WEBVTT 00:00:02.339 --> 00:00:05.259 Welcome to the Life Bible Church podcast. We 00:00:05.259 --> 00:00:07.660 want to thank you for joining us today, and we 00:00:07.660 --> 00:00:10.179 hope you find today's sermon impacting as you 00:00:10.179 --> 00:00:12.679 listen to it wherever you are in your daily walk. 00:00:13.019 --> 00:00:15.960 To find service times and watch messages online, 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:20.120 see our website at lifebiblechurch .org. Now, 00:00:20.140 --> 00:00:25.140 enjoy this week's message. Praise God. Well, 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:26.739 man, it's good to be in the house of the Lord 00:00:26.739 --> 00:00:29.420 this morning. It's good to start the year off 00:00:29.420 --> 00:00:35.770 right. Here at church, come on. At church, we 00:00:35.770 --> 00:00:39.750 like to party. We like to party. We love the 00:00:39.750 --> 00:00:41.710 Lord very much, and we're not ashamed to show 00:00:41.710 --> 00:00:46.929 it. Amen? Come on, I'm so glad to be here before 00:00:46.929 --> 00:00:49.109 you to speak this morning and to see you guys 00:00:49.109 --> 00:00:51.969 here. But before I get started, I have a couple 00:00:51.969 --> 00:00:53.429 things I want to talk through, and then I want 00:00:53.429 --> 00:00:56.170 to pray, of course, for our senior pastors who 00:00:56.170 --> 00:01:01.280 are resting currently right now. And so it's 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:03.600 super important that they get that time because 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:06.319 Lord knows this is really the only time they 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:09.659 get to do it. So we're super grateful for them. 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:11.219 But I want to make a couple quick announcements. 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:14.540 In addition to the live video announcements, 00:01:14.739 --> 00:01:18.359 I wanted to really emphasize our Wednesday night 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:20.340 classes and the classes that we offer here at 00:01:20.340 --> 00:01:23.359 Life Bible Church. Now, I'm not here to pitch 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:26.459 you a timeshare or anything. This is simply just 00:01:26.459 --> 00:01:28.359 something that's on my heart. I'm not here to 00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:30.040 guilt trip you or make you think that you're 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:32.120 making the biggest, dumbest mistake ever for 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:35.180 not attending our classes. But have you ever 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:36.859 sat in on one of those timeshare meetings? It 00:01:36.859 --> 00:01:40.319 is the worst. They make you feel like you are 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:43.700 a complete idiot for not taking their deal. And 00:01:43.700 --> 00:01:46.019 also, they're always like, here, we'll give it 00:01:46.019 --> 00:01:47.959 to you for this number. No, sorry, that's not 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:50.099 gonna work. Okay, how about this number? Why 00:01:50.099 --> 00:01:52.420 didn't you start with that number? What are you 00:01:52.420 --> 00:01:56.840 doing to me right now? Anyways, that's not what 00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:00.079 I'm gonna do. I'm sharing with you something 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:02.920 that is really important because it's on my heart 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:04.840 and it's on the heart of us as a staff and as 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:08.539 a pastoral staff because the body of Christ is 00:02:08.539 --> 00:02:12.419 meant to equip the saints. It is a part of the 00:02:12.419 --> 00:02:14.520 body of Christ that we are called to do it. We're 00:02:14.520 --> 00:02:17.259 commanded to do it in the scripture that we are 00:02:17.259 --> 00:02:19.620 called to worship God and to equip the saints. 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:26.120 So we want to make sure that you get, more equipping 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:30.580 than beyond just Sunday morning. We want you 00:02:30.580 --> 00:02:34.039 to actually receive more from God. And listen, 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:38.120 I know that with the internet, it's easier than 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:41.900 it's ever been to get content, especially content 00:02:41.900 --> 00:02:45.780 about God, content about preachers and teachings. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:48.580 And trust me, you can watch as much YouTube as 00:02:48.580 --> 00:02:52.319 you want. and come to all these crazy things. 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:56.439 But here's the problem with that, is it's not 00:02:56.439 --> 00:03:01.780 connected to the local house. Why would I go 00:03:01.780 --> 00:03:05.539 to somebody else's house and eat all their food 00:03:05.539 --> 00:03:08.639 when I can be in my house and eat the food that 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:12.199 my wife has prepared for me? I want to be in 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:15.159 my house eating the food that has been specifically 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:20.000 prepared for me. And so we have a whole group 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:21.780 of teachers and people that have put together 00:03:21.780 --> 00:03:24.699 classes or have added on to curriculum in order 00:03:24.699 --> 00:03:28.819 for us to be equipped, specifically us here in 00:03:28.819 --> 00:03:31.500 this region and in this area. Because here's 00:03:31.500 --> 00:03:33.599 the thing, Stephen Furtick doesn't know you. 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:41.840 He doesn't know your name. Some heresy thumper 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:47.259 on YouTube, he doesn't know you. What he's giving 00:03:47.259 --> 00:03:51.139 is general content for the masses to get clicks 00:03:51.139 --> 00:03:54.199 and views. He's after popularity. I don't know 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:55.860 the guy, but maybe that's what his heart is. 00:03:55.900 --> 00:03:57.919 Most of the time it is. But that is the thing. 00:03:57.979 --> 00:04:00.659 Whereas when you come to the actual local body 00:04:00.659 --> 00:04:04.819 of Christ, what are we trying to do? Equip you. 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:09.240 Because I know your situation. I know this area. 00:04:09.419 --> 00:04:11.460 I know the people that you are with. I know your 00:04:11.460 --> 00:04:14.840 workplace. And so I'm giving you content that 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:18.790 is specialized for you. So I'm going to give 00:04:18.790 --> 00:04:20.490 a couple shout -outs. Are you okay with that 00:04:20.490 --> 00:04:22.430 if I take some time? Of course you are. I have 00:04:22.430 --> 00:04:27.550 a mic. You have no say. But our Alpha class ran 00:04:27.550 --> 00:04:30.449 by Troy and Carrie Malpass. Come on, give it 00:04:30.449 --> 00:04:37.089 up for them. Our Alpha class is a place for new 00:04:37.089 --> 00:04:41.170 believers to ask questions in a small group environment 00:04:41.170 --> 00:04:44.639 so that you can get more intimate conversation, 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:47.279 especially regarding your own personal experiences, 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:50.699 because we all develop our own theology in our 00:04:50.699 --> 00:04:53.639 minds because of our experiences, right? We're 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:56.279 all theologians. It's just most of us aren't 00:04:56.279 --> 00:05:00.480 good ones because of our experiences. And so 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:03.620 it's great to come together and actually talk. 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:07.579 out our beliefs, talk out our experiences. Why 00:05:07.579 --> 00:05:09.819 do you believe what you believe? And ask big 00:05:09.819 --> 00:05:13.079 questions. We're not like the church in the 70s 00:05:13.079 --> 00:05:14.939 and 80s that was like, listen, don't ask that 00:05:14.939 --> 00:05:17.740 question quite yet. We want, trust me, we want 00:05:17.740 --> 00:05:20.420 you to ask questions. We want to hear them because 00:05:20.420 --> 00:05:23.120 great theologians ask good questions. And oftentimes 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:25.240 the best questions are the most simple ones. 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:28.240 There's also our spirit -led evangelism class 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:31.040 led by John Rist. Let's give it up for John. 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:35.839 What an amazing time. Essentially, it's a class 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:40.420 that wants to make sharing your faith easy. Sharing 00:05:40.420 --> 00:05:42.899 the gospel should be the easiest thing a Christian 00:05:42.899 --> 00:05:46.259 can do. And we want to equip you to be able to 00:05:46.259 --> 00:05:48.120 make that easy because sometimes it doesn't come 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:50.079 as naturally for some as it does for others. 