“AS SURELY AS GOD IS FAITHFUL” (Outline)

June 9, 2019 - Pentecost – 2 Corinthians 1:18-22

INTRO: The opening words of today’s sermon text is as our theme: “As surely as God is faithful…”
May the Lord God bless us with a better understanding about the faithfulness of our loving, heavenly
Father. We look at our lives. Our faithfulness. We fall short. Often. The Lord never fails in his
faithfulness. This truth is a great comfort for all believers. "Blessed is everyone who has the God of Jacob as
his help. His hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything which is in them.
He is the one who stays faithful forever” (PSALM 146:5, 6). “…faithful forever”! “AS SURELY AS GOD IS
FAITHFUL”. I. God’s promises stand firm in Christ. II. God makes us stand firm in Christ.

I. GOD’S PROMISES STAND FIRM IN CHRIST

A. Verse 18. “As surely as God is faithful, our message of you is not ‘Yes’ and ‘’No.’”
1. The Lord God did not change his promises. God is faithful…always.
2. The gospel message preached by Paul did not change. It was not yes and then no.
3. Christ lived, died, and rose alive from the tomb. The gospel truth remained as faithful as God.
B. Verse 19. Paul was not the only one proclaiming Christ’s resurrection. Silas, Timothy and others.
1. Message preached: Jesus Christ was the Son of God. More than son of Joseph and Mary.
2. In Christ the “Yes” of God stands firm. In Christ alone do God’s promises find fulfillment.
C. Verse 20. “In fact, as many promises as God has made, they have always been ‘Yes’ in him.” Yes in Christ.
1. Every promise God made finds perfect fulfillment in the perfect Savior, Jesus Christ.
2. The Old Testament pointed to the coming Savior. New Testament reveals Jesus’ life. “Yes”.

D. We marvel at all the promises the Lord God has made. And always faithfully kept. Only by faith
do we begin to comprehend the depth of God’s great love for his creation and for us. In a perfect world
Adam and Eve sinned. The Lord God promised a Savior. God’s promise is made. In the New
Testament angels announced to Joseph and Mary their Son would be named Jesus. Savior. God’s
promise kept. How many promises have we made? And kept? Or broken? We are disappointed when
others make promises and break those promises. We are often more disappointed in ourselves for
making and breaking our promises. Our word. "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel
just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses" (1 KINGS
8:56 NIV). Not one word has failed of all God’s promises. “As surely as God is faithful…”

E. When we compare ourselves to God we realize how different we think and act compared to our
gracious God’s faithfulness. We are not always faithful. In fact sin is really an outright act of faithless-
ness. We all know that God’s thoughts and his ways are much higher than any of our thoughts or our
ways. After all, God is God. We are not. "God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might
change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?" (NUMBERS 23:19 CSB). Easy
questions. Of course God acts, he speaks. When God promises he fulfills. Always. Faithfully.

F. The one thing that is constant in this world is change. Today’s world is constantly changing.
Society continually races down the wide, broad path leading to destruction. In the midst of everything
changing we have another constant. Our constant is the Lord God of Armies. "He is the Rock, his works
are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (DEUTER-
ONOMY 32:4 NIV). Oh that we would learn to be more upright and just in this world.

“AS SURELY AS GOD IS FAITHFUL” God’s promises stand firm in Christ. Always faithful.
II. GOD MAKES US STAND FIRM IN CHRIST

A. Verse 20. God’s promises: Yes in Christ. “For that reason we say ‘Amen’ through him to the glory of God.”
1. Amen is the Greek word copied into the English language. It had different meanings.
2. “Let it be so.” “It is true.” It is an exclamation to the Lord’s yes. We take ownership.
3. The “Amen” is spoken in Christ to God’s glory. To God be the glory always.
B. Verse 21. Paul confessed that it was God alone who made him strong. Strong IN CHRIST.
1. Without Christ Paul knew, believed, and confessed he was nothing. Had nothing.
2. It was the same for the believers whom the Lord had anointed. Strong in Christ.
C. Verse 22. “He sealed us as his own and gave us the Spirit as down payment in our hearts.”
1. The gift of the Holy Spirit was faith. By grace God worked faith in the believers’ hearts.
2. God called the believers. Anointed with Holy Spirit. Made them his own possession.

D. What a comfort to know that the love of our heavenly Father does not change. God’s love is
constant. “As surely as God is faithful…” There is even more. The power of the Lord God makes us
strong. The Holy Spirit gives us faith to stand firm in Christ. Christ Jesus, the very Son of God, is not
ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. “Yes” in Christ. The Lord God graciously makes us his
children. "And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, ‘Abba, Father!’”
(GALATIANS 4:6). No matter our earthly relationship with our parents or others we pray: “Our Father
in heaven…” Any time, any place we call on our loving, heavenly Father. He hears. Listens. Answers.

E. The faith to believe is God’s free gift to us. Grace – undeserved love. It is vital to understand that it
is the Lord alone who saves us. “As surely as God is faithful” he wants all people to be saved. We are
saved by grace alone. Christ alone. Scripture alone. The Lord Jesus reminds us that we did not choose
him. He chose us. Only by the divine power of God can we believe. Only the creative power of the
Lord God of Armies change our hearts. Our lives. Our eternity. “I will give you a new heart and put a new
spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (EZEKIEL 36:26 CSB). Not
much grows on stone. The Word of God planted in a heart of flesh will take root. Spring up. Fruitful.

F. In Christ we stand firm in our faith. In Christ we stand firm against all of our enemies. Recognize
the one who opposes God and his will. And his people. The devil uses all kinds of deceptive tools in
this life to distract us from the one thing needful. Our real battle is not against political parties. Our
battle is not against this wicked society. We always want to remember that Satan is the driving force
behind all things wicked. “As surely as God is faithful” he makes us strong. God makes us stand firm.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against
the schemes of the Devil" (EPHESIAN 6:10, 11). God’s powerful Word is our weapon against Satan.

CONC.: “As surely as God is faithful…” What an amazing truth! God’s promises stand firm in Christ.
The Lord’s “Yes” is yes. Always. We say the “Amen” to the Lord’s “Yes”. All to the Lord’s glory. The
power of the Lord God of Armies makes us strong. By grace we stand firm in Christ. "He will also keep
you strong until the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who called
you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord" (1 CORINTHIANS 1:8, 9). Stand firm in Christ.
Be strong in Christ. “AS SURELY AS GOD IS FAITHFUL…” Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer

PENTECOST rdgs.: GENESIS 11:1-9; ACTS 2:1-21; JOHN 15:26, 27; (PSALM 51)
SERVICES: 7:45am @ McCook (Sun) / 10:00am @ Redeemer (Sun) / NCF 1:00 Min. (Sat) & 12:00 Med. (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: 11:15am @ Redeemer (SUN) / 5:45pm (Med) + 7:30pm (Min) @ NCF (TUES.)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:00am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM