God's Covenant Promises

TRUSTING IN THE PROMISES OF GOD •GENESIS CH. 15 HOW MANY OF YOU IN HERE •HAVE MADE A PROMISE TO SOMEONE BEFORE? •YOU DON’T NEED TO RAISE YOUR HANDS. •MY GUESS IS… ALL OF US HAVE. IT’S UNANIMOUS. NOW WATCH THIS. •HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE MADE A PROMISE AND ↓ THEN BROKE THAT PROMISE? •THIS IS IMPORTANT. AGAIN… I AM PRETTY SURE ALL OF US HAVE MADE PROMISES AND BROKEN THEM. •LET ME TRY TO EXPLAIN WHY WE ALL MAKE PROMISES •AND THEN WE ALL BREAK PROMISES… WE DON’T BREAK ALL OF THEM,↓ BUT WE DO BREAK SOME OF THEM •THE FIRST REASON WE BREAK OUR PROMISES •IS OUR HEARTS ARE CROOKED. THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT •OUR HEARTS BEING SINFUL. WHEN YOU HAVE A SINFUL HEART, •YOU WILL OFTENTIMES BREAK YOUR PROMISES. THE SECOND REASON WE WILL BREAK •OUR PROMISES IS THERE ARE TIMES WE SIMPLY ARE NOT STRONG •ENOUGH OR SMART ENOUGH OR POWERFUL TO KEEP OUR PROMISES. •THERE IS A LIMIT ON OUR STRENGTH, •AND THERE IS A LIMIT ON HOW SMART WE ARE… BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE OF GOD. •GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING, AND GOD IS ALLPOWERFUL, & HE IS HOLY •WHICH IS WHY WHEN GOD MAKES HIS PROMISES, •GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP THOSE PROMISES, BECAUSE HE KNOWS EVERYTHING. •HE IS STRONG ENOUGH AND POWERFUL ENOUGH TO KEEP THEM. ULTIMATELY, WHEN GOD MAKES •BIG PROMISES, HE IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP •THOSE BIG PROMISES…. HE WANTS US TO BE CONFIDENT •IN HIS ABILITY TO KEEP THOSE PROMISES… ONE OF THE WAYS •WE CAN BE CONFIDENT IS BY KNOWING GOD HAS MADE COVENANTS WITH US •THESE COVENANTS ASSURE US THAT GOD WILL KEEP HIS PROMISES… •TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT GOD MAKING A COVENANT WITH ABRAM •GOD MAKES THIS COVENANT TO ASSURE ABRAM THAT GOD WILL •MOST CERTAINLY KEEP HIS PROMISES TURN TO GENESIS 15:1 •ABRAM HAD JUST MET MELCHIZEDEK AND BERA KING OF SODOM •AFTER RESCUING HIS NEPHEW, LOT.. •MELCHIZEDEK WORSHIPED GOD, JUST LIKE ABRAM BERA THE KING OF SODOM •HAD OFFERED ABRAM TREASURE •AND ABRAM HAD REFUSED BECAUSE ABRAM HAD SWORN •ALLEGIANCE TO AND HAD TRUSTED IN GOD •AS THE ONLY SOURCE FOR HIS PROVISION… GENESIS 15:1–6 AFTER THESE THINGS THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ABRAM IN A VISION, SAYING, “DO NOT FEAR, ABRAM, I AM A SHIELD TO YOU; YOUR REWARD SHALL BE VERY GREAT.” ↓ ABRAM SAID, “O LORD GOD, WHAT WILL YOU GIVE ME, SINCE I AM CHILDLESS, AND THE HEIR OF MY HOUSE IS ELIEZER OF DAMASCUS?” AND ABRAM SAID, “SINCE YOU HAVE GIVEN NO OFFSPRING TO ME, ONE BORN IN MY HOUSE IS MY HEIR.”↓ THEN BEHOLD, THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO HIM, SAYING, “THIS MAN WILL NOT BE YOUR HEIR; BUT ONE WHO WILL COME FORTH FROM YOUR OWN BODY, HE SHALL BE YOUR HEIR.”