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:54.149 But every Christian is an evangelist. The excuse 00:05:54.149 --> 00:05:56.829 of, well, he's more of a people person, so he's 00:05:56.829 --> 00:05:59.329 more evangelistic gift. I'll let him share to 00:05:59.329 --> 00:06:02.269 the Starbucks person I go to. Sorry, that does 00:06:02.269 --> 00:06:06.329 not cut it for God. We are all called to share 00:06:06.329 --> 00:06:09.389 the good news. Okay, so we want to have a place 00:06:09.389 --> 00:06:12.009 where you can be equipped and actually have a 00:06:12.009 --> 00:06:15.540 safe. place that you can operate in sharing your 00:06:15.540 --> 00:06:19.519 faith with a group of experienced people that 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:21.680 know what it's like to go out into the world, 00:06:21.699 --> 00:06:24.160 talk to a stranger and evangelize. There's also 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:32.079 our revelation class or our eternal class. It 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:38.970 talks about eternity. It lasts in eternity. But 00:06:38.970 --> 00:06:41.050 it is a class that's taught by Pastor Brad himself, 00:06:41.290 --> 00:06:43.449 of course. This is an incredible course. This 00:06:43.449 --> 00:06:46.009 is not just for the advanced and anyone with 00:06:46.009 --> 00:06:49.410 gray hair and above. This is for people that 00:06:49.410 --> 00:06:51.949 desire to just want to understand the depth of 00:06:51.949 --> 00:06:54.689 Scripture. And I would encourage you, if you 00:06:54.689 --> 00:06:57.069 want to understand the depth of Scripture, it's 00:06:57.069 --> 00:07:00.850 not about trying to just get in and just understand 00:07:00.850 --> 00:07:04.250 everything. It's getting in the environment where 00:07:04.250 --> 00:07:09.449 deeper topics are discussed. expose yourself 00:07:09.449 --> 00:07:14.029 to those kinds of topics and conversations. Get 00:07:14.029 --> 00:07:17.129 in to a place where people are talking about 00:07:17.129 --> 00:07:19.970 their eschatology and end times and apocalyptic 00:07:19.970 --> 00:07:22.470 literature and so on. And all of those things 00:07:22.470 --> 00:07:24.430 that I just made you probably snore a little 00:07:24.430 --> 00:07:28.529 bit. But they are very important things to understand 00:07:28.529 --> 00:07:31.550 because how you believe Christ is gonna return 00:07:31.550 --> 00:07:36.990 depends a lot about how you live now. And it 00:07:36.990 --> 00:07:39.230 determines a lot about what you believe and how 00:07:39.230 --> 00:07:41.009 you should live and how you should share the 00:07:41.009 --> 00:07:43.810 gospel and how you interpret current times. Because 00:07:43.810 --> 00:07:46.850 I'm telling you, what the world loves to live 00:07:46.850 --> 00:07:48.870 off of is fear and what the book of Revelation 00:07:48.870 --> 00:07:53.069 loves to give is hope. We need more of the hope 00:07:53.069 --> 00:07:55.410 that the book of Revelation gives us. And so 00:07:55.410 --> 00:07:57.769 Pastor Brad's class is an incredible place to 00:07:57.769 --> 00:08:00.009 learn more about that. And then also, we have 00:08:00.009 --> 00:08:02.759 a brand new class. That's being written from 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:05.660 scratch by Charlie Klein and Pastor Grace Knold. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:10.300 This is an Old Testament survey class. Now, I 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:14.459 just shared the words Old Testament survey. And 00:08:14.459 --> 00:08:16.160 for some people who have taken an Old Testament 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:19.259 survey class before, you're going, snore, sleep, 00:08:19.339 --> 00:08:22.279 sleep. That sounds boring. I would rather listen 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:27.220 to Stephen on YouTube. But, because he's buff, 00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:30.379 he's tan, you know, and he talks really good. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:35.820 But I'm telling you, I would encourage you to 00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:38.059 get in this class, especially if you want to 00:08:38.059 --> 00:08:41.720 really see from a place of survey, which is as 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:44.360 if you were going on top of a mountain and picking 00:08:44.360 --> 00:08:49.100 out landmarks in the area that you can connect 00:08:49.100 --> 00:08:51.559 and get an idea so that when I'm reading Leviticus, 00:08:51.620 --> 00:08:54.419 I know where I'm at in the grand story of Scripture. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:57.299 And this is one of the big mistakes that Christians 00:08:57.299 --> 00:09:01.610 make is they eisegete Scripture. They isolate 00:09:01.610 --> 00:09:05.509 their exegesis. They take one verse and build 00:09:05.509 --> 00:09:07.990 an entire theology around it. Whereas the best 00:09:07.990 --> 00:09:11.149 theologians take all of scripture and build theology 00:09:11.149 --> 00:09:15.190 on it. So we want to not get caught into these 00:09:15.190 --> 00:09:18.429 little moments of looking at Scripture and going, 00:09:18.450 --> 00:09:19.889 you know, I'm going to skip Leviticus because 00:09:19.889 --> 00:09:22.309 it's mostly boring verses. But actually, you 00:09:22.309 --> 00:09:24.149 know what makes the book of Leviticus so incredible? 00:09:24.309 --> 00:09:27.990 It's the overarching story and beauty of what 00:09:27.990 --> 00:09:31.210 it means to approach God, to worship Him. And 00:09:31.210 --> 00:09:33.649 it's Jesus' favorite book that He's quoted in 00:09:33.649 --> 00:09:37.169 the New Testament, by the way. Because Leviticus, 00:09:37.230 --> 00:09:39.570 the heart of Leviticus is more than just about 00:09:39.570 --> 00:09:42.210 sacrificing animals and having a clean and unclean 00:09:42.210 --> 00:09:46.070 house. It is about a holy God who loves a holy 00:09:46.070 --> 00:09:50.129 people. And you don't get that without having 00:09:50.129 --> 00:09:52.230 an overview of what the Old Testament is about. 00:09:53.169 --> 00:09:55.070 And if you're a Christian that goes, I just need 00:09:55.070 --> 00:09:56.710 the New Testament, I don't need the Old because 00:09:56.710 --> 00:10:01.490 we're in the New Covenant. Well, newsflash. Where 00:10:01.490 --> 00:10:03.309 do you think the New Testament got all their 00:10:03.309 --> 00:10:10.929 grand ideas? The Old Testament. Yes, and you 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:12.789 should read and know the Old Testament so you 00:10:12.789 --> 00:10:15.809 know what translates over and is eternal and 00:10:15.809 --> 00:10:18.990 what was temporary. So you don't make the mistake 00:10:18.990 --> 00:10:21.870 of making what is temporal into eternal or making 00:10:21.870 --> 00:10:24.470 what is common into something that it shouldn't 00:10:24.470 --> 00:10:26.509 be or making holy into something that's common. 00:10:26.629 --> 00:10:30.110 We need to understand the old to get the new 00:10:30.110 --> 00:10:34.049 because you see the new in the old and you can 00:10:34.049 --> 00:10:37.549 understand the new. with the old as well. We 00:10:37.549 --> 00:10:39.909 need this kind of a class. So I encourage you, 00:10:39.929 --> 00:10:42.470 you can go on to our website or you can use the 00:10:42.470 --> 00:10:46.250 tap there on your phone to go up and sign up 00:10:46.250 --> 00:10:47.929 for any of the classes that I just mentioned. 00:10:48.309 --> 00:10:50.230 All right, I'm gonna close in prayer and then 00:10:50.230 --> 00:10:52.370 I'll release you in Jesus' name. I'm just kidding, 00:10:52.409 --> 00:10:58.590 we're not gonna do that. I could feel Brad's 00:10:58.590 --> 00:11:00.970 eyes through the lens the moment I said that. 00:11:03.699 --> 00:11:08.740 Eyes like fire, right? He's just missing the 00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:14.620 hair like wool, but let's go on. Let me just 00:11:14.620 --> 00:11:18.059 pray for you and then we'll jump in. Father in 00:11:18.059 --> 00:11:20.879 heaven, I thank you for your presence and for 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:23.759 who you are. I thank you that you are an amazing 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:27.240 God who loves us dearly and that you gave your 00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:30.379 son for us. That John says that this was love 00:11:30.379 --> 00:11:33.360 made manifest. that Christ came and he died for 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:36.580 us. Lord Jesus, today is communion Sunday. This 00:11:36.580 --> 00:11:38.460 is a day of remembering you. And though we should 00:11:38.460 --> 00:11:40.360 live every day remembering what you've done for 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:45.039 us, this is a specific time of remembering the 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:47.960 elements, this sacrament that you have instituted 00:11:47.960 --> 00:11:51.539 at Passover. Lord, that the church is supposed 00:11:51.539 --> 00:11:54.139 to partake of, Lord, that you've commanded us 00:11:54.139 --> 00:11:57.379 to remember what you did on Calvary. Because 00:11:57.379 --> 00:12:00.330 God, we're a forgetful people. Lord, if we read 00:12:00.330 --> 00:12:02.149 through the Old Testament, we will see just how 00:12:02.149 --> 00:12:05.090 easy it is to forget your goodness, how easy 00:12:05.090 --> 00:12:07.610 it is to forget the sacrifice and what you have 00:12:07.610 --> 00:12:10.230 given for us, that we may have life and life 00:12:10.230 --> 00:12:13.590 everlasting. So God, we honor you. And Lord, 00:12:13.629 --> 00:12:16.870 I ask that you would anoint my lips, my mind, 00:12:16.909 --> 00:12:19.529 Lord, that everything I say would be done through 00:12:19.529 --> 00:12:22.049 the heart of the Father and according to your 00:12:22.049 --> 00:12:25.230 will. And Lord Jesus, I bless you. And I ask 00:12:25.230 --> 00:12:27.309 that you reveal yourself to us this morning. 00:12:27.929 --> 00:12:30.690 so that we may reveal who you are to those in 00:12:30.690 --> 00:12:33.590 the world around us. In Jesus' precious and mighty 00:12:33.590 --> 00:12:38.950 name, everyone said, amen. Let's go to Mark chapter 00:12:38.950 --> 00:12:42.830 14, verse 22 through 24. And if you're taking 00:12:42.830 --> 00:12:45.169 notes, the title of my sermon this morning is 00:12:45.169 --> 00:12:49.169 The Blood of the Covenant. The Blood of the Covenant. 