Sermon Title: Living By His Word Sermon Series - The Sign of God’s Covenant (II)
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said,
“I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:1-5)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Do you have the sign of God’s Covenant in your life?
To enter a covenantal relationship with God is to be willing to fully embrace His Work of Consecration in your life – to set you apart and make you holy, as He is holy. (Ref: Leviticus 11:44)
To undergo God’s Consecration Work is to be willing to tear yourself from the world; and equally importantly, to be willing to tear yourself from your old self.
Our Lord Jesus warned us clearly, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)
Selah.
God changed Abram’s Name to not only reflect a new calling and destiny, it is to reveal to Abram that he must no longer live as his ‘old’ self, but rather his ‘new’ self - in order to walk before God “faithfully and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1)
In God’s Divine Plan to save the world, Abraham must now see himself as completely different from the world; a child of God, rather than spawn of the devil.
His every aspiration, desire and endeavour must now be faithfully surrendered to the Will of God; all of hisdecisions and plans must now be directed towards being a “father of many nations” in obedient embrace of God’s divine call on his life.
To be consecrated begins with absolute faith in God’s Purposes rather than your own purposes.
Whatever agenda you have; whatever understanding you might have of God’s work; whatever biblical knowledge you might have of God’s Word, be sure that it serves to build the church rather than tear it down.
Perhaps Abraham had to grit his teeth every time he thought about his new name or when he had to introduce himself; but faith in God led him to a life of obedience to be known as a “father of many nations” - in spite of the fact that he had only one son at this moment.
Faith in God’s Purposes must result in a life that is fruitful according to His Holy Purposes.
Are you prepared to change your worldview about how success is defined?
When we are surrendered to the Will of God, fruitfulness and success in life must be defined by God alone.
A fruitful and successful life bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit – a life lived in the reality of God’s love, joy and peace; a heart that bears patience, kindness and goodness; and a life of faithfulness, gentleness and self-control towards others. (Ref: Galatians 5:22-23)
A fruitful and successful life is found firmly entrenched in the Will, Word, Work, Worth and Win of Christ Jesus our Lord; in striving diligently each day to remain in Christ, as Christ remains in us. (Ref: John 15:5)
Only through the Holy Spirit are we connected with Christ Jesus; which is why we must daily seek to be baptized under the Lord’s hands in the Power of His Holy Spirit – that our lives as His holy witness may truly be fruitful, successful and fulfilled
Never seek fulfillment anywhere else apart from remaining in the Presence, Purposes and Power of the Holy Spirit – who is indeed, the “Spirit of Christ” (Ref: Romans 8:9, Galatians 4:6)
For Abraham and his descendants, physical circumcision is the sign of their covenantal relationship. (Genesis 17:9-11)
To belong to God and be part of His Kingdom is never determined by ethnicity nor race, but rather for anyone who believed in Him through the willingness to be consecrated - “set apart” – and here in the Abrahamic Covenant, by undergoing physical circumcision. (Ref: Genesis 17:13-14)
God is not concerned with an external sign; but an internal devotion – which consequentially leads to external life of reverence, surrendered-ness and obedience before Him.
Though what we do in the flesh is fulfilled in the spiritual, physical circumcision is an initiation of the human race into God’s Plan of Salvation; and a sign that looks forward towards a life completely circumcised and consecrated “set apart” for God’s Holiness and His Holy Purposes – solely through the Work of the Holy Spirit. (Ref: Acts 15:6-11)
A life that is truly consecrated is a spiritual condition that must be embodied and clearly observed by yourself and those around you – that you belong to God, and live wholly in His Holy Will, Purposes and Kingdom Paradigm.
The Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 2:28-29: “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”
“Circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.”
When He rebuked the religious leaders of Israel in John 7:21-23, “Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?”, Christ reveals that there is so much more to the physical act of circumcision; and it is established in His desire for our utter transformation in His Holiness and restoration to His Holy Purposes.
The Foundation of the Consecrated Life
The circumcision of the heart – the sign of God’s Covenant – happens only when we categorically embrace the Presence, Purposes and Power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Israel’s religious leaders earned this very reprimand from Stephen precisely because they failed to receive the Holy Spirit.
“You stiff-necked people!
Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors:
You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51)
The sign of God’s Covenant in our lives is the total embrace of our hearts to be circumcised – by receiving the Holy Spirit in repentance; in order to be renewed and restored to His Holy Purposes for us.
