You know, I've been
waiting all week to say this:
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good morning and happy
Sabbath. Happy Sabbath.
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When you get a bunch of
well-heeled, good looking,
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well-dressed Seventh-day
Adventists in a place
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it just seems like you ought
to say "Happy Sabbath. " Amen.
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And Sabbath is a happy day
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we used to sing as kids
in Primary and Cradle Roll.
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Sabbath is a happy
day... I love every Sabbath.
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So we say again happy
Sabbath to our audience here
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in this house and our
audience from around the world.
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Those who are watching and
listening on the various media:
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we wish you a happy Sabbath
and welcome you once again
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to the 3ABN Worship
Center which houses the
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Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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which on this occasion is
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Camp Meeting Spring 2012
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Pillars of Prophecy. And
we welcome you once again
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to what we know is going to
be a full day, a packed day.
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And I pray and hope
that you took my advice.
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That on last evening you
went home; you went to bed;
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and you went to sleep...
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because today you
are going to need it.
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We've got speaker after
speaker, all powerful messages.
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We really focus on the
book of Daniel this day
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and those subjects
appertaining to it.
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So you need to be
well awake and wide awake
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because there is much good
information that is going to be
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disseminated on this very day.
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We start off with
our own Shelley Quinn.
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Shelley Quinn and I came to
3ABN just about the same time.
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We got here in January of 2005.
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She is a sought-after speaker.
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As you well know, an author
that writes really wonderful
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Spirit-filled books.
A Spirit-filled speaker,
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one who has distinguished her-
self as a student of the Word.
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A study of the Word, a preacher
and teacher of the Word.
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And we are quite sure that she
has much to say to us this day.
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The only thing bad you can say
about Shelley, really, is that
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she is not a very
good church member.
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And that is because
she is not here that often
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because she is away
speaking so many many Sabbaths
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of the year doing
the work of the Lord.
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But I expect and we
expect the Lord to use her
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in a mighty way as she
deals with the Covenants today
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as part of our Pillars
of Prophecy presentation.
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Just before she comes
to deliver the word to us
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Melody Shelton-Firestone will
be singing God's Greatest Glory.
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And then we will move
right into the message.
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I ask you now to bow your heads
with me in a word of prayer.
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Gracious Father, we thank you
for the blessing of the Sabbath
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Day. We thank you for
this temple in time that
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gives us an
opportunity to relax and repose
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and to rest in You and to
hear the Word of God spoken
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with power. We ask now
a very special blessing
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on Melody as she
ministers in music
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and Shelley as she delivers
Your words to our heart.
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Speak to her so
that she may speak to us
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and fill us with
Your Spirit this day.
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We love You, thank
You, and praise You.
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In Jesus' name, Amen.
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I am remiss if I do
not remember and mention
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J.D. Quinn, the head of
our Pastoral Department.
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He stands faithfully by her
side; they are a powerful team
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in the Lord and we're
just happy for them both.
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We love them both here at 3ABN.
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Melody and then Shelley.
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In the beginning
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of creation
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when the world was formed
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Though God in His splendor
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this world He had rendered
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still the best was yet to come.
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God's
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greatest glory...
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the world's
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love story
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written just for me:
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Jesus
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is God's
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greatest glory.
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From His birth in a manger
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to His death on Calvary
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He fulfilled
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the Father's plan.
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Jesus Christ,
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the sacrifice,
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giving hope
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to every man.
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God's
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greatest glory...
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the world's
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love story
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written just for me:
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Jesus
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is God's
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greatest glory.
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Jesus
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is God's
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greatest glory.
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Amen.
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Thank you, Melody. And indeed,
Jesus IS God's greatest glory.
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Well, happy Sabbath.
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I hope you all can listen fast
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because I'm going
to have to talk fast.
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But today's presentation
on the covenants is built on
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three... a
three-tiered foundation
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having to do
with God's character,
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the progression of His ever-
lasting covenant of redemption,
00:08:06.44\00:08:11.51
and His divine law.
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Before we begin, let's pray.
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Father, again we come
before You in the name of Jesus
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thanking you for this
beautiful Sabbath Day.
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Thanking you, Father,
for the exalted privilege
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of being your children.
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Thanking you that You
are a covenant-keeping God.
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Lord, help me to be
surrendered to You now.
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I pray that from this
preparation You will bring forth
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those things, Lord, that
You want Your people to hear.
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And I ask in the name of Jesus
that You would anoint our ears.
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Send Your Holy
Spirit to be our teacher
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and anoint our ears, Father,
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to hear what the
Spirit has to say.
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In Jesus' name, Amen.
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You know, in order to
correctly interpret prophecy,
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particularly the prophecies
of Daniel and Revelation,
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we must understand the divine
ordering of the dispensation
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of God's law.
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God's law reveals not only
His will but His character.
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And that is the
reason why it is the center
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of the great controversy.
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To appreciate the
dispensation of God's law
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we must understand
God's everlasting covenant.
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And to understand and comprehend
the everlasting covenant
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we need to
understand the character of God.
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God is love. He
is kind and faithful
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and patient. He's
gracious; He is good.
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God is just. God is... His...
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There's perfect agreement
between the nature of God
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and the actions of God.
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God never does anything
that contradicts His nature.
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Everything He does
is motivated by love.
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Everything that He does
is for our eternal benefit.
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And God is consistent.
In Malachi 3:6 He says:
00:10:00.13\00:10:03.37
"I am the
Lord... I change not. "
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And Hebrews 13:8 says that
Jesus is the same yesterday,
00:10:06.75\00:10:12.09
today, and forever.
00:10:12.19\00:10:13.27
Since the beginning of
time God has been unfolding
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and revealing His
purposes, His plans,
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and Himself in an
unfolding revelation.
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And each revelation
builds upon the next.
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It's not that God withholds
any information from mankind
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that would benefit us
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but rather than mankind is
incapable of understanding God
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without this history and
these experiences with Him.
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How many times did
Jesus tell his disciples?
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He predicted His
death and His resurrection
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but the disciples did
not understand Him, did they?
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They even... The
Bible even says in Mark
00:11:00.59\00:11:03.35
they were afraid to
ask Him what He meant.
00:11:03.55\00:11:05.84
This is proof that man
cannot understand God's will
00:11:06.04\00:11:11.23
and His plan except through
a progressive revelation.
00:11:11.43\00:11:15.81
So this explains why God
has revealed His covenant
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to us in stages.
00:11:21.27\00:11:22.70
You know, although the Bible
speaks of multiple covenants
00:11:22.90\00:11:26.52
there is only one everlasting
covenant of redemption.
00:11:26.72\00:11:31.54
And that one basic
covenant of salvation is this:
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that salvation
belongs to the Lord.
00:11:37.69\00:11:40.61
Both the Old and the
New Testament reveal that
00:11:40.71\00:11:44.38
salvation belongs to the Lord.
00:11:44.58\00:11:47.07
I believe we have some graphics
that are going to be coming up
00:11:47.17\00:11:50.16
because we won't have
time to probably get to each
00:11:50.36\00:11:53.27
of these scriptures.
00:11:53.48\00:11:55.27
But this one thought that
salvation belongs to the Lord
00:11:55.48\00:11:59.89
is the good news that
has been preached to mankind
00:12:00.09\00:12:03.03
throughout history.
God advances His purpose
00:12:03.13\00:12:06.55
of divine salvation
through progressive covenants.
