Break Out Session 2 - Jeremy Hull

Patience in the Past: The Seed Promise from Eden to the Patriarchs

Think um, I think Tyler's gonna be fine because he said I don't know I don't even know how to preach for 45 minutes. I'm like me neither but yeah the opposite way. But what we will be looking at is patience.

Living in the victory of Christ when evil surrounds me.

So obviously.

I go verse by verse through our church. We've been going through Romans for like three years, but to get handed a topic there's a hundred different ways I could go about this. And instead of just starting off the topic with some study word study of patience or just jumping right into our lives now.

To display patience. I want us to see some old history. I Want us to look at patience through some of our Fathers in the faith some the older brethren in the faith and that's where we're gonna start at patience in the past.

If you're familiar with any of my preaching I typically have three points. I do today's patience in the past. Patience in the future and impatience in the present. So we're going to start with patience in the past.

So let's go back to the beginning to see some of this turn back to Genesis chapter 3 and verse 9. It says and the Lord God called unto Adam and said where art thou? And he said I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself.

And he said who told thee that thou was a naked has thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou should not eat and The man said the woman whom thou gave to be with me. She gave me of the tree and I did eat and the Lord said unto the woman.

What is this?

That thou has done. And a woman said the serpent beguiled me and I did eat. And the Lord said unto the serpent because thou Has done this thou are cursed. Above all cattle and above every beast of the field upon Thy belly shalt thou go and thus shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.

And I will put enmity Between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise.

His heel.

So they were promised the seed Right here and this seed was said to crush the head of the serpent. That's what it means to bruise there. It means to crush the seed was promised to crush the head of the serpent the serpent that just deceived her.

No, so I want to take it take a second and just stop and put try to put ourselves in Eve's shoes or sandals or I don't know what they wore then but The serpent this serpent that just deceived her and because of it and the fact that Adam followed her in her sin.

Now death has come upon mankind. And it came into the world through the sin of Adam yet Eve was deceived first. Now mind you they knew nothing of death until then. But the serpent just deceived you were in Eve's shoes right now.

The serpent just deceived you and now death has come. But immediately God makes atonement for you. We see it in verse 21 and I believe in many others do as well many sound preachers of the faith that the coats of skin In verse 21 were from an animal that the Lord has slain.

And I would argue that it was a lamb. To represent the coming Redeemer. So the serpent deceived God slew an animal and made them clothing with it, but he also made a promise to them. That the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

So what do you think Eve is thinking right here? Now, we don't know but I think naturally she might think my son is Going to crush the serpent that just deceived me in Chapter 4 she has her first son.

I bet she was thinking he's here. The serpent crusher is here. The evil serpents days were short. However, do you know who her first son was?

Cain.

Cain not only did not crush the head of the serpent. He crushed the head of her other son Abel. So this wasn't the seed. How long do they have to wait for the seed? Thousands of years. Adam and Eve would be long gone Before the true seed would come which is Christ as we see in Genesis or Galatians chapter 3.

It tells us he was born of the woman. I was listening to a podcast on the way here yesterday and it wasn't talking about patients or anything. But it said it was dealing with that the seed there and it says the Galatians if it's not a direct Quotation from Genesis chapter 3 it is the least alluding to Genesis chapter 3.

Where he says born of the seat born of the woman. It's of the seed of the woman. So we see this patience here with them. They had they waited thousands of years now. Let's go take a little step for further.

We go to Noah.

The whole earth is corrupt. We're not going to turn there for sake of time. But the seed of the woman hasn't shown up yet. The whole earth is corrupt and the seed hasn't shown up and crushed the head of the serpent yet.

In Genesis chapter 6 It says the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was continually evil. So not only has the seed of the woman not came yet But evil was growing the serpent seed was growing and we know what God promised.

Noah, right?

Flood.

God was going to destroy mankind. But he wasn't going to destroy it today or tomorrow or next month or next year. God told Noah in 120 years. He would destroy it. So all of mankind was evil. That's what it says.

All of mankind was evil and Noah was living in the middle of an evil world with his family for 120 years who here has been surrounded by evil for 120 years. Not only did Noah live in the midst of this.