00:12:50.289 --> 00:12:53.090 Whenever I prep for a communion Sunday, I'm always 00:12:53.090 --> 00:12:56.990 torn to have a specific message and do a little, 00:12:57.370 --> 00:12:59.549 communion exhortation and almost every time the 00:12:59.549 --> 00:13:01.789 Lord just wants me to teach on communion because 00:13:01.789 --> 00:13:05.090 there's so much within communion to be taught 00:13:05.090 --> 00:13:07.830 about. It's almost like you can never reach its 00:13:07.830 --> 00:13:10.429 end of the depth that is within the table of 00:13:10.429 --> 00:13:12.990 the Lord and the communion with Jesus. And so 00:13:12.990 --> 00:13:15.570 we're going to take time to look at the communion 00:13:15.570 --> 00:13:18.450 and I want to look at the blood of the covenant. 00:13:19.149 --> 00:13:23.029 Mark chapter 14 verse 22 through 24 says this, 00:13:23.049 --> 00:13:26.860 as they were eating, he took the bread And after 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:28.840 blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them. 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:32.299 And he said, take, this is my body. And he took 00:13:32.299 --> 00:13:34.159 a cup. And when he had given thanks, he gave 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:37.200 it to them and they all drank of it. And he said 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:42.840 to them, this is my blood of the covenant, which 00:13:42.840 --> 00:13:49.279 is poured out for many. This is my blood of the 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:54.509 covenant, which is poured out for many. You know, 00:13:54.529 --> 00:13:56.070 it's really important to understand the type 00:13:56.070 --> 00:14:00.649 of relationships that you have. And when I was 00:14:00.649 --> 00:14:05.649 growing up, I was just a little lad. My parents, 00:14:05.690 --> 00:14:08.210 of course, both worked in church and full -time 00:14:08.210 --> 00:14:11.350 ministry. And so that means that I was babysat 00:14:11.350 --> 00:14:14.450 a lot. And so I was babysat by people in the 00:14:14.450 --> 00:14:18.649 church as well, which is great. And I was babysat 00:14:18.649 --> 00:14:27.440 by this girl who I had a big crush on. And I 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:31.759 mean, I was like seven years old, seven or eight 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:33.779 years old. And she's like 10 years older than 00:14:33.779 --> 00:14:35.059 me. She's in high school or something like that. 00:14:36.419 --> 00:14:43.720 And I thought that I was really suave and I was 00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:50.840 smooth. And, you know, I was like, you and me, 00:14:50.940 --> 00:14:58.279 baby, we could run this joint. Why should you 00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:01.039 just follow what my parents say and put me to 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:02.899 bed when I need to go to bed? Let's just stay 00:15:02.899 --> 00:15:08.320 up. Let's watch a rom -com. Come on. It's really 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:10.740 weird the more I talk about it that I was like 00:15:10.740 --> 00:15:17.379 that. But as a kid, I remember asking her officially, 00:15:17.580 --> 00:15:24.919 will you be my girlfriend? And so my... In a 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:27.600 joking way, obviously, she said yes, went along 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:29.399 with it for a couple of hours, and that was it. 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:35.080 I came to find out that she already had a boyfriend 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:41.320 who was in high school, had a car. I can't compete 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:50.159 with that. I just have Hot Wheels. And it was 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:52.240 horrible when I found out that she had a boyfriend. 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:56.240 It was like an episode of Friends in the Cargill 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:00.019 home that day. Rain on the windowpane. They're 00:16:00.019 --> 00:16:05.679 just staring, looking out. All by myself. Don't 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:11.519 want to be. What I thought our relationship was 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:16.000 like really wasn't what it was. And I think a 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.500 lot of Christians define their relationship with 00:16:19.500 --> 00:16:24.259 Christ in certain ways. And the funny thing is, 00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:26.279 as I've grown in my relationship with God, my 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.600 definition of my relationship with God has changed. 00:16:28.700 --> 00:16:32.340 It should. It should grow. How my relationship 00:16:32.340 --> 00:16:34.480 with Jesus was when I was eight, when I got saved, 00:16:34.539 --> 00:16:37.120 is very different than now. It should be. It'd 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:41.919 be weird if it didn't change. But sometimes we 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:46.440 can misdefine, overemphasize an aspect of the 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:49.320 relationship or underemphasize an aspect of our 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:52.840 relationship. And we can actually have a definition 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:55.779 of what that relationship looks like where we 00:16:55.779 --> 00:16:58.659 go, wait a minute, I thought that it was like 00:16:58.659 --> 00:17:03.159 this. And Jesus goes, no, I don't know where 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:06.319 you got that. But it's supposed to be like this. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:10.140 For some of us, our relationship with Jesus is 00:17:10.140 --> 00:17:14.400 more like a friend. He's a friend. For some of 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:16.619 us, he's the holy king of all heaven and earth 00:17:16.619 --> 00:17:20.359 that we give reverence and honor to. For some 00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:22.359 of us, he's our deliverer who brings freedom. 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:27.099 For some of us, he's our healer. And so our relationship 00:17:27.099 --> 00:17:32.940 is defined. But did you know that actually the 00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:35.539 greatest definition to the relationship between 00:17:35.539 --> 00:17:40.180 humanity and our God is not just friendship. 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:46.680 It's not just kingship, citizenship. The greatest 00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:48.559 way to define the relationship between humanity 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:54.099 and God Is covenant. Covenantal relationship. 00:17:55.660 --> 00:17:59.000 That's deeper than friendship. That's more than 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:03.140 just a king and a citizen. We have covenant together. 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:06.519 And when we come to the table of the Lord. It 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:12.339 is a reminder. Of that relationship. That this 00:18:12.339 --> 00:18:17.259 relationship is covenantal. And we need to understand 00:18:17.259 --> 00:18:20.849 what is a covenant. Because the idea of covenant 00:18:20.849 --> 00:18:22.869 is not really used in our modern vernacular. 00:18:23.329 --> 00:18:26.349 I never said to my mom and dad, do you covenant 00:18:26.349 --> 00:18:28.430 with me that we're going to go to Baskin Robbins 00:18:28.430 --> 00:18:32.650 after the swimming pool today? No, it's, do you 00:18:32.650 --> 00:18:35.829 pinky swear, cross your heart, hope to die, you 00:18:35.829 --> 00:18:37.309 know, all this kind of stuff. Do you promise? 00:18:40.690 --> 00:18:42.930 One of the ways that we define covenant in the 00:18:42.930 --> 00:18:45.450 English, through Webster's definition of the 00:18:45.450 --> 00:18:50.279 word covenant, is this. It is a usual, formal, 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:55.079 it is usually formal, solemn, and a binding agreement. 00:18:55.619 --> 00:18:59.059 A written agreement of promise, usually under 00:18:59.059 --> 00:19:01.559 seal between two or more parties, especially 00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:04.980 for the performance of some action. It should 00:19:04.980 --> 00:19:12.299 be on the screen there. It is a good definition. 00:19:12.619 --> 00:19:18.519 It's close, close enough. But it falls short 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.500 of some of the fullness and the richness of what 00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:26.680 the word covenant meant in biblical times. In 00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:31.819 the Hebrew, the word beret, or beret, means covenant 00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:35.299 or to be in league. The possible roots of this 00:19:35.299 --> 00:19:39.259 word means bara, which means to eat, or bereth, 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:42.220 which means to cut, or baru, which means to bind. 00:19:42.970 --> 00:19:45.269 Eating is mentioned because in ancient times 00:19:45.269 --> 00:19:48.809 they would eat covenantal meals together. Cutting 00:19:48.809 --> 00:19:51.589 is mentioned because they would bring a sacrificial 00:19:51.589 --> 00:19:54.390 animal and cut it in half as a sign of the covenant. 00:19:55.309 --> 00:19:57.829 Bind is brought up because it signifies taking 00:19:57.829 --> 00:20:00.750 something weaker and binding it to something 00:20:00.750 --> 00:20:05.650 stronger. Making what was weaker stronger and 00:20:05.650 --> 00:20:10.309 making no longer separate but together. They're 00:20:10.309 --> 00:20:14.619 seen as one. Covenant in the Old Testament involved 00:20:14.619 --> 00:20:18.940 meal, sacrifice, and the binding together of 00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:22.839 something weaker to something stronger. And that 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:25.240 they would not just be weaker and stronger, but 00:20:25.240 --> 00:20:29.660 that they would become one. This is what covenant 00:20:29.660 --> 00:20:31.440 really means. And so we're gonna talk a little 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:33.779 bit about something. If you just let me be a 00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:37.720 history nerd for a second. Because I love history. 