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HOW IS YOUR SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION? DO YOU GOOGLE? GOD’S WONDERFUL PROMISES NUMBERS 23: 19 & 1 KINGS 8: 56

HOW IS YOUR SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION? This is the name for my message series and last week I asked you this question: DO YOU BELIEVE THE BIBLE? This is an important question because you will remember the important Scripture from last week when Jesus said in John 17: 17 “Your word is truth.” It is important that you believe the Bible because the music today talks about the attributes or the characteristics of God….the WONDERFUL PROMISES OF GOD. Did you hear the promises of God in the songs? God is the • Creator God • Comforter • Healer • Provider • Savior • Holy and Righteous One • Defender • Faithful One The question DO YOU BELIEVE THE BIBLE is important because God gives you wonderful and precious promises….but look at this important point. Important point IF YOU ONLY ENJOY GOD’S WONDERFUL PROMISES IN A SONG YOU LIFE WILL NOT BE AFFECTED

The question DO YOU BELIEVE THE BIBLE is also important because for the next 3 weeks the subject is what the Bible says about God and the creation. You do not want to miss it….come praying and bring a friend….as I talk about Creation….God created!

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A new word was introduced into the English language in the year 2000 that defines one of the greatest inventions and one of the greatest accomplishments in many years. This word was unknown just a few years ago but today it is a verb that all of you know….and I am using it as part of my message title. The word is GOOGLE and my question is DO YOU GOOGLE? Google is now listed as a word in the English dictionary and it means “to search for information on the web, particularly by using the Google Search Engine.” You may use a different search engine but Google is the world’s most popular. I took a survey of some TBC members about internet use and here are the results: 7 I spend at least 30 minutes a day on-line ____2____ I spend at least 1 hour a day on-line ____25_____ I spend more than 1 hour a day on-line ____21_____ I use Google for my internet search ____13_____ I use a different search engine I read that the average Google search takes about a halfsecond and is driven by more than 10,000 interconnected Google computers. My question….DO YOU GOOGLE….is answered with a YES….but now let me ask you a different question. What if you could Google God? I mean….if you could Google God and find God’s own personal website….what would you find? I believe you would find on God’s website a tab entitled GOD’S WONDERFUL PROMISES….listing all of GOD’S WONDERFUL PROMISES that you could double click….and would be encouraged by reading the wonderful promises of God. Important question

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WHAT GOOD IS IT TO SING ABOUT ARE THE PROMISES OF GOD IF YOU DO NOT ACT ON THEM….IF GOD’S PROMISES DO NOT AFFECT YOUR LIFE The point is….for example IF YOU ARE LONELY OR HAVE NO JOY OR IF YOU ARE DISCOURAGED AND YOU DO NOT ALLOW GOD’S PROMISES TO HELP YOU….YOU HAVE A CRACK IN YOUR SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION This is why today….I want to talk about GOD’S WONDERFUL PROMISES and I challenge you to GOOGLE GOD by reading the Bible….and discover the WONDERFUL PROMISES OF GOD. Throughout history….God has been making promises. For example….the Bible tells about a terrible flood that occurred on earth long, long ago. After the flood….God made a promise to Noah and his descendants that He would never again destroy the world with a flood….and God used the beautiful rainbow to remind you and me of this promise. Did you know that this is the purpose of the rainbow….because when you see a rainbow….you should always be reminded of God’s promise from Genesis 9: 13. Genesis 9: 13 says “I have placed My rainbow in the clouds. It is a sign of My permanent promise to you and to all the earth.” NLB Peter writes about the promises of God. In 2 Peter 1: 4 he writes about the “very great and precious promises” of God. Peter likes the word “precious” because it means “something more valuable that anything you can buy.” In 1 Peter 1: 7 he says that suffering is like a fire that strengthens your faith and it becomes “more precious that gold….”and 1 Peter 1: 19 he describes the “precious blood of

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Christ….”and in 1 Peter 2: 4 he writes if you come to Him and believe in Him….you are “precious to Him.” My point is I want you to notice that in 2 Peter 1: 4 that the word “precious” was not enough to describe God’s promises….so Peter added the word “great.” The Greek word for “great” is “mega.” What does the English word “mega” mean? If something is “mega” it is “extra large” or “jumbo.” Important point to remember GOD’S PROMISES ARE MEGA PRECIOUS…GOD’S PROMISES ARE JUMBO PRECIOUS! Hebert Lockyer was a pastor and prolific writer who wrote over 50 books about the Bible. He was born in London and ministered in the UK….Europe and the United States and died in 1985 at the age of 99. One of his greatest books is “All the Promises of the Bible” and in this book Dr. Lockyer went through the Bible and counted all of the promises of God. He writes there are 7,457 promises that God has given to you and for you to use as a believer. This means that if you read one promise a day….it would take you over 20 years to read them all. If I decided to preach a series on THE PROMISES OF GOD and if I would preach on a different promise each Sunday….it would take me 143 years to cover them all! This is why Peter writes that the promises of God are very great and very precious. Important point IF YOU DO NOT USE GOD’S PROMISES THEY ARE OF NO VALUE AND NO BENEFIT TO YOU Notice the Scripture for today from the Old Testament book of Numbers 23: 19 and 1 Kings 8: 56 The Bible says “God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a human, that He should change His mind. Has He ever

