COVENANT PEOPLE

#1 · April 21, 2008, 10:57 am

Quote from Forum Archives on April 21, 2008, 10:57 am
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
COVENANT PEOPLE

April 20, 2008

Text: Luke 6:43-45

Last week, brother, grandparents, and aunt were brimming over to tell everyone the good news about Cieras birth. They already have photo books filled with pictures. It is great to celebrate new life; it is one of the greatest joys and privileges God has given to us.

What if this week, brother, grandparents, and aunt indicated that Ciera is now old news and that they no longer care about her? What if Susie and Bobby, as parents, decided that they had done enough for her and were now through caring for her? After all, they got her into the world. Isnt that enough? Isnt that all they are responsible for?

Im being ridiculous now, arent I? Of course Susie and Bobby are still responsible for little Cieras well-being. Of course her brother and grandparents and aunts and other relatives have important parts to play in her upbringing and care. You dont just have a little baby and then turn around and abandon him or her. Everyone knows that.

Yes, this is very true. There are certain events in life that are sacred and require personal commitment not only to begin, but also to follow through. Becoming parents is one of those sacred events. We dont just have children and then abandon them. There are laws against that. Another sacred event that pertains to this mornings lesson from Luke is accepting Jesus as our Savior. Throughout the New Testament, we are taught that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to take on our sins, to suffer, and to die in our place. How to accept this gift of life-giving grace is made plain in the New Testament. We are to believe that Jesus died in our place, taking our sins to the grave with him, and that he rose again victorious over sin and death. This act of belief, made by faith, is all that is necessary for our complete salvation. There is nothing that we can do to work or buy our way into eternal life with the Lord. Everything that must be done has been done by the only One the Lord who can ever make it possible.

At the same time, accepting Jesus as Savior is a sacred event that requires a commitment. It requires our personal commitment with and to the Lord, as well as the Lords commitment to us. It is not something that we do once, shrug our shoulders, and go on as if nothing had happened. It is like having a child; once the event occurs, we are committed to it in a real, personal way. Once as Jesus was teaching, a woman cried out, Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you. Jesus, in turn, replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. (Luke 11:27-28) Commitment and follow-through.

Gods relationship with His people has always been through covenant. A covenant is a solemn promise made binding by an oath. In the context of the Old and New Testaments, binding promises are made between God and His people. The first covenant was rather simple: Adam and Eve were to not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and God would care for them in the Garden of Eden. God kept His part of the oath but, sadly, Adam and Eve broke theirs. A broken covenant has its consequences, and humanity has suffered plenty of consequences throughout history.

From Jesus we have a new covenant. I use new here in quotations because it is still Gods way of establishing the relationship He wants with His people. In that sense, it is not new. A relationship with God requires our personal commitment to and through His covenant. What is new, however, is that through Jesus all initiative to restore the broken covenant is taken and completed by him. We are not required to go on pilgrimages to restore the broken covenant. We are not required to say prayers five times a day to restore the broken covenant. We are not required to bring animal sacrifices to an altar to restore the broken covenant. The words of Jesus tell us plainly enough that this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:20) There is nothing that we can do that can substitute for what Christ has done. Paul expresses it best in Philippians 3:7-11: But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

This, therefore, is the attitude of commitment which we carry from the altar when we accept by faith Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Im using altar figuratively here, for that decisive moment of salvation might have been at a crusade, in front of a radio or television, in a hospital room, at a family reunion, or anyplace in the world. Regardless of the location and the circumstances, our moment of salvation presents us with Gods covenant. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. (Leviticus 26:12)

Just as a new parent cannot abandon a new child without severe consequences, neither can a believer abandon Gods covenant without severe consequences. Born-again Christians are covenant people. As such, there should be no worse hurt that we can ever feel than when we break the covenant that God has established with us, and which we joyfully accepted in our moment of salvation.

It is from the perspective of covenant that Jesus made the observant remarks we read from Luke 6:43-45: No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. When anyone breaks the covenant that God has so graciously given, then good fruit will not follow. It will all be bad fruit. And it should come as no surprise to any of us that we can tell the difference between good and bad fruit. If you cant tell the difference, then please do not offer to go grocery shopping for me. I want someone who can pick out good fruit.

But, Pastor, doesnt this tell us that salvation depends upon my works? Dont I have to produce good fruit to be saved? Im not going to play that game. I have already told everyone here the Biblical message of salvation. Jesus took our sins to the cross with him; he was crucified and buried; and he rose again victorious over sin and death. That is our salvation, and God graciously offers us the opportunity to accept His incredible love gift. The account of the two criminals on the crosses beside Jesus is proof enough. One criminal continued to reject Jesus. The other criminal acknowledged Jesus innocence and purity, confessed of his own sin, and was promised by Jesus that he would be with him in heaven. The criminal had no opportunity to do any works, but he was saved by faith. Like any gift, it can be accepted or rejected. In fact, God even allows us to see the gift before we accept or reject it. For some, for whatever the reason, the gift is not good enough for them and is rejected.

