1. Bible Study
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Floyd H. Flake
“A PROMISE YOU CAN
COUNT ON”
Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)
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2. (16) Then the eleven disciples went to
Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus
had told them to go.
(17) When they saw Him, they worshiped
Him; but some doubted.
(18) Then Jesus came to them and said,
"All authority in Heaven and on earth
has been given to Me.
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3. (19) Therefore go and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit,
(20) and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the
age."
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4.  All of us have probably had the
experience of believing that promises
made to us would be honored, only to
discover that promises made are not
always kept. Broken promises can lead to
broken hearts and painful consequences
that cause us to lose our faith in
humanity; and in some cases, lose faith in
God.
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5.  I know of people who were
devastated when they thought a marriage
proposal was a promise that would
become reality; but one of the parties had
a change of mind. Since that time they
have been unable to regain the ability to
trust people, even when their motives are
sincere. Some who actually did get
married, and made promises and vows to
share their lives together, have faced the
chilling reality of broken promises. 5

6.  One broken promise has the power to
destroy dreams, reshape attitudes, devalue
a person’s self-worth; or, completely
destroy their determination and will.
Many times when people have been
victimized by real or imagined broken
promises, they blame God.
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7. I hope that this message will help you
understand that broken promises are not
acts of God. When you don’t get the
phone call that you were promised; the
gift that you expected; or the commitment
to never hurt you again, don’t blame
God.
 I read an article on the internet that said;
“At some point in our lives, nearly all of
us will be on the receiving end of a
broken promise.” 7

8.  In the text, we find 11disciples who were
with Jesus as He preached, worked
miracles, and taught them; they are now
feeling abandoned, searching for
answers to the mysteries of Christ.
 He had told them that He would die and
be buried; but rise again. They were
hurt, disappointed, and wondering
whether He would keep His promise. If
they had gone to the tomb as the women
did, they would have known that the
promise had already been fulfilled. 8

9.  The good news is that they did what Jesus
had told them to do…“go to Galilee.”
With broken hearts and hung heads, they
decided to mobilize themselves and try to
move on with their lives. Whatever they
were feeling: doubt, anxiety, fear, or
uncertainty about the promise of seeing
Jesus again, they kept on going.
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10.  Good things can happen when we don’t
give up. (17) When they saw Him, they
worshiped Him; but some doubted.
 You must learn from their experience:
everybody won’t be supportive, some
folks will still doubt; but we must
worship the Lord, and believe on His
promises. In verse 18b, Jesus told them
“All authority in Heaven and on earth
has been given to Me.”
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11.  God demonstrates that His promises are
never void. He engages you with
evidence of His desire to move you
beyond your doubts and limitations. He
gives you an assignment that only He has
the authority to give. “(19) Therefore go
and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
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12.  After Jesus had given them their
assignment, He made a promise that
they could count on:
“(20b)…And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age.”
 The scriptures reveal that God’s
promises are promises that you can
count on:
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13.  He has promised to supply every
need we have “And my God will
meet all your needs according to his
glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19)
 “But He said to me, ‘My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness.’ ”
(2 Corinthians 12:9a)
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14.  God has promised us victory over death.
“(57) But thanks be to God! He gives
us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
 God has promised that those who
believe in Jesus, and are baptized for the
forgiveness of sins will be saved.
“(38) Peter replied, ‘Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name
of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins. 14

15. And you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
(39) The promise is for you and your
children and for all who are far off—
for all whom the Lord our God will
call.’ ” (Acts 2:38-39)
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