Our New Covenant. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Transcription

1 Our New Covenant We need to realize that there is a drastic difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The entire Bible is God's Word, and every verse is inspired by the Holy Spirit. But as believers, the epistle letters were written to us. The Old Testament was written for our admonition. 1 Corinthians 10: Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. One time a pastor asked me to teach his adult Sunday school class at his church. I was delighted to do so, because at the time, I didn't have any place to preach on Sunday mornings. It was a denominational charismatic church, and after eight weeks of teaching the Sunday school class, the pastor called me into his office just before the Sunday morning worship service. He said he had been hearing good reports about the class, and he thanked me for doing it. I thanked him for the opportunity, because I was honored to be able to minister. He went on to say, "I'm sorry I have not had the opportunity to attend any of your classes; I've been busy here at the church with other activities. I just wanted to know if we have any differences in our teaching." I said, "Pastor, we're as different as night and day in what we're teaching your people." He was shocked and had the expression that he wished he had inquired earlier about this. He said, "Well, where do we differ?" I said, "Dear brother, for the last eight Sundays that I've listened to you preach to your congregation after Sunday school, all the scriptures that you read to your congregation were from the Old Testament, except for one from the Gospel of John." He said, "So what's wrong with that?" I said, "You'll leave your people with the wrong impression." He said, "What you mean?" I said, "Your people are born again and spirit filled; they re spiritually alive and not dead. The epistle letters were what was written to the church." You may start out in the Old Testament, but you want to wind up in the New Testament, because if you don't, you leave people with the idea that they're unworthy and unrighteous. Then, they'll end up being led astray. The Old Testament people were under the law; we are not. We're underneath grace and mercy. The Old Testament is historical and everything we take from it to apply to our lives should be founded in the New Testament. People always get led astray and living in sin consciousness when the Old Testament is taught more than the new. The difference between the Old and New is that in the new, you have a better Covenant, established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6).

2 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. In the New Testament when you are born again, you become a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Another time, I was attending a charismatic church, which was one of the largest and fastest growing churches in Northeast. The pastor gave an altar call to his congregation, who were already born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. He asked them to come forward and receive a new heart. He meant spiritually, because he had read this scripture from the Old Testament that God was going to give His people a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. All his elders and deacons ---people I knew personally, who were all born again, went forward to have hands laid upon them to receive a new heart. They did not realize that they were already a new creature in Christ Jesus, spiritually speaking. I walked out of that service utterly amazed at how misled the congregation had been! I would have understood if he was asking people to become born-again, or if he asked people to come forward who were living in sin, or who were backslidden, or people who needed physical or emotional healing. But that was not the case. I watched that congregation over the next few years. I knew some of them personally who attended there, and to this day, they're still scattered, misled, or disenchanted, all because their pastor didn't teach them who they were in Christ Jesus. If the congregation is not taught scripturally from the New Testament, and fed on God's Word, and taught how to be led by the Holy Ghost, to have spiritual discernment to be able to read and correctly divide the Word of God, they will always stay as weak sheep. Then, they end up being devoured by wolves in sheep's clothing. Sadly, that's one of the most common occurrences that I've encountered in my travels, in teaching the Word of faith. People desperately need to be taught who they are in Christ, and that they're no longer old sinners saved by grace. Once a person is born again, they are a child of God. They are the righteousness of God in Christ. They are as though they had never sinned. In Ephesians, they're called, "Saints ". In the epistles, they're called, "God's beloved ", "believers", and "sons of God". In the New Covenant, you have the Name of Jesus and authority over the devil in Jesus' Name. People in the Old Testament didn't have that. Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Philippians 2: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

3 In the New Testament, once you're born again, the Spirit of God comes and dwells in you. There's no way you have that in the Old Testament. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Romans 8: 9,17 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. In the New Testament, you're to walk in the spirit and be led by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:1, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Galatians 5:16, This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. In the New Testament, you worship God in spirit and not in the flesh, and you can pray in the spirit, and not just in your own understanding. You do this when you pray in tongues. John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Romans 8: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 1 Corinthians 14:13, Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Jude 20

4 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, In the New Testament, the devil has been defeated and he's under your feet. Colossians 2: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. The Old Testament people didn't have that. As a believer, the love of God is in your heart. Old Testament people didn't have that. Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. In the New Covenant, they pray to God in Jesus' Name. John 16:23, 24 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Acts 4:30, 31 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. Nowhere in the Old Covenant did they ever pray to God in Jesus' Name. In the New Covenant, we are delivered from the power of darkness. Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In the New Testament, you've been redeemed from the curse of the law. Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree In the New Testament, you've been redeemed from poverty. 2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. And there's no way in the world you were going to get this out of the Old Covenant. Too many of God's children today are being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. They go from one tangent to another. The sad thing is that while they're doing this, they're not growing and developing spiritually, so they end up getting lured in, many times by fanaticism, excess and false teachings. I've seen it happen time and time again, that seemingly good-hearted Christians fall because the devil is able to lead them off in the things of the flesh and not in the spirit of God.

5 I want to encourage you every day, to read your epistle letters; make statements to yourself and others that you're a new creature Christ Jesus. Become more God- conscious by saying to yourself that the spirit of God dwells within you, as a believer, and by saying, "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world; I walk in the spirit and I am led by the Holy Spirit" This will help you to see yourself as a new creature and a child of God, an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ Jesus. It will help you walk worthy of the Lord and at the same time, help you reject guilt and condemnation. Spend time every day, praying in tongues and keeping yourself built up spiritually. And always judge things in line with your New Testament. I look forward to sharing with you tomorrow. Brother Rich Remember, God wishes above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers (3 John 2).