↓ AND HE TOOK HIM OUTSIDE AND SAID, “NOW LOOK TOWARD THE HEAVENS, AND COUNT THE STARS, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO COUNT THEM.” AND HE SAID TO HIM, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” ↓ THEN HE BELIEVED IN THE LORD; AND HE RECKONED IT TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. ABRAM HAD JUST BEEN THROUGH •A CRAZY TIME… HE HAD DEFEATED THE STRONGEST ARMY IN THE WORLD •HE HAD RESCUED HIS NEPHEW LOT… HE HAD MET WITH MELCHIZEDEK KING OF SALEM AND BERA KING OF SODOM AT SOME POINT AFTER ALL THIS •THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ABRAM IN A VISION, •IN THIS VISION GOD TOLD ABRAM •“DO NOT FEAR, ABRAM, I AM A SHIELD TO YOU; YOUR REWARD SHALL BE VERY GREAT.” COMING RIGHT AFTER THIS GREAT BATTLE •AND RIGHT AFTER REJECTING THE SPOILS OF THE BATTLE •THIS MESSAGE IS REALLY POWERFUL •ABRAM MIGHT NEED A SHIELD.. HE HAD JUST DEFEATED A MIGHTY ARMY… •THERE MIGHT BE PEOPLE THAT COME AFTER HIM BECAUSE OF THIS… •SO HAVING GOD AS HIS SHIELD IS AWESOME AND HE HAD JUST REFUSED •ALL THE GOODS HE WON IN THE BATTLE •SO GOD SAYING YOUR REWARD SHALL BE VERY GREAT •THAT WOULD BE VERY COMFORTING…. •IT IS WONDERFUL HOW GOD KNOWS JUST WHAT WE NEED ↓ WHEN WE HAVE COME THROUGH •TOUGH TIMES, ROUGH BATTLES, CHALLENGES… •EVEN AFTER COMING THROUGH THOSE TIMES WE STILL NEED GOD’S COMFORT •WE STILL NEED TO HEAR HOW GOD IS OUR SHIELD.. •HOW WE WILL HAVE A GREAT REWARD… BUT EVEN WHEN GOD ASSURES •US WE WILL BE OK… SOMETIMES WE HAVE QUESTIONS… •ABRAM HAS A QUESTION FOR GOD… •WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND •ABRAM IS NOT QUESTIONING IF GOD WILL DO WHAT HE HAS SAID… •HE IS ASKING HOW GOD WILL DO IT ABRAM ASKS GOD • WHAT WILL YOU GIVE ME, SINCE I AM CHILDLESS, AND THE HEIR OF MY HOUSE IS ELIEZER OF DAMASCUS?” •HE IS SAYING WHAT KIND OF REWARD COULD YOU GIVE ME •SINCE I HAVE NO CHILD TO PASS IT ON TO ABRAM EVEN REPEATS HIS QUESTION •AND ABRAM SAID, “SINCE YOU HAVE GIVEN NO OFFSPRING TO ME, ONE BORN IN MY HOUSE IS MY HEIR.” •IN ABRAM’S MIND •THERE IS NO GREAT REWARD •WITHOUT AN HEIR TO PASS IT ON TO IN THE ANCIENT WORLD ONE OF •THE WORST THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN TO SOMEONE.. •WAS TO NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN.. •IT WAS EMOTIONALLY CRUSHING… THERE WAS •NO SOCIAL SECURITY.. NO RETIREMENT HOMES.. NO CHILDREN MEANT NO ONE •TO TAKE CARE OF YOU IN YOUR OLD AGE •CHILDREN WERE A SIGN OF GOD’S FAVOR… •LARGE FAMILIES WERE CONSIDERED BLESSED FAMILIES…. •SO, ABRAM IS HURTING… HE IS IN PAIN OVER THIS SITUATION WHEN WE ARE HURTING WE NEED •TO TURN TO GOD JUST LIKE ABRAM DID •AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE TURN TO GOD •IS WHEN WE ASK HIM QUESTIONS… •DAVID DOES THIS ALL THROUGHOUT THE PSALMS GOD LOVES WHEN WE ASK THE •RIGHT