A New Covenant: The TIE That Binds! (Sermon Audio)

This is the audio from the February 5, 2023 sermon, “A New Covenant: The TIE That Binds!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Galatians 3

“In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:25 (NIV)

Today continued a sermon series with a focus on being Made New In Christ. Being made new in Christ will change the way we act because it is defined by a new covenant. Covenant does not seem to be a popular term these days and I suspect that part of the reason is they are considered to be more binding than we like. However, when God makes the covenant with us, we should be eager to accept the . . .

Truth that binds. 2 Corinthians 3:1-6
- The covenant that has been established between God and mankind through the blood of Jesus is a covenant of truth. The authority of living within this covenant is not based on the approval of any person or their recommendation, but rather each person who enters into this covenant relationship with God carries the truth of it with them. When we value God’s truth residing through His Spirit in each other, we find a tie that binds us together.
Intensity that binds. 2 Corinthians 3:7-11
- The nature of this covenant established by God through His Son is one that is filled with an all-consuming glory and intensity. This is not a half-hearted covenant that we can quote when convenient and ignore when inconvenient. When God calls us to Himself to live in a covenant relationship, He does so as One who calls us to die to self and live in a new life that is completely devoted to Him. When we see and value the intense nature of God dwelling in our brothers and sisters in Christ, we find a tie that binds us together.
Encouragement that binds. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18
- The result of this covenant established by God with the power of the resurrection is an encouragement that should fill each person with hope. Entering into a covenant relationship with a God that has set forth terms designed to give us freedom ought to change the way we speak to the people around us. When compared to a covenant of law that exposed our guilt, this covenant of love is not only something that each of us should desire, it is something we ought to us to encourage one another. When we live with the encouragement God offers to each of us in this new covenant, we find a tie that binds us together.