Time to Dream | How Dead Dreams Come Alive
Learning How Trust In God Brings Dead Dreams To Life
James Greer
Sep 5, 2021 25m
Sometimes we believe our dreams and aspirations have died. But through faith and trust in God, He can bring them back to life. To obtain all that God has for us, we must first obtain the right relationship with Him. Have faith and know that what God has promised will be done. Video recorded at Pineville, Louisiana.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
James Greer: [00:00:00] Well, good morning, Journey Church. I've gone through 35, 40 years, y’all are always asking the questions. I want to ask you questions this time. That's going to be fantastic. Next Sunday, you know, we have pack the church, bring a friend. Hey, hey. You should get one of these invite cards. Everybody bring somebody. Amen? And then the Sunday after that, I start the new series, the Big Ask Questions. But I'm going to ask the questions. I'm going to ask questions like, listen, when you get married, the two are supposed to come one. Amen? Well, why do you quit? Why do you keep trying to live like two? Children, children, young people, the Bible clearly makes it really clear. If you obey your parents in the Lord, you have a good life and a long life. Why don't you do it? I mean there are just so many things that I want to ask. I mean the Bible says really, it tells you how you can come to church, how you can learn, how you can quit worrying, and quit being all stressed out. Why are you so stressed out? I mean it's going to be my turn to ask the big ask questions. Yay, Brother James. I can't wait. Anyway. So we're going to have to a good time. But starting today, starting today, and I got to be careful when I say it. But anyway. Today. Everybody, if you didn't get a promise book, raise your hand because I want you to get one. Everybody got one?
James Greer: [00:01:22] Good. Because what I want you to know, when you can learn God's promises and you meet the provision of the promise, it can grow your faith. In fact, there's over a thousand promises in here. In fact, we're going to be studying about somebody named Abraham today. I mean this is the last message in Dream Big. I mean you talk about somebody's dream that came true. Abraham, 100 years old, he had sex with his wife and they had a kid. Dude, that man's dream came true. He the man. Oh, come on, man. You know that’s something true. But anyway. But the point would be that he looked at what looked like an impossible situation and it became possible because he had a promise and he believed the promise. That's why it's so important for you to know the promise where you can claim the promise and God can work greatly in your life. The miracle of our faith can bring your dreams to come true. Your dead dreams can come alive. The Scripture says in Romans 4:3, it says, for the Scripture tells us that Abraham, he believed God and God counted it him righteous because of his faith. What it does not say, it doesn't say is because of Abraham's good works. Now, I believe if you’re saved, you should have some good works. Amen? But your good works is not what's going to save you, it's not going to deliver you, and it's not going to cause you to be used greatly by God. Amen?
James Greer: [00:02:51] That is so good because I used to think if I wasn't good enough, God wasn’t going to bless me. And when I found out, I'm never going to be good enough. And neither are you. I love it because our church says, I mess up, you mess up, we all… You know, the people that I've learned that are really messed up is the people that don't think they're messed up. They're the ones really messed up. Anyway, in Romans 4:13, it says, then clearly God promised to give the whole Earth. Wow. The whole earth to Abraham and his descendants. First of all, if God gives somebody the whole earth, I believe he knows God's favor. Amen? But He also not only is going to give it to Abraham, but He’s going to give it to his descendants. I've been teaching you as an adult, your kids are blessed because of you if you have a right relationship with God. Amen? But listen, it was not based on his obedience of God's law. Not because he could obey God's law. But it was a right relationship with God that comes by faith. I love that because so many times you think, hey, if I'm just really good, if I perfectly obey, if I keep the law, I'm going to be blessed. Nobody can keep the law. See, that's why it's so important at Journey Church, we focus more on relationships than religion. I love it.
James Greer: [00:04:12] They say, well, what do you believe there? Man, we believe, we focus more on the relationship with Jesus and Christ than we do religion. Religion will get you in trouble. Right relationship with God by faith should lead to a right relationship with others and it should lead with becoming God doing what looks like impossible be possible. Right relationship with God and others leads to the right kind of faith. See, if you have a right relationship with God, it grows your faith and produces God’s promise in your life. The right relationship with God, listen, when you really have the right relationship with God, you want the right relationship with other people. I mean that's the way God created you. It's really all about right relationships. God promised the children of Israel one time, He said, listen, I'm going to give you the promised land. He gave them a promise, right? Now, listen, we got to be careful. God will give you a promise, but sometimes you’d rather listen to the people than the promise. That's what gets you in trouble. I want you to learn something today. You're better off listening to the promise than the people. God sent those spies into the promised land and they came back and said, man, it's just what God said. In fact, the grapes are so big, it took two people to carry them. But there's something happened. He said, but there's also some giants there. Can I tell you, even when you get saved, you're still going to face giants in your life.
