The Promises of God

The promises of God set the vision for our lives and community.

Summary

The vision God has given us through His word and the gift of prophesy has the power to unite us into a body which is able to fulfill God’s purposes in our generation.  The most important promise to unite us and empower us to do God’s will is the promised Holy Spirit.

Outline

1. At the beginning of September, Bishop Ron began a series about vision in response to a burden from the Lord for people to reconnect with the Lord and His purposes and callings on our lives and church. He spoke from:
   1. Habakkuk 2:2–3 (NKJV) — 2 … “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
      1. A passion, obsession, A Dream guides our life correctly.
      2. If we cannot see where we are going we will get lost.
      3. The big dream that drives the vision of our lives and this church is the Kingdom of God and the great commission.
      4. This passage teaches us an important truth that God’s promises always come to pass. They can be relied upon and trusted.
   2. As part of the great commission, Life Springs Church has been given a prophetic calling to be a forerunner, a pioneer that takes territory for the Kingdom of God and sets generations and nations on fire for Jesus.
      1. The prophetic calling over this church was established from the beginning, but the fulfillment of the promise is waiting for a generation to respond in faith.
         1. This is just like the prophetic calling on the Israelites to leave Egypt and go to the Promised Land. The first generation that left Egypt perished in the wilderness because of unbelief, nevertheless, the promise was fulfilled in the next generation.
         2. Consider the tabernacle – Moses saw the tabernacle in a vision on top of the mountain and was told to make everything exactly according to the vision. When they began to obey the vision and build, very soon the dream became reality.
         3. Abraham was given a dream of having an heir through Sarah. That promise tarried many years, but eventually, Abraham, who hoped in the promise began to wrestle with the promise
         4. Romans 4:18 (NKJV) — 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”There are certain truths that God has entrusted to this congregation that are critical to the mission.
      2. THE PROPHETIC CALL ON LIFESPRINGS – Isaiah 54:2–3 (NKJV) — 2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited.
      3. It is time for Isaac to be born!
2. After Bishop Ron gave us the big picture of the vision in a series of messages, then the emphasis has shifted into looking more closely at the details, you could say the blueprints. With this in mind Buddy Hicks came and fleshed out the vision of the church:
   1. Analogy of a football team.
   2. Priesthood of all believers.
   3. Take the light of the gospel into a world of darkness.
   4. Have infectious faith.
3. Finally, Bishop Ron gave us an analogy of an eagle from Isaiah 40:31 to help us practically respond in faith to the vision – WAIT – BIND TOGETHER
   1. The flight of rebirth! Psalm 103:5 – renew youth like an eagle – why an eagle?.
      1. The experience of individuals and organizations.
      2. We cannot have infectious faith unless we are fully alive.
   2. Waiting, being bound together for a purpose – “though it tarries – wait”.
   3. Think about the imagery.
      1. An eagle flies the highest of all birds, is majestic, and inspires fear in all its prey.
      2. At age 40 the eagle faces an incredible crises of vision, whether to live or die!
      3. iii.The road to death is often easier, but the road to life leads to glory!
      4. This same pattern happens to every believer and to every organization, and usually not multiple times.
      5. It is the road of the cross and resurrection.
      6. It was the dream that obsessed the apostle Paul.
   4. Bishop used this prophetic image because it was connected to a promise to those who wait on the Lord – those who bind together in commitment a Kingdom Dream/vision.
      1. Then he chose three details about eagles’ rebirth and used them as images to inspire and guide us on the first phase of entering into the promises that God has given us corporately and individually.
      2. The first image had to do with the beak – through this image, we have been called to prayer.
      3. The second image has to do with the talons – this has to do with the promises of God. This is what I am going to talk about this week.
      4. The third image has to do with the feathers, this has do with getting rid of everything in our lives that weighs us down so that we can fly again! Pr. Dave Amstutz will address this next week.
4. The promises of God:
   1. There are so many promises in scripture that you could talk about them every Sunday for years an only scratch the surface.  I am going to focus on one major promise that encompasses all promises, and look at it from the final product of what God wants to accomplish on earth.
   2. INDIVIDUAL DESTINY – 2 Peter 1:3–4 (NKJV) —3 His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. – TO BE CONFORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST.
   3. CORPORATE DESTINY – THE BRIDE OF CHRIST/ THE ARMY OF GOD – Matthew 16:15–19 (NKJV) — 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
5. THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER
   1. Luke 24:49 (NKJV) — 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
   2. John 16:14–15 (NKJV) —14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
   3. Luke 11:9–13 (NKJV) — 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
   4. Galatians 5:16 (NKJV) — 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
   5. Ephesians 5:15–21 (NKJV) — 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
   6. Romans 14:17 (NKJV) — 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
6. Christian community in the Holy Spirit
7. Awakening ourselves to be forerunners