May 11, 2003, SM: Mediator and Surety of the New Covenant

May 11th, 2003, Sunday Morning
Mother's Day

"Mediator and Surety of the New Covenant"
Blessings and Spiritual Fortunes today's Christians aren't aware they have

Lakewood Baptist Church, Sumter, South Carolina
Tony Sanders, Pastor (of 7 churches in 34 years)

OPENING: Hebrews 8:7-13

INTRODUCTION: In his 34 years of preaching, Pastor Sanders begins today what he believes to be the most important message of all, which tests the fiber and fabric of the church family. Many in the audience won't understand but for those who do, their life will never be the same.
Many in life don't realize they already possess this treasure...
- ANALOGY 1: In Texas, a merchant known as the "Rock Man" owned a booth at a flea market where he sold unusual rocks that he would acquire along his various journeys. These were rocks of unusual and special color and size that he sold to supplement his income. One day, a particular man visited and studied his rock collection. One rock in particular, of amazing shades of color, caught this man's eye. He left the booth but later returned. The man asked the Rock Man how much for that special, multi-colored rock. The Rock Man, believing the rock to be valued at five dollars said he'd sell it for ten dollars. The man asked, "Are you sure?" and the Rock Man said yes. The next morning, the Dallas paper's front page story read, "Man sells rock full of gemstones for $500,000."
  
  The Rock Man didn't know what he had...
- ANALOGY 2: A man took his wife on a cruise ship for a week. This man could afford only to pay for the travel tickets but not for the associated meals. So for that entire week's journey, while the ship's vacationers dined in the ship's galley with all the wonderful foods, the man and his wife sat on the deck and ate cheese and crackers. Finally, at the end of the journey, the man met one of his friends whom he wasn't aware was on the trip. The man's friend said, "Why didn't you eat with us all these days?" to which the man replied, "I couldn't afford to. I only had enough money to pay for the tickets." The man's friend replied, "But the cost of all the meals was included in the tickets!"
  
  The man didn't know what he had...
- MEANING: Many people make that decision in life to give their heart to Jesus but don't realize that in return, Jesus gives them the greatest treasure known to man: not only the free gift of eternal life beyond this world but an accessible spiritual bank account full of blessings and promises for success in this earthly life
If you're tired of being beneath and not above; the tail and not the head; never experiencing the victory and always suffering at the hands of the enemy then this message is for you
In Pastor Sanders' experience, 90% of Christians do not know what the word "covenant" means--the most dynamic and liberating truth in all the Bible
- There used to be a time in the Old Testament when the word covenant (agreement) and personal character was so honorable and sacred to man that all that was required to validate a contract was a handshake ... no written, binding contract was required
- However, in today's world, the closest application of an honorable agreement (or covenant) is marriage--and even that is broken for no good reasons
  - 2 Timothy 3:1,3: Even signed agreements by presidents, witnessed by the two countries, is broken, without reason (i.e., China's decision to revive it's nuclear program that it signed with the USA it would not do)
Two major covenants in the Bible: (a little background, here)
- Old covenant (Old Testament): this first covenant was about obedience. It was made with Moses and the children of Israel after their exodus from Egypt where The 10 Commandments were written on stone. The agreement was that if you disobey any of them, you're pretty much subject to immediate death. It was the days of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"--equal retribution
- New covenant (New Testament): Hebrews 8:7-9: Created because God knew man would never be able to keep his end of the covenant. Began when Jesus Christ, God's only Son, was crucified to be the perfect, ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world, for all time, so that mercy would allow man to sin and not immediately die to pay the price. Further, Christ's death began the offering on the free gift of eternal life and be judged sinless before God at Judgment Day. The days of equal retribution were changed from "eye for an eye" to "turn the other cheek" and "do good to those who hurt you"
1 Thessolonians 5:24: Essence of the covenant; unlike man, God stays bound to his terms of His covenant with man--even in the moment man breaks his end of the deal. If God says He'll do something--He'll do it
2 Thessolonians 3:3: The liberating truth of this New Covenant (which applies to you, today): don't try to tackle life by your own strength--let God do it for you by praying and entrusting the task to Him
Hebrews 7:22: How do we know God will protect, shield us and abide by His end of the New Covenant with you? Because God sacrificed His only Son to show His sign of genuineness
- Why sacrifice His Son? Because it was customary in the Old Testament that the ratification of agreements and covenants was for man to sacrifice animals as burnt offerings on altars to God
Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24: Further, Jesus not only is the sign (the surety) God will do what He promises in this New Covenant but Jesus is also this Covenant's mediator--the communication-enabler between man and God
- What is a "surety"? A fully performed engagement--an assurance: Christ ensures his Father, God, fully performs His part of the Covenant
- (Because man cannot talk DIRECTLY to God, as the Bible says and in many song hymns, "reach God through Jesus, the Son," is the resounding theme ... which is why Christians pray "in Jesus' name")
- Man cannot deal with God directly because God is so holy that if man stood in His presence, he would be instantly incinerated--that's how separated God is from sin
  - Deuteronomy 5:25: The children of Israel told Moses to go talk to God for them because just hearing God's voice, they all thought they would literally die!
Money being able to access the world's earthly riches, wealth and fame IS SIMILAR TO Jesus being your access point to the promises of the New Covenant and eternal life
John 10:10: Jesus died for you not only to make Heaven an available inheritance after you die but to allow you to prosper and be successful more than even you could want for yourself while living on earth
- With this promise, don't live in the mindset that "life will be better when I finally die" because God is offering you a better life before Heaven
Today's church is responding to this New Covenant offer of an eternal life at no cost and a sinless judgment at Judgment Day with one of two statements:
- We must have "Abrahamic" faith (the faith of Abraham from the Old Testament):
  - Genesis 17:17: When God told Abraham he would have a son at age 100, Abraham initially thought, "Can I have a child at 100 while my wife, Sarah, is 90?" (the "it's too difficult to be possible" response)
  - When God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations and his seed would live on the land forever, Abraham wondered who he was to deserve such a promise (the "it's too wonderful for me--I don't deserve it" response)
  - Hebrews 11:8: But in the end, Abraham believed God and did what God told him to do, even without knowing where the road he journeyed would take him at the end of the day--and that results in accessing your New Covenant spiritual bank account
CLOSER
It is because of either not knowing, not believing or not counting yourself worthy (as God does) that prevents you from being a partner of the New Covenant and a partaker of YOUR personal, overflowing spiritual bank account of blessings and promises
When you become saved (a partaker of God's New Covenant with you), all that God wants to see happen in your life will be performed by Jesus Christ, through you--not within your own strength
James 2:23: A covenant is an alliance between two friends; therefore, just as Abraham was specifically called "the Friend of God", so are you called God's friend
The surety and influence of Jesus Christ and His New Covenant with you doesn't begin after the last page in Bible (after this world ends) but begins working your life the day you become saved