James Greer: [00:05:39] That's why you got the promises of God. Even though they're going to face giants, God said, I'm already going to deliver it to you. So what He said was, listen, God said, I got promises for fear. They had fears on page 45 in there, by the way. By the way, y’all do not use this. You take this book and say, hey, I got a problem with fear. You go in here. It's indexed for you, man. You go in here and find fear. It’s on page 45. You go on 45 and you read it and you personalize it and you personalize it and you meet the condition of the promise. You wait for the provision. But they didn't do that. Uh-uh. And so they call the congregation, Numbers 14:1. And so all the congregation lifted up their voice and they cried and the people wept that night. And what did they do, the children of Israel? They complained against Moses and Aaron. Guess who delivered them from bondage? Moses and Aaron. And the whole congregation said to them, if only we had died in the land of Egypt. If only we had died in the wilderness. They didn't really want to die. They just wanted to complain. Now they're blaming the Lord. Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword that our wives and our children should become victims? Would it not have been better for us to return to Egypt? Go back to where you used to be in bondage and slavery?
James Greer: [00:07:01] See, when you don't have a right relationship with God, listen, you begin to blame and complain. And instead of believing in God's promise, who did they blame and complain? God and Moses. See, what happens is you begin to blame and complain the people closest to you, the people that we're trying to help you. I understand that. I try to help people all the time in the ministry. And what happens is they usually blame me and complain about me. They come to me, and what they really want me to do is either give them something or do something for them. When I say, go do it yourself, they get mad. I had somebody one time, they came and they prayed for a job, prayed for a job, prayed for a job. God, open the door. They got the job. You know what they came back? They came back and said, can you believe they want me to be there on time? I believe that. They said, but when I am there, I work hard. I mean you wouldn't believe the things I hear. But when you begin to look at what you want and the way you want it instead of what God wants for you and the way He it for you, you start complaining. It happens with mates. It happens on the job. It happens with pastors. Happens in church.
James Greer: [00:08:13] If you're not careful, you start looking for what God wants and God’s promises for your life and your marriage instead of complaining and blaming. It happens in every era. You need to say, God, what do you want and how do you want me to do it? I'm telling you, I've seen it over and over and over on the job. Instead of saying, hey, God, what do you have me here for? How do you want me to further your kingdom? How can I be used here? When you begin to blame and complain, listen, you begin to lose God's promise and His power. See, God had already told the children of Israel, listen, I'm going to give you the promised land. I'm going to protect you, I'll defeat the enemy. But because they complained, listen, and blamed, they wandered around the wilderness and didn't get the promise. They didn't use the power. The children ended up wandering around, and it's a shame. I know lots of Christians that God has thousands of promises for you. And you just wonder in your marriages complaining, wonder around your job and blaming. Let me give you a free insight. Instead, y’all ready? Instead of complaining, automatically start claiming. Instead of complaining, automatically start what? Claiming. Amen? It'll change your life. Let's go back to Abraham. Romans 4:13. Clearly, God promised to give the whole earth to Abraham. Pretty good promise. And his descendants. Pretty good blessing for the kids.
James Greer: [00:09:47] It was based not on his obedience to the law. I love that. It wasn’t because you could keep all the law. It wasn’t because you were perfect. But it was a right relationship with God that comes by faith. I mean you can't do it on your own. You have to have the right promises. 4:14. Listen, if God's promises, if it was only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary, and the promises are pointless. I love that because when I was growing up, I would think I can never be perfect enough to enjoy the promises and the power of God. I would think that the blessings in favor of God is only for a few. But that's not true. God's promises are for you if you have faith. See, God's promise can help you prosper. See, for the law, it always bring punishment to those who try to obey it because you can't do it. The only way to avoid breaking the law is not to have the law to break. But you do. So the promise is received by what? Faith. It's a free gift. In other words, it's absolutely free. You can't buy it. God gives it to you. And we are all certain to receive it whether or not we live according to the law. That is so freeing. If we have faith like Abraham, for Abraham is the father of all who believe. In other words, he says, I want you to know, Abraham is an example of faith, how to have faith, and how to use your faith.
James Greer: [00:11:23] Abraham did not keep the law, but yet he had great faith in God's promises. In other words, are there times that y’all break the law? Yes. There's times that you mess up, I mess up, we all mess up. But you have faith in these promises. God said, I can still work in your life in a great and mighty way. That's what the Scripture means when God told him, I have made you the father of many nations. He said, listen, I told you I was going to make you the father of many nations. He meant that he was going to make him the father of many nations. This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings, y'all ready? It’s one of my favorite verses. I’m going to right in the front of my Bible. This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings dead things back to life and who creates things out of nothing. Man, can you believe that that is some God? He can bring dead things back to life. He can create, you have nothing, God can speak, and it can happen. I mean He can bring dead things back. You can have a dead marriage. And God can say, hey, if you do it the way I say, you claim my promise, you meet the provisions, I can bring it back to life. Isn’t that a powerful God? Amen? He said, Abraham, your body's like dead.
