THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 10-6-19
LESSON TITLE: THE HALF WAS NOT TOLD ME - GOD'S ETERNAL NATURE
WELCOME
THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE; WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT," PSALMS 118:24! OH, HOW TRUE THESE WORDS SHOULD BE TO EVERY FOLLOWER OF GOD! THIS IS A GREAT DAY! WE SHOULD BE REJOICING! WE MUST BE GLAD! WHY WE ARE BLESSED SERVANTS OF GOD ABLE TO ASSEMBLE BEFORE HIS THRONE ON THIS, THE LORD'S DAY! I AM GLAD YOU ARE WITH US THIS MORNING AND THANK GOD YOU HAVE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION TO GIVE THIS TIME TO YOUR CREATOR. I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER TODAY AS WE SING PRAISES TO THE ALMIGHTY AND AS WE STUDY FROM HIS MATCHLESS WORD! THIS MORNING, I KNOW WE WILL ALL BE EDIFIED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER. SO LET'S ALL DO OUR PART TO MAKE THIS TIME PROFITABLE BEFORE GOD, AND FURTHERMORE MAY WE USE IT AS A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT ONE TO ANOTHER! AT THIS TIME, LET'S APPROACH OUR FATHER'S THRONE IN PRAYER.
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE FOR FATHER WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE GIFTS FROM YOU. AND FATHER, WE KNOW THAT ALL PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL THINGS COME FROM YOU AND THROUGH YOUR SON AND WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR LOVE AND YOUR GRACE, YOUR MERCY - ALL THAT YOU SHOW US IN OUR DAILY LIVES. AND FATHER, HELP US TO LIVE EACH AND EVERY DAY AS RECIPIENTS OF SUCH PROVING TO YOU HOW MUCH WE LOVE AND RECIPROCATE THAT LOVE BY DOING THOSE THINGS YOU ASK AND COMMANDED AND PROVEN OURSELVES WORTHY IN YOUR SIGHT KNOWING FATHER THAT IN THE END IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF YOU AND THROUGH YOUR SON THAT WE CAN BE FOUND JUSTIFIED AND IT'S IN HIS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
JUST THINK FOR A MOMENT HOW MUCH YOUR LORD HAS DONE, AND IS DOING IN YOUR LIFE! I HOPE NONE OF US HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR WE SERVE! THIS MORNING WE WANT TO BEGIN WITH A SONG THAT REMINDS US OF THE WONDROUS SON OF GOD WHO LOVED US ENOUGH TO SERVE US! SO, WON'T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING TOGETHER, "HIDE ME, ROCK OF AGES!
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
AREN'T WE BLESSED TO HAVE THE BIBLE! A BOOK FULL OF GOD'S WILL TO MAN! A BOOK THAT NOT ONLY ANSWERS ALL OF OUR SPIRITUAL QUESTIONS OF THE DAY, BUT WHICH ALSO GIVES US ALL THE ANSWERS THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS! HOW WOULD WE HAVE THE ANSWER TO QUESTIONS LIKE, "WHERE DID WE COME FROM," "WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT," OR "WHERE ARE WE GOING AFTER DEATH?" ONLY THE BIBLE GIVES US THE PROPER AND COMPLETE ANSWERS TO ALL THOSE THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW IN THIS LIFE. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WONDERED, "HOW SHOULD I ACT," OR "WHAT SHOULD I SAY." MAYBE YOU QUESTIONED, "WHERE SHOULD I GO," OR "HOW SHOULD I REACT! AGAIN, THERE IS ONLY ONE SOURCE WHERE WE CAN TURN FOR THESE AND ALL OTHER ANSWERS WE NEED TO BE PROPER IN THE EYES OF GOD. I REALLY LOVE THE WAY PETER PUT IT IN 2 PETER 1:3. THERE WE READ, "HIS DIVINE POWER HAS GIVEN TO US ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS, THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM WHO CALLED US BY GLORY AND VIRTUE." DID YOU CATCH ALL OF THAT! BECAUSE OF GOD'S POWER WE HAVE AND KNOW ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO LIFE AND GODLINESS. AGAIN WHERE DO WE FIND THESE ANSWERS FROM GOD'S BOOK ITSELF THE BIBLE! THE SAME VERSE GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT HOW THROUGH THIS SAME BOOK, WE CAN HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE WE NEED AND TRULY KNOW GOD AND HIS WILL. OH, HOW TRULY BLESSED WE ARE TO HAVE THE BIBLE! FINALLY, LET'S READ HOW GOD GAVE US THIS WONDROUS BOOK THAT EQUIPS US SO COMPLETELY! FIRST YOU MIGHT REMEMBER WHAT PETER FURTHER SAID IN HIS BOOK IN THE SAME OPENING AS ABOVE. HOWEVER, NOW LET'S DROP DOWN TO VERSES 20 TO 21. THERE WE READ, "KNOWING THIS FIRST, THAT NO PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION, FOR PROPHECY NEVER CAME BY THE WILL OF MAN, BUT HOLY MEN OF GOD SPOKE AS THEY WERE MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT." THERE WE HAVE IT, GOD CHOSE FAITHFUL MEN AND LEAD THEM TO WRITE THOSE THINGS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL AS HE SO DESIRED! HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO HAVE A GOD WHO CARED ENOUGH TO GIVE US HIS COMPLETE REVELATION. SO THAT WE MAY NOT ONLY KNOW HIM, BUT ALSO SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO BE FOUND PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT.