00:12:06.75\00:12:11.16
And the unity of these covenants
is this one central thing:
00:12:11.19\00:12:14.91
"I will be your God and
you will be My people. "
00:12:15.11\00:12:18.11
Today ever so briefly we
are going to look at the five
00:12:18.42\00:12:22.36
chronological
histories of the five stages
00:12:22.56\00:12:26.68
of His everlasting covenant
00:12:26.88\00:12:29.17
that originated in
heaven with Jesus Christ
00:12:29.37\00:12:32.44
then was revealed
to Adam then to Abraham
00:12:32.64\00:12:36.73
then to Moses and finally
was fulfilled through Christ.
00:12:36.93\00:12:41.55
Please turn to II
Timothy chapter 1.
00:12:41.75\00:12:46.11
II Timothy chapter 1.
00:12:46.31\00:12:47.70
This is the first stage
of the everlasting covenant.
00:12:48.00\00:12:52.53
It was announced before
the foundations of the earth
00:12:52.73\00:12:57.80
to be inaugurated
after the fall of mankind.
00:12:58.00\00:13:01.62
In II Timothy
chapter 1 and verse 9
00:13:01.92\00:13:06.22
this reveals God's
initial covenant of salvation
00:13:06.42\00:13:11.01
made with Jesus.
00:13:11.22\00:13:12.40
Look what Paul says.
00:13:12.60\00:13:14.10
II Timothy 1:9 says:
00:13:14.40\00:13:16.43
The Calvary plan was in place
before the world was created.
00:13:34.93\00:13:40.20
Revelation 13:8 says that
Jesus is the Lamb who was slain
00:13:40.40\00:13:44.62
before the
foundations of the earth.
00:13:44.82\00:13:46.79
Salvation has always -
always - been by grace.
00:13:46.99\00:13:51.58
And in Isaiah chapter 42...
This is a Messianic prophecy,
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a Messianic chapter.
And Isaiah chapter 42
00:13:56.98\00:14:00.44
verses 6 and 7
reveals God's plan
00:14:00.64\00:14:05.27
established for the world.
00:14:05.48\00:14:07.32
Look at these words:
00:14:07.52\00:14:09.16
Christ was and is
the everlasting covenant
00:14:33.81\00:14:39.80
of God's redemption, and truly
salvation belongs to the Lord.
00:14:40.01\00:14:44.85
Christ is the
center and the substance
00:14:45.05\00:14:48.70
of God's everlasting salvation.
00:14:48.90\00:14:51.88
You know, God knows
the end from the beginning.
00:14:52.08\00:14:54.03
When He created Adam and Eve
He created them in perfection.
00:14:54.23\00:14:58.05
They were
created in God's image.
00:14:58.95\00:15:01.28
They had the divine law of
God written on their hearts.
00:15:01.41\00:15:04.64
He put them in a
place of perfection
00:15:04.84\00:15:07.53
with great
blessings and great freedom.
00:15:07.73\00:15:10.57
And while they were there He
gave them only one prohibition.
00:15:10.77\00:15:15.38
Only one test of
their loyalty to Him.
00:15:15.68\00:15:19.53
And that was: "Do
not eat of this one tree:
00:15:19.73\00:15:24.01
the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil
00:15:24.21\00:15:25.95
because if you eat then
dying you shall surely die. "
00:15:25.98\00:15:30.28
But they disobeyed,
and all mankind then needed
00:15:30.48\00:15:34.90
a Savior.
00:15:35.11\00:15:37.27
And God stepped in... the
God of grace stepped in...
00:15:37.47\00:15:40.86
with this
covenant of redemption.
00:15:41.09\00:15:43.63
And He announced the
first prophecy of His covenant.
00:15:43.83\00:15:48.42
We find that that is stage two:
the Adamic covenant of grace.
00:15:48.62\00:15:53.86
And this we talked about
last night: Genesis 3:15.
00:15:54.06\00:15:58.85
when He announced
the gospel of Christ
00:15:59.09\00:16:01.62
and He said: "I
will put enmity... "
00:16:01.82\00:16:03.88
Now this indicated the
promise of restored life
00:16:20.45\00:16:25.67
by grace alone. Amen?
00:16:25.87\00:16:29.53
This was through
Christ's work of redemption.
00:16:29.73\00:16:33.65
And at that time
God had to sacrifice
00:16:33.95\00:16:38.49
the first lamb to cover
the sin and the shame of sin.
00:16:38.69\00:16:44.06
Of the
nakedness of Adam and Eve.
00:16:44.29\00:16:46.07
And this foreshadowed
the events of the cross.
00:16:46.27\00:16:49.67
So we see that it went
from originating in heaven.
00:16:49.87\00:16:53.27
It was passed down to
Adam and then on to Abraham...
00:16:53.47\00:16:57.02
which is the third stage
of God's progressive covenant.
00:16:57.22\00:17:01.04
The everlasting
covenant of grace
00:17:01.24\00:17:03.93
was established through Abraham.
00:17:04.13\00:17:07.54
The everlasting covenant
of righteousness by faith
00:17:07.74\00:17:11.82
was established through Abraham.
00:17:12.02\00:17:14.47
Just listen to these promises
that God gave to Abraham.
00:17:14.67\00:17:19.96
He said: "I will
make you a great nation
00:17:20.16\00:17:21.89
and in you all the families
of the earth shall be blessed. "
00:17:22.09\00:17:25.29
That's Genesis 12:2-3.
00:17:25.49\00:17:27.54
And then in Genesis
15:5-6 when God had told Abraham
00:17:27.74\00:17:31.44
"Your descendants
shall be like stars"
00:17:31.64\00:17:34.98
the Bible says that
Abraham believed God
00:17:35.18\00:17:39.47
and God counted it
to him as righteousness.
00:17:39.67\00:17:44.34
God's plan of righteousness
by faith was revealed
00:17:44.54\00:17:49.30
right there to Abraham.
00:17:49.50\00:17:51.52
And a key verse is Genesis 17:7.
00:17:51.73\00:17:56.49
Let's look at that one
together: Genesis 17:7.
00:17:56.69\00:17:59.58
God said to Abraham:
00:17:59.78\00:18:01.92
He told Abraham in Genesis 22:18
00:18:16.12\00:18:19.31
that "in your seed all
the nations of the earth
00:18:19.51\00:18:24.31
shall be blessed. "
00:18:24.51\00:18:26.43
Get this...
these are God's words:
00:18:26.73\00:18:29.29
"In your seed Abraham
all the nations of the earth
00:18:29.59\00:18:33.94
shall be blessed because
you have obeyed My voice. "
00:18:34.04\00:18:39.54
Now we learned last
night... Who is the Seed
00:18:40.88\00:18:44.98
that Genesis
22:18 is referring to?
00:18:45.01\00:18:48.24
Jesus Christ. Paul
reveals that in Galatians 3:16.
00:18:48.64\00:18:52.63
This covenant that
God is building upon -
00:18:52.83\00:18:58.49
the Adamic covenant -
the covenant He gave to
00:18:58.69\00:19:01.52
Abraham - is the covenant
of grace... the covenant
00:19:01.72\00:19:06.07
representing the justification
of grace through faith
00:19:06.27\00:19:09.61
in the redemptive
work of Christ Jesus.
00:19:09.82\00:19:13.14
And it would
come to all nations...
00:19:13.34\00:19:15.63
Jews and Gentiles alike.
00:19:15.83\00:19:17.96
Through the
righteousness of Jesus Christ
00:19:18.16\00:19:20.86
all would be blessed.
00:19:21.06\00:19:23.07
The entire course
of salvation history
00:19:23.27\00:19:27.13
revolves around
this covenant of grace
00:19:27.34\00:19:30.83
which maintained the
authority of God's law
00:19:31.03\00:19:34.32
and it would be
ratified by the blood of Christ.
