Covenant Maker [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher I will write the real beauty of marriage is when you can grow a place where there is so much trust in you see the worst about me, and yet you don't believe we still love each other what happens in this is that we are living in transparency and we are now experiencing a bit of heaven on earth. What it means is that in the saddest times and in the Gladys times. I have a covenant partner Alan Wright welcome to another message of good news will help you see your life in a whole new light and deliberate excited for you to hear the teaching today.

In our series called Moses is presented for an older church in North Carolina you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. Yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries so as you listen to today's message. We encourage you to go deeper as we sent you today special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org that's pastor out and.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching dear Alan, right, we have a custom that we began with the ask a simple question. Are you ready for some good news and depending on everybody's mood.

Sometimes there's more energy than other times I was preaching and prosper Texas last weekend. I do not want them to have the capacity to out shout you my own church.

Are you ready for some good news. You are recipients of God's covenant told blessings everyone and cries. Ephesians says has received every spiritual blessing every blessing that God ever promised in the covenant is yours because of Christ. I like to convince you of that. Today we're in a series on Moses and we come today to the scene at Mount Sinai where the old covenant as we call it sometimes called covenant of works of the Mosaic covenant with this covenant is made and ratified. There are so many ways that Moses prefigures Christ. Moses is the deliverer who brings people out of bondage because of the blood of the Lamb. Moses is the intercessor who advocates for the people and goes between the people and God and today were going to see the way in which more than any other way. Moses prefigures Christ, and that is he is a covenant mediator and that's who Jesus is for us mediator were in the second book of the Bible. Exodus chapter 19 to read a portion here and also read some text that is in the 24th chapter.

They will go look at the prophet Jeremiah and also Hebrews. If you are new as a Christian or new to your Bible, or even just new to seeing that the whole Bible is one big story, all interconnected discussing Mike a lot of scripture and a lot of ideas but I promise you that though it's endlessly deep. It really is not complicated and when you see the thrilling revelation of what the new covenant is all about. It will change you forever.

This is Exodus chapter 19 and I pick up reading it. Verse three the end of verse two, Israel encamped before the mountain while Moses went up to God. The Lord called him out of the mountain, saying, thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel.

You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings, and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you should be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.

So Moses came call the elders of the people and set before him, all these words of the Lord commanded him all the people answered together and said all that the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord of the road. Exodus chapter 24 and you'll see that here's where this covenant is ratified. Exodus chapter 24 then he said verse one. They said to Moses, come up to the Lord, you and Aaron a dab and Abby who and 70 of the elders of Israel and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the Lord with others, shall not come near the people shall not come up with him, Moses came and told people all the words the Lord and all the rules and all the people answer one voice and set all the words of the Lord is spoken we will do. And Moses wrote down all the words the Lord rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain 12 pillars, according to the 12 tribes of Israel, and he sent young men of the people of Israel who offered burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings of oxen to the Lord and Moses took half the blood and put it in basins and half the blood. He threw against altar and then he took the book of the covenant they read in the hearing of the people and they said all that the Lord is spoken we will do and we will be obedient and Moses took the blood and food on people and he said to hold the blood of the covenant that the Lord is made with unicorns. With all these words, Moses and Aaron a dab and avid who in the 70 elders of Israel went up and they saw the God of Israel, and it was under his feet as it were pavement. A sapphire stone like a very heaven for clearness and he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people a visual they beheld God and ate and drank. So just notice will come back to this that there is going on here all the elements of ratifying a covenant these two representatives.

All the solemn oath's that are made promise of benefits and blessings of the blood that is shed and then there is a shared covenantal meal. That's the elements of a covenant. So therein is the formation and ratification of what we call the old covenant or we call the Mosaic covenant and the problems of people couldn't keep this they had said with full gusto. We will do everything the Lord of said we better keep all these commandments, but the problem was a good fit it all in fact is if you know the story will know that Moses goes up to the mountain is not very long. So where most semi-get go a long time.

Not sure if God is enough to make They can keep this hard for a long weekend much less than the keep it for all their lives. So this is a big problem and so the answer to this problem comes about in a way that is absolutely breathtaking. It is most clearly articulated in the prophet Jeremiah Jeremiah chapter 31, where the Lord comes in verse 31 of Jeremiah 31 behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I make a new covenant with the house of Israel in the house of Judah. Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was her husband, declares the Lord, but this is a covenant that I make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts.

And I will be there God and they shall be my people, and no longer shall each one say to his teachers neighbor and each his brother say no, the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah saying something astounding. He sanded today that is coming, which the Lord said, I'm to make a new covenant is to be categorically nicked as I could be just a modification of the old covenant can be something as absolutely different as something is absolutely totally new that no one is ever seen before, is to be a covenant all right, but as can be. Something is very different to be about laws of criminal stones can be something that happens on the inside of people in this is to be something that is going to be so wonderful. The people all that that that in this covenant all know me Bill I'll just be the BL have intimate knowledge of me and so this is prophesied in the people are waiting such a time when Jesus comes any any leads.

