Praise God, Praise God, Church. Good morning. Can we get a praise for Jesus this morning, guys? Thank you, We don't probably don't need this. Well, first and foremost, I just want to say thank you to Pastor Matt Hannah Rose for this great opportunity to be up here with you all today.

It is an honor for me to be sharing the word with you guys today. For some of you, I may look familiar. I am, I've been attending Orbit Church for about a year now. I am led by a great leader in the back in the ushering team. I may look familiar.

I've probably escorted some of you to your seats in the past And, today I'm up here. Today I'm up here. God has put something in my heart for each and one of us today, this morning, And I just pray, and I just pray that it may be God speaking to, to, to, through me, and that you guys may be able to receive this morning: Amen. That is the ultimate goal. I don't know how you guys walked in this morning.

I don't know how heavy your heart is, but open your heart, Be ready to receive what God has for you today: Amen. My ultimate goal for you today is to walk out of here having a different perspective of who God is, A different understanding of his love, of his mercy, of his promises for you and I. Amen, Amen, Praise God. Today my family is here. They, they drove out from California yesterday and they are here today supporting me.

Amen. I don't know if you guys heard my father. He's the one shouting hallelujah, Amen, Amen. That's him right there. Dad don't ever change that Amen.

Right next to him is my mom. You see this. Today is a very special day for my mom and I And I'll- and I'll touch a little bit on that, But she is here today. She will not be able to understand a single word that I'm saying. She is a Spanish speaker, If you could excuse me.

Church Mom, I pray that the Holy Spirit may speak to you through my message this morning and that you may understand Amen. And then we have the middle child. And then we- I'm kidding, You see, there's a, there's a. There's a funny trend: The middle child always gets ignored, But 80, she's the middle child of the family, She is the backbone of the family. In my opinion, She is the brightest one of us four and I love her so much.

So thank you for your support. And lastly-, I'm sorry, not lastly- I have my older sister in the back, accompanied with her husband and her two beautiful babies. That is a power couple. She's a woman of God and he's also a man of God, Amen. And lastly, my younger sister, who couldn't be here today.

She's in her final trimester, so she's about to be due in a couple of months and she just couldn't make it out today. But if she's watching, I love you and God bless you, Amen. Going back to my mom, the reason why it's so special for her and I this morning is because we share- you could say- a testimony, a promise. You see, my mom is. She gave birth to five of us.

Four of us are here today. Her first born passed away after seven days, Then she had my older sister and then she had me. Now I'm her second son. The first one was her boy And when I was born, the doctors told my mom: "Hey, your baby's coming with complications. Your umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck.

It is very severe". And by the time I was born and I was pulled out of my mother's womb, the doctor said: "I don't think he's going to make it. He has an abnormal heart rate. His lungs are damaged". And it was déja vu all over for my mom again.

And if you're a mother in here and you understand the pain of losing a child, you could only imagine what my mother was feeling that day. The doctor said: "We got to keep them in here for a couple of days, We don't know how long. But if he does walk out of here alive, well, I'm sorry, Be carried. We're not walking at that age, But if he is carried out here he will not be able to run, He will not be able to be an active child. So be prepared for that.

He would always have to be carrying around a heart monitor If that thing ever goes off. You got to give him CPR. It's just what it is. So my mom, being a woman of faith- Amen. She had one option, and you already know what that option was.

After 20 days in the NICU, my mom says that she goes in there, she puts her hand in- I don't know the name of this crib, I, I don't know what they use- Incubator, Incubator, Thank you, Incubator. And she says a prayer or something like this. She says: "God, I promise you that if you let my son live. He will serve you, He will preach your word and I'll do everything, my everything in my power to guide my children to you. Amen.

Two days later, the doctor calls and says: "I don't know what just happened, but your son has incredibly improved". So, whatever you did, it worked. So praise God for all the moms in this building who give, who just get on their knees each and every morning and praise. There's nothing like a like a mother's prayer church. I believe that in my heart, that a mother's prayer could move mountains.

Amen. And this is why my mom and I are very joyful today. She's crying already, so I'm going to try not to look at her. But, mom, thank you so much for that promise, because today that promise is being fulfilled. Amen, And it is all for his glory.

