Calvary Chapel North Phoenix » Podcasts

LOVE NEVER FAILS

calvary-staff — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:39:20 +0000

11-18-09

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? – AN IN-DEPTH STUDY ON 1 COR. 13

“Love Never Fails”

1 Corinthians 13:8 a

INTRODUCTION:

I. GOD’S LOVE IS EVERLASTING

A. God’s Love Never Fails

1 Cor 13:8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. AMP

-so many times people use their perception of what’s going on around us as the proof of whether God loves us or not

-unfortunately circumstances become the validators, the final proof

-but that is not what God has revealed in His Word; circumstances are deceiving

-just because things are working out your way doesn’t mean that God is necessarily pleased with the way you are living

-on the other hand, just because things are going terribly wrong doesn’t mean that God is mad at your or is putting you under His chastening

-God’s love is constant, everlasting and never failing; it never comes to an end

-it is not stopped by people, by circumstances, by our mistakes, by our sins

-look at these Scriptures that affirm this to be so:

Jer 31:3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. NKJV

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. NKJV

Rom 8:35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”* 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV

-there is a requirement of faith on our part in what God has spoken in His Word

-God is faithful; He will not change from what He has promised just because it is you!

-Application to Marriage, Family, Relationships

B. God’s Love Compels Us to Live For Him

2 Cor 5:14-15

14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. NKJV

2 Cor 5:14-15 New Living Translation

14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.* Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.* 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

2 Cor 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. NKJV

1 John 4:10-11

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. NKJV

-application to marriage, family and relationships

II. GOD’S LOVE IS THE EXAMPLE

A. Jesus is the Express Image of God’s Love

John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” NKJV

-what does this look like in practical daily living? examine all the attributes of God’s love in vv. 4-7

-can you love someone and yet not agree with their decisions or their customs?

-different methods than yours are not necessarily wrong methods

B. Jesus’ Love Includes Rebuke and Chastening

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. NKJV

-somewhere along the way many have concluded that it is politically incorrect and intolerant to rebuke a brother or sister in Christ for sinful behavior

-it is possible to rebuke or chastise in a spirit of pride and arrogance

Gal 6:1-5

1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load. NKJV

Heb 12:5-13

5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord , Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”* 7 If* you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. NKJV

III. GOD’S LOVE IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS

LOVE BEARS, BELIEVES, HOPES, ENDURES ALL THINGS

calvary-staff — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:24:58 +0000

11-11-09

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? – AN IN-DEPTH STUDY ON 1 COR. 13

“Love Bears, Believes, Hopes, Endures All Things”

1 Corinthians 13:7

INTRODUCTION:

I. GOD’S LOVE AFFECTS ALL THINGS

A. Bears All Things

-when we see this word ‘bear’ we think of ‘putting up with’ something; but the Greek word Paul used here meant something more significant

-the root word means “roof”; the word has to do with being a covering, a protection, much like a roof keeps out the rain

-it has to do with covering the faults and mistakes of others

-this aspect of God’s love would rather be a healing agent for another’s faults than looking to tear down others by spreading around their problems

-this word also is about bearing, or covering, the offenses of others against yourself, to bear up under personal injury, insult or disappointment

-God’s love seeks to be a covering for another’s weaknesses or offenses

-I read an illustration that gives us a picture of this:

“Years ago, a young mother was making her way across the hills of South Wales, carrying her tiny baby in her arms, when she was overtaken by a blinding blizzard. She never reached her destination and when the blizzard had subsided her body was found by searchers beneath a mound of snow.

But they discovered that before her death, she had taken off all her outer clothing and wrapped it about her baby. When they unwrapped the child, to their great surprise and joy, they found he was alive and well. She had mounded her body over his and given her life for her child, proving the depths of her mother love.

Years later that child, David Lloyd George, grown to manhood, became prime minister of Great Britain, and, without doubt, one of England’s greatest statesman.” James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, Tyndale, 1972, p. 375.

