A New Covenant

Pastor Keith Hassell

Foundation Scripture:   Hebrews 8:6

I.       God made Adam and Eve and gave them authority on earth

A.      Adam and Eve violated God’s command and their authority came under the control of the devil

B.      Sickness, disease, poverty, and death entered into the earth

C.      God promised that He would raise up a son of man that would crush the devil’s head, i.e. “authority” (Genesis 3:15)

II.      God could not come in and take back what He had given to man.  He sought for a man with which to cut covenant..

          A.      Covenants were made with blood.

B.      Covenants were absolute and unbreakable guarantees of a man’s word.

C.      Covenants were based on each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

D.      How were covenants made?

1.       They gave to one another everything they had and all they represented.  They were no longer two but one.

2.       Terms of the covenant were draw up

          a.       Blessings of covenant faithfulness

          b.       Curses of covenant unfaithfulness

                   3.       Representatives were chosen and a place to cut the covenant

4.       At least three large animals were sacrificed.  Their carcasses were split down the spine and laid opposite each other.  The result was a walkway of blood.  This was called “the way of blood.”

5.       Coats were exchanged.  This represented mutual exchange of standing and authority.

6.       Weapons were exchanged.  This represented that one’s strength was now the other’s strength.

7.       They then walked “the way of blood.”  They walked this way twice.

8.       They would stop in the middle and pronounce their pledges of loyalty, making promises that could never be broken.

9.       A curse was also pronounced as a penalty for breaking the terms of the agreement.  They swore by their god making him a third party to the covenant.

10.     Next they cut their hands and wrists and bound their wrists together so that the blood could intermingle.  Blood represented “life” not death.  They exchanged life.  This bond was stronger than family ties.

11.     Afterward a covenant meal of bread and wine was eaten.  The bread signified their flesh and the wine signified their blood.  The meal represented their willingness to lay down their lives for one another.

III.     He found that man in Abraham.

A.      Genesis 12:1-3  (Promises of blessing)

B.      Genesis 13:14-17 (Promise of land)

C.      Genesis 15:1-21 (Promise of a Son--activated because of faith)

D.      Genesis 17:1-11 (Covenant Commitment)

E.      Genesis 22:1-19  (God swears by an oath)

IV.     On the basis of this covenant David could stand before Goliath without fear

A.      I Samuel 17:26, 37  “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?  He said….The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”

B.      Circumcision was the sign of the covenant

V.      God made a covenant with the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai

          A.      It was an extension of the covenant with Abraham

          B.      It was based on Law

          C.      The first five books of the Bible are the record of the covenant

D.      The historical and prophetic books record how Israel was either faithful to the covenant or transgressed the covenant of God

          E.      The blessings and curses are lined out in Deuteronomy 28

F.      No one was able to keep this covenant

VI.     God promises to make a new covenant

          A.      Jeremiah 31:31-34

VII.    Jesus comes as the second Man, the last Adam (God kept His bargain with Abraham)

          A.      Jesus was born as a human being by the virgin Mary

B.      Jesus called Himself the son of Man

          C.      Jesus was born under the Law and kept the law without sin

          D.      God had found in Jesus One He could cut covenant with

          E.      Jesus was Covenant Man, Priest, and Sacrifice.

F.      This covenant was not between man and God, but between Jesus and the Father (this covenant is everlasting)

VIII.  The New Covenant Inaugurated

          A.      I Corinthians 11:23-26

          B.      Hebrews 8:6-13  Better covenant based on better promises

                   1.       No more sacrifices for sin

                   2.       Forgiveness of sin

                   3.       Salvation

4.       Healing

                   5.       Deliverance

                   6.       Holy Spirit

                   7.       Inheritance

                   8.       Eternally with the Father

IX.     How do we enter the New Covenant?

          A.      Through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus

          B.      We are then placed “in Him”

                   1.       We are the righteousness of God in Him

                   2.       Everything we need is found as we abide in Him

C.      Ephesians 2:11-18  “But now in Christ Jesus we who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

D.      Galatians 3:29  “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

E.      All of the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him, Amen to the glory of God through us (2 Corinthians 1:20)