00:20:37.940 --> 00:20:39.700 History was one of the things I excelled at in 00:20:39.700 --> 00:20:42.170 school and I didn't excel at much. That's why 00:20:42.170 --> 00:20:49.250 I'm a pastor. And I loved understanding some 00:20:49.250 --> 00:20:51.329 of the ancient things regarding covenant because 00:20:51.329 --> 00:20:55.069 God takes something that is worldly and redeems 00:20:55.069 --> 00:20:58.369 it through his holy nature and his holy language. 00:20:58.809 --> 00:21:01.970 There is something in ancient culture called 00:21:01.970 --> 00:21:07.500 the Caesarian and Vassal Treaty. And so I'm going 00:21:07.500 --> 00:21:09.759 to really actually talk about what covenant is 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:12.779 through this type of treaty. And so that we can 00:21:12.779 --> 00:21:15.059 have an understanding of what covenant is. Because 00:21:15.059 --> 00:21:17.279 if we don't understand what covenant is, we're 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:18.980 not going to understand the significance of the 00:21:18.980 --> 00:21:23.319 blood of this covenant. The covenant, the first 00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:28.960 thing is the preamble, which is to identify the 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:33.440 Caesarian and to identify the vassal. This is 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:37.170 an ancient covenant format. used especially in 00:21:37.170 --> 00:21:39.049 the ancient Near East, the Hittites, the Assyrians, 00:21:39.170 --> 00:21:42.589 and later the Israelites used this. There would 00:21:42.589 --> 00:21:46.450 be a mighty king, who is the Caesarian, establishes 00:21:46.450 --> 00:21:49.569 a binding relationship with a lesser king or 00:21:49.569 --> 00:21:52.990 people, the vassal. That would be you and me. 00:21:54.950 --> 00:21:57.730 The preamble is we identify the greater king. 00:21:57.970 --> 00:22:00.910 This establishes who is making the covenant. 00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:05.839 And it emphasizes the authority and legitimacy 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:10.640 of the one making the covenant. Exodus 20 verse 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:15.500 2 says, I am the Lord your God. What is that? 00:22:16.099 --> 00:22:19.799 That is him establishing I'm the greater king 00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:24.799 in this relationship. I am the one who is establishing 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:29.059 this covenant between you and me. I'm the one 00:22:29.059 --> 00:22:32.660 who has the authority to do so. And I alone have 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:37.019 the legitimacy to do so. God identifies himself 00:22:37.019 --> 00:22:42.400 first, not the people. If you struggle with identity 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:45.940 issues, how you're going to actually find peace 00:22:45.940 --> 00:22:48.099 in who you are is not through discovering yourself. 00:22:50.420 --> 00:22:53.000 Christ is not meant to help you find yourself. 00:22:54.319 --> 00:22:56.980 Christianity is not an additional way, as all 00:22:56.980 --> 00:22:58.859 these other religions, in order to just find 00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:01.890 true fulfillment in your life. No, Christianity 00:23:01.890 --> 00:23:06.369 is about understanding who God is because he's 00:23:06.369 --> 00:23:09.990 revealed himself first to us. The Bible is not 00:23:09.990 --> 00:23:13.690 a book about the Israelites. The Bible is not 00:23:13.690 --> 00:23:17.170 a book about Christians. The Bible is a book 00:23:17.170 --> 00:23:23.869 about God. One of the biggest mistakes Christians 00:23:23.869 --> 00:23:27.289 do when they read the Bible is they read the 00:23:27.289 --> 00:23:33.069 verse. about themselves first. If you look for 00:23:33.069 --> 00:23:36.170 you in the verse before you look for God, you 00:23:36.170 --> 00:23:40.529 come to a wrong conclusion. You read about Moses 00:23:40.529 --> 00:23:44.470 and you say, oh, I'm Moses. You're gonna mess 00:23:44.470 --> 00:23:49.869 up. You ate Moses. You read Joshua and say, whoo, 00:23:49.950 --> 00:23:52.869 I'm a kick butt, kicking butt, taking names kind 00:23:52.869 --> 00:23:57.380 of conqueror. No, you're not. Man, you read about 00:23:57.380 --> 00:23:59.119 Jeremiah. You're going to read about John the 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:01.500 Baptist. You're going to read about Peter. And 00:24:01.500 --> 00:24:05.880 you think, I'm like them. No, no, no, no. Don't 00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:09.240 look for you. Because trust me, anybody who tries 00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:11.880 to find themselves will always be disappointed. 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:18.579 But you go looking for God. Anybody who's pursued 00:24:18.579 --> 00:24:21.119 God wholeheartedly has always been satisfied. 00:24:23.210 --> 00:24:25.789 Go to the scripture. And this is what the book 00:24:25.789 --> 00:24:29.089 of Hebrews is about. If you need a quick snippet 00:24:29.089 --> 00:24:31.089 of what the Old Testament is about, go read Hebrews. 00:24:31.829 --> 00:24:35.289 And you'll see that Hebrews takes that role of 00:24:35.289 --> 00:24:36.910 exegeting the Old Testament through the lens 00:24:36.910 --> 00:24:41.390 of where's Jesus in this? He goes. In creation, 00:24:41.509 --> 00:24:44.410 it was Jesus. With Moses, well, Jesus is better 00:24:44.410 --> 00:24:46.750 than Moses. With the angels, well, Jesus is better 00:24:46.750 --> 00:24:49.170 than the angels. With all the sacrificial things 00:24:49.170 --> 00:24:51.450 going on in the Old Testament, with all the lambs, 00:24:51.450 --> 00:24:53.970 well, Jesus is the greatest lamb. Jesus is the 00:24:53.970 --> 00:24:58.329 greatest priest. Because that's what the Bible's 00:24:58.329 --> 00:25:01.509 about. So the first thing about this covenant 00:25:01.509 --> 00:25:05.980 is who's the greater king? The next thing is 00:25:05.980 --> 00:25:09.460 the historical prologue which recounts the past 00:25:09.460 --> 00:25:13.799 relationship and the Caesarian's benevolent acts 00:25:13.799 --> 00:25:16.200 within the relationship. So, in other words, 00:25:16.259 --> 00:25:22.359 why loyalty is owed to God? God's not asking 00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:27.859 for loyalty. He's owed it. God's not asking for 00:25:27.859 --> 00:25:31.539 your worship. He's owed it. He's not asking for 00:25:31.539 --> 00:25:36.049 your tithe. He's owed it. And he has the full 00:25:36.049 --> 00:25:40.430 track record to prove that he is. He has every 00:25:40.430 --> 00:25:44.309 reason of why he is Oded. But the biggest lie 00:25:44.309 --> 00:25:47.630 we will get into is our personal experience theology 00:25:47.630 --> 00:25:52.250 that has a list of reasons why he's not. And 00:25:52.250 --> 00:25:54.509 for you to say that because of what I've been 00:25:54.509 --> 00:25:58.470 through, my experiences say something different 00:25:58.470 --> 00:26:01.849 than the word of God. So therefore, my truth 00:26:01.849 --> 00:26:05.210 is greater than the truth of God, which is a 00:26:05.210 --> 00:26:11.069 little wacko, don't you think? We have to go 00:26:11.069 --> 00:26:13.769 to the word and go, it's not my life. You know, 00:26:13.829 --> 00:26:16.670 whenever I go to the Bible, I have to try and 00:26:16.670 --> 00:26:21.329 not think about my experiences. I have to go 00:26:21.329 --> 00:26:25.589 to the word and look at what is true and then 00:26:25.589 --> 00:26:30.940 bring his truth into my experiences. Because 00:26:30.940 --> 00:26:39.099 it will change how I experience things. God establishes 00:26:39.099 --> 00:26:43.079 grounds for obedience in grace, not coercion. 00:26:44.339 --> 00:26:47.039 He's not trying to convince you to obey him. 00:26:47.940 --> 00:26:55.240 The Bible is not a convincing book. A lot of 00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:57.299 people back in, you know, when atheism was a 00:26:57.299 --> 00:26:59.359 huge thing back in, you know, the... 50s and 00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:02.519 60s and all that kind of stuff. And people started 00:27:02.519 --> 00:27:06.420 to read Genesis 1 -1 through the lens of trying 00:27:06.420 --> 00:27:10.039 to fight against atheism. You're not gonna really 00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:13.539 convince an atheist that atheism isn't true with 00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:16.480 Genesis 1 -1 because it's not trying to convince 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:20.839 anybody that God is real. It just says, in the 00:27:20.839 --> 00:27:27.569 beginning, there was God. Well, that's all the 00:27:27.569 --> 00:27:31.529 convincing I need. Just believe a book that says 00:27:31.529 --> 00:27:34.069 it is. Well, yeah, if you believe that the book 00:27:34.069 --> 00:27:36.789 is what the book says it is about itself, which 00:27:36.789 --> 00:27:41.450 is truth. So God is not trying to convince you 00:27:41.450 --> 00:27:45.450 to obey him. He's just saying you must obey. 00:27:46.470 --> 00:27:49.930 He's owed obedience through his loyalty. Exodus 00:27:49.930 --> 00:27:55.089 20 verse two says this. who brought you out of 00:27:55.089 --> 00:27:58.450 the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 00:27:58.670 --> 00:28:01.490 So we see in verse one, he says, I am the Lord, 00:28:01.529 --> 00:28:06.089 your God, Caesarian King. And I am the one who 00:28:06.089 --> 00:28:08.910 brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of 00:28:08.910 --> 00:28:14.369 the house of slavery. So that means what? I have 00:28:14.369 --> 00:28:18.109 done what is necessary to show you that I'm faithful. 