Better Than a Hope and a Prayer

Thank you to our festival choir. Very beautiful selection of music. Very well done. Thank you. It's very encouraging and uplifting. Very wonderful. Well, I think it is morning. Good morning, everyone. Happy feast, day number two. It's very nice to be here with you. As Mr. Mitts said, I'm the pastor of... Sometimes you look it up, it says East Texas, but it's Big Sandy. Do you know where Big Sandy is? Any of you? I don't know.

Yes, I know you do. You do. It's very nice to be here with you in Branson today, and I hope you're having a very wonderful feast of tabernacles so far. Don't wear yourselves out. We've got a few days yet, and it is going to be a wonderful time. I'd like to open with a question.

Are you familiar with that expression on a hope and a prayer? Have you ever heard that? On a hope and a prayer. Well, that's what some people say when they hope for a positive outcome despite little chance of success. I've had some experience working with students through the years, and that is on a hope and a prayer. That is something a student might say. For example, I didn't have time to complete my term paper, so I just handed it in on a hope and a prayer.

Praying for a good grade, I guess. Now, some might think and say the same thing when they ask their employer for a raise. Again, you hope for a positive outcome despite little chance of success. That's ways the lovers feel just listening to the weatherman's forecast. We hope it's going to turn out the way he says. But the fact is, brethren, that's also how many people today view life. Many people believe that nothing in this life is certain. Have you ever heard that? People say that. And so many people live this life in thinking that all they have is a hope and a prayer of any good thing ever happening. And isn't that something?

Brethren, I think you know this, but I'm here to tell you today and share with you the fact that we have much more to believe in than a hope and a prayer. What's better than a hope and a prayer? The promises of God. The promises of God. And today we will consider the certainty of God's promises for us and for all people. I've entitled this message more than a hope and a prayer. More than a hope and a prayer. Now, as we begin, I'd like to lay some groundwork. We need to understand the difference between the uncertainty of the promises of men versus the certainty of the promises of God. And so let's turn to Matthew chapter 5 as we begin. Let's turn to Matthew chapter 5, and together we'll read one of the teachings that Jesus Christ shares, shared, and shares with His disciples. Of course, this is part of the Beatitudes. We have to find here many of Jesus Christ's teachings for living life God's way. In verses 33 through 38, Jesus tutors us about making vows and squaring oaths, also known as making promises. So Matthew 5, verse 33 through 38, Jesus states, again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not swear falsely. Some translations read, you shall not make false oaths, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord. But I say to you, Jesus says, I say to you, do not swear. Do not make an oath at all. Neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by earth, for it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And nor shall you swear by your head, this one I like, nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. And Jesus says, verse 37, He says, but let your yes be yes, and let your no, no, for whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Let's again, who's the evil one? It's of the devil. It's of the devil. So why this instruction from Jesus about making or not making vows and oaths? Well, it seems to people back then, and like today, people tend to make frivolous vows and oaths, frivolous vows and promises.

They promise things that they can't keep, or sometimes they promise things that they have absolutely no intention of keeping. But they say it anyway. Maybe you've run across that. The certainty you see of promises depends upon one's abilities and integrity and willingness to do what you've said, to keep your promise. And so that seems to be, as Jesus points out here, that seems to be why some people invoke a higher authority than themselves. Or they invoke another power to try to convince others of their own credibility, that they will indeed, they're trustworthy to fulfill their promise. But Jesus tells us, just be honest. Be honest with ourselves. Be honest with others. Let our yes mean yes and our no mean no. If we can't keep a vow or promise, then don't make it. Then we shouldn't make one. And if we don't make something we cannot keep or we have no intention of keeping, well then that keeps us, that helps us to avoid from being a liar, like the devil. It also helps us to keep away from any taint of hypocrisy in our lives. So it's pretty good wisdom, isn't it? Let your yes be yes and let your no be no.

Now on the other hand, Christ's instruction should also remind us that God's promises and vows are certain. Why are they certain? Because God does have the authority. He does have the power, and His integrity is supreme. God need invoke no higher authority than Himself. Why?

He is the highest authority ever, ever possible. Now God Himself makes that very point if you turn with me next to Isaiah chapter 45. Let's turn now to Isaiah 45 22 through 23.

Isaiah 45 22 through 23.

