The New Covenant a Better Promise

the sermon this morning is dealing with the subject of the New Covenant a better promise the whole plan of salvation hangs upon the truths of an agreement a covenant that God is made by which we are saved and maybe before I go very far I should explain what is a covenant well a covenant is a pact a treaty an alliance promise or a binding agreement or contract between two parties of equal or unequal Authority it comes actually from an old French word con venir that's where you get the word to convene it means to come together a covenant is the coming together of two parties it's very important to remember that convention comes from the same word bunch of people come together so it's related to the word convened that's what a covenant is a lot of covenants in the Bible we're going to be studying what principally is thought of as the new and the old covenant whenever you say New Testament Old Testament the word Testament and covenant same thing so what I'm talking about when I say old covenant people sometimes say well that's the Old Testament and the new covenant is the New Testament but here's a surprise you first find the New Testament in the Old Testament the New Covenant is first mentioned in the Old Covenant in other words it's in the Old Testament where you first find it but that's what the words mean and where they come from it's an agreement of peace there is a covenant that was made in the Bible for instance with Adam covenant with Noah matter of fact the covenant with Noah was written in the sky God made a covenant with Abraham the covenant with Abraham was written in the flesh God made a covenant with David that he would have a royal bloodline and so you'll see a broad spectrum of different kinds of agreements and promises and Covenants in the Bible but the principal reason for these covenants were there was something like it was a peace treaty between man god that were alienated I was interested to learn that there is actually one continent in the world that is owned by all the nations of the world are you aware of it Antarctica was involved in what they call the Antarctic Treaty you know especially after the cold war or I should say after World War two because of the Cold War there was a lot of intensity about when the Soviets began to have bases and stations in Antarctica and of course America took its piece of the pie and the Norwegians and the people from Chile in different parts Argentina they all started to get a little foothold in Antarctica because here you've got this continent that is 1/10 of the landmass of the world of course the climate so harsh nobody knows what to do with it but they decided to make a tree and so they came up with the Antarctic Treaty and basically it is an expression and agreement that Antarctica will not be owned by any one nation but all the nations of the world will share it equally for the purpose of scientific investigation for the benefit of all mankind it's a treaty it's a covenant of peace and so far it's held that was back in 1961 before we better understand what the new covenant is the better promises you need to know something about what the old covenant is let me share with you a few verses that outline this Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 2 this is a very important study you're going to be challenged understanding the study today is foundational for your understanding the relationship between law and grace so this is a very important study what is the old covenant deuteronomy fibers to the Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb another word Horeb and Sinai same same name same mountain sometimes Sacramento's called River City same place the Covenant made in Mount Horeb was the Ten Commandments and if you have any doubt Exodus 34 28 so he was there Moses with the Lord forty days and forty nights neither ate bread nor drank water and he the Lord wrote on the tables of stone the words of the Covenant the Ten Commandment so we don't have to wonder and then you read in Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 13 so he declared unto you his covenant which he commanded you to perform the Ten Commandments and he wrote them onto tables of stone now what is the Covenant the Ten Commandments what did he write them on two tables of stone and what do you want us to do about it perform it not just hearers of the word but doers man has sinned we've been separated from God the penalty for sin is death God has promised to forgive us but he wants to not only forgive us he wants to give his power to be doers of his word now notice in Deuteronomy 4 before we leave that it says he declared his covenant the Ten Commandments and he wrote them onto tables of stone and and one more time and that means in addition to the Ten Commandments the LORD commanded me at that time Moses to teach his statutes and judgments that you might observe them in the land that you cross over and possess I'm going to give you another verse 2nd Kings chapter 21 verse 8 there are separate laws and many times they've been commingled and it confuses people if only they're careful to do according to all that I've commanded them speaking of the moral law and according to all the law of Moses my servant as Moses commanded them so there were the commands of God written by the finger of God spoken by the voice of God and there were the laws and ceremonial laws written by Moses written on paper do you see God making a distinction between the Ten Commandment law and the law of Moses that's very important to understand then of course you know the story Moses took the Ten Commandments and he brought them back down the mountain and he put the Ten Commandments in the Ark but where was the writing that he wrote placed in a pocket on the outside now understanding the distinction between these two covenants is important because how many of you have heard folks say you don't need to worry about keeping those old Jewish ceremonial laws the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross have you heard that before and they often go to Colossians chapter 2 verse 13 and 14 notice how Paul identifies that law there in Colossians 2:14 the one that was nailed to the cross blotting out notice very carefully the handwriting what kind of writing handwriting is written by a would a finger or hand hand that