ONE VERSE THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

GENESIS 15:1




Pastor Rick Jackson




THINK OF THIS VERSE AS THE PROMISE OF FAITH [Rm. 10:17, Gn. 15:1]




"After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying,"




Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.




I. FAITH IS BETTER THAN FEAR [v. 1] "Fear not"




Over 60 times in the Bible the words "fear not" are found. Most of those times it is God or His representative talking. Most of those times it is predicated on God's presence, God's power, or God's promises.




1. GOD'S PRESENCE




Genesis 26:24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.




Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.




Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.




2 Kings 6:16 And he (Elisha) answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.




1 Chronicles 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.



Heb. 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.




2. GOD'S POWER




Deuteronomy 20:3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;




Isaiah 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.




Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.




3. GOD'S PROMISES




Genesis 46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:




Joshua 8:1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:




Isaiah 41:13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.




Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.



Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.



Revelation 1:17-18 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.




II. GOD IS BEFORE US [v. 1] "I am thy shield"



1. THIS SHOULD PRODUCE JOY



Deuteronomy 33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.



Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.




2. THIS SHOULD PRODUCE FAITH



2 Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.



Psalm 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.



Psalm 119:114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.



Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.



3. THIS SHOULD PRODUCE ASSURANCE



2 Samuel 22:36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.



Psalm 3:3But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.



Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.



Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.




III. GOD IS BEST FOR US! [v. 1] "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."




1. PAUL GOT A HOLD ON THIS




2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;




Ephesians 1:18-20 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,




Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.




Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,




2. PETER GOT A HOLD ON THIS




1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.




2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.




3. JUDE GOT A HOLD ON THIS




Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,




DO YOU HAVE A HOLD ON THIS?