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”* NKJV

-add to this the phrase ‘all things’ (Gk: pan’ta); is there anything left out? no

-as an assignment for you, look up the phrase ‘all things’ in your concordance; you will find that the phrase occurs 179 times in the Bible, 162 in the NT!

-a close look at these verses, especially in the NT will be a devotional time you will never forget!

B. Believes All Things

-this is not saying that God’s love is gullible or simplistic

Rom 12:1-2

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV

1 Thess 5:21-22

21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. NKJV

-this phrase ‘believes all things’ means that God’s love is ‘ever ready to believe the best of every person’; it trusts; it never loses faith

-as it relates to God and His word, this aspect of God’s love causes us to take what God says at face value and trusts His word implicitly

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. NKJV

-rather than looking to scrutinize everyone you meet, the first reaction when controlled by God’s love is to believe the best about them

-this is difficult for those who have been deeply hurt by others; unfortunately there can come a victim mentality that sabotages every relationship

-King Saul was one who came to have this kind of thinking; he just couldn’t keep from being suspicious of David, and it crowded out all sound reasoning

C. Hopes All Things

-this is more than just positive thinking or having a positive mental attitude

-this is tied in with who God is, what He has promised, resting the entire life upon His truth, watching how God is going to accomplish His plan in everything

-the hope is not a ‘I-hope-it-happens’ kind of hope; it is a strong confident assurance of what will unfold in God’s timing and purpose

-God’s love pulls us into the arena of confidence in His promises; it causes us to look for how He will work out something far greater than we expected

“Adam Clark was one of the great theologians but at school he was very slow to learn. One day a distinguished visitor paid a visit to the school, and the teacher singled out Adam Clark and said, “That is the stupidest boy in the school.”

Before he left the school, the visitor came to the boy and said kindly, “Never mind, my boy, you may be a great scholar some day. Don’t be discouraged but try hard, and keep on trying.” The teacher was hopeless, the visitor was hopeful, and–who knows?–it may well have been that word of hope which made Adam Clark what he one day became.” Daily Study Bible; Wm. Barclay

Rom 8:28-29

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. NKJV

D. Endures All Things

-God’s love never gives up on you or on others; it doesn’t lose heart or give in through discouragement; HOW WE NEED GOD’S LOVE!

-endures: perseverance with a joyful expectation; it doesn’t get caught up looking back and becoming lost in the failures of the past but presses onward

-it holds its ground when the temptation is great to no longer believe or hope

-don’t allow your past failures to block your forward motion in Him

“Scottish theologian George Matheson was the remarkable blind preacher and hymn-writer of ‘O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.’ Born on March 27, 1842 in Glasgow, Scotland, he was totally blind when he wrote this heartwarming hymn.

Dr Matheson had partial vision as a boy and by the time he was 18, he was completely blind. He described his writing as the “fruit of much mental suffering.” He never married, and was aided by a devoted sister throughout his ministry. She learned Greek, Latin, and Hebrew in order to aid him in his studies.

Despite handicap, Matheson had a brilliant career at the Glasgow Academy, University of Glasgow and the Church of Scotland Seminary. Amazingly, he obtained BA, MA and BD degrees. He was a scholar and graduated with honors. He received the honorary DD of the University of Edinburgh in 1879.

For 18 years, Matheson became parish minister of Innellan, Argyllshire. He was lecturer at Baird and St Giles, and a pastor of the 2,000 member St. Bernard’s Parish (1886). The University of Aberdeen conferred on him an honorary LLD (1902). He became one of Scotland’s outstanding preachers and pastors, where his eloquent preaching consistently attracted large crowds.” (Read more: http://christianmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/love_that_wont_let_go#ixzz0WZwvBvSh)

1 Cor 9:12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. NKJV

2 Tim 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. NKJV

Phil 4:11-13

11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ* who strengthens me. NKJV

II. GOD’S LOVE AMONG THE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS

A. Talk Without Walk

-remember that this letter was written to the Christians who lived in the city of Corinth; they had many problems that divided them rather than unite them

-the Apostle Paul wasn’t just pulling things out of the air to describe God’s love

-he was being led by the Holy Spirit to put these things down with them in mind

-you can take each one of these descriptions of God’s love and make application to them in one way or another

-carnality and pride were the culprits within this group of believers

-they prided themselves in their superior knowledge of spiritual things, but they didn’t seem to notice that they weren’t living it out in real, everyday life

-just one example is what we read in 1 Cor. 6:7-8

1 Cor 6:7-8

7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! NKJV

-it’s easy to spout knowledge about this and that and make people think you are so wise and spiritual; but how do you live when no one is looking?