He was told to build a ship bigger than any boat that I've ever made up to that point. And in the midst of building this ship, how do you think it went for Noah? Surrounded by evil. Do you think it was the positive and encouraging Caleb experience for him?

I Can guarantee you it wasn't I? Can guarantee you that he was. It was surrounded by hecklers and hateful spiteful God hating people. Yet Peter calls him a preacher of righteousness. Wouldn't it have been easier just for Noah to go with the spirit of the age.

To say everyone else is doing it literally everyone else was evil. But wouldn't have been easier to just doubt that he should have made the ark 120 years. I think I think it took him about 70 years to build it.

I haven't spent 70 years building anything. And I probably quit well before 70 years, I mean what kind of patience did Noah.

Have.

What kind of patience would he have to have over the years, you know, who else was patient during that time. God was. It says in 1st Peter chapter 3 in verse 20. It says. Which sometimes were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God Waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water God was long-suffering Slow to wrath.

That's what it means because Couldn't God have just flooded the whole earth and kept no one his family dry. Couldn't he just said no stand right here with your family. I'm flooding everything and don't move.

He did it with Moses in the Red Sea he literally could have flooded the earth that day and he gave him 120 years and in waiting. Nobody could have said I didn't have time. There wasn't enough time for me to repent.

So let's take another step forward. Let's look at some scripture on this turn to Genesis chapter 12. We'll take a step forward to Abraham Genesis 12 verse 1 now the Lord has said unto Abram Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from my father's house unto a land that I will show thee and I'll make Of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great and thou shall be a blessing and I will bless them That bless thee and curse them curse him that curses thee and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

So Abraham.

Departed as the Lord has spoken unto him a lot with him. And Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of.

Haram.

First off Abraham was 75 years old when this happened. He was no spring chicken. I'm not even 75 years old yet. And that's when Abram's ministry started was when he was 75. However, look at the promise of God in this.

God tells him. I will make of thee a great nation. All the families of the earth will be blessed by thee. This pop this promise here is further explained if you look up at chapter 13 and verse 15. For all the land which thou seest To thee why give it and to thy seed forever.

And I'll make thy seed as the dust of the earth. So that if a man can number the dust of the earth, so shall thy seed also be numbered. You're there last night. You you heard me quote this verse. I'm not gonna get into it too much right now, but.

Who can count the dust of the earth. And that's what he tells Abram his seed is going to be. Now this promise is repeated to Abram throughout his life in Genesis 15 5. God says that is more than the stars of the sky.

But Abraham dies in Genesis 25 a hundred years after this promise. He's 175 years old. God promised this to him when he was 75 at 175 he dies and he had Isaac and Ishmael and Probably saw Jacob and Esau.

That's it. So either the earth was very clean and there was only a few stars in the sky at that time. Or God meant something bigger than that. So the eyes of Abraham was his seed multiplied as the dust of the earth.

The sand on the seashore or the stars of the sky. No, so just like Adam and Eve Abraham never saw the promise fulfilled in his life. Now, we're gonna get a little bit broader here. We're not necessarily going to turn the text.

We know the history. Abraham had Isaac. Isaac had Jacob. Jacob becomes Israel and has 12 sons. Right, which are the 12 tribes of Israel? We all know this we also know the next part of the story, but We may never thought about something that was true for those people that I believe to be very important.

The 12 tribes were enslaved by the Egyptians. We know this, right? Does anyone know how long they were enslaved for? 400 years. Now this is the truth. I want us to consider on this if you are born into one of those families when they are enslaved.

You could have lived your whole life. Had children they lived their whole lives down multiple generations and all of you died still slaves. Never knowing freedom in Egypt born lived and died a slave. Yet they still had the same promises that was given to Adam and Eve of the coming Redeemer.

They still had that same promise. They still had the same promise that was given to Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed. To his seed and his seed would prosper and multiply more than the sand of the seashore and the stars in the sky.

Do you think they had to be patient as a people. I Mean God promised your people in this and your mom and dad lived their whole lives as slaves and died a slave. Looking forward to the promise. They had to have patience.

Now we move forward to the wilderness. We know this too. They were finally freed from slavery, right? And we know the story to wander in the wilderness for another 40 years. That's a that's one generation.