00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:20.599 to show you that I am loving, to show you that 00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:23.500 I am good, to show you, I have done everything 00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:26.880 to possibly show to humanity the kind of God 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:29.839 that I am. The question is not about whether 00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:33.460 I am who I am, but do you believe I am who I 00:28:33.460 --> 00:28:40.140 say I am? The next thing is the stipulations, 00:28:40.140 --> 00:28:44.160 which is the terms of the covenant. So he's the 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:46.140 king who establishes the covenant. He's the king 00:28:46.140 --> 00:28:48.720 who deserves. And is the one who is owed loyalty 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:52.519 to this covenant. He's proven himself. And now 00:28:52.519 --> 00:28:56.960 he defines how the lesser king should live in 00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:00.400 the relationship with the greater king. Because 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:05.680 every good relationship has boundaries. Every 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:10.599 good relationship has rules. Anybody who tells 00:29:10.599 --> 00:29:13.660 you that rules are what keep you from actually 00:29:13.660 --> 00:29:23.859 having happiness and joy. Is stupid. I'm just 00:29:23.859 --> 00:29:26.420 going to say it how it is. They're dum -dums. 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:32.039 You need rules. In a relationship. You need boundaries. 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:35.339 In a relationship. And they need to be established. 00:29:35.539 --> 00:29:41.619 Not just assumed. They have to be established. 00:29:41.619 --> 00:29:46.539 And defined. Not just assumed. So let me tell 00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:50.779 you, parents, how many times have you established 00:29:50.779 --> 00:29:57.900 the rules of your house? How many times do your 00:29:57.900 --> 00:30:01.440 kids make assumptions and it gets them into trouble? 00:30:03.940 --> 00:30:06.859 How often do we get with God and we make an assumption? 00:30:09.420 --> 00:30:14.940 So God has made a way for us to. Know completely 00:30:14.940 --> 00:30:20.339 what he requires. And that is in the law. The 00:30:20.339 --> 00:30:22.240 book of Leviticus, the book of Exodus, the book 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:24.740 of Numbers, Deuteronomy, where he's defining 00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:28.119 all these laws is actually two different types 00:30:28.119 --> 00:30:30.579 of laws. There's the general stipulations of 00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:34.140 the general laws, which is exclusive loyalty. 00:30:36.119 --> 00:30:39.480 Not only do you owe me loyalty, but I am owed 00:30:39.480 --> 00:30:45.140 exclusive loyalty. There's no alliances with 00:30:45.140 --> 00:30:48.059 rival powers that should be involved. You shall 00:30:48.059 --> 00:30:52.980 have no other gods before me. Exodus 20 verse 00:30:52.980 --> 00:30:57.059 3. You shall have no other gods before me. So 00:30:57.059 --> 00:31:00.099 he establishes the rule, the law, the stipulation. 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:03.819 Listen, if you're going to marry me, you cannot 00:31:03.819 --> 00:31:08.380 have any other boyfriends. No other husbands. 00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:15.980 We are not Mormon. Okay? One man, one woman. 00:31:17.059 --> 00:31:18.759 I'm gonna get in trouble. I'm gonna stop there. 00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:24.339 I can keep going. I'm not. Even together. Stop 00:31:24.339 --> 00:31:26.019 it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it. Okay. 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:32.819 No other gods before me. How many other things 00:31:32.819 --> 00:31:40.440 do we give loyalty to in this life? How many 00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:44.299 things Because here's the thing, if God is only 00:31:44.299 --> 00:31:50.279 friend, you can have many friends. There's no 00:31:50.279 --> 00:31:51.619 limit on the amount of friends you can have. 00:31:54.359 --> 00:31:56.200 But there's a limit on how many people you can 00:31:56.200 --> 00:32:02.180 marry. What's the difference? Covenant. That's 00:32:02.180 --> 00:32:04.160 the difference. That's why it's so important 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:06.019 to understand how you define your relationship 00:32:06.019 --> 00:32:09.920 with Jesus. Because if you just think this is 00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:12.900 a friendship personal thing, you're gonna miss 00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:16.799 out on a lot. If you think this is only because 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:21.519 of law and only because he's a boss watching 00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:24.539 your life with a hammer above your head just 00:32:24.539 --> 00:32:30.339 waiting for you to make a mistake, bam! I heard 00:32:30.339 --> 00:32:31.940 that swear word of that person in the highway, 00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:37.759 cut you off. Flat tire, bam! Once again, if you 00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:39.420 understand covenant, you know that that's not 00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:45.789 how God is. So there's general stipulations, 00:32:45.829 --> 00:32:48.109 which is the 10 commandments. And then there's 00:32:48.109 --> 00:32:51.829 all the specific regulations, which is detailed 00:32:51.829 --> 00:32:55.509 laws and expectations. These regard ethical laws. 00:32:55.670 --> 00:32:59.390 These are social laws, ritual obligations. He 00:32:59.390 --> 00:33:02.630 defines, look, listen, I'm not gonna just define 00:33:02.630 --> 00:33:05.170 covenant of like here, you shall not have any 00:33:05.170 --> 00:33:07.210 other gods before me, but here's how I want you 00:33:07.210 --> 00:33:13.420 to worship. That's what Leviticus is about. Because 00:33:13.420 --> 00:33:17.759 worship back then was through sacrifices. Today, 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:21.160 sacrifice of my lips and the lifting up of my 00:33:21.160 --> 00:33:25.019 hands be like the evening sacrifice. How should 00:33:25.019 --> 00:33:27.720 you read the book of Leviticus? Well, instead 00:33:27.720 --> 00:33:30.180 of putting a lamb there, you know, read. that 00:33:30.180 --> 00:33:32.000 Jesus is the lamb who is the all -sufficient 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:34.700 sacrifice. But then you have to read Romans 12, 00:33:34.779 --> 00:33:37.539 1, where Paul actually takes the concept of sacrifice 00:33:37.539 --> 00:33:40.359 and now translate it as a theological concept 00:33:40.359 --> 00:33:43.359 to the new covenant and says, your sacrifices 00:33:43.359 --> 00:33:47.180 are actually your life, living, that worship 00:33:47.180 --> 00:33:49.740 to God is not contained in a 45 -minute worship 00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:53.720 service. It is your continual living. And so 00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:57.240 how do you smell as a pleasing aroma to God on 00:33:57.240 --> 00:33:59.859 Monday through Saturday, not just Sunday, Do 00:33:59.859 --> 00:34:04.759 you smell pleasing to God for 45 minutes and 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:06.559 then you smell like complete garbage the rest 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:12.719 of the week? I'm telling you, the Old Testament's 00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:18.059 really good. You should read it. This defines 00:34:18.059 --> 00:34:22.820 faithful relationship. God sets these laws in 00:34:22.820 --> 00:34:25.000 motion because he wants to define what faithfulness 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:27.860 actually looks like. What does love actually 00:34:27.860 --> 00:34:31.230 look like? What does honor actually look like? 00:34:35.829 --> 00:34:39.630 Number four, provision for deposition and public 00:34:39.630 --> 00:34:43.210 reading. So not only are the laws meant to be 00:34:43.210 --> 00:34:48.150 defined, they're to be written and then read 00:34:48.150 --> 00:34:53.710 to the whole nation. He ensures the treaty is 00:34:53.710 --> 00:34:55.969 preserved and remembered. Do you know why it's 00:34:55.969 --> 00:34:58.030 called the mercy seat back in the tabernacle 00:34:58.030 --> 00:35:02.139 of Moses? Because in a Caesarian vassal contract, 00:35:02.420 --> 00:35:06.760 the king would actually, on his throne, would 00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:09.360 keep the law of the covenant under a footstool. 