Main idea: Through the New Covenant I can have a personal relationship with God.
OBJECTIVES:
Hearers will understand the difference between the Old and New Covenants.
Hearers will understand why the New Covenant is so important.
Hearers will enter into the New Covenant with God.
Luke 22:7-20 (The Message)
7The Day of Unleavened Bread came, the day the Passover lamb was butchered. 8Jesus sent Peter and John off, saying, "Go prepare the Passover for us so we can eat it together."
9They said, "Where do you want us to do this?"
10He said, "Keep your eyes open as you enter the city. A man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him home. 11Then speak with the owner of the house: The Teacher wants to know, "Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12He will show you a spacious second-story room, swept and ready. Prepare the meal there."
13They left, found everything just as he told them, and prepared the Passover meal.
14When it was time, he sat down, all the apostles with him, 15and said, "You’ve no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. 16It’s the last one I’ll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God."
17Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, "Take this and pass it among you. 18As for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives."
19Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory."
20He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.”
Here Luke narrates an important event in the life of Jesus and in the history of humanity. No – I’m not talking about the Last Supper (as it has come to be known) or even the instituting of the remembrance we now call “communion” (though I believe that is important). The more important event happening here is what communion symbolizes – a little talked about but central idea to the Christian faith – “The New Covenant”.
But what is this “new covenant”? What was wrong with the old one? And why, 2000 years later and half a world away, should any of us care about the New Covenant?
We’ll get to all of these questions in time – but let me start out by saying the New Covenant, when properly understood, provides us the foundation for an incredibly personal and powerful spiritual life – and when ignored or misunderstood leaves us searching for God through legalistic and impersonal religiosity. I know which option I want to have in my life!
1. What is a “covenant”?
Today when we hear the word “covenant” we think of things like neighborhood regulations about what colors we can paint our home or how high we can build our fence. But what about in the Bible?
In ancient times, a covenant was a treaty between two parties. There were two kinds of covenants: a voluntary agreement between equals (as with David and Jonathan, 1 Sam 18:3) and treaties of loyalty between a great king and a lesser king (his vassal). In the Bible, covenants between God and his people are always of the second type. God always dictates the terms of his covenants, which assert his sovereignty and kingship and the people’s obligation of faith and obedience. (NIV Bible Dictionary)
Covenant – a pledge, an agreement, or compact made between two parties.
2. What was the “old covenant”?
The “old covenant” got it’s start with promises made to Abraham in Genesis 12. These initial promises were 1. land, 2. People, and 3. God’s blessing.
This covenant was amplified in the days of Moses, David, and the prophets, and expanded to include the law (more than just the 10 commandments) and the establishment of the priesthood with its tabernacle and temple sacrifices.
The “Old Covenant” roughly corresponds with God’s dealing with man in the Old Testament scriptures.
Some important aspects of the old covenant:
A. Focused on conformity to the law.
-Keeping the Sabbath holy
-following worship regulations (annual festivals and animal sacrifices for sin)
B. God is wholly separate from humankind.
-only 1 of 12 tribes could be a priest
-only priests on duty could enter the tabernacle
-only 1 priest a day could enter the holy place
-only the High Priest could enter “most holy place” behind the veil, and this only once a year
C. The blood of animals used as a picture of the cost of forgiveness.
Heb. 9:22 (NLT) Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.
Forgiveness was secured through the blood of animals offered by people to God at the tabernacle.
BUT – though sacrifice were offered daily, there was still the continuing problem of slavery to sin.
D. Salvation dependent upon obedience to the law.
In other words, it was not secure. It depended upon one’s current level of obedience to the demands of the law.
NOTE: So many people think that this OLD covenant is still in effect. They think the way to eternal life is through obedience to laws, religious observances, and basically “doing good”. Though they believe in God – he is distant from them – unapproachable and uninvolved in their daily life.
Does this describe you? If so – keep listening – there is good news coming!
TRANS: Now that we know what the Old covenant was – we’re ready to understand what Jesus was talking about at the Last Supper when he held the cup and said "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.”
3. What is the “new covenant?
The first mention given of such a “new covenant” is found in Jeremiah 31:31-34, written 600 years before the time of Christ, and this passage is quoted and explained in the eighth chapter of Hebrews:
Hebrews 8:7-13
7For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8But God found fault with the people [notice the problem was not with the covenant He made, but with the unfaithful response of the people] and said:
"The time is coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
9It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
10This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, ’Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."
13By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
So we see that God promised, when the “new covenant” would be enacted, that he would “put His laws in their minds and write His laws on their hearts”. He would forgive humankind’s wickedness and forget about their sins. Some pretty awesome promises – and with the words of Jesus at the Last Supper we are told that that time has now come. Through the blood of Jesus – the New Covenant – a new agreement between God and humankind - was to be ushered in.