He walks in our midst and heals the sick, he raises the dead. He teaches the masses and he feeds the poor.

Because of this point on Thursday night before his crucifixion and he's having the Passover feast with his disciples and they think they're just celebrating the Passover as usual. But then Jesus takes one of the cups of the Passover and he lifted up and he says this is the cop of the new covenant is it is my blood is poured out for you. This is the forgiveness of your sense and in that moment he was saying.

The new covenant is now being inaugurated. This is the very thing that Jeremiah prophesied about this, is now taking place in your midst, and so it is the new covenant is common, Jesus Christ, and though if you're new to your Bible and was a Christian when you read the book of Hebrews. It first it might seem a little confusing.

I encourage you in it because in so many ways is the key to opening up the entire message of the Old Testament that then comes to reality in Jesus Christ. So I'm over now.

In Hebrews. In chapter 8 where we begin to speak of Jesus Christ was the high priest of a better covenant pickup reading at verse six of Hebrews 8 as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would've been no occasion to look for a second and then he quotes Jeremiah becomes verse 13 says, in speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Continues on in describing all of this in chapter 9 it comes to say this point blank in Hebrews 915 therefore Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called make might receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant in this whole idea of covenant is other than just knowing Christ himself. This is the most important thing you can understand as a Christian it opens up the entirety of the abundance of the Christian life to really understand what new covenant is all about, and it wasn't until about 15 years ago that I understood I've been a Christian. Most my life I've been a preacher.

I've been to seminary and the eyes and not been open to this glorious breathtaking truth into really about 15 years ago, and that's what I want to share with you this morning. Alan Wright will have more teaching moment. Today's important series like something is holding you back as if you lack an important scene that could change everything. Is there someone you referencing stock something that Harold what's missing blessing. We all need vision spoken over you can learn how to embrace who practice a blessing to pastor Alan Reitz knew about charitable acts which quickly became an enzyme number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month right ministries once send you the I thank you for your demo sent make your gift today discovered the power to bless the gospel is shared when you get to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor out and got a work today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan writing every every day in our lives. We have little contractual covenant all kinds of agreements we have agreements between people that are essentially saying that if you will do this and I will do this you pull up to the gas station you get out a credit card to put it into the gas pump and you pump some gas and what's taken place is actually an agreement.

The gas station is saying if you will agree to give us your credit card information so that we can charge you per gallon. Then we will supply you with the gas that you need to put into your car simple transactions.

We don't even think about it, but life ordinary life as we know it would be impossible if it weren't for these little contractual agreements agreements between people.

You do this and I'll do this. It happens when you buy gas atoms of the bar card happens if you if you buy house. It happens in every day little but business transactions that also happens in our relationships and maybe the most beautiful image of this is his marriage.

Next month I and I will have been married 30 years and we're looking forward to celebrating our 30 years. Thank you. It's it's absolutely wonderful and not everybody is called to be married, but I do want to say, having done this for 30 years.

I highly recommend it. Marriage gets a little bit of a bad rap these days, but I just want to tell you that marriage is is is wonderful. There's something about that because in that relationship that opens up possibilities that you would never otherwise have. You can't come close to having this out me to stop on somebody's toes but here goes anyway.

You can't have this cohabitating because when you're just cohabitating you have an arrangement that will work on how to test things out, but we're not really in a covenant with one another and the benefit of marriage is that when you have a covenant what you're saying is that we have a relational bond that has come because of our agreements that we have made and I have made this agreement that I'm alive and I'm a cherish you and the ups and the downs. I'm not going to leave you and she's not going to leave me. What this does, when you have a covenantal relationship is it affords you the opportunity to risk a lot more to be a lot more open see if you're always afraid someone is going to leave you or some might not want to be there then you're always going to be on guard. But the real beauty of marriage is when you can grow to a place where there is so much trust that you see the worst about me, and yet you don't leave. We still love each other what happens in this is that we are living in transparency and we are now experiencing a bit of heaven on earth and what it means is that in the saddest times and in the Gladys times. I have a covenant partner when I'm just saying is that all of life. Anything from going to a gas station put in the credit card and or to the beauty and majesty of marriage depends on these agreements might call it a contract. I think when you start thinking about relational agreement you're talking about covenant, but everything in life depends upon these types of agreements, so it should be no surprise that when God describes the nature of his relationship with his people.

It is done so exclusively in terms of covenant. This is how he formed a people for himself in the Old Testament, they call this people Israel, not because they were better than other people, not because it send less than other people because out of his sovereign plan in his sovereign grace. He took them and in fact he calls himself metaphorically their husband because was describing here is a covenant, a covenantal kind of love and what we see in Exodus chapter 19 is God doing a very, very gracious thing he is forming a covenant with this particular people out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. And so it is that the old covenant is form.

This covenant probably follows a pattern that would be familiar in the ancient world at all times and all places.

People have wanted to strike up bargains with God.