holds a pencil or something of Ordinances what was written on the paper Ordinances that was against us don't miss the word against us that was contrary to us and he took it out of the way nailing it to his cross can you nail stone very easily to anything they have special guns when you're putting framing into a wall and it's actually a 22 shell that drives a nail into concrete any of you men ever seen or worked with those before and they don't always go through well Granite's even harder than concrete and the Ten Commandments were probably written on something like that of a permanent nature that was not nailed to the cross now let me prove that to you if you look in Deuteronomy I'm sorry looks first of all it's second chronicles chapter 33 and here he says and they will take you heed to do all that I have commanded them according to the whole law and there's that end again Ten Commandment law and the statutes in the ordinances written by the hand of Moses now didn't we just read about the Colossians what was nailed to the law ordinances that were handwriting here it says the ordinances were written by the hand of Moses so what was nailed to the cross ten commandments or the ordinances written by the hand of Moses go to Deuteronomy 31 26 years a next reference I want you to consider it says that was against us you notice it says against us Ten Commandments are against us are they against us no but there were ceremonial laws take this book and this is Deuteronomy 31 26 take this book of the law speaking of the ceremony laws book and put it in the side of the arc where were the Ten Commandments in the arc itself take this in the side of the Ark of the Covenant where's the covenant the book is not the covenant it's in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God that it might be therefore witness against you so I don't know how you could be any more clear that in Colossians chapter 2 14 when Paul talks about the handwriting ordinances against us nailed while the handwriting is telling us that was written by the hand of Moses that it might be a witness against you right there the law of Moses is that the ceremonial laws that were on the book not the stone you nail the paper to the cross you do not nail the Ten Commandments and it was written by the hand of Moses do you see the distinction between the ten commands where the Ten Commandments nailed to the cross no that's absurd and what does that mean people who saved nailed to the cross it would mean that the death of Christ you notice what did happen when Jesus died the veil in the temple was torn now instead of the physical priesthood with an exclusive cast it is a spiritual priesthood that you're all participants of instead of it being a temple that was one location now the church is the temple of God you are the temple of God your body is the temple the dwelling place is not a building it's you it's his people and so that's what happened but does it mean now we don't obey God now that is absurd but how many of you have heard Christians taught that the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross without wanting to be unkind or offensive I just got to tell you in no uncertain terms that is what you would call a doctrine of devils the Bible is very clear you've got the book of the law I think I've got a picture of it here you get the ark Ten Commandments in the Ark then you get the book of the law it was placed written by the hand of Moses as a witness against them shadows and types placed in a pocket outside of the Ark so the first coven or the Old Covenant that we're speaking of here is the Ten Commandment law now God said there was something wrong that needed changing and people are thinking well that's because the Ten Commandments were bad and nobody could keep them and so God needed to get rid of them and he came up with a new covenant the old covenant was a Ten Commandments a new covenant just love didn't Jesus say new commandment I give you and what did Jesus say after he said a new commandment I give you he quotes the old commandment he says a new commandment I give you in any quotes of Deuteronomy now she shall love the Lord Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4 love the Lord with all your heart mind soul strength and then he says you should love your neighbor as yourself that's Leviticus 19:18 new he goes all the way back to Moses why did Jesus call that a new commandment it's very simple sometimes a person might say I've got a new concept for you it doesn't mean that it's new it means for them to understand it is new he was telling the religious leaders here's a new concept instead of all of the rites and ceremonies love God and love your neighbor that is what the Ten Commandments are all about because of course the first four Commandments deal with love for God the last six Commandments deal with love for your fellow man but that's not implying that once you love God and you love your fellow man you don't need the Ten Commandments anymore how can a person say I love God and worship God's foreign gods or worship idols how can a person say I love my fellow man but I don't worry about the Ten Commandments anymore so I murder them you're not you don't really love them so the foundation for the Ten Commandments is love but that is still part of both the old and the New Covenant now maybe I'm jumping ahead of myself here what is the new covenant and then we'll make a comparison between the two and why one is called bitter well during our scripture reading we actually first read the New Covenant in Jeremiah chapter 31 turn with me Jeremiah chapter 31 let's look at that again behold the days are coming says the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel in the house of Judah wait a second I thought the new covenant was made with the Gentiles is that what it says oh it's interesting I'll get there in a minute - not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring the the land of Egypt when they went to Mount Sinai and got the Ten Commandments first before the Lord gave them the written copy there was a verbal agreement you know I've been involved in a number of contracts when we do evangelism we often sign a contract for the building where we're going to meet and before you go to the trouble of writing up a contract you first get it verbally otherwise you keep