KINDA QUESTIONS… •WE NEVER QUESTION IF GOD WILL DO WHAT HE HAS SAID… •BUT IT IS WONDERFUL TO QUESTION HOW GOD WILL DO WHAT HE SAID HE WILL DO… THERE IS AN AMAZING FAITH •WHEN WE QUESTION HOW GOD WILL DO SOMETHING •HIDDEN IN THE QUESTION HOW… IS THE IDEA THAT HE WILL IN FACT… •DO WHAT HE HAS SAID… SEE… •YOU WOULD NOT ASK HOW .. •IF YOU WERE NOT SURE HE WAS GOING TO DO IT. AND BEING SURE THAT GOD WILL •DO WHAT HE HAS SAID HE WILL DO… IS WHAT FAITH IS ALL ABOUT •SO ASKING HOW … •IS ONE WAY OF EXPRESSING YOUR FAITH •THAT GOD IS GOING TO DO WHAT HE HAS PROMISED GOD CERTAINLY MAKES PROMISES •IN THIS CASE… GOD ANSWERS ABRAM •BY TELLING HIM… AGAIN… THAT HE WILL HAVE AN HEIR •AND THAT THIS HEIR WILL RESULT •IN ABRAM HAVING DESCENDANTS AS NUMEROUS AS THE STARS GOD TAKES ABRAM OUT SIDE… •AND HE TELLS ABRAM • “NOW LOOK TOWARD THE HEAVENS, AND COUNT THE STARS, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO COUNT THEM.” AND HE SAID TO HIM, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” NOW THAT IS A PROMISE… •ABRAM DID NOT QUESTION IF GOD WOULD BE HIS SHIELD •HE DID NOT QUESTION IF GOD WOULD GIVE HIM A GREAT REWARD •ABRAM ASKED HOW… •AND GOD ANSWERED BY REMINDING ABRAM OF HIS PROMISE↓ TO PROVIDE ABRAM WITH A •VAST NUMBER OF DESCENDANTS…… •AND THEN WE SEE ABRAM’S •REACTION…. •IT IS THE BEST REACTION ANY OF US CAN HAVE TO A PROMISE FROM GOD… •HIS REACTION IS FAITH… MOSES MAKES THIS FAITH CLEAR •HE TELLS US… THEN HE BELIEVED IN THE LORD…. •ABRAM HAD FAITH… •ABRAM TRUSTED THE PROMISES GOD HAD MADE HIM… • THAT IS EXACTLY HOW GOD WANTS US TO RESPOND TO HIS PROMISES.. AND THEN WE SEE GOD’S •RESPONSE TO ABRAM’S FAITH… •MOSES SAYS THAT GOD RECKONED IT TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS •NOW THERE IS A NEAT LITTLE WORD PLAY HERE IN HEBREW •GOD TELLS ABRAM TO COUNT THE STARS… AND ABRAM HAS FAITH IN GOD •AND THEN GOD COUNTS THIS AS RIGHTEOUSNESS •THE WORD RECKONED AND THE WORD COUNT •ARE THE SAME WORD IN HEBREW… BUT… •WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS? WELL FIRST WE NEED TO KNOW •THAT IT DOES NOT MEAN TO BE PERFECT… •THIS IS NOT ABOUT ABRAM CONDITION •IT IS A COMMENT ABOUT ABRAM’S STATUS IN GOD’S EYES •I WANT YOU TO PICTURE AN INVOICE… AND THIS INVOICE SAYS THAT •YOU OWE SOMEONE A BILLION DOLLARS… •NOW… I ASSUME YOU DO NOT HAVE A BILLION DOLLARS.. •BUT THEN ALL THE SUDDEN SOME WORDS APPEAR ON THE INVOICE •THESE WORDS ARE IN RED INK… THEY ARE STAMPED ON THEY SAY… PAID IN FULL… •NOW YOU DID NOT PAY THE INVOICE… YOU DID NOT •HAVE ANY WAY YOU COULD PAY THAT BILLION DOLLAR INVOICE… •THE FACT THAT IT SAYS PAID IN FULL DOES NOT MEAN •YOU EVER ACTUALLY HAD A BILLION DOLLARS… SEE IT IS NOT THAT ABRAM •WAS ACTUALLY RIGHTEOUS… IT WAS THAT GOD •COUNTED… OR RECKONED… OR CREDITED… •RIGHTEOUSNESS TO ABRAM’S ACCOUNT… •IT WAS NOT