James Greer: [00:12:36] You are a hundred years old. He said, you can still have child. Bring dead things back to life. You got a dead dream? God can bring it back to live. You got a child who's been rebelling for 10 years, 15 years? God says, hey, guess what? Don't give up on that child. I can bring him back to life. You got a financial crisis and you thought you’re dead? God said, I can bring it back to life. You got somebody in your family who’s on drugs, bad habits? Just [inaudible] I’m going to give up on them. God said, I can bring it back to life. Jesus Christ said, I can bring dead things back to life. Isn’t that something? And if not, I just create something out of nothing. What a God we have. Amen? I mean you ought to have that verse written in front of your hand. Man, what a God we have. And then it goes on. Verse 18 says, look, even when there was no reason for hope. Have you ever lived in something? Sometimes it's somebody. Sometimes it's a situation. Abraham kept hoping. Even when there’s no hope. Abraham just kept hoping. You know why? Believing that he would become the father of many nations. I mean you know what he's saying? Hey, I'm 80, honey. This year might be the year we’re going to have a baby. Can you imagine him coming in at 90 years old and saying, honey, light the candles? I'm just saying. He said every day. He said he just kept hoping, kept hoping.
James Greer: [00:14:01] I bet he did nothing hope. But anyway, he would just say, honey. I mean he didn't give up. He believed it was going to happen. I mean he just kept growing and growing. [inaudible] But anyway. For God had said to him, that's how many descendants you're going to have. And when it looked impossible, Abraham just kept believing, hey, what looks impossible, God said it, I believe it, I'm going to live it out, and I’m going to just keep doing it no matter what. Man, I'm going to tell you, my wife is the best. I have people and places and things I just want to give up on. I just want to write them off. I want to say, just forget it. She says, as long as I'm living, I'm not giving up. No, no. I say that when I get around the door. I just say, oh, yeah, baby, I know. But I have seen people that I just really thought, hey, they're never going to make it. And now they're functioning in live and independent and they're on their own. And I'm going to tell you, it’s because she just didn't give up. See, in Abraham's faith, it didn't weaken. Even though at about 100, at about 100. I guess when you're 100, you can say, well, I'm about 100. Of age. He figured his body was as good as dead. I imagine that Sarah's womb wasn’t too hot either. But anyway, that's kind of my translation.
James Greer: [00:15:23] I mean, you know, your body's dead. Sarah's womb is not too good. But anyway. And he's just rocking on. I mean, you know, come on, Abraham. You the man. Anybody that can have sex at 100 years old, Abe, you got it. Abraham, he never wavered in his believing God's promises. He never wavered in believing what? Somebody say, God's promise. Guess what you have in your hand? God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger that it would bring glory to God. His faith grew stronger that what? It would bring glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. That's why I want everybody to have a promise book today. I want you to believe that God can do whatever He promises. This is His promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted to his righteousness. And when God counted him as righteous, he wasn't just, this is real important. This wasn’t recorded just for Abraham's benefit. Okay? It was recorded for me and you. God said, look, I didn't write this just for Abraham's benefit. Abraham already did it. I mean he already had a child. It had already happened. He said, I recorded it for me and you. I recorded it for y’all’s benefit and my benefit. He says, sometimes you're in a hopeless situation, sometimes you have an impossible situation. So I'm going to record this for your benefit. So surely, as God will also count us as righteous. How? If we believe in Him. Believe in who? And the one who raised Jesus from God, from the dead.
James Greer: [00:17:01] He’s telling you how to become righteous and how to participate in the promises like Abraham did. He was handed over, He died because of our sins, and He was raised and made us right with God. He said, don't you know? If you believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose on the third day and you believe in Him, you invite Him in your heart, you become righteous like Abraham and then these promises become yours. My goodness gracious, God’s saying, man, I want you to know how you become, how you get to enjoy the promise, and how you can use the promises. And then, listen to this. God blesses what was left over in his life. I love this because a lot of people don't understand about Abraham. God wants to use what you have left. He kind of wants you to forget the rest and let God bless what you have now, what you have left. Kind of forget what's in the past. Some people think, man, God really used Abraham because he was so perfect. No, Abraham wasn't that perfect. One of the things that Abraham had to leave, he had a 100-year-old body. Abraham had to leave in the past, if you don't know it, Abraham, Sarah said, Abraham, we don't have kids. Go sleep with the maid. And Abraham, God said, I got to do it and he went and did it. Man, we're still having the Middle East crisis.