Amen, Lord heavenly father. We just come before you today, Lord God, and we thank you for this morning. We thank you for what you're doing in this church. We thank you for each and one of us. Lord, Father God, I pray, Lord, God, that you may speak through me.

Lord, Father God, that whatever notes I broke down, whatever notes that I have, Lord, that ultimately, Lord, at the end of the day, you may have the final word. Open our hearts to receive. And it's in your mighty, precious name I pray and we all say amen, Amen. So the title of my sermon today is God's promises. Go figure, huh.

So what is the promise I ask you today, church? According to my good friend Google, a promise is a declaration or assurance that one would do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. In other words, you are stating something that it will happen. You are stating something that it will actually happen. Okay, Now I ask you today, church, how many of us liked a kept promise?

Show of hands? How many of us like the kept promise? We all do. It feels good, It feels like I can trust you, It feels like you're not going to let me down. So I, I like you, know it makes us feel good.

How many of us like a broken promise? Nobody, Nobody. Why? Because it makes us feel like I can't trust you. It makes us feel like to the total opposite of what it does feel like when, when you can trust somebody.

How many in here Show of hands? Don't be shy. We break promises. At one point, I think we all have broken a promise. That's okay.

I'm here to tell you that I'm a man of broken promises. I cannot lie My wife's in the front row. She could testify for that. I'm not up here because I got it all figured out. Now.

What do I mean by this? Allow me to demonstrate. It's the middle, middle of the week. Doorbell rings. I open the door.

I see all these boxes at the door. I tell my wife: "Hey babe, what's all these boxes". She pretends like she doesn't know, cuz Target already told her what's coming to the door. So she turns around and she's got all confused like "Huh, Oh, those might be the, the dining chairs I ordered at Target. Oh, go figure".

So she tells me: "You think you could put them together by the end of today". I said: "Yeah, no problem, I got it, Promise". I promise, babe, I promise I'll take care of them. Now if you're a parent and you have two kids, or kids at all, you know that by the time I start building all these chairs up, your kids are all over you thinking you're building them a treehouse or something, And by the time you're halfway done, half the screws are missing and it's a total chaos. So what do I do?

Like any other parent or dad, whatever, that is the Saturday's job. That is something we do in the garage with our coffee, listening to our favorite podcast. That is how we're going to take care of this scenario. Now another promise. Another promise that I that I break My son, I come home from work, my kids greet me at the door and u, my little boy, runs up behind me and says, "Dad, fight with me".

And I said, "Okay, son, Let me, let me, let me settle down, and I promise that after, after we're done, we're going to, we're going to fight". That's a lie. I'm a promise breaker. I'm not going to fight with my son, I'm tired, I just had a long day of work. This is what I mean, that I'm a promise breaker.

But I'm here to tell you someone, I, someone that I met a couple years ago, and his name is Jesus Christ, And his promises for you and I, church, will never fail. His promises for you and I are everlasting. Amen, Amen, Praise God. Turn to chapter. Turn to Matthew, chapter 7, please.

Here's a fun fact: The Bible contains around 8,000 promises. 7,000 of those promises are towards humankind, or mankind per se. One of the greatest promises in all Scripture was given to Abraham and Sarah when God said that he would make their family into a great nation. Another promise that God fulfilled is the rainbow. This is the same rainbow you and I see each and every day when it rains.

I'm sorry, Not every day. That'd be pretty amazing, wouldn't it? Genesis 9:16 says: "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth". And today, church, I want to break down three promises for you and I, three promises that I believe we could walk out of here, like I mentioned earlier, having a different perspective of who God is, a different understanding of his love, of his mercy, of his grace. Amen, Promise number one, or point number one, however.

You want to write it down on your notes. It says: God promises that if we seek for him, we will find him. Now, if you aren't already there, Matthew 7, 7-8, . It reads like this, and this is in red letters, which means Jesus is talking: Amen, Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find.

Knock and the door will be open to you. Here we go. Verse eight For everyone, that is, you and I. Who asks, receives, The one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be open. Now I want to go ahead and self-reflect and dissect this verse with all of you today.

