David [00:00:01]:
A few weeks ago, we began a series discussing the fact that we are blessed. We have been blessed.
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We are now blessed, and we ever will be blessed. Our father, God, is a God of blessing. His blessing flows from his love for us, his children. You don’t have to earn it or deserve it. You simply have to believe and receive. Say this with me. I am blessed. I am blessed coming in, I am blessed going out.
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I am blessed in the city, I am blessed in the field, I am blessed in my storehouse. And everything I set my hand to, I am blessed. And everything I say, I am blessed with everyone I engage with today. I am blessed. And we could go on and on and on with those blessings. But let me tell you, you are blessed. The Lord said to me a few weeks ago, let my people know they are blessed. Not only does he want us to know we are blessed, he wants us to walk in the fullness of its blessing for us.
David [00:01:50]:
We saw in our first message in part one in this series, that blessing means prospered by God. And that word prospered there in the Hebrew, means to advance, to make progress, to succeed, to be profitable. When God blessed Adam and Eve, he empowered them to advance, to make progress, to succeed and be profitable. This was for every area, every dimension of their life, not just finances, but all of it. God wants this for us in every dimension of our lives, spiritually, mentally, physically, relationally, personally, professionally, and financially. In all these areas. He wants you to advance, to make progress, to succeed, and to be profitable. We saw that this blessing God spoke over Adam and Eve was not just for them.
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It was for all mankind, every generation that is to be. This blessing is for every person here on the earth. He spoke the same blessing over Noah and his family after the flood. It shows the Lord’s intention and purpose for us. His heart for us is to be blessed and have the capacity to advance, to make progress, to succeed and to be profitable. This is what he wants for all of us. As I mentioned before, there are different kinds of blessings and there are different levels of blessing. Today we’re going to begin to look into what these different kinds of blessings are.
David [00:03:54]:
There are three main types of blessing. While there are many we find in scripture, there are three foundational blessings that our understanding and our faith is built around. The first type of blessing is what I call the Genesis blessing. This is what we have been discussing in our last two messages, the Genesis blessing was the first pronouncement of blessing that God pronounced upon all, all humanity when he created mankind. As we have stated before, this blessing is available to every single human being on earth throughout all generations. And God began with Adam and Eve in Genesis 127 28. There by pronouncing this blessing over them and over all mankind. Then in Genesis nine one and nine seven, God spoke the same blessing over all the animals on the ark, over Noah and his family.
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The Lord wanted and wants this to continue for all time. Let us be fruitful. Let us multiply. Let us fill the earth. Let us take dominion. Yes, let us subdue the earth using all of its vast resources in the service of God and man. That is the Genesis blessing. The second type of blessing we find in scripture is covenant blessings.
David [00:05:42]:
Covenant blessings began with Noah and his family. This is where we find the first use of the word covenant in scripture. It’s in Genesis 618, the Lord said to Noah, but I will establish my covenant with you and you shall go into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your sons wives with you. Then in Genesis nine eight, the Lord declares again his intention. Let’s look at this. Genesis 9817. That’s what I will read to you here. Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him saying, as for me, behold, I established my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle and every beast of the earth.
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With you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish my covenant with you. Never again shall all the flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood. Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, this is the sign of my covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations. There it is. I set my rainbow in the cloud and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. It shall be when I bring a cloud over the earth that the rainbows shall be seen in the cloud.
David [00:07:31]:
And I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. The waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. And God said to Noah, this is a sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth. Wow, that is cool. That word covenant there in the Hebrew means this. It means an alliance of friendship, a divine ordinance with signs and pledges. And so the sign was the rainbow.
David [00:08:28]:
The sign of the covenant was the rainbow. And the pledge was, there will never be another flood to destroy the earth. Alliance means a union or connection between God and man. And God’s ordinance, or a divine ordinance means something appointed, a custom, a statue. So by making a covenant with God, God established an alliance between him and mankind. It was a union of relationship, a friendship, an understanding of his commitment. He promised to never again destroy all flesh with the flood. The sign of the covenant, as I said before, was the rainbow.
David [00:09:18]:
It is an everlasting statute for all generations. I’ve stated several times that God’s heart is for us to walk in blessing. And we see this again as God begins a relationship with Abraham. And so in Genesis twelve one three, the word says this. Now, the Lord said to Abram, get out of your country. From your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.
David [00:10:02]:
I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse who curses you. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Here again, God established with Abraham an alliance, a union of relationship, a friendship, an understanding of his commitment with Abraham. And through this covenant, he stated that all the families of the earth shall be blessed. In Abraham. We get a glimpse of this with Isaac, Abraham’s son. In Genesis 26 two five, it says this. Then the Lord appeared to him, Isaac, and said, do not go down to Egypt.