James Greer: [00:18:25] I mean I was a little conflict, Abraham. He caused a few problems. Amen? He had to leave that behind though. God still forgave him. He still used him. The reason I tell you, there's some people that say, hey, you don't believe what I did in my past, you don't believe the sexual immorality. I'm not glorifying that. I'm telling you, you ask God to forgive you and you go from your past and look for a wonderful favor of God in the future. Amen? You know what he did [inaudible]? Sarah, she was some good looking. So they were traveling. They came across this kingdom that had all this power and these kings. And Abraham, he said, honey, you’re so good looking. What if that king wants you? What if he kills me and takes you? He said, I tell you what. Just tell them you're my sister. True story. Oh, sure. Tell me I’m your sister. But if the king takes you and does adultery, that's some man, right? So the king takes her but that night he has a horrible dream. He finds out that God had pressed upon his heart, don't take her. He comes back. Says, Abraham, have you done something crazy? He said, yeah, it’s really my wife. He says, well, don't do that. Take them and leave. Ladies, let me tell you something. All right? God does not like his daughters being treated wrong so he took care of them. And let me tell you what. You can only be treated like the queen if your husband treated as the king.
James Greer: [00:19:44] When he's not the king, you can't be the queen. So God steps in. He's the king of kings, and then He takes care of His queens. Amen? And so He took care of her. But what I'm telling you, Abraham had some stuff he had to leave behind where God could use what he had left to go forward in the future. And you guys have stuff you might need to leave behind where God can use you in the future. Amen? So why does He do it? You know, in Romans 4:16. Why? Because God promised. He's going to receive by faith. It's given to us freely. So what does He do it? How can you be you? One, it's because of what Abraham believed, not because of what he did. God can use you today because of what you believe, not what you did. In other words, listen, do you believe the promise or you believe in people? In fact, why don't you stop believing and worrying about what other people think, do, and say? And why don't you focus more on what God's Word has to say and promise? It’s because what God promised, God will deliver. God's promises have provisions that will come about. It was because Abraham's faith, believing in God's promises when it looked impossible. Do you have an impossible situation? Instead, you want to look to God's promises instead of the situation. It’s because God wants to use what you have left, not what you used up in the past.
James Greer: [00:21:12] Use what you have now. Leave your past in the past. It’s because God wants your next half or your next quarter or whatever you have left to be the very best. What's keeping you right now from allowing God to use you in a great way? What's keeping you from allowing God to use them? Nothing but you. Nothing. Well, if you only knew what I did in the past. Well, Abraham did somethings in his past. So has everybody else. That's the devil. So what's keeping? Nothing but you. Are you still blaming and complaining other people or your boss, your mate, your company, some church, some person? You're still blaming and complaining. Let me give you an insight. Stop doing that. Stop doing that. Stop complaining and start claiming. Stop blaming, stop complaining, and start claiming. Stop it. When you're doing that, you're losing the power and presence of God. It’s hurting you, not them. They don't care. Use this. Do you have what looks like a hopeless situation and you need God's promise? Your hopeless situation doesn't look any more hopeless than Abraham at 100 years old and Sarah at 91. It doesn’t. God said, He recorded that for us. Not that we could start having kids at 100 and ladies, you could start having kids at 91. It was where you can see that God can do impossible things. It was to give you hope in a hopeless situation.
James Greer: [00:22:41] So you might have the most hopeless situation, God said, let me give you some hope today. You can't have these promises unless you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That’s what makes you righteous. See, I don't care if you're downstairs or upstairs or online. I don't care how young and how old you are. There has to come a time that you make a willful choice that you say, I believe that I sinned, that sin separated me from God. I believe Jesus died for my sins, and I want to invite Him myself into my heart to be the Lord of my life. Hey, guess what? You become right with God. See, you're like Abraham then. You’re righteous. Why would anybody not want to do that? We're going to give you that opportunity today. Would you stand? Father, I just love your Word. It's so powerful. It's so practical. God, I pray, first of all, for those that maybe have never done that. That today would be the day that they would become righteous with God. God, I pray for those that have pasts that they need to just do away with. Don't live in the past. Look for an exciting future, man, and God's favor. Let God use them and let God forgive them. Let God free them. Maybe those been griping, maybe they've been complaining, maybe God can press upon your heart right now today. Start claiming God's promises.