If we go back to verse 8, it says: "For everyone who asks receives". And I ask you this morning, church, as you walked in the door, perhaps during the week, what is it that you're asking God? You could ask him anything. He is your God, He's. You're entitled to ask God anything.

God. Am I a good parent? God? Am I doing what you have called me to do, God? Do I even know you, God?

Am I doing a good job guiding my kids to your word? Now, don't get me wrong, church. These are all great questions, Nothing wrong with that. But let me help you, because this has helped my spiritual growth so much with God in the conversations that I have with him. The verse says: what Ask and you shall receive.

What if we come with a different posture to God, wanting to receive? What do I mean by that? Here's an example: Hey dad, how hard is it to run a business? My dad could then give me an answer: No problem, It's a simple question. But what if I come up to my father and I tell him: "Hey, Dad, I need your help.

Man running this business, I have no idea what to do and I need your guidance, I need your knowledge". It is a posture of receiving. Now, if my dad is anything like me, he's probably going to be like: "Oh yeah, son, I promise". And it's never going to happen. It is never going to happen.

But see, God is not. God doesn't work like that church. Amen. God doesn't work like that. And we could come to God and say: "Hey God, teach me how to bring my children to your feet".

Amen. God, help me understand your word and follow you. God, I need more of you. God, My family wants nothing to do with you. Help me bring them to you, Amen.

It is a posture that we come to God asking to receive church. It is so important for us to do that as believers, as we walk in the faith, As we walk in the spirit with Jesus. It is important for us to come to God in the posture of what Humbleness? Humble your heart, Because we don't have the answers. I'm not up here cuz I have it all figured out.

Come with that posture of God saying: "Talk to me", Amen, Amen. I want to know you. I want to know your heart. Don't be afraid, It's okay, we don't know the answer. It's okay, we don't have it figured out.

Talk to me. Amen, Are you with me? Church, Amen, Seek. Next one is seek When God means seek. What God means by this church is what?

Sorry, I'm going to go back really quick- Seek and you will receive. Sorry, The one who seeks finds. Now I'm going to get a little bit heavy here. I'm going to be a little bit more vulnerable with you guys in a second. It is by human nature that we seek the presence of God when, when we need him.

When we need him When we find ourselves taking too many pills than what the doctor prescribed us, looking at a screen that it's hindering our marriage. Come on now, It's real life stuff. Seeking the presence of God means you are determined for a change in your life. Meanings that we got to seek his presence like never before. We got to come with him and express: "God, I need you.

God, help me get out of this. My marriage is falling apart. I've made a mistake. I need you, God". It is a posture that we come to him seeking his presence, seeking his face, seeking an answer to what we're going through.

That is how we have to seek the presence of God, church, That is how we have to do it. A wine bottle turn- I mean, I'm sorry- A wine glass- turns into a wine bottle. A cigarette turns into a pack of cigarettes. Yes, Next thing, you know we're out of control. We don't know what happened Why, Cuz the enem is out to distract you.

As long as the enemy can distract you, that's all it takes for you to be disconnected with God. That's all. He doesn't have to take away your life. He doesn't have to take away your house. He doesn't have to take away your family.

He doesn't have to take away anything. The moment God- sorry, the moment- the devil- distracts you, he won. Two years ago, what I thought was fun and games led to a horrible addiction in my life. Now I told you: I'm not up here because I have it figured out, church. I'm just up here because I'm trying to pursue God's calling for my life.

Two years ago I fel I. I found myself in a strong gambling addiction where, for the first time in my life, I looked at my wife when she had no idea that I was going through it and I said: "She's probably better off without me. I've hurt her so much. I've lied to her, Lied about our finances, Almost gambled away all of our savings, Lied to my parents: Hey, I need help. Why Just not taking care of my finances the way that I'm used to, or that I'm able to, whatever?

But I'm lying. I'm lying. And I knew. I knew that I needed to seek the presence of God. I knew I needed a change in my life.

I knew that I needed to come to the one and only God who saves, To the one and only God that died for you and I on that cross, who only gives us hope. I knew I had to come to him, Amen. I knew Faith, if not accompanied, accompanied by action, is death. So I seek the presence of God and I change, I cut it out. That is the hardest thing you and I are ever going to do is cut it out.