These are God's words through the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 45 verse 22. God says, look to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by myself. It can mean I have sworn an oath by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return. It will not be revoked. It shall not return. What's His word? That to me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall take an oath. Now notice what God declares there beginning in verse 23. He says, I have sworn by myself. Brethren, do you, do we understand just how extremely important that statement is? In his notes on the Bible, Albert Barnes explains the magnitude of God's words, of those words. Barnes states, quote, the expression I have sworn by myself denotes a purpose formed in the most solemn manner. God could swear by no greater. This, therefore, Barnes says, is the most solemn assurance that could be possibly given that the purpose which he had formed should be executed. To swear by himself is the same as to swear by his life, or to affirm solemnly that the event shall as certainly occur as that he exists. The same idea is often expressed by the phrase, as I live. Unquote. And so, I have sworn by myself as I live, and many other such statements express God's assurance, God's assurance, that just as he exists, so shall happen what he has sworn.

So now, what then, in verse 23, again, we're going to look at that, what then in verse 23, has God sworn by himself? It connects back to verse 22. What he has sworn by himself is that to be saved, refer back to verse 22, that to be saved to me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall take an oath. And assuredly, because this is what God has sworn by himself, so assuredly a time is coming when everyone will worship God, and vow an oath of loyalty, a fidelity of faith to God. And when God swears by himself, what have we just learned? What he says will certainly happen. Now, isn't that a whole lot better than a hope and a prayer? I think it is. I know it is.

Now, let's turn to Hebrews 6. We're going to expand this idea, look at it a little more. Hebrews 6, verse 13 through 18. Hebrews 6, verse 13 through 18. Now give or take a century or half a century or so. It was about 3,800 years ago. God made one of these promises, such a promise where he swore by himself to Abraham. He made a promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants. So in Matthew 6, verse 13, we read this, For when God made a promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, Surely, blessing, I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you. And so after he had patiently endured, Abraham had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Of course, at that time the promise was Isaac, the son of promise, the beginning of many, many, many descendants for Abraham. Verse 16, continuing on, it says, For men indeed swear an oath by the greater, by greater authority, And an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. And thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, sometimes that reads as the immutability of his promise, he confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, and those two immutable things are his promise and his oath, when he gives it, it is set.

It is impossible for God to lie so that we might have consolation, who have fled, who have fled to God, fled to him for refuge, till they hold of the hope set before us.

And so again, those two immutable, unchangeable things are God's promise to Abraham and God's oath that confirmed his promise. God can't lie. His promise and oath to Abraham of many descendants is certain. It will happen. It is happening. Now let's now turn back to Genesis 22. Let's read for ourselves with their own eyes what God says there. That's what it's being, that's what verse 15-16, if Hebrews 6 is referring to. So let's look now. Let's look now at Genesis 22-16.

Probably familiar verses.

Genesis 22, 16-18.

And so what we read here is, because of Abraham's faithfulness, as it's going to state, God made the promise confirmed by his oath, saying to Abraham, verse 16, By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son. Remember, he was ready to sacrifice his grown son, his grown boy Isaac, because he had such belief and faith in God. Because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son. Verse 17, blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore. And verse 18, And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Why? Because you have obeyed my voice. The seed here referred to in verse 18, the seed refers to Jesus Christ. And Paul identifies Jesus Christ as a seed. We're not going to turn there, but you can jot down Galatians 3, 16. Jesus Christ is the seed. Through Christ, the Savior of all mankind, God is keeping his promise to Abraham to bless all peoples, all peoples through his descendant.

So how faithful now? We've read over and over again that when God makes a promise, he makes an oath, it is set. It will happen. Do we find evidence of that in Scripture? Can we look to Scripture and see, well, how faithful is God to fulfill his promises? Yes, we can.

Scripture, you see, in Scripture, God has preserved histories for us to read and to believe. When we read the Bible, let's not forget to do something most important, to believe what we read. It's not fiction. It's not fantasy. It's not mythology. It is real. It is the inspired God-breathed Word of God. And so God has preserved these histories for us to read and believe, and these histories demonstrate God's faithfulness in keeping his promise, among other things, demonstrates God's faithfulness in keeping his promise to Abraham and his descendants. We're going to look a little bit at that now, and we'll find that God does indeed keep his promises, although it may take many human lifetimes to fulfill them. And that's where each generation has to live in faith, looking forward to the final fulfillment of God's promises. We're in Genesis. Let's turn now to Exodus 19. Let's turn to Exodus 19 and read a little bit there. We're just going to rehearse. This is going to be so much summary fact, in a summary fashion.