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Live in the land of which I shall tell you, dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. For to you and your descendant, I give all these lands. And I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham. Your father and I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven. I will give to your descendants all these lands, and in your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Why? Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws. Abraham honored the covenant with God, and God blessed Isaac because of the promise he made to Abraham. He also told Isaac, if you honor our alliance, I will bless your descendants.
David [00:11:55]:
And in your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Why? Again? Because Abraham obeyed my voice, kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws. Now, there’s a lot more to understand regarding the abrahamic covenant. And we could drill down a lot deeper into that, and we will do that soon in another message. But today I don’t have the time to get through everything and to talk about just the abrahamic covenant now. So we see that the second form of blessing in scripture was the covenant blessing. Now, the third covenant was with Israel, which we call the old covenant. And this is the blessing of God available to Israel based on the law.
David [00:12:54]:
So there was Noah, Abraham, and then the children of Israel. And we call this the old covenant. And this was available to Israel based on the law of Moses. The people will be blessed if they strictly observe and obey the laws, but they will be cursed and punished if they fail to do so. And we see this in deuteronomy 28. Again, this covenant was the opportunity for Israel to come into relationship with God. God wants relationship with us, and he does everything he does, he does for us to have that opportunity and that blessing. The third type of blessing is what we call the new covenant blessings.
David [00:13:46]:
And this is all of gods blessings made available through faith in Christ and not by the mere observance of the law of the old covenant. The new covenant includes all the blessings of the abrahamic covenant, also because God said, every generation shall be blessed because of you, Abraham. And we see this, Paul talks about this in Galatians the third chapter, verses 13 and 14, Galatians 313 and 14, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith. So Paul’s telling us right here, if we’ve received Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, then the blessing of Abraham comes upon us. And down in verse 29, Galatians 329, he closes out this chapter by saying, and if you are Christ, then you were Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. So what began with Abraham is fulfilled in Christ through the new covenant. Wow.
David [00:15:19]:
Everything God promised Abraham we can have and receive today as children of God. And one Sunday we’ll take some time and drill down into what all that means. But know this, God loves you and you are blessed. You are blessed. Now, out of these three types of covenant, genesis, blessing, the Old Testament, covenants we saw, and the new covenant, there are several key purposes why God brought these into being. The number one, I’ve already talked about this some, but the number one reason God brought covenants into play was they are a framework for relationship. God introduced covenants to provide a structured way for him to interact with us, with human beings. By establishing clear terms of what is expected from both sides.
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This helps to define the nature of the relationship between God and humanity. Remember now, covenant means alliance of friendship, a divine ordinance with signs and pledges, a union or a connection between God and man. It is something appointed by God. So from the beginning, God’s desire is and has been a relationship with mankind. Everything he has done has been to maintain a relationship with us. Think about that. In scripture, we see it. He calls us his children, children of God.
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We are children of the most high God. Think about that. We are his sons and daughters. We are created in his image and likeness. We are a part of the heavenly royal family. You are royalty. We are here in the earth serving as kings and priests. And as Peter says in one, Peter, two, nine, we are his own special people.
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He loves you. He wants you to be close to him. He invites you to be close to him. He wants to be close to you. So God created these covenants as a framework for relationship with him. Hallelujah. What a blessing that is right there. We have the invitation and the opportunity to be in an intimate relationship with our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, our father, God and the Holy Spirit.
David [00:18:26]:
The second reason God instituted covenants was they are a revelation of God’s will. Through covenanthe, God reveals his will, his intentions and promises to humanity. This includes moral laws, ethical guidelines, and divine promises that guide human behavior and should guide all of our societal organizations, our social organizations. What we call the ten Commandments from scripture could be translated the ten instructions or the ten directives. And that’s what that word commandment there in the Hebrew means. It means instruction, directive. The ten Commandments are simply God’s will, his instructions regarding relationships. I don’t know if you realize that or thought about that before.
David [00:19:27]:
The first four commandments define our relationship to God. The fifth commandment defines our relationship to our parents. And it is called the first commandment with a promise. If you honor and obey your parents, you will have long life here on the earth. The next five commandments define our relationship to one another. And so what we see here is God has given us ten instructions and how to live and have a blessed life here on the earth with him, with our parents, and with one another. And that includes ourselves. The word law in the Hebrew means the same thing.
David [00:20:16]:
It means instruction or directive. So God’s will, God’s law, God’s word, is always for our good. Simply put, God is saying, here is the best way to live life to the fullest. And that’s what Jesus said in John 1010, that he came to give his life to the full till it overflows. My wife Kanya, tells a story about our daughter Karina when she was little. She’s about three years old, and they were having a conversation and Korina was upset about something that had just happened. And Conia looked at her and said, if you will just do what I say when I tell you, your life will be so much better. And she said in her spirit, she heard the Lord say, uh huh.