-I spoke with a fellow Christian this morning at the gym; he was telling me about the time he was over the Jr. High ministry at his church back east

-he loved to interact with the students and get them to give their own examples from their everyday life on truths that were revealed in Scripture

-one of the students told about how his dad would come home and demand dinner and actually pound on the table to get his wife to bring the food

-this man was a professor at the local seminary, highly esteemed among his peers; when the professor found out that the leader ‘pulled this out of the young boy’ the professor pressured the board and had the guy removed from teaching Jr. High.

-if you’re going to ‘talk the talk’, you better ‘walk the walk’ in everyday life!

B. Tearing Down Strongholds

-stronghold: a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack; a place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld

-there are certain ideas, beliefs and cultural traditions we can internalized over the years; they can become like strongholds against the truth of Scripture

-for a few of the Corinthian believers they had set up their own ideas, beliefs and patterns that were like fortresses against the truth of the gospel

-rather than being a protection, they become like prisons keeping them from the freedom under the grace of Christ in the New Covenant

-these ‘strongholds’, these fortresses had to be torn down in these believers so that they could enjoy one another in the love of God in Christ

2 Cor 10:4-5

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,

5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), AMP

III. GOD’S LOVE SHOWN IN LIFE SITUATIONS

A. In Marriage

-God’s love bears all things…

-you and your spouse are going to offend one another; there are going to be areas of disagreement that will turn into a major conflict

-it’s interesting how that the flesh jumps right in and makes mountains out of mole hills

-all of the sudden it becomes the principle of the thing–my rights–instead of the original problem that needs to be dealt with

-when your spouse flies off the handle, obviously getting frustrated and raising their voice, how do you ‘bear’ it?

-rather than preaching at them to be a good Christian, how about starting out praying for them secretly? then just be a good listener for a bit

-they really don’t want answers right then, just someone to talk it out with

-don’t air your spouses ‘dirty laundry’ to others; cover them out of love

-God’s love believes all things…

-remember this means to believe the best first

-I’m not saying to ignore suspicions of hidden sins, especially if they have been caught doing somethings in secret

-what I am saying is to not go around thinking the worst about them all the time; to do so is to box them in and it will show in your attitude

-a lot of our skepticism is from being hurt deeply by others, especially our spouse; but ‘love covers a multitude of sins’

-God’s love hopes all things…

-try to see your spouse through God’s heart; God has a plan for him or her

-you are looking to trust God to work all He wants to work in their life

CLEANSING THE CONSCIENCE

calvary-staff — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:22:54 +0000

11-08-09

“CLEANSING THE CONSCIENCE”

Hebrews 9

INTRODUCTION:

I. THE SANCTUARY ON EARTH VV. 1-10

A. The Articles Within the Sanctuary (vv. 1-5)

B. The Atonement Foreshadow (vv. 6-10)

II. THE SANCTUARY IN HEAVEN VV. 11-28

A. Cleansing of Our Conscience (vv. 11-15)

B. Cleansing of the Earthly Temple (vv. 16-22)

C. Cleansing of the Heavenly Temple (vv. 23-28)

LOVE REJOICES IN THE TRUTH

calvary-staff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:34:35 +0000

11-04-09

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? – AN IN-DEPTH SERIES ON 1 COR. 13

“Love Rejoices in the Truth”

1 Corinthians 13:6

INTRODUCTION:

I. LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN INIQUITY

A. Differences Between Iniquity, Transgression and Sin

Ex 34:6-7

6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” NKJV

-a general distinction between iniquity, transgression and sin

-the problem with a general definition of each of these words is that sometimes they are used interchangeably throughout the Bible

-the context of the verse determines the more exact definition

-sin is the more general term; in the Hebrew language the word is khattah, the Greek word is hamartano (not a witness)

-both mean ‘to miss the mark’, whether you are aiming at it or not

-many have put forth the idea that the English word ‘sin’ was a term used in archery; when you missed the target, it was called a sin

-iniquities and transgressions come under the umbrella of sin

-all iniquities and transgressions are sins, but not all sins are either of these

-a transgression is ‘a willful act of disobedience to a known law, whether secular or sacred’; the Hebrew word is pesha; the Greek word is anomia

-it is a purposed act, a premeditated act, a rebellious act; yes, it is sin; but it is an act that stems from a more deep origin of thought and attitude

-iniquity is at the heart of all of it; iniquity is ‘that tendency, that inclination that lies in the heart of all men because of the fallen nature’

-the Hebrew word for iniquity is avon; the Greek is paranomia; the core meaning of iniquity is ‘perversity, moral evil, twisted nature

B. Definition of Rejoicing in Iniquity

-now let’s go back to 1 Cor. 13:6 “[love] does not rejoice in iniquity…”

-this phrase targets ‘the inward approval and gladness over evil and calamity that happens to another’

-iniquity played out is never worthy of our satisfaction; God’s love has no pleasure in seeing the twisted, immoral heart out itself

-God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, even though judgment must be meted out on the soul that sins without faith in Christ Jesus His Son

Ezek 33:11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ NKJV

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV

-here is how a couple of other translations interpret this phrase in 1 Cor. 13:6

1 Cor 13:6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. AMP

1 Cor 13:6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

-the phrase isn’t so much referring to a rejoicing in the doing of iniquity, as it has to do with being internally glad at seeing the results of iniquity

-why is it that we can justify seeing and accepting immorality on TV or the movies as long as it’s in the setting of comedy or just a movie setting?

-the actors and actresses aren’t married; they may not fully consummate their implied actions on the screen; but the idea is to have it happen in your mind

-a person controlled by the love of God should seek to cover another’s calamity, not gloat over the evil that took place

Prov 24:17-18

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him. NKJV

Job 31:29-30

29 “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, Or lifted myself up when evil found him 30 (Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for a curse on his soul); NKJV

Prov 17:5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. NKJV

Obad 12 But you should not have gloated over your brother’s day, the day when his misfortune came and he was made a stranger; you should not have rejoiced over the sons of Judah in the day of their ruin; you should not have spoken arrogantly in the day of their distress. AMP

-I would like to add that the removal of someone who has been harassing you because of some calamity that happened to them will bring a relief from the pressure; that does lift the burden of the oppression

-but the overall idea here is that there should be a sadness over the wasted opportunity for repentance and restoration to the Living, Loving God

C. Description of Some of the Corinthian Believers

-when you read through Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian believers you find that they were turning a blind eye to the iniquities committed in their midst

-they were allowing the infighting of who had the most honorable discipler; they were allowing blatant immorality to go unchecked in the name of tolerance

-they were defrauding one another and not dealing with it as leaders

-they were flaunting their spiritual gifts in a prideful manner and thinking because it was a spiritual gift they shouldn’t be questioned by others

-Paul’s second epistle shows that they received his exhortations and rebukes, although there were still some among them that challenged his authority

II. LOVE REJOICES IN THE TRUTH

A. Definition of ‘Truth’

-God’s love rejoices when truth and right prevail; the definition of ‘true’ from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:

1. Conformable to fact; being in accordance with the actual state of things;

2. Genuine; pure; real; not counterfeit, adulterated or false

3. Faithful; steady in adhering to friends, to promises, to a prince or to the state; loyal; not false, fickle or perfidious