writing things and changing them and so we got a verbal agreement of what the terms would be we said that sound good you sound good to me let's write it down we'll sign it make two copies one for you one for me contract first God spoke his law to the people from the mountain remember Moses wasn't even up there when he first spoken he was there with the people and they trembled and said you talked with only God talked to us anymore and after he spoke the Covenant they agreed to keep it then he went and got the written copy of the covenant the agreement and that's how a contract works said that's not the covenant not like the one that I made when I brought them out of the land of Egypt my covenant which they broke what was wrong with the old covenant they broke it though I was a husband to them in other words I was not unfaithful to them but they were unfaithful to me they broke their promise says the Lord but this is the covenant that all makes as the Lord of Israel after those days I'll put my law in their minds and write them in their hearts it will be in their understanding and in their affection I will be their God and they will be my people no more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they'll all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them says the Lord has that happened yet let me ask you are we living now during the time of the old of the New Covenant talk to me new covenant does every man's know the Lord naturally now or do we still need to be taught or what am I doing here right what are you doing here but is the day the fulfillment of the new covenant will be the new earth the final fulfillment of the New Covenant is the new earth when they all know me from the least of the greatest of them for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I'll remember no more now if you want to know when the New Covenant was instituted Matthew 26:28 there's no guessing here Jesus before he died went through a series of very important pivotal events the Last Supper was not just a Passover meal he was actually transitioning from the old to the new covenant that's why he said verse 28 when he gave them the grape juice this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for the remission of sin and instead of giving them a lamb he gave them bread and he said this is my body he established a new covenant with them in his blood now what did it mean that they would accept this new covenant they ate bread and they drank grape juice during the old covenant when they were saved from Egypt they had a passover lamb and the blood of the Lamb and they ate the lamb and they applied the blood now for the New Covenant Jesus that I am the Lamb you must eat my flesh and drink my blood or you have no life in other words Christ had to be in them the New Covenant is not external it's internal the kingdom of heaven is in you Christ in you and he was trying to help them realize that now the New Covenant is a new law right does it say anywhere I'll give them a new covenant and I'm making a new law what is different about the new covenant a lot of things but it's not the law Romans chapter 7 verse 12 it's the same law therefore the law is holy and the commandment is holy and just and good why would you get rid of something that is holy just and good Psalm 19 verse 7 the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul has anyone ever been able to find any flaw with the Ten Commandments how can you find a flaw with the writing of God God is perfect every good and perfect gift comes from God when he speaks it with his voice and writes it with his finger it's flawless there's no fault with that Romans chapter 3 verse 31 do we then make void the law through faith god forbid we established the law it is the same law the New Covenant is not a different law it is the same law written in a different place and how many of you have heard people say before the Old Covenant was salvation by works the New Covenant is salvation by grace have you heard that ignorance pardon me but that's ignorance who name one person who is saved by works did God save people in the Old Testament times by works and now they're saved by grace nobody's saved by works the just shall live by faith that's Old Testament abraham believed god and god counted it unto him for righteousness that's Old Testament and so everybody was saved by faith the Old Covenant was salvation by faith because even in Old Testament times they'd all sinned so God's saying I'm going to make a covenant with you that you might be saved they were going to be saved based on forgiveness and faith the terms of the Covenant are the same God wants us to be saved from sin what is sin breaking God's law God is not changing the Covenant by saying I'm throwing up a law some say well you know we believe in grace now and when you believe in grace there is no more law grace obliterates law is that what the purpose of grace is does the grace of God dissolve the law it dissolves the penalty of the law but the law of God does not change the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul it's the law that helps us know we need grace the purpose of grace is not to do away with the law another very common misconception these things were talking about right now in the Covenant you'd be surprised I would venture to say the majority of people who take the name of Christ either go to one extreme or another misunderstanding what the new and the old it is and they don't understand the basics of salvation so it's the same law ten commandments written on a different place which is the next point it's now a better or superior surface that the law is written on notice jeremiah 31:33 this is the covenant I will make I will put my law my different law my new law the the the altered law does he make anything in the new covenant statement it suggests it's a different law he just States it as a matter of fact it's not the Covenant that I made back then but it's a new covenant and I'm going to take my law and put it now in a new place a new surface it's written on in their hearts again second Corinthians three three clearly Paul says you are an epistle of Christ ministered to by US written not with ink but by the Spirit of the Living God not on tablets of stone here's the new covenant is not on tablets of stone but all flesh that is of the heart what is