The God of Covenant

 

Introduction

 

·       Genesis 15:18

·       God made covenant with Abraham – God entered into binding commitment with a man.

 

1    God is a covenant maker – He gives His word

 

·       1 Chronicles 16:15 Remember His covenant always, the word He commanded.

·       Covenant = Set of words spoken to define a relationship and commitment.

·       Example – Marriage = covenant commitment to keep ones word.

·       Covenant = Words that God spoke to define relationship and commitment to it.

·       Covenant is permanent, steady, unchanging – gives stability to relationship.

·       God offers man an agreement – for it to take effect both must agree.

·       Note:  God’s intervention in life of a person requires that they stand up and enter into agreement with God – with His word.

·       All God’s intervention in your life requires coming into agreement with God.

·       ie, coming into personal agreement with the Word God spoke.

 

2    God is covenant keeper – He keeps His word

 

·       Jeremiah 1:12 “… I will hasten my word to perform it”

·       “Hasten” (Strongs 8245) – to be alert, sleepless, to be on the lookout, to watch over.

·       God is vigilant that whatever words come out of His mouth – He will perform.

·       Speaking words is the core of covenant making.

·       God stands behind every word which He speaks.

·       God does not have some words He means and some He does not.

·       What comes out of mouth comes from the heart the core of ones being.

·       God is insistent that the words He speaks will come to pass.

 

·       Psalm 138:2  “… you have magnified your word above your name”

·       Name = the reputation, character, describes who the person is.

·       God’s character stands behind His word.

·       The reliability of the word of God is based upon His character.

 

·       Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent.  Has He said, and shall He not do it?  Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?”

·       “Lie” – to deceive, to speak empty words, to be found a liar.

·       “Repent” – to be sorry, say something didn’t mean and then change it.

·       People speak and don’t keep their word – God cannot lie.

 

·       John 6:63  “… the words I speak to you are spirit and they are life”

·       Substance of words spoken by God = spirit.

·       Impact of words spoken by God = life.

 

·       Isaiah 55:10-11 “So shall my word be that proceeds out of my mouth.  It shall not return to me void – it shall accomplish that which I please, it shall prosper in the thing where to I send it.”

·       Three characteristics of Word of God.

(i)      Never return empty

(ii)     Accomplishes

(iii)    Prospers – push forward

·       Our relationship with God and His intervention in our life is based upon faith and agreement with the word and character of God.

 

 

·       Example of Israel

·       Joshua 23:14  “… not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord God has spoken concerning you – all are come to pass”

·       Israel’s prosperity and success were based upon the word of God.

 

3    Man is a covenant responder – We trust God’s Word

 

·       Matthew 4:3-4 “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

·       Spiritual conflict all centres around the character of God and reliability of Word.

·       Your relationship upon God is built upon trust – can God be trusted?

·       Christian life is lived by trusting in every word God speaks, by ongoing receiving of words from God.

·       No matter what adversity, conflict, pressure, contrary circumstance, God stands behind His word and will keep it!

·       John 14:21 “He that has my words and keeps Ž love and manifest.

·       To initiate Gods intervention we must agree and commit to word of God.

 

·       Hebrews 11:13  - Response of God’s men of faith

(i)      Saw the promises of Gods word

(ii)     Persuaded of the truth of them

(iii)    Embraced Gods word = to draw to oneself and embrace as a friend, joyful greeting and holding in heart

(iv)    Confessed – came into agreement and spoke what God said and lived life committed to it.

Confess = to speak the same as, ie to covenant.

 

·       Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 

·       Saved:

·       Speak your agreement with what God holds to be true.

·       Mouth Ž Publicly speak out, declare it openly

·       Lord Jesus Ž Openly acknowledge who Jesus is and attachment to Him

·       Believe in heart Ž sincerely and truly believe it and commit to it