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES IT WILL BE TIME FOR OUR MAIN STUDY OF THE DAY. THIS MORNING WE WILL BE CONTINUING OUR SERIES ENTITLED, "THE HALF WAS NOT TOLD ME." OUR SPECIFIC LESSON OF THE DAY WILL FOCUS ON, "GOD'S ETERNAL NATURE!" SO PLEASE STAY WITH US AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG, WE WILL BE LEADING US IN THIS STUDY FROM GOD'S WORD. WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE BROTHER TREY SULLINS WITH US AGAIN TODAY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HIM LEADING OUR THOUGHTS TOGETHER FROM GOD'S WORD AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. NOW LET'S JOIN TOGETHER IN OUR NEXT SONG OF THE DAY. THE NAME OF THIS HYMN, "I BRING MY SINS TO THEE."
LESSON
BY TREY SULLINS
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AGAIN AS WE CONTINUE OUR STUDIES IN GOD'S WORD. IT IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE EVERY SINGLE FIRST DAY THE WEEK TO BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO HIS WORD AND TO WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH AND IT REALLY IS A GREAT LIFE THAT WE CAN LIVE AS CHRISTIANS. AS WE CONTINUE OUR STUDIES THOUGH IN TALKING ABOUT THE HALF THAT HAS NOT BEEN TOLD ME - WE LOOK NOW INTO THE ETERNITY OF GOD. SINCE WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THE ETERNITY IN HEAVEN WE'RE LOOKING NOW SPECIFICALLY AT THE ETERNITY OF THE CREATOR; GOD HIMSELF AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS TO US. YOU SEE, OFTEN TIMES IN LIFE THIS IDEA OF ETERNITY IS SOMETHING THAT WE KIND OF PLAY WITH. WE KIND OF WONDER IN OUR MINDS WHAT THAT WOULD BE LIKE. THERE'S BEEN A WHOLE LOT OF MOVIES AND BOOKS PUBLISHED AND MADE ABOUT THIS IDEA. PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED FOR YEARS AND YEARS OR EVEN FOREVER AND THEY SEE GENERATIONS COME AND GO AND THEY SEE ALL THEIR LOVED ONES WHO THEY ONCE LOVED HAVE NOW PASSED ON. AND YET HERE THEY STILL ARE - ALIVE, IMMORTAL AS IT WAS WERE. WELL, FOR US WE DON'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THAT WOULD BE LIKE; HOW IT WOULD FEEL - AND YET THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS WITH GOD. HE IS ETERNAL. AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IS NOT QUITE TOLD COMPLETELY BECAUSE THE BIBLE REVEALS CERTAIN THINGS BUT YET WE CAN'T FULLY COMPREHEND ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE ETERNAL. BUT WE CAN UNDERSTAND SOME VERY SIMPLE AND SOME VERY IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES ABOUT THAT ETERNITY THAT GOD HAS AS OUR CREATOR. JUST IMAGINE AS WE GO THROUGH THE STUDY WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO LIVE FOREVER. WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WELL THE FIRST THING WE WANT TO DISCUSS HERE IN UNDERSTANDING THE HALF THAT WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT THE ETERNITY OF GOD IS THAT GOD HAS NO BEGINNING.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT GOD AND COMPARE HIM TO WHAT WE KNOW WHICH IS A LIFE BOUND BY TIME WE HAVE A BEGINNING. AND AT SOME POINT IN LIFE WE START, WE ARE CREATED, WE ARE BORN, WE ARE COME INTO THIS WORLD AS DOES EVERYTHING. YOU LOOK AROUND YOU RIGHT NOW - THIS BIBLE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FROM - IT WAS CREATED AT SOME POINT; THE MATERIALS, THE PAPER, THE LEATHER - ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THIS BIBLE CAME TO BE AT SOME POINT. OF COURSE ALL THE WAY BACK IT BEGINS