written same thing is written but now it's written on the heart and God gives us the power because it's in the heart to be doers of the word and not hearers only Isaiah 49 16 you know one reason is written on the heart see I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands when we see Christ's love for us because of the cross Psalms 22 16 they pierced my hands in my feet it's written on a superior surface the penalty for sin because of it being in Christ's hands the law is written in our heart I like what Matthew Henry says here the commentator Bible commentator he once wrote his law to them Old Covenant now he writes his law in them he gives them hearts to love them a conscious to recognize them he will give them courage to profess them and power to put them into practice the whole habit and frame of their souls will be a table in a transcript of the law of God this is the foundation of the Covenant it is something that is written on the heart in heaven all of those in heaven are there because of the principles of the Covenant being on their hearts nobody in heaven is going to be staring at the long gritting their teeth and saying oh I wish I could obey I wish I could obey they're gonna obey naturally how did angels obey God before fall before sin we're angels staring at the law and wringing their hands saying oh if I could only obey matter of fact it came as a surprise to the Angels that God had a law because it was in their hearts I mean what would you think if someone knocked on your door some government official and they said we're here we're putting up posters in the neighborhood there's a new law and it says that you're not supposed to burn your children with acid how many of you would be surprised do many of you go around through the day thinking oh I sure like to pour battery acid on them but probably against the law that's a horrific thought in your hearts you naturally would want to keep that right and so that's how it was for the Angels they thought well we love God and we love our fellow creatures the very fact that was written down was because of sin it's sin is what brought around the need for the law to be written down but when it's in the heart again in heaven it's the natural outflowing we want to do what pleases God a superior surface something else I want you to notice the law is not written to a different people it's the same people please don't forget this this is a very important point who does he make the new covenant with matter of fact turned with me to the New Testament the new covenant is found in the old and the New Testament Hebrews chapter 8 and Hebrews chapter 8 you can also find the new covenant there verse 8 because finding fault with them he said behold the days are coming says the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel in the house of Judah now how many of you here I don't mind if you show your hands how many of you here are literally citizens of or your DNA's from the tribe of juda how many I am I'm not a citizen of Israel but I'm from Judah couple guess rest of you may as well leave you can't be saved under the New Covenant because who does he make it with no hope for you this is God's form of racism right or wrong he makes the New Covenant very clearly with the house of Judah with the people of Israel so what gives you the right to think that you can cash in on that because you become Israelites and people from Judah you become spiritual Jews don't you few scriptures on this it's made with the same people it's a differences you become different citizens Romans 96 they are not Israel who are of Israel did you catch that Paul says they are not all Israel who are of Israel those who might be citizens of Israel are not the real Israelites necessarily not all of them Galatians 3 verse 7 therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham and of course the Israelites are sons of Abraham only those who are of faith again Galatians 3:29 if you are Christ then you are Abraham's seed if you have accepted and embraced Christ as your Savior you then are grafted into the stock of Israel as Paul says you become spiritual Jews that's how you can accept the New Covenant but be very careful if any of you're anti-semitic you're in trouble because you become a Jew talk about a conflicted contradiction what a paradox an anti-semitic Christian that is really strange for someone to be an anti-semitic Christian how can you be anti-semitic and your book is Jewish your manual is a Jewish book written principally by Jews and you must be a spiritual Jew it's sort of like you know hating your own body because you become part of the body of Israel it's not that you stop being Jews it's that you become a spiritual Jew when you become a Christian you don't look convinced Ephesians chapter 3 verse 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel in Christ through the gospel you were Gentiles everyone who didn't just raise their hand a minute ago you become spiritual Jews and you're able to partake of all the promises not just in the New Testament but all the promises to Abraham in the Old Testament you become participants in one more Ephesians 2 verse 12 that at the time you were without Christ being aliens you were Gentiles you could not participate in the Covenant aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the covenants this is very clear of promise the only covenant that saves us we were strangers to because not me but you because you didn't have Jewish heritage you were not Israelites is what Paul is saying here having no hope without God in the world but now that was the state of affairs but now in Christ Jesus you who once we're afar off have been brought near by the blood of Christ you become members of the same people you are adopted into the family as surely as Ruth was and Rahab was and Tamar was I'm naming mothers who were all Gentiles that became ancestors of Christ did he catch that they all became citizens of Israel through marriage you become legitimate citizens through marriage once you're an American citizen can you be a halfway citizen if you become a citizen all the rights at any citizen are yours and that is especially true in America even more than some countries where there still is a little bit of national racism for lack of a better word in some countries when you immigrate and you become a