In Exodus 19, verse 5 through 6, at a point in the timeline here in the history of God and Israel's relationship, next is 19, verse 5 through 6. It's just three months. We're now here in history timeline. We're three months out after God delivered Israel from Egypt. And Moses presented God's promise to the people. We're going to read a little bit of that here in Exodus 19, verse 5 through 6.

Now therefore, if you, the children of Israel, if you will indeed obey my voice, God says, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

And the people's response is found in verse 8. And then all the people answered together and said, all that the Lord has spoken we will do. Sounds like a promise, doesn't it? God had determined to make the children of Israel his special holy nation, and Israel promise to obey. Now to Deuteronomy 28, verse 9. Deuteronomy 28, verse 9.

Here we are timeline. Fast forward a little bit. 40 years later now, Mr. Nance did the similar thing in his sermon yesterday. 40 years later, Moses reminded the children of Israel. Now this is the younger generation. The older generation was unfaithful.

And so Moses now is reminding the younger generation before the enter canan about God's promise and their covenant with him. Deuteronomy 28, verse 9.

The Lord will establish you as a holy people to himself, just as he has sworn to you if, that very important word, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And so, so far what we've been rehearsing here from Scripture is how God made his promise, and he swore his oath, and he would keep it. But the descendants of Israel, they were human. Their promises are a little more uncertain, as human promises can be. The descendants of Israel continually failed, is what history will show us, they continually failed to keep their promise to worship and obey God. Their relationship with God would be marked as one of rebelliousness. And prophecies reveal that they will continue in rebelliousness until Christ returns.

So let's pick up this summary of the history of God's relationship with Israel. Let's turn now to the book of Ezekiel. Let's go to the book of Ezekiel, and we'll be reading from chapter 20. Ezekiel chapter 20. A little bit about Ezekiel. The book of Ezekiel includes many references to God's vows and promises. We see this reference to God having made vows over and over again. The prophet Ezekiel recorded, under God's inspiration, the history, as well as the prophecies of God's future efforts in making Israel his special people. And so we find in Ezekiel references how from the time, including the time when God chose them, and through their rebellious years, the rebellious times against God, and then even up to their necessary exile, God trying to get them and help them, teach them to obey him. We're going to begin reading Ezekiel 20, verse 5 through 8. Ezekiel 20, verse 5 through 8. We find imagery of God's hand raised in an oath. God's hand raised in an oath. Have you ever watched — are there Perry Mason TV shows? I'm looking at people. I know. Yeah, they're okay. So if you ever watch the old Perry Mason or Matlock, you'll see people standing there. That's an oath. We understand that. That's what God is doing here in the imagery. So let's read. God's promise — it shows these images of God's hand raised in an oath. This imagery depicts God's promise. Again, it's depicting God's promise to make Israel his special people. And what we're going to see as we go through this is a contrast. God is keeping his promise, and Israel is not. Let's read verse 5 then.

Breaking into thoughts. Say to them, Thus says the Lord God, On the day when I chose — talking about history now — on the day when I chose Israel and raised my hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised my hand in an oath to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. On that day I raised my hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt and into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands. And then I said to them — and this is what he told Israel at that time — each of you throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt.

I am the Lord your God. In Israel's response, verse 8, But they rebelled — we know that — they rebelled against me and would not obey me, God says. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So again, God kept his promise, and he led Israel out of Egypt, but Israel rebelled. For them left Egypt. They were not getting rid of their idols. Not all of them were not doing that. Israel rebelled in the wilderness, and God would discipline them.

Now further down, verse 15 through 17, let's read a little bit more. Now God also declared that he would not allow Israel into the land promised them. Let's see what happened with that. Verse 15. God, again speaking, So I also raised my hand and an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands, because they despised my judgments and did not walk in my statutes, but they profaned my Sabbaths, for their heart went after their idols.

Nevertheless, my eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness. And we recall that history, don't we? God, again, kept his promise. He corrected them, instead of annihilating them entirely, he chose not to let the older generation enter Canaan, but their children did. God kept his promise. And still in Ezekiel 20, let's read verses 28-29.

