Hope Sabbath School -Lesson 6 The priority of the promise (3rd qtr 2017)

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] welcome to Hope Sabbath school an in-depth interactive study of the Word of God I'm glad you joined us today we're in the middle of a series of studies on the gospel in Galatians today the priority of the promise I'm so thankful that God keeps all of his promises aren't you we will be blessed today as we study about the priority of the promise so welcome to hope Sabbath school and welcome to the team good to be together again I'm being blessed by this series are you I just feel a deeper love for Jesus and I know that that's what God wants for me and I know we'll be blessed today I'm excited too because Kyle going to be leading in our study today and you know what's exciting to see members of our team teach is that God wants to raise up tens of thousands of in-depth interactive teachers around the world so you can use the same outline that Kyle will use today back to the same outline that we all have you can go to our website hope TV org slash hope SS and you can download that same outline and start an interactive Bible study in your community that's really our prayer is you watch this be blessed but then go out and share the word with other people what was happy to hear how you doing that and how you being blessed to a study of the word of God so thanks for writing to us I'll be do that today make a note one thing to do SS hope at hope TV org here's a note from Calais in Finland Finland try to say Finland correctly thank you hope Sabbath school I'm really blessed to watch your programs here in Finland it's very dark and cold for a lot of the year but because of your smiling faces a beautiful team I feel like I'm in heaven I didn't know we were that sweet thank you and God bless you all his name is actually Kalayaan from Finland but he goes by Keller and I'm glad you wrote to us and we're glad that God is raising up witnesses all over the world to share the truth about his love and his word Ilana writes from Colorado in the United States of America says I cannot put into words how much I've learned by watching hoax Santa school everyday so so Alana's watching our daily broadcast to go through a whole series of studies in just a few weeks I tape it and watch each episode more than once Wow I feel closer to God than ever before powerful testimony isn't it you know we don't always see we know we've got more than a million people watching we don't always hear but when we hear it just encourages us doesn't it I have gained more understanding of God's Word I've learned so much I didn't know about the Holy Spirit and having a christ-like spirit and a living faith I am now considering becoming a seventh-day Adventist Christopher amen God's Word is a lamp to our feet we're so glad Alanna that you wrote to us we hope you write to us again the day of your baptism well we will sing praises to God and give thanks to him keep in touch with us all right from Uganda a Bane rights from Uganda from Kampala I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the work you're doing in spreading the word of God thank you so much for teaching me how to study I am a teacher because of watching home service school that's what we're talking about Kyle right taking that outline and starting an interactive Bible study I have much hope that we shall all meet in heaven soon god bless you oh he lists your name so he's getting to know you all by name your name is on that list and he says thank you for sharing God's Word one note from Brazil we have a Brazilian on our team Juliana wave to the entire country of Brazil oh actually this is an anonymous note so the person will have to write back and tell me his or her name but writes and says I'm grateful to God for the life of those who promote hope Sabbath school it's helping many people to draw closer to God I follow the program every week from here in Brazil in addition to learning God's Word you know what the person is going to say right I'm learning English too but I'm learning it and this really impacted me I'm learning it in a healthy way singing scripture and the teaching of God's Word without having to watch television that has no spiritual benefit that's profound isn't it may God bless the whole hope set channel team may we all be together on the great day when Jesus returns in glory amen that's so powerful and you know that's really true that if you're going to learn a language why not learn a language where you're singing God's praise and learning the truth of his word one last note from Elton in Canada he said I enjoy being part of Hope Sabbath school it opened my knowledge and understanding so clearly about our relationship with the Lord and the communication with the spirit that I am now able to participate in my lesson study on Sabbath morning thank you all amen so we all can be involved right now and maybe someday Elton maybe someday you'll download the outline and say I'd be willing to teach an in-depth interactive class because you've been learning God's Word that's God's prayer for each one of us I know the scripture song that we've chosen as a theme for this series on the gospel in Galatians I don't know it just touches my heart because it says the son of God loves me and gave himself for me it's from Galatians chapter 2 verses 20 and 21 many of you have already learned it you can download the mp3 file the sheet music from our website hope TV org slash Hope SS maybe some of you want to make a recording singing and send it to us we'd like to hear you sing but we're all going to sing it together right now I have been crucified with God I have been crucified I have been crucified with but why lives in me and the life which I now live I live in the fun I mean I pray all right [Music] I promise amen I just you know if that's the only text I remember from Paul's letter to the Galatians I think it could change my heart he's my life he gave himself for me he wants to live in a suddenly a whole new life the walking righteousness not to earn his favor not as a work of the law but as a response to his Grace and Col I'm excited as you teach the word today what God is going to share with us why don't you lead us in prayer amen thank you Pastor Derrick well I'm excited at what the Lord is going to do I think that this is a very exciting study the priority of the promise but as we know before we get into the word we need to pray because it's only by His Spirit that we