Skip to content Faith Adventures - Promiseville (Part 2) Nov 21 · 26 min ...more
November 21, 2022 · 26 min · Faith Adventures
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Beth Jones is a Bible teacher and founder of The Basics With Beth, a non-profit Christian teaching ministry dedicated to helping people learn the Bible basics.
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0:00 Hey, guys. This is Beth Jones, I am so glad you have tuned into the basics with Beth podcast. And I'm so pumped up about helping you get the basics of the Bible, or as we like0:12 to say around here, get the basics, live the life and do the stuff. I know you are going to be so encouraged by today's podcast, and I really pray you enjoy0:23 every minute. If you'd like to know more about the basics and what we're doing, just head on over to the basics with beth dot com to get all the deets. And in the meantime, enjoy today's0:35 podcast. Yeah. We're just talking about this idea that God has a faith adventure for each and every 1 of us. To get us somewhere, to get us not just to go around the mountain, but to get us to this thing called the0:47 land of God's thumbprint. This place where God's touch is on your life, where his fingerprints mark you. Alright. So with that in mind, go ahead and pull out your bibles and we're0:59 gonna talk about another character today. We're gonna talk about Abraham. What was Abraham's journey like in Promiseville? Now many of us here I think will know something about Abraham. We talked about the blessing of1:10 Abraham recently here. And so but we're gonna dig in and see some things and I'm really trusting the Lord that he is gonna connect dots for you and and situations you're facing that that just by getting into the word and1:22 just by hopscotching through Abraham's faith adventure that the holy spirit will customize the message just for you. And aren't you glad the holy spirit has a way of doing that? It doesn't matter where we1:33 live. It doesn't matter what language we speak. The holy spirit has a way of customizing a message from the bible written thousands of years ago by the power of the holy spirit through men. The holy1:45 spirit has a way of customizing and speaking it to us in real time today. Genesis 12 verse 1 is where it starts. And God speaks to Abraham 1 day, verse 1. The Lord God said1:57 to Abram, get out of your country and from your family and from your father's house to a land. The land of God's thumbprint. That I will show you. I will make you Here's the promise. I will make you a great nation. I2:08 will bless you. I'll make your name great. You shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you. I will curse him who curses you and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. So Abraham departed as the2:19 Lord had spoken to him. And Lot went with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he departed. Now get this. How old was Abram when he got the promise? 75.2:31 Genesis 17 verse 1, when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the Lord God Almighty. Walk2:43 before me and be blameless and I will make my covenant between me and you and will multiply you exceedingly. Then Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying.2:54 Now, you get that? You're doing the math there? Almost 25 years has elapsed. Well, God, you gave us a promise. I mean, what's taking so long? I guess this stuff doesn't work. Oh, forget the faith adventure. I was at3:06 x marks the spot 1 day and I believed God and I I had faith for at least an hour and nothing happened. 25 years.3:19 25 of them had elapsed. And still that promise has not been fulfilled in its fullness. But the Lord encourages Abram once again, said, I told you I'm3:31 gonna fulfill that covenant. Then what happened? And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said. And the Lord did for Sarah as he had3:43 spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the set time of which God had spoken to him. Verse 5, now Abraham was 100 years old3:55 when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, God has made me laugh. And all who hear will laugh with me. For who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse4:07 children for I have born him a son in his old age. Who's ever noticed when it comes to God's promises, he's never early? He's never4:18 late. Who's noticed the clock is striking 12? Just about the time of the fulfillment. Seems like the clock is striking 12, so we'll get into that in weeks to4:30 come. But the idea is that God gave a promise, it took a little time. He continued to reinforce the promise and surely it came to pass at the set time. The4:42 timing department, when it comes to promises and promise fill and the faith adventure, the timing department is all God. We can delay it by not cooperating with the Lord,4:54 by not believing, by disobedience and certain things. We can delay it. But we can't speed it up necessarily. It's just on God's clock, his time. I remember a story, in fact it was this story that super5:05 encouraged me in a season of promiseville. I've been believing, was graduated, let's see, it was first year in bible school. Just finished up my first year in bible school and I've been been praying and asking God5:17 for a husband. Single, you know, and graduated from college, first year bible school. All my sisters got married. My 2 best friends got married. I'm in everybody's wedding. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, that5:27 whole deal. And I was really just praying, God, where is mister wonderful? Right here. Right here, baby. So I was praying, praying, you know, really seeking the Lord.5:39 This is a time in prayer field for me of seeking the Lord and asking the Lord about things related to marriage and to ministry. I knew those were things that were gonna be going together. So anyways,5:51 1 day I'm driving in my car. 1 day I was in sales, which is so funny because I am not good at sales. You might think I would be, but I'm terrible at it. I didn't make 1 sale. Literally, like not 1. So I'm in my car sales6:03 call to not make any and really I hated that job. I digress. Okay. So I'm in the in the car driving seeking the Lord and all of a sudden I hear I6:15 hear this phrase, this year. Like I hear that phrase, it was more than just a still small whisper. It was almost, honestly, was almost as if somebody was in the back seat, but I knew nobody was in the back seat. I knew6:26 it was the voice of the Lord speaking to me, but it was like this year. I kinda turned around like, what? Like, this year? And I knew instantly, instinctively inside. I knew right away it was a reference to marriage and6:37 ministry. I just knew it. You know how you just know things at times? I just knew. And I I I got like kind of excited for a minute. I'm like, what? This year? Okay. This would have been August6:50 fourteenth ish of 19 84. I think I got that right. 19 84. Okay? This year. So I'm7:02 driving, get kind of excited like, wow, Lord, what? Really? For real? No. I'm just making this up. I'm like now hearing voices. I'm inventing this, you know. Well, here's what you do. If you feel you get a if you feel7:11 the Lord speak something to your heart, you don't just run off on just some little thing you think you might have heard. I knew enough to know in promiseville, get into the word. I said, Lord, I'm gonna get into your7:21 word. I'm gonna spend some time in your word. And if that was you, confirm it in your word. In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, let everything be confirmed. Confirm to me if that promise indeed was from you. Think it was,7:33 but I don't I don't wanna just run off on something. That's that's too good of a thing to run off on and then be disappointed. You out there? See, sometimes we run off on things God didn't speak. And then7:45 hope deferred makes the heart sick, but it wasn't that the Lord was deferring our hope, it was that we just grabbed onto something that wasn't even God to begin with. So I didn't want that. So I got into the word. I7:56 began seeking the Lord to hear from him in his word. And do you know he took me over to Genesis? I was in Genesis reading in my devotions at the time. And when I got to Genesis 17 or8:07 18, sorry. When I got to Genesis 18 and read verse 10. And he said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. Well, knew I wasn't gonna have a son8:19 and my name's not Sarah. I got that. But what I did know is something about timing. I thought, Lord, the time, something about the timing here. And then I kept reading, when I got to verse 14, is anything8:31 too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time, I will return to you. I'm not kidding. It was like the heavens parted and God was speaking directly to my heart. At the appointed time, I will return to you according to the8:43 time of life. Well, in my case, was life in marriage and ministry and you will have the fulfillment of my promise. I got kind of excited. Then I kept reading. And when I got to chapter 21,8:55 and the Lord visited Sarah. Do you know how many times I said, and the Lord visited Beth? This is God confirming his promises.9:07 And the Lord visited Sarah as he has said and the Lord did. The Lord visited and the Lord did. The Lord visited and the Lord did. As he had spoken, as he had promised. Verse9:18 2, at the set time. Well, my case, the Lord said to me, this year. I'm in the car and he says, this year, so me that for me the set time is this year. Okay. So anyways, I'm in the word and9:30 I'm really sensing like, okay God, I I believe I've heard from you. I believe I I believe I've heard from you. And so now I'm gonna be at rest as much as I can.9:42 Like I said, God's never never late and it's never early. But do you know do you know I spoke at Mount Hope Church in Lansing on August seventh, the next summer?9:54 And that was the first time that Jeff and I met. We went to high school together actually, but