Advent 09 #4 Promises Fulfilled

Luke 1:45

The Blessings of Believing

Well we have been speaking about Promises all month long now.

But the interesting thing about Promises is that, most of the time, Promises mean nothing if the one receiving the promise doesn’t ACT on the Promise, doesn’t order their lives around the promises, and thus receiving the goodness and blessing of the Promise

Luke 1:45 says

45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

So, let’s take it back for a minute

1. A Child Born

Long ago when the world was young, a man and a woman were part of a New Kingdom of Peace, and Life and Love. But they didn’t follow the Creator’s rules and they were banished from the heart of the Kingdom and given a new set of rules. Their offspring lost their birthright, lost their land, and lost their ability to rule in the Kingdom.

Even when they were banished from the Kingdom, their Creator promised them that hope would come one day in their promised descendant. He would be new, something the world had never known, yet he would be the Ancient of Days.

Years passed and the world darkened, along came one of their descendants named Abram, he wasn’t The One but he was given a new land, as a promise of the return to the Kingdom that would come. Though he was not The One the promise would come through him.

Then came Isaac. He was not The One, but was a son who came when it seemed all hope was gone. He was one who escaped death and saw new life, so he pointed us to The One who would come through him.

Years passed, good years and bad years. At times it seemed the Creator was silent they left and then returned to the Land of Promise. And along came an unexpected son, his name was David, he was fine young man, a shepherd and musician, and an unlikely warrior. He became the King and peace came to the land. He too was not The One, but the Creator promised that The One would be like him and would rule in Righteousness and from David’s throne and would bring peace with God and Peace to this world.

Many more years passed. The people wandered from the ways of their Creator. More dark years passed than bright years. Many years passed in captivity and then years of oppression and occupation, years of desolation and despair, and of sadness and silence.

Hundreds of dark years passed where the Creator’s voice was not heard. But the darkest part of the night is just before dawn isn’t it? In the midst of darkness, there was a sweet and beautiful girl. She was a bright spot in the otherwise dark world. She knew and loved the world’s Creator. She was committed to his ways with all her heart. She met a man who himself loved and followed his Creator and his ways. They were in love and were planning their lives together. In the midst of their time of joy, the worst news possible, she was going to have a Baby. This couldn’t be, they were faithful to each other and to their Creator, they were not yet married, this is impossible. But their Creator sent them both a Messenger that reassured them that he had a plan and promises to fulfill and that Centuries, Millennia, of Promises were about to be fulfilled through them.

They endured the whispers, the stares, the assumptions, and accusations, but their love grew stronger as did their resolve to trust their Creator. The timing was bad, but the earthly King insisted that everyone go to their ancestral home to be counted. So, a long trip ensued from Galilee to Judea, from Nazareth to Bethlehem. She was VERY pregnant. How uncomfortable that trip was. Then just as they were arriving in Bethlehem, it was time, the Baby was coming. There seemed to be no place in town, everyone was there to be counted. One innkeeper made room for them in his Animal Enclosure, more like a cave I guess. She didn’t care she just needed to have this child. He was born in as normal a way as a Barn Birth could be. She wrapped him up and laid him in an animal feed box bassinette. And light was dawning, he was The One.

Out in the fields were shepherds herding sheep. Not just any sheep but those Bethlehem sheep were Temple lambs. So these Shepherds were watching over the lambs who would be sacrificed for the sins of the People. They given a great gift. Angels appeared in the sky. They announced that LIGHT had Come. They proclaimed that promises were being fulfilled right then, right there, that night. Salvation had come to Israel. Peace had come for all who would receive it. “Go” they said, down into the town, find him, worship him, tell the world.

Who would have ever thought, that night, in that little place, that the Promises of God would come true?

And the LIGHT DAWNED on the WORLD

Like everything else God had said, his message through the Angels was true and the Shepherds found him in Luke 2:16, “Mary and Joseph and the Baby, lying in a manger”, just as promised.

Oh the Promises of God

2. Promises Kept

I have a book, R.A. Torrey’s New Topical Textbook. In it he lists 65 Prophesies Concerning Christ. All of those prophesies are fulfilled and Torrey includes the Old Testament Prophesy and New Testament Fulfillment.

The Bible promised, he would be the Son of God, the Seed of the Woman, the Seed of Abraham, the Seed of Isaac, and the Seed of David.

There was a set time for his coming, born of a virgin, called Immanuel, in Bethlehem. Great people from the east would come to worship him.

Children would be slain in an attempt to do away with him.

He would come out of Egypt.

He would be poor, meek, tender and compassionate.

He would teach in parables,

he would be rejected by his own family,

he would be rejected by Jewish leaders and that the Gentile leaders would join with them against him.

He would be betrayed by a friend.

Sold out for 30 pieces of silver. He would suffer greatly, be spit on, mocked and scourged.

Even the Father would forsake him.

Things concerning his death were foretold in great detail.

He would be pierced but no bones would be broken, and he would die, buried among the rich.

He would arise, he would ascend even to the right hand of the Father and serve as a priest for us and become the cornerstone for the Church.

But there are some promises that are very important for you and for me.

Because in this list. #62 is a promise for You and for Me. Because though he came from the Jewish Nation and as a Promise to the Jewish Nation … there is a Promise for the Rest of Us

Isaiah 11:10 in that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious

Did you hear that?!?

Jesus Christ will be a BANNER … the Hebrew word there is “nes” a banner (such as was set up on high mountains, especially in case of an invasion, when it showed the people where to assemble

Jesus Christ, Jesse’s promised Shoot, would be the place where we, can seek, rally toward, when sin invades and threatens to defeat us and we can find REST that means a place of habitation, a condition of ease, a quieting, still waters

What a promise for you and for me but did Jesus speak about that?

John 10:16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be ONE flock and ONE shepherd.

And then in Acts 10 the first Gentile convert, Cornelius came through the ministry of Peter. And verse 45 says

Acts 10:45 the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

And the promised door was opened for you and for me

Oh aren’t the promises of God wonderful?

But you should know that

3. The Best is Yet To Come

Yes my friends we can know that if God will keep his promises, and when it seems the darkest, the dawn of his advent will come, then you and I can know today that when it seems darkest here today, that the dawn of his 2nd Advent could come any day.

Other important prophesies Concerning Christ

A. Rule in Justice

Psalm 45:6,7 your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy

And So one day

Revelation 19:11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and true. with Justice he judges and makes war.

A Righteous Government is in our Future

The Best is Yet to Come

B. And He will have Universal Dominion

Psalm 72:8 He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth

Daniel 7:14 he was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed

He not only will rule but his reach will be universal and proper

And we know from

Phil 2:9,11 that God has now given him a name above every name and every tongue will confess him as Lord, recognizing his dominion

Oh the Best really is Yet to Come

C. And his Kingdom will continue forever and ever

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this

And So Luke speaks of the fulfillment of this saying

Luke 1:32,33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.

Oh the Best is yet To Come

D. All the Promises of God are YES in Christ Jesus

2 Corinthians 1:20-21 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 21 Now is is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

Oh rest in the Promises of God in Christ Jesus

What is the Title of This Message?

“The Blessings of Believing”

Speaking of Mary, Elizabeth said this when he saw her …

Luke 1:45

45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

And so the Promise for us …

John 1:12 to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

You can believe that Promise and if you have believed on his name, receiving him, then you are a Child of God!

And for the Child of God,

D. The Best is yet to Come

1. 1 Thes 4:16-17

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

The Best is Yet to come

2. 1 Cor 15:52-53

52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 5

The Best is Yet to Come

3. 1 John 3:2

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,a we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

The Best is yet to Come

Jesus himself says to us

4. Revelation 22:12-13, 16, 20

12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

16 “… I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

20 …“Yes, I am coming soon.”

The Best is Yet to Come

And if you know him like I know him

5. Revelation 22:20,21 should be our words and our comfort

20…Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

The Best is Yet to Come