David [00:21:14]:
She was like, oh, wow. Okay, Lord, I heard you. So we just need to follow God’s direction, his instructions, his law, his word, and we will live a blessed life. The third reason God instigated or instituted covenants is a covenant. It’s an expression of commitment. Covenants demonstrate God’s commitment to his people. For instance, the covenant with Noah. After the flood, there will be no more floods.
David [00:21:54]:
Here’s the sign of it with Abraham regarding his descendants. All your descendants are going to be blessed with Israel through Moses. Follow these swallows, follow my instructions, my word, and you will be a blessed people. I will give you this land. They all highlight God’s dedication to humanity’s well being and future. And the Lord said this through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20 911. I’m sure you’re familiar with this. I love the way it says it in the amplified.
David [00:22:33]:
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord. Thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil. To give you hope in your final outcome. Wow. God wants us to fare well. He wants us to have peace and hope. We can great things in our final outcome. Again, in Hebrews 13 five, it says this, let your conduct be without covetousness.
David [00:23:14]:
Be content with such things as you have. For he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. God is always with us. And that was from the new king James version. I love the way it says it in the amplified. This is Hebrews 13 five from the amplified let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money, including greed, avarice, lust, craving for earthly possessions, and be satisfied with your presence or circumstances and with what you have. For he, God himself, has said, I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up, nor leave you without support. I will not.
David [00:24:08]:
I will not. I will not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake, nor let you down. Nor relax my hold on you. Assuredly not. He’s very definite in that. When you look at that in the Greek there, he’s not just saying in passing, be cool. I’ll never leave you here. For sake, you know he’s going.
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There is no way. I am committed to you. I am here for you. I love you. I believe in you. I created you. I am always here for you. Know that.
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Know that God is committed to you. God is for you. God is with you. God is working in you. He is in you. He is working for you. The fourth reason God instituted covenants was they are a foundation for redemption. The new covenant through Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan for humanity.
David [00:25:18]:
And again, we see this in Galatians 313. This is from the amplified. Christ purchased our freedom, redeeming us from the curse, the doom of the law and its condemnation by himself becoming a curse for us. For it is written in the scriptures, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree is crucified. Then again, Paul writes in Ephesians one three seven. He spells it out here in Ephesians, this plan of redemption. This again is from the amplified. Ephesians one three seven.
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The amplified says, this may blessing, praise, law of nation and eulogy be to the goddess and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the messiah who has blessed us. He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual given by the Holy Spirit, blessing in the heavenly realm, even as in his love he chose us, actually picked us out for himself as his own in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, consecrated and set apart for him and blameless in his sight, even above reproach before him in love. For he ordained us, destined us, planned and loved for us to be adopted, revealed as his own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of his will, because it pleased him and was his kind intent, so that we might be to the praise and the commendation of his glorious grace, favor and mercy which he so freely bestowed on us in the beloved. In him we have redemption, deliverance and salvation through his blood, the remission, forgiveness of our offenses, shortcomings and trespasses, in accordance with the riches and generosity of his gracious favor. In his love he chose us and actually picked us out for himself as his own in Christ. He did this before the foundation of the world. There is so much in these five verses I just read to you. I encourage you to spend some time meditating on these truths and getting them down inside you, because what Paul has done here and through the amplified translation, he’s given us that plan of redemption and why it was so important to the Lord so that we could come in to the fullness of relationship with him.
David [00:28:15]:
The fifth reason the Lord instituted covenants was it brings communal identity. Covenants help to establish a communal identity for God’s people. They bind us together with shared beliefs, practices, purposes, fostering a sense of unity and collective responsibility. Hebrews 1023 through 25 in the amplified to find it this way. So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess, and our acknowledgment of it. For he who promised is reliable, sure, and faithful to his word. And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up, stimulate, and incite to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together as believers, as is the habit of some people, but admonishing, warning, urging, and encouraging one another and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. These covenants therefore serve its critical mechanism, through which God engages with, guides and communicates his redemptive message to us through his word.
David [00:29:47]:
By coming into covenant with God, we have the opportunity to establish an alliance, a union of relationship with him, a friendship. We have an understanding of his commitment to us and our commitment to him. As we do this, we are ushered into the place of blessing. God is prepared for us as we love God and one another as we love ourselves. Church friends, listen to me. You are blessed beyond measure. You are blessed. Let’s bow our heads in prayer today.
David [00:30:39]:
Father, we thank you for all all that you’ve done for us. We thank you for all the covenants you’ve brought to us. We thank you for all the blessing you’ve brought to us to walk in today. We thank you for redeeming us through Christ Jesus so that we can come into relationship with you. And Father, we thank you for giving us wisdom, insight, understanding, revelation in your redemption in your new covenant, Father God, so that we may walk in the fullness of your blessing for us each and every day, and that we might bring that blessing, blessing to others and introduce them to it also. We thank you for that privilege and that honor, father, in Jesus name, amen. Pastor Conia is coming now with a closing thought and a prayer. God bless you.
David [00:31:38]:
Have a great week.