The result of an circumcised heart is a life set apart from the world and from our ‘old’ selves’ by the Holy Spirit – which leads to reverential worship and holy service unto the Living God. (Ref: John 4:24, Acts 1:8)
Through the Holy Spirit, our lives must radically change so that our “New Creation” selves are starkly contrasted with our old, unrepentant and wicked selves. (2 Corinthians 4:27)
Do not resist the Holy Spirit.
Under Christ's own hand, be baptized daily in the Power of the Holy Spirit; and live assuredly in the sign of God’s Holy Covenant over your life - consecrated and sanctified for His Holy Work of inbreaking His Kingdom in the world today.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Indeed, You are God Almighty!
Grant me courage, strength, wisdom and resolve to walk before You faithfully and be blameless by the blood of Christ, shed for the atonement of my sins.
May I live in the divine revelation, and as Your divine witness, of the holy, covenantal relationship that You have called me to; forged through Christ’s finished work on the Cross and His Resurrection from the grave.
Holy Spirit, set me apart from the world; and from my sinful self.
Grant that I be willing to cut and throw away all things that does not belong to You and Your Kingdom; to tear myself from the world; and from my sinful ways.
Grant that I may see myself wholly in the true blessedness of being Your Child; that my every aspiration, desire and endeavour is to be faithfully surrendered to the Will of God; in obedient embrace to Your divine Call to worship and serve You!
Grow my faith, O Lord, that I may have absolute certainty in Your Purposes, rather than my own.
Lord Jesus, baptize me daily in the Power of the Holy Spirit - that my life may be truly devoted to You in reverence, surrendered-ness and obedience; fruitful and successful according to Your Holy Standards.
May I never resist the Holy Spirit.
Forgive me when I have done so.
Holy Spirit, thank You for Your Work of Consecration in my life; and making my ways holy in the sight of God.
My body in Your Temple, O Lord (Ref: 1 Corinthians 6:19); I ask that You restore me completely to God’s Holy Purposes!
Circumcise my heart, O Holy Spirit – that my life may be utterly set apart from the world, and from my sinful nature; that I would live a life of reverential worship and holy service unto You!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said,
“I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:1-5)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Do you have the sign of God’s Covenant in your life?
To enter a covenantal relationship with God is to be willing to fully embrace His Work of Consecration in your life – to set you apart and make you holy, as He is holy. (Ref: Leviticus 11:44)
To undergo God’s Consecration Work is to be willing to tear yourself from the world; and equally importantly, to be willing to tear yourself from your old self.
Our Lord Jesus warned us clearly, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)
Selah.
God changed Abram’s Name to not only reflect a new calling and destiny, it is to reveal to Abram that he must no longer live as his ‘old’ self, but rather his ‘new’ self - in order to walk before God “faithfully and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1)
In God’s Divine Plan to save the world, Abraham must now see himself as completely different from the world; a child of God, rather than spawn of the devil.
His every aspiration, desire and endeavour must now be faithfully surrendered to the Will of God; all of hisdecisions and plans must now be directed towards being a “father of many nations” in obedient embrace of God’s divine call on his life.
To be consecrated begins with absolute faith in God’s Purposes rather than your own purposes.
Whatever agenda you have; whatever understanding you might have of God’s work; whatever biblical knowledge you might have of God’s Word, be sure that it serves to build the church rather than tear it down.
Perhaps Abraham had to grit his teeth every time he thought about his new name or when he had to introduce himself; but faith in God led him to a life of obedience to be known as a “father of many nations” - in spite of the fact that he had only one son at this moment.
Faith in God’s Purposes must result in a life that is fruitful according to His Holy Purposes.
Are you prepared to change your worldview about how success is defined?
When we are surrendered to the Will of God, fruitfulness and success in life must be defined by God alone.