citizen in that country you may stand out because you know they've been there for thousands of years but in America because we're a melting pot of the whole world none of us really feel like we got a right to say we're exclusive I mean some of us might say well I was born in California I was born in American you emigrated but you know if ever there's a place where that doesn't go very far it's America because all of us at one time were immigrants in that right but we then are able to cash in to all the rights of being citizens once we go through the ceremony you're in you're not partially in unless you're the Governor of California you want to run for president there are some restrictions if you want to be pregnant you know they're trying to change that law you want to run for governor you can be an immigrant but if you want to run for president they said you better be born here I think they've made that lock as they were afraid that someone might you know immigrate and get nationalized within a few years and then want to run the country could be a plot so to play it safe same people so what's different if you got the same law in the same people in the New Covenant what's different well the Bible tells us in Hebrews a lot of differences better priests there were priests in the Old Covenant we've got a better priest now Hebrews chapter 8 verse 6 but now he where before it was the sons of Aaron now it's Christ but now he is a mediator of a more excellent ministry in as much as he is a mediator of a better covenant it's not the blood goats and sheep and bulls and pigeons it's the blood of Christ and we have a high priest where is he now Hebrews 8 verse 1 now this is the main point of the things were saying I like the emphasis Paul puts here we have such a high priest who's seated on the right hand of the throne of the majesty of heavens our high priest is not standing by an altar on earth whereas our high priest it's a better priesthood because he's in the presence of God it's a superior priesthood and he's ministering in a superior sanctuary isn't this what the Bible says hebrews chapter 8 verse 2 let's look at how much better the New Covenant is christ is a minister of a sanctuary and of the true tabernacle that the lord erected and not man it's not a man-made edifice you know i understand that matchbox any of you ever play with Matchbox cars when you were a kid Hot Wheels I think they do the same thing they've got all these different car models you know how they make these little cars that used to fit in a matchbox they actually used to take a full-scale model and they had this very complicated equipment that would go over the surface of this full-scale model and as they roll this equipment over the surface it was cutting in clay something that was approximately 100 the size and so they would get a Corvette and they would go over this Corvette and the equipment was actually cutting a miniature model of the Corvette now they do it with computers but there's still an exact scale model and so some of these Matchbox cars and Hot Wheel cars that were rare collector's editions are extremely valuable but the temple on earth while it was a model of the one in heaven think about the difference between a real Corvette in a matchbox car matchbox car you got to push it along with your finger fire it with a rubber band it had no engine in it in the same way the earthly sanctuary was just a miniature model to give us a concept of the very real sanctuary where God actually lives even Solomon when he built the earthly temple best temple ever built under a Solomon said we know you're not living here what temple on earth could hell is you the earth is your footstool they knew it was just a model of the real dwelling place of God in heaven so Christ now is ministering in a superior sanctuary now in Bible times if you wanted forgiveness you had to go to the temple can we go to the temple anymore yes by faith Paul tells us in Hebrews we can come boldly before the throne of grace when you enter in to your prayers and you see the Lord by faith you are conveyed you're transported to heaven you are able to come you don't have to go through a priest Christ is your priest but not I mean don't go through any earthly priest you now the better covenant the New Covenant is you can go directly to God through Christ in heaven you can still go to the temple now while it is true even on earth the common people could not go into the holy place could they but they could go to the temple you can still go to the temple through faith and their mat effect in the new earth when we're living under the New Covenant there's no need for a physical temple because the temple is where God is and he will be in our midst superior sanctuary Hebrews 9:11 but Christ came as a high priest of good things to come with a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands it's better not of this creation Hebrews 9 24 for Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands with man's hands which are copies Matchbox miniature of the true but into heaven itself now to appear this is really good listen this is good don't miss this christ has entered into heaven itself to appear in the presence of God why for us you have an advocate with a father you know people in high places you ever wish you could have an audience with the mayor the governor or the president better than that through Christ as your high priest you have an audience with God when you pray in his name you get his attention I think you've heard me share the story before when people would come to visit Lincoln a lot of times they couldn't get in to see Lincoln because he was so busy but sometimes tad Lincoln the president's son would be out in the waiting room and one time a soldier got to visiting with him and the young man was intrigued with his stories of the war and he said why are you here and the soldiers told Lincoln's son he said I'm here to see the president and right about then the secretary came out and said the president's done visiting today he's got some other appointments and and she started sending him away and the Secretary was sending the soldier a and by this time Ted had gone in to see his father and she said you'll have to go and he said well I'm going to try and see the president just now he can't see anymore but his son said I could she's a