ABRAM’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IT WAS GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS ABRAM’S FAITH IN GOD •RESULTS IN GOD PLACING ABRAM IN RIGHT STANDING … •THAT IS HOW WE SHOULD SEE THIS WORD RIGHTEOUSNESS… • RIGHTEOUSNESS IS RIGHT STANDING BEFORE GOD.. WHEN WE HAVE FAITH IN GOD’S •PROMISES WE ARE IN RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD •ABRAM HAD THIS FAITH BASED ON WHO GOD IS.. •ABRAM IS TRUSTING IN GOD’S AUTHORITY.. •THAT GOD CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO. MOST OF THE THINGS WE BELIEVE •ARE BELIEVED ON AUTHORITY. •I BELIEVE THERE IS A PLACE CALLED NEW YORK. •I CAN NOT PROVE THAT THERE IS SUCH A PLACE, I HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE. •I BELIEVE IT BECAUSE RELIABLE PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME SO. MOST OF US BELIEVE •IN ATOMS ON AUTHORITY BECAUSE SCIENTISTS SAY SO… WE HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ATOM PERSONALLY. •EVERY HISTORICAL STATEMENT IS BELIEVED ON AUTHORITY. •NONE OF US HAS SAW THE CIVIL WAR BUT WE TRUST IN THESE THINGS •BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO DID SEE THEM HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THEM… •WE BELIEVE IN THEM ON AUTHORITY… •A PERSON WHO REFUSED TO BELIEVE ANYTHING BASED ON AUTHORITY… •THE WAY SOME PEOPLE REFUSE TO BELIEVE IN GOD…. COULD NEVER TRUST ANYTHING •WE BELIEVE OR TRUST IN GOD BECAUSE… •RELIABLE PEOPLE WROTE THE BIBLE, GOD’S WORD… •WITH THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN WE READ GOD’S WORD •WHEN WE HEAR HIS PROMISES… WE CAN TRUST •THAT WHAT HE HAS PROMISED WILL COME TO PASS… •BUT TO KNOW WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED WE NEED •TO READ HIS WORD GENESIS 15:7–8 AND HE SAID TO HIM, “I AM THE LORD WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF UR OF THE CHALDEANS, TO GIVE YOU THIS LAND TO POSSESS IT.” HE SAID, “O LORD GOD, HOW MAY I KNOW THAT I WILL POSSESS IT?” GOD REPEATS HIS PROMISE •TO GIVE ABRAM THE LAND… •NOW, REMEMBER MOSES IS WRITING THIS BOOK •TO THE ISRAELITES… WHO GOD HAD JUST BROUGHT OUTTA EGYPT SO WHEN WE READ THAT GOD SAID •“I AM THE LORD WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF UR OF THE CHALDEANS, •WE NEED THINK ABOUT HOW THE ISRAELITES WOULD HAVE HEARD THIS.. •THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THINGS •ABRAM HAD GONE THROUGH AND JUST LIKE ABRAM HAD •QUESTIONS…. ITS LIKELY THAT ISRAELITES HAD QUESTIONS… •ABRAM ASKS HOW MAY I KNOW THAT I WILL POSSESS THE LAND?” • ABRAM IS ASKING THE SAME KIND OF QUESTIONS THE ISRAELITES↓ MIGHT HAVE HAD ON THEIR MINDS.. •AS THEY WANDERED IN THE WILDERNESS, THEY MIGHT HAVE ASKED HOW COULD THEY KNOW FOR CERTAIN •THAT THEY WOULD ACTUALLY POSSESS THE PROMISED LAND AND THE ANSWER TO BOTH •ABRAM AND THE ISRAELITES IS THE SAME… •YOU CAN KNOW THAT GOD WILL FULFILL HIS PROMISES •BECAUSE HE MADE A COVENANT WITH YOU... •AND GOD’S COVENANTS ARE UNBREAKABLE GENESIS 15:9–11 SO HE SAID TO HIM, “BRING ME A THREE YEAR OLD HEIFER, AND A THREE YEAR OLD FEMALE GOAT, AND A THREE YEAR OLD RAM, AND A TURTLEDOVE, AND A YOUNG PIGEON.”