can rightly understand God's words so let's bow our heads and ask for God to speak to us today Father in Heaven we want to pray just now that your Holy Spirit would be present during this lesson study thank you Lord for each one of our hopes Sabbath school members around the world and for just the incredible testimonies that we hear of what you're doing in so many places Lord and we just thank you for your word and for the beautiful promises of your word and today our prayer is that you would speak to us father help us to learn something new and to be encouraged in our faith in your word today we ask that you would be here Lord and empowers through your spirit is our prayer in Jesus name Amen so today we're talking about the priority of the promise and how many of you just love the promises of God amen I mean when you think of the Bible I mean I don't know about you but I get excited when I think of the promises of God and we're going to see some empower 'full testimony's today in God's Word about how people that have followed God through the ages have followed him maybe when it sometimes seemed impossible but nevertheless they trusted in God's promises and so I'm really looking forward to a study and we're going to start off by looking at a couple texts that remind us that God His Word is true and that we can trust in his promises so let's start off with Isaiah chapter 46 we're going to go to verses 8 through 11 Isaiah chapter 46 8 through 11 and Nikol wondering if you can read that for us starting off our study today sure Isaiah 46 verses 8 to 11 from the New International Version says remember this keep in mind take it to heart you rebels remember the former things those of long ago I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like me I make known the end from the beginning from ancient times what is still to come I say my purpose will stand and I will do all that I please from the east I summon a bird of prey from a far-off land a man to fulfill my purpose what I have said that I will bring about what I have planned that I will do amen but what does that tell us he says I am God there is no other he says my purposes will stand right what what do you what does that verse say to you when you read that verse yes then I'm that he's sovereign he's sovereign amen amen so he does what he pleases Amen Peter like another verse that kind of ties to that where it says so shall my word be that goes forth it will accomplish the thing that I what I please it will not return to me void and so I see God's creative ability here that whatever he says comes to pass amen in you know Pilate he by the way that's also in Isaiah right 55 he won't just keep that promise right because he's sovereign he'll keep all of his brother Mon so that challenges me to learn his promises though because he's going to keep he's going to keep them and it's it's not a question of if or maybe it's a sure thing that God is going to keep his word because he is God there is no other amen so let's look at one other verse a couple of the verses in Hebrews chapter 6 we'll go to verses 17 and 18 Hebrews chapter 6 and let's see what what Paul says he's about the promises of God Hebrews chapter 6 and Ray could you read those verses for us I'm reading from the New King James Version Hebrews chapter 6 verses 17 and 18 thus god determining to show more abundantly to heir to the heirs of promise that immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay a hold of the hope set before us amen amen so ray tell us what did this verse mean to you what does this tell you about the trustworthiness of God well I love the fact that he says you know that he he cannot it's impossible for him to lie yeah that word immutable means unchangeable changer you know so we live where people change and they don't keep their promises right but but there's another text I am the Lord I change not so that immutability it's kind of an unusual word we don't use very often but unchangeable Ness I think that that we need to we need to know that about God's promises I think we've all probably experienced people that are changeable maybe someone promised something to us and it didn't come to pass but that's not the case with God imagine I cannot lie it is totally against his character Andre I remember years ago I bought a book in a Christian bookstore that said a thousand and one things that God cannot do Wow you know I had to buy it when I saw that yeah and one of it had to do is that he never changed it he will not change a nother one was I will never leave you nor forsake him and praise God like I love that promise Andre Pitre here a little deeper on this that God cannot lie it's impossible for God to lie not didn't because it's against his character but it's impossible because whatever he says is created hmm so he cannot lie when he says something it's in the word that he just spoke is that something X Y Z fill in the blank so he it's impossible for God to lie because whatever he says comes to pass that's right hmm he spoke our very world into existence night that's true Thank You anybody else anybody else have a a text that reminds you that whatever God promises he will do yes a text somewhere saying probably derecho probably direct us or it goes but the Old Testament promises that the Messiah was going to come right and he was going to save us from all of our sins and it's clear that that promise was kept who came and we are now the living evidence that he's going to save us from all of our sins now though just in general that's a promise that I yeah I love praise God praise God yes Juliana got the story of Noah with the rainbow yes when the ark finally rests on the mountain and then they all come out and he and Noah offers a sacrifice and then there's the rainbow and God says this is my promise to you that I will never again destroy the earth with a flood for them and every time I see a rainbow you know now we know a little bit more of the science find it of why it happened but I don't think that it changes the symbology of it God remembers God remembers that's so beautiful every time you see that rainbow you remember that his promises are true and always faithful amen yes okay I have a text okay second Peter 3 verse 9 okay second Peter 3 verse 9 right and it's in the same vein of as God keeping his promises you know sometimes it seems like we're holding on for a long time for a promise to come through but I'll be reading from the New King James Version second Peter 3 verse 9 