Sermon Tone Analysis

Series Theme: As His bride, His Body, His Building, His people, let us pursue a deeper understanding of and commitment to the covenant life to which Jesus has called us.

As His bride, His Body, His Building, His people, let us pursue a deeper understanding of and commitment to the covenant life to which Jesus has called us.

Introduction

Has anyone ever made a promise?

That’s great!

When you keep promises and commitments, people respect you for that.

Has anyone ever made a promise or a commitment only to break it?

Probably all of us.

My kids would really get my attention when they said, “Dad, you promised!”

Sometimes they were just trying to manipulate me.

Other times, I actually had promised.

The most powerful and dependable promises are not really spoken that much, if at all.

“Actions speak louder than words.”

You live them out through your actions and lifestyle.

Throughout history various cultures developed customs enabling them to ratify covenants, treaties, and other sorts of binding agreements.

In the Bible we see people making covenants around meals.

In fact, Jesus made a covenant with the Disciples during their last Passover meal together: to prepare a place for them, to send the Holy Spirit, etc. Sometimes covenants were made official by taking off their sandal, salt covenants, etc. Covenants are different from what we know as business agreements or contracts.

They are binding at a much deeper level — beyond mere legal obligations

You live them out through your actions and lifestyle.

Throughout history people have developed customs that enable them to make covenants, treaties, and other sorts of binding agreements.

In the Bible we see people making a covenant around a meal, other times through shaking hands, or taking off their sandal.

Okay…here’s anther question.

Has anyone ever made a promise or a commitment only to break it?

The most powerful and dependable promises are not really spoken that much, if at all.

You live them out through your actions and lifestyle.

Throughout history people have developed customs that enable them to make covenants, treaties, and other sorts of binding agreements.

In the Bible we see people making a covenant around a meal, other times through shaking hands, or taking off their sandal.

The most powerful and dependable promises are not really spoken that much, if at all.

You live them out through your actions and lifestyle.

Throughout history people have developed customs that enable them to make covenants, treaties, and other sorts of binding agreements.

In the Bible we see people making a covenant around a meal, other times through shaking hands, or taking off their sandal.

One of the most powerful images of covenant ratification involves the shedding of blood.

I vaguely remember doing the whole “blood brother” thing as a 8-10 year old little boy — only once because I was too much of a wimp to do it again.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

But really, two snotty faced little boys with dirty hands sharing one another’s blood sounds a little unhealthy.

Two Hebrew words were commonly used together to make up the phrase “make a covenant.”

berith: covenant

karath: to cut off, cut down

Used together in the context of making a covenant: “to cut a covenant”

Sort of reminds me of our phrase “to cut a deal”

Of course, in many covenant agreements (biblical, and otherwise in the ancient world), animals were killed to ratify the agreement.

Let’s look at one quick example from Genesis

5:1-

Verse 18…literally, “the Lord cut a covenant with Abram”.

God moved between to two halves…He made the covenant…He keeps His covenants.

I saw a reference in biblestudymagazine.com

describing it this way:

By cutting the animals in half during covenant ceremonies, the parties making the covenant were effectively saying, “Let this be done to us if we break the terms of this covenant.”

http://www.biblestudymagazine.com/bible-study-magazine-blog/2017/9/19/cutting-a-covenant

This series is entitled “Covenant for Life” — What does the Bible show us about covenants, commitments, integrity, obedience?

The whole Bible is about covenants, in one form or another.

If you think about it…anything God does or says is covenant because He is not a man that He should lie.

He keeps His Word.

the I vaguely remember doing the whole “blood brother” thing as a 8-10 year old little boy — only once because I was too much of a wimp to do it again.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

But really, two snotty faced little boys with dirty hands sharing one another’s blood sounds a little unhealthy.

This series is entitled “Covenant for Life” — What does the Bible show us about covenants, commitments, integrity, obedience?

The whole Bible is about covenants, in one form or another.

If you think about it…anything God does or says is covenant because He is not a man that He should lie.

He keeps His Word.

This series is entitled “Covenant for Life” — What does the Bible show us about covenants, commitments, integrity, obedience?

The whole Bible is about covenants, in one form or another.

If you think about it…anything God does or says is covenant because He is not a man that He should lie.

He keeps His Word.

Let’s look at a couple passages of scripture as we dive into this deep well

We see a simple covenant agreement here: God says “if you do this, I will do this”.

James said “let your yes be yes and your no be no”

Neither one of those passages use the word covenant, but the idea of covenant is obvious.

We see simple covenant agreements here: God says “if you do this, I will do this.”

And, “if you don’t do this, you can expect this.”

James said “let your yes be yes and your no be no”

God keeps His Word — the word of the Lord stays and stays and stays

Do you keep your covenants?

With God, your spouse, your fellow believers, your home church?

Let’s begin with a basic definition of covenant

Covenant: A solemn agreement or promise, sometimes confirmed by sacrifice or by sharing a meal, by which two or more parties commit themselves to the rights and responsibilities demanded by their relationship and their agreed course of action, and accept the serious consequences of breaking faith.

— M.H. Manser

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We don’t talk about covenant that much in church — that’s kind of crazy since God is a covenant God.

From Genesis to Revelation God is involved in covenants, with all the blessings and curses that can come from them

We don’t talk about covenant that much in church — that’s kind of crazy since God is a covenant God.

From Genesis to Revelation God is involved in covenants, with all the accompanying blessings and curses.

Today I want to zero in for a few minutes on one of the essential ingredients is any covenant: community.

Big Idea

Big Idea

Big Idea

In covenant community, commitment is natural because of mutual love and a common connection

Covenant Only Works in Community

The Trinity

Father, Son, and Spirit — One in Three — shows us what a covenant community looks like in it’s most perfect form

God invented covenant community — He is the embodiment of it

In the relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit we are shown the importance of

Role

Responsibility

Communication

Submission

Unity

Intimacy

Ultimately…we see how pure love works in God’s community.

He is our model to follow.

Some examples of covenant community between God and man — and, by default, between God’s people

Adam and Eve and God