And again, God describes how he was faithful to give Israel the land of Canaan. Here he says, verse 28 now, when I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised my hand and an oath to give them, and they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked me with their offerings.

And so Israel, again, rejected God, worshipped idols, even though God gave them the very land he had promised to Abraham and their fathers. And so we see as God reveals through Ezekiel that the children of Israel were persistent in their rebelliousness. And though God often disciplined Israel, even including harsh treatment later on by the exile, I would add, by the Assyrians and Babylonians, God never annihilated them. He never just zapped them out of complete existence as a people. Why didn't he? Well, go back to what we talked about at the very beginning. He didn't wipe them out because he would fulfill his promise and oath he had made to Abraham.

He had a promise to keep. Now God keeps his promises. God keeps his promises even through thousands of years. Millennium may pass, but God keeps his promises. And we find evidence of God's enduring faithfulness in the prophecies now, moving from the history to some of the prophecies in Ezekiel. Let's turn to Ezekiel 34 and look at evidence of God's enduring faithfulness in his prophecies.

Prophecies that are yet to occur. In Ezekiel 34, much of the backdrop here, we find, describe the time of the Great Tribulation. The time of the Great Tribulation yet to come. This will be a time when the modern-day descendants of ancient Israel will be in terrible physical and spiritual condition. They will have suffered under slavery. They will have suffered under the hands of greedy and svalt shepherds, we read, leaders. The people will be like lost sheep. They'll be like sheep lost in the wilderness and left to pray to the hungry beast. Of course, Scripture tells us some of these hungry beasts are actually cruel government people.

The sheep of Israel will be in desperate need of a good shepherd. In Ezekiel 34 verse 8, in Ezekiel 34 verse 8, we find God's promise to intervene and deliver his people. Verse 8, notice how this begins, that phrase, as I live. We read about that earlier, Albert Barnes says. Remember, this is the equivalent of God saying, I have sworn by myself. As I live, says the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey and my flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, and nor did my shepherd search for my flock. But the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my flock. Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. And so this becomes a warning for the leaders of modern Israel. This can become a warning, and we should take it so even for the leaders of the body of Christ, God's church, to make sure we are heeding God's will and direction that we are feeding his sheep. Verse 11, for thus says the Lord God, indeed I myself, God says, will search for my sheep and seek them out. This is prophecy. Verse 13, and I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land. Verse 14, I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel, and there they shall lie down in a good fold, and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. God is prophesying of the future time to come, much what we're here to remember and anticipate. Israel in the future will come to be under the care of the shepherd. Peter calls him the chief shepherd, the shepherd Jesus Christ. Verse 23, God says, I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, my servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd, and I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them. I the Lord have spoken. It's a promise. So thou, it's an oath. And so David, of course, my servant David, Ezekiel is writing these centuries after King David has died. He's referring to the son of David, Jesus the Christ. Continuing in verses 25 through 30, we find described Israel's recovery as they finally forsake rebelliousness and willingly submit to Christ in his millennial reign. And so Israel will have been taken captive. They will have been been left for loss, having suffered the terrible tribulation wars and famine, other terrible things during the great tribulation. But God will seek them out.

And it's in the millennium that Israel will finally will have been shaken to their core, and they'll finally forsake rebelliousness, and they'll finally willingly submit to God, submit to Christ in his millennial reign. Verses 25 through 30 now. The words of God, I will make a covenant of peace with them and cause wild beasts to cease from the land, and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them... Verse 26. I will make them in the places all around my hilly blessing, and I will cause showers to come down in their season. There shall be showers of blessing. And then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord. When I have broken the bands of their yoke, delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. And thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. And they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord God.

And so the modern-day descendants of ancient Israel have largely forgotten their identity, and they've largely forgotten their long-ago promises to God, to love Him, to keep His commandments, to worship only Him. But God has not forgot. Our loving God has not forgotten. In the near future, Jesus Christ and the kings and priests will serve under Him, the church, those who remain faithful until the end. They will teach the remnant of Israel. And Israel will learn and know that they are God's people.

Let's also turn now to Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel 36.

