Living Letter

Living letter

2 Cor. 3:1-6

Read covenant!

A mother was preparing pancakes for her son Kevin 5 and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. If Jesus were sitting here, He would say let my brother have the first pancake I can wait. Kevin turned to his younger brother and said Ryan, you be Jesus!

The covenant that we have read is the of New Beginnings Community church. And if this is the covenant of this church then we should abide by it. We should be responsible to it and accountable to each other.

This morning we are looking at what Paul says about us being the living testament of him and God. You know this church is a living testimony what God can do. It is not me that makes this church it is you. Paul didn’t need a letter of commendation He had people.

I’m telling God has people when it comes to this church. Today I want to talk to you about what kind of people we are.

1. Being the letter

know and read by all men- You are Ernie’s letter- I’m not the author- You are Christ letter a declaration of His power and love for the world.

At work people watch what they say- they apologize if they slip.

2. Written by the Spirit of the living God

On our heart

It is a heart Issue- 2Cor. 5:17 New Creation-

Yes be Yes

Ezekiel 11:19-20 God would Change their hearts- one heart – new Spirit

Tablets of the human heart. Is God wrote on your heart your being. Man came into the dealership- said he was a minister at one time. They don’t go to church- and I took the vehicle to put some gas in it. He had CD- not nice one- adult content.

Was it wrote on his heart. Want we watch how we talk- how we treat people. You may be the only Jesus people see.

3. Confidence through Christ-

Who we are- who we can be

Jer 31:33 I will be their God and they shall be my people.

Deeper more soul-satisfying than those outside can imagine

Talking to a guy about money- happy when he has a lot of stuff when he can buy what he wants if he wants it. It will never fill your life. Still missing something.

You and I have the confidence through Jesus Christ of who we are- we belong to Him and we belong to each other. That doesn’t men that every one knows everything about you. There are thing that we don’t know and don’t need to know. We are all struggling in our Christian walk with the Lord.

But we can walk with confidence in Christ.

4. Not adequate in ourselves by from God

Human weakness-

World no covenant relationship by human effort

Had the Spirit write on their hearts have true forgiveness But through God we have a new heart, new relationship, new knowledge, true forgiveness.

5. We are adequate as servants by spirit

written in word kills- we could all sign this covenant today and try to live by it but if we hold it up and say this is word for word how we must live. IT will kill the whole thing. IT is the spirit of what we are doing here at New Beginnings.

Spirit give life

Spirit of the church covenant- is that we are connected by our relationship0 with Christ. And we want to do with our hearts what God wants us to do. We help each other, love each other. Make this church different in the sense that we are spiritually connect to each other by His loving grace.

Spiritual heart operation- Today we are going to have a spiritual heart operation.

Life in this church is going to be through the Holy Spirit. Are you letting the Spirit lead You? Or the world?

Covenant relationship meant something in the Bible. It was serious business. It was a pact both parties agreed to honor. A covenant I signifies a relationship based on commitment. It includes promises and obligations. It has the quality of reliability and durability.

As we are bond tighter in a covenant we are bound together in covenant with God/

A covenant creates a new state of relationship. A covenant is about our willingness to enter into a relationship with someone else. It’s not self centered it is other centered.