to exemplify lives deeply blessed and a culture so divine - that it would be impossible to ignore the reality that YHWH is, indeed, the only true, faithful and loving God.
However, it was not to be.
In their persistent failure to recognize the Lord Jesus as the Son of God and Saviour of the World - lies the tragic failure of Israel.
Through the ages of the Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists – and even till today - Israel remains a “stiff-necked people” whose “hearts and ears are still uncircumcised”;
a people who is still - just like their ancestors, always resisting the Holy Spirit! (Acts 7:51)
And yet, true to His immense and infinite faithfulness, God continues to bless the present nation of Israel; keeping each of His Promises to them - as would a good and faithful master in honoring the pension of a retired employee. (More on this in a while.)
But there’s more.
Though old Israel failed, she is promised a new covenant – one that is built upon God’s covenants with the nation - stretching back to Abraham (Ref: Genesis 12:1-3).
Remember.
Every covenant and promise of God is a divine part of the progressive revelation that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour of the world; and in Him, God’s ultimate fulfillment of His Kingdom is established.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Israel will repent and return to God.
The world will know God.
Everyone will know God and have a right relationship with Him.
Israel and the world will be restored.
This happens when Christ ‘touches down’ on earth in power and glory.
Isaiah 2:1-4 - The Mountain of the Lord
1This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
We want to live in His favor; and He will teach us how.”
And so – God will “restore Israel to her own land, lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God.”
The world draws near and worships the God of Israel.
From Zion (Meaning in Hebrew : Highest Point), the highest law will come from the highest place; and from Jerusalem (‘Jeru’ – the Lord will uplift; ‘Salem’, similarly ‘Shalom’ – Peace), His word will come from the holy place of peace – peace that God will uplift and fill the world with.
God will teach us His ways; and we will live in His Holiness.
He judges fairly; and there will be no more need for compromises or combat; everyone will become fully involved in the stewardship of creation – in fulfilment of God’s covenants from the days of Adam, and Noah.
Brethren, this is our glorious hope and future in Christ.
In His divine program of revelation, Israel was meant – from the days of Abraham - to be God’s ambassador, His representative, and His Witness.
But because they persistently reject Christ even till this day, only upon His return, will Israel as a nation recognise Him in the way that we, the Church, recognise Jesus Christ as our Saviour, Messiah and King.
But because God is faithful, He continues to keep and fulfill all His covenants and promises to Israel; and to us.
Today, even though Israel does not recognize Jesus Christ as the God and Saviour of the World, they remain overwhelmingly blessed, despite their geographic and geopolitical circumstances.
Our assurances and confidence in the faithfulness of God is clearly evident in present-day Israel.
For if God faithfully fulfills each and every historic promise to Israel – His ‘chosen’ people, who have been consistently unfaithful to Him, and even rejecting Jesus, His Promised Messiah – we can be sure that He will certainly fulfill His Promises to us who are in Christ.
God is a faithful and fair Master.
Israel may have retired from active duty in God’s program of inbreaking His Kingdom through Christ the Messiah, but they remain on God’s Pension Plan.
Imagine the magnitude of Israel’s blessing today - even whilst on God’s Pension Plan – have brought for them miracles upon miracles of survival, restoration, victory and prosperity in the face of overwhelming tyranny and oppression; for the Church who is on active employment receiving full pay and benefits, are we actually doing the work that we are tasked with?
Are we fulfilling the task of being God’s ambassador, His representative, and His Witness?
Are we living FOR the Promises of God?
Church, we have a divine role in fulfilling God’s ultimate covenant of inbreaking His Kingdom.
How must we hold on to God’s Promises with a more accurate understanding of what His Promises are really about? How do we align our heart to the heart of God?
We must have no doubt that God keeps all of His promises.
He promised to send His Son for the work of redemption and restoration immediately after the fall of man – and He did! (Ref: Genesis 3:15)
God has fulfilled His role in making and keeping His Promises; and we must fulfill ours in fulfilling the tasks of living in fulfillment of His Promises.
What are we tasked with - in order to live FOR the Promises of God?
The Apostle Peter directs us in 2 Peter 3:8-15a
“8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:
With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…”
1. Tasked to know God; to know His Character, and to know His ultimate Plan.
God transcends time.
And He is patient with us –“not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance”.
Daily, devote time to learn about Him; but more time to learn from Him.
2. Tasked to live Holy and Godly lives.
We must be holy as God is holy (Ref: Leviticus 11:44); to this, we strive to live at peace with God through Christ – our Redeemer – and “be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”
To live godly lives is to bear both the fruit of the Spirit (Ref: Galatians 5:22-23); and the fruit of the Gospel – by the Power of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Christ’s Commission over our lives.
3. Tasked to look forward to the return of Christ, His eternal Kingdom and “speed its coming”!
For the Christian, the Promise of His Salvation and Kingdom must be central in our hearts.
To the Christian’s mind, every desire for worldly things must have already been melted “in the heat” of the all-consuming and consecrating fire of the Holy Spirit. (Ref: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Hebrews 12:29)
We must live utterly “looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells”; for to do that is to truly know the heart of God.
And that is the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ who said to the disciples:
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said,
“Take this and divide it among you.
18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:14-20)
What are we tasked with?
Like Christ, we must daily and utterly look forward to His Kingdom.
When we partake the emblems of communion, we commit to remembering, trusting and obeying Christ’s words to actively look forward to the inbreaking of His Kingdom.
4. Tasked to love and serve as Christ loved and served
“24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
26 But you are not to be like that.
Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?
Is it not the one who is at the table?
But I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22:14-27)
To live for God’s Promises is to daily and conscientiously live out Christ’s Commands and follow His holy example.
“14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:14-17)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
As a Church, we must strive to be like Jesus – ever-ready and ever-willing to serve by the Power of the Holy Spirit; fulfilling our eternal destiny in our present lives.
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection.
The second death has no power over them,
but they will serve as priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)
Service unto God is our design and destiny; and as such, it must be our desire.
How are you serving today?
You might say, “but the work of God is vast… I could serve anywhere…”
As your pastor, I will say to you.. “That’s right. But to serve anywhere oftentimes gets you serving nowhere.”
You keep your options so open that you become closed to everything right in front of you.
We are a church; a spiritual family.
There are opportunities to serve right here - where God has evidently placed you.
Serve here.
I am constantly praying for you - that you would step up and serve the church family in any capacity.
Talk to me; and I will pray along with you.
Let us serve the Lord together.
Let us build God’s Temple together – our renovation plans are still in our fundraising stage.
May the Lord prompt you to commit to serving Him and giving out of the immense blessings that He has bestowed upon you; that you may begin to cultivate the holy desire to build His sacred place of worship, fellowship and ministry.
To serve the Lord is the only way to understanding God’s Covenants and Promises for us.
You may think, “God has promised me something, but I have not yet seen the fulfillment of it today…”
Well, you step up and serve him today, and I assure you that the breakthrough will come.
The breakthrough may not be how you expected, but you will get receive the breakthrough regardless; and not to mention, any breakthrough that you receive is exactly the one that you need.
When you start faithfully and wholeheartedly serving the Lord, your breakthroughs will definitely be in the right direction.
Look back in your life.
Doesn’t the promises of God seem more real and more frequently fulfilled when you are actively serving Him?
Remember.
Even the priests who carried the ark had to wet their feet on the water’s edge before “the water from upstream stopped flowing.” (Joshua 3:15)
The biblical narrative is filled with testimonies of personal and corporate breakthroughs that come with faithful service unto the Lord; to those who stood by Christ through it all.
5. Tasked to stand by Christ through every trial.
“28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials.
29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30)
Those who serve Christ are those who stand with Him.
As a church, we must stand firm by Christ.
To be conferred a kingdom, to eat and drink at Christ’s table in His Kingdom and to
“sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” is Eschatological (End Times) language revealing that those who remain in, and stand firm by Christ through every of life’s trials will accompany and reign with Christ when His Kingdom comes.
As a church, to stand firm by Christ is to make a habit of encouraging one another; to always call upon the Name of the Lord together.
We don’t need to understand the details of the circumstances, or the challenges. All we must do is to make the time and effort to call upon the Name of Jesus; to bring our lives before the Lord together.
That in the Name of our Lord Jesus, we would together, drive out demons, be protected, speak in new tongues, and when we lay hands on the sick, they will be healed. (Ref: Mark 16:17-18)
Ministry is never a solo endeavor; it is always in fellowship – in Christ, and for Christ!
6. Tasked to engage in Spiritual Warfare
“31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.
32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.
And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me.
Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That’s enough!” he replied.” (Luke 22:31-38)
We must embrace the reality that as Christians, we are at spiritual war.
Even today, our Lord Jesus is praying for us (Ref: John 17:20-23, 1 John 2:1).
And Christ forewarns us that in this war, it is “not by might nor power”, but by the Holy Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6)
Never engage in spiritual warfare with human strength and weapons.
And when we fall, we must trust that God will Himself give us strength to return and strengthen the fellowship.
Christian ministry is never easy; because it is executed in the midst of spiritual warfare.
Christ rebukes His disciples when shown the two swords, because they have misunderstood Him; for the Church is not in an armed battle against the enemies of this world, but a spiritual war against the power of darkness.
To the world, a physical war takes lives; to us, a spiritual war is saves lives – leading people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The story of David and Goliath is a story about war between Israel and Philistines – a war between the forces of heaven and the forces of darkness.
“45 David said to the Philistine,
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.
This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
After slaying Goliath, more lives were saved than were taken that day because David knew to wage spiritual war against the gods of the Philistines.
The Philistine soldiers who successfully fled that day had a chance to consider a change of religion.
Spiritual warfare is not about taking lives, it is about saving lives.
Church, we must be armed and armoured ready for battle each and every moment.
The Apostle Paul who spoke about putting on the armor of God never said anything about ever taking it off. (Ref: Ephesians 6:10-17)
We are tasked to engage in spiritual warfare, so that the whole world would know God.
To arise in this battle is to be Christian.
Indeed, the battle is the Lord’s, and so are you! Stand up for Jesus!
7. Tasked to pray
“39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.
“Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46)
To live solely for God’s Promises is to remain close to Christ.
And the only way to remain firmly in Him, to live holy and godly lives is to pray as Christ prayed – that we may never fall to temptations that rob us our eternal, kingdom inheritance.
To remain prayerful is to participate in the task of Christ as He intercedes for us; that we may submit ourselves wholly to God and in His authority resist the devil, forcing him to flee from us. (Ref: James 4:7)
What is prayer?
It is our means to talk to God.
It is our means to build a relationship with God.
It is our means to express our love, gratitude, fear and reverence to Him.
If you do not devote your life to prayer, you have not devoted anything to God at all.
Brethren, we must constantly pray to God, in the Name of Christ Jesus our Lord; and by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
For only in constant prayer, may we truly become servants of God - empowered to live for His ultimate promise of inbreaking His eternal Kingdom; fulfilling every task required to be counted worthy of being His good and faithful servants.
As servants of God, we don’t simply ‘live in’ the Promises of God; we must ‘live for’ His Promises – in the way that our lives remain constantly aligned to how His promises will be fulfilled and consequently, remain constantly available to the Holy Spirit in being co-workers in the fulfillment of His Promises – and therein, lies the Christian’s task.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit, guide my heart and mind that I may align myself perfectly to the Promises of God in accordance to His Perfect Will and Purposes – in ultimately inbreaking the eternal Kingdom of my Saviour and King, Jesus Christ.
Grant me courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to know You more; to live holy and godly lives – bearing the fruit of Your Spirit and the Gospel – in each day yearning deeply for the coming of Christ Jesus our Lord!
Lord Jesus, imbue in my heart an urgency for Your coming return and a profound disregard for the things of this world. Recalibrate my eyes and my heart, that I may store up for myself “treasures in heaven”. (Ref: Matthew 6:19-20)
Teach me, Lord, to love and serve, as You did; to stand resolutely by You through the trials of life.
Grant me audacious faith to actively save lives with You, through Spiritual Warfare; and hold me, Holy Spirit, to a life of steadfast prayer, just like our Lord Jesus Christ – that I may grow deep in faith, and close to You, more and more each day.
Align my heart to Yours, O God, that I will fulfill every Christian task in living for Your Promises and share in the first resurrection; becoming a priest of the living God, and reigning with You for a thousand years!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.