Do You Believe God's Promise?

Title: Do You Believe God’s Promise?

Covenant: an agreement or promise, usually formal, between two or more people or groups to do or not do something specified.

Hebrews 8:1–6 NASB95

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

(35m)

1. God’s Promised Sign is Given

In the Old Covenant, He Revealed Life in The Circumcision of the Flesh

God miraculously brought Abraham a son.

Acts 7:5–8 NASB95

“But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. “But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. “ ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.’ “And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Every time a Jewish boy was circumcised, it was a reminder of God’s promise to Abraham to keep God’s chosen people alive and to give them a future.

In the New Covenant, He Revealed Life in The Circumcision of the Heart

Circumcision is fulfilled in Christ.

Colossians 2:9–14 NASB95

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

The eternal life we receive in the New Birth accomplishes what the sign of circumcision promised.

(25m)

2. God’s Promised Savior is Given

In the Old Covenant, He Chose Israel’s Deliverer

In verse 2, He delivered Abraham from the gods of Mesopotamia.

In verse 9, He delivered Joseph from the Patriarchs.

In verse 12, He delivered Jacob from famine.

In verse 21, He delivered Moses from Pharoah.

In verse 36. He delivered Israel from Egypt.

In the New Covenant, He Became Israel’s Deliverer

Sin had more power than Egypt.

Hebrews 8:7–13 NASB95

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt; For they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. “And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ For all will know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.” When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Jesus defeated the greatest enemy of God’s people when He took away sin’s power to kill at the Cross.

Hebrews 3:1–6 NASB95

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

(15m)

3. God’s Promised Spirit is Given

In the Old Covenant, His Presence Was With His People

In verse 2, He was with Abraham in Mesopotamia.

In verse 9, He was with Joseph in Egypt.

In verse 32, He was with Moses in the burning bush.

In verse 38, He was with the congregation in the wilderness.

In verse 46, He was with David in Israel.

In the New Covenant, His Presence is in His People

His Presence in the Wilderness

Exodus 13:21 NASB95

The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

His Presence in the Tabernacle

Numbers 9:15 NASB95

Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle, until morning.

His Presence in the Temple

2 Chronicles 7:1–3 NASB95

Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. The priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

His Presence in the Church

Acts 2:1–3 NASB95

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

When someone leaves God’s presence, they ignore His commands. In the New Covenant, God places His Holy Spirit in the believer so that they never leave His presence. They are kept in covenant with God not because of the works of the flesh, but because of the works of the Spirit.

(5m)

CONCLUSION

How do I know if I am a Christian?

How do I know if I am right with God?

How do I know what happens when I die?

Have you been born again (circumcision of the heart)?

Do you think your sins are forgiven because of your good works, or because of Jesus’ good works?

Is the Holy Spirit leading your life?