So once again.

You may have been born in the wilderness and died in the wilderness and never received the promises made to Moses of a land. Flowing with milk and honey. One thing that wasn't shown a lot in the wilderness was patience, but there were still some of it, right?

Joshua and Caleb are two examples. They believed God and were patient with this promise and they entered into that promise. Now without going through all the biblical theology to continue to establish this point Call just did that for us.

That of David and Solomon and his Isaiah and Ezekiel and the promises made to them of the coming King and Savior. Let us take note that when the last book of the Old Testament was written Malachi. There was another 400 years of silence.

The seed still hasn't come. The people of Israel were still waiting when the coming seed that would crush the serpents head he hasn't shown up yet. Just imagine this isn't my notes, but just imagine the anticipation if you were living at that time thinking.

We could have the seed. The son that's being born could be the seed. Yet dying and never seeing it. They were still waiting on the coming King who would reign from Mount Zion. They were still waiting when the prophet like Moses that would come and speak forth the Word of God.

They were still waiting on the true high priest after the order of Melchizedek who would make sacrifice and take away their sins.

All of this waiting and.

What is something that we must have while we wait? Patience. The writer of Hebrews says of all these people these all died in faith Not having received the promises but having seen them a Far-off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

And he also says the same chapter and these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise. God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect.

What was the better thing? It was the coming seed of the woman. Who would establish a new and better covenant. Who would come and fulfill the law of Moses? Who would fulfill righteousness. Who would die as a substitute for sinners under the full weight of the wrath of God making payment for sin?

Who would rise from the grave? Defeating death. Who would do the opposite of the first Adam? The first Adam brought death by his sin the second Adam defeated death through death for sin. This was the promise they all had and waited for.

They had to look forward. But died before it was accomplished. They had to have patience and wait on the Lord knowing that he keeps his promises. It may not have been in their timing, but God no doubt keeps his word and that's where our patience should rest.

They look forward to the coming Redeemer the coming seed of the woman the coming seed of Abraham and as Galatians chapter 3 Tells us that Christ is and it would be through him that all the families of the earth would be blessed.

Not Isaac so we can see the patience of the past and impatience in waiting for something that wouldn't happen for thousands of years. Now, let's see the patience of the future. Might be the opposite of what you think it would go the past the present to the future.

But I'm going past the future than the present. Because now we like Israel have promises of God that we can look forward to. There are still promises that have not been fulfilled yet. I Want us to see some of those let's start With a verse.

I think we all know it's Isaiah chapter 9 and we can see a somewhat of a transition in These verses here. Isaiah 9 6 7. Now Jeremy, why are you going here? These are Christmas verses.

Always.

Isaiah 9 6 7 it says for unto us a child is born and unto us the Son is given and The government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called wonderful Counselor the mighty God the everlasting father the Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice. From henceforth Even forever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Well, we see we know the first part of the the verse right unto us The Son is given. We know that that's what that's talking about. It's talking about the incarnation of Christ when he came and he was born of a virgin.

It says his government and peace will increase and have no end. Now there are some that argue that his rule is decreasing As though evil is winning. But notice what's the verse ends with the zeal of the Lord of hosts will.

Perform this.

This is a promise of God and not simply a promise of God, but he says that he will perform it. It's something that he's going to do. The Sun came and now his government Which is which is another word for rule and his rule and peace will increase and have no end.

Daniel 7 13 14. I'll read to you says I saw in a night vision to behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven. This I believe this is talking about the ascension of Christ and came to the ancient of days and they Brought him near before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people's nations and Languages should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which shall not pass away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Brother John Gil ties this in Isaiah 9 To the promise in Daniel chapter 2 in verse 34.

And I'd agree with them. This prophecy in Daniel chapter 2 is of the small stone and the small stone is Represented of the kingdom of God. This small stone It hits that giant statue which was which was made up of four different levels of it If you will and they represented four different kingdoms earthly kingdoms and this small stone It would hit this the statue and it would grow into a large mountain and it would consume all the other kingdoms.