↓ THEN HE BROUGHT ALL THESE TO HIM AND CUT THEM IN TWO, AND LAID EACH HALF OPPOSITE THE OTHER; BUT HE DID NOT CUT THE BIRDS. THE BIRDS OF PREY CAME DOWN UPON THE CARCASSES, AND ABRAM DROVE THEM AWAY. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT •CONCEPTS IN THE BIBLE IS THE CONCEPT OF COVENANTS •A COVENANT IS A BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO PARTIES •KINDA LIKE A CONTRACT… BUT •IF BOTH SIDES OF A CONTRACT AGREE THEY CAN JUST DISSOLVE IT A COVENANT CANNOT BE •DISSOLVED… IT IS PERMANENT… AS LONG AS EITHER SIDE IN A COVENANT IS ALIVE… •THE COVENANT IS IN FORCE… •SO… WHEN GOD IS IN A COVENANT IT LASTS UNTIL THE COVENANT IS FULFILLED… •MOSES TELLS US ABOUT THE COVENANT GOD MADE WITH ABRAM…. •FIRST, MOSES TELLS US ABOUT ABRAM’S PART….. •ABRAM HAS TO PREPARE THE ANIMALS THAT WILL BE SACRIFICED TO MAKE THE COVENANT… •THIS MAY SOUND KINDA ODD TO US.. BUT THIS IS HOW ANCIENT •COVENANTS WERE DONE. •ANIMALS WERE SACRIFICED AS PART MAKING A COVENANT.. •AND IT WAS ABRAM’S JOB TO COLLECT AND PREPARE THE ANIMALS… ONCE THE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN •PREPARED ABRAM HAS TO KEEP THE BIRDS AWAY •THE BIRDS OF PREY CAME DOWN UPON THE CARCASSES, AND ABRAM DROVE THEM AWAY. •THE COVENANT CANNOT BE COMPLETED IF THESE BIRDS OF PREY POLLUTE THE SACRIFICE… •SO ABRAM HAS TO KEEP THEM CHASED OFF. SO…ABRAM HAS DONE HIS PART… •THE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN PREPARED… •THE BIRDS OF PREY HAVE BEEN CHASED OFF •AND WE CAN SEE THAT IT TOOK ABRAM ALL DAY TO DO THIS… •IT HAD BEEN NIGHT WHEN GOD SHOWED ABRAM THE STARS… •ABRAM SPENT ALL DAY GETTING THE ANIMALS PREPARED… GENESIS 15:12–16 NOW WHEN THE SUN WAS GOING DOWN, A DEEP SLEEP FELL UPON ABRAM; AND BEHOLD, TERROR AND GREAT DARKNESS FELL UPON HIM. GOD SAID TO ABRAM, ↓ “KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE STRANGERS IN A LAND THAT IS NOT THEIRS, WHERE THEY WILL BE ENSLAVED AND OPPRESSED FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. ↓ “BUT I WILL ALSO JUDGE THE NATION WHOM THEY WILL SERVE, AND AFTERWARD THEY WILL COME OUT WITH MANY POSSESSIONS. “AS FOR YOU, YOU SHALL GO TO YOUR FATHERS IN PEACE; ↓ YOU WILL BE BURIED AT A GOOD OLD AGE. “THEN IN THE FOURTH GENERATION THEY WILL RETURN HERE, FOR THE INIQUITY OF THE AMORITE IS NOT YET COMPLETE.” ONE OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF •A COVENANT IS THE PROMISES CONTAINED IN IT.. •ABRAM WAS IN A DEEP SLEEP… •THE SAME KIND OF SLEEP ADAM WAS IN WHEN GOD