America’s Fork In The Road: Keeping or Cutting Covenant Series
(Based up Perry Stone & Bill Cloud’s book, America’s Controversy with God’s Covenant)
March 1, 2015 Chester’s FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
A Exodus 19:5-6 (NASB) 5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."
1 God told ancient Israel that they would be His “special treasure” IF they kept His covenant. (Covenant is used nearly 300 times in Scripture)
a It means “to bind, to cut, divide”, evident in meaning
Genesis 15:17-18 (NASB) 17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
when God directed Abram to take certain animals/birds/arranging them (presumably on an altar) and wait.
aa The cutting/dividing/shedding of blood part of the covenant is seen what Abram did to the animals.
bb The purpose of this covenant was so that Abram and his descendants would be a source of blessing & represent God to the nations so the nations would turn to YHWH as Israel did.
Genesis 12:2-3 (NASB) 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
b Israel was not chosen because they were “Jewish”, but to show the world they were His people and He was their God.
aa This is the message found in the Passover’s Lamb’s blood over the door facings: “We’re marked in blood for Him, we identify ourselves as belonging to Him.”
c The same idea is found in the NT when the Apostle Peter writes about the Church.
1 Peter 2:9 (NASB) 9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
aa We’re not chosen people because of what we are (American’s, Baptist): we’ve been chosen to become what we’re supposed to be . . . conformed to the image of the Son/inspire others to do the same.
bb By living by His Word, in the light, being a witness for Jesus . . . we, the Body of Christ, becomes a blessing to the nations.
cc Messiah puts it this way:
Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB) 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
2 A covenant is more than a contract (people break contracts everyday)—a covenant is a matter of honor (to GOD) & responsibility (for OTHERS).
a IL. Marriage is a covenantal relationship (serious stuff, not for the faint of heart or players): Marriage is challenging.
aa In a successful covenantal marriage both husband & wife learn to sacrifice their own needs for the sake of the other for their entire lifetime (put the other person first, stay faithful)
bb The marriages that have both people rising to the challenge are blessed, their marriages get better over the years than what it was in the beginning.
cc Your marriage becomes an encouragement, fount of wisdom for others. (Duty)
b If the covenantal relationship of marriage is that important, how much more important is the covenantal relationship between a man/woman & God, or a nation & God.
aa God made a covenant with Israel not because they were special as much as it was to challenge them to become a special people & to fulfill a special purpose.
bb First, as a responsibility to God first (to live by His Word/Commandments) before the nations . . .
cc Secondly, as a duty to our fellow man as a witness of YHWH before them.
dd If God’s people fail in the latter, then we’ve also failed in the former. (Broken the covenant)
B The essence of the covenant boils down to these verses:
1 John 4:20 (NASB) 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Matthew 22:37-40 (NASB) 37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
1 If we do not love our neighbor enough to shine the love of God, commit to bring him/her out of the darkness into light . . . then how can we say we love God with all our hearts? We can’t.
a If we don’t love in the right way, then who/what do we love?
aa Most likely answer? Ourselves. We love ourselves.
bb We’re not bringing honor to Him, instead dishonor.
b Instead of being a light to the nations, we become the object of ridicule/accusation.
aa Ezekiel 36:20 (NASB) 20 "When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.”
bb When God’s people get more concerned for themselves than others, drift from His commandments/Word it leads to breaking of covenant.
2 God has been spot on in keeping His Covenant with humankind.
Luke 22:20 (NASB) 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
a His covenant with us was born out of love, blood (to show commitment.)
aa Jesus willing shed His blood, out of love, to be in a covenant with you & me. (The cross tells us: I’ll die for you/lay down my life you.)
bb Our response: I’ll lay down my life for you, Jesus. I’ll live by your rules, commandments.
John 14:15 (NASB) 15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
cc Essentially: I’m going to love you, God . . . love my neighbor as myself.
b If we drop the ball/continue to break commandments w/o repenting . . . we’ll find we’ve turned from God/abandoned His covenant. (It’s about us, no regard for others)
aa If we do His Will/Commandments/live for Him: It’s proof we’re in covenant.
bb We do the right thing because He’s in our hearts.
Jeremiah 31:33 (NASB) 33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
cc When we’re doing the right thing for/by God, He will bless us (individually/nationally)
dd We stop doing the right thing for/by God . . . He typically warns us (individually/nationally) before He leaves the person/nation to their own devices.
Romans 1:21-32 (NASB) 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
c It’s only after His people forsake Him does He permit their enemies to invade/force them from their land.
aa Only after they’ve been attacked did they realize God was no longer with them.
bb What is the result?
C Biblical covenants involved the cutting of the flesh and the shedding of blood (The life is in the blood), what’s the cutting of the flesh?
1 When God made covenant with Abraham & his descendants, the cutting of the flesh was circumcision.
Genesis 17:10-14 (NASB) 10 "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 "And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. 13 "A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 "But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."
a Removed a piece of the flesh to identify you’re in covenant with Him.
aa Identified them as being all in with God’s family (cutting off part of your privates is pretty serious . . . represented their future/existence/totality of who they were).
bb God is saying is “You can expect a lot out of me . . . you have My Word (Name) on it.”
Exodus 6:2-6 (NASB) 2 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them. 4 "I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. 5 "Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 "Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
b The fact remains that every empire/nation who has come against Israel, Jerusalem suffer calamity & eventually die.
aa Started with Pharaoh (600 chariots, 50,000 horsemen, 200,000 foot soldiers) and the NEVER returned to the grandeur before they touched God’s anointed.
bb Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans . . . Israel still exists today. Why? Covenant.
cc Attacking them is the equivalent of attacking God (God will defend His name/reputation.)
2 God has kept His part of the covenant; what does He expect of us? (Circumcision of the flesh; read ‘carnal nature’)
a Romans 8:7-8 (NASB) 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
aa Luke 9:23-24 (NASB) 23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.
(Die to self, cut out carnality)
bb Deuteronomy 10:16 (NASB) 16 "So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.
Deuteronomy 30:6 (NASB) 6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
cc 1 Corinthians 15:46 (NASB) 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
It’s impossible for us to love God with all our hearts until our hearts have been circumcised by Him.
b Unless we’ve circumcised our hearts, we can’t be faithful to the covenant with God.
aa We can say we love God, but if there is no outward signs, the words we say mean nothing.
bb Romans 2:28-29 (NASB) 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
3 The sign shows we belong to God, we’re His & He is ours (sign of loyalty).
a IL. Flag etiquette (stand, show respect by removing hat, being quiet, hat off)
aa I see someone who doesn’t I get fired up! It’s a sign of disrespect, disloyalty because someone paid blood for what that flag represents.
bb The person who disrespects the flag is saying, “I don’t want any part of what that flag represents.”
b When we refuse to circumcise our hearts we’re saying, “I don’t want any part of the Kingdom.” We cannot please God until we do!
D We have a choice: life/death; curse/blessing; keep/cut covenant.
1 Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (NASB) 26 "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NASB) 19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,
a A nation is blessed if they’re in covenant with God.
Psalm 33:12 (NASB)12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
b A nation that turns from Him is cursed, faces destruction, judgement, terror.
aa The result is being excused by God (Adam/Eve/Eden) Exile.
bb It’s bad for the nation who leaves God.
2 What happens when a nation rejects His Word, ignores the sign between it and God, breaks His covenant, turns to other God’s/philosophies?
3 Today, have you “made it”, covenant with God?
a Is your heart circumcised?
aa Where’s the proof?
bb Loving God? Neighbor as yourself?
b
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