tall dad told you can see well of Tad's gone to his father you'll probably get in and so in the same way if Lincoln's son could get an audience with the president how much more if can Jesus get us an audience with the father so here he's going into the real temple for us better promises now this is where it really starts to make sense the New Covenant is better not because it's a different law not because it's really a different people but better promises notice Hebrews chapter 8 verse 9 making a new covenant not according to the Covenant I made with their fathers in the day I took them out by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt when they came out of Egypt they went to Mount Sinai made that covenant with him they did not continue in my covenant what was the problem with that covenant they didn't continue they broke it he says for this is the Covenant that I will make you see with the Old Covenant God spoke his law what did the people do in the presence of all the people Moses made the law and the people said all the Lord has said we will do and be obedient that's Exodus 24 verse 7 the Old Covenant was based on the promise of the people nowhere do you see in the Old Covenant that they are asking God for any assistance to do his will did you notice that they came up with the terms will do it and did they do it not long after Moses first they got the written transcript they said we'll do it we got an agreement here he went up to get it Carta fide before he even came down what was happening they were breaking the Ten Commandments that's why it says in Hebrews 8 verse 8 finding fault with them was it with the law or was it with the people the problem with the Old Covenant was their promises failed God said here's my the ten commandments is the perfect will of God it doesn't change nothing wrong with it the law of the Lord is perfect that is not a part of the Covenant that's negotiable sin is the transgression of the law we must be saved from our sins the penalty and the power of sin the Old Covenant bad promise all the Lord has said we will do new covenant better promise notice what the better promise is for this is the covenant I will make who will God says I will make with the house of Israel after those days saying the Lord I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts I will be their God and they will be my people none of them will teach his neighbor none of them his brother saying know the Lord for the wall know me from the least of them to the greatest for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their lawless needs I will remember no more now I know it may seem like I've over accentuated that but that is really the issue your will or God's will the Old Covenant you can will your way to salvation you can't Peter said though all men forsake thee I won't she says it oh yeah and the people of the foot of the mountain said Lord we like your law pretty scary with the smoke in the fire and the Thunder all you said we will do and the Lord said oh yeah before Moses even got down the mountain they were breaking him why Romans 8 verse 7 Paul said because the carnal mind the unconverted mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be as long as we are carnally minded you can't keep the law of God so it's the problem let's change the law change the mind you got it that's so important was the problem change the the law or change our hearts so the New Covenant deals with the problem not changing the law it's a change of heart all of us are saved under the condition of the New Covenant better promises Hebrews chapter 8 verse 6 but now he has obtained a more excellent ministry in as much as he Jesus is a mediator of a better covenant which was established on better promises better better better or as I used to say more gooder that's the difference between the new and the old covenant it is infinitely better better promises Old Covenant focused attention on the weakness of man the New Covenant focuses the attention on the promises and the power of God it's written in the heart I remember reading in history some of you been to Pennsylvania and you know that one of the founders of the Pennsylvania there was William Penn and he was a Quaker William Penn in Pennsylvania made a treaty with the Indians and all of them gathered together and they made a treaty that lasted 70 years without exception here was what the nature of the treaty was and all they can do is go by the recollections of the people were there because they never wrote it down but those who heard it say this is what was exchanged pen spoke to the Indians the council and the chief and all the Indians gathered with a counsel from the settlers there in Pennsylvania and he said my friends you know the pill the Quakers always called everyone friends matter of fact the other name for their denomination was the friends and if you remember that my friends we have met on the broad pathway of good faith we are all one flesh and one blood for the Indians to hear the European saying that was shocking because most Europeans felt superior being brethren because we're brethren no advantage shall be taken on either side when disputes arise we will settle them in Council not with war because there is nothing between us but openness and love the chief replied our chiefs while the rivers run in the sunshines we will live in peace with the children of william penn and the interesting thing is that as long as the Quakers were in charge for 70 years in Pennsylvania there was not a single violent conflict with any of the Native Americans there they had made a covenant based on better promises it was not on threats or territory but on love and mutual understanding that was the only covenant that worked you know the more laws that a people have the more lawless they are the more lawless that people become the more laws they need to control their lawless behavior when our country was first founded there was a lot less law breaking and there was a lot less law why because people were instilled with a better sense of principles of loving God and loving your neighbor and that really became a guideline for everything else and the more people drift away from those two great principles of the Ten Commandments the love God and love your neighbor the more you need governmental control on every little nuance and then