Sermon Central
-
Come Together
Contributed by J. Yeargin on Nov 4, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: The Bible tells us that God presented His “everlasting covenant” to man. God often referred to this covenant by calling it, “My Covenant”. This covenant was a means of reuniting man with God.
Come Together
In the Garden of Eden –
1. God created a perfect world.
2. Devil created the perfect plot of deception and demise.
3. Man was made in God’s image.
4. Man was fooled by the devil’s lies.
5. The result was that the perfect relationship between man and God was severed and separated themselves from one another.
6. Man was lost without a fellowship with Father God.
7. God searched for man and found him hiding from the presence and holiness of God (due to his sin).
8. Man was no longer holy, but God loved him so much that He provided a way to reestablish His relationship.
Well, how would God and man ever COME TOGETHER again?
The Bible tells us that God presented His “everlasting covenant” to man.
God often referred to this covenant by calling it, “My Covenant”. This covenant was a means of reuniting man with God.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.
This first covenant relationship seemed to be a sure thing for man. God would once again have man near Him (just as He had planned it).
God had promised man something and He would never forget this first covenant.
The mandate for this covenant was given To Moses on Mt. Sinai. It was the Law of Moses that would provide man with the strict rules on holiness and righteousness.
God did this so that man would once again be holy and righteous. God and man would COME TOGETHER, again.
This was God’s plan of redeeming man.
Man had nothing to do with it. Man was only the recipient of this first covenant.
God wanted man to again trust and depend on Him only, and for him to stay in God’s presence. Forever.
This covenant came as a surprise to man. Man had no choice but to receive it.
He had to accept this covenant as an inheritance from the King of the Earth.
Unfortunately when we read the Old Testament, we can see how man failed with this covenant given to him.
Time and time again. No matter how hard God’s people tried to do what was righteous, man always failed the Lord.
Question: Have you ever felt like this before? That is – no matter how hard you try to do what is righteous, you just keep failing God. Time and time again?
Good friend - You are not alone.
There are many folks just like you who lived in the days of the Old Testament who tried to get it right but failed.
I’m talking about good people.
They are told that God loves them, but they just keep failing Him.
As an example, Abraham was a great and righteous man of God who was promised by God a child would be born to he and his wife, Sarah.
They grew very old and Abraham tried to keep the faith to the promise God had made to he and his wife. Abraham tried to be patient for the promise from God.
This child promised to Abraham was the covenant God had made with him.
The Bible says that Abraham eventually gave up on God and conceived a child by a slave woman named Hagar.
Later, after Abraham failed God, he did conceive a child with his wife Sarah.
(This story can be found in Genesis chapter 16.) And then Abraham had two sons. One child from his slave (Hagar) and one from his wife (Sarah). One child born in bondage (to Hagar) and one born in freedom (to Sarah).
I want us to look at the reference made to this story made by Paul here in the book of Galatians.
Text: Galatians 4:24 thru 28 (NIV)
Notice in verse 24 that it says “the two women represent two covenants”.
There is the first covenant that was based on a foolish man who was trying to do the right thing (but failed).
And there was the second covenant that was the result of a man of God receiving the fulfillment of a promise.
My friend – in life there will always be two ways of doing things. Let me explain.
There is the covenant that was based on the Law of Moses, and there is the covenant based on the Grace and truth of Jesus Christ. You can try to live under the laws written out in the Old Testament. Or you can live by the liberty given to you (by Jesus) in the New Testament.
You can try to make yourself righteous with the bondage of religion, rules and regulations. Or you can accept the forgiveness and freedom of Christ.