00:19:34.52\00:19:37.25
Turn to Genesis 26.
00:19:37.45\00:19:39.62
I want to show you that
the human response of obedience
00:19:39.82\00:19:44.33
as an expression
of love and loyalty
00:19:44.53\00:19:47.13
is part of the fulfillment
00:19:47.33\00:19:50.40
of the everlasting covenant.
00:19:50.60\00:19:54.20
Genesis 26.
Let's look at verse 3.
00:19:54.40\00:19:57.60
Here... let me set
this up... God is renewing
00:19:57.80\00:20:01.34
the covenant of
grace with Isaac.
00:20:01.54\00:20:05.18
This is something that...
Let's look at the basis of
00:20:05.38\00:20:09.24
why He renewed this.
00:20:09.34\00:20:10.68
Verse 3... Genesis 26 verse 3:
00:20:10.88\00:20:13.92
Why? Verse 5 answers:
00:20:39.68\00:20:42.17
Abraham's faithful obedience
00:20:53.05\00:20:56.48
demonstrates the relationship
between law and grace.
00:20:56.68\00:21:01.80
Abraham was conscious of
God's high moral standards.
00:21:02.10\00:21:06.41
God's law was
written in his heart,
00:21:06.62\00:21:08.98
and because of his faithfulness
the everlasting covenant
00:21:09.18\00:21:12.45
would come to all nations.
00:21:12.65\00:21:14.26
Now turn to Galatians 3.
00:21:14.46\00:21:16.70
It is the same
in both Testaments.
00:21:16.90\00:21:20.47
Salvation has
always belonged to God...
00:21:20.67\00:21:23.66
given by God's grace
to men through faith.
00:21:23.87\00:21:27.44
Let's look at Galatians 3
and we will begin with verse 6.
00:21:27.64\00:21:32.53
And Paul writes:
00:21:33.04\00:21:34.95
So Paul here identifies
the Christian community -
00:21:49.44\00:21:52.31
Jew and Gentile
alike - as sons of Abraham.
00:21:52.41\00:21:55.25
Now go on down to verse 19...
00:22:27.29\00:22:29.42
Galatians 3:19. Paul says:
00:22:29.62\00:22:32.49
Now verse 10 tells us
what law he's talking about.
00:22:48.35\00:22:52.09
Verse 10. He is clearly...
The subject of his context
00:22:52.29\00:22:55.81
is the book of the covenant.
00:22:56.01\00:22:58.06
And this Mosaic
book of the covenant -
00:22:58.36\00:23:02.30
the book of the law
which he identifies -
00:23:02.33\00:23:05.27
had God's eternal law of
love, the Ten Commandments,
00:23:05.47\00:23:10.26
as the heart of it but it
also included the civil laws
00:23:10.36\00:23:13.46
that told them how to put the
Ten Commandments into practice.
00:23:13.66\00:23:16.19
And also had the judgments
and then it had ceremonial laws
00:23:16.39\00:23:20.94
to provide the grace for
forgiveness and a symbol...
00:23:21.14\00:23:25.61
symbols that would give
them understanding of what the
00:23:25.81\00:23:29.67
Messiah would do for them.
00:23:29.77\00:23:31.18
This book of the
covenant, Paul says,
00:23:31.38\00:23:34.71
"was added because
of transgression. "
00:23:34.91\00:23:38.43
This book with its wonderful
blessings for obedience
00:23:38.64\00:23:41.84
and its fearful
curses for disobedience...
00:23:42.04\00:23:44.91
where was it placed
once it was written?
00:23:45.11\00:23:48.80
It was placed on the
outside of the ark in a pocket.
00:23:49.10\00:23:54.51
This book was added because
of the ignorance and the evil
00:23:55.46\00:23:58.87
of this nation that had been
in bondage for so many years
00:23:58.97\00:24:02.82
and had been delivered.
It was temporarily added.
00:24:03.02\00:24:07.05
Hebrews 8:13 says that
the new covenant makes the old
00:24:07.25\00:24:10.84
obsolete. So let's look
at this fourth progression.
00:24:11.04\00:24:15.44
This addition. It was
added to, it didn't wipe out
00:24:15.65\00:24:18.60
God's everlasting covenant.
00:24:18.80\00:24:20.00
It was added to...
that book of the law.
00:24:20.20\00:24:22.86
The fourth stage is
the Mosaic covenant.
00:24:23.16\00:24:26.21
But I'm here to tell
you I believe that also is a
00:24:26.41\00:24:29.33
covenant of grace
because it is founded upon
00:24:29.43\00:24:32.84
and added to the
Abrahamic covenant.
00:24:33.04\00:24:36.35
Turn to Exodus 2.
00:24:36.56\00:24:38.14
Exodus 2.
00:24:38.35\00:24:40.10
If we think of the scene here:
Abraham's descendants have now
00:24:40.94\00:24:44.93
been enslaved by
Egypt for hundreds of years.
00:24:45.03\00:24:48.15
And in Exodus 2:24 the
Bible says something amazing.
00:24:48.45\00:24:52.83
Exodus 2:24:
00:24:53.03\00:24:54.88
Let me tell you, any time the
scripture says "God remembered"
00:25:00.13\00:25:02.77
it doesn't mean He forgot...
00:25:02.87\00:25:04.16
it means that He is
about to take action.
00:25:04.36\00:25:07.24
So God remembered what?
00:25:07.44\00:25:10.44
This is evidence
that the Mosaic covenant
00:25:18.44\00:25:23.32
that is about to
be laid before us
00:25:23.52\00:25:27.26
was an extension of
God's covenant with Abraham.
00:25:27.47\00:25:30.97
Therefore it has to
be considered part of the
00:25:31.17\00:25:33.48
covenant of grace.
00:25:33.58\00:25:34.99
How was the Mosaic
covenant brought about?
00:25:35.19\00:25:38.17
When you think of it, it was
by God's gracious deliverance
00:25:39.45\00:25:43.95
of Israel from bondage.
00:25:44.15\00:25:45.94
Because God wanted to establish
an intimate relationship
00:25:46.14\00:25:51.90
based on the loyalty
and love. Turn to Exodus 6.
00:25:52.10\00:25:56.13
In Exodus 6:5-8 God
is speaking with Moses.
00:25:56.33\00:26:01.62
And here's what He says:
00:26:01.82\00:26:04.08
"I have heard their groanings"
- the groanings of the Hebrews -
00:26:04.29\00:26:09.47
"and I have
remembered My covenant. "
00:26:09.67\00:26:15.23
What covenant? The
covenant that was made in heaven
00:26:15.54\00:26:18.90
before the earth was formed.
00:26:19.00\00:26:21.05
The covenant that He'd
already shared with Adam
00:26:21.25\00:26:24.38
and now the covenant
that is being - and Abraham -
00:26:24.58\00:26:27.94
and the covenant that
is being revealed to Moses.
00:26:28.04\00:26:31.05
He says: "I
remembered My covenant. "
00:26:31.25\00:26:34.79
Then He goes on and
identifies Himself as Yahweh:
00:26:34.90\00:26:37.49
the self-existent, eternal God.
00:26:37.69\00:26:39.95
And He says: "Tell them
I'll deliver you from labor.
00:26:40.15\00:26:43.24
I'll free you from slavery.
00:26:43.44\00:26:45.88
I'll redeem you
with My outstretched arm
00:26:46.08\00:26:48.25
and take you as My
people. I will be your God
00:26:48.35\00:26:51.09
and bring you to the promised
land and give it to you. "
00:26:51.29\00:26:55.04
That sounds like the gospel of
grace to me. Doesn't it to you?
00:26:55.24\00:26:58.50
But look at verse 9.
00:26:59.66\00:27:01.85
Exodus 6:9. Moses
told this to the Israelites
00:27:02.05\00:27:06.10
but they did not listen to him
because of their broken spirit
00:27:06.30\00:27:11.69
in hard labor.
Still God proved Himself
00:27:11.89\00:27:15.82
to be Israel's God
00:27:16.02\00:27:18.90
through His glorious actions
00:27:19.11\00:27:23.12
and the power of
His love and holiness.
00:27:23.32\00:27:26.45
God parted the Red Sea;
He drowned their oppressors.
00:27:26.65\00:27:30.80
He gave them
manna; He gave them quail;
00:27:31.01\00:27:33.87
He gave them
water from the rock.
00:27:34.07\00:27:36.01
Israel was to become the
covenant community of God.
00:27:36.22\00:27:41.52
And their distinct identity
as God's people was to be
00:27:41.72\00:27:46.38
that they obeyed
God's commandments
00:27:46.48\00:27:50.25
and that His presence
would go with them every step
00:27:50.45\00:27:55.22
of their journey.
00:27:55.32\00:27:56.54
They experienced all
of the Lord's provisions.
00:27:56.74\00:28:00.73
They experienced His
efforts to deliver them.
00:28:00.93\00:28:04.56
But their memory was short
and their hearts were ungrateful
00:28:04.76\00:28:09.06
and it led them
to mistrust the Lord.
00:28:09.26\00:28:11.48
Turn to Exodus 19.
00:28:11.68\00:28:13.69
Exodus 19 is the scene
when the redeemed had reached
00:28:14.10\00:28:19.76
Mount Sinai.
00:28:19.86\00:28:21.91
I want you to look at
verses 4 and 5 with me.
00:28:22.11\00:28:24.52
Exodus 19:4-5.
00:28:24.72\00:28:26.67
The redeemed have
reached Mount Sinai.
00:28:26.87\00:28:30.73
Listen to the tender
words that God spoke to Israel.
00:28:30.93\00:28:35.93
He says to them:
00:28:36.13\00:28:38.08
This is intimate language.
00:28:59.81\00:29:01.71
God's saying: "You'll
be My special beloved. "
00:29:01.91\00:29:04.27
He says: "I
brought you to Myself.
00:29:04.57\00:29:07.40
I desired you,
therefore I delivered you
00:29:07.60\00:29:11.34
and I drew you close to Me. "
00:29:11.54\00:29:13.29
It's the language of a relation-
ship of trust and dependence.
00:29:13.49\00:29:18.31
"I have redeemed you. "
00:29:18.51\00:29:20.64
And this calls
for our allegiance.
00:29:20.84\00:29:24.16
Now the covenant law of
love God is about to speak
00:29:24.36\00:29:28.24
in the next chapter. How
does the Ten Commandments begin?
00:29:28.34\00:29:31.84
Somebody?
00:29:33.35\00:29:34.75
I have heard some
"Thou shalt nots... "
00:29:36.61\00:29:38.61
and then I heard the
other. It begins with a preamble
00:29:38.81\00:29:41.98
and let me show you this.
00:29:42.08\00:29:43.35
The covenant law of love
known as the Ten Commandments.
00:29:43.55\00:29:49.45
Let's look at
Exodus 20 verses 1 and 2.
00:29:49.65\00:29:52.46
This is the
beginning. And it says:
00:29:52.66\00:29:56.56
Here is the best evidence
that it is not law vs. grace.
00:30:06.46\00:30:12.41
The first 18
chapters are all about grace.
00:30:12.61\00:30:15.47
God is talking to a people
that He has already delivered.
00:30:15.67\00:30:19.96
He has already saved them.
00:30:20.16\00:30:22.74
His Ten Commandment law of love
was not the basis of salvation.
00:30:22.77\00:30:28.56
But God desired a
response of gratitude
00:30:28.76\00:30:32.81
from a people He
hoped would love Him.
00:30:33.01\00:30:35.70
Their deliverance from
bondage was to be their motive
00:30:35.90\00:30:39.93
for obedience to His law.
00:30:40.13\00:30:42.77
The same order is
seen in the new covenant.
00:30:43.07\00:30:47.31
Christ first redeems us
00:30:47.51\00:30:50.22
then He lives out
His law within us.
00:30:50.42\00:30:53.96
You know, scholars say
that when we consider the rules
00:30:54.26\00:30:57.61
of Hebrew grammar - the
syntax of Hebrew grammar -
00:30:57.81\00:31:01.04
there is something
very fascinating about the
00:31:01.17\00:31:04.53
Ten Commandments.
00:31:04.63\00:31:05.82
The Ten Commandments are
written in a form in the Hebrew
00:31:06.02\00:31:09.08
language that can either be
translated as a prohibition:
00:31:09.18\00:31:13.77
"Thou shalt not... "
00:31:13.87\00:31:14.91
or as an intensive promise.
00:31:15.11\00:31:17.37
What was God saying
in the Ten Commandments?
00:31:17.57\00:31:21.54
He was saying to His
people: "I am the Lord your God
00:31:21.75\00:31:25.13
who has saved you.
00:31:25.23\00:31:26.47
I love you; I drew you to Myself
00:31:26.67\00:31:29.31
and therefore I promise you
00:31:29.51\00:31:32.18
you will not have
any other gods before Me.
00:31:32.38\00:31:35.04
You will not worship idols.
00:31:35.24\00:31:36.36
You will not
take My name in vain.
00:31:36.56\00:31:38.03
You will joyfully
celebrate the Sabbath with Me
00:31:38.24\00:31:42.67
in communion. You will honor
your mother and your father.
00:31:42.77\00:31:46.80
You will not murder. You
will not commit adultery.
00:31:47.00\00:31:49.47
You will not steal. You
will not bear false testimony.
00:31:49.67\00:31:52.83
You will not covet. Why?
00:31:53.04\00:31:55.75
Because that's what
living in relationship with Me
00:31:55.95\00:31:59.60
is all about. "
00:31:59.80\00:32:01.15
In volume 1 of the
Bible Commentary page 1105
00:32:01.55\00:32:06.33
Ellen G. White says these words:
00:32:06.53\00:32:10.54
"The Ten
Commandments are ten promises.
00:32:10.94\00:32:14.98
There is not a
negative in that law,
00:32:15.18\00:32:19.25
although it may appear thus. "
00:32:19.45\00:32:21.76
The Ten Commandments are a
reflection of God's character,
00:32:23.52\00:32:26.79
and the essence of
His character is love.
00:32:26.99\00:32:29.63
The heart of His law -
00:32:29.93\00:32:31.86
these ten
covenant promises of love
00:32:31.96\00:32:35.56
that came from a God...
the gracious God of Sinai -
00:32:35.76\00:32:40.91
expressed His divine nature,
00:32:41.11\00:32:43.42
His covenant,
holiness, and His love.
00:32:43.62\00:32:46.14
You know, Jesus said something
interesting when He was
00:32:46.34\00:32:50.33
asked about the law.
00:32:50.53\00:32:52.41
In Matthew 22:36-40 He affirms
00:32:52.61\00:32:57.44
the Ten Commandments.