A little more detail about the start of the millennium. So at the start of His millennial reign, Jesus Christ will gather the remnant of Israel through their land in Jerusalem, Isaiah 11.11, you can jot that down. Isaiah 11.11 refers to it as a second Exodus, a second Exodus yet in the future. And Israel will be blessed. But there's an important verse here in Ezekiel 36.22. They will be blessed. However, they will not be saved from their plight because they deserve it. God's not saving them because they deserve it.

Nope. Christ will deliver them in order to glorify God's name above all the nations. Ezekiel 36 verse 22. Therefore, say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy, for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And so God, to set the record straight in the eyes of the nations, He's going to let it know that they will know what Israel had done and how God has forgiven them. They've repented. They will repent and God will forgive them.

But God is going to take care of them not because they deserve it, but because He will fulfill His ancient promise by then, an ancient promise and oath, which He swore. In God's kingdom, the descendants of Israel will finally become a holy nation, though, and that is one of the ways they'll be blessed. And unlike ever before, the people will believe God. They will be truly repentant. They will be ready to have a right relationship with the Father and Jesus Christ. And in turn, God will give to them a new heart and His Holy Spirit. They will undergo a process that we, even now, are undergoing. They will undergo a process of conversion, it seems. Look verses 24 verse 28. Verses 24-28, still in the same chapter, Ezekiel 36. God says, Verse 25, and then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. They're going to finally give them up. Verse 26, I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You shall be my people, and I will be your God. It's wonderful. In verse 36, treat that too. And then the nations, all the nations, surrounding nations, all those that will have survived the tribulation and be there. Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.

Isn't that better than a hope and a prayer? Yes. And the millennium Israel will finally and truly be that holy nation unto God, and they will be a light and example to all the other nations of God's way of life. That's what God has always intended. The nations, in turn, will seek to learn God's way from Israel. And so, in this rather summery fashion, then we see how Scripture does indeed reveal that God will fulfill His promise to Abraham, because God keeps His promises. He keeps His promises. This wonderful truth, brethren, why do we need to know this? I think you could tell me. Why do we need to know this?

This wonderful truth should comfort us in our trials and fortify our faith in God's promise of salvation and eternal life, which is only through faith in that seed, that seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ, our Savior. So what have we learned? Brethren, we must hold fast to our vow and promise to be ever faithful and obedient to God. We must not cast away our confidence in God and His promises. God's faithfulness and in fulfilling His promise to Abraham should give us great confidence and assurance in all of the promises of God.

All the promises of God. What other promises? There's more?

Our God is a very generous God. What other promises? You can make your own list this week. Here's some of the promises I recall. The promise God says, He says, fear not, for I am with you. That's a promise. God says, I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.

That's His promise. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Neither shall they learn war anymore. We shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkly of an eye at the last trumpet. No more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, no more pain. Do we recall these promises now?

He has made His kings and priests to His God and Father. Promises. The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And all who are in the graves will hear His voice. Promises.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. A promise.

And this last one is very important. It's very important. From 1 John 2, 25, quote, And this is the promise that he God has promised us, eternal life.

Those promises of God.

One final scripture to turn to, brethren, if you turn with me, Hebrews 10, Hebrews 10, 35 through 39.

Hebrews 10, verse 35 through 39.

Brethren, we must put to heart the admonition we find here in Hebrews 10, verse 35 through 39. Let's read it here together. Hebrews 10, verse 35 through 39. Very powerful now that we, very powerful words here now that we have a much more profound understanding of the assurance of God's promises. We read Hebrews 10, 35. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Verse 37, for yet a little while, and it is just a little while, for yet a little while, and he who is coming will come and will tear and will not tear. He will tear no more. In verse 38, now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. That's a quotation from God.

In verse 39, the writer of Hebrews says, But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe, believe the promises to the saving of the soul. Brethren, we, you and I, we have made our promise, we have made our promise and vow to serve God and Jesus Christ. We have promised that we would bury the old man the ways of the flesh and of sin. We have promised to live a new life through faith in Jesus Christ. And God, who loves us so much, and God will help us keep our promise when we make him the highest authority in our lives and truly love him and serve him with all our heart, all our mind, with all our strength, our might. Brethren, God's promises to us—I think I've convinced you by now—God's promises to us are so much more than a hope and a prayer. God's promises and oaths are certain. God is faithful. God will keep them. God keeps his promises. We must keep our promises to him.

Brethren, let us indeed keep our promises to God.

And may we all have a wonderful and spiritually uplifting feast of tabernacles.