00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:14.079 And so when he would sit, he could look down 00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:21.420 and see the law. And it's a mercy seat because 00:35:21.420 --> 00:35:26.400 now, because, spoilers if you haven't read the 00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:29.039 Bible, but they break the covenant between God. 00:35:29.579 --> 00:35:32.940 And them. And so the law has been broken. And 00:35:32.940 --> 00:35:35.400 so now all of the curses that are aligned with 00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:37.699 the law should be poured out. And the consequences 00:35:37.699 --> 00:35:39.760 of breaking that covenant should be poured out 00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:43.519 on all the people. But it's the mercy seat, not 00:35:43.519 --> 00:35:49.940 the judgment seat. Why? Because of a word in 00:35:49.940 --> 00:35:53.119 the Old Testament called atonement. Where the 00:35:53.119 --> 00:35:56.159 blood of the lamb was poured out on the mercy 00:35:56.159 --> 00:36:00.329 seat. so that when God, the greater king, looked 00:36:00.329 --> 00:36:04.210 at the violations and looked at the law, he would 00:36:04.210 --> 00:36:06.389 not see the violation of his people in the breaking 00:36:06.389 --> 00:36:08.690 of the covenant. He would see the blood of the 00:36:08.690 --> 00:36:21.289 sacrifice and see the covenant unbroken. So the 00:36:21.289 --> 00:36:25.289 covenant that we have is supposed to be visible, 00:36:25.309 --> 00:36:30.130 not hidden. It's always visible to God. It should 00:36:30.130 --> 00:36:32.469 always be visible to us. Why should I read my 00:36:32.469 --> 00:36:34.630 Bible every day? Because you're reading covenant. 00:36:37.570 --> 00:36:39.530 This is a covenant book. Do you know the word 00:36:39.530 --> 00:36:45.789 testament? It's actually the word covenant. This 00:36:45.789 --> 00:36:48.500 is the old covenant and the new covenant. That 00:36:48.500 --> 00:36:51.300 as we read this, this is why it's so important 00:36:51.300 --> 00:36:52.920 for us to understand this part of a relationship 00:36:52.920 --> 00:36:55.500 with God. Because we're not just reading a story 00:36:55.500 --> 00:36:59.619 of salvation. We're reading how God brings salvation. 00:37:01.699 --> 00:37:08.400 He brings salvation through covenant. It's his 00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:13.420 very vessel he uses to carry something priceless. 00:37:13.800 --> 00:37:19.880 It is the thing that, brings salvation to us. 00:37:20.599 --> 00:37:25.480 It is covenant. I have a relationship with God 00:37:25.480 --> 00:37:31.199 because of his desire of covenant with me. And 00:37:31.199 --> 00:37:34.760 so regular written copies were stored in sacred 00:37:34.760 --> 00:37:37.860 places. Where was the law placed in the most 00:37:37.860 --> 00:37:42.639 sacred place in all of Israel? Let me ask you, 00:37:42.679 --> 00:37:49.929 where is the law stored in your life? Is it stored 00:37:49.929 --> 00:37:54.230 in the outer courts or is it stored in the most 00:37:54.230 --> 00:38:00.670 holy place? Your innermost being. The place that 00:38:00.670 --> 00:38:05.429 only one priest can get to. The one priest who 00:38:05.429 --> 00:38:10.230 is Christ. This is not for everybody. But where 00:38:10.230 --> 00:38:13.489 is that word? It's the place where Christ is 00:38:13.489 --> 00:38:16.789 and he goes as our high priest. Then there's 00:38:16.789 --> 00:38:22.230 witnesses. to this covenant. There has to be 00:38:22.230 --> 00:38:27.530 witnesses to validate the treaty. Deuteronomy 00:38:27.530 --> 00:38:31.409 30 verse 19 says, I call heaven and earth to 00:38:31.409 --> 00:38:37.690 witness against you today. Creation itself is 00:38:37.690 --> 00:38:43.510 a witness of our God and his covenant. When God 00:38:43.510 --> 00:38:47.210 made a covenant with Noah, What did he use as 00:38:47.210 --> 00:38:51.170 a way to be a witness to Noah and every future 00:38:51.170 --> 00:38:55.710 generation afterwards? Yeah, it wasn't a pride 00:38:55.710 --> 00:38:59.670 thing back then like it is today. A rainbow. 00:39:01.710 --> 00:39:05.070 The rainbow is not a symbol of pride and sexual 00:39:05.070 --> 00:39:09.789 preference. The rainbow is a sign of covenant. 00:39:15.250 --> 00:39:18.250 Romans 1, 19 through 20. For what can be known 00:39:18.250 --> 00:39:20.449 about God is plain to them because God has shown 00:39:20.449 --> 00:39:23.170 it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely 00:39:23.170 --> 00:39:25.469 his eternal power and divine nature, have been 00:39:25.469 --> 00:39:27.630 clearly perceived ever since the creation of 00:39:27.630 --> 00:39:30.070 the world. In the things that have been made, 00:39:30.130 --> 00:39:33.510 so they are without excuse. Which means all of 00:39:33.510 --> 00:39:36.550 creation is a witness to the covenant of God. 00:39:37.730 --> 00:39:42.050 Then there is the blessings and curses. Man, 00:39:42.090 --> 00:39:45.699 I really gotta speed this up. I'm gonna go a 00:39:45.699 --> 00:39:49.119 little faster for you. Explains here the reasons 00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:51.019 why there needs to be blessing and cursings because 00:39:51.019 --> 00:39:53.840 there needs to be an explanation of the consequences 00:39:53.840 --> 00:39:59.519 of obedience or rebellion. There's blessings 00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:02.219 of loyalty and there's curses for disobedience. 00:40:03.500 --> 00:40:06.920 Go read Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy 00:40:06.920 --> 00:40:08.659 28. Write those down in your notes for later 00:40:08.659 --> 00:40:12.059 reading. I encourage you to go read this because 00:40:12.650 --> 00:40:17.150 Read the blessings of your obedience and read 00:40:17.150 --> 00:40:21.969 the curses of disobedience. And I want you to 00:40:21.969 --> 00:40:25.809 understand that these are not random punishments. 00:40:25.909 --> 00:40:32.309 They are covenantal consequences. If I cheat 00:40:32.309 --> 00:40:36.030 on my wife, her punching me in the face is not 00:40:36.030 --> 00:40:42.360 random. Not saying that that's what God does, 00:40:42.440 --> 00:40:44.380 even though that might be what we deserve. But 00:40:44.380 --> 00:40:48.139 when we are in covenant with God and we rebel, 00:40:48.260 --> 00:40:51.739 why are we shocked that our life is in chaos 00:40:51.739 --> 00:40:59.519 and despair and destruction? God, why is this 00:40:59.519 --> 00:41:02.599 happening to me? Well, there's rebellion in your 00:41:02.599 --> 00:41:10.969 life. Obey. But I don't. Can you just remove 00:41:10.969 --> 00:41:18.030 the consequences? But let me keep living how 00:41:18.030 --> 00:41:23.550 I wanna live. No. Because then, what's the... 00:41:23.550 --> 00:41:29.289 I'm not gonna go there. I'm not gonna go there. 00:41:29.449 --> 00:41:33.489 I'm just gonna let it be. Essentially, it's the 00:41:33.489 --> 00:41:37.989 idea that it's like, why would you not discipline 00:41:37.989 --> 00:41:43.619 your child? When they rebel against you. Because 00:41:43.619 --> 00:41:47.480 if they do and you don't discipline them, then 00:41:47.480 --> 00:41:51.039 they see that their rebellion has no consequence 00:41:51.039 --> 00:41:57.219 to it. They don't see the pain it causes. Yes, 00:41:57.260 --> 00:42:01.039 you rebel. I will cause you pain. But have your 00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:03.039 parents ever said this to you? This is gonna 00:42:03.039 --> 00:42:04.500 hurt me a lot more than it's gonna hurt you. 00:42:06.519 --> 00:42:08.780 As a kid, you're like, that's the biggest lie 00:42:08.780 --> 00:42:12.480 ever. As a parent, there's nothing more true. 00:42:19.420 --> 00:42:22.539 Why does God want us to understand the consequences 00:42:22.539 --> 00:42:26.199 of covenant through obedience or through rebellion? 00:42:26.420 --> 00:42:29.940 Because God wants to relate to his people covenantally, 00:42:29.940 --> 00:42:34.599 not casually. The reason why there's a curse 00:42:34.599 --> 00:42:38.320 in rebellion is because this ain't casual. There's 00:42:38.320 --> 00:42:40.579 consequences to this because God takes it seriously. 00:42:42.880 --> 00:42:47.920 Obedience is relational loyalty, not legalism. 00:42:53.380 --> 00:42:59.579 Obedience is relational loyalty, not legalism. 00:43:01.480 --> 00:43:04.840 I don't take care of my wife when she's sick 00:43:04.840 --> 00:43:07.960 because I just simply said a vow. Five years 00:43:07.960 --> 00:43:12.639 ago. I do it because I have relationship with 00:43:12.639 --> 00:43:19.280 my wife. And I love her. I care for her. And 00:43:19.280 --> 00:43:21.400 she will do the same for me. And she will do, 00:43:21.519 --> 00:43:23.239 she'll take care of me way better than I can 00:43:23.239 --> 00:43:31.960 take care of her. How much so with God? This 00:43:31.960 --> 00:43:33.980 is why it's so important that we define our relationship 00:43:33.980 --> 00:43:39.090 with God as covenantal. Not as a boss. Because 00:43:39.090 --> 00:43:43.150 if we see him as a boss, we will see our relationship 00:43:43.150 --> 00:43:48.090 and our obedience as legalism. God used what 00:43:48.090 --> 00:43:51.630 was familiar to Israel. The covenantal system 00:43:51.630 --> 00:43:55.090 that I just talked about was happening before 00:43:55.090 --> 00:43:58.769 God did this at Mount Sinai. This was happening 00:43:58.769 --> 00:44:00.650 in rebellious nations all around the world at 00:44:00.650 --> 00:44:03.809 the time. But God takes something familiar that 00:44:03.809 --> 00:44:06.559 the Israelites would have known. and he rebrands 00:44:06.559 --> 00:44:11.820 it and turns it into something with mercy and 00:44:11.820 --> 00:44:17.139 holiness. We're still defining covenant. In the 00:44:17.139 --> 00:44:22.360 Greek, is a word that I don't want to attempt 00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:25.940 to announce, but essentially the idea is a unilateral 00:44:25.940 --> 00:44:29.340 concept, which means one side makes the decisions 00:44:29.340 --> 00:44:32.559 and sets the boundaries, and the other side can 00:44:32.559 --> 00:44:36.800 only accept it or reject it. They can't change 00:44:36.800 --> 00:44:39.659 the terms of the covenant or negotiate them. 00:44:42.280 --> 00:44:46.440 So God is always the one who initiates and sets 00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:51.340 the boundaries for the covenant. God alone has 00:44:51.340 --> 00:44:53.539 the mind, the authority, and the ability to make 00:44:53.539 --> 00:44:57.920 the covenant effective. Which means what? We 00:44:57.920 --> 00:44:59.940 don't get to go to God and say, God, can I add 00:44:59.940 --> 00:45:03.599 something really quick? You don't go to God and 00:45:03.599 --> 00:45:06.300 say, can we negotiate what kind of relationship 00:45:06.300 --> 00:45:11.059 we should have? Let's talk about this a little 00:45:11.059 --> 00:45:15.219 bit. No, no, no. It's