Covenant Relationship Series

One of the saddest things about the world we live in today is the integrity of men & women. It seems people have no problem breaking their word if it helps them. Used to be a man was as good as his word or a man’s word was his bond but that is simply not the case anymore. B/c of that, today, we are bound by contracts & paperwork simply b/c people don’t keep their word. Contracts on services or purchases...Right now I have a contract w/ c-spire for this phone...telling them I will keep it for two years.

The scripture we read tonight, b/c of our contract driven society, we will tend to think of this as a contract but it isn’t. It is a covenant. A contract is no good after one sides doesn’t uphold their end. A covenant on the other hand is made w/ God. We know He will keep His end of the deal & if we fail to keep ours He is faithful & big enough to keep the deal. For example Abraham’s covenant with God. There were times when Abraham didn’t obey like God told him to...lying to the King about his wife being his sister or the time he got impatient & had a child with his servant. Although Abraham didn’t keep his end of the deal, God never broke the covenant. It is a sacred relationship between God & His people. It is established by God in which God belongs to His people & His people belong to Him.

Tonight we are going to look at the Covenant God made with His people. Over the last three weeks we have been looking at all the terms of the covenant. We have painfully read & attempted to apply the last two chapters. We now come to the time when God confirms His law. This chapter is the key to the rest of the book and I would say one of the crucial chapters in the new testament.

Exodus 24:1-4a (NLT)

1 Then the Lord instructed Moses: “Come up here to me, & bring along Aaron,(priest) Nadab, Abihu,(Aaron’s sons-they will die later on in Lev. 10-playing w/ fire on alter) & seventy of Israel’s elders. (probably picked during delegation in 18) All of you must worship from a distance. 2 Only Moses is allowed to come near to the Lord. The others must not come near, & none of the other people are allowed to climb up the mountain w/ him.” 3 Then Moses went down to the people & repeated all the instructions & regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered w/ one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” 4 Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions.

I. GOD CALLS US TO WORSHIP HIM.

WE ARE HARDWIRED TO WORSHIP...You might say...I’m really not into all that worship stuff (um yes you are)...you don’t even have to be religious but you are STILL A WORSHIPER. You might say...

Not a Worshiper But.....You spend 6 hrs. a day in the gym or maybe you’ve went in debt trying to keep that look. You’ve been TUCKED & LIFTED & CUT & CLIPPED & PUFFED & TRIMMED DOWN & FILLED IN & PULLED UP & SAGGED DOWN & STRETCHED OUT. You worship your body

Not a Worship But...You go to your etrade or scottrade account every hour on the hour. You over charge or under serve trying to make a buck. Constantly thinking about what you bring in & what goes out. You worship your finances

Not a Worshiper but...all your time...devotion...effort...energy...goes toward a certain person...You worship a relationship

Not a Worshiper but...but you are obessed w/ Big house--bigger house, Expensive clothesmore exspensive clothes, nice car--nicer car--clean car--some people are OCD about the cleanness of their stuff, they can't sleep at night when something is dirty. Give me a break somebody, some people's cars are cleaner than their heart. We cleaned our cars this week and found about three happy meals under the car seat.

Not a Worshiper but...(I may get in trouble for saying this) you will wear there colors...chant their name...talk trash with others...spend time & money to go to their sanctuary...paint yourself up...get all excited...grab your cowbell (maybe that was to far)...if people cared as much about Jesus as they do college football we might have something in our churches.

Let me be extremely clear you will worship something if you don't worship God. This is what I have found...YOU WILL BECOME LIKE WHAT YOU WORSHIP...(YOU ARE WHAT EAT...same principle...YOU ARE WHAT WORSHIP)

So let me ask you...

WHAT DO YOU WORSHIP

What is most important in your life?

What do you spend most of your time on?

Where does your heart long for?

What could you not live without?