00:32:57.65\00:32:58.94
Someone came to Him
and said: "Teacher, what is
00:32:59.15\00:33:01.86
the greatest commandment? "
00:33:02.07\00:33:03.98
And He said: "Let
me tell you what it is:
00:33:04.01\00:33:06.41
love the Lord your God
with all of your heart,
00:33:06.61\00:33:08.93
soul, and mind and
the second is this:
00:33:09.13\00:33:13.34
love your
neighbor as yourself. "
00:33:13.54\00:33:15.02
And then He concludes
in Matthew 22:40 and says:
00:33:15.22\00:33:18.72
"On these two
commandments hang all the law
00:33:18.92\00:33:23.76
and the prophets. "
00:33:23.96\00:33:25.23
The Ten Commandments are
all about the love of God.
00:33:25.43\00:33:29.27
Paul said something
similar in Romans 13:9-10.
00:33:29.67\00:33:33.67
Just listen. He said: "For
the commandments you shall not
00:33:33.78\00:33:36.79
commit adultery,
you shall not murder,
00:33:36.89\00:33:38.50
you shall not steal, you
shall not bear false witness,
00:33:38.60\00:33:42.35
you shall not covet.
00:33:42.55\00:33:44.21
And if there is
any other commandment,
00:33:44.41\00:33:46.66
they are all
summed up in this saying:
00:33:46.86\00:33:49.60
namely, you shall love
your neighbor as yourself. "
00:33:49.80\00:33:53.17
So then Paul says in
verse 10 of Romans 13:
00:33:53.38\00:33:57.44
"Love does no
harm to his neighbor.
00:33:57.64\00:34:00.22
Therefore, love is the
fulfillment of the law. "
00:34:00.42\00:34:03.68
Let me tell you: if we
are trying to keep the law
00:34:03.98\00:34:07.17
without love, we
become like the Pharisees
00:34:07.37\00:34:10.01
and the law is
not fulfilled in us.
00:34:10.11\00:34:11.86
The law is rooted in love.
00:34:12.26\00:34:17.62
Love is the root
for our loyalty to God.
00:34:17.82\00:34:23.14
Love is the root for our respect
00:34:23.34\00:34:26.37
of the rights of
our fellow human beings.
00:34:26.58\00:34:29.77
Love is the
fulfillment of the law.
00:34:29.97\00:34:32.03
And now let's go
back to that scene
00:34:32.33\00:34:35.66
on that glorious morning -
it was a spring morning in 1450
00:34:35.86\00:34:40.50
at Mt. Sinai. It was awesome!
00:34:40.71\00:34:43.81
God appeared in all of
His glory with thundering
00:34:43.84\00:34:48.06
and lightning and the
mountain smoked with fire.
00:34:48.26\00:34:52.94
It shook and the shofar sounded
and then God's majestic voice
00:34:54.26\00:34:58.43
spoke His Ten Commandments.
And the witnesses of His glory
00:34:58.63\00:35:02.20
stood at a
distance and trembled.
00:35:02.40\00:35:05.11
Why did God make
such a dramatic display
00:35:05.42\00:35:09.38
when He spoke His holy law?
00:35:09.69\00:35:12.15
The Hebrews had lost
much of their knowledge
00:35:12.35\00:35:15.75
during their captivity.
00:35:15.95\00:35:17.84
They... they had forgotten a lot
00:35:18.04\00:35:20.84
and lost a lot of
what God had told them.
00:35:21.04\00:35:23.41
The Lord liberated them
00:35:23.62\00:35:25.65
that He might renew
His law within them.
00:35:25.85\00:35:29.65
If Israel were to be His
people - His special treasure -
00:35:29.86\00:35:34.41
they must
appreciate His holiness.
00:35:34.61\00:35:38.33
They must appreciate the
sacredness of their relationship
00:35:38.54\00:35:42.16
with Him. And God's majesty
was to convince and convict them
00:35:42.36\00:35:47.63
of the importance of the event.
00:35:47.83\00:35:49.82
Now let's... we're
going to go real briefly.
00:35:50.02\00:35:52.64
Then after God speaks
He does something else.
00:35:52.84\00:35:57.55
He gives Moses the rest of the
instructions of the temporary
00:35:57.75\00:36:02.93
covenant that was
written in the book of the law
00:36:03.03\00:36:04.93
that was added to the
Abrahamic covenant because
00:36:05.13\00:36:08.94
of the transgression.
The civil laws that told how
00:36:09.04\00:36:13.14
to put it into practice and
the judgments if they did not.
00:36:13.24\00:36:16.38
And Exodus 24:3-8 says that
00:36:16.59\00:36:20.22
Moses tells all the
people about these practices,
00:36:20.42\00:36:25.29
these judgments,
these civil laws.
00:36:25.49\00:36:27.64
And then what does he do?
00:36:27.84\00:36:30.42
He builds... When he
tells them first of all...
00:36:30.63\00:36:33.80
All of the
people... these Egyptians
00:36:34.00\00:36:37.29
or these Hebrews who were
steeped in the sinful practices
00:36:37.49\00:36:40.76
of Egypt... when he comes down
and he tells everything that God
00:36:40.96\00:36:44.63
had told him they say: "All that
the Lord has said we will do. "
00:36:44.80\00:36:49.02
Then Moses writes all of these
words down in the book of the
00:36:49.52\00:36:54.25
covenant. And he builds an
altar; he makes a sacrifice;
00:36:54.35\00:36:57.49
he sprinkles the blood of
the sacrifice on the altar;
00:36:57.70\00:37:01.26
and before he sprinkles
the people now he reads them
00:37:01.46\00:37:05.23
what he has written in
the book of the covenant.
00:37:05.43\00:37:07.73
And this time they say:
"Oh, all that the Lord has said
00:37:07.93\00:37:10.64
we will do" and they add
"and we will be obedient. "
00:37:10.84\00:37:13.73
And so then Moses sprinkles
them to ratify the covenant.
00:37:13.93\00:37:19.30
And he says in
verse 8 of Exodus 24:
00:37:19.33\00:37:22.00
"This is the blood of
the covenant which the Lord
00:37:22.20\00:37:24.41
has made with you according
to all of these words. "
00:37:24.61\00:37:26.95
What was wrong with
the people's response?
00:37:27.15\00:37:29.56
Their language was correct
but their attitude was wrong.
00:37:29.76\00:37:32.83
They were thinking
that they could do it
00:37:33.24\00:37:36.32
in their own strength. They
were responding out of fear.
00:37:36.42\00:37:40.37
They were motivated by fear
and not by love of the Lord.
00:37:40.57\00:37:43.21
And they thought they
could win God's favor through
00:37:43.45\00:37:45.94
obedience rather than
surrendering control to Him.
00:37:46.04\00:37:49.36
Let me tell you something:
rules without relationship
00:37:49.56\00:37:53.59
results in
rebellion... almost every time.
00:37:53.79\00:37:57.92
And to prove it, 40 days
later they were worshiping
00:37:58.12\00:38:02.29
the golden calf. Moses
had been up the mountain
00:38:02.49\00:38:05.13
for 40 days receiving the
instructions from the Lord
00:38:05.33\00:38:09.08
for the ceremonial system.
00:38:09.28\00:38:10.63
God had written the Ten
Commandments on the two tablets
00:38:10.83\00:38:14.27
of the
testimony... written in stone.
00:38:14.47\00:38:16.78
And Moses comes
down... Oh, by the way,
00:38:16.99\00:38:19.92
let me back up.
00:38:20.12\00:38:21.13
Before Moses comes down, when
God gives him these two tablets
00:38:21.33\00:38:26.61
of this covenant that the
people have just ratified,
00:38:26.81\00:38:29.49
and this is the
heart of the covenant,
00:38:29.69\00:38:31.85
you know what God says to him?