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spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through? Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promised He gave…” Think about it! God has given you 7,457 promises and God never fails to keep His promises! Say out loud with me Glory to God! So today….I want to talk to you about 3 2 important things you need to know about the wonderful and precious promises of God. 1. GOD’S PROMISES ARE GUARANTEED The English word “promise” comes from two Latin words, pro meaning “forth” and mittere meaning “send.” A promise has the idea of “sending forth” something that can be received or made good or claimed in the future. For example….when you take out a loan you sign a paper with the bank saying you will pay the loan in the future. The point is….not all loans are paid and not all promises that a man or woman makes to other people are kept. Jonathan Swift wrote this: “Promises and pie crusts are made to be broken.” Have you ever broken a promise? I have counseled husbands and wives when they were married….they made promises before God and family and friends on a wedding day and both have repeated…. “I will keep these promises until death do us part….”but have broken their wedding vows. Here is the good news GOD’S PROMISES ARE NEVER BROKEN. GOD’S PROMISES ARE 100% GUARANTEED Hebrews 10: 23 says “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 24 says “Faithful is He who calls you…”and 1 Corinthians 1: 9

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says “God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” Remember GOD’S PROMISES ARE CERTAIN. GOD CANNOT LIE. GOD HAS NEVER BROKEN A PROMISE. The Bible word for promise is the Greek word “epangelia.” It comes from two words….epi meaning “upon” and angellos….meaning “message or announcement.” In other words….when the Bible talks about a promise of God….it means you can “stand upon the announcement of God….you can stand of the promise of God!” You will not be disappointed and you will not be discouraged. In the book, “All the Promises of the Bible….”Herbert Lockyer said something like this: “If you are downcast and discouraged and controlled by your circumstances of life….if you would only focus on the promises made by God and take one month concentrating on these promises….you would not go around complaining about all of the problems in your life. You would praise God!” Question ARE YOU STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD OR YOU STANDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR LIFE I would suggest that if your circumstances are controlling your life….you have a crack in your spiritual foundation. 2. GOD’S PROMISES ARE CONDITIONAL Now listen….God’s love is unconditional. This means that there is nothing you can do to earn God’s love or to change God’s love for you. Notice this….God’s love is unconditional….you cannot earn it and you cannot lose it….but God’s promises are conditional.

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Important point MANY OF GOD’S PROMISES BEGIN WITH THE TWO LETTER WORD IF Important example ETERNAL LIFE IS A PROMISE OF GOD BUT YOU CAN ONLY CLAIM GOD’S PROMISE IF YOU CONFESS YOUR SIN AND REPENT AND BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST Notice in these Scriptures the little word IF Romans 10: 9 says IF you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Let me give you another example. Do you want to live an effective and successful live life as a Christian believer? Jesus said in John 15: 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. IF a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Notice the word IF. Let me give you another example. Do you want your prayers answered? In John 15: 7 God promises you can “ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” You may say “Amen! I have a lot things to ask God for. Remember the important point MANY OF GOD’S PROMISES BEGIN WITH THE TWO LETTER WORD IF Notice the first word in John 15: 7. “IF you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

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If you are praying and God does not answer your prayers….before you complain about God….or say God does not answer your prayers….you should check and see IF you have done been faithful to remain in the Lord and be obedient to God’s Word….so God can fulfill His promise to answer your prayers. Let me ask you a final question HOW MANY OF GOD’S WONDERFUL PROMISES HAVE YOU APPLIED TO YOUR LIFE? OR DO YOU JUST LISTEN TO THE MUSIC AND SING THE SONGS ABOUT GOD’S FAITHFULNESS? You see….God has offered these precious and wonderful promises to you….but like money in your bank….you cannot use it unless you draw it out. Question DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM BUT HAVE NOT YET CLAIMED GOD’S PROMISE TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM? Notice these examples • Are you lonely? God has promised He will always be with you but you must take the promise. James 4: 8 says “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” • Are you suffering from a broken heart? Jesus has promised He will heal you. Psalm 147: 3 says “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” • Are you afraid and fearful? God has promised you perfect peace but you must move Christ to center of your life and put your fear on the edge. Isaiah 26: 3 says “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on Him.” • Do you feel guilty of your sin? You must repent and claim the promise of God in 1 John 1: 9 “IF we

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confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Remember….there are 7,457 promises for you in God’s Word….the Bible. Let me give you a shortcut to claim the wonderful promises of God. Always come to Jesus to claim your promises. 2 Corinthians 1: 20 says “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “YES” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” The Bible says all of the promises of God are available for you because you are in Christ and Christ in you….and Christ will always say “Yes!” but it is always up to you to say “Amen!” Amen means “So be it. I agree….I accept God’s promise!” Remember AS A CHRISTIAN BELIEVER GOD HAS GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED. ARE YOU TRUSTING AND BELIEVING IN GOD’S PROMISES ALONE? ARE YOU APPLYING GOD’S PROMISES TO YOUR LIFE OR YOU JUST LISTENING TO THE MUSIC AND SINGING THE SONGS? Let’s pray. DENNIS FOLDS TOKYO BAPTIST CHURCH SEPTEMBER 8 & 9, 2007