Choosing From Two Covenants Series

Paul presents to the Corinthian church two options for our lives. We can choose a path leading to death and condemnation or the path leading to the Spirit and righteousness.

Do you want a relationship with God based upon your performance or upon Christ’s?

Do you want to want to stand in your own unrighteousness or in Christ’s righteousness?

7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

Paul begins by making specific comparisons between the New and Old Covenants.

One was a covenant of failure due to man’s falling short while the other was a covenant of victory based upon Christ’s work on our behalf.

The pathway of the Old Covenant: LIMITED GLORY

a) Engraved on stones: in letters engraved on stones

Ten Commandments: Exciting scene where God is giving Charlton Heston the Commandments. It is done in a way that God is actually flinging them at the Tablets.

Thunder and Lightning! Booming voice! Moses flinching at every fling of God’s hand.

• Some people will use the Bible as a club to beat others over the head with. However we might do it today we are nothing in comparison to how the OT Jews behaved with Scripture. Adding and adding and adding to every part their own interpretations.

A lady said to preacher George Stuart one Sunday morning, "Pastor, you said britches instead of trousers in your sermon. That is such a coarse word, and I was embarrassed by it."

"Well, let’s see. What did I say before I said britches?" "I don’t know."

"And what did I say after I said britches?" "I don’t know."

"Well, if I hadn’t said britches in my sermon, you wouldn’t have remembered anything I said."

• The mistake the Jews made with the Old Covenant was to only have a LIMITED understanding of the Word of God in it.

b) Face of Moses shined: the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face

Moses’ faces shined so much that he had to wear a veil over it.

This was before the days of sunglasses. They might have called them Moses glasses. ‘I got a Moses burn’ Moses only reflected the glory of God coming from His backside and not even His front.

• God allowed Moses’ face to be an indicator that this Law would also fade.

c) A glory that fades away: fading as it was(a glory that was only short lived)

The Super Bowl is the most watched television event there is. The year that the New Orleans Saints came from behind to defeat the Indianapolis Colts there was a big parade afterwards in New Orleans but the plane bringing the Colt home to Indianapolis was only greeted by 11 fans. The glory fades Did you ever wonder how the winning team always seems to have championship caps and t-shirts immediately after the game? The NFL orders two sets of caps and two sets of t-shirts, in this case one for the Saints and one for the Colts. So what happened to the caps and t-shirts made up in case the Colts won? The NFL donated them to World Vision who will distribute them in Haiti. THE COLTS WERE WORLD CHAMPS IN HAITI!! As far as they knew.

Manley Beasley preached not for motivation but for transformation….for change. Most preachers preach to motivate. Motivation lasts from three to seven days. Change lasts for a lifetime.

Camp or revival experience: Most will return to their former behaviors or mindset.

Lynne’s grandmother: Interesting woman of barely 5ft stature. Very devout Catholic. Came to hear me preach but it had to be on a Wednesday because to come into a Baptist church on a Sunday would be a sin. Sometimes she would attend her church for weekday mass and come home while we were there visiting. She would walk in and have this glowing looking on her face saying, ‘I have been to church, I have been to church’. Then after awhile she would sit down to play a game with you and if you weren’t careful she would begin to cheat so she could win. The glory faded pretty quickly.