the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some count slackness but is long-suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance amen I mean so that that verse is powerful it tells us that God is not slack in other words he's not you know what he says he will do not like some of our people that we've known in our past that has been slack concerning their promises right and not only that he's long-suffering so this is a powerful yes it makes me think of the story of the children of Israel in Egypt when God told them to put the blood of the doorpost and he made a promise that if they did this their firstborn would be spared yeah if I run the story correctly some Egyptians heard of it and did the same thing and so his promise was not just limited to the children of Israel as to all that in faith stepped out and did what he did don't ya think I'll I really appreciate what Gary said that God keeps all of his promises but he does it in his timing you know and sometimes we we get impatient like gosh you're not keeping your promise but he will keep his promises but he knows the perfect time and I think that's really important to remember and it comes down to trust doesn't it because sometimes we don't see the end from the beginning we don't see we don't discern God's purposes but we know that he is working all things together for our good and I think that's a lot about what this lesson is about trusting that God's promises are faithful mortis so that we where at me we're so blessed to have families and friends and people that loved us and we trust them but how much more should we trust God he doesn't change he doesn't I mean even if my loved ones I mean my mom passed away when I was to ensure seven years old I even though she could if she wanted she could have wanted to take care of me love me being there but the one thing that she let me love God and whatever fellowship does the same thing I went under for the people I love that I I wish I can be money I can give you everything but if I can leave you God then up you know I know you'll be okay and I think Ramona thank you for sharing that testimony Lourdes I just is there any other actually I'm going to go to you pastor dark because I know you have a story of someone who trusted in God's promises even maybe at when it was difficult to do so I was actually your age so that's many years ago but but I was friend but I was privileged to be at the bedside of a great man of God who was dying and and I began to read the promises of God to him and I realized that the focus of this study the the priority of the promise is the salvation that will come right to be received by faith that is the greatest promise that's the whole thing as Nicole said all through scripture that he wants to save us and be with us forever I began to read the promises of God to this great man of God as he was laying there on his literally on his deathbed and every promise I read he repeated from memory with me well I could see his mouth moving and at times could hear him repeating those promises but that's not what impacted me the most as powerful as that was I thought to myself that's how I want to be remember you know there's a old gospel song standing on the promises I want to I want to stand on the promises but after I'd read all of these scriptures he looked at me and he said they're all true who they were all true mmm and I thought that is so powerful meanwhile that was a gift to me in his in his dying moment and they're all true Derek you know and and certainly that's I think certainly with the Apostle Paul as we as we start thinking specifically about the promise that salvation will come by having faith that God will save you and taking hold of that promise that God will be faithful to that Amen that's a powerful story yeah I never forgot it even though as many years ago man amen to know that they are all true it's not just you know and you know I think all of us we need to probably be more committed to memorizing more promises in our own minds right yeah and not only to memorize them but to really believe in to know that God's Word is true well this is powerful anybody else maybe one experience but when someone made a promise to you okay someone made a promise to you and and they kept it even though it wasn't easy so this is like a yeah if it's possible I'd like to look at it the other way well I've made a promise to my daughter okay and the song is a song i gregory isaacs they said a promise is a comfort to a fool and oftentimes we make promises to our children because we think that they'll forget and but they never forget see and but then as the promise maker circumstances as my mother always say circumstances alter situation so sometimes it's almost impossible to keep your promise my daughter saw me go to England for four three weeks to speak and she called me while I was there she said daddy the next time you go can I come with you and I was like oh yeah sure well that next time was like six months later he didn't forget she so she got me like two weeks before I was leaving and she said that he said I got I got I got an mama took me shopping and I'm ready to go so now I hadn't gotten a plane ticket and then on top of that she said when we go I want to go to Paris too oh oh yeah sure I'm thinking like two three years down the line and I she's only 12 at the time so I had to figure a way to get her a plane ticket on the same flight with me oh I had to when we got there and she was like okay when are we gonna see every day when we go to Paris when we're going to Paris and I looked at the flight Cermak from London to Paris they were like three four hundred dollars because in time of the year so there's been like six hundred for both of us and I was like I'll make this happen but I prayed and I said God if you're a promise keeper then I know that that through Christ all things are possibly a problem she fertility and I found a bus we and I say girl it's gonna be fun you want to get on planes and we got on that bus and rode through the on the ferry and the tunnel and all that crazy stuff and got to on the train we got the pack to front to France the past and we got to the Eiffel Tower and as we stood up there those raining and cold she had a smile from ear to ear oh and that made you know as difficult as it was financially and otherwise to fulfill that promise and we have to do it in 24 hours mind you I left that part out they had to go there to get back in 24 hours it just did my