you have to have somebody putting up posters that say please don't kill your children because they don't have the natural law of love New Covenant was made on better promises all covenants are ratified by sacrifice you remember when Noah came out of the Ark and God made the covenant with Noah and the rainbow did Noah offer a sacrifice the Covenant a circumcision that God made with Abraham he offered sacrifice there the covenant of David that he made there on Mount Moriah offered sacrifice offered a sacrifice on the threshing floor of Ornan to covenant of Abraham with Isaac Isaac wasn't offered but they went got a ram sacrifice was offered covenants are sealed with the shedding of blood talking about these Old Testament even New Testament covenants Psalm chapter 50 verse 5 gather my Saints together to me who is the Lord going to gather to him when he comes those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice now not only has God made a covenant with you by sacrifice you must make a covenant with him by sacrifice part of the new covenant is not just God making a sacrifice if you are really partaking of that covenant you must make a sacrifice how do you think pastor Doug is this another offering appeal well that's the very basics your offerings well that would certainly be part of it but what does it say in Romans chapter 12 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present yourself a living sacrifice see Jesus took up the cross and he made a sacrifice he said now if you want to ratify the Covenant if you accept the terms of the Covenant you take up a cross and you make a sacrifice he sacrificed himself you sacrifice yourself that would certainly include your wallet most important thing is a sacrifice of your heart that's who makes the covenant with the Lord the sacrifice of the New Covenant is better than the old everything is better Hebrews 8 3 for every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices therefore it is necessary that this one also have something to offer there needed to be something to offer the Bible says Christ is the mediator Romans 8:6 he is also a mediator of a better covenant which was established on better promises and of course he was a better sacrifice Romans 8:2 he who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us how shall he not with him also freely give us all things if God is willing to offer his son he'll give us everything else it pertains to eternal life is that right let me give you another illustration I think I've got time to share this with you why would you want to keep the old ceremonial law when now you have the reality people want to know what to do you've no doubt you've run into Christians before and I don't question this sincerity but they are pushing the ceremonial laws they're pushing the feasts have you run into this before why would you worry about that when you have the reality now suppose that there has been a dinner and there's a special banquet and you've got a guest of honor and he has agreed if the place is reserved they've got an agreement they got a contract they got this place he's agreed to be there at a certain time you reserve his place and I've actually seen this done before where people not only do they have nametags at the table I went to a dinner one time worth actually somehow got pictures of the people that were at their seats little pictures any of you ever seen them do that so everyone's at the table of Honor and you've got the main guest of honor isn't there yet sometimes the president can't get there when the party starts he comes later you know when the president has his inauguration he sometimes makes four or five different parties in one night so here you got the picture where the president's gonna sit finally when he gets there and they seat him does everybody stare at the picture of the president do you need the shadow the illusion the image anymore that helps you know who's got that seat what his place is going to be now you get rid of the picture he might sign it hand it off but the attention is no longer on the picture all the ceremonial laws circumcision the sacrificing of lamb the ceremonial feast days they were there to help us realize Christ the reality of the sacrifice and so it's almost antiquated if if a parent is waiting for their son to come home from the war and they got their picture on the shelf and every now and then they pick up the picture and they hug the picture and they stroke the picture and they gaze at the picture and then the doorbell rings when they're finally discharged and the son is at the door they fling the door open they run to the mantle and pick up the picture and stared and said so glad you're home would that make sense that's why Paul talks about how strange it is for us to want to give the worship to the shadow of somebody I mean if I'm walking down the road on a sunny day and you haven't seen me in a while do you walk over to my shadow lay down try and hug my shadow wouldn't that be strange and yet there are people that are giving all the attention to the shadow I don't want to be unkind but it is not biblical now instead of a Passover lamb why would you do that when you've got Christ he is the Lamb of God see what I'm saying it seems so backward to me not only is there a a better sacrifice better spirit second Corinthians three verse 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the New Covenant not the letter but the spirit for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life if it's just the law on the outside but it's not an attitude on the inside such as the actions it's the attitude now Christ came not to do away with the law but to make it bigger to magnify it he said it's not only don't commit adultery but don't have the attitude in your heart not just don't murder but don't be angry not only don't lie but don't say yay yay or nay nay it's an attitude of honesty and say he's rather said don't be swearing but let it be a year nay nay see what Jesus did with the law I said it's not just the letter it's the spirit of the law now obviously if you're keeping the spirit of the law you'll keep the latter but it's much better than the letter that rhymes doesn't it everything in this covenant is better Ezekiel 36 and this is another place you really find the new covenant in the Old Testament the prophet Ezekiel I'll