James Greer: [00:24:06] Every time you want to complain, every time you want to blame, man, just go to God's Word. Go to God's promise. Use this book. Personalize it. Meet conditions of the promise. Wait for the provision. Maybe you've been visiting here and today is a day that God told you, today’s the day for you to join. Maybe you need to follow through in public baptism. Maybe you just sprinkled or baptized at a real young age. And that's okay. But now you're at the age you know you need to be the death, the burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And you just want to come and say, hey, I want to follow through in baptism. Maybe you have a real problem in your life, and you want to come and help look up the promises of God with somebody and have somebody just pray with you and pray for you. Maybe there's something in your past, and today's the day you need to let it go. Maybe there's somebody you need to forgive. Today's the day you need to forgive them. Maybe you need to forgive yourself. See, if Abraham wouldn't have forgiven his own self, he wouldn't have been able to go forward and claim the promises of God. Man, I wouldn't leave here the same way I came. I leave here free. I leave you excited. I leave here with a powerful promise of God. I pray that you let God have His will and His way in your life. I pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Bruce Goulart: [00:25:31] On behalf of Pastor James, I just want to say thank you for joining our online experience today. Man, what an amazing messages today about miracles, and I hope that this week we can learn to apply it to our lives. Also, if you need someone to pray with you right now, we have people on standby willing to pray with you. But I hope next week we get to see you here as we have our event Pack the Church. Thank y'all and see y’all next week.
Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.
James Greer: [00:01:22] Good. Because what I want you to know, when you can learn God's promises and you meet the provision of the promise, it can grow your faith. In fact, there's over a thousand promises in here. In fact, we're going to be studying about somebody named Abraham today. I mean this is the last message in Dream Big. I mean you talk about somebody's dream that came true. Abraham, 100 years old, he had sex with his wife and they had a kid. Dude, that man's dream came true. He the man. Oh, come on, man. You know that’s something true. But anyway. But the point would be that he looked at what looked like an impossible situation and it became possible because he had a promise and he believed the promise. That's why it's so important for you to know the promise where you can claim the promise and God can work greatly in your life. The miracle of our faith can bring your dreams to come true. Your dead dreams can come alive. The Scripture says in Romans 4:3, it says, for the Scripture tells us that Abraham, he believed God and God counted it him righteous because of his faith. What it does not say, it doesn't say is because of Abraham's good works. Now, I believe if you’re saved, you should have some good works. Amen? But your good works is not what's going to save you, it's not going to deliver you, and it's not going to cause you to be used greatly by God. Amen?
James Greer: [00:02:51] That is so good because I used to think if I wasn't good enough, God wasn’t going to bless me. And when I found out, I'm never going to be good enough. And neither are you. I love it because our church says, I mess up, you mess up, we all… You know, the people that I've learned that are really messed up is the people that don't think they're messed up. They're the ones really messed up. Anyway, in Romans 4:13, it says, then clearly God promised to give the whole Earth. Wow. The whole earth to Abraham and his descendants. First of all, if God gives somebody the whole earth, I believe he knows God's favor. Amen? But He also not only is going to give it to Abraham, but He’s going to give it to his descendants. I've been teaching you as an adult, your kids are blessed because of you if you have a right relationship with God. Amen? But listen, it was not based on his obedience of God's law. Not because he could obey God's law. But it was a right relationship with God that comes by faith. I love that because so many times you think, hey, if I'm just really good, if I perfectly obey, if I keep the law, I'm going to be blessed. Nobody can keep the law. See, that's why it's so important at Journey Church, we focus more on relationships than religion. I love it.
James Greer: [00:04:12] They say, well, what do you believe there? Man, we believe, we focus more on the relationship with Jesus and Christ than we do religion. Religion will get you in trouble. Right relationship with God by faith should lead to a right relationship with others and it should lead with becoming God doing what looks like impossible be possible. Right relationship with God and others leads to the right kind of faith. See, if you have a right relationship with God, it grows your faith and produces God’s promise in your life. The right relationship with God, listen, when you really have the right relationship with God, you want the right relationship with other people. I mean that's the way God created you. It's really all about right relationships. God promised the children of Israel one time, He said, listen, I'm going to give you the promised land. He gave them a promise, right? Now, listen, we got to be careful. God will give you a promise, but sometimes you’d rather listen to the people than the promise. That's what gets you in trouble. I want you to learn something today. You're better off listening to the promise than the people. God sent those spies into the promised land and they came back and said, man, it's just what God said. In fact, the grapes are so big, it took two people to carry them. But there's something happened. He said, but there's also some giants there. Can I tell you, even when you get saved, you're still going to face giants in your life.
James Greer: [00:05:39] That's why you got the promises of God. Even though they're going to face giants, God said, I'm already going to deliver it to you. So what He said was, listen, God said, I got promises for fear. They had fears on page 45 in there, by the way. By the way, y’all do not use this. You take this book and say, hey, I got a problem with fear. You go in here. It's indexed for you, man. You go in here and find fear. It’s on page 45. You go on 45 and you read it and you personalize it and you personalize it and you meet the condition of the promise. You wait for the provision. But they didn't do that. Uh-uh. And so they call the congregation, Numbers 14:1. And so all the congregation lifted up their voice and they cried and the people wept that night. And what did they do, the children of Israel? They complained against Moses and Aaron. Guess who delivered them from bondage? Moses and Aaron. And the whole congregation said to them, if only we had died in the land of Egypt. If only we had died in the wilderness. They didn't really want to die. They just wanted to complain. Now they're blaming the Lord. Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword that our wives and our children should become victims? Would it not have been better for us to return to Egypt? Go back to where you used to be in bondage and slavery?