one side who sets everything 00:45:15.219 --> 00:45:19.380 and your job is to say yes to it or no to it. 00:45:21.880 --> 00:45:23.760 We're not here to debate with God. We're not 00:45:23.760 --> 00:45:26.380 here to convince him of, well, if you just let 00:45:26.380 --> 00:45:29.619 me have this, I'll still serve you in many ways. 00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:34.019 The fact that you keep that makes all of your 00:45:34.019 --> 00:45:39.940 service worthless. And why is it defined that 00:45:39.940 --> 00:45:47.000 way? Covenant. So in summary, if you're taking 00:45:47.000 --> 00:45:48.179 notes, I'm sure you're going to write all this 00:45:48.179 --> 00:45:53.000 down. A covenant is an agreement where God acts 00:45:53.000 --> 00:45:56.500 as the supreme king, holding the authority to 00:45:56.500 --> 00:45:58.980 establish and set the rules and limits of his 00:45:58.980 --> 00:46:21.880 covenant. There you go. That is my definition 00:46:21.880 --> 00:46:28.039 of covenant. But now we're gonna talk about Another 00:46:28.039 --> 00:46:31.400 aspect of the covenant, which is the Trinity 00:46:31.400 --> 00:46:35.239 within covenant. The Old Testament's not just 00:46:35.239 --> 00:46:37.019 the covenant of the Father, and the New Testament's 00:46:37.019 --> 00:46:38.400 the covenant of the Son, and the book of Acts 00:46:38.400 --> 00:46:41.820 is just the covenant of the Holy Spirit. All 00:46:41.820 --> 00:46:44.900 three are present within every covenant throughout 00:46:44.900 --> 00:46:48.539 Scripture. It's not just the Father in the Old. 00:46:49.139 --> 00:46:52.800 The Son is present in the Old Covenant, in all 00:46:52.800 --> 00:46:56.239 of them. The Holy Spirit is present in all of 00:46:56.239 --> 00:46:58.599 them. I'll prove it to you. Do you have that 00:46:58.599 --> 00:47:06.000 slide of my little graph that I made? I'm very 00:47:06.000 --> 00:47:13.440 proud of it, so I hope you see it. If not, that's 00:47:13.440 --> 00:47:15.340 okay. The whole message just falls apart, but... 00:47:15.340 --> 00:47:25.539 I'm kidding. You're doing a great job. The very 00:47:25.539 --> 00:47:28.579 center of covenantal theology is the threeness 00:47:28.579 --> 00:47:33.460 of God's person. Each divine covenant has basically 00:47:33.460 --> 00:47:37.320 three parts to them. And any covenant is incomplete 00:47:37.320 --> 00:47:39.960 and therefore invalid without the testimony of 00:47:39.960 --> 00:47:43.420 these three things. Number one, the words or 00:47:43.420 --> 00:47:46.900 promises of the covenant. Number two, the blood 00:47:46.900 --> 00:47:50.219 of the covenant. Number three, the seal of the 00:47:50.219 --> 00:47:54.780 covenant. The triune God gave triune covenants. 00:47:56.159 --> 00:47:58.659 Each person in the Trinity had a part in making, 00:47:58.860 --> 00:48:01.679 ratifying, and the sealing of the covenants. 00:48:03.059 --> 00:48:13.500 So I'll show you in the graph. Is it out there? 00:48:16.920 --> 00:48:24.340 That dingo ate my baby. Dang it. All right. Sorry, 00:48:24.420 --> 00:48:35.280 I'm just trying to cope. The father. This is 00:48:35.280 --> 00:48:42.940 very serious, okay? Here, can you see that? Just 00:48:42.940 --> 00:48:48.199 kidding. The words and the promises of the covenant. 00:48:48.239 --> 00:48:49.579 Number one, at least you can write it down in 00:48:49.579 --> 00:48:51.019 your notes because I know you're all taking notes. 00:48:53.199 --> 00:48:57.840 The Father is the originator, initiator, covenant 00:48:57.840 --> 00:49:00.639 maker, and keeper. He's the source, he's the 00:49:00.639 --> 00:49:04.360 first, and he's the beginning. He is the Father's, 00:49:04.360 --> 00:49:09.039 the covenant is the Father's word to us. The 00:49:09.039 --> 00:49:12.380 Son, the sacrifice of body and blood, the second 00:49:12.380 --> 00:49:15.159 person, the mediator and ratifier of the covenant. 00:49:15.300 --> 00:49:18.360 He is the blood of the covenant, which is the 00:49:18.360 --> 00:49:23.070 Son's work for us. So the covenant is the Father's 00:49:23.070 --> 00:49:30.929 word to us. The Son is the work for us. And then 00:49:30.929 --> 00:49:34.269 the Holy Spirit, the executor appointed to carry 00:49:34.269 --> 00:49:37.050 out the will and testament of the Father and 00:49:37.050 --> 00:49:39.590 the Son, the third person, the completer and 00:49:39.590 --> 00:49:42.090 the fulfiller of the covenant, the seal of the 00:49:42.090 --> 00:49:50.829 covenant. The Holy Spirit's work in us. The Father's 00:49:50.829 --> 00:49:54.730 word to us, the Son's work for us, and the Holy 00:49:54.730 --> 00:49:59.869 Spirit's work in us. All present in covenant. 00:50:02.010 --> 00:50:03.789 And I don't have time to discuss the word of 00:50:03.789 --> 00:50:05.349 the covenant or the seal of the covenant, but 00:50:05.349 --> 00:50:07.349 I do want to discuss the blood of the covenant. 00:50:09.469 --> 00:50:11.730 And I want to define exactly what covenant we 00:50:11.730 --> 00:50:14.489 have because there are, I believe, nine covenants 00:50:14.489 --> 00:50:16.429 within all of scripture, but this one, the one 00:50:16.429 --> 00:50:18.489 that we are currently in, is called the new covenant. 00:50:19.820 --> 00:50:22.019 The new covenant which all previous covenants 00:50:22.019 --> 00:50:26.579 foreshadowed is personified in the Lord Jesus 00:50:26.579 --> 00:50:33.079 Christ. Jesus is covenant himself. It encompasses 00:50:33.079 --> 00:50:36.179 salvation, justification, regeneration, assurance, 00:50:36.440 --> 00:50:38.760 sanctification, adoption, and glorification, 00:50:39.019 --> 00:50:41.760 collectively known as the covenant of the kingdom. 00:50:42.940 --> 00:50:45.679 This covenant extends beyond the Jewish people 00:50:45.679 --> 00:50:49.010 to include the Gentiles, It involves the outpouring 00:50:49.010 --> 00:50:51.510 of the Holy Spirit, bringing blessings such as 00:50:51.510 --> 00:50:55.130 healings, miracles, and deliverance. Additionally, 00:50:55.230 --> 00:50:57.969 it guarantees resurrection and eternal life, 00:50:58.150 --> 00:51:01.389 allowing us to experience a relationship with 00:51:01.389 --> 00:51:05.170 Jesus both now and eternally. This incredible 00:51:05.170 --> 00:51:08.849 covenant is only possible through the blood of 00:51:08.849 --> 00:51:12.510 Christ, which is essential for the relationship 00:51:12.510 --> 00:51:15.980 we are meant to have with God. The blood of Christ 00:51:15.980 --> 00:51:19.880 is the very blood of the covenant, making it 00:51:19.880 --> 00:51:22.320 crucial for all Christians to understand its 00:51:22.320 --> 00:51:26.940 significance. We just defined the covenant, now 00:51:26.940 --> 00:51:31.500 we define the blood. Whose blood is the blood 00:51:31.500 --> 00:51:33.800 of the covenant? What makes this relationship 00:51:33.800 --> 00:51:36.639 possible with God? If there is no blood, there 00:51:36.639 --> 00:51:40.440 is no covenant. So whose blood are we to partake 00:51:40.440 --> 00:51:44.000 in? And if you're here visiting church, maybe 00:51:44.000 --> 00:51:45.380 for the first time in your life, you're thinking, 00:51:45.420 --> 00:51:50.480 what did I just walk into? We have to drink some 00:51:50.480 --> 00:51:53.960 guy's blood. Don't feel bad. The Romans made 00:51:53.960 --> 00:52:01.920 the same mistake. There it is. Take pictures 00:52:01.920 --> 00:52:08.599 quickly before it leaves. No, I encourage you, 00:52:08.619 --> 00:52:13.629 take pictures because you need to know. Because 00:52:13.629 --> 00:52:18.809 we're forgetful. It's why God chose it to be 00:52:18.809 --> 00:52:24.750 written. So we need to read it. We need to see 00:52:24.750 --> 00:52:28.769 it. In order for us to know it, to believe it, 00:52:28.829 --> 00:52:37.289 to live it. Okay, I'm moving on. Put your phones 00:52:37.289 --> 00:52:44.219 down. Why must there be blood offered in a covenant 00:52:44.219 --> 00:52:49.860 with God? Because a covenant was viewed as a 00:52:49.860 --> 00:52:54.900 life and death commitment and thus required bloodshed. 00:52:56.079 --> 00:52:58.519 The sacrificial blood used to make the covenant 00:52:58.519 --> 00:53:02.480 official represented the life commitment of those 00:53:02.480 --> 00:53:06.139 entering into the covenant. Let's go to Hebrews 00:53:06.139 --> 00:53:09.139 chapter nine. We're gonna spend majority of our 00:53:09.139 --> 00:53:14.260 time here. In Hebrews chapter nine, verse 15, 00:53:14.500 --> 00:53:23.539 it says here, therefore he is the mediator of 00:53:23.539 --> 00:53:27.159 a new covenant so that those who are called may 00:53:27.159 --> 00:53:30.920 receive the promised eternal inheritance since 00:53:30.920 --> 00:53:42.260 a death has occurred. Whose death? A death, one 00:53:42.260 --> 00:53:47.059 death has occurred that has made this covenant 00:53:47.059 --> 00:53:50.699 possible. What do we come to the table of the 00:53:50.699 --> 00:53:56.260 Lord to do? To remember one death. The death 00:53:56.260 --> 00:54:05.300 that made this life possible. Since a death has 00:54:05.300 --> 00:54:13.050 occurred that redeems them. This is a death that 00:54:13.050 --> 00:54:20.010 saves. Which is the most contrary concept I could 00:54:20.010 --> 00:54:23.969 ever wrap my head around. That God saved us, 00:54:23.969 --> 00:54:31.190 gave us life by dying. We need to understand 00:54:31.190 --> 00:54:34.730 that the life we live is because of his death. 00:54:39.719 --> 00:54:42.119 And the only way you actually get to live the 00:54:42.119 --> 00:54:47.739 life with Christ is if we die with Christ, which 00:54:47.739 --> 00:54:50.880 is Paul's theology that he discusses in multiple 00:54:50.880 --> 00:54:53.619 aspects of the epistles where he talks about, 00:54:53.800 --> 00:54:56.420 which he's just emphasizing the teaching of Christ 00:54:56.420 --> 00:54:58.460 when Christ actually gave his teaching on it, 00:54:58.500 --> 00:55:02.860 which is if you want to follow me, you must deny 00:55:02.860 --> 00:55:06.739 yourself, take up your cross. Why will you carry 00:55:06.739 --> 00:55:14.099 a cross? Because you're on your way to die. And 00:55:14.099 --> 00:55:19.800 follow me. What are we following Jesus to? No, 00:55:19.820 --> 00:55:22.579 we're not following Jesus to. We're following 00:55:22.579 --> 00:55:31.699 Jesus through death. Christ established covenant 00:55:31.699 --> 00:55:36.599 through death. Not over it, not around it, not 00:55:36.599 --> 00:55:40.079 above it. He did not work his way to be able 00:55:40.079 --> 00:55:42.809 to still hold on to his life. and establish relationship 00:55:42.809 --> 00:55:46.510 with us. Uh -uh. God said, no, no, no. I'm gonna 00:55:46.510 --> 00:55:49.250 establish a covenant that I know I have to go 00:55:49.250 --> 00:55:56.409 through death to bring life. So why do we think 00:55:56.409 --> 00:55:59.570 we can have life with Christ and get around death? 