give you a new heart and I'll put a new spirit within you the new covenant has a better spirit new heart new spirit I'll take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh I'll put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them then you will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers and you will be my people and I will be your God this is the new covenant he says I will cause you to walk in my statutes and keep my judgments without the Spirit of God and the love of God in our hearts it says the love of God constrains us it's through the power of love that we become new creatures and you know it's through better blood sacrifice when twere the Old Covenant sacrifice for the new better blood no it isn't grape juice grape juice is a symbol of the better blood the better blood is the blood of Christ Hebrews 9 verse 12 and this will be our last point we're going to consider not with the blood of goats for 4,000 years that's what they did they sacrifice sheep and goats doves and oxen not with the blood of these animals but with his own blood he entered the most holy place not pleading the blood of goats but his own plan once for all having obtained eternal redemption for if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies the purifying of the flesh they had a ceremony in the Old Testament where you could be purified and sanctified by these animals that were sacrificed said if they did that back then in the Old Covenant how much more he said see how much better it is that the blood of Christ through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse your conscience from the dead works to serve the Living God Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel bitter blood the blood of Christ and if he says my blood can cover your sin and empower you is there power in the blood my blood can empower you to live a new life do you believe that what makes now we've talked a lot about the new coven how many do you think you understand the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant do you understand that knowing the difference won't save you you must make a covenant with the Lord you must make you must accept the terms of the agreement sign on the bottom line so to speak are you willing to say Lord and don't say what Peter said although all men should do it not like Israel don't say what Israel said all the Lord has said we will do but if you were to say Lord I believe that you are able to give me a new heart and a new spirit and I accept the power and the blood of Jesus I want to cash in on the new covenant I believe your promises do you accept the new covenant it's by faith how how good could it be it's almost too good to be true but it is by faith he says then I when you see how much he loved you by faith he puts a new heart a new spirit within you that changes your behavior just when we are in Texas people would come up hi were you from Fort Worth they say no I drove in from Kansas and I just wanted to tell you we've been watching the programs we've accepted the Lord and I used to have this kind of life when they tell me about this amazing prodigal wild wife some of them been in prison and we heard some amazing stories and they said the power of the gospel changed my heart marriages were saved the relationships were restored just amazing transitions this is a new covenant it's written in the heart and the things they want to love they now hate why because they get a new heart they're different but you must come and accept Christ just the way you are some people have been in church for years and believe it or not they're still trying to live under the terms of the Old Covenant I can do it I can do it you can't it's not until you realize you can't do it you can do it once you realize how helpless you are when Peter says Lord I can walk on water when he tried he took his eyes off Christ he sank and then he said lord save me then he could do it right when he reached out for Jesus then he could do it this is a new covenant reaching out taking hold of God's promises and that's probably a good place to tell you about the closing hymn 518 standing on the promises it's an agreement it's a covenant that the Lord is making with you and me and if you'd like to accept that why don't you stand can't sing standing on the promise of sitting down Kenya so let's stand and sing that 5:18 there may be some of you who never really understood the New Covenant as I said most people in the world who take the name of Christ or part of fellowships that really don't understand the good news of the New Covenant like to give you an opportunity right now you may have even been raised in a church this church and said you know until today I really never understood how good the good news is how much better it is and I want to take hold of that promise if you want to make that decision by coming forward today we'll have special prayer if you do that now as we sing verse three you you the good news of the gospel the Covenant the New Covenant is good good very good it is better better more better isn't it better priests better blood better promises better sanctuary better substance everything is better and that's good news we're sharing and believing amen loving Lord we are so thankful for how good the good news really is and first before we can tell the world about the good news we need to make a covenant with you by sacrifice and that means giving ourselves taking up our cross and following Christ and then we thank you for the promise that we can live a new life through the power of the blood of Christ do you promise to be in us and give us new hearts and new minds Lord we pray that you will make that a reality change us create within us new hearts O Lord I pray that we can not only talk about the New Covenant but we can experience it be with each person who is hearing the sound of this message and I would ask that they would have new vitality in their lives bless this church in each member thank you for the promises you've made and it's in those promises we will trust and we stand in Christ's name we pray you

Channel: AYAministries

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Keywords: new, covenant, testament, New Testament, doug, amazing, facts

Id: 4U0Z1hvan_0

Length: 58min 0sec (3480 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 31 2011