WITH THE CREATION THERE IN GENESIS CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE ONE. AND IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS THERE: IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. BUT WHAT YOU DON'T NOTICE IS THAT THE BIBLE DOESN'T SAY GOD WAS CREATED. YOU SEE, HE WAS ALREADY THERE. HE WAS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE. HE HAS NO BEGINNING. AND HE WAS ALREADY ABLE TO CREATE BECAUSE HE WAS ALREADY THERE. AN IMPORTANT PASSAGE OVER IN PSALM 90 WE WANT TO DISCUSS AND IN VERSE TWO OF THAT PSALM. IT SAYS BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE BROUGHT FORTH OR EVER YOU HAD FORMED THE EARTH IN THE WORLD EVEN FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING YOU ARE GOD. NOW AS MANY OF THE PSALMS DO THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF PSALMS YOU FIND LOTS OF PRAISE AND LOTS OF HONOR BEING GIVEN TO GOD. AND THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING! BUT WHAT WE NOTICE HERE SPECIFICALLY IS THIS STATEMENT OR EVER YOU HAD FORMED THE EARTH AND THE WORLD EVEN FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING. YOU SEE, GOD IS FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING. THERE IS NO BEGINNING AND WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN JUST A MOMENT - THERE IS NO END. HE JUST IS. AND WHILE WE TRY TO THINK ABOUT HOW THAT IS AND HOW COULD THAT BE WE OFTEN PONDER AND THINK THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO US. AND WHY? BECAUSE WE ONLY UNDERSTAND A BEGINNING AND AN END. OUR LIVES ARE BOUND BY THIS DEFINITION OF TIME. OUR LIVES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE BEGINNING'S AND THE ENDS OF ALL THINGS. AND WE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF A WORLD BOUND BY TIME. YET WITH GOD THAT'S HOW HE IS. WE FIND ANOTHER PASSAGE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE OVER IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 40 AND IN VERSE 28. AND IN THIS PASSAGE AGAIN WE SEE A SIMILAR STATEMENT THERE REVOLVING AROUND THE IDEA THAT GOD HAS NO BEGINNING AND THAT HE WAS FROM EVERLASTING. ISAIAH CHAPTER 40 THERE IN VERSE 28 THE BIBLE SAYS: HAVE YOU NOT KNOWN? HAVE YOU NOT HEARD THE EVERLASTING GOD? THE LORD THE CREATOR OF THE ENDS OF THE EARTH NEITHER FAINTS NOR IS WEARY. HIS UNDERSTANDING IS UNSEARCHABLE. AGAIN, YOU NOTICE THERE THE EVERLASTING GOD. AND THAT WORD EVERLASTING REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE IDEA OF TIMELESSNESS. THERE IS NOTHING THAT BINDS HIM TO ANY KIND OF CHRONOLOGY OR TIMELINE LIKE WE UNDERSTAND IN THIS LIFE. AND THAT'S JUST HOW GOD IS. NOW, IF YOU IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT A STRAIGHT LINE ON A PIECE OF PAPER. YOU KNOW OFTEN WHEN WE LOOK AT TIMELINES THAT'S HOW WE WILL DO IT. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT OR FROM LEFT TO RIGHT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE WE WILL HAVE THAT TIMELINE GOING ON. WE WILL HAVE THINGS AND EVENTS AS THEY HAPPEN GOING ON DOWN THROUGH TIME. AND IT MAKES SENSE TO US. THAT'S HOW WE UNDERSTAND OUR EXISTENCE. IT IS ONE THING AFTER THE OTHER IN A CHRONOLOGY. BUT TO GOD THAT'S NOT REALLY THE CASE. YOU SEE, WITH GOD THAT LINE WOULD KEEP STRETCHING ON FOREVER. BOTH ENDS OF THAT LINE WOULD HAVE ARROWS ON IT SAYING THAT IT CONTINUES ON AND IT HAS NO BEGINNING AND NO END. FOR US WE HAVE A POINT AT WHICH WE BEGIN AND THEN WE CONTINUE ON UNTIL ETERNITY WITH GOD. WHICH IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED THERE IN OUR PREVIOUS STUDY IN THE ETERNITY OF HEAVEN. BUT WITH GOD THERE IS NO BEGINNING AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS FASCINATING TO US AND SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THOUGH. GOD IS ETERNAL. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO US AS HIS PEOPLE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING HIM, SUPPOSED TO BE SERVING HIM - WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD HAS NO BEGINNING? AND WHAT IT MEANS TO US IS THAT WE CAN HAVE ASSURANCE OF ETERNITY AS WELL. YOU SEE, IF GOD PROMISES US AN ETERNITY AND HE'S BEEN ALL THE WAY SINCE WHENEVER THE BEGINNING UNTO EVERLASTING WITH NO BEGINNING - IF HE'S DONE THAT HE SEES GENERATIONS COME AND GO AND HE TELLS US THAT WE CAN HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM IN HEAVEN THEN CERTAINLY WE CAN BELIEVE IT! CERTAINLY WE CAN KNOW THAT IS THE TRUTH THAT HE IS GOING TO UPHOLD THAT PROMISE. ROMANS CHAPTER 6 AND VERSE 23 WE FIND AN IMPORTANT PASSAGE AGAIN THAT REVEALS TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PROMISE - WHAT HE HAS SAID UNTO US. ROMANS CHAPTER 6 AND VERSE 23 THE BIBLE SAYS: FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. YOU SEE, THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU LIVE FOR GOD? ETERNAL LIFE WITH OUR LORD. WHEN HE SAYS YOU CAN HAVE ETERNAL LIFE YOU CAN KNOW IT WITH CERTAINTY. THERE SHOULD BE NO DOUBT AT ALL WHATSOEVER IN OUR MINDS THAT THAT'S THE CASE - THAT HE WILL FULFILL AS HE SO SAID SO LONG AS WE SERVE PROPERLY. SO LONG AS WE DO WHAT HE WANTS US TO DO. SO GOD IS BEGINNINGLESS. GOD IS ENDLESS. THERE IS NO BEGINNING OR END. THERE IS NO POINT IN TIME WHICH HE CAME INTO EXISTENCE. NO POINT IN TIME WHICH HE WILL CEASE TO EXIST. GOD JUST IS. NOT BOUND BY TIME.
SO THE NEXT THING WE WANT TO NOTICE HERE IS THAT VERY THING; THAT GOD IS TIMELESS. THAT HE DOESN'T SEE THINGS LIKE WE DO IN A TIME PERSPECTIVE. AND AGAIN THINK BACK TO HOW WE LIVE OUR DAYS. WE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND WE GO THROUGHOUT OUR DAYS WORK AND WE GO TO BED IN THE EVENINGS AND THEN WE SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT AND WE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND WE REPEAT - RINSE AND REPEAT. SOME OF US WORK THROUGH THE EVENINGS OR WORK THROUGH THE NIGHTS AND THEN WE SLEEP DAYS. WHATEVER YOUR SCHEDULE MIGHT BE WE STILL UNDERSTAND SECONDS THAT ARE PASSING - MINUTES THAT ARE GOING BY AND WE UNDERSTAND HOURS DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS, YEARS - ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE PASSING. AND SOMETIMES YOU LOOK BACK AT LIFE AND YOU WONDER WHERE DID ALL THE TIME GO? WHERE DID ALL OF MY LIFE GO? IT SEEMS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY I WAS THIS AGE OR JUST YESTERDAY I WAS THIS OR DOING THIS HERE...I WAS THERE. TIME GOES SEEMINGLY QUICKLY FOR US BUT WITH GOD THERE IS NO BINDING OF TIME. AND AGAIN REMEMBER THAT'S THE PROMISE HE'S GIVEN UNTO US. SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO RETURN TO HERE IN JUST A MOMENT. IN 2 PETER CHAPTER 3 THERE IS SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT GOD AND ABOUT THE PROMISES GIVEN UNTO US THAT WE READ HERE IN THIS BOOK. AND THAT'S SECOND PETER CHAPTER 3 AND REALLY VERSES 1 THROUGH 9 AND THE ENTIRETY AND THE CONTEXT HERE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE BASICALLY WHAT YOU HAVE IS PETER DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS OF PEOPLE WONDERING ABOUT GOD'S PROMISES. THEY'LL SAY - WELL LOOK, GOD PROMISED THIS AND IT'S BEEN SO MANY YEARS. IS IT STILL GOING TO HAPPEN? IS THAT PROMISE STILL GOING TO BE? NOTICE WHAT PETER SAYS TO HIM BEGINNING THERE IN VERSE FIVE: FOR THIS THEY WILLINGLY FORGET BUT BY THE WORD OF GOD THE HEAVENS WERE OF OLD AND THE EARTH STANDING OUT OF WATER IN WATER BY WHICH THE WORLD THAT THEN EXISTED PERISHED BEING FLOODED WITH WATER. BUT THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHICH ARE NOW PRESERVED BY THE SAME WORD OR RESERVED FOR FIRE UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT AND PERDITION OF UNGODLY MEN. BUT BELOVED DO NOT FORGET THIS ONE THING. THAT THE LORD, ONE DAY IS 1000 YEARS AND 1000 YEARS IS AS ONE DAY. NOW YOU NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS THERE AND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS TEXT ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO RECOGNIZE AND REALLY WHAT WE DIDN'T EVEN READ THERE (VERSES 1 THROUGH 3) FOR TIME SAKE HAS TO DO WITH THAT PROBLEM. PEOPLE ARE WONDERING IS GOD GOING TO KEEP HIS PROMISES BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE HE MADE THAT PROMISE? AND THEN WHAT DOES HE SAY? PEOPLE WILLINGLY FORGET. DID YOU NOTICE THERE IN VERSE FIVE? THEY WILLINGLY FORGET THAT GOD MADE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. TIME HAS CONTINUED ON AND ROLLED ON AND HE MADE PROMISES AND PROMISES AND MADE PROMISES AND PROMISES. IT'S THE CYCLE THAT ALL OF HISTORY HAS SEEN. HE'S MADE A PROMISE UNTO US AND WHAT DOES HE SAY ABOUT THAT PROMISE IN VERSE EIGHT: BUT BELOVED DO NOT FORGET THIS ONE THING. THAT WITH THE LORD ONE DAY IS 1000 YEARS AND 1000 YEARS IS ONE DAY. YOU SEE, TO GOD HE DOESN'T LOOK AT IT LIKE WE DO. TO US WE THINK 1000 YEARS. THAT'S MULTIPLE LIFETIMES YOU KNOW FOR US. WE LIVE ROUGHLY 80 TO 100 YEARS NOWADAYS WITH ALL THE MEDICINE AND SUCH. AND SO IN OUR SOCIETY ANYWAY AND SO WE THINK THAT'S 10 LIFETIMES ALMOST OF TIME HAVING COME AND GONE. AND YET TO GOD IT'S JUST LIKE ANOTHER DAY. IT'S JUST HIS EXISTENCE. HE IS AND HE SEES ALL THIS TIME, ALL THIS EXPANSIVE YEARS THAT TO US SEEMS INNUMERABLE OR SEEMS LIKE SO MUCH. BUT THE IMPORTANT PART IS THIS - GOD IS TIMELESS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO US? VERSE NINE: THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISES AS SOME COUNT SLACKNESS BUT IS LONG-SUFFERING TOWARD US NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE. YOU SEE AGAIN SIMILAR TO WHAT WE READ IN ROMANS 6:23 GOD PROMISES ETERNAL LIFE TO THOSE WHO REFUSE THAT LIFE OF SIN LEADING UNTIL DEATH. BUT WHAT IS THE RESULT OF THE PROMISE OF GOD WHEN YOU SERVE GOD? THE PROMISE SAYS THAT YOU GET ETERNAL LIFE. AND YOU NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS THERE AS WELL IN VERSE NINE - THAT BECAUSE AS VERSE EIGHT SAYS GOD DOESN'T SEE TIME LIKE WE DO. HIS PROMISE THAT WAS MADE SO LONG AGO - THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, 2000 YEARS AGO IF YOU'RE LOOKING BACK TO CHRIST - YET IT'S JUST AS ACCURATE TODAY. YET IT'S JUST AS SURE TODAY. YET WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY AT ALL IF THAT PROMISE WILL COME TO BE. WE'RE JUST ON GOD'S TIMELINE. WHEN HE SEES FIT WHEN THAT TIME COMES THAT IT'S TIME TO GO THROUGH WITH THE JUDGMENT, ETERNAL LIFE, ALL THESE FINAL THINGS THEN THAT'S WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT WE SHOULD NEVER DOUBT. WE