Romans 10:14-15 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
{15} And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
I. Every time a blessing was given to someone in the Bible, it was done through a covenant relationship with them.
A. I will bless you if you do this.
1. The blessing was a direct correlation with the covenant.
2. If it was fulfilled than the blessing was given, if it was not than the curse was given.
B. Covenant- An agreement entered by two or more persons or parties; a compact, the promise of God to bless those who obey him or fulfill the contract,
1. Comes from the root word To Cover- to place something over or upon, to conceal, to provide shelter or protection for, to protect, to be sufficient to pay, to cover for as with a firearm.
2. I believe that a covenant relationship is the greatest concept ever given to man by God himself.
II. The first covenant made was in the Garden of Eden with Adam.
A. Genesis 2:15-17 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. {16} And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: {17} But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
1. God made an agreement with Adam, this is yours take care of it.
2. But do not disobey me or you will die.
B. God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 and in Genesis 22:16-18 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: {17} That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; {18} And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
1. God made a covenant with Abraham and because of Abraham’s faithfulness God blessed him and he became the Father of a great nation.
2. The covenant was fulfilled and came to pass.
C. He made a covenant with Noah in Genesis 6,
III. Hebrews 9:1-8 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. {2} For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. {3} And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; {4} Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; {5} And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. {6} Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. {7} But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: {8} The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: {9} Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; {10} Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. {11} But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; {12} Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. {13} For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: {14} How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
A. Now we are under a new covenant we call salvation, where if any man calls on the name of the Lord he shall be saved.
1. A covenant has been set, not based upon our own abilities, but on God’s ability.
2. Our end of the covenant was fulfilled by Jesus hanging on the cross.
B. But there are still other covenants we partake in today, marriage, financial purchases, jobs, everything is based on the covenantial arrangement.
IV. The Bible says that we are all of one body, fitly joined together.
A. We are all effected by the other, we are in a covenant with one another.
B. We are going to explore this idea of covenant more as we go on, but I want to talk to you tonight about a covenant, the basis of blessings.
V. We as a church are in a covenantial relationship together.
A. Everything I do effects you and everything you do effects me.
-All the tithe payers stand.
1. If you attend this church and you do not pay tithes you are breaking the covenantial relationship, not just with God or the Preacher, but with each other.
2. Do you know that what the person does that is next to you, that effects your life.
B. Joshua was told by God about Achean, in Joshua 7:25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us?
1. What you have done has caused us to be defeated.
a. You better be careful who you sit next to in church.
2. If they are not faithful to thew house of God, you will be effected by them.
3. The curse they are receiving will effect you.
