Title: Community-Covenant Church
Place: BLCC
Date: 2/5/17
Text: Genesis.12.2-3
CT: As followers of Christ we are to be a covenant confident church.
[Screen 1]
FAS: Have you ever taken out a mortgage? You meet with the loan officer and then you begin the long and arduous task of signing your name on a stack of papers that looks thicker than any history book you had in school. You finally sign the last page and the officer shakes your hand and says you can keep the pen.
You think thanks. After signing your life away this 20 cent pen will really make you feel better. You had just signed that you would keep your promise to pay back the mortgage over the next 30 years. Why did they have to have you sign so much? Couldn’t they take your word for it?
We like to have things in writing though, don’t we? We like a seal that binds someone. A promise is nice, but we still like that name on the dotted line. We like that assurance.
I was with a friend of mine three years ago. She was at the end of a long battle with cancer. She had just received some terrible news. It wouldn’t be long. I read some scriptures to my dear friend to attempt to bring some comfort.
As I started to leave she asked. “How do I know God will keep His word?”
I wish I could say I said something really profound that eased her doubt. But what I had was what someone had told me before. It had stuck. Don’t know how I remembered it but I said, “He guaranteed it…with a cross and a covenant.”
LS: God has guaranteed his covenant to us since the beginning.
[Screen 2]
The Old Testament is where we are going today. It is often seen as a place of rules and laws with very little grace. I have often myself thought as the Old Testament as not being as full of grace. That is until I looked a little deeper. I read what Dr. Motyer, a renowned OT scholar, said one time.
Dr. Motyer insisted that we were all one people of God. Old and new testament. Then he asked us to imagine how the Israelites under Moses would have given their "testimony" to someone who asked for it. They would have said something like this:
We were in a foreign land, in bondage, under the sentence of death. But our mediator—the one who stands between us and God—came to us with the promise of deliverance. We trusted in the promises of God, took shelter under the blood of the lamb, and he led us out. Now we are on the way to the Promised Land. We are not there yet, of course, but we have the law to guide us, and through blood sacrifice we also have his presence in our midst. So he will stay with us until we get to our true country, our everlasting home.
Then Dr. Motyer concluded: "Now think about it. A Christian today could say the same thing, almost word for word." (1) 1) Justin Taylor, "Alec Motyer (1924-2016)," The Gospel Coalition blog (8-26-16
I had always thought the Old Testament people were saved through obeying a host of detailed laws, but that today we were freely forgiven and accepted by faith. This little thought experiment showed me not only that the Israelites had been saved by grace and that God's salvation had been by costly atonement and grace all along, but also that the pursuit of holiness, pilgrimage (our journey to follow Jesus), obedience, and deep community should characterize us as followers of Jesus today as well.
God’s Promise-Covenant: conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture. That’s the biblical definition.
God made the first covenant with Abraham in an attempt to start the community God desired. [Screen 3]
Genesis 12. 2-3, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
God makes this promise to the people with conditions. They were to keep their part of the covenant as well. Both sides required faithfulness. God was faithful to Abraham and his descendants and Abraham and his descendants were faithful to God.
The fact that God even offered the covenant was an act of grace. [screen 4] We read in 1 Chronicles 16. 15, He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.
Why would God offer this to his creation? ?
Remember? We are just the specks down here, but we are the specks God loves.
[Screen 5]
Deut. 7.7-9, The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (I think that includes us)
God offers the covenant out of His desire to have a relationship with his people.
The people should see that the giving of the covenant by God the Creator to his creation should leave them with gratitude for the grace they received. The way they act should be out of gratitude rather than blind obedience to a set of rules to guide them.
The Mosaic covenant that came later is of importance to understand community. God’s people were forced to live in community in slavery to Egypt. This covenant was the first concrete expression of God calling his people out to live as a distinct community.
God said to Moses, “I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt” Exodus 3.7.
This was the first time God spoke of the Israelites as His people.
He told Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” he said that a lot of times.
Long story short and after some real persuasion from God…Pharaoh does. He lets them go.
The Abrahamic Covenant was not enough and the people needed more guidance after being freed from Egypt.
The basics of the Mosaic covenant could be summed up from God’s command in Lev.19.2, [Screen 6] Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
Pretty basic. The people were to reflect the character of God in their own lives.
God calls us to relate to those around us in a manner that mirrors how he has related to mankind from the beginning of time. [Screen 7]
Thus, He gave the Ten Commandments delivered through Moses. The first four commandments deal with man’s response to God.
1. No other gods before me.
2. Same deal (make no images to worship ahead of God)
3. Honor His name.
4. Respect Him by keeping the Sabbath. Old Testament, I know and Jesus changed things, but I do believe if we see God’s commands as more than just rules but as a way to honor Him…might still be good to take a Sabbath rest once a week. At least spend it worshipping and honoring Him. My thought.
The remaining six commandments call mankind to live the same nature of compassion God has in their dealings with others. Be as God would be in their relationships with others. Family (honor parents), sanctity of life (shall not kill), maintain purity in word and heart (adultery, steal, false testimony, covet) all character semblances of God.
There is a town named New Harmony in southern Illinois. It was given that name by an atheist who believed man could form a utopian society apart from God. In 1825 a group of people tried to form this perfect town. The residents covenanted with one another to exist in a communal way with no money or property ownership. How long do you think they lasted? They lasted three years and the experiment failed due to constant quarrelling and disharmony. [screen 8]
A covenant that exists only between people with no thought of God will fail. If we as believers consider only the horizontal relationships (regardless of how strong they are) we will face disharmony.
Enduring communities and yes enduring churches share a commitment to God and reflect the character of God in their relationships with others.
If covenant obedience grows from man’s gratitude for God’s faithfulness and reflects God’s character, then [Screen 9] moral failure indicates that man has forgotten God.
We should not be obedient out of just guilt or fear though there should be a fear of God.
Our obedience to follow should be based on God’s character and faithfulness. [Screen 10]
Jer.14.20-22, We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord, and the guilt of our ancestors; we have indeed sinned against you.
For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne.
Remember your covenant with us and do not break it. Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.
Knowing what God has done for us should compel us to please Him, honor Him and live in a manner that reflects Him. This should be the basis for our discerning what is right and what is wrong for us to do in light of our relationship we have with God.
A hotel in Galveston, Texas that overlooks the Gulf of Mexico was presented with a unique problem. The hotel was so close to the water that guests could drop a fishing line out of their window and fish right from their room. The owners saw this would be a problem if they did, so they put up signs saying, ”No Fishing Out Of Hotel Windows” So when the hotel opened every one just had to try fishing out the window. It was too cool. Something they probably wouldn’t have thought of without the signs. It was a mess. Fishing lines were tangled and hanging all over the side of the building and people in the restaurant had to watch fish slapping against the picture windows as they ate. Rather than prevent the problem the signs had revealed the rebellious nature of human beings.
That is what the Law of Moses did. It reveals our sinful nature. [Screen 11]
Paul says it in Romans 3.20, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
The Mosaic covenant makes us aware of our need for a savior.
The Mosaic Law was intended from the beginning to lead the way to a new covenant. [Screen 12]
Jer.31.31-34,
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
We are talking about Jesus.
Jesus would come and make many of the stipulations of the Old Covenant obsolete. However, and I say this carefully, because Jesus did not come to abolish the law but fulfill it. Jesus makes it clear in Matt. 5.17, [Screen 13] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
A fellow comes up to the preacher and asks if his church was a law church or a grace church. The preacher says why of course we are a grace church. He knew where this guy was going.
The fellow said, “oh good I was afraid you were one of those law churches that made people tithe 10%”.
The preacher answers.
Actually Jesus goes beyond the law with what he expects from us as His followers.
The law says not to murder. Jesus ‘ grace says to have no hatred in your heart at all.
The law says do not commit adultery. Jesus’ grace says even looking with lust at a woman is a sin of the heart.
The law said give ten percent as your tithe. Jesus says its OK through grace to give as much as you want, 20,30 40%. Its ok.
The fellow says “Oh”.
[Screen 14]
The one key element of the Old Covenant that continues through the New Covenant is God’s desire for community. God made the Old Covenant with Abraham’s descendants. He establishes the New Covenant with the church, which still includes Abrahams spiritual descendants who have put their faith and belief in Jesus Christ the Son of God. [Screen 15]
Galatians 3.29, If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (The Promise still stands!)
We are still blessed by the covenant that God gave in the Old Testament only so much better through Jesus Christ.
[Screen 16]
CT: As followers of Christ we are to be a covenant confident church.
We as the church of Jesus Christ are neither a building nor an organization.
Rather we are a people, a set apart people, a special people, maybe even a little weird people, who see ourselves as being in a relationship with the God who saves us and in a relationship to one another who also share in this salvation. We are a covenant church in covenant with our Lord.
Won’t you come and be a part of this wonderful covenant. Have faith and believe the promise God made from the very beginning that we are His people whom he dearly loves and wants to be in community with. God put it in writing, but he also sealed it at the cross.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
(1) Justin Taylor, "Alec Motyer (1924-2016)," The Gospel Coalition blog (8-26-16)
(2) Overdorf, Daniel. Rediscovering community: What the Bible says about the church. Joplin, MO: College Press, 2012. Print. Chapter One
