Sermon #788 Miscellaneous Sermons

Title: Never!

Text: Hebrews 13:5

Reading:

Subject: God’s promise never to leave or forsake his own

Date: Tuesday Evening – May 10, 1988

Tape #

Introduction:

Paul is rapidly bringing his epistle to the Hebrews to conclusion. This epistle was written to Jewish believers. Throughout these thirteen chapters, the apostle is encouraging those who have been saved by the grace of God to persevere in the faith of Christ. Though we are required to constantly engage in spiritual warfare, though the religious world we have left despise us and ridicule us, though family and friend forsake us, we cannot go back. We must run with patience the race that is set before us. We must follow Christ, who "endured such contradiction of sinners against himself." The apostle’s message to us is this: "Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come." In this chapter, he is admonishing us to faithfulness in all things.

  1. Be faithful in love to one another (v. 1).

  2. Be faithful in hospitality, charity, and kindness (v. 2).

    3. Use what God has given you to minister to the needs of others. With open heart, open hand and open doors, serve the needs of others. God never gave us anything, except that which he intends for us to use for others.

    1. Nothing to save!

    2. Nothing to cherish!

    3. Nothing to show!

    4. Nothing to leave!

  3. Be faithful in intercessory prayer for your suffering, tried, afflicted brethren (v. 3).

  4. Be faithful in your homes (v. 4).

    5. Let every man have his own wife and every woman her husband. And let them love, serve, and care for one another with tenderness and faithfulness.

    1. In the bedroom.

    2. In every aspect of life.

  5. Be faithful to Christ in all things (vv. 5-6).


The word "conversation" means "manner of life". Paul says, "Let your life be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you 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."


Tonight, I want you to hear this word of promise from our great God. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Here is a word from God that is full of spiritual meaning and instruction. This is bread for the father’s children. This is a staff upon which weary pilgrims may lean. It will give us strength for our journey, comfort for our souls, and vigor for our hearts. This sentence is a chest full of rich treasure. May God the Holy Spirit graciously open it and cause our souls to be enriched by it. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Proposition:

The Lord our God promises his perpetual presence and care to every believer forever.

Divisions:

Let me show you five things about this blessed word from God. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Here is:

  1. A quotation from the Old Testament Scriptures.

  2. A promise from the Triune God.

  3. A motive for contentment.

  4. A reason for courage.

  5. A promise to be believed.


I. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" This is a quotation from the Old Testament Scriptures.


How many times have you heard someone deny the application of a promise, a warning, or a doctrine by saying, "That is in the Old Bible," or "That is in the Old Testament"? Most people are of the opinion that only a very small portion of the Bible was really intended for us in this day. They say, "The Old Testament was for the Jews. The four Gospels are for the ‘tribulation saints’. The Book of Revelation is for the ‘Millenial saints’. The epistles of Peter, James, and John were for Jewish believers in the first century. And Paul’s epistles alone are really intended for the Gentile believers of this age." Rubbish!

In this text the Holy Spirit led Paul to quote a promise from the Old Testament. In doing so, he is teaching us to honor the Old Testament Scriptures as the Word of God, just as we do the New Testament. And he is telling us that the promises of God made to his ancient people are the promises of God made to his people today.

A. We find this promise given four times in the Old Testament.

    1. It was given to Jacob at Bethel (Gen. 28:15).

    2. It was given to Joshua when he was commissioned to lead the people of God in Moses’ place (Deut. 31:7-8).

    3. It was given to Solomon when he was commissioned to build the house of the Lord (1 Chron. 28:20).

    4. It was given to God’s afflicted people when they had to face their mighty enemies (Isa. 41:10-14; Isa. 43:1-5).


B. What are we to learn from the fact that Paul, by inspiration, gives us the same promise that God gave to Jacob, Joshua, Solomon and Israel?

    1. You will notice that Paul gives us the sense of the promise, not the very words of the promise, teaching us that the sense of Scripture, the spiritual message of Scripture, is the meaning of Scripture.


Many know the Scriptures "by heart" who do not know the heart of the Scriptures!

I know there is a danger here. We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of Holy Scripture. But we do not interpret the Scriptures in a strictly literal way. The Spirit of God gives us spiritual understanding to discern the message of Scripture. And the message is always a spiritual, Christ centered, Christ honoring message (Lk. 24:27, 44-47).