Or like the parable that Jesus gave us of the kingdom, let's actually turn there. Matthew 13 a Bible turned right there. So I'll wait I'll have patience. Matthew 13 and verse 31 It says another parable put he forth unto them saying the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed Which a man took and sowed in his field which indeed is the least of all seeds.

But when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof and Another parable spake he unto them the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven Which a woman took and here it in the measure three measures of meal till the whole was leaven.

You see this picture. How did the kingdom start in the first century. Like a mustard seed. Like like a little piece of leaven with how many disciples were in that first century. Twelve hundred and twenty two hundred maybe.

It started very small. It started in the language of kingdoms as probably the smallest kingdom on earth. They probably got mocked. You said you have a kingdom. Look you have like 15 people following you.

What a kingdom is that? It started very small as A mustard seed but but Jesus doesn't say that it'd shrink. Or that it is start to grow and become stagnant. He says it will grow in the words of Mark and Luke in these parallel passages.

He says it will grow into a great tree with great branches and the birds of the air flock to it and build their nests. This is the picture that God gives us of his kingdom and he says that he will perform at the zeal of the Lord of hosts.

We'll perform it.

So how great is this tree going to be though? Well, let's see. It turned up with me back to Psalm 2. Psalm 2 in verse 6.

Says.

Yet have I set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion. I would declare the decree the Lord has said unto me. Thou art my son this day. Have I begotten thee? We know we are we're familiar with that right there, right?

We're safe. Ask of me. And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance in the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

The father Tells the son ask of me and I shall give you. In other words son, if you simply ask I will perform it. He will give him the heathen.

That's what it says.

It means the Gentiles and the uttermost parts of the earth. The uttermost there just means the ends of the earth not small.

But great.

Like a giant mountain or like a giant tree like we've already seen and Turn up to Psalm 72 in verse 6. Also, he shall come down like rain upon the mown grass. As showers that water the earth in his days shall the righteous flourish an abundance of peace.

So long as the moon and dwarf he shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river. Unto the ends of the earth. That's what's in my notes. I want to look down a little bit further though to look at verse 10.

The kings of tarshish and of the end of the isle shall bring Presence. The kings of sheba and sabba shall offer gifts. Yay. All kings shall fall down before him. All Nations shall serve him. Notice in verse 6.

He says he shall come down. What is this a picture of The incarnation again this parallels Isaiah 9 6 right a son is given. He shall come down verse 7 in his days. The righteous shall flourish and abundance of peace.

Does this not sound like Isaiah 9 7? The increase of his government and peace shall have no end in verse 8. He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the rivers unto the ends of the earth. Does this sound like something small to you?

Please God dominion from sea to sea and to the and from the rivers to the ends of the earth. What does it sound like it covers the earth? Christ ask of his father and the uttermost parts of the or ends of the earth have been given to him.

He is taking dominion from sea to sea. We're to put it like Matthew. And the title of our conference all authority is given to him in heaven and in earth from sea to sea. One more promise that that we have about this is Habakkuk 2 14 says for the earth for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Notice, it doesn't say the glory of the Lord. But it says the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. And how much does the water cover the seas? All of it right except for a little island here there. Now we should see this as the opposite of Genesis chapter 6, right?

Genesis chapter 6, you know what? It tells us about the earth. Then it tells you it was filled with violence when I tell you in Genesis chapter 6. It says that the earth was filled with violence. What do you think?

The earth was filled with violence when God tells us in Habakkuk that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will fill the earth. What should we think it's going to cover the earth. There's coming a time when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord and that's what's promised to us.

Do we see it like this right now, I don't believe so. It's heading that way or is it heading that way? Well if God keeps his promises. So what does it call for us in the present right that's the patience in the present.

This is where the rubber meets the road, right? Who cares if we have some lofty theology if it does nothing for us right here right now, right? This is where application happens. And this is what theology is supposed to be used for not simply a head full of knowledge.

But it should lead to practical living according to that doctrine. And I think we should have at least learned a couple things from these other two points one. God is faithful and.

Two.

God is sovereign and If these two things are readily on our mind, there's no way we won't have patience in the present. Let me demonstrate to you God is faithful. Does God did God keep his promise to Adam and Eve.

