Promise Fulfilled
An all-creatures Bible Message

Promise Fulfilled
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
29 March 2015
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Psalm 118:15-29
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 7:13-14
Mark 11:1-11

Promise fulfilled is the hope of many people.
 
The problem with a Biblical prophecy and a promise fulfilled is that most people don’t live like they really want it, which leads us to ask, but who will believe or listen?
 
Greed and selfishness most often take over, and few are those who truly believe and walk the talk; this is particularly true when it comes to the exploitation of animals, all of which is totally immoral and against the teachings of Jesus and the heavenly will of God.
 
With these thoughts in mind, let’s take a look at Psalm 118:15-29…

15. The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

Many people claim salvation and shout in an attempt to impress other people, but their lives are not permanently changed to adhere to God’s will; thus, there is no evidence of a promise fulfilled, which includes their salvation.
 
The right hand of the Lord does do valiant things, including the promise of salvation, but if people don’t change from their worldly ways, where is the promise fulfilled in their lives?

16. The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
 
17. I shall not die, but live,
And tell of the works of the LORD.

Many people tell of the works of the Lord, but relatively few people live in the heavenly will of God, which is the evidence of their salvation and eternal life; rather they continue to live in the ways of this corrupt world and contribute to the pain, suffering, bloodshed, and death, particularly of animals, with apparently no empathy for them.

18. The LORD has disciplined me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.

This is what may happen when we truly repent of our evil ways, but without true repentance and a life changing promise fulfilled, there is only death remaining.

19. Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD.
 
20. This is the gate of the LORD;
The righteous will enter through it.

This is the kind of prophecy we were talking about in the beginning of our discussion, and for the true believers who live in the heavenly will of God, this becomes a promise fulfilled in their lives.
 
But it is not for most people; think about what we are told in Matthew 7:13-14…

13. "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
 
14. "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. 
NASB

So, the reality is that relatively few people are able to open the gates of righteousness for the Lord.

21. I shall give thanks to Thee, for Thou hast answered me;
And Thou hast become my salvation.
 
22. The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.

This stone is a prophetic example of Jesus, who despite all His peaceful and loving teachings, and His celebrated entry into Jerusalem, He was rejected by the majority of the people and was crucified; however, their evil intent failed, for Jesus rose from the dead and became Lord of all like a chief corner stone, and Savior of all who would accept Him.

23. This is the Lord's doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
 
24. This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the way it naturally is in the lives of those who have salvation’s promise fulfilled in their lives.
 
Many try to fake this heavenly life change, but when we look at the way they live, we can clearly see that they are still living in the corrupt ways of this world.

25. O LORD, do save, we beseech Thee;
O LORD, we beseech Thee, do send prosperity!

When we humans learn to extend prosperity, compassion, and freedom to the animals, we will also find that we have also received it from the Lord.

26. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD;
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
 
27. The LORD is God, and He has given us light;
Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

This is the worldly way of thinking and acting, for the Lord despises animal sacrifices; He wants our repentance and obedience.
 
The heavenly way of living brings life and not death.

28. Thou art my God, and I give thanks to Thee;
Thou art my God, I extol Thee.
 
29. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
NASB

This psalm ends on a very uplifting promise for us to live by, in the face of a corrupt world that is filled with pain, suffering, bloodshed, and death for millions of our fellow human beings and billions of animals every year.
 
For if the Lord is good, and His lovingkindness is everlasting, then anything in this world that is not good and loving for every living being is not of the heavenly will of God, but from the devil and the people who follow him in this corrupt world.
 
In Mark 11:1-11, we are told of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

1. And as they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,
 
2. and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.
 
3. "And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here." 
 
4. And they went away and found a colt tied at the door outside in the street; and they untied it.
 
5. And some of the bystanders were saying to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?"
 
6. And they spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.
 
7. And they brought the colt to Jesus and put their garments on it; and He sat upon it.

Jesus was showing the people a promise fulfilled, to help them believe, as prophesied by Zechariah in 9:9…

9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
NASB

Let’s return to our Mark passage…  

8. And many spread their garments in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.
 
9. And those who went before, and those who followed after, were crying out,
"Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
 
10. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!"

It is one thing to shout these words, and another to truly believe it in our hearts and souls, for remember that just a few days after they shouted these praises, they also shouted “Crucify Him!”
 
This shows the fickle and worldly nature of most people.

11. And He entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking all around, He departed for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.
NASB

Jesus was sickened by what He saw in and around the temple and how far they had departed from the heavenly will of God.
 
They were not seeking a promise fulfilled, such as seeing the heavenly will of God on earth as it is in heaven, or seeing the peaceable kingdom become a reality in our day, or in seeing the whole of creation being freed from its present corruption.
 
For, it they were seeking a promise fulfilled, they would also have been working for it to come about, rather than adding to the corruption of God’s beautiful creation by eating and wearing animals or supporting the warring madness going on all over the world.
 
We can live as the peacemaking children of God, if we really want to.
 
We can see the promise fulfilled in the risen Christ, and live in the heavenly will of God as Jesus taught us to do.
 
We can!
 
Amen.

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