Standing on the Promises
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Most of us are familiar with contracts, we deal with them everyday. We buy a car or a house and sign on the dotted line promising to pay. In similar fashion God makes covenants with us. A covenant has some similarities with contracts but there is one distinct difference. In a covenant a person swears with their own lives! For example a marriage is not a contract, it is a covenant. Two people swear their lives to one another. Is that hard? Yes! But you’re both in it because your lives are on the line. There’s a commit beyond earthly possessions. You work hard to make it work because its your life. Imagine with me a second that God makes us a promise that is backed by His life. It’s kind of hard to imagine, but that is exactly what God does. He illustrated this well in Genesis 15 with Abraham. He reminds Abraham of the promise He made him to have a son and inherit the land. He then tells Abraham to bring a three year old heifer, a three year old goat, a three year old ram, a turtledove, and a pigeon. He then tells him to cut those in two. God’s presence then walks between the divided animals. What was God saying? May I be as these animals if I do not keep my promise! God vows His life to the promise made to Abraham. That’s a covenant! God’s promises are as secure as the heavens, more sure than the sunrise and sunset.
The text in Revelation 10:1-7 is a reminder of God’s everlasting covenant with believers of all ages.
1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
Promises Preserved in Majesty
Promises Preserved in Majesty
Revelation 10:1-2
Here at the close of the age an angel stands with power over all nations — foot on the land and a foot on the sea. Everything is about to come to a close and I want you to notice what he look like. He has a rainbow as a crown, pillars of fire as legs, and he is holding an open book and he is riding on the clouds.
The rainbow crown is a reminder of the covenant God made with Noah.
The Noahic Covenant is found in Genesis 9:8-13
8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.
The covenant is to bless the people of God, the earth, and the animals. They will never be destroyed again by flood. It is also a promise to be fruitful and multiply.
We also see the Mosiac covenant in the pillars of fire. Exodus 19:16-20
16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 20 Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Here God swears His blessing if the Israelites will be faithful to Him and follow their righteous tutor — the law until Christ appeared.
We also see the open book which points back to chapter 5 as the church is gathered worshipping. Representative of the covenant in Jeremiah 31 a covenant to forgive sins, write the law upon the heart, and to know the Lord.
In addition we see all sorts of covenant language in this text:
What is the point? God doesn’t forget His promises! God doesn’t go back on His word! God pledged His life to the promises He made us. He is righteous, holy and good, and He will not go back on His word!
Nations come and go, the world may fade away, the sun may refuse to shine, but God’s promises are everlasting because He is everlasting.
Promise Perfected in Christ
Promise Perfected in Christ
Who is this mysterious angel of the Lord?
You may have noticed that John is writing in Old Testament symbolism and pointing to covenants written in by Old Testament prophets.
John is making it clear that this is the angel of the Lord from the Old Testament era.
The one who appeared to Abraham, Joshua, the parents of Samson, and Daniel.
Most scholars call these appearances a Theophany. God appearing in angelic form to humans. A more appropriate name would be Christophany. An appearance of Christ in the Old Testament.
What clues are there that this is Christ.
Riding on the clouds
Feet like pillars of fire.
Dominion over the nations.
Voice like a lion
Swearing by Himself.
What is John trying to say?
Every covenant, every promise, every blessing finds its fulfillment in Christ Jesus!
You can’t get to God except through Jesus
You can’t access the blessing of God except through Jesus Christ.
Everything comes together in Jesus.
He is the central figure of all of scripture.
In everything He has preeminence.
Promise Ratified by Two.
Promise Ratified by Two.
We have spoke a lot about God’s promises to us, but the truth is a covenant is ratified by two parties.
We know the greater of the two parties is God — of course. God pledges His life to bless us. And that is exactly what He did on the cross.
Entering into this covenant with God is not like signing a contract saying if I’m able to I will do this or that. It is a pledge of our lives. We give our lives to Him by fully and completely trusting in Him.
Relying on the sufficiency of the work of Christ.
Trusting God completely with our lives.
Intent on living our lives as living sacrifices to Him.
Today, we have people coming to make a public demonstration of their covenant with God by being baptized.