Praise God, though, there are many who accept His gift. When we do, the Bible tells us that we make a promise with God. We make a covenant with God. We promise to be Christ-like. That is our covenant. Born-again Christians are covenant people. So hear again the point of Jesus: if we are not fulfilling our covenant, then we are producing bad fruit.

I do not know the heart of anyone coming forward to accept Jesus as Savior. Neither do you. I believe pretty much at face value if someone tells me that he or she repents and accepts Christ as his or her Savior. I suspect that most of you do, too. There is no reason to do otherwise.

But each of us knows our own heart our personal attitude. And God knows it, too. Were not going to fool everybody with an insincere heart. Were certainly not going to fool God. In our worldly lives, we know when someone has violated a contract. If I promise to deliver a TV you have bought from me, and I never deliver it, you know it. And youll probably tell me about it. Well, if I fail to live a Christ-like life after entering into a life-long covenant relationship with and commitment to God, then you will know about it because I will not be producing good spiritual fruit. This is not judgmentalism; it is observation and discernment.

Covenant people are accountable to God and, therefore, accountable to one another. Such accountability flows from Gods love. One of the tools that insurance companies have these days is driving contracts between parents and teenage drivers. This is an agreement that is designed to help keep a teenager from drinking and driving or engaging in some other dangerous activity with a vehicle. The True Love Wait program encourages parents and children to make an agreement to wait until marriage for sexual activity. As a parent, I want to establish commitments between my children and me not because I want to maintain some authoritarian control over them, but because I know how devastating some results can be from some poor behavior choices. I am trying to protect my children from the harmful consequences of certain decisions.

Similarly, God wants to protect us from the devastating consequences of ungodly choices. We are His children; He does not want to see us suffer because we wander away from His will. God keeps His covenant with us, and He wants us to keep our covenant with Him. If we fail to keep the covenant to which we commit ourselves when we accept Gods grace of salvation, then be assured that we will not produce good fruit. No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. God simply wants us to be the people He has created us to be. His covenant is sufficient for our every need. Let us purpose to be, then, Gods covenant people.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

COVENANT PEOPLE

April 20, 2008

Text: Luke 6:43-45

Last week, brother, grandparents, and aunt were brimming over to tell everyone the good news about Cieras birth. They already have photo books filled with pictures. It is great to celebrate new life; it is one of the greatest joys and privileges God has given to us.

What if this week, brother, grandparents, and aunt indicated that Ciera is now old news and that they no longer care about her? What if Susie and Bobby, as parents, decided that they had done enough for her and were now through caring for her? After all, they got her into the world. Isnt that enough? Isnt that all they are responsible for?

Im being ridiculous now, arent I? Of course Susie and Bobby are still responsible for little Cieras well-being. Of course her brother and grandparents and aunts and other relatives have important parts to play in her upbringing and care. You dont just have a little baby and then turn around and abandon him or her. Everyone knows that.

Yes, this is very true. There are certain events in life that are sacred and require personal commitment not only to begin, but also to follow through. Becoming parents is one of those sacred events. We dont just have children and then abandon them. There are laws against that. Another sacred event that pertains to this mornings lesson from Luke is accepting Jesus as our Savior. Throughout the New Testament, we are taught that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to take on our sins, to suffer, and to die in our place. How to accept this gift of life-giving grace is made plain in the New Testament. We are to believe that Jesus died in our place, taking our sins to the grave with him, and that he rose again victorious over sin and death. This act of belief, made by faith, is all that is necessary for our complete salvation. There is nothing that we can do to work or buy our way into eternal life with the Lord. Everything that must be done has been done by the only One the Lord who can ever make it possible.

At the same time, accepting Jesus as Savior is a sacred event that requires a commitment. It requires our personal commitment with and to the Lord, as well as the Lords commitment to us. It is not something that we do once, shrug our shoulders, and go on as if nothing had happened. It is like having a child; once the event occurs, we are committed to it in a real, personal way. Once as Jesus was teaching, a woman cried out, Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you. Jesus, in turn, replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. (Luke 11:27-28) Commitment and follow-through.

Gods relationship with His people has always been through covenant. A covenant is a solemn promise made binding by an oath. In the context of the Old and New Testaments, binding promises are made between God and His people. The first covenant was rather simple: Adam and Eve were to not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and God would care for them in the Garden of Eden. God kept His part of the oath but, sadly, Adam and Eve broke theirs. A broken covenant has its consequences, and humanity has suffered plenty of consequences throughout history.