He most certainly did or we wouldn't be here, right? Did God keep his promise to Abraham? You bet he did and I believe he's still keeping it in Christ. All the families of the earth will be blessed. Did he take his people out of slavery?

Did he take his people through the wilderness? He kept his promises. If there's at least one thing we can learn from the Old Testament. Is that God keeps his promises even when his people disobey. The fact that God keeps his promises is due to the fact that he is faithful.

He is trustworthy. When he says something to us we can believe him. When he tells us to cast our cares upon him before he cares for you. You most certainly can do that. Even in the midst of great turmoil like Noah.

Living in the midst of an evil world. Still trusting God and waiting on the Lord. And we ought to do the same the second. God is faithful, but God is also sovereign. God tells Isaiah the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

He doesn't say he might perform it. He doesn't say if man will just let me into his heart. I'll perform it. He doesn't say I'll do my best to perform it. He says he will perform it.

He will do it.

We can clearly see this in the salvation of people of his people right in a classic passage on regeneration in Ezekiel 30 36. God says of his people that he will give them a new heart and he will put his fear within them and he will cause You to obey him.

Paul says something similar in Philippians chapter 1. In verse 6 being confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work on you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus God will perform it.

He will cause the increase of his government and peace to increase and there shall be no end. How does he do this? To giving men and women. New hearts to obey him. He does all of it though. He's the sovereign one.

He didn't just wake up one day. I want a new heart. God must give you that new heart. The very fact that God can make a promise and then fulfill it in thousands of years is absolute proof that he's sovereign.

He's in control. None can say his aunt or say to him. What do is now none can stay his hand. Our God is says in Psalm 115 verse 3. Our God is in the heavens. He does whatsoever. He pleases. This is the only true and this is only true of God and when it pleases him to save some he does it.

Let me close with this. If God wasn't sovereign We would have no reason to be patient. God could be faithful and try his best to accomplish his goals. But if he's not sovereign, he can't guarantee it.

Let me bring it down to us like this. I may be a faithful man, but there's many things that I've failed to do. God is not like that. God never fails. Because nothing or no one can prevent him from doing what he wants to do.

So this is why a verse like Romans 8 28, I know we we'd we love to quote this verse why it has so much meaning. If God was a sovereign that we could throw the verse out it would mean nothing. And we know that all things work together for good to them that are that love God to them.

They're called according to his purpose. If God wasn't sovereign that verse would mean nothing. It's not simply that they work together by chance. It's that God is working them together and if he wasn't sovereign he wouldn't be able to do this.

We can see this at the cross, right? This is where our theology should any theology should lead us to right. It says why did the heathen ray that's a palm to quote also in Acts 4. He says why did the heathen ray?

Rage and the people imagine vain things. The kings of the earth stood up and rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against This Christ that's psalm 2 for a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou has anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together to do.

Whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. God brought these people together to fulfill his promise that he made to Adam and Eve in the garden. God sovereignly used wicked men to make payment for sin for wicked men.

And if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ here today You can rest in the fact that our sovereign God cares for you and takes care of you. You need not fret when surrounded by wickedness. You need not worry if God will deliver you.

He has already promised that he will and he already has. Through the death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you doubt he'll take care of you look back at the cross and see a risen Savior.

He's already taking care of you and he will continue to do so for his glory and his namesake. So let us have patience today because we know that our God is faithful and sovereign in keeping his promises.

Amen, I know that I didn't know but I guess we had a question in the answer. If anybody have any questions or I'm not Jonathan's thing and I made time. Yeah, well I'm gonna pray for us here. Thank you guys for coming over here and pray.

I was faithful with the Word of God and God's people ratified. Let's pray. Heavenly Father we thank you so much for this time here that you've given us this morning to to work with us. Worship you serve you.

Praise your name. Just thankful to be used for your glory for the advancement of your kingdom for the edification of your people for the glory of your name. God, I pray for each person here that we would just grow more Knowledge and grace as.

Your children.

We're so grateful that You've called us your children that you've given us eyes to see and ears to hear. You've given us understanding of your word. I pray we don't take it for granted Lord. We just want to go forth now and continue in worship and service Through the rest of this day Lord, and I pray your blessings upon it the name of Christ.