00:56:02.150 --> 00:56:06.489 I'm not just talking about death as in the natural 00:56:06.489 --> 00:56:08.449 sense. I'm talking about it in the spiritual 00:56:08.449 --> 00:56:14.059 sense as well. What are the things in my life 00:56:14.059 --> 00:56:16.940 that I'm still alive to that I haven't inherited 00:56:16.940 --> 00:56:19.519 the life of Christ because I'm still living in 00:56:19.519 --> 00:56:28.219 the ways of the world? This is a death that is 00:56:28.219 --> 00:56:32.119 required. Why is blood required? Because death 00:56:32.119 --> 00:56:37.719 is required. Jesus didn't stop the crucifixion 00:56:37.719 --> 00:56:43.489 at the whipping post. His blood was spilled. 00:56:45.329 --> 00:56:55.630 Why die? His blood was spilled. When they would 00:56:55.630 --> 00:56:59.329 punch him in the face, blood coming from his 00:56:59.329 --> 00:57:03.849 brow. Blood's been spilled, Lord. Is it enough? 00:57:05.210 --> 00:57:09.369 Not enough. You've been whipped to the point 00:57:09.369 --> 00:57:13.219 of your ribs have been shown. Your flesh has 00:57:13.219 --> 00:57:15.619 been so mangled you become unrecognizable as 00:57:15.619 --> 00:57:25.519 a human person. Is that enough? No. You've been 00:57:25.519 --> 00:57:27.619 on the cross long enough. You're suffocating 00:57:27.619 --> 00:57:30.780 on the very blood that would give us life. You're 00:57:30.780 --> 00:57:32.860 suffocating on the very thing that would let 00:57:32.860 --> 00:57:41.380 us continue breathing. Is it enough? No. Because 00:57:41.380 --> 00:57:45.420 the blood cannot do its work until something 00:57:45.420 --> 00:57:50.300 has died. Because in order for covenant to happen, 00:57:50.380 --> 00:57:55.920 death is required. In order for us to have a 00:57:55.920 --> 00:57:58.940 relationship with Christ, it's not just that 00:57:58.940 --> 00:58:00.980 you can spill some blood and say that you're 00:58:00.980 --> 00:58:07.340 in covenant with God. Something has to die. And 00:58:07.340 --> 00:58:15.800 God showed us this in his life. His blood was 00:58:15.800 --> 00:58:20.239 made available to all of creation upon his death. 00:58:23.679 --> 00:58:25.679 When I come to the table of the Lord, I come 00:58:25.679 --> 00:58:35.840 to remember his death. You know, Jesus makes 00:58:35.840 --> 00:58:41.480 a reference to the old covenant in Mark that 00:58:41.480 --> 00:58:43.460 we just read at the beginning of the sermon. 00:58:44.940 --> 00:58:48.900 He says, this is my blood of the covenant. You 00:58:48.900 --> 00:58:53.940 know he's referencing Moses. Exodus 24 verse 00:58:53.940 --> 00:58:57.519 eight says this. And Moses took the blood and 00:58:57.519 --> 00:59:03.320 threw it on the people. Behold, the blood of 00:59:03.320 --> 00:59:09.639 the covenant that the Lord has made with you 00:59:09.639 --> 00:59:15.670 in accordance with all these words. See, Moses 00:59:15.670 --> 00:59:18.510 sprinkled the blood of animals on the people, 00:59:18.590 --> 00:59:27.289 but Christ, his blood is sprinkled on the inside 00:59:27.289 --> 00:59:31.869 of people. This blood of the covenant is not 00:59:31.869 --> 00:59:39.349 external. It is internal. The blood of the covenant 00:59:39.349 --> 00:59:46.320 works internally and eternally. Christ did not 00:59:46.320 --> 00:59:52.139 abolish covenant language. He claimed it. He 00:59:52.139 --> 00:59:56.159 did not remove the need for sacrifice. He became 00:59:56.159 --> 01:00:03.820 the sacrifice himself. God is always after the 01:00:03.820 --> 01:00:09.400 inner transformation of his people. The blood 01:00:09.400 --> 01:00:12.219 of Christ was not spilled so that you would have 01:00:12.219 --> 01:00:17.409 a different moral view. The blood of Christ was 01:00:17.409 --> 01:00:19.489 not spilled just so that you could follow rules 01:00:19.489 --> 01:00:24.309 and be a good person. The blood of Christ was 01:00:24.309 --> 01:00:26.769 spilled so that you would be changed internally, 01:00:27.070 --> 01:00:35.570 transformed eternally, glorified with him. The 01:00:35.570 --> 01:00:39.949 blood of Christ should change me. Did you know 01:00:39.949 --> 01:00:43.059 that the early church Their theology was that 01:00:43.059 --> 01:00:46.639 the partaking of the communion table was an act 01:00:46.639 --> 01:00:52.880 of transformation. It was a part of sanctification. 01:00:55.260 --> 01:00:58.880 What did the priests use to cleanse the altars? 01:00:59.480 --> 01:01:04.079 The blood. What did the priests use to cleanse 01:01:04.079 --> 01:01:10.699 the priests? The blood. The blood is present. 01:01:11.320 --> 01:01:16.119 In every aspect of covenant. And it is required. 01:01:16.900 --> 01:01:21.019 For this covenant. To be established. And for 01:01:21.019 --> 01:01:23.659 it to do. It's fulfilling work. Of transforming 01:01:23.659 --> 01:01:27.760 us. From people who are lost. Broken. Into those 01:01:27.760 --> 01:01:31.260 who are whole. Found and adopted. In the name 01:01:31.260 --> 01:01:35.159 of Jesus Christ. It's because of his blood. That 01:01:35.159 --> 01:01:42.429 I have covenant. The blood of Christ. Is necessary. 01:01:42.550 --> 01:01:46.190 1 John 1 .7 says. But if we walk in the light 01:01:46.190 --> 01:01:47.849 as he is in the light. We have fellowship with 01:01:47.849 --> 01:01:52.710 one another. And the blood of Jesus. His son. 01:01:53.969 --> 01:01:58.269 Cleanses us. From all sin. The blood transforms. 01:01:58.869 --> 01:02:01.050 And the blood cleanses. Did you know that the 01:02:01.050 --> 01:02:06.670 word to cleanse. Means to free from filth. Which 01:02:06.670 --> 01:02:09.929 means any part of your past. any part of your 01:02:09.929 --> 01:02:12.409 heritage, any part of the horrible decisions 01:02:12.409 --> 01:02:14.989 you might have made in this life, if you have 01:02:14.989 --> 01:02:18.010 received the blood of Christ, you are not just 01:02:18.010 --> 01:02:21.769 living in tolerance of filth. You are free from 01:02:21.769 --> 01:02:26.730 it. That you are no longer bound to the way that 01:02:26.730 --> 01:02:29.530 your dad or your mom was. You are not bound to 01:02:29.530 --> 01:02:32.130 the way your grandfather was or your great -grandfather 01:02:32.130 --> 01:02:35.489 was. That you are now new and that you have a 01:02:35.489 --> 01:02:38.230 new... person that you are made and formed into 01:02:38.230 --> 01:02:40.789 the image of. And it is not your dad. It is not 01:02:40.789 --> 01:02:42.929 your mom. It's not a relative. It's not that 01:02:42.929 --> 01:02:55.469 boss. It is Jesus Christ himself. It cleanses 01:02:55.469 --> 01:02:59.150 us. He frees us from the filth. He frees us from 01:02:59.150 --> 01:03:02.860 the curse. He frees us from that identity. He 01:03:02.860 --> 01:03:06.199 frees us from that addiction. It frees us from 01:03:06.199 --> 01:03:08.820 those issues and those places of bondage. The 01:03:08.820 --> 01:03:12.139 blood of Christ is stronger and greater than 01:03:12.139 --> 01:03:15.039 any chain. It's greater than any family tree. 01:03:16.139 --> 01:03:19.199 It's greater than any word you've said over yourself 01:03:19.199 --> 01:03:22.159 or someone has said over you. The blood of Christ 01:03:22.159 --> 01:03:29.300 speaks a better word. The blood justifies. I'm 01:03:29.300 --> 01:03:32.360 going long, but I don't care. The blood justifies. 01:03:32.539 --> 01:03:36.920 The justification is the process whereby the 01:03:36.920 --> 01:03:40.360 sinner comes to be accepted by God. You need 01:03:40.360 --> 01:03:43.880 to stop fighting for approval. You already have 01:03:43.880 --> 01:03:53.139 it because of his blood for you. The blood justifies. 01:03:54.179 --> 01:04:00.840 It says that we are in right standing. to earn 01:04:00.840 --> 01:04:05.039 the place I have before God. It is only him and 01:04:05.039 --> 01:04:08.820 his blood that has brought me to a covenant that 01:04:08.820 --> 01:04:16.539 is eternal and everlasting. The blood brings 01:04:16.539 --> 01:04:20.900 fellowship. I have covenant, I have communion. 01:04:21.039 --> 01:04:24.159 The idea of communion is fellowship, to commune 01:04:24.159 --> 01:04:27.679 with God himself because this is a table that 01:04:27.679 --> 01:04:29.800 the ushers, yes, have beautifully placed before 01:04:29.800 --> 01:04:34.059 us, but in the spirit, Christ himself has set 01:04:34.059 --> 01:04:38.000 these elements in motion. He himself has offered 01:04:38.000 --> 01:04:42.139 us his body. He himself has offered us this blood. 01:04:45.340 --> 01:04:50.260 And it is he who is with us. To see us partake 01:04:50.260 --> 01:04:54.260 in it. Christ didn't leave the table as they 01:04:54.260 --> 01:04:57.099 partook. He was right there watching them partake 01:04:57.099 --> 01:05:03.019 of his life, of his body, and of his blood. Thank 01:05:03.019 --> 01:05:05.699 you for taking the time to listen to this week's 01:05:05.699 --> 01:05:08.360 message. We are so grateful for those who tune 01:05:08.360 --> 01:05:11.219 in each week and have given generously to this 01:05:11.219 --> 01:05:14.460 ministry. If you would like to give, click the 01:05:14.460 --> 01:05:17.099 link in the episode description below. You can 01:05:17.099 --> 01:05:19.900 also help us by subscribing to this podcast and 01:05:19.900 --> 01:05:22.719 sharing it with your friends and family. Lastly, 01:05:22.860 --> 01:05:25.760 if you are in need of prayer send us a text message 01:05:25.760 --> 01:05:31.400 at 541 -625 -1365. We would love to pray with 01:05:31.400 --> 01:05:31.599 you.