People had a sense that I need God and I need to get some sort of arrange in our struggle to storable boy is up on a rooftop in the and goof around and then he starts line is gonna fall off any haulers out top of his lungs and Lord save me and I'll be a missionary right about that time his trousers got caught on a nail that was protruding from the top and he stopped and said there mylar this nail save me as a whole lot to do their work. Although it is saying that is that if you will protect me, God then I'll do something that seems like a great sacrifice to me and I will serve you if you will promise to protect me. But if I don't need you right now to protect me, then my part of the deal is off also and what we discover from sociologists and anthropologists all throughout history, nature world. People have been forming various kinds of religious confidence people all times offering different kinds of of of sacrifices and blood sacrifices and making agreement with the gods with an attempt to say that the gods will look after us if we will do certain things is like there's something in the human soul. This just instinctively aware that we are weak and we need someone stronger than Austin take care of us. But in order for us to have someone stronger to take care of us.

We need to do our part and so we have to reach some sort of covenantal agreement. This is why cultures everywhere have formed these kinds of covenantal arrangements with with God.

You'll see it.

Sometimes in the Old Testament amongst the pagan people like it at Mount caramel where Elijah's have this big contest with the prophets about all and they start calling Obama all who doesn't exist and so you can't do anything for him but he doesn't come down to consume the altar with fire because they display faith in what were to do is we need to ramp up our shouting need to ramp up our dancing. We need to ramp up our self-flagellation, they start cutting themselves and beating himself trying to do more so that their God ball will work on their behalf. That's a picture of the human heart. Instinctively, believing I've got to do something to strike a bargain with God.

This kind of treaty would emerge much a strong nation and a weaker nation that the suzerain vassal type treaty that is in ancient Hittite literature will read about whether be a strong nation and weaker nation will come into a covenant and in this covenant, the stronger nation would say where where strong we don't need you, except in this sense, we want you to pledge that you're not going to align yourself with other little nations and attack us, serve your strong nation, you can get all these people around you to agree to not conspire against you.

You then will great and will protect you the weaker nation. They obviously need sunlight help protect them against other invading nation.

They say we will promise that we will not align with others against you if you will pledge to protect us with your military might and so they enter a covenant in all these ancient covenants all had five components to this is very important. These pieces of it because as Olga see in the covenants were talking about. Is there two representatives for each side.

The whole nation that meets with one another. There representatives from each side so this nation has a chief representative this nation as a chief representative. They come in they need to make the covenant and in the covenant has the solemn oats posts that are made that say this is what were to do to protect you.

This is what regular do in the in return, and you make the solemn oats and then the third element is the promise of ask of benefits or blessings towards that in keeping this here's what's going to happen so two representatives that come together they make a solemn oath they articulate what the benefits of the of the covenant are in the fourth element is the shedding of blood there is no such thing as a is as lawyers and drawing up extensive detailed contracts and in all of that. So how was that they sealed these covenants was through the shedding of blood. Symbolically it would cut innocent animals and slaughter them and they would make a little kind of gauntlet is bloodied: the each one of the representatives would walk through it as they did, they would repeat their solemn oats and they would be essentially saying if I do not keep this oath then may my life be as these slaughtered animals make this blood be my own blood. If I don't keep this oath as what they were essentially saying, so it was ratified through the shedding of blood. This is so important because in the Old Testament anytime you see the word makeup the phrase make a covenant. It literally says cut a covenant right and on covenant maker blessing your life, discover God's grace. Vision for signing rights of free grace and encouragement. Alan writes a daily blessing. It's free. Just a click away. Pastor I got away feel like something is holding you back if you can important see what could change everything. Is there someone you referencing stock to help them out what's missing blessing. We all need faith filled vision spoken over you can learn how to embrace the biblical practice of blessing to pastor Alan writes new blood to Blacks, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month right ministries once to send you the I thank you for your devolution. Make your gift today discovered the power to Blacks.

The gospel is shared when you get to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you get a special offer.

We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastoralan.org and we think back and into this teaching in the life of Moses and thinking about covenants why is that important today in the 21st century will this is this is one of the most important messages that impacted my life ever and just aid today as were learning about the nature of a covenant is going to come to its consummation. The more as we learn about this that a covenant the new covenant and Jesus Christ is utterly the most powerful and practical thing you can ever know is what is so different about it from the old covenant because were always note, in these making bargains with people in contract with people for the Christian, just to give a preview of where were going with this.

It is to say your covenant with God is not really about your agreement with God. It's about God's agreement within himself.

Father and son son agreed to be obedient.

The father agreed to bless and Jesus fulfilled all this so one Paul says we are in Christ. What he means is we are in covenant with God through Christ is not it really me wasting a Texas. The picture is not like okay my obedience doesn't have any part in this covenant anymore right is not that my OB is not important.

Of course it is. But it's not what is establishing or breaking the covenant that has to do with Jesus for this is the best news imaginable. It changes everything only for the security of the believer, but the entire way in which you can live your life accepted in the beloved free from shame free from all the fears of failure you're holding thing that's where this is going. Today's good news message production Alan Wright Ministries