Sunday Sermons: 10 Predictions for 2017
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Sunday Sermons: “10 Predictions for 2017”
Scripture reference: Jeremiah 29:11-14
Introduction
Jer 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.”
Ps 31:19 “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!”
Top 10 Mistaken Predictions:
- “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” “Radio has no future.” “X-rays are a hoax.” — William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824 – 1907), one of the greatest physicists of his time.
- 2. “The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon.” — Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.
- 3. “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” – Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
- “Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances.” – Dr. Lee DeForest, Inventor of the TV
- “Television won’t be able to hold onto any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night!” – In a 1939 New York Times article
- “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” – Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
- “If excessive smoking actually plays a role in the production of lung cancer, it seems to be a minor one.” – National Cancer Institute, 1954
- “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” – Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962
- “Remote shopping, while entirely feasible, will flop because women like to get out of the house, like to handle merchandise, like to be able to change their minds.” –TIME magazine in 1966.
- “The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” – Yale University management professor critiquing Fred Smith’s paper proposing what became FedEx
“I’d shut [Apple] down and give the money back to the shareholders.” – Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell, Inc., 1997
Pastor Bob Hallman’s 10 Predictions for 2017
1>. God will still remain sovereign over every part of His creation:
- The Father will continue to rule and reign over all – Ps 29:10-11
Ps 29:10-11 “The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”
- The Son will continue to lead and grow His church
- He is building His Church – Mt 16:18; Acts 2:47
Matt 16:18 “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
- He is directing the affairs of the Church – Eph 4:11-13
Eph 4:11-12 “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service …”
- He is interceding for the saints – Rom 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1
- The Spirit will continue to equip the church for ministry:
- He will fill us with His power – Acts 1:8
- He will fit us with spiritual gifts – Rom 12; 1 Cor 12-14
- He will give us wisdom, words and courage – Mt 10:19-20
Application: God will keep us safe as He carries out His eternal plans!
Rom 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Rom 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
2.>The highest human goal will remain the intimate pursuit of God:
- Desiring the Lord above all else
Ps 27:4 “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”
- Seeking His kingdom above all else
Matt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
- Pursuing heavenly things above all else
Col 3:1-4 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Application: Seek His face!
Ps 27:8 “When You said, “Seek My face, “My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
3.>The Bible will still have all the answers:
- It will remain absolutely trustworthy and true – Ps 12:6
- It will remain mind renewing and transforming – Rom 12:2
- It will remain God’s living and powerful revelation of Himself
Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Application: Be a man or woman of the Word!
Prov 8:34-35 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.”
4.>The church will remain God’s primary force of good:
- We are the light and salt of the world – Matt 5:13
- We are ambassadors of reconciliation – 2 Cor 5
- We are carrying out God’s redemptive plan by:
- Loving God – Matt 22:37-38
- Loving others – Matt 22:39-40
- Making disciples – Matt 28:18-20
Application: Love, protect and serve what the Lord loves most – His Bride!
Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
5.>The Great Commission will still be the calling of the church:
- It’s the corporate calling of the church – Matthew 28:19-20
- It’s the personal calling of every believer – 2 Timothy 2:2
Application: Multiply your life – Be mentored and be a mentor!
John 15:5, 8 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; … By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
6.>The gospel will still have power to save and transform:
- For those willing to admit and repent of their sin
Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord …”
- For those willing to believe in the Messiah
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
- For those willing to confess Jesus Christ as Lord
Rom 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Application: Be courageous in sharing your faith!
Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
7.>Jesus will be faithful to love you and complete His work in you:
- He will never give up on you – Jn 6:37
- He will never leave or forsake you – Heb 13:5
- He will never allow anything to separate you – Rom 8:38-39
- He will never fail to strengthen you if you wait on Him – Is 41:10
- He will never leave unfinished what He has started – Phil 1:6
Application: Be confident of God’s love and goodness – no matter what!
Ps 27:13 “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
8.>The Kingdom of God will continue to forcefully advance:
- The rulers and nations of the world will still be pawns in His hands
2 Chron 20:6 “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?”
Dan 4:17 “This decision is by the decree of the watchers and the sentence by the word of the holy ones in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will and sets over it the lowest of men.”
Rom 13:1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”
- World events will serve to advance His purposes
Eph 1:11 “… according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will …”
- The unfolding events of this 2017 “must take place”!
Matt 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
Application: No matter what happens in 2015, put your trust in the Lord!
Prov 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”
9.>The weapons of our warfare will remain unchanged:
- Prayer – 2 Chron 20:1-12; Eph 6:18
- The Word – 2 Chron 20:13-17;
- Worship – 2 Chron 20:18-19; Heb 4:12
- Fellowship – Heb 10:24-25
Application: Abandon carnal weapons and take up God’s spiritual weapons!
2 Cor 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ …”
10.>The Bible’s Messianic prophecies will soon be fulfilled:
- He will rapture the church – I Cor 15:51-54; I Ths 4:13-18
- He will clothe us with new and glorious bodies – Phil 3:21
- He will judge the world in the Great Tribulation – Rev 6-18
- He will return at His 2nd Coming – Mt 24:27-31; Rev 19:11-21
- He will reign on earth for 1,000 years – Rev 20:5-6
- He will judge all mankind — the living and the dead:
- Bema Seat for believers – 2 Cor 5:8-10
- White Throne for unbelievers – Mt 25:31-46; Rev 20:11-15
- He will create a new heaven and a new earth – Rev 21:1-8
- He will rule and reign with us for eternity – Rev 22:5
Application: Remain expectant and ready for His appearing!
Phil 3:20-4:1 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.”
Conclusion:
- God will still remain sovereign over every part of His creation
- Decide to make seeking, knowing and loving God your #1 Goal for 2015
- Be a man or woman of the Word!
- Love, protect and serve the Bride of Christ!
- Multiply your life: Be mentored and be a mentor!
- Be courageous in sharing your faith!
- Be confident of God’s love and goodness – no matter what!
- No matter what happens in 2015, put your trust in the Lord!
- Abandon carnal weapons and take up God’s spiritual weapons!
- Remain expectant and ready for His appearing!
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