00:38:32.06\00:38:33.81
He says: "Hey, go on
back down to your people...
00:38:34.01\00:38:37.60
they've already
broken the covenant.
00:38:37.80\00:38:39.94
I ought to destroy them. "
00:38:40.14\00:38:41.82
Now look at what Moses says
to the Lord in Exodus 32:13.
00:38:42.02\00:38:47.88
What does he do? He
pleads the promise of the
00:38:48.18\00:38:51.94
Abrahamic covenant.
Exodus 32:13 he says:
00:38:52.04\00:38:56.62
Then Moses returns down the
mountain with these two stone
00:39:11.64\00:39:15.32
tablets. Finds the people
who have broken the covenant.
00:39:15.42\00:39:18.35
What good are the tablets if
the covenant's already broken?
00:39:18.55\00:39:21.29
He throws them down and
then he returns up the mountain
00:39:21.49\00:39:26.39
for another 40-day period.
00:39:26.52\00:39:28.40
Let's look at what
happened when he goes back up.
00:39:28.60\00:39:32.59
Here's a people who've
already broken the covenant.
00:39:32.79\00:39:35.82
Exodus 34 verses 5-7
00:39:36.12\00:39:39.47
reveals the character
of the God of Mt. Sinai
00:39:39.67\00:39:45.22
who proclaimed not
only His divine law
00:39:45.42\00:39:48.36
but His divine grace.
00:39:48.56\00:39:50.08
Exodus 34 verse 5:
00:39:50.38\00:39:53.00
So now, bless Moses' heart,
00:40:15.55\00:40:18.90
he's been up
there another 40 days.
00:40:19.20\00:40:21.34
God reveals who He is to him.
00:40:21.54\00:40:24.23
And now Moses comes down
with a second set of stone
00:40:24.26\00:40:27.73
tablets also written
by the finger of God.
00:40:27.93\00:40:30.22
And he comes to the people
00:40:30.42\00:40:33.27
and guess what: this time
the people don't say anything.
00:40:33.47\00:40:36.64
So Moses puts them
inside the ark as God instructed
00:40:38.00\00:40:43.87
to show the permanence
of those Ten Commandments.
00:40:44.00\00:40:46.64
The covenant law of love is
His basis for His government,
00:40:47.34\00:40:53.28
the foundation of
His everlasting covenant
00:40:53.31\00:40:56.19
of salvation. You know,
God's purpose has always been
00:40:56.29\00:41:00.57
to rescue His people from sin.
00:41:00.77\00:41:03.37
But over this ark there
was a mercy seat, wasn't there?
00:41:03.67\00:41:07.47
Praise the Lord! And it
was sprinkled with the blood
00:41:07.97\00:41:11.21
for atonement. The covenant
of grace given at Mt. Sinai
00:41:11.31\00:41:15.08
contained the sacrificial system
00:41:15.28\00:41:18.63
for atonement and
forgiveness of sin.
00:41:18.83\00:41:20.74
But that special
emphasis on the Ten Commandments
00:41:20.94\00:41:23.86
indicated that fulfillment
of the Abrahamic covenant
00:41:24.06\00:41:28.34
would happen when people
exhibited obedience by grace.
00:41:28.54\00:41:34.16
You know... I'm going to
have to skip some of this.
00:41:36.97\00:41:40.45
All right. Let's go
to Romans chapter 9.
00:41:40.65\00:41:43.21
Romans chapter 9.
00:41:43.41\00:41:45.08
In verse 31 Paul explains
00:41:46.53\00:41:51.34
what the problem was.
00:41:51.54\00:41:53.41
You know, when God
wrote these on stone
00:41:53.51\00:41:57.39
and had Moses
write them in the book
00:41:57.59\00:42:00.70
He wanted the
people to internalize them.
00:42:00.90\00:42:03.49
As the Psalmist said in Psalm 48
00:42:03.69\00:42:05.59
"I delight to do Your will.
Your law is within my heart. "
00:42:05.79\00:42:09.56
And in Romans 9
and 10 by the way
00:42:09.77\00:42:13.60
when Paul is explaining
righteousness by faith
00:42:13.80\00:42:17.68
who do you think he quotes?
00:42:17.89\00:42:20.07
He quotes Moses from
Deuteronomy 30:11-14.
00:42:20.47\00:42:25.59
So righteousness by faith
was the basis that Moses teaches
00:42:26.03\00:42:31.87
about the law from which
Paul drew his conclusions.
00:42:32.17\00:42:36.55
And then he says in
Romans 9:31 and 33. He says:
00:42:36.75\00:42:41.05
They obeyed the law as an
instrument of self righteousness
00:42:55.21\00:43:00.14
instead of by faith
like Abraham. Then he says:
00:43:00.35\00:43:03.84
Israel was
deceived by self confidence.
00:43:12.36\00:43:16.38
And we have to be
cautious that we don't believe
00:43:16.58\00:43:20.71
that there is saving
power in the law of God.
00:43:20.91\00:43:23.31
The only saving power is
in the blood of Jesus. Amen!
00:43:23.51\00:43:27.11
Amen... but that
doesn't do away with the law.
00:43:27.32\00:43:32.16
You know, man had nothing
to offer God for his salvation.
00:43:32.36\00:43:36.21
The Pharisees kept
those Ten Commandments.
00:43:36.41\00:43:39.05
They even tithed their
mint... but it wasn't anything
00:43:39.25\00:43:43.88
that recommended
them to God for salvation.
00:43:44.08\00:43:47.31
Obedience has never been a
means of obtaining salvation.
00:43:47.61\00:43:52.34
Rather, it has always
been evidence that God's grace
00:43:52.57\00:43:57.67
is operating in your
faith... in your life by faith.
00:43:57.87\00:44:02.36
All right. Now let's
get to the new covenant
00:44:02.66\00:44:04.79
'cause I'm running out of time.
00:44:04.99\00:44:06.41
So we see that it
originated in heaven
00:44:06.71\00:44:09.97
before the
foundations of the earth.
00:44:10.17\00:44:12.41
It was revealed to Adam
then it was revealed to Moses
00:44:12.61\00:44:17.38
and renewed with Isaac.
00:44:17.48\00:44:20.04
Then it was revealed...
was added - the Mosaic covenant
00:44:20.24\00:44:25.68
was added - to the covenant of
grace, the everlasting covenant.
00:44:25.98\00:44:31.92
And now let's look at this
last Old Testament prophecy
00:44:32.12\00:44:36.16
that we'll have
time to look at today.
00:44:36.36\00:44:38.29
And that is Jeremiah
31 if you will turn there.
00:44:38.49\00:44:41.93
This is a famous
new covenant prophecy,
00:44:42.13\00:44:46.20
and it grows out of and
depends upon all those stages
00:44:46.40\00:44:50.63
that we have just
looked at. You know,
00:44:50.83\00:44:53.25
new doesn't mean that
it didn't exist before.
00:44:53.45\00:44:56.10
It just means that it is new
in the sense of the most recent.
00:44:56.30\00:44:59.56
Jesus said: "A new
commandment I give you...
00:44:59.76\00:45:02.50
that you love your brother. "
00:45:02.70\00:45:04.52
Then He goes on and says
00:45:04.82\00:45:07.01
that you love them
"as I have loved you. "
00:45:07.21\00:45:09.98
The commandment was
not in and of itself new.
00:45:10.18\00:45:13.26
Actually Moses had
written that in Leviticus 19:18.
00:45:13.36\00:45:17.50
God had him record that.
00:45:17.70\00:45:20.34
But it was new in that
Christ gave a new demonstration
00:45:20.55\00:45:25.05
of how to love. So
Jeremiah 31 and verse 31.
