A Covenant for God’s Glory
March 8, 2006
Pastor Matt Black
Midweek Service
1 Chronicles 16:7-29
(Keep it short—we’ve got carpet to rip out!)
Discipleship: Let’s review our discipleship questions… (For our purposes you do not need to memorize the references.)
Q. What is the first commandment of God’s moral Law?
A. Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3).
Q. What is the second commandment?
A. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (Exodus 20:4).
Q. What is the third commandment?
A. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain (Exodus 20:7).
Q. What is the fourth commandment?
A. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8).
Q. What is the fifth commandment?
A. Honor thy father and thy mother (Exodus 20:12).
Q. What is the sixth commandment?
A. Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13).
Q. What is the seventh commandment?
A. Thou shalt not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14).
Q. What is the eighth commandment?
A. Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20:15).
And now this week’s questions …
Q. What is the ninth commandment?
A. Thou shalt not bear false witness (Exodus 20:16).
Can someone stand and quote all nine thus far?
Catechism Question #1.
Who can tell me: Q. Who is the first and best of beings?
A. God is the first and best of beings.
Catechism Question #2.
Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. To glorify God and to love Him forever.
Introduction: Open your Bibles tonight to 1 Chronicles 16:29. Tonight we are going to delve into the meaning of life. We are going to be learning that meaning in life begins with entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship is a friendship, but it’s more than a friendship. It is more than any earthly relationship. It goes beyond all human love. It is higher than our love for our children or our spouse. This relationship is more than a marriage or a friendship. The Bible calls this relationship a COVENANT.
We are asking ourselves tonight: What is the chief end of man? What is man’s ultimate purpose? What is the meaning of life? What is it that we were created to do? The answer is that we are to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. We find this truth in 1 Chronicles.
1 Chronicles 16:29
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness
When we were saved, we entered into a covenant for God’s glory. Your whole life now is to be spent glorifying God!
1 Peter 4:11b That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
We are to give “the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (I Chronicles 16:29).
Proposition: The Context of glorifying God can only take place within the confines of a Covenant with God.
God cannot be glorified unless man comes into Relationship with Him.
Ø Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Those who are in the flesh are outside a covenantal relationship with God. This is a universal law of Scripture.
Ø 1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
This is exactly what the context of our text tells us. Without a covenant with God through blood, man will never glorify God. That is the context. And without understanding the context of the words of our text, you can make them mean anything you want them to mean. You must never divorce the Bible from its context. These words were part of a Psalm that David sang when he brought the Ark of God’s Covenant back to Jerusalem. The Ark was a picture—a metaphor—for God’s presence among them. We read in verse 7:
1 Chronicles 16:7-10
7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. 8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. 10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
Verse 15 show us how important this event was. It was a confirmation of the Covenant that God had made first with Abraham and with them:
1 Chronicles 16:15-17
15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; 16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; 17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
We are to be “mindful always of his covenant”—the covenant God made with Abraham and with them. Only then can we glorify God. We want to look into that in a moment, but we must first ask ourselves if these verses are even relevant to us. The Bible answer is YES!! We have entered into the same covenant with God as the people of old. Remember, man’s chief end is to glorify God.
The essence of glorifying God is to reflect Him by entering into a relationship with Him. We call this a covenant.
We can only glorify Him when we enter into a covenant with Him. Without Christ, you cannot please God!!
So that brings us to our second point from this text, that God has in a real sense, only ONE covenant. From Adam until the last man saved, those who enter into covenant with God are saved. Those who enter in relationship with God can only do so through Jesus Christ. The OT saints showed their faith in the coming Mediator by offering sacrifices that pictured Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice (ISAIAH 53). So we first need to see:
I. The Continuity of the Covenant: God’s covenant is an Everlasting covenant. “everlasting covenant” (v.17)
Everlasting implies Continuity –that is God has one covenant people.
Ø John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ø John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Remember, Jesus is saying this during the time of the Old Testament administration. The Temple is still standing, and he is saying—“I am the Way!” He is the Mediator of the everlasting covenant.
A. Notice it is an everlasting covenant made with Abraham. 16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;
Remember what God told Abraham way back in Genesis?
Genesis 26:4
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
Compare this verse with Galatians 3:16—
Galatians 3:16
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
So the covenant made with Abraham finds its perfect fulfillment in the new covenant.