It is the hardest thing from a from, from a from an addiction mindset. It is one of the hardest things anybody could do is, from one day to another, just cut it out. But only God could deliver you from that And Amen, Amen. When God delivers you, church, something happens, Amen, Something happens in the upper room. You feel this presence, You feel on fire for God, Amen.

You feel grateful, You feel thankful. You say: "Thank you God, Thank you Jesus". But hold on. Here come the comments. Hey bro, you used to be doing that a couple days ago.

What do you mean? You're following God now. Oh, here comes the family. Nah, bro, you're not like that. Here comes the friends.

Hey man, relax You just. You were just telling me about the next parlay last week. That's true, But when God delivers you church, something happens, Amen, Amen. Something amazing happens, Amen. Moving open.

And to the one who knocks, the door will be open. And I look past this one church. I read it Didn't make sense to me, I just kind of wanted to say it and just kind of move on to my second point. But God said: "Time out, That is the most important one. And I said, God, how it's all in my timing, not yours, Amen, I will open the door at the right time for you, Amen.

And you and I have to be obedient to that Amen. You and I have to be ready and stay ready until it is time for God to open the door for what you've been praying for, for what you've been seeking for: church. This is an invitation of an act and living faith. This is a promise that God promises us. It is a relationship that God wants to have with you and IMen.

It's not just any ordinary promise. It's a relationship God wants to get to know you deeply. The other day I sent a picture to my wife. I said: "Look at my outfit, Do you like it? It's what I'm going to be wearing for for for Sunday service".

And she's all like: "Oh, you got a brand new shirt and some shoes". I said: "How'd you know", Cuz that was the only thing that I had buying that day. And I was like: "How'd you know". And you know what she said. She said: "Cuz I know your clothes".

Duh, But it's cuz we have a relationship, Amen, It's cuz we have a relationship that she's able to know what I'm going through, what I wear Church. If you and I could come to Jesus and have a relationship with him, imagine all the things he could tell you. Amen, That you don't even know about yourself. Amen, Come on somebody. Amen, Amen.

Promise number two. Point number two: God promises that his love will never fail and that he is faithful in every way. Deuteronomy 7:9 reads: "Know, therefore, that the Lord, your God is God. He is the faithful God keeping his covenant, which is also promise of love to a thousand generations". Amen.

It's a metaphor that means forever or everlasting of those who love him and keep his commandments. Yes, Now you know you, and I could say "Oh, I believe in God, I have faith in love". I mean, I'm sorry, I have faith in God, I know God is loving, But do you know that God is Lord? The verse starts out by saying "Know, therefore", which means you tie it together that the Lord, your God, is God. Amen.

And it is easy for you and I to just: Monday through Friday: I believe in God, this and that. But the moment we come across a storm in our lives, what we forget- that we don't know God, We forget who God is, We forget that he could get us through any storm church, And we forget that Why? Because we don't know God- truly Goes back to my first point. It is that rel, how important that relationship is for you and I to have with God. Knowing God takes it to a different level, Takes you to a different place.

With 2006, my father started up a first business. It might be I might be off on the dates, but in 2006, I was around 13 years old, My father started a water truck business-, which means that, it's, it's a tank of water and it throws water out into the, into the fields. That's all it is. But he started that business. My clothes started to change.

I was able to rock some Jordans. Everything started to change. We got our first house. We were living in an apartment, My aunt's garage. We finally got a house And in 2008, when the economy crashed, my dad sent my, my siblings and I, to Fresno, California.

We came back that summer to our house, but we ended up showing up to a hotel. My dad had lost everything, Everything he ever worked for, everything he ever worked for his family, for his kids. It was all gone. Now, why am I saying this church? Because it was because at the age of 15, now we're talking two years later, at the age of 15.

I looked at my dad and I was like: how is this guy still jumping on Sundays? How is this guy still waking up at 6:00 in the morning and praying for his children? How is this guy always happy? How is this guy just all in love with God and shouting amen and hallelujah on a Sunday service, How he knows the Lord, Cuz he knew God, Cuz he knew God only takes away to give you more Cuz. When someone is faithful to God, God is faithful to him.