2. It is also evident that every word from God to any believer is the Word of God to every believer.

    1. God who made the promise never changes (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8).

    2. All the promises of God in Christ Jesus are yea and amen (2 Cor. 1:20). (Conditioned on Christ alone!)

    3. All believers in Christ are one body (Eph. 4:4).


This makes the Bible a book written for me. It is a word from the Lord directed to me. "Every word of divine love and tenderness that he has written in this book belongs to me" (M’Cheyne). So this promise from the Lord is God’s promise to me particularly. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." And this, my friend, is the promise of God to you.

II. Secondly, this is a promise from the triune God.

"He hath said." I like that! God has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." This is a remarkable, unconditional promise. Literally, "God has said, I will never, no never, no never leave you or forsake you."

    1. It is a promise which assures us of God’s constant help.

    2. It guarantees the greatest possible good.

    3. It secures all our needs.

    4. It is comfort for every trouble.

    5. It is substantiated by God’s immutability, faithfulness, and love.

    6. It is confirmed by the observation of faith.


These are not the words of an angel, a mere man, or any creature. These are the words of God himself.

A. God the Father will never leave his children, nor forsake them (Isa. 49:13-15; 54:7-10, 14-17).

B. God the Son will never leave nor forsake the people for whom he suffered and died (Matt. 28:18-20; Phil. 4:4).

Once the Lord Jesus comes to a sinner to be his all, he will never forsake that sinner and be nothing at all.

    1. His immutable love will not allow it.

    2. His precious blood will not allow it.

    3. His covenant engagements will not allow it.

    4. His faithfulness will not allow it.


C. God the Holy Spirit will never leave nor forsake those in whom he dwells (John 14:16).

God forsook the tabernacle in the wilderness, and the temple at Jerusalem, but he will never forsake his living temple. We are the habitation of his delight.

This is the sweet promise of God to every believer: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

    1. David (Psa. 27:10; 73:25-26).

    2. Mary (Lk. 10:42).


III. Thirdly, Paul shows us that this is a motive for contentment.

This is what Paul says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have." And he gives this for the motive: "For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

If the Lord my God is with me, and promises never to forsake me, want should never be an emotion felt in my heart (Phil. 4:13).

This is my earnest prayer: Lord give me a content heart!

    1. Content with your providence!

    2. Content with your provision!

    3. Content with your presence!


Someone said, "He who possesses him, to whom all things belong, possesseth all things (Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 3:21, 23).

Child of God, let your riches consist not in the largeness of your possessions, but in the fewness of your wants. Contentment makes poor men rich; and a lack of it makes rich men poor.

This I know: It is my responsibility, if I follow Christ, to make all material things immaterial, and simply trust my heavenly Father for all things. And if I believe him, I will (Matt. 6:20-34; 10:39).

"It takes as much grace to trust God a the breaking of a piece of fine china as it does at the death of an only child."

IV. Fourthly, Paul shows us that this is a reason for courage.

"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."

A. The Lord, who is my Helper, is greater than all my foes.

B. All my foes are entirely in the hands of my Lord, and under his control.

C. It matters not what men do to me, the Lord will sustain me.

V. In the last place, let me show you that this is a promise to be believed.

The Lord our God says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Children of God believe him. Trust his promise. Trust his grace.

A. He will not leave you in the time of your greatest guilt and sin (1 John 2:1-2).

B. He will not leave you in the time great temptation, trial, and danger (1 Cor. 10:13).

C. Though others forsake you, and they surely will, the Lord will not forsake you. (Jacob, Joshua, Solomon.)

For six thousand years, the Lord has confirmed his promise. It never was broken yet. And it never shall be. "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee!" How far does that word "never" reach?

    1. The deepest agonies of your soul!

    2. The grave!

    3. The judgment seat!

    4. Eternity!


Application:

"Eternity alone will unfold the riches of this promise. He who died for us will be our eternal Friend; and he who sanctifies us will forever dwell in us; and then God, who loved us, will be ever with us. Then will we get into the meaning of his promise – "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee’ – (M’Cheyne).
Don Fortner