James Greer: [00:07:01] See, when you don't have a right relationship with God, listen, you begin to blame and complain. And instead of believing in God's promise, who did they blame and complain? God and Moses. See, what happens is you begin to blame and complain the people closest to you, the people that we're trying to help you. I understand that. I try to help people all the time in the ministry. And what happens is they usually blame me and complain about me. They come to me, and what they really want me to do is either give them something or do something for them. When I say, go do it yourself, they get mad. I had somebody one time, they came and they prayed for a job, prayed for a job, prayed for a job. God, open the door. They got the job. You know what they came back? They came back and said, can you believe they want me to be there on time? I believe that. They said, but when I am there, I work hard. I mean you wouldn't believe the things I hear. But when you begin to look at what you want and the way you want it instead of what God wants for you and the way He it for you, you start complaining. It happens with mates. It happens on the job. It happens with pastors. Happens in church.
James Greer: [00:08:13] If you're not careful, you start looking for what God wants and God’s promises for your life and your marriage instead of complaining and blaming. It happens in every era. You need to say, God, what do you want and how do you want me to do it? I'm telling you, I've seen it over and over and over on the job. Instead of saying, hey, God, what do you have me here for? How do you want me to further your kingdom? How can I be used here? When you begin to blame and complain, listen, you begin to lose God's promise and His power. See, God had already told the children of Israel, listen, I'm going to give you the promised land. I'm going to protect you, I'll defeat the enemy. But because they complained, listen, and blamed, they wandered around the wilderness and didn't get the promise. They didn't use the power. The children ended up wandering around, and it's a shame. I know lots of Christians that God has thousands of promises for you. And you just wonder in your marriages complaining, wonder around your job and blaming. Let me give you a free insight. Instead, y’all ready? Instead of complaining, automatically start claiming. Instead of complaining, automatically start what? Claiming. Amen? It'll change your life. Let's go back to Abraham. Romans 4:13. Clearly, God promised to give the whole earth to Abraham. Pretty good promise. And his descendants. Pretty good blessing for the kids.
James Greer: [00:09:47] It was based not on his obedience to the law. I love that. It wasn’t because you could keep all the law. It wasn’t because you were perfect. But it was a right relationship with God that comes by faith. I mean you can't do it on your own. You have to have the right promises. 4:14. Listen, if God's promises, if it was only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary, and the promises are pointless. I love that because when I was growing up, I would think I can never be perfect enough to enjoy the promises and the power of God. I would think that the blessings in favor of God is only for a few. But that's not true. God's promises are for you if you have faith. See, God's promise can help you prosper. See, for the law, it always bring punishment to those who try to obey it because you can't do it. The only way to avoid breaking the law is not to have the law to break. But you do. So the promise is received by what? Faith. It's a free gift. In other words, it's absolutely free. You can't buy it. God gives it to you. And we are all certain to receive it whether or not we live according to the law. That is so freeing. If we have faith like Abraham, for Abraham is the father of all who believe. In other words, he says, I want you to know, Abraham is an example of faith, how to have faith, and how to use your faith.
James Greer: [00:11:23] Abraham did not keep the law, but yet he had great faith in God's promises. In other words, are there times that y’all break the law? Yes. There's times that you mess up, I mess up, we all mess up. But you have faith in these promises. God said, I can still work in your life in a great and mighty way. That's what the Scripture means when God told him, I have made you the father of many nations. He said, listen, I told you I was going to make you the father of many nations. He meant that he was going to make him the father of many nations. This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings, y'all ready? It’s one of my favorite verses. I’m going to right in the front of my Bible. This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings dead things back to life and who creates things out of nothing. Man, can you believe that that is some God? He can bring dead things back to life. He can create, you have nothing, God can speak, and it can happen. I mean He can bring dead things back. You can have a dead marriage. And God can say, hey, if you do it the way I say, you claim my promise, you meet the provisions, I can bring it back to life. Isn’t that a powerful God? Amen? He said, Abraham, your body's like dead.
James Greer: [00:12:36] You are a hundred years old. He said, you can still have child. Bring dead things back to life. You got a dead dream? God can bring it back to live. You got a child who's been rebelling for 10 years, 15 years? God says, hey, guess what? Don't give up on that child. I can bring him back to life. You got a financial crisis and you thought you’re dead? God said, I can bring it back to life. You got somebody in your family who’s on drugs, bad habits? Just [inaudible] I’m going to give up on them. God said, I can bring it back to life. Jesus Christ said, I can bring dead things back to life. Isn’t that something? And if not, I just create something out of nothing. What a God we have. Amen? I mean you ought to have that verse written in front of your hand. Man, what a God we have. And then it goes on. Verse 18 says, look, even when there was no reason for hope. Have you ever lived in something? Sometimes it's somebody. Sometimes it's a situation. Abraham kept hoping. Even when there’s no hope. Abraham just kept hoping. You know why? Believing that he would become the father of many nations. I mean you know what he's saying? Hey, I'm 80, honey. This year might be the year we’re going to have a baby. Can you imagine him coming in at 90 years old and saying, honey, light the candles? I'm just saying. He said every day. He said he just kept hoping, kept hoping.