B. Therefore, the NT is clear, that this covenant is merited by Jesus Christ!
Jesus is “the mediator of the new covenant” (Hebrews 12:24)
Make no mistake about it! This everlasting covenant is none other than the Gospel covenant—or as the Puritan’s called it, the “covenant of grace.” It is God’s promise to save all those who put their trust in Jesus. Look at Galatians 3:8-9—
Galatians 3:8-9
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
This is not some transitory or temporal covenant, but an “everlasting covenant.” This is also called the “covenant in Jesus’ blood.” God has made an everlasting covenant with His people. He has said that he will save “all those who call upon the name of the Lord.” He has promised to be a Father to them. He has promised to redeem us, to seal us with the Holy Spirit, and to glorify us. Look at
Hebrews 13:20-21
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Scripture then makes a conclusion based on this. If you are to come to God, you must come to God in the same way. It has always been the same. In order to glorify God, you must begin by entering into covenant with God by the blood of Jesus Christ. It is by “the blood of Jesus” that we “enter into the holiest” (Hebrews 10:19). No one has ever “entered into the holiest” apart from the blood of Jesus.
Hebrews 9:13
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Hebrews 10:10-14
we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
The covenant that Israel entered into was just a reconfirmation of Abraham’s covenant. Remember how God promised a “son” to Abraham. The ultimate fulfillment of that son was not Isaac, but the Son of God!!
Again, we see in Galatians 3:16
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
C. We also see that this covenant is made with all the people of God. (both Jews and Gentiles).
Then we see over in chapter 6:
Galatians 6:15-16
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision [CIRCUMCISION WAS THE SIGN OF THE COVENANT], but a new creature [CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART]. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Ephesians 2:11-13
11 ¶ Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
So we see there is Continuity, but…
II. We also see the Certainty of the Covenant—It is an Everlasting Covenant! It is secure! It lasts forever in Jesus Christ. Those who take the one way to God will be secure forever!
Ø John 6:37-39l that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Ø Hebrews 13:5 I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
III. We also see the Confirmation of the Covenant.
Next week we will get how exactly we are to glorify God and what that means, but I want to reiterate the importance of teaching yourself and your children everyday. A catechism as I said last week is:
protected
A book giving a brief summary of the basic principles of Christianity in question-and-answer form.[1]
In 1 Corinthians 14:19 Paul says, "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." In Galatians 6:6 he says, "Let him that is taught in the word communicate [share] unto him that teacheth in all good things." Acts 18:25 says that Apollos "was instructed in the way of the Lord."
In each of these verses the Greek word for "instruct" or "teach" is katecheo. From this word we get our English word "catechize". It simply means to teach Biblical truth in an orderly way. Generally this is done with questions and answers accompanied by Biblical support and explanation.[2]
Remember, as members of the new covenant in Jesus blood, we are to teach our children. Our covenant is “written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:3). It is there that we begin, but we must also hide God’s Word in our heart.
Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
And then of course, we read these words of the covenant given in Deuteronomy 6, after the covenant of the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments was given in Deuteronomy 5.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
And these words [the Decalogue, i.e. the Ten Commandments], which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
So we must “teach them diligently unto [our] children” by talking of them—whether
1 Chronicles 16:15-17
15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; 16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; 17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
God is a covenant keeping God, and He tells us we need to constantly remind ourselves of His covenant. The chief way we do that is through being “mindful always of his covenant.” This is why we teach (or “catechize”) ourselves and our children. We are to constantly remind ourselves of the “covenant which he made with Abraham.” Remember, God promised to bring Christ through the seed of Abraham and to bless all the nations of the world through Christ Jesus:
Conclusion: Are you glorifying God tonight? Do you love Him now, and will you love Him forever? Perhaps you need to come to Christ tonight. Perhaps you are not glorifying God because you have never entered into covenant with Him. Have you come to God through the blood of Jesus or some other way? Christ is the only way! We can only glorify God through the power of the blood and through the merits of the blood!
Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. To glorify God and to love Him forever.
Announcement: Right after our closing hymn, let’s move all the furniture to the teen room and start ripping out the carpet.
Closing Hymn: 21 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
[1] The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
[2] John Piper. The Catechism. This is from Piper’s introductory comments on his revision of the 1689 Baptist Catechism. It can be accessed at the following site from DesingGod.org, Piper’s web site:: http://www.desiringgod.org/library/what_we_believe/catechism.html.