4. Free from falsehood

5. Honest; not fraudulent

6. Exact; right to precision; conformable to a rule or pattern

7. Straight; right

8. Not false or pretended

9. Rightful

-notice that accurate facts are necessary to establish a standard of truth

-when truth is only relative–relative to the situation, relative to the culture, relative to one’s own philosophy of life–there is no constant

-when the standard is within one’s own self, it is always changing, morphing, unstable and chaotic

-there must a standard outside of man; God Himself is that standard

-what He tells us is truth; what He says in His word is truth

-(go over some of the ‘truth’ Scriptures from the Apostle John’s writings; these are at the end of these notes)

B. Display of Love: JOY

-when you look at Galatians 5:22-23 you read the description of the fruit of the Spirit of God; the first character is that of love, agape’ love, unconditional

-many see this as a list of the nine fruits of the Spirit seen through the life of a yielded believer in Christ Jesus

-but when you compare that list with what we are studying here in 1 Cor. 13 we find that it is possible that love is THE expression, with the others coming out of love

-it does say fruit, singular, not plural; the words fruits in the plural are used many times throughout the New Testament

-the first expression of love is joy; joy can be defined by that inward peace and contentment which is not dependent upon outward circumstances

-joy is much deeper than happiness; happiness is more dependent on circumstances being favorable

-love rejoices in the truth, rejoices when right and truth prevail

-there are times when in our flesh we don’t want the truth to prevail; we would rather hide the truth or skirt around the issue

-we don’t want to be confronted with the truth when we are trying to live a duplicitous life

-but God’s love has no desire to hide or to veil the truth; there is tremendous freedom with truth; it’s lying that complicates everything

-when our government passes legislation that is in line with Biblical values, that’s something to rejoice over! most of the congressmen are not believers!

-Paul rejoiced when the gospel was preached even from insincere motives!

Phil 1:12-19

12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

III. LOOKING AT THIS IN OUR VARIOUS LIFE SITUATIONS

A. In Marriage

B. In Family

C. In Relationships

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. NKJV

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. NKJV

John 3:21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” NKJV

John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. NKJV

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” NKJV

John 5:33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. NKJV

John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” NKJV

John 8:40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. NKJV

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. NKJV

John 8:45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. NKJV

John 8:46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? NKJV

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. NKJV

John 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. NKJV

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. NKJV

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. NKJV

John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. NKJV

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV

John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. NKJV

John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” NKJV

John 19:35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. NKJV

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. NKJV

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. NKJV

1 John 2:4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. NKJV

1 John 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. NKJV

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. NKJV

1 John 3:19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. NKJV

1 John 4:6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. NKJV

1 John 5:6 This is He who came by water and blood — Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. NKJV

2 John 1 The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, NKJV

2 John 2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: NKJV

2 John 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. NKJV

2 John 4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. NKJV

3 John 1 The Elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: NKJV

3 John 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. NKJV

3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. NKJV

3 John 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth. NKJV

3 John 12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true. NKJV

THE NEW COVENANT IN JESUS

calvary-staff — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:57:27 +0000

11-01-09

“THE NEW COVENANT IN JESUS”

Hebrews 8

INTRODUCTION:

I. HEAVEN, THE TRUE TABERNACLE VV. 1-5

A. Summary of Jesus’ Position in Heaven vv. 1-2

-there are really interesting points implied in this first sentence; first of all the Levitical high priest NEVER sat at the right hand of the ark of the covenant

-they were always moving about, being careful to do exactly as the Law of Moses directed;

-the ark of the covenant was where the holy presence of the Lord (shekinah glory) abode in the Holiest of Holy place in the earthly temple

-Jesus on the other hand has gone into the true sanctuary in the heavens and He is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high

-the earthly high priest only went in on one day a year, first to offer a sin offering for his own sin, and then a sin offering for the people as a whole

-this showed that the sin issue between the people and God had not been fully settled yet, even though the offerings temporarily covered them

-Jesus is not offering sacrifice after sacrifice; He is SEATED there; the work has been done once for all time

-He brings us right into the sanctuary in heaven; we are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus!

