Sermon - The church Covenant
- Today’s message is geared towards our tendency to lean on grace so much that it
cripples us from being what God has intended.
- If you look in your bulletin I typed up our church covenant.
Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe by The Spirit of God, to receive The Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in The Name of The Father, and of The Son, and of The Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of The Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagement, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from sale of, and use of, destructive drugs, intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to shun pornography; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offence, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that, when we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and principles of God's Word.
- This Covenant calls for us to strive to uplift the Kingdom of God & put away
the carnality of the world, the flesh, & the devil.
- There’s a commitment, & a work we have to do for this covenant.
- This isn’t far off from the new covenant we, the church, have all entered into.
- Yes, I plan to clarify that as we get into this message.
- Let’s open our Bibles to Hebrews 8:6-9 this morning, & read about this new
covenant.
Hebrews 8:6-9
6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
- Prayer
> True commitment (www.jokes.christiansunite.com)
A journalist was assigned to the Jerusalem bureau of his newspaper. He gets an apartment overlooking the Wailing Wall. After several weeks he realizes that whenever he looks at the wall he sees an old Jewish man praying vigorously.
The journalist wondered whether there was a publishable story here. He goes down to the wall, introduces himself and says: "You come every day to the wall. What are you praying for?"
The old man replies: "What am I praying for? In the morning I pray for world peace, then I pray for the brotherhood of man. I go home, have a glass of tea, and I come back to the wall to pray for the eradication of illness and disease from the earth."
The journalist is taken by the old man's sincerity and persistence. "You mean you have been coming to the wall to pray every day for these things?"
The old man nods.
"How long have you been coming to the wall to pray for these things?"
The old man becomes reflective and then replies: "How long? Maybe twenty, twenty-five years."
The amazed journalist finally asks: "How does it feel to come and pray every day for over 20 years for these things?"
"How does it feel?" the old man replies. "It feels like I'm talking to a wall."
- How about that! It may seem pointless to pray, to try & resist the devil, but one day all
will be changed!
- One day Jesus is going to call His bride to come to the Father’s house. Where we are
Hid in the Father’s house(like a Jewish bride was hid from everyone else in the
father’s house for seven days) & celebrate the marriage supper of the Lamb.
- Then we are revealed, the bride that comes down with Jesus, at His appearing.
- All of this happens because we are in covenant with Jesus.
- In Old Jewish tradition the man & woman were engaged for a year, or longer
before they were wed, but the engagement was binding & you were considered
married.
- This is the picture of the church & the covenant (our engagement)
Q- What does it mean to enter into a covenant?
- In order for us to be married, we have to ask.
- In order for us to be saved, we have to accept Jesus as our own personal savior.
- In the day we accept him, we sign the engagement, the covenant.
- It was customary that the groom give the bride a priceless gift as a sign of their
engagement.
Q- Does anyone see a wedding band here?
- The priceless token Jesus gives to His bride is the Holy Spirit.
- The Covenant is sealed!
- When the boys look at Audrey’s or my ring they ask, why do you wear that ring.
- My reply is, it’s because I belong to mommy, & her reply is, because I belong to
daddy.
- The boys see the symbolism in these rings.
- There’s the work in our covenant. You are engaged for some time, & for the
Jewish People it was a time to show your faithfulness, & commitment to the
groom.
- Then Just before the groom would go to prepare His Father’s house for the bride,
The two would drink a cup of wine together symbolizing his return for her.
- The picture is the cup at our Lord’s Supper, we drink from it, because we know
He’s coming back for His bride.
- Now think about what we just read,
- Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant for us.
- Let me give you an example of why it was called the better covenant.
- In the old covenant the sin was not permanently removed, & you had to keep
going back to sacrifice.
- In the new covenant though, sin is completely washed away.
Q- If The Covenant was meant to be like an engagement, could you imagine getting
remarried every year?
Q- The day was amazing & memorable, but do you remember the work, & planning
of it?
- So now, you are engaged. You’re set to be married, & by the covenant, you already
signed, are sealed as married.
- Listen to Peter now,
Acts 2:38-41
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
- Peter says the word baptized. That word literally means identified.
- When you are identified with Christ. When you proclaim Jesus is my Savior.
- He gives to you & you are wearing the Holy Spirit!
- Notice the WORK!
- To be identified, we have to tell someone!
- Like I preached a couple weeks ago, Jesus said
Matthew 10:33
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
- Now, Think with me for a moment.
Q- What’s the purpose of this sermon?
- The World is full of a lot of Christians, & that’s an amazing statement to make.
- Think about how many of us, brides of Christ, who have become lazy/idle, because
we feel we don’t have to do anything because of God’s Grace.
- I’m not talking about being saved! That work (Grace) has been done.
- I’m talking about the showing yourself faithful to the groom, just as the Jewish
bride did in her engagement, for that year.
- There Couldn’t be any question for her faithfulness.
Q- Wouldn’t that be an amazing standard to hold ourselves to?
- There’s no question that we are Jesus’ Bride.
- I know there wouldn’t be as much corruption in this world.
- I know there would be so much more compassion in this world too.
- Churches would be filled to overflowing, once again, because we would be
inviting unto them.
- With this idea let’s read one more scripture
Revelation 22:17
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
- In unity the Spirit & the Bride say come.
- That’s the moment you hold up your ring & say, Look at whom I‘m engaged to; Look
at what they’ve given/done for me.
- We’re showing the beauty of the bride, people are drawn to.
- Now Here’s the charge,
> The sleeping bride by Lisa Splendid Jacklich
WAKE UP BELOVED!! Your Groom is about to come for you!!
“Come Dear One… it’s time to get ready for the Wedding! Everyone is here and they can’t wait to see how beautiful you are! Especially my Father! I’ve been telling Him all about you for many years & though sometimes He has wondered about you being a suitable Bride for His One and Only Son, I have continually pleaded with Him & been your biggest Advocate. I’m so grateful to Him because He always trusts my judgement and is also very eager for me to present you to Him as my perfect Bride.
I know in your heart, you really want to marry me and I know that sometimes you’ve even been discouraged because the wedding has
seemed so far off – but believe me, I have suffered with along with you. I feel your pain and I understand your sorrows – but patience works within us a beautiful trait, it deepens our love for one another and makes that approaching Day of our blessed union that much more exciting! Believe me, no other wedding or celebration that has ever been or ever will be can compare with what I’ve been planning for us!!
So, please WAKE UP! It will be so worth it the moment you see my face and I’ve done in your honor. Everyone is so excited for you to see how beautiful everything is! You just wont believe your eyes! I just know your going to be overjoyed!! Come on my Precious One…please get up and GET READY!!
Guess what else? Remember the Mansion I told you I was going to build for you? Well, after we get married, I’m going to take you to it and if you thought the wedding and reception was over the top… fasten your safety belt!! Sure, I had to pour out my own sweat and blood to create a life for us, but it was worth it because I love you so much!! It is the most beautiful home… with everything your heart has ever dreamed of or desired. I’ve collected treasures like you can’t even imagine. I’ve even paved your streets with gold and diamonds, sapphires and rubies. Precious gems adorn the walls of your palace and gardens more beautiful than Eden are filled with fragrant flowers that actually sing praises to our Father constantly. It’s something else!
So what do you think my dear Bride? I sure don’t want to spoil the surprise by telling you every little detail, but I do want to give you a little taste of just how much I love and adore you! I hope this glimpse will give you all the inspiration you require to jump to your feet and get ready for our Big Day!!
You know, you are the apple of my eye and I would do anything for you! I would travel across the universe for you… I would go to the ends of the earth for you… I would pay any price to have you with me for all of eternity. I would even lay down my life to save yours…in fact, I already have. Please my dear, please… won’t you wake up and get ready for me now?
Forever yours…Jesus
- Wake up my dear bride!
- This message is for all of us.
- I’ll put it across the radio, on YouTube, & on SermonCentral.com.
- It’s a call for us to wake up, & be seen as the bride adorned for her groom.
Q- Are you awake?