heart good to keep that promise and that's difficult and then praise God I mean that was an illustration to your daughter of how God keeps his promises to us and you know when God says to us I mean that's a trip to to Paris when God says to us I will come again to take you to be with me we can know that promise is true mm-hmm that's not those are not just empty words amen those promises of God anybody else a time when someone made a promise to you and they kept it even though it wasn't easy yes Juliana my mom never necessarily made the promise directly to me but she kind of put it in her heart that I would go to Christian school and my family situation is not such that both parents are in Christ and it was hard sometimes and she carried it on her own a lot of the time and I I did I went to Christian school from first grade all the way through senior year and I am changed because of those good and you know it's a promise that she made to me not necessarily verbally but in everything that she did it and it made all the difference well you know that's that's touching to me personally Juliana Juliana because I had it written down here my mom did the same thing she promised that we would go to Christian school even though it was hard I'm sure it wasn't easy because Christian school sometimes costs money and you have to make sacrifices but my mom made that sacrifice to put me and my brother through Christian school and I don't know where I would be today I certainly wouldn't be here hopes out of school and read I mean literally so I mean and that was hard for her to keep that promise but that was an illustration for me and and I think for you in your case of you know our moms keeping their promises to us and that's an illustration of God's love you know God keeps his promises to us so I'm sure there are many other stories we could share on this but but we will move on from here and I think it's good for us now to kind of transition a little bit and let's look at a biblical story and this is one I think that we've studied in a previous lesson in this quarter already these have been an exciting series of studies here studying the book of Galatians and there is a powerful story in the Old Testament in the story of Abraham and we want to look at what it was about the story of Abraham because there's a lot of a lot of of faith that Abraham had to have to follow God's promise right so let's first go to Galatians chapter 3 and let's look at Paul's referencing of this promise made to Abraham Galatians chapter 3 verses 15 to 18 and I'm going to ask Jonathan if you could read that for us alright I'll be reading from the New International Version brothers and sisters let me take an example from everyday life just as no one can set aside or add to in a human covenant that has been duly established so it is in this case the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed scripture does not say and to seeds meaning many people but and to your seed meaning one person who is Christ what I mean is this the law introduced four and thirty years later it does not set aside the Covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise for if the inheritance depends upon the law then it is no longer depends upon the promise but God and His grace gave it to Abraham through a promise hmm this is this is a deep verse our deep few verses right we could spend a lot of time on these and Jonathan I know you're a deep Bible student and so maybe you can help us understand what is Paul saying in these verses about the Covenant promise the law there's a lot that's packed in here yeah there's a lot packed in there um I honestly have to take a little time to think about it I guess I think he's pointing at how much there was you have Abraham who was given this this promise and this kind of foundation of being Arva though the father of the faith and so he's talking about the seeds and talking about alluding to Christ so there's a lot packed in there maybe I'll let other people kind of add to it but it's a lot in there clearly clearly he's making a promise he's talking about the promise given to Abraham and anybody else want to comment on this first yes Sean so I think I mean looking at it you you know he's talking about Christ and bright our salvation comes through through Christ and then as he jumps in and starts talking about the law which was added later which point would think oh I keep the law can be saved he's saying look don't worry about that just because you have something that describes you know a standard right doesn't mean that it is the standard which is Christ so if you think about it I mean I can I can have a car you know the cars the car but the owner's manual is just describing right this is the thing that's going to get you from point A to point B and I don't mean to call Christ the thing but you know that's kind of how I see on Paul elaborating on this absolutely I think what he's saying is that the promise of the Messiah was way before what law was given by Mount Sinai that doesn't mean that the principles of God's government didn't precede the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai right because God has always had a government and the government is run by principles of law but he's saying that the prom promise has priority the promises and he's going to go and he said the law was actually given to show us how much we needed the promise right and once we've accepted the promise had taken hold of the Savior the law then it shows us how to live but not to earn God's favor so I think he's going back saying you think Moses and Sinai was important but the Abraham he's the father of your people right right the promise was given to him amen that's the priority of the promise and that's a good that's an important lesson for us because sometimes we get that backwards like the Galatians we think about and the law is good and important but if we forget the reason behind the law we won't keep the law for the right reasons right so let's go back to the story of Abraham you guys ready okay we're going to go back to the story of Abraham again Genesis chapter 15 and let's remember the promise that God gave to Abraham this is such a part I love this story I just love the story of Abraham who would like to read for us Genesis chapter 15 and verse 5 Genesis chapter 15 and verse 5 anybody yes John so I'll be written from New King James Version and it says then he brought him outside and said look now toward heaven and count the Stars if