Eph 1:19-23

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. NKJV

Eph 2:6-7

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. NKJV

B. Shadow of Things in Heaven vv. 3-5

-it is important to understand that all of the duties of the high priest had some connection to what God had already planned with us in Jesus

-the offerings and gifts presented by the earthly high priest was the shadow of what Christ Jesus would do with us under the New Covenant

-the world sees the tabernacle model of Moses as a copy of what he observed in Egypt; the same with the temple that David sketched out for Solomon

-but the Scriptures are clear that the structure and the methods of worship of the Law of Moses was received by divine revelation while Moses was on Mt. Sinai during those 40 days and nights

-this divine revelation was also true of King David

1 Chron 28:19 “All this,” said David, “the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.” NKJV

II. HIGHER COVENANT IN JESUS VV. 6-13

A. A More Excellent Ministry v. 6

-when you are reading the Bible take note of words that come up several times in a chapter or a section

-in the NT, we find that the words ‘covenant’ or ‘covenants’ occur 34 times; 19 of these are found in the book of Hebrews, and 7 of those are in this chapter

-what does this word mean? a covenant is an agreement that brings about a relationship of commitment between God and his people

-but what is the difference between a covenant and a contract?

-one way is to consider what Jesus told His disciples in John 10 ; He brought out the difference between a hireling and a true shepherd

John 10:11-16

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. NKJV

-one of the main differences has to do with attitude and commitment; to make a promise is one thing; to seal that promise with a vow or an oath is another

-in a covenant there is this heart on the part of both parties to make the interests of the other one’s own interests

-this is why a marriage is a covenant and not a contract

-in a contract there is more of a limitation put on each party to make sure things go as planned; it is more self-oriented

-a covenant is oriented to the other person’s blessing; it is relational rather than legalistic

-now, what about this statement that the new covenant is better than the old on?

-the old covenant given to the children of Israel was based upon the power of the human will to fulfill its requirements

-the new covenant is based upon the power of the risen Son of God through the Holy Spirit Who works within the believer in Jesus

-this is the basis of the better promises; those promises are based upon the obedience and faithfulness of Jesus

-my faith and trust in Him will bring about my obedience from the inside out

Phil 2:12-13

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. NKJV

B. A Merciful Second Covenant vv. 7-12

-always remember that the problem was not with the covenant made through Moses but with the people’s ability to keep the law

-the fault of the first covenant was the sin within the heart of man

Ps 19:7-9

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. NKJV

Rom 7:12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. NKJV

Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. NKJV

-this new covenant was not built upon the same basis as the old covenant; this is important to remember as I covered last Wednesday night

-please don’t take up the New Testament and make it into an Old Testament list of do’s and don’ts

-understand the difference between taking steps of obedience in faith and merely trying to do whatever is written

-there are many people who want to do what is right religiously; so they look at the book and then go about to do what it says

-but unless they have entered into a covenant with God first, their works are just to order their life down here on earth

-when they end up dying they are bankrupt spiritually; for the basis of our standing before God is our faith in Jesus, not our good deeds

-yes, our faith will cause us to be obedient to His word; but it is our faith in Jesus that pleases God; the works are merely the outflow of that faith

-v. 10: notice that the wording is to the house of Israel; the gospel of Jesus Christ is to the Jew first and also to the Gentile because of grace

-instead of the law being written on tablets of stone, under the new covenant in Jesus it will be written on the heart of the believer

-how would God do this? by means of the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer in Jesus

-it will not be a relationship with a code book; it will be a relationship (for all shall ‘know’ Me) with the Living God directly

-included in this New Covenant will be the complete forgiveness of sins, past, present and future; ‘their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more’

C. A More Sure Covenant v. 13

-the purpose of the Law of Moses was to show the sinfulness of man; this is what Paul stated in his letter to Timothy

1 Tim 1:8-11

8 We know that the law is good when used correctly. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. NLT

-all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory; but the gift of God is eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus