Promises For Your Lifetime and Beyond

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Promises For Your Lifetime and Beyond</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id501.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Real Faith, Full Surrender"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id505.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Discovering and Pursuing the Will of God"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"Promises for Your Lifetime and Beyond"</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, February 12-13, 2005</B></div> <bR> <div>      If you have traveled much, by plane, train, or automobile, you probably have experienced one travel "nightmare" or another. Maybe you got stuck somewhere in the midwest last Christmas, with the crazy weather, with many flights canceled, and baggage spread all over the country. Maybe you were between home and your destination by car for couple days. Travel has it's great moments, but it also has it's challenges and difficulties.</div> <div>      Keep in mind that  we as Christians are called in Scripture "travelers," "strangers" on earth. Sure, the journey is pleasant at times, but it's quite hard at other times. It's a challenge to live for Jesus Christ and to follow him in this foreign place called Planet Earth. Life is short, and sometimes life on earth works out great, and other times it doesn't work out so great. As Americans, we like the idea of an easy, care-free, pleasure-filled life, as though we were on vacation. So when the going gets tough, we may get tempted to pack this Christianity stuff in. </div> <div>      We've tagged along with Abraham on his <I>journey of faith</I>. His life comes to an end, but the promises and their fulfillment still go on.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. The fulfillment of God's promises takes longer than our lifetimes.</B></div> <div> <B>A. Sarah and Abraham died before they saw the total fulfillment of God's promises.</B></div> <div>      In <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+23" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Genesis 23</U></A>, we read of Sarah's death (vss. 1-2). Abraham negotiated for a <I>permanent</I> burial place (that is why he wouldn't accept it as a gift or at a cut rate; vss. 3-16). Typically, a traveler would be taken to their homeland for burial. We bring dead soldiers home for a proper burial here in this country, whose cause they died defending. But Sarah was buried in the land <I>promised</I>, but not yet received.  In fact, this was all the land that Abraham would possess at the time of <I>his</I> death. And this is where he buried his wife, because he believed in the promise of God to give this land to his descendants (vss. 17-20).</div> <div>      In <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+25:1-10" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Genesis 25:1-10</U></A>, we read of Abraham's death. He passed on, and future generations would receive the blessings God had promised to Abraham <I>and his descendants</I>. Abraham would not see much of it in his day. The New Testament comments on this very thing.</div> <div> <B>B. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+11" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Hebrews 11</B></U></A><B> - </B><I><B>All</B></I><B> people of faith before us have died before they saw the total fufillment of God's promises.</B></div> <div> 1. <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+11:13-16" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Hebrews 11:13-16</U></A> - Abraham and Sarah died in faith, still believing, but still waiting. Earth was not their final home. The promises will ultimately be fulfilled in the very presence of God, with all of God's people.</div> <div> 2. <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+11:1-2" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Hebrews 11:1-2</U></A>, <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+11:24-26" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>24-26</U></A>, <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+11:32-40" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>32-40</U></A> - Some experienced earthly victory, some died early and violently, but they all died, still waiting for the final fulfillment of the promies. And so will all Christians until Jesus comes again. We have the same God, the same faith, but we all experience different earthly results. But we will experience together the same end result. The promises of God will all come true, but those promies last longer than our lifetimes.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+12:1-3" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Hebrews 12:1-3</B></U></A><B> - Do not lose heart on the journey of faith, because the fullness of God's promises will come in time.</B></div> <div>      Aren't their times on a trip where we say, "I just want to be home"? Our total trip home from Moldova last year took 24 hours. It was exciting getting started on the trip, but after awhile we were saying, "we just want to be home." What might cause us to "lose heart" on the journey of faith while we are on earth? Here are a couple of examples: pressure from other people; pleasures we think we are missing out on; problems and persecutions; losing that which we value. What else can you think of?</div> <div> A. Keep persisting on the journey. The "witnesses" before us testify to the reality of faith and the promises. They are examples to us. We're not the first and only generation to suffer hardship while waiting for the promises of God.</div> <div> B. How can we persist in the journey, without losing heart?</div> <div> 1. Stay connected to home. For one thing, read the Bible. It is our key connection to "home." We are part of the story of this book; in it we read our history and our future, and we get perspective for the present. Also, spend time in prayer and in worship.</div> <div> 2. Stay connected to your companions on the journey (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+10:24-25" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Heb 10:24-25</U></A>). Be in Christian community, surrounded by people who are helping you in your journey of faith, as you help them. We need each other on the journey, for prayer together, for learning and growing together, for holding one another accountable, for helping each other, for celebrating together.</div> <div> 3. Stay away from hindrances and distractions (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+12:1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Heb 12:1</U></A>, <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=1Pet+2:11" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>1 Peter 2:11</U></A>). Such hindrances may include some other people, unnecessary possessions, and unhelpful or destructive habits and practices.</div> <div> 4. Stay focused on Jesus himself (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Heb+12:2" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Heb 12:2</U></A>). That is what heaven is all about anyway, being in the presence of our Savior.</div> <bR> <div>      Even when your life seems to fall apart, keep on the journey . Even when life doesn't make sense, keep on the journey. Even when you are tempted to pursue the pleasures and lusts and possessions of this earth, keep on the journey. We are still traveling; don't settle down as though you are finally home, because we are not until we see Jesus.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2005, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>