you are able to number them and he said to him so shall your descendants be Wow can can imagine that moment when God brings Abraham out of his tent into the and I'm sure there's no light from the city back then right it's pitch black and you go out and just you guys have been there you've gone out in the dark night maybe you've been camping or something and it's cold air is crisp and you look up and you see the stars in that Milky Way and you just can't even understand how many stars that are up there I've ever been overwhelmed when you look at this guy do you know how many stars are visible to the naked eye just I looked it up Pastor Derek there are about 5,000 stars that are visible to the human eye but do you know how many stars are in our sky that are visible like if you had a telescope anybody want to get Hayley Sean I'm only asking because some of this stuff I've studied and work with and I realize that you can't even count it well you might put a number towards or put a number but the longer you look the more you see right and that's what's so great about this promise because as time goes on so many people will be added to the kingdom in god that you can't even understand right now you know what the impact will be I remember there's this place and there's this planetarium in Los Angeles where you really they have what's called a Hubble Deep Field picture and they have one picture one part of the sky which is like the size of your thumb if you look up in the sky and the night night sky and it has that one little section of the sky blown up into this huge wall and when you blow it up you can see literally thousands of galaxies mmm that you couldn't see when you were just looking at that dark patch with you know that small space huh this guy there are a hundred billion stars in our own galaxy Milky Way and then there's trillions of galaxies beyond that so the point is I think on what you're saying is God is telling Abraham that I am this promise I'm giving you is bigger than you can even see right now right like you can only see a little bit I'm there is so much beyond you can't see us - what I'm going to do Andre and when Sean said it struck me like a lightning bolt Sean said the more you look the more you see and when we really look at our lives and and and and through the lens that God wants us to look through we see that he has already answered and and kept many of his promises already and he has many more that he's going to fulfill so the more we look we need to have open eyes open spiritual eyes to see what God has already done and to we'd be able to see what he's currently doing and will do amen praise God well let's move on in our time is going here but let's go to Genesis chapter 17 and you know God promised Abraham many times what he was going to do for him and it was a it was a struggle for Abraham to believe in that promise and as I think was studied in the previous lesson you know you had the whole story of a Hagar and Ishmael and but here in Genesis 17 God is still promising Abraham let's just look at this Daisy can you read Genesis 17 verses 1 to 8 for us sure I'll be reading from the New Living Translation when Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared to him and said I am El Shaddai God Almighty served me faithfully and live a blameless life I will make a covenant with you by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants at a time at this Abram fell face down on the ground then God said to him this is my covenant with you I will make you the father of a multitude of Nations what's more I am changing your name it will no longer be Abram instead you will be called Abraham for you will be the father of many nations I will make you extremely fruitful your descendants will become many nations and Kings will be among them I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you from generation to generation this is the everlasting covenant I will always be your God and the god of your descendants after you and I will give the entire land of Canaan where you now live as a foreigner to you and your descendants it will be their possession forever and I will be their God mm-hmm this is this is amazing I mean it says in this first verse that Abraham was held 99.99 I mean that is beyond our comfort our bearing right sarah was old it was a seemingly impossible promise right and yet what does God promised Abraham in these verses many descendants many of the Simon you know if I'm reading the text carefully Kyle he has already taken things into his own hands well Hagar and Ishmael right so I'm just so thankful that God doesn't change his promise even when we do seeing you could think job hmm he comes back to us and says will you please you take hold of my promise mmm because you know we could look and idealize but you read his life and he made a lot of mistakes could lied about things and you know certainly with Hagar I mean that was deliberately stepping out of what God had said and yet right after that in chapter 17 the Lord comes to me I'm just thankful for the mercy of God hey man I'm thankful that God doesn't give up on us right you know I know I look at my own life and I think man how many times have I tried to take my own life into my own hands and do what I wanted to do and and and even gone against what I knew to do and yet God still is merciful hmm and he still promises me I want to bless you and I want to use you in my work face guy I just am so thankful for God's mercy and you know it didn't stop with Abraham I mean you think of the story of Jacob the same thing happened you know he was trying to take it into his own hands and God was so merciful with Jacob and and still God accomplished his purpose so can I go yeah please Peter yeah that's the question back in Galatians chapter 3 when we read that what it meant about especially verse 16 if I can read that again glaciar 3 verse 16 especially it says this is the New King James Version now to Abraham and his seed that's a capital S on seed not a lowercase s Abraham his seed capital s where the promise is made he does not say and to seeds as of many but as of one and to your seed who is Christ so these promises were made to Abraham and in Christ and this is why it's not to a people like you know Jerusalem is waiting people are waiting for Israel to be reestablished the promise wasn't made to a nation so much as to Abraham into in Christ we receive the promise in Christ he's a father of the faithful so when we come into Christ then all of those promises are ours our part in him amen you know time is going quite a bit in our previous study we read all about Mount Moriah and so you know we don't need to read Genesis 22 again right the question that comes to my mind I know this is an important question for this study is how do we develop the kind of relationship with God that we really hold on to his promise even when everything around us seems to say it's impossible right because that's what he does right going to Mount Moriah believing that that his son will be raised from the dead if he dies there how do we develop the kind of relationship where we recognize God's voice where we believe his promises and we hold on even when everything around it says it's impossible yeah that's a good anybody want to respond to that I reckon I think one of the first steps in that is that we have to see it's necessary for us to see someone else in the faith community holding onto those promises and looping it true and so like when my father I was taught my father taught me how to drive he said son if you're in a storm and you can't see very well but you still need to keep moving he said I want you to said look at the lines in the road follow the lines make sure you're staying within the line and you will get to the other side of the storm because a lot of times if you if you stop in the storm and give up you might be rear-ended you might people you know all types of accidents happen I never forgot that and so by watching the example of others in this in this life this life full of storms we can learn to stand on stand on the promises by seeing how they about there they're like the line in the road seeing how they so that would be like a first step and even learning to to hold on amen amen amen yes Nancy I'm talking about the god of the impossible it makes me think of Sarah when the visitors came the heavenly visitors and she laughed because they were saying that she was going to have a child and she laughed and then the response from the visitors which was the Godhead that was there for I don't know Jesus and was is there anything impossible for God no and then it makes me think of Mary the mother of Jesus because when Gabriel came to her it was the same the same sort of words is there anything impossible for God no so we look at them as an example I mean Sarah was barren and Mary was a virgin but nothing is impossible for God if he wants me to have a baby you can take in a couple that it's interesting in those two cases one laughs and the other says let it be to me according for where well right tell me that it didn't make sense to either of them no but one choose to say I'm going to hold on yeah did God what God says his shoe amen you know amen and thankfully you know what that's a good illustration because we're a good point because God still worked through both women needed even though Sarah had a hard time believing and he actually it's funny because you know the name Isaac who was Sarah's son actually means he laughs hmm so God was kind of a focus Arabic I think a little bit in the name Isaac because God knew even though it seems impossible his promises were able to be fulfilled so yes Nicole I was just going to say that I think it also has to do with helping asking for understanding of testimonies with our whole life because I think that our own testimonies and hearing and understanding what God doing in our life helps us to be stronger and having that faith because I think sometimes we miss what he's doing in our life and if we ask him to please reveal to us what he's doing for us then it strengthens our connection to him and then we can follow those lines that are set out in front of and so I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna direct us now because I know our time is really getting away here but I want to ask you an important question and if I could just think about this question is such strong faith okay such strong faith like the faith to follow God's promises even when it seems impossible is that a gift from God or can faith be strengthened as we exercise Kent can you get what I'm saying is it a gift is it something you just get or can it be strengthened as you exercise that faith what do you think I'll go Gary is there multiple choice by the way C or D all the above yeah all the above okay I believe and I believe the Bible says this I don't know where but every man is given a measure of faith but as you have that measure of faith the more you exercise it the bigger it gets oh thank okay amen amen yes Peter you and also you know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God so not only you know the experiences that you have that kind of teach you faith but also reading God's Word and that growth your faith as well I'm just going to the human mind the way we're set up our neural pathways get stronger every time we use them and they become like super highways you can either starve that superhighway and they will die off and neuroplasticity your plasticity will allow you to develop another that's a big word yeah big word so something for me but as we exercise our faith we will begin to default to faith rather than to familiar and every time we do it over and over you know someone said to me once that faith is the opposite of fear yeah and and and I think that's true I think we're as humans were you know a sinful human beings we often default to fear versus face but the more we get to know God and trust him the more our response will be a response of faith in that verse about the measure of faith Romans 12:3 right before it in verse 2 says don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so I think faith is a gift of God a miracle yes he got gives to each one a measure of faith but part of that new birth transformation is that that faith does grow it does like you're saying as we exercise faith our faith grows and I think it grows also by being in a relationship with someone right if I know someone more I'm going to have more faith in them and so maybe just quickly is there an experience that one of you has that where you knew someone and knowing that person better enabled you to have more faith in a promise that they made you everybody's stolen I have one I have one I know I'm sure already but I was stranded at the Iloilo Airport worth Filipino Sophie and I left my passport 45 minutes back and I was traveling with a Christian man that I had known and come to love and trust and I had no money no ticket no passport