MADE EVE FROM HIS RIB.. •EVEN IN THIS DEEP SLEEP…. ABRAM EXPERIENCED↓ TERROR AND GREAT DARKNESS •AND IN THIS TERROR AND DARKNESS GOD SPOKE TO ABRAM… •FIRST GOD TELLS ABRAM HIS DESCENDANTS WILL BE ENSLAVED •FOR 400 YEARS…. AND THEN GOD TELLS ABRAM THAT •THE NATION WHICH ENSLAVED THOSE DESCENDANTS WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD •REMEMBER WHO MOSES IS WRITING THIS TO… THE ISRAELITES •THEY ARE THE VERY PEOPLE GOD JUST TALKED ABOUT… •IMAGINE READING ABOUT GOD PROMISING TO JUDGE THE PEOPLE WHO HAD ENSLAVED YOU… •HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? GOD SAYS WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN •HE SAYS ABRAM WILL DIE IN PEACE AT AN OLD AGE… •AND THAT IT WILL BE 4 GENERATIONS BEFORE HIS •DESCENDANTS WILL RETURN TO THE PROMISED LAND.. •AND IT DID IN FACT TAKE 4 GENERATIONS BUT YOU HAVE TO COUNT FROM •FROM WHEN THEY LEFT CANAAN TO GO TO EGYPT…. •THERE ARE FOUR GENERATIONS BETWEEN WHEN THEY LEAVE CANAAN AND GO DOWN TO EGYPT AND WHEN THEY RETURN FROM EGYPT… NOW THAT ABRAM HAD DONE HIS PART •AND GOD HAD MADE HIS COVENANT PROMISES… •GOD WILL EXECUTE OR CUT THE COVENANT… •IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHO MAKES THIS COVENANT GENESIS 15:17–21 IT CAME ABOUT WHEN THE SUN HAD SET, THAT IT WAS VERY DARK, AND BEHOLD, THERE APPEARED A SMOKING OVEN AND A FLAMING TORCH WHICH PASSED BETWEEN THESE PIECES.↓ ON THAT DAY THE LORD MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM, SAYING, “TO YOUR DESCENDANTS I HAVE GIVEN THIS LAND, FROM THE RIVER OF EGYPT AS FAR AS THE GREAT RIVER, THE RIVER EUPHRATES:↓ THE KEN-ITE AND THE KEN-IZZITE AND THE KAD-MON-ITE AND THE HITTITE AND THE PER-IZZ-ITE AND THE REPH-AIM AND THE AM-OR-ITE AND THE CANAANITE AND THE GIRGA-SHITE AND THE JEB-U-SITE.” NOW, REMEMBER ABRAM IS •IN A DEEP SLEEP… HE IS NOT DOING ANYTHING HERE… •GOD’S PRESENCE IS SHOWN BY TWO THINGS. •FIRST IS A SMOKING OVEN AND SECOND IS A FLAMING TORCH…. AND THE OVEN AND TORCH PASS •BETWEEN THE PIECES OF THE ANIMALS ABRAM HAD PREPARED.. •I KNOW THIS SOUNDS STRANGE… •BUT THIS WAS THE WAY KINGS… AND POWERFUL MEN MADE COVENANTS IN THOSE DAYS… •THE IDEA IS SIMPLE… IF YOU BREAK↓ THE COVENANT… THEN YOU •END UP LIKE THE ANIMALS… •SEE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE ANIMAL PIECES •IS THAT IF I BREAK MY PROMISE THEN LET WHAT WAS DONE TO THESE ANIMALS •BE DONE TO ME. THE REALLY IMPORTANT THING •FOR US TO NOTICE… IS ABRAM DID NOT MAKE THE COVENANT •GOD MADE THE COVENANT.. ABRAM DID NOT PROMISE ANYTHING…. •ABRAM DID NOT PASS BETWEEN THE ANIMALS… THE TEXT EVEN •SPECIFIES ON THAT DAY THE LORD MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM THIS IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS •AN UNCONDITIONAL COVENANT… GOD WILL UPHOLD THIS COVENANT •NO MATTER WHAT… THIS COVENANT