The Faithful Saviour

Introduction:

The central verse in the Bible is Psalm 118:8 which says, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” In other words, all humanity will fail you at one point or another, but God can be trusted because He is absolutely dependable.

When you study the gospels you are quickly confronted with two striking statements that Jesus makes on a regular basis. He says, “I am…” (bread of life, light of the world, resurrection and the life, door, etc.) and “I will…”.

One deals with His character (“I am”) and the other deals with His work or activity (“I will”).

I really wish we had time to look at both in detail – it is a fascinating study!

However, my goal in this anniversary service is to remind you that we have a faithful Saviour whose promises can be trusted. I would like to take a few moments to briefly summarise some of the “I Will” statements made by the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not exhaustive, but I hope it will whet your appetite to look further into these precious promises.

Join me as I preach a message entitled: The Faithful Saviour.

The Promise of Eternal Rest

Matthew 11:28-30 “I will give you rest”

It is clear from the context that the Lord Jesus is not speaking of a temporary relief from the physical burdens of life. He is referring to rest for the soul.

In Scripture, the soul is the “real you”, that which is immaterial and existent beyond the veil of physical death. It is the “inner man” and the “heart” of our being. This body is simply a shell, a house which our soul occupies.

Sin brought great turmoil to the soul of every man. We live in total restlessness until we come to the gentle shepherd who brings permanent rest to the soul.

How can I have this soul rest? Insert Gospel Message.

The Promise of Eternal Security

John 6:37 “I will never cast out”

Jesus made it clear that those who respond to the offer of salvation will never be cast out.

Jesus does not receive what He cannot keep!

If we could lose our salvation, we would!

The Promise of Christ’s Love & Fellowship

John 14:21-24 “I will love him and manifest myself to Him”

Two precious promises are found in this text: Christ’s love for the believer, and the privilege of ongoing fellowship and intimacy with the Lord.

The Promise of God’s Abiding Presence

John 16:7-15; John 14:15-17 “I will send Him to you”

We are privileged to live on the other side of the Day of Pentecost. Jesus promised His first disciples that He would send “another comforter” who would come to abide within. He would be their teacher, comforter, helper, and empower them for service.

The Promise of Equipping for Service

Matthew 4:18-20 “I will make you fishers of men”

In its primary context, this promise was made to Jesus’ first disciples, but I believe that this is as much a reality for us as it was for them.

Jesus promises to provide what is required for every Christian to serve as His ambassador. As we walk with Him, we are trained and equipped to serve as fishers of men.

The Promise of Answered Prayer

John 14:13 “I will do”

This precious promise is badly abused by many in the “prosperity gospel” circles. The promise that Jesus is making has nothing to do with my own wants and desires. It is a promise that then we pray in accordance to His will, character, and glory, our prayers will be answered.

The Promise of Church Building

Matthew 16:13-18 “I will build my church”

The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church and He promised to build His church and that nothing can thwart His plan. Bear in mind that this promise is to the universal church, not the local church.

The Promise of Church Closure

Revelation 2:5 “I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place”

The church at Ephesus had left their first love. They were going through the motions of “church” but without the fervent love and passion for Christ that was evident at the beginning. This situation is unacceptable to Christ, and He warned them (and us) that if they did not repent they the light of their testimony and fellowship would be extinguished.

The Promise of Christ’s Return

John 14:1-3, “I will come again”

Jesus is coming again!

The Promise of Resurrection

John 6:38-40 “I will raise him up on the last day”

There is a day coming when Christ will return and those who have died in Him will be raised to life again. On that day, they will be given new bodies from heaven which will never perish or decay.


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