I did not speak the language no money no ticket no Passport he he said stay right here I'll be back and he disappeared ran into the airport to try to get a ticket for me a boarding pass without having my ticket in his hand and I'm left there on the side of the road thinking no identity no money no ticket all I have is a promise I'll be back and I could have had a cardiac arrest but somehow I just said I know David I know I trust him because I thought of Jesus I will come again you know that promise but I thought I trust him he'll be back but yeah believing the promise like you said because I have that relationship that's what it is with God that's what as we go and I think when we look at the like people like Abraham they had a relationship with God lutely not enable them to believe the promise nicole has her and I was funny because when I was in medical school I took a trip to Indonesia but when I got to glom my passport was not with me so I couldn't go on from actually in Hawaii I went to Guam and I realized I'd never Passport and my sister said I'm going to find it I'm going to get it to you and within two days with the next slide that came into Guam Indonesian like my passport was on that plane and I got on the plane after the Pope the plane had moved away a little bit but I jumped over the back but anyway but just to say that faith thing yeah I believe and that helped me to realize my sister will be there for me no matter what he said to get it for me made it beautiful guys okay I take one more okay really quick Andre just I always burning I'm the the there's a story of a little girl on a plane and the plane was undergoing terrible terrible turbulence as if it was going to crash okay the pilot came over the loudspeaker was a smaller plane and he said everyone I promise you that we're gonna get there safely and so this lady was going crazy over what's happening and his little girl next door it was just calm as ever and ladies turn and how could you be so calm she said because my daddy is the pilot he says we're going to get there we're gonna get there that's powerful story yeah at the powerful story so we know that this this this testimony or this story of Abraham reminds us that that abraham believed God and as it says there we didn't read the text but it says it was credited to him as righteousness it was counted to him as righteousness that he believed in the promise of God now here's a question for you because we've been talking about the law salvation when we look at Galatians right so what is the greatest promise that any of us can ever have question what's the greatest promise that God has given to any of us what do you think through the sacrifice of Christ right and you know it's not just at least for me it's not just to live forever that doesn't that's not that great of a thought but to live forever with him yeah amen you know one who loves me and gave himself for me amen amen you know that's awesome amen not just it's not just length of time yes but and then they comes back to the relationship the relationship with the one who kept all of his promises the one who kept amen let's look at Galatians chapter 2 and just look at this verses we think about the free gift of God received by faith Galatians chapter 2 verses 20 and 21 and let's see who would like to read that for us Alisa could you read for us Galatians chapter 2 verses 20 and 21 yep I'll be reading from the New Living Translation my old self has been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me so I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me I do not treat the grace of God is meaningless for if keeping the law could make us right with God then there would be no need for Christ to die and then so so this verse tells us what that we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us who gave himself for us in a life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God faith is believing in a promise right this is wrong well not only of salvation but in a whole new light a whole new life yeah Christ lives in me as he said by his spirit right the Christ would live in me and somehow that I'm not only redeemed from death but from the Dominion of sins yeah and from the devil I mean it's a whole new life and and and to me that that when you think about the Son of God loved me and gave himself remember just want to please him amen just want my life to please him to be in harmony with his will so on that note if if we want our lives to be in harmony with his will we want to please him what are we going to want to do and I'm getting it the relationship between the law and faith here right because this is this is the the issue in Galatians let's look at Romans chapter 7 verses 7 and 12 and we'll go there quickly Romans chapter 7 and let's see here who would like to read this uh Nancy could you read Romans 7 for us just a second Romans 7 chapter 7 and we're looking at verse 7 and then also verse 12 okay Romans 7 7 and 12 this is and I the New King James and it reads what shall we say then is the law sin certainly not on the contrary I would not have known sin except through the law for I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said you shall not covet and then which was verse 12 therefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good so as we think about the Covenant promise what is the purpose of the law according to what Paul is saying here in Romans chapter 7 to show us ourselves it's like a mirror right to reveal our need it's almost like you don't know if you're dirty unless you look in a mirror right you could have dirt all over your face and you won't know until you look in a mirror elissa it's like the diagnosis it's the sin that's causing the death but then the last scene look you have this in your in your life and if you don't allow God to cut it out or to take care of it it's going to ultimately kill you amen amen yes Nicole I was going to say its Christ lives in us then the law becomes a lifestyle it's something that it's almost easy to do because Christ is actually within us and he was not he could not break the law so it becomes our lifestyle and our practice to just be doing the law versus I have to have to have to have to almost like I just am and then so so the law is important because it points out our transgression and it points out the things that that we need to know to change but it there's got to be more because there's a power in the promise Lourdes oh well the way I was saying it is like when you have children and their parents are there they're well-behaved and everything and because they fear of the appearance but when maybe when the parents are way they're good or misbehave but then you have a child when maybe the parent might not be around them but they still behave because they love them they don't want to hurt them so the way I'll see is I just want to do it because I'm I don't want to do it because I'm afraid what I was assuming but I don't want to hurt God's heart because of love whether someone's looking at me or not I want to serve him a womanís out of love I want to I don't want to hurt God's heart amen so the law tells us where we're off but we want to follow him because we want to love him we don't want to hurt him no I really appreciate Lourdes said I think the new heart when Christ lives in me the psalmist prays open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in you yes so that which simply condemned me because I was out of harmony with God and living in sin all of a sudden now God God's word is a lamp and a light to my feet but I'm not trying to do it to earn his favor that's right that's right that's right and I love that wonderful things I was looking at that the Hebrew word for wonderful things is Paulo and it actually means so wonderful that there's it's impossible to keep it of your own so the only way to keep the wonderful as we look at the law of God it's a tent it's a transcript if his character of love the only way that we can keep the law of God is through his power working in us through his transforming power through beholding his love that's I have a text it says if you love me keep my Commandments and I think it ties both ideas and because when we love someone we want to do what pleases but it's only through relationship when we love someone that will want to do whose Commandments so and I care in their words it's John chapter 14 I think verse 15 yes with anything of me I think we should really can we just turn there real quick John chapter 14 and verse 15 it really does thank you for bringing that text Nancy John 14 where verse verse 13 15 oh yes so it reads in this is that you can drink if you love me keep my Commandments amen amen you know in some translations Kyle it actually it can either be as an imperative keep or it can be a present tense indicative in other words it can be translated either if you love me keep my Commandments or if you love me you will keep my Commandments among them that's an interesting option isn't it hmm if you love me you talk about the promise yes if you love me you will keep my Commandments an incredible promise you know that tells me that if if I love God by His grace that I will be enabled to keep his Commandments actly it is a promise not just a command and it's not like I'm keeping them out of my own grip like I'm going to keep his Commandments it's by his love that I'm able to keep them that's powerful Sean I was just thinking about it and as we talk about his commandments his law as a description of his character and like you were saying earlier it's not just keeping the commandments but you're actually keeping his character the character that he's putting inside of you you're going to cherish it and hold on to it because you love him and that's when you want to spend on anything amen and under it ain't no further what Sean is saying the word reveal came to mind so we're revealing his character and when we look at the law and it points out it reveals sin it also you know revealed but also shows how much we lack love yeah so you know so just and we're almost at the end of our study now but just as we as we're closing I just won't be someone's out there watching our hopes obstacle broadcast today just let's share some encouragement with with those that are out there maybe just let's encourage each other and the promises of God Nicole John 14:3 always encourages me because God says in that text that I'm I can read it if you want but it basically says that he's preparing a place for a man and where he is he wants us and so he's going to come back and get us and take us to be with him forever and I mean that's the greatest problem one day we're going to be with him forever we and that's not a maybe that's not an if that is a promise that God is coming back and I just want to just as we close just remind everyone today that whatever impossible situation you may be facing in your life you may be facing a personal challenge your your family may be going through some hard times you may not be sure what God wants you to do with your life my friend God promises you that he knows the plans he has for you he's promised you so much and he wants us to believe his promises and to trust him with all of our hearts and so I think that's the appeal today is that we trust him with our lives and we believe that he is going to work all things together for good and ultimately he's coming home to take us to be with him very soon amen thanks so much Kyle and you know the greatest promise is that he wants to save us and Abraham believe that and we do too amen and and I just want to encourage you as you've been watching our program today do not believe that the promises are just for other people God's promises are for you and that promise that Paul talks about in Galatians that God is going to save us through the Messiah who will come around he has come now and we can trust him to save and I want to appeal to you maybe you are watching and you say I've never asked Jesus to save me would you ask him today it's say Jesus I want to take hold of your promise remember let's pray together father in heaven I know angels would sing if someone today would say Jesus would you save me if you love the world and you wanted to save the world that includes me so I want to just say yes to you now and for those of us who've accepted you Jesus as our Savior bring to our mind someone that we can share this good news with who needs to hear that they may also know you love them too we pray in the name of Jesus amen well thanks for joining us for hope Sabbath school Kyle thanks for a great study the Word of God is so powerful like a lamp to our feet and a light to our path the promises of God all find their yes in Jesus amen but leave his promise to save you and go out and share those promises with those around you amen [Music] you

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Length: 57min 57sec (3477 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 31 2017