IS NOT BASED ON ABRAM •FULFILLING ANYTHING… THIS IS JUST LIKE THE “NEW COVENANT” •JESUS MADE AT THE CROSS… WHICH IS NOT BASED ON ANYTHING ABOUT US •WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING TO EARN THE NEW COVENANT…. •WE CAN’T LOSE OUR SALVATION BECAUSE WE FAILED TO UPHOLD OUR PART IN THE NEW COVENANT... •WE ENTER INTO THE NEW COVENANT •WHEN WE HAVE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVOIR JUST LIKE GOD MADE A •COVENANT WITH ABRAM, HE ALSO MADE ONE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.. •IT IS CALLED TO MOSAIC COVENANT •AND HE ALSO MAKES A COVENANT WITH EVERYONE •WHO TRUSTS IN JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR THE PURPOSE OF THESE •COVENANTS IS TO PROVIDE A WAY FOR PEOPLE •TO KNOW THAT GOD WILL FULFILL HIS PROMISES… •ABRAM ASKED HOW HE COULD KNOW GOD WOULD •FULFILL HIS PROMISE TO GIVE THE LAND TO HIS DESCENDANTS…AND↓ GOD TELLS ABRAM EXACTLY •WHAT LAND HE IS PROMISING TO GIVE… •HE LISTS THE LOCATION OF THIS LAND •FROM THE RIVER OF EGYPT AS FAR AS THE GREAT RIVER, THE RIVER EUPHRATES: •HE EVEN LISTS THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE LAND… ALL THOSE ITES…. GOD MAKES COVENANTS •TO SHOW THAT HE WILL KEEP HIS PROMISES…. •GOD MADE A COVENANT WITH ISRAEL ON MOUNT SINAI… •BUT THAT COVENANT REQUIRED THAT THE ISRAELITES •KEEP THE LAW OF MOSES… GOD MADE THE NEW COVENANT •WHEN HE CAME IN THE FORM OF A MAN, JESUS CHRIST… •HE LIVED A SINLESS LIFE AND DIED ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS.. •HE ROSE AGAIN AFTER THREE DAYS AND ASCENDED TO HEAVEN.. IN THIS NEW COVENANT •GOD HAS PROMISED US MANY THINGS…. •ETERNAL LIFE, RESURRECTION, PEACE WITH GOD, THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND MUCH MUCH MORE.. • THE NEW COVENANT ASSURES US OF THESE PROMISES… WE ENTER THIS NEW COVENANT •WHEN WE PLACE OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.. •THAT HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS PAID FOR OUR SINS… •AND ONCE WE ARE IN THE NEW COVENANT NOTHING CAN BREAK IT.. •BECAUSE IT IS A PROMISE OF GOD WE ALL MAKE PROMISES •AND WE ALL BREAK SOME OF OUR PROMISES… •THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN… SOMETIMES •WE BREAK A PROMISE BECAUSE OF OUR SINFUL NATURE •OTHER TIMES WE BREAK IT BECAUSE… WE ARE JUST NOT STRONG ENOUGH OR SMART •ENOUGH TO KEEP IT.. BUT GOD IS PERFECT.. AND RIGHTEOUS •HE IS HOLY AND WORTHY.. AND ALL KNOWING.. ALL POWERFUL •HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US •HE WILL KEEP EVERY PROMISE PERFECTLY AND HE HAS PROMISED THAT •IF WE TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR •WE WILL HAVE AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD •IN HEAVEN FOR ALL TIME.. •IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE WHO HAS NOT TRUSTED JESUS CHRIST…