00:45:25.25\00:45:30.86
"Behold the days are coming... "
00:45:31.16\00:45:34.99
The promise is sure
for a certain future time.
00:45:35.19\00:45:38.13
"says the Lord when I
will make a new covenant. "
00:45:38.43\00:45:41.85
The people had
broken the Mosaic covenant.
00:45:42.05\00:45:44.37
They had been taken
into captivity because
00:45:44.57\00:45:47.56
of their... put into exile
because of their disobedience.
00:45:47.76\00:45:51.41
And God promises to
re-make the covenant with them
00:45:51.61\00:45:54.92
so that they will have
hope that they will be preserved
00:45:55.02\00:45:58.20
for the future.
75% of the new covenant
00:45:58.30\00:46:02.97
comes from the words
of the Abrahamic covenant
00:46:03.17\00:46:06.43
and the Levitic covenant.
00:46:06.63\00:46:08.02
And the word new in
Hebrew can also mean renew.
00:46:08.22\00:46:13.52
So God is taking this
Mosaic covenant which was
00:46:13.55\00:46:17.88
a greatest prophecy of
what He was going to do
00:46:17.98\00:46:21.90
through Christ Jesus
because it contained the types
00:46:22.10\00:46:26.12
and the shadows and the
sacrificial and priestly system.
00:46:26.32\00:46:29.41
But God is now
renewing the covenant
00:46:29.61\00:46:33.36
to replace those types and
shadows and the sacrificial
00:46:33.56\00:46:37.62
and priestly system with the
substance of Christ's sacrifice
00:46:37.82\00:46:42.64
and His heavenly
mediation on our behalf.
00:46:42.84\00:46:45.11
One of the main
objectives of the ceremonial law
00:46:45.41\00:46:49.02
was to announce and teach
the meaning of the sacrifice
00:46:49.22\00:46:53.23
of Christ. But
Daniel 9:26-27 says
00:46:53.33\00:46:57.25
Christ would
confirm the covenant
00:46:57.45\00:46:59.86
and put an end to the
sacrifice and offerings.
00:47:00.06\00:47:04.36
So the new covenant
we see here in verse...
00:47:04.56\00:47:07.19
it goes forward... Let me see...
00:47:07.39\00:47:11.92
In verse 32 he says:
"Not according to the covenant
00:47:12.32\00:47:15.71
that I made with their fathers
in the day that I took them
00:47:15.91\00:47:18.42
by the hand to lead them
out of the land of Egypt,
00:47:18.52\00:47:21.38
My covenant which they broke
00:47:21.58\00:47:23.58
though I was a husband
to them says the Lord. "
00:47:23.78\00:47:27.46
Do you notice
that love language?
00:47:27.76\00:47:30.27
God... This is... He's
talking about the people
00:47:31.73\00:47:35.60
under the Mosaic
covenant in that love language.
00:47:35.64\00:47:39.48
He's talking about how He
reached down to deliver them.
00:47:39.68\00:47:42.21
He brought them to Himself
00:47:42.41\00:47:44.04
and even considered Himself a
husband to His covenant people.
00:47:44.24\00:47:49.79
The sad thing is that
00:47:50.19\00:47:52.03
His covenant people
were an adulterous wife.
00:47:52.13\00:47:54.60
The problem with
the Mosaic covenant
00:47:55.94\00:47:59.33
was not the
covenant or its maker.
00:47:59.53\00:48:03.53
The Mosaic covenant was to
lead people to faith in Christ.
00:48:03.73\00:48:09.09
The problem was
an adulterous people
00:48:09.29\00:48:13.55
that broke their
marriage vows to God.
00:48:13.75\00:48:15.78
They attempted to keep
the covenant in the spirit of
00:48:15.98\00:48:18.98
legalism and their hearts were
not surrendered to God's love.
00:48:19.08\00:48:22.76
Hebrews 8 verses
7 and 8 says this:
00:48:22.96\00:48:27.70
"For if that first
covenant had been faultless
00:48:27.90\00:48:30.34
then no place would have
been sought for a second. "
00:48:30.44\00:48:33.13
It's referred to as the second.
00:48:33.34\00:48:35.33
Paul... Paul's the only
one that refers to them as
00:48:35.53\00:48:37.51
first and second covenant.
00:48:37.61\00:48:39.06
But the reason he refers
to it as the second is because
00:48:39.27\00:48:42.36
the new covenant was
ratified after the old covenant.
00:48:42.57\00:48:47.23
The new covenant was ratified
by the blood of Jesus Christ.
00:48:47.43\00:48:50.64
But listen to why there
was a fault in that covenant.
00:48:50.94\00:48:55.56
It says, verse 8: "Because
finding fault with THEM... "
00:48:55.76\00:48:59.92
he says. "Behold the
days are coming says the Lord
00:49:00.12\00:49:03.61
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
00:49:03.82\00:49:07.44
and the house of Judah. "
00:49:07.64\00:49:08.86
It stresses that something's
going to be different
00:49:09.06\00:49:13.13
in the new covenant.
It implies that there's
00:49:13.33\00:49:16.94
something that's going to happen
00:49:17.04\00:49:19.39
that will help prevent us
from breaking that covenant.
00:49:19.59\00:49:25.23
What is the difference
between the Mosaic covenant
00:49:25.43\00:49:29.02
and the new covenant?
00:49:29.22\00:49:30.80
God told them to
build a tabernacle. Why?
00:49:31.20\00:49:34.73
"So that I may
dwell among you. "
00:49:35.13\00:49:38.95
But uh-uh... not this time.
00:49:39.15\00:49:40.97
God says: "You will
be My living temple;
00:49:41.17\00:49:45.96
I'm going to dwell in you.
00:49:46.16\00:49:49.59
My Spirit will
live within you. "
00:49:49.79\00:49:52.89
He goes on in verse 33. He
says: "This is the covenant
00:49:53.10\00:49:55.88
that I will make with the
house of Israel after those days
00:49:55.98\00:49:59.07
says the Lord: 'I will
put My law in their minds
00:49:59.17\00:50:02.08
and write it on their hearts.
00:50:02.28\00:50:04.44
And I will be their God and
they shall be My people. ' "
00:50:04.64\00:50:09.50
In the old covenant God
engraved His divine covenant
00:50:09.80\00:50:15.62
law of love - His
Ten Commandments -
00:50:15.83\00:50:17.87
on stone with His own
finger to show their permanence.
00:50:18.07\00:50:22.68
But in the new
covenant God writes the same
00:50:22.71\00:50:27.76
divine law - -those Ten
Commandments - in our hearts
00:50:27.86\00:50:32.27
by His Spirit.
00:50:32.48\00:50:34.64
You know, Christ affirmed
00:50:34.84\00:50:38.55
the divine law by
His perfect obedience.
00:50:38.75\00:50:42.22
It is the same
saving relationship with God
00:50:42.42\00:50:47.09
in the new covenant
and the old covenant.
00:50:47.23\00:50:49.08
But it's also the same divine
law of God that Christ affirmed.
00:50:49.28\00:50:55.05
And He also affirmed the
Ten Commandments by taking
00:50:55.18\00:50:59.73
all of our sins upon Himself.
00:50:59.84\00:51:02.16
You know there are many people
- I used to be one of them -
00:51:02.36\00:51:04.98
who believe that the
Ten Commandments were nailed
00:51:06.41\00:51:08.35
to the cross. Let
me ask you something:
00:51:08.45\00:51:10.83
If God were going to nail His
Ten Commandments to the cross
00:51:12.37\00:51:15.86
why did Christ have to die?