SHOULD NEVER WORRY EVEN FOR A MOMENT IF THESE OF THE THINGS THAT GOD IS GOING TO DO. IF HE SAID IT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE WANT TO NOTICE ANOTHER PART HERE IN THE TEXT VERSE NINE: THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE. OFTEN TIMES IN LIFE WE WILL DO THAT. WE WILL SLACK CONCERNING OUR PROMISES. WE'LL SAY WE WILL HE BE HERE OR THERE AT THIS TIME AND MAYBE THINGS HAPPEN AND WE DON'T QUITE MAKE IT. WITH GOD AGAIN HE WILL KEEP THAT PROMISE. AND WHY CAN WE KNOW THAT THAT IS CERTAIN? BECAUSE HE'S ETERNAL. TO HIM TO MAKE A PROMISE THAT HE'S GOING TO KEEP 2000 YEARS AWAY, 3000 YEARS AWAY - IT IS LIKE NOTHING. TO US WE THINK YOU KNOW, IF I'M GOING TO MAKE A PROMISE NOW AND KEEP IT IN 100 YEARS? THAT WOULD BE KIND OF CRAZY WOULDN'T IT. HOW COULD I POSSIBLY EXPECT TO KEEP A PROMISE A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW? YET GOD THOUSANDS OF YEARS LATER IT'S LIKE NOTHING. IT IS NOTHING TO HIM AND HE WILL KEEP IT IF HE SO SAID THAT HE WILL KEEP IT. AND WE SHOULDN'T DOUBT THAT AT ALL. WE HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT THAT AT ALL. THE LAST THING WE WANT TO LOOK AT HERE IS FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 14. IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, THE TIMELESSNESS OF GOD - THAT ETERNITY THAT HE EXPERIENCES AND THAT HE SIMPLY IS BECAUSE HE IS - FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 14. THE BIBLE SAYS: IF ANYONE'S WORK WHICH HE HAS BUILT ON ENDEARS HE WILL RECEIVE AWARD. NOW, WE LOOK TO THIS TEXT BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS IDEA OF ETERNITY BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT'S BEING SAID HERE. IF ANYONE'S WORK IS BUILT UPON THEN THEY WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD. THE WORKS HE'S TALKING ABOUT OF COURSE IS GOD'S WORKS. BUT IF YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE EVERY SINGLE DAY - BUILDING UPON THE GOOD THINGS THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO - BUILDING UPON THE COMMANDS, THE INSTRUCTIONS, ALL THE PROPER THINGS THAT HE WANTS US TO LIVE BY - IF YOU CONTINUALLY BUILD UPON THAT WHAT'S THE PROMISE? THE ETERNITY IN HEAVEN. WHAT'S THE PROMISE? THAT YOU LIKE GOD CAN BE FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY WITH HIM LIVING YOUR LIFE. SO WE HAVE TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THAT PROMISE. MAKE SURE EVERY DAY THAT WE LIVE LIKE WE WANT ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN.
CLOSING COMMENTS
LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY. I HOPE OUR TIME TOGETHER HAS BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND BLESSING TO US ALL. WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS TIME OF WORSHIP BEFORE GOD!
BUT FOR NOW, LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY'S LESSON? MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A CD/DVD OF THIS PROGRAM? POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR CORRESPONDENCE COURSES? NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
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THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS AWESOME NATURE AND THE ABILITY WE HAVE TO KNOW WHO HE IS THROUGH HIS PERFECT WORD, FOUND IN THE BIBLE. FURTHERMORE, HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO PARTAKE OF THAT NATURE AND TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM FOREVER IN HEAVEN SOME DAY. PRAISE BE TO OUR GOD!