A fruitful and successful life bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit – a life lived in the reality of God’s love, joy and peace; a heart that bears patience, kindness and goodness; and a life of faithfulness, gentleness and self-control towards others. (Ref: Galatians 5:22-23)
A fruitful and successful life is found firmly entrenched in the Will, Word, Work, Worth and Win of Christ Jesus our Lord; in striving diligently each day to remain in Christ, as Christ remains in us. (Ref: John 15:5)
Only through the Holy Spirit are we connected with Christ Jesus; which is why we must daily seek to be baptized under the Lord’s hands in the Power of His Holy Spirit – that our lives as His holy witness may truly be fruitful, successful and fulfilled
Never seek fulfillment anywhere else apart from remaining in the Presence, Purposes and Power of the Holy Spirit – who is indeed, the “Spirit of Christ” (Ref: Romans 8:9, Galatians 4:6)
For Abraham and his descendants, physical circumcision is the sign of their covenantal relationship. (Genesis 17:9-11)
To belong to God and be part of His Kingdom is never determined by ethnicity nor race, but rather for anyone who believed in Him through the willingness to be consecrated - “set apart” – and here in the Abrahamic Covenant, by undergoing physical circumcision. (Ref: Genesis 17:13-14)
God is not concerned with an external sign; but an internal devotion – which consequentially leads to external life of reverence, surrendered-ness and obedience before Him.
Though what we do in the flesh is fulfilled in the spiritual, physical circumcision is an initiation of the human race into God’s Plan of Salvation; and a sign that looks forward towards a life completely circumcised and consecrated “set apart” for God’s Holiness and His Holy Purposes – solely through the Work of the Holy Spirit. (Ref: Acts 15:6-11)
A life that is truly consecrated is a spiritual condition that must be embodied and clearly observed by yourself and those around you – that you belong to God, and live wholly in His Holy Will, Purposes and Kingdom Paradigm.
The Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 2:28-29: “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”
“Circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.”
When He rebuked the religious leaders of Israel in John 7:21-23, “Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?”, Christ reveals that there is so much more to the physical act of circumcision; and it is established in His desire for our utter transformation in His Holiness and restoration to His Holy Purposes.
The Foundation of the Consecrated Life
The circumcision of the heart – the sign of God’s Covenant – happens only when we categorically embrace the Presence, Purposes and Power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Israel’s religious leaders earned this very reprimand from Stephen precisely because they failed to receive the Holy Spirit.
“You stiff-necked people!
Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors:
You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51)
The sign of God’s Covenant in our lives is the total embrace of our hearts to be circumcised – by receiving the Holy Spirit in repentance; in order to be renewed and restored to His Holy Purposes for us.
The result of an circumcised heart is a life set apart from the world and from our ‘old’ selves’ by the Holy Spirit – which leads to reverential worship and holy service unto the Living God. (Ref: John 4:24, Acts 1:8)
Through the Holy Spirit, our lives must radically change so that our “New Creation” selves are starkly contrasted with our old, unrepentant and wicked selves. (2 Corinthians 4:27)
Do not resist the Holy Spirit.
Under Christ's own hand, be baptized daily in the Power of the Holy Spirit; and live assuredly in the sign of God’s Holy Covenant over your life - consecrated and sanctified for His Holy Work of inbreaking His Kingdom in the world today.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Indeed, You are God Almighty!
Grant me courage, strength, wisdom and resolve to walk before You faithfully and be blameless by the blood of Christ, shed for the atonement of my sins.
May I live in the divine revelation, and as Your divine witness, of the holy, covenantal relationship that You have called me to; forged through Christ’s finished work on the Cross and His Resurrection from the grave.
Holy Spirit, set me apart from the world; and from my sinful self.
Grant that I be willing to cut and throw away all things that does not belong to You and Your Kingdom; to tear myself from the world; and from my sinful ways.
Grant that I may see myself wholly in the true blessedness of being Your Child; that my every aspiration, desire and endeavour is to be faithfully surrendered to the Will of God; in obedient embrace to Your divine Call to worship and serve You!
Grow my faith, O Lord, that I may have absolute certainty in Your Purposes, rather than my own.
Lord Jesus, baptize me daily in the Power of the Holy Spirit - that my life may be truly devoted to You in reverence, surrendered-ness and obedience; fruitful and successful according to Your Holy Standards.
May I never resist the Holy Spirit.
Forgive me when I have done so.
Holy Spirit, thank You for Your Work of Consecration in my life; and making my ways holy in the sight of God.
My body in Your Temple, O Lord (Ref: 1 Corinthians 6:19); I ask that You restore me completely to God’s Holy Purposes!
Circumcise my heart, O Holy Spirit – that my life may be utterly set apart from the world, and from my sinful nature; that I would live a life of reverential worship and holy service unto You!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.