Covenant for life group

 

Covenant, in its most general sense, is a word for a solemn promise or similar undertaking.

 

It's a binding or agreement between a superior and inferior sect.

 

More specifically, a covenant, in contrast to a contract, is a one-way agreement whereby the covenantor is the only party bound by the promise. A covenant may have conditions and prerequisites that qualify the undertaking, including the actions of other parties, but there is absolutely no inherent agreement by such other parties to fulfil those requirements. Consequentially, the only party that can break a covenant is the covenantor.

 

cov·e·nan·tor The party by whom the promise in a covenant is to be carried out

 

Ps. 57:7 “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed”

 

Covenant prayer leads us to obey.

Covenant prayer leads us to make the right decisions.

Covenant prayer leads us to sacred commitment

 

  1. The difference between a new year’s resolution, a promise and a covenant.
    1. New years resolution

                                                               i.      A diet

                                                             ii.      Read my bible every day

                                                            iii.      Start Jogging

                                                           iv.      Learn Chinese

    1. A new year’s resolution is a refreshed desire to accomplish those things which we have never had success finishing before.
    2. The New Year brings hope that I will be more successful than before.
    3. However the odds of finishing are slim.
    4. The track record is poor.
    5. One week of jogging.
    6. Two weeks of diet.
    7. 50 weeks of pizza
  1. A promise is a conditional agreement to finish something. Conditional in the sense that “I will do what I feel like doing” If I don’t like you anymore the promise is off.
    1. I promise to finish my homework.

                                                               i.      But then bobby came over and I got sidetracked

    1. I promise to be best friends forever.
    2. I promise to be there this Saturday and help with the youth car wash.
    3. ?
    4. ?
  1. A covenant is a God based decision that He has to be a part of.
    1. God made covenant with Abram GENESIS 15 In order to prove that His word was true, God initiates a blood covenant.

                                                               i.      ABRAHAM IS 75 YEARS OLD

                                                             ii.      Sacrifice

1.      3 year old heifer

2.      3 year old female goat

3.      3 year old ram

4.      Turtledove

5.      Young pigeon

                                                            iii.      Cuts the animals in two

    1. God lets a smoking oven and a burning torch pass between the cut up animals.

                                                               i.      This signifies that the covenant was accepted.

                                                             ii.      God cut a covenant with Abram

                                                            iii.      Evidently this was very important to God. He initiated the covenant.

                                                           iv.      The Shekinah glory passes through the bleeding pieces.

                                                             v.      According to Hittite suzerainty covenant, a puppet ruler, the inferior party, would walk between the bleeding pieces of split animals, taking an oath of loyalty to his superior: “May the gods do so to me (and more also) as I have done to these animals if I do not fulfill the terms of this covenant!”

    1. Marriage is a covenant between two parties with God as the witness.

                                                               i.      I will Love you:

1.      For better or worse

2.      Sickness and Health

3.      Rich or poor

4.      Until death do us part

    1. Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.

                                                               i.      For God so loved the world, He gave …..

                                                             ii.      New covenant of blood written not on tablets of stone but on our hearts.