James Greer: [00:14:01] I bet he did nothing hope. But anyway, he would just say, honey. I mean he didn't give up. He believed it was going to happen. I mean he just kept growing and growing. [inaudible] But anyway. For God had said to him, that's how many descendants you're going to have. And when it looked impossible, Abraham just kept believing, hey, what looks impossible, God said it, I believe it, I'm going to live it out, and I’m going to just keep doing it no matter what. Man, I'm going to tell you, my wife is the best. I have people and places and things I just want to give up on. I just want to write them off. I want to say, just forget it. She says, as long as I'm living, I'm not giving up. No, no. I say that when I get around the door. I just say, oh, yeah, baby, I know. But I have seen people that I just really thought, hey, they're never going to make it. And now they're functioning in live and independent and they're on their own. And I'm going to tell you, it’s because she just didn't give up. See, in Abraham's faith, it didn't weaken. Even though at about 100, at about 100. I guess when you're 100, you can say, well, I'm about 100. Of age. He figured his body was as good as dead. I imagine that Sarah's womb wasn’t too hot either. But anyway, that's kind of my translation.
James Greer: [00:15:23] I mean, you know, your body's dead. Sarah's womb is not too good. But anyway. And he's just rocking on. I mean, you know, come on, Abraham. You the man. Anybody that can have sex at 100 years old, Abe, you got it. Abraham, he never wavered in his believing God's promises. He never wavered in believing what? Somebody say, God's promise. Guess what you have in your hand? God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger that it would bring glory to God. His faith grew stronger that what? It would bring glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. That's why I want everybody to have a promise book today. I want you to believe that God can do whatever He promises. This is His promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted to his righteousness. And when God counted him as righteous, he wasn't just, this is real important. This wasn’t recorded just for Abraham's benefit. Okay? It was recorded for me and you. God said, look, I didn't write this just for Abraham's benefit. Abraham already did it. I mean he already had a child. It had already happened. He said, I recorded it for me and you. I recorded it for y’all’s benefit and my benefit. He says, sometimes you're in a hopeless situation, sometimes you have an impossible situation. So I'm going to record this for your benefit. So surely, as God will also count us as righteous. How? If we believe in Him. Believe in who? And the one who raised Jesus from God, from the dead.
James Greer: [00:17:01] He’s telling you how to become righteous and how to participate in the promises like Abraham did. He was handed over, He died because of our sins, and He was raised and made us right with God. He said, don't you know? If you believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose on the third day and you believe in Him, you invite Him in your heart, you become righteous like Abraham and then these promises become yours. My goodness gracious, God’s saying, man, I want you to know how you become, how you get to enjoy the promise, and how you can use the promises. And then, listen to this. God blesses what was left over in his life. I love this because a lot of people don't understand about Abraham. God wants to use what you have left. He kind of wants you to forget the rest and let God bless what you have now, what you have left. Kind of forget what's in the past. Some people think, man, God really used Abraham because he was so perfect. No, Abraham wasn't that perfect. One of the things that Abraham had to leave, he had a 100-year-old body. Abraham had to leave in the past, if you don't know it, Abraham, Sarah said, Abraham, we don't have kids. Go sleep with the maid. And Abraham, God said, I got to do it and he went and did it. Man, we're still having the Middle East crisis.
James Greer: [00:18:25] I mean I was a little conflict, Abraham. He caused a few problems. Amen? He had to leave that behind though. God still forgave him. He still used him. The reason I tell you, there's some people that say, hey, you don't believe what I did in my past, you don't believe the sexual immorality. I'm not glorifying that. I'm telling you, you ask God to forgive you and you go from your past and look for a wonderful favor of God in the future. Amen? You know what he did [inaudible]? Sarah, she was some good looking. So they were traveling. They came across this kingdom that had all this power and these kings. And Abraham, he said, honey, you’re so good looking. What if that king wants you? What if he kills me and takes you? He said, I tell you what. Just tell them you're my sister. True story. Oh, sure. Tell me I’m your sister. But if the king takes you and does adultery, that's some man, right? So the king takes her but that night he has a horrible dream. He finds out that God had pressed upon his heart, don't take her. He comes back. Says, Abraham, have you done something crazy? He said, yeah, it’s really my wife. He says, well, don't do that. Take them and leave. Ladies, let me tell you something. All right? God does not like his daughters being treated wrong so he took care of them. And let me tell you what. You can only be treated like the queen if your husband treated as the king.