That's why, And as I son, as a now that a father that I am, that is a testimony to me. Because of his testimony, I am walking in the feet of Jesus. I am also sharing that to my family, to my kids. It is through his testimony- and there's so many parents in here, There is a big kids ministry room back there with so many kids- It is our responsibility to know, to know who God is, because they're watching us, They're watching you and I. It is important for us to know that, church, This is a promise God makes that we got to live it.

Amen, Amen, Praise God, Forgive me. Church, It's passion. I'm not yelling at you, It's just passion. I promise Glory to God, Amen. This is my final point.

If I could get the keys up here, make it more spiritual. That's a, That's a pastor joke. I took it from him, pastor. I'm sorry, I just had to say it. Promise number three: God promises us the greatest gift of all, Amen, And that is salvation.

Hallelujah, John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only and one son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. What this means, church is being saved from the penalty of separation of God. That's all this is. And I had a hard time trying to come up with a life scenario.

As you notice, I've been saying a lot of life scenarios to prove my points, cuz this is real life. Stuff Can't make this up In this specific point. I had a really hard time trying to come up with something, And you could even ask Pastor Matt. He saw we were going over our notes last week and, and he just saw that.3 was blank. And I was like, "Hey man, I'm having a hard time with this one.

I, I just don't know how". And then God spoke to me earlier this year. I wanted to really push myself for my calling that God has for my life. So I signed up with Alongside Ministries. They are a nonprofit in the city of Phoenix, But that is, it is a organization of volunteers that go into prison ministries, into prisons, and preach the word of God.

That's what it is. And I said, "Ah, God, I, I want to do that, God, I want to do that". So the last six months I've been interview after interview, phone calls, background checks, and on Monday I get a phone call, Unknown phone call- from the jail. Hello, Hi, Yes, Is this Mr Topete? That's my last name?

Yes, sir, Who's this? Yes, This is Chaplain Thomas from the St Louis Prison out here in Buckeye. I don't know if you guys are familiar with that. He says: "Hey, you just cleared background. We have your badge.

Whenever you have time, let's schedule something to come pick it up". I said "Okay". So I hung up and I, we made up. We came up with the time and I'm on my way down to 85 and I begin to get very emotional. In my car drive And as I'm pulling up to the gate, the guard checks me in and he says: "Who are you?

My name is Adrian. I'm supposed to be meeting, Chaplain Thomas here. You just missed them. Go ahead and park into the visiting parking lot and I'll radio him to come get you". Okay, no problem, Thank you.

And as I parked I see from a distance the courtside, the prisoners. They're out in recess. And it hit me. God told me I love them too. They have no more spiritual.

How do I say their spiritual dead, But I love them so much that, even though they think this is their permanent life, forever, I will send those who are willing and preach their word to let them know that I also love them because I am everlasting. Everybody deserves second chances through God. It doesn't matter where you are, church, in your spiritual walk, You could be walking side by side with God. Amen, Continue to do that, Don't stop. Continue to have that relationship with God.

If you find yourself separated from God from a distance, recognize it, Run back, Forgive, Say sorry. But if you are in here and you find yourself in a whole church and you truly believe in your heart that God does not care about you, let me tell you something: God loves you so much. Amen, Amen. He wants to restore your heart, He wants to transform you And when you find yourself in this hole, look up, cuz he's not here. The cross can sustain him.

Don't go looking for him in the tomb. He's not there, He's here. Give me your hand, son, Father, but my family will disown me. Give it to me, Father, but my marriage is falling apart. Give it to me, Father, but my kids don't want nothing to you.

Give it to me. That is the love God has for each and one of us. This morning, Go ahead and bow your heads for good, If you don't know who God is. This morning church, I'm going to make a prayer of salvation that if, after today, you want to follow Christ, you are determined to have a relationship with Christ, I am inviting you to raise your hand and sign that you accept On the count of three. Nobody's looking, Everybody's eyes are closed.

One: Jesus, thank you for bringing me here, cuz today I understood what you have for me. Two: God, I am willing to follow you, Forgive my sins. I accept you as my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Three: raise your hand. If that is you today, If that is you this morning, Praise God, And we give a praise to God.