00:51:16.06\00:51:17.73
Why did He have to take
our penalty for breaking it?
00:51:17.93\00:51:21.97
To me the cross is
the greatest evidence
00:51:22.17\00:51:26.57
that God would never
abolish His Ten Commandments.
00:51:26.87\00:51:31.87
The cross is the
evidence that once more
00:51:32.07\00:51:37.38
the will of God will be
expressed in His everlasting
00:51:37.48\00:51:42.28
covenant by His
eternal law of love.
00:51:42.38\00:51:45.68
The only way that we
can become a covenant people
00:51:45.88\00:51:49.10
is to walk in His
covenant law of love.
00:51:49.20\00:51:52.85
This guarantees that
God will place it within us
00:51:53.25\00:51:57.08
in a new heart, but it's
still salvation by grace.
00:51:57.18\00:51:59.73
Let's go on.
00:51:59.93\00:52:00.97
Verse 34: "No more shall
every man teach his neighbor
00:52:01.27\00:52:05.18
and every man his brother
saying: 'Know the Lord. '
00:52:05.38\00:52:07.80
For they shall all know Me
from the least of them to the
00:52:08.00\00:52:10.87
greatest says the Lord.
00:52:10.97\00:52:12.32
For I will forgive
their iniquity and their sins.
00:52:12.52\00:52:15.71
I will remember no more. "
00:52:15.84\00:52:18.17
The Mosaic covenant was
a promise of the Messiah.
00:52:18.37\00:52:22.91
The new covenant
is the fulfillment.
00:52:23.31\00:52:26.13
And it is a progressive...
It started in heaven with
00:52:26.33\00:52:29.73
Jesus. It was revealed
to Adam then to Abraham
00:52:29.83\00:52:33.15
then to Moses and now
it is fulfilled in Jesus.
00:52:33.35\00:52:38.07
The Mosaic
covenant was only a type.
00:52:38.27\00:52:41.71
The new covenant
is the anti-type.
00:52:41.91\00:52:44.60
And the new
covenant deepens and expands
00:52:44.80\00:52:48.39
the elements of
the Mosaic covenant
00:52:48.49\00:52:52.27
into perfect fulfillment.
00:52:52.47\00:52:54.23
How? We don't have time to
go there, but Hebrews 8 and 9
00:52:54.43\00:52:58.78
says that it's a
better place of ministry.
00:52:59.01\00:53:02.17
It's a heavenly,
spiritual place of ministry.
00:53:02.37\00:53:05.36
There's a perfect High Priest
who stands at the right hand
00:53:05.60\00:53:09.11
of the Father.
He is your advocate.
00:53:09.21\00:53:12.13
He is interceding for you.
00:53:12.33\00:53:13.89
It is founded on better promises
00:53:14.09\00:53:18.87
providing the inward spiritual
power of a renewed mind
00:53:18.90\00:53:23.22
and heart and open
access to God's presence.
00:53:23.32\00:53:27.32
And this perfect High
Priest is a perfect Mediator
00:53:27.63\00:53:31.69
and He ministers
with better things.
00:53:31.79\00:53:34.29
His own precious blood
ratified the new covenant.
00:53:34.49\00:53:38.31
It's the blood of a perfect
sacrifice offered once for all.
00:53:38.61\00:53:43.53
He bore the penalty
of judgment for mankind
00:53:43.73\00:53:47.42
securing a perfect salvation.
00:53:47.62\00:53:50.73
And Jesus announced the fulfill-
ment of the new covenant
00:53:50.93\00:53:54.40
when He
instituted the Lord's Supper.
00:53:54.60\00:53:57.62
When the New
Testament book of Hebrews
00:53:58.99\00:54:00.74
speaks of the
fulfillment of the new covenant
00:54:00.94\00:54:04.02
in Hebrews 8:2-12
00:54:04.32\00:54:08.05
it is quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34.
00:54:08.35\00:54:13.17
So each successive
covenant is just part of God's
00:54:13.37\00:54:18.21
unfolding... It's
five stages, and it's the
00:54:18.41\00:54:22.41
unfolding of God's
everlasting covenant of grace.
00:54:22.51\00:54:28.27
From Christ and the Lord
before the foundation was laid
00:54:28.58\00:54:33.27
to Adam to Abraham to Moses
00:54:33.47\00:54:35.96
and then fulfilled in Christ.
00:54:36.16\00:54:38.11
Hebrews 7:22 says
that Christ is the surety
00:54:38.31\00:54:43.14
of a better covenant.
He is the guarantee of
00:54:43.34\00:54:46.96
the permanence of
this new covenant.
00:54:47.16\00:54:48.99
So, what does God
expect from us children?
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The children of
Abraham by faith?
00:54:53.96\00:54:57.26
Let me quote to
you... As Paul quoted Moses
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let me quote Moses.
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Deuteronomy 10:12-13.
00:55:04.03\00:55:06.13
"And now what does the
Lord your God require of you
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but to fear the Lord,
00:55:09.23\00:55:10.73
to walk in all... "
And that means revere Him.
00:55:10.93\00:55:13.84
"to walk in all His
ways and to love Him.
00:55:14.04\00:55:16.49
To serve the Lord your
God with all your heart,
00:55:16.69\00:55:18.83
with all your soul, and to keep
the commandments of the Lord
00:55:19.03\00:55:23.76
and His statutes which I command
you today for your good. "
00:55:23.96\00:55:28.20
God does not change.
00:55:28.50\00:55:30.99
His everlasting
covenant is consistent.
00:55:31.29\00:55:34.62
He wants to be our God
00:55:34.83\00:55:37.06
and He wants you to be
His covenant people who will
00:55:37.26\00:55:40.02
love Him with all of their
heart, soul, mind and strength.
00:55:40.12\00:55:43.28
Let me show you Hebrews 5:9
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which is an interesting
notation on the gospel of grace.
00:55:46.16\00:55:50.03
Hebrews 5:9 says this:
00:55:50.23\00:55:52.61
Amen?
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Our salvation is secure
as long as we submit our will
00:56:08.02\00:56:12.32
to the Lord. God's
whole plan is for us
00:56:12.42\00:56:14.94
to learn to live in
dependence upon Him.
00:56:14.97\00:56:17.46
And the Bible says repeatedly
that God keeps covenants
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with those who
keep covenants with Him.
00:56:22.70\00:56:25.00
So if we understand God's
character we can understand
00:56:25.20\00:56:27.77
His everlasting
covenant of grace.
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And if we will revere
His covenant law of love
00:56:30.11\00:56:35.92
then we will have a
better understanding
00:56:36.12\00:56:38.60
how to correctly
interpret prophecy.
00:56:38.70\00:56:40.44
I want to leave you with
this one promise that I love.
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It's found in
Hebrews 13 verses 20 and 21.
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What a wonderful
covenant promise!
00:56:51.42\00:56:54.66
Hebrews 13 and verse 20 says:
00:56:54.96\00:56:57.77
"Now may the God of peace
who brought up our Lord Jesus
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from the dead, that
great Shepherd of the sheep
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through the blood of
the everlasting covenant
00:57:05.35\00:57:09.20
may that God make you complete
00:57:09.40\00:57:13.14
in every good
work to do His will,
00:57:13.35\00:57:17.46
working in you what is
well pleasing in His sight
00:57:17.66\00:57:21.45
through Christ
Jesus to whom be the glory
00:57:21.66\00:57:25.54
forever and ever. "
00:57:25.84\00:57:27.71
Amen? Amen!
00:57:27.91\00:57:29.98