Filter by Categories
Forgiveness and the Perpetual Covenant of Peace
Sermon by Mark SchindlerThe covenant of peace, as described in Isaiah 54, is primarily intended for the physical nation of Israel after Christ's return, yet it is a perpetual covenant that those called into the body of Christ are under right now. This same covenant, highlighted in Ezekiel 37, has been given as both a gift and a responsibility to those within the body of Christ. As shown in Hebrews 8 and 10, this covenant will also be Israel's in the Millennium, emphasizing that our justification, sanctification, glorification, and peacefully productive relationship with God come as a gift through Jesus Christ. Accepting this gift involves a great personal cost in living out our God-given opportunity in a world driven by prideful, carnal nature that is enmity against God and His Family. The covenant of perpetual peace with God, as exemplified by Stephen, required an incredible cost, even to the point of his life, yet he continued working in the Family business under the direction of the Holy Spirit until his last breath. At baptism, when one is buried with Jesus Christ and becomes part of the body of Christ, having made the covenant of peace with God, there is an extraordinary cost involved in learning to follow the leadership of our Elder Brother and engaging in the Family business. Forgiveness, a key aspect of maintaining this covenant of peace with the Father, is costly due to our carnal nature that often clings to pride and refuses to let go of faults. Jesus Christ emphasizes in Matthew 6:14-15 and Mark 11:25-26 that forgiveness, both received from God and extended to others, is pivotal to successful prayer and sustaining this covenant. Without actively seeking God's guidance to forgive as He forgives, we risk treating the sacrificial cost of Jesus Christ for our unpardonable debt with contempt. If we cannot absorb the personal cost involved in forgiving one another in humility, we tread contemptuously on the blood of Jesus Christ, who will ultimately bring Israel, Judah, and the nations of the earth together with heartfelt forgiveness in the covenant of peace.
Rainbow of Peace
Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)In Isaiah 54, the lovingkindness of our God is vividly displayed through His enduring promises. As a testament to His everlasting compassion, God declares in Isaiah 54:9-10, "For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so I have sworn that I would not be angry with you, or rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has mercy on you." This covenant of peace, rooted in the promise made to Noah, assures that after the trials and tribulations, God's wrath will not return, and His kindness will remain forever. Just as Noah and his family emerged from the ark after a time of tribulation to receive God's promise of everlasting kindness, so too will those who endure the troubles at the end of this age come to the same promise of enduring peace. Through this covenant, God commits to shower His compassion on His people for all eternity, a promise that stands unchanging and unyielding.
The Peacemakers
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughIn the exploration of peace as a profound biblical concept, the covenant of peace stands as a central promise from God, embodying the fullness of well-being and harmony. As described in Ezekiel 37:24-28, God declares that David, His servant, shall be king over His people, uniting them under one shepherd, guiding them to walk in His judgments and observe His statutes. In this vision of restoration, God promises to make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant that ensures their establishment and multiplication. He will set His sanctuary in their midst forever, affirming His presence as their God and their identity as His people, a relationship recognized by all nations. This covenant of peace encapsulates comprehensive well-being, ensuring health in mind and body, satisfaction, contentment, and the absence of war. It promises great prosperity and long lives, fostering a wonderful relationship with God, who is the author of peace. Through this covenant, He offers everlasting stability and prosperity, as both God and His people fully invest in the relationship, with all enmity and sin removed. This divine promise sets the boundaries for an eternal, harmonious bond, highlighting that true peace is ultimately achieved through a right relationship with God, a state to be fully realized in the future.
Israel's Restoration and the Zeitgeist of Zeal
Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)God's profound commitment to restoring Israel includes establishing a covenant of peace, which is central to His plan of regathering and renewing His people. In Ezekiel 37:26-27, He declares that He will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant, establishing them, multiplying them, and setting His sanctuary in their midst forevermore, affirming that He will be their God and they shall be His people. This covenant, also referenced in Isaiah 54:10, ensures enduring peace, as God promises that though mountains and hills may remove, His covenant of peace will remain steadfast with Israel. This covenant of peace, identified as the New Covenant, marks a transformative addition to Israel's restoration, bringing a new heart and spirit as described in Ezekiel 36:26-27, where God promises to replace their heart of stone with a heart of flesh and put His Spirit within them, enabling them to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments. This divine intervention ensures Israel's faithfulness, ending their history of backsliding and securing them against future wrath, a permanence underscored by the frequent use of terms like forever and everlasting in these prophecies. Furthermore, in Isaiah 27:5, God speaks of peace as a result of dependence on Him for protection, indicating that this covenant of peace fosters a renewed relationship where Israel becomes His friend, living in harmony with Him. This peace is not merely an absence of conflict but a profound state of alignment with God's will, integral to the restoration process that positions Israel for a significant role in His worldwide plan of salvation.
The Doctrine of Israel (Part Fourteen): Israel Redeemed
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod employs a winnowing process in selecting those who will enter the Millennium. The process includes punishment for Israel's failure to serve as priests.
The Purpose of the Marriage Relationship
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsMarriage prepares God's called-out ones to collectively become the bride of Christ. God hates divorce but allows it on grounds of adultery and violence.