James Greer: [00:19:44] When he's not the king, you can't be the queen. So God steps in. He's the king of kings, and then He takes care of His queens. Amen? And so He took care of her. But what I'm telling you, Abraham had some stuff he had to leave behind where God could use what he had left to go forward in the future. And you guys have stuff you might need to leave behind where God can use you in the future. Amen? So why does He do it? You know, in Romans 4:16. Why? Because God promised. He's going to receive by faith. It's given to us freely. So what does He do it? How can you be you? One, it's because of what Abraham believed, not because of what he did. God can use you today because of what you believe, not what you did. In other words, listen, do you believe the promise or you believe in people? In fact, why don't you stop believing and worrying about what other people think, do, and say? And why don't you focus more on what God's Word has to say and promise? It’s because what God promised, God will deliver. God's promises have provisions that will come about. It was because Abraham's faith, believing in God's promises when it looked impossible. Do you have an impossible situation? Instead, you want to look to God's promises instead of the situation. It’s because God wants to use what you have left, not what you used up in the past.
James Greer: [00:21:12] Use what you have now. Leave your past in the past. It’s because God wants your next half or your next quarter or whatever you have left to be the very best. What's keeping you right now from allowing God to use you in a great way? What's keeping you from allowing God to use them? Nothing but you. Nothing. Well, if you only knew what I did in the past. Well, Abraham did somethings in his past. So has everybody else. That's the devil. So what's keeping? Nothing but you. Are you still blaming and complaining other people or your boss, your mate, your company, some church, some person? You're still blaming and complaining. Let me give you an insight. Stop doing that. Stop doing that. Stop complaining and start claiming. Stop blaming, stop complaining, and start claiming. Stop it. When you're doing that, you're losing the power and presence of God. It’s hurting you, not them. They don't care. Use this. Do you have what looks like a hopeless situation and you need God's promise? Your hopeless situation doesn't look any more hopeless than Abraham at 100 years old and Sarah at 91. It doesn’t. God said, He recorded that for us. Not that we could start having kids at 100 and ladies, you could start having kids at 91. It was where you can see that God can do impossible things. It was to give you hope in a hopeless situation.
James Greer: [00:22:41] So you might have the most hopeless situation, God said, let me give you some hope today. You can't have these promises unless you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That’s what makes you righteous. See, I don't care if you're downstairs or upstairs or online. I don't care how young and how old you are. There has to come a time that you make a willful choice that you say, I believe that I sinned, that sin separated me from God. I believe Jesus died for my sins, and I want to invite Him myself into my heart to be the Lord of my life. Hey, guess what? You become right with God. See, you're like Abraham then. You’re righteous. Why would anybody not want to do that? We're going to give you that opportunity today. Would you stand? Father, I just love your Word. It's so powerful. It's so practical. God, I pray, first of all, for those that maybe have never done that. That today would be the day that they would become righteous with God. God, I pray for those that have pasts that they need to just do away with. Don't live in the past. Look for an exciting future, man, and God's favor. Let God use them and let God forgive them. Let God free them. Maybe those been griping, maybe they've been complaining, maybe God can press upon your heart right now today. Start claiming God's promises.
James Greer: [00:24:06] Every time you want to complain, every time you want to blame, man, just go to God's Word. Go to God's promise. Use this book. Personalize it. Meet conditions of the promise. Wait for the provision. Maybe you've been visiting here and today is a day that God told you, today’s the day for you to join. Maybe you need to follow through in public baptism. Maybe you just sprinkled or baptized at a real young age. And that's okay. But now you're at the age you know you need to be the death, the burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And you just want to come and say, hey, I want to follow through in baptism. Maybe you have a real problem in your life, and you want to come and help look up the promises of God with somebody and have somebody just pray with you and pray for you. Maybe there's something in your past, and today's the day you need to let it go. Maybe there's somebody you need to forgive. Today's the day you need to forgive them. Maybe you need to forgive yourself. See, if Abraham wouldn't have forgiven his own self, he wouldn't have been able to go forward and claim the promises of God. Man, I wouldn't leave here the same way I came. I leave here free. I leave you excited. I leave here with a powerful promise of God. I pray that you let God have His will and His way in your life. I pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Bruce Goulart: [00:25:31] On behalf of Pastor James, I just want to say thank you for joining our online experience today. Man, what an amazing messages today about miracles, and I hope that this week we can learn to apply it to our lives. Also, if you need someone to pray with you right now, we have people on standby willing to pray with you. But I hope next week we get to see you here as we have our event Pack the Church. Thank y'all and see y’all next week.
Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.
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