didn't know each other. First time we met 10 years later from high school. A friend of ours invited him to come the thing I10:06 was speaking at and do you know that was like August seventh? And it was the first time we met and started dating. I said now Lord you were a week early. He said next year or he said10:18 this year. And the scripture said at the appointed time. Well, what was that for me? That was a very customized word of promise with a little patience thrown in to get to the fulfillment.10:31 Romans 4 verse 16. What I love about Romans is now we get to sort of read the the summary, the trailer, you know, of this whole story with Abraham and Sarah. Verse 16,10:42 therefore the promise comes by faith. How does the promise come? By So that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's10:54 offspring, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. These promises that God has for you and I, they're not just for Abraham's natural descendants, they're for his11:05 spiritual descendants, you and I. For in Christ, the bible says, we are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. This principle, these principles of the11:17 promise were good for Abraham, but they're good for you. They're good for me. They're guaranteed. Okay. Verse 17, as it is written, here's the promise. It was written. And primarily, let me11:28 just take a little rabbit trail. Primarily, the the number 1 way God's gonna reveal his promises to you and I, the number 1 way is through his written word. It's reading the bible,11:41 listening to the bible, hearing God's word. As it is written, I've made you the father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God in whom we believe, the God who gives life to the11:53 dead and calls things that be not as though they were. This is a faith principle. Calling things that be not as though they were. Do you know a God called12:04 Abraham a father of many nations before he even had any kids. But from God's view, God calls things that be not as though they were. When God gives you a promise, he's gonna call12:16 things that be not as though they were. Like right now they're not, but God's calling them as though they were. And then you believe it by faith and you take the faith adventure and they will be12:28 fulfilled. It's a faith principle. It's a it's a faith adventure principle to get to the land of God's thumbprint. God's always speaking the thumbprint. He's always12:39 declaring who you are, where you're going, what his purposes for you are always as if it was a past tense reality. Even though in our12:51 experience it's still a future tense thing. But from God's view, it's a past tense reality. God calls things that be not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope13:02 believed. Well, I guess so. He was 75 when he got the promise and he was 100 when it was fulfilled so all natural hope was gone. Sarah, the bible even tells us was13:14 past childbearing age. There was no hope. There was no natural hope for this to happen. But against all hope, he believed and hoped anyways. He hoped against13:25 hope. Some of you, you might be in a hopeless situation. It looks like all hope is gone. Well, in the natural that may be true, but all hope isn't gone if you hope against hope.13:37 Then what else happened? He hoped against hope and believed and so became the father of many nations just as it had been said to him, just as God promised, so shall your offspring be. Without verse 19, without weakening13:49 in faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead since he was about 100 years old and Sarah's womb was also dead. He faced the fact now this is a good 1. I like this 1. When it comes14:01 to the faith adventure, you and I walk out. Your at x marks the spot. God gives you some promises. But if you look at the facts, it doesn't look good. It looks ridiculous. It doesn't even look like it could14:12 happen. It looks like you are just thinking crazy thoughts about something that just couldn't happen. Abraham faced the facts that14:24 their bodies were as good as dead, they were past childbearing age, and yet they did not waver. Faith, here's the thing, faith can face the facts. Faith can face the facts of the doctor's14:36 report, of the financial report, of whatever else is happening in your world. You can face the facts. You don't have to go into denial of the facts. Faith doesn't have to put his head in the sand and go, don't believe14:46 it. I don't believe it. I don't believe it. Faith can go, no, I can look at the facts, I just don't let the facts have the final say. Reality of God's word, the truth of God's word trumps the reality of14:58 facts. He considered the facts, He was still full of faith. He considered the facts. Said, yeah, is kinda crazy, isn't it? But15:11 he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise. Okay. So that's why it's so important in Promiseville to have heard. You have to know because you know because you know15:23 you've heard from God. His promises to you will always be connected to his purpose for you. His promises to you will be the anchor for your soul. When you're tossed to and15:34 fro, it'll be your anchor. And the reason it's so important to to go, I know I've heard from God. That's what settles you down. That's what gives you the ability to not waver. It says here, he did not waver through15:46 unbelief regarding the promises of God but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God. So the the way you don't waver is because you are certain you've heard from God.15:59 What are we talking about? Hearing and believing. How do you hear from God again? What do I have to do? Read your bible. Seek the Lord. Spend time with God. Lord,16:11 you got promises here. All things are possible? Not 1 word of your promises will ever fail? Lord, speak to me through your word. Talk to me. I need insight and wisdom and help. I need promises to lay hold16:23 of. I'm dealing with all kinds of things over here at x marks the spot in my life, in my mind, in my body, with my kids, in my marriage, in my job. I'm so unfulfilled in my purpose. God, I16:35 need to hear from you in promiseville. Once you know you've heard. So linger there until you're certain and go get a couple of scriptures just like I did. God confirm it to me16:47 in several verses. Then you can not waver because your anchor's set. He was strengthened in faith and gave glory to God. The way you know you're strong in16:59 faith, how do you know? How do you know if you're strong in faith? Here's how you know. You give glory to God. You're not anxious, you're not in fear, you're not bitter, you're not angry, you're not hateful, you're not17:09 upset, and we've all been there in this faith adventure, in seasons. I'm so mad, it's taking so long, oh my gosh, I can't believe it. It seems like everybody else is blessed, what's happening to me? Everybody17:21 goes through stuff in the faith adventure. But the litmus test to know you're strong in faith, you're like, okay. Lord, thank you. Hallelujah. We have reached a demarcation. I17:33 am strong in faith. How do I know? I'm it's easy to give glory to God. It's easy. You're not bitterness isn't coming out. Anger's not coming out. What's coming out are praises to17:45 the Lord. Rest. Giving God glory. He was and and that and that not only is evidence that your faith is strong, it also strengthens your faith.17:57 What strengthens your faith is in a worship service to give glory to God. To get in your car and pop in some worship CDs or to pull up some stuff on your playlist and just sing praises to the Lord. Give God glory.18:09 Sometimes we say it like this, pull yourself up by the back of your shirt collar and say, soul, bless the Lord and do it now. Amen. That'll strengthen you18:21 in your faith. In Matthew 4 4, Jesus said this, he goes, men shall not live by bread alone but man shall live by every18:33 word that proceeds from God's mouth. Every living word, it's actually called the rhema word. Every living word, every spoken word, every present tense word God's speaking to you18:45 from his word, by his spirit. That's what you live by. And I I could tell you this, in fact, put up this little diagram. We won't look at obviously all of these, but I want you to see this. You could chronicle your life18:58 via scripture rather than the calendar dates. In other words, you could go like in this case in 19 79, God spoke second Peter 3 first John 5, family got saved. In19:09 19 79, God spoke Romans 10, John 21, Colossians 1 concerning my calling. In 19 81, God spoke James 5 16 concerning healing. In 19 82, God spoke something about helping a friend from Luke19:21 chapter 1. And I could go down the list. I could chronicle my life. These are some I could, you know, like you add probably a ton more. You could chronicle your life not by calendar dates, but by scriptures, by promises,19:32 by what God has spoken to you over the years. Promises he has fulfilled. If you put your if you pulled your journal out, go back, where would you start? What year would you start with? Probably the year you got saved.19:45 Start your start your promise ville journal. Chronicle your life according to God's promises, not just dates on a calendar. Leave the timing to the Lord.19:57 Amen? Alright. So, couple of stories. This is good for staff. I wanna I wanna encourage our staff and some others of you here in this 1. You know, in order to get the gospel out, it takes20:09 sacrifice, it takes commitment, it takes giving up certain things. In the world we live in now, I wonder if God's gonna be calling more and more people to leave what looks like security to go preach the gospel. To help20:20 build churches around the world. I mean, if boy, if the if the world ever needed the church to be strong and and alive and large, it's now. But do you know the number 1 thing churches need? Well, 2 things. Churches need20:30 people, churches need money. They need human resources. I don't mean like to attend the church, I mean to help build the church, to minister to people, to do Friday groceries, to minister to kids, to be on a worship20:40 team, to expand campuses. Churches need people and churches need money. And you know those are the 2 things that are the biggest challenge for people to overcome is being a20:52 person who will sometimes leave money in order to preach the gospel or to get the gospel out. Well anyways, I'm telling you that because I feel like some of you need to hear it. I think maybe God's working with some21:03 folk. Maybe out there watching by TV, God's been talking to you. It's like, time to leave your job. Time to leave that thing because God's had his call on you for decades. And it's time to fulfill it. Alright. So,21:14 Mark chapter 10. Peter said to Jesus, Lord, we've left everything to follow you. Okay. Now this is for the staff. We've left everything to follow you. What did what they leave? Well, left other jobs21:26 where they can make a lot more money. They left other places that might be more prestigious, more more prestigious for them, might give them more status. They've left other things that maybe didn't encroach on their time21:36 the way ministry does. Peter says, Lord, we've left everything to follow you. And Jesus answered and said, assuredly I say to you, here's a promise, there's no 1 who's left house or21:48 brothers or sisters or mother or father or wife or children or lands for my sake in the gospels who shall not receive. 100 fold now in this time, in this life,22:00 houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions. It's not gonna be a cakewalk. There's gonna be some persecution along with this. And in the age to come, eternal life, but22:12 many who are first will be last and the last first. It's a promise Jesus gives to Peter. I believe he's giving it to many even in this hour. Lord, do you really want me to leave all22:24 to follow you? Here's his promise. Lord, I have left all to follow you. Here's his promise. So back in the day, when the Lord called Jeff and I to22:36 start a church, you know, he was a he was a principal partner of a multi million dollar company. God called him to leave all of that way back yonder to to serve God in ministry. He wasn't raised in a minister's home. He22:47 didn't know anything about ministry. What was that all about? Just leave everything and follow me. I've got a purpose for you. Promise will always has to do with your purpose. But you know, there were many years, it22:59 seemed like many years of sacrifice, many years of like this sure don't look like the blessed life to me. Decades. Decades. We'll get to patience a little later. Do not miss that23:10 week. Do not say, oh, is this Patienceville week? Takes faith and patience, this faith adventure. But Jesus has a promise here, whatever you give up, Lance, House, his23:22 brothers, mother, sisters, all the stuff you give up, I'm gonna restore it to you a hundredfold in this life and in the life to come, eternal life. Well, do you know the little bit of stuff we gave up back in the day, do23:33 you know how much the Lord has restored to our lives? So that was a season of, you know, trust God and live this faith adventure. But knowing the promise. You gotta get around Doubtville. You gotta get through23:44 Actionville. You gotta get through Patienceville. But in the promise land over here, oh man, it's awesome. Start a church. Reach people for me. Change the world. Yes, Lord. Be a pastor they said. It will be fun.23:59 And then you go through some challenges but his promises are still true. Amen. And it's true for you and staff. I just had it to encourage you guys. It's true for you. In Jesus name, I speak blessings. Do you agree with24:09 me? In Jesus name, we speak blessings over the VFC staff. In Jesus mighty name. Blessed. Blessed in Jesus name. And if you're watching24:21 by television, every single church staff out there, you are doing a mighty work. If you are on staff, if you are leading a church, listen, your cause is important and what you are doing is changing eternity.24:33 And we decree blessings over you in Jesus' mighty name. Hallelujah. And all the people said.24:47 Hey, guys. Thank you so much for listening to today's podcast. I really hope you were encouraged. And if you were, I would love it if you would take a moment to subscribe and write us a review24:59 because really that'll help us reach even more people with the basics. And here's the other thing. If the podcast is helping you and if you're getting a grip on the basics, would you consider becoming a financial partner25:11 or what we call our basics ninja warriors and help us take these basics to even more people around the world. It's easy to do. Just sign up and become a25:23 ninja by going to the basics with beth dot com. Thanks again guys for tuning in and joining us for today's podcast on the basics with Beth. I cannot wait to see you next time.
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