From Jesus we have a new covenant. I use new here in quotations because it is still Gods way of establishing the relationship He wants with His people. In that sense, it is not new. A relationship with God requires our personal commitment to and through His covenant. What is new, however, is that through Jesus all initiative to restore the broken covenant is taken and completed by him. We are not required to go on pilgrimages to restore the broken covenant. We are not required to say prayers five times a day to restore the broken covenant. We are not required to bring animal sacrifices to an altar to restore the broken covenant. The words of Jesus tell us plainly enough that this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:20) There is nothing that we can do that can substitute for what Christ has done. Paul expresses it best in Philippians 3:7-11: But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

This, therefore, is the attitude of commitment which we carry from the altar when we accept by faith Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Im using altar figuratively here, for that decisive moment of salvation might have been at a crusade, in front of a radio or television, in a hospital room, at a family reunion, or anyplace in the world. Regardless of the location and the circumstances, our moment of salvation presents us with Gods covenant. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. (Leviticus 26:12)

Just as a new parent cannot abandon a new child without severe consequences, neither can a believer abandon Gods covenant without severe consequences. Born-again Christians are covenant people. As such, there should be no worse hurt that we can ever feel than when we break the covenant that God has established with us, and which we joyfully accepted in our moment of salvation.

It is from the perspective of covenant that Jesus made the observant remarks we read from Luke 6:43-45: No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. When anyone breaks the covenant that God has so graciously given, then good fruit will not follow. It will all be bad fruit. And it should come as no surprise to any of us that we can tell the difference between good and bad fruit. If you cant tell the difference, then please do not offer to go grocery shopping for me. I want someone who can pick out good fruit.

But, Pastor, doesnt this tell us that salvation depends upon my works? Dont I have to produce good fruit to be saved? Im not going to play that game. I have already told everyone here the Biblical message of salvation. Jesus took our sins to the cross with him; he was crucified and buried; and he rose again victorious over sin and death. That is our salvation, and God graciously offers us the opportunity to accept His incredible love gift. The account of the two criminals on the crosses beside Jesus is proof enough. One criminal continued to reject Jesus. The other criminal acknowledged Jesus innocence and purity, confessed of his own sin, and was promised by Jesus that he would be with him in heaven. The criminal had no opportunity to do any works, but he was saved by faith. Like any gift, it can be accepted or rejected. In fact, God even allows us to see the gift before we accept or reject it. For some, for whatever the reason, the gift is not good enough for them and is rejected.

Praise God, though, there are many who accept His gift. When we do, the Bible tells us that we make a promise with God. We make a covenant with God. We promise to be Christ-like. That is our covenant. Born-again Christians are covenant people. So hear again the point of Jesus: if we are not fulfilling our covenant, then we are producing bad fruit.

I do not know the heart of anyone coming forward to accept Jesus as Savior. Neither do you. I believe pretty much at face value if someone tells me that he or she repents and accepts Christ as his or her Savior. I suspect that most of you do, too. There is no reason to do otherwise.

But each of us knows our own heart our personal attitude. And God knows it, too. Were not going to fool everybody with an insincere heart. Were certainly not going to fool God. In our worldly lives, we know when someone has violated a contract. If I promise to deliver a TV you have bought from me, and I never deliver it, you know it. And youll probably tell me about it. Well, if I fail to live a Christ-like life after entering into a life-long covenant relationship with and commitment to God, then you will know about it because I will not be producing good spiritual fruit. This is not judgmentalism; it is observation and discernment.

Covenant people are accountable to God and, therefore, accountable to one another. Such accountability flows from Gods love. One of the tools that insurance companies have these days is driving contracts between parents and teenage drivers. This is an agreement that is designed to help keep a teenager from drinking and driving or engaging in some other dangerous activity with a vehicle. The True Love Wait program encourages parents and children to make an agreement to wait until marriage for sexual activity. As a parent, I want to establish commitments between my children and me not because I want to maintain some authoritarian control over them, but because I know how devastating some results can be from some poor behavior choices. I am trying to protect my children from the harmful consequences of certain decisions.

Similarly, God wants to protect us from the devastating consequences of ungodly choices. We are His children; He does not want to see us suffer because we wander away from His will. God keeps His covenant with us, and He wants us to keep our covenant with Him. If we fail to keep the covenant to which we commit ourselves when we accept Gods grace of salvation, then be assured that we will not produce good fruit. No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. God simply wants us to be the people He has created us to be. His covenant is sufficient for our every need. Let us purpose to be, then, Gods covenant people.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org