Untitled Sermon

THE NEW COVENANT

Austin Leavitt

Vista Grande Church

15 September 2019

I. ANNOUNCEMENTS

II. OPENING PRAYER

III. TITLE VERSE

a. 📷Hebrew 8:7 – For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second

IV. INTRODUCTION

a. Verse leads to several questions:

i. What is a covenant?

ii. What was the first covenant?

iii. What was the fault of the first covenant?

iv. Whose fault was it? The covenant maker or the covenant follower? Is the fault with the covenant itself?

v. Was the fault intentional?

vi. What was the second covenant? Is it faulty too? Does it replace, supersede or add onto the First covenant?

vii. Why was it necessary to replace the first covenant with a new covenant?

V. THE FIRST COVENANT

a. What is a covenant?

i. 📷There are examples of different types of covenants in the Bible – some are interpersonal like the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech 7) – However, we are focusing on the divine covenants between God and man

ii. Definition – An agreement, or pledge, between a superior party (God) and an inferior party (man). Often, but not always, requiring an action by the inferior party. Positive action results in blessings (God remembers His covenant), while negative action results in curses. In OT, covenants were often “codified” with some form of the shedding of blood. This could be from circumcision, sacrificial system or the ultimate example of the shedding of blood occurs in the NT, with the crucifixion of Christ.

b. What was the first covenant being referred to in Hebrews?

i. The first covenant mentioned in the OT was with Noah

1. (Ark)

2. (Rainbow covenant)

ii. Many covenants made with Abraham

1. (Promised land)

2. (Chosen People)

iii. is referring to the Mosaic Covenant

c. How do we know Mosaic Covenant?

i. reveals it

d. 📷First clue comes from9 (which is quoting Jerimiah 31:32) – 8Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9Not 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.

i. This refers to the covenant that God made with the Israelites following their departure from Egypt. Therefore, the First Covenant has to be the covenant that God made with the Israelites after He led them out of Egypt

ii. �3 – 2“The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb (Mt. Sinai). 3“The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. (The Israelites that were led out of Egypt)

iii. The covenant given at Mt. Horeb (Sinai) is the Mosaic Covenant

e. 📷Second clue, a conformational clue, comes from1 – 1Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.

i. So did the covenant that God made with Moses and the Israelites on Mt Sinai (Horab) after He led them out of Egypt have regulations of divine worship and earthly sanctuary?

f. Answer – Yes – Just look at the book of Leviticus

g. So now that we have established that the First covenant, that is referred to in , is the Mosaic Covenant, What is the Mosaic Covenant?

i. In very general terms, initiated in Exodus with the specifics codified in Leviticus

ii. Contains – The Ten Commandments, Ordinances for the people, Sundry Laws etc. – All that would go into the Book of the Covenant

1. Satisfies the regulations of divine worship and earthly sanctuary

iii. Provides a prescription for atonement – Yom Kippur

iv. �0 – 30for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

v. Mosaic Covenant made official by the shedding of blood

1. �8 – 7Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

h. With confidence we can be assure that that First covenant, the one with fault, is the Mosaic covenant which includes the Law, the priesthood and the sacrificial system codified in The Torah with its 632 different commands. It is the Mosaic Covenant that was made obsolete by the New Covenant.

VI. WHAT WAS THE FAULT IN THE FIRST COVENANT?

a. 📷Was the problem with the people or the covenant or the covenant maker?

b. If it was a problem with the people…

i. The OT is filled with examples of the Israelites falling short of their covenantal obligations and losing faith in God (Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles)

ii. And certainly, God knew that His people would disobey the covenant

1. God is Sovereign (Omnipotent, Omniscience and Omnipresent)

iii. If the people were the problem, why not just chose a different group of people?

iv. So, why would God install a covenant that He knew would not be followed?

1. Answer – It must be part of God’s plan

c. God did not replace, or give up on His people. Instead He replaced the Mosaic covenant with the New covenant – suggesting that the covenant was faulty not the people

d. If the fault lies in the Mosaic Covenant, then…

i. Does that suggest that God made a mistake? That’s impossible!

1. God is faultless

2. …His work is perfect, For all His ways are just (Deut – 34:3)

e. So, if God cannot make a mistake, and He knew that His people would disobey the Mosaic covenant, and by His grace, He wants to provide an avenue for His people to address their sins, why did God create an ineffective covenant in the first place?

i. Unfortunately, Scripture does not sufficiently speak to that issue

ii. Therefore, we must assume that it was intentional and the best way to reconcile this is to recognize that the Mosaic Covenant was temporary, or better yet, “anticipatory” of the New Covenant.

iii. IOW – The Mosaic Covenant served a distinct purpose, according to God’s divine plan, that included a covenant that was insufficient by design, as both covenants are of divine origin and serve a single divine will.

VII. A NEW COVENANT

a. Before we explore what exactly the New Covenant is, we should first discuss the prophet Jeremiah, since he was the first profit to prophesize the New Covenant and the author of Hebrew quotes in

i. Jeremiah was a prophet ~600BC

ii. Sent by God at Israel’s darkest hour to proclaim God’s word at great personal cost for over 40 years

iii. In this time frame:

1. Babylon had defeated the Assyrians

2. The state of Judah fell

3. Jerusalem was destroyed along with the Temple

iv. IOW – When the Israelites were at their lowest (which in and of itself is a result of their abandonment of God) they receive the prophecy of a new covenant to replace their existing Mosaic covenant (that they were not following to begin with), for in this time of Jewish history, God was allowing His people to be displace from their Promised land in direct response of the Israelites failure to adhere to their covenantal responsibilities.

v. The author of Hebrews would remind its original audience, who were Jewish-Christians of this prophecy and the inauguration of the New Covenant in the NT

b. What is the second, or New Covenant?

i. �8 – 26While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

ii. �4 – 24And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

iii. �0 – And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”

iv. The Synoptic Gospels are referring to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross

v. Therefore, the New Covenant is the permanent divine sanctification of sin, inaugurated by the blood of Christ. Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant because his death has liberated us from our sins.

VIII. DOES THE NEW COVENANT REPLACE THE FIRST COVENANT?

a. �3 – 13When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

i. The Greek translation for obsolete is “soon cease to exist” or “becoming outdated”

ii. Notice that the author of Hebrews never devalues the Mosaic/First Covenant, rather they discuss the New Covenant in terms of superseding the Old covenant

iii. Hebrews overall theme is to reinforce Jesus as the Messiah over all other things Jewish – presumably to discourage a regression to Judaism – especially given the persecution and martyrdom of Christians under Nero

iv. Evident by specific themes are the Supremacy of Christ over:

1. Angels

2. Moses

3. Levitical Priests – Jesus as The High Priest

4. Old Covenant

5. Previous “Heroes of the Faith”

v. Clearly the New Covenant is superior to the Old/First/Mosaic Covenant

vi. New Covenant, not new law

vii. Does not replace the law – However does render the OT law obsolete

1. �5 – 23But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

viii. What about the God’s covenant with Abraham? How does the New Covenant reconcile with God’s promise to Abraham?

1. �7 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.”

2. The covenant still exist with the New Covenant

3. �9 – And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise

IX. SO HOW DOES THE NEW COVENANT DIFFER FROM THE FIRST COVENANT?

a. First Covenant –

b. 📷📷��📷1Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. 3Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, 7but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, 9which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.

c. 📷New Covenant –5

d. 📷📷11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

e. Compare and contrast the Levitical Priesthood with the Jesus as the High Priest

LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD

JESUS' PRIESTHOOD

Many in number

One

Finite

Eternal

Foreshadows salvation

Completes salvation

Offered by sinners, and for own sins

Offered by sinless one, not for self

Repeated

Once and for all

Under temporary Old Covenant

Under permanent New Covenant

In earthly sanctuary

In heavenly sanctuary

Barriers to access God

Intimacy with God

Blood of goats and bulls

Blood of Christ

Outward cleansing

Inward cleansing

Conscious still guilty

Full forgiveness

Incomplete sacrifice for incomplete sanctification

Complete sacrifice for complete sanctification

X. CONCLUSION

a. Hebrews has shown that the Mosaic covenant involved a priesthood, a sanctuary and a sacrifice.

b. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of each of these categories

c. Jesus as the High Priest supersedes, what the Levitical priests accomplish on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement

d. The fundamental difference between the New Covenant and the old covenant is that the under the old covenant divine blessing was tied to the fulfillment of the demands of a sacrificial system reliant on the Levitical priest, whereas under the New Covenant, divine blessing is guaranteed solely based on a person’s faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

e. Faithfulness to Christ enters us into the New Covenant with God

f. Christ’s shed blood cleanses us of our sin before God allowing for a person relationship with Him through His son Jesus

g. This complete sanctification is the result of the salvation we receive when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Once fill with the Holy Spirit, we no longer require the temporary regulations and earthly sanctuary required under the old covenant

XI. CLOSING VERSE

a. (NIV)

b. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. hjgjhg