TRANS: that sounds great, you say, but SO WHAT?
4. What difference does the “new covenant” make to me?
A. – It means God will change me from within. (rather than my attempting to change myself to meet His standards [the law]).
ILLUS: As a teenager I spent a lot of time trying to get tan. Why? Because that was the standard for being “cool”. Supposedly it would make me more attractive to the girls.
But it never worked. Though I spent many hot sweaty hours lying in the sun with oil slathered on me. My skin just doesn’t have much melatonin! And regardless of how hard I worked on getting a tan in the summer, I was back to my white self by October every year.
The only way I would get tan is if God changed my skin – changed my DNA – changed me from within.
The Good News of the New Covenant is that I no longer have to try and improve myself. I know God’s law – and by myself I will be just like the Israelites in the Old Testament. I’ll be unable to live by it. It’s just not in me – for I am by nature a sinner!
But, now that the New Covenant has been established through Jesus – I am promised that GOD WILL CHANGE ME FROM WITHIN. He will write His word on my heart. He will fill me with His very presence in His Holy Spirit.
B. It means I have full access to God’s presence (both now and for eternity).
Revelation 1:6
6 [Jesus] has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Remember how only the high priest could enter behind the veil and only once a year? Well if you’re familiar with the Easter story you can tell me what happened to that veil the moment Jesus died. It was torn in two – from top to bottom. No longer was God only allowing one person a year to come into His presence at the tabernacle or temple – not under the New Covenant! The good news is that when Jesus died on the cross, pouring out His blood for us, he freed us from our sins – and “made us to be a kingdom and priests”. We are all now given the access that priests alone had. That means our worship is so much more personal now. We have full access, and in fact are encouraged to come into the throne room of God.
Heb. 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
As valuable as confessing sins to a priest may be – under the New Covenant we are told that we may come to God DIRECTLY through the ministry of the NEW high priest – Jesus himself.
C. It means I have been liberated from bondage to sin.
Although the old covenant provided a means for covering up my sins and being forgiven – it did not provide the means for me to STOP sinning. Even the most faithful followers of the Old Covenant was still a slave to the sinful nature.
This all changed under the New Covenant, as we read in Hebrews 9:15
Hebrews 9:15
…Christ is the mediator of a new covenant…now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
ILLUS: My son’s eczema can be treated with lotions and creams but not healed. The Old Covenant was like the creams, covering up the problem. The New Covenant is like a cure from within for the problem of sin.
Because Christ died as a ransom for us, we have been set free from our sins. And because we can now have the Holy Spirit of God living within us, we have the power to overcome sin at our disposal 24/7/365.
D. It means I never need to doubt my salvation. (It comes with an “eternal lifetime guarantee”.)
ILLUS: Our fancy new applicances had a warrantee that lasted a whole year! Now they want me to pay $69 to insure it for another 2 years. Not so with the New Covenant!
Hebrews 9:25-26
25[Christ did not] enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Our sins have been paid for – once for all. When Christ died on the cross he paid for all the sins of everyone living at that time, and all people who would come after. He paid for all my sins – not just the ones I committed before I surrendered my life to Him – but the ones I will commit tomorrow or the next day. They have ALL been forgiven. And nothing I do will change that. It’s been paid for – in full – by His blood.
That means I can be confident of receiving the salvation He purchased for me – and I don’t have to worry that maybe I will lose my salvation because of a sin or because I somehow fail to live up to a list of good behaviors.
Christ has freed us from such worry through the New Covenant.
5. How can I enter into the New Covenant?
Who was Jesus with when he spoke of initiating this new covenant in his blood? Answer: His disciples.
And so – as he did then, he still does today. He offers the incredible benefits of the New Covenant to those who commit to a life of discipleship – a life of total surrender to His loving leadership.
In exchange for your life given to Him, in the New Covenant, God offers you
1. the power of the Holy Spirit to change you from within
2. free total access to Him through Jesus Christ the King Community Church
3. freedom from bondage to sin, and
4. the assurance of eternal salvation
Have you taken Him up on this offer?
COMMUNION INTRO:
In just a minute we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper – the remembrance of the initiation of the New Covenant – as Christ instructed his disciples to do.
By partaking in this remembrance and eating the cracker and drinking the juice – you are telling God you accept the gift of Jesus’ blood shed for you – and that you want to enter into the joy of the New Covenant – either as a reminder of the first time you made that commitment – or as your sign to God that you want to do so for the first time.
SING: Amazing Love
Serve elements of communion
Read scriptures and partake
19Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory."
20He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.
Pray
