Covenant Life Crash Course

Introduction

The purpose of this sermon is to get you thinking about covenants. Next month I hope to start a series on the last book of the OT, the book of Malachi. The book talks a lot about covenants so I wanted to have a sermon before then that gives you a big picture understanding of some of the covenants in scripture. Today we will look at two different types of covenants. The first is the covenant of the human race and the second is the covenant of the family.

Fans of the Andy Griffith show know that every few episodes, Barney does something goofy shooting his one bullet accidentally in his holster. When you’re familiar with the story, you know what to expect. But what of you turn on the TV to watch a re-run and see Andy talking to Darth Vader in the jail cell? Obviously, that wouldn’t fit. You don’t expect Luke Skywalker in old comedies and you don’t expect Barney Fife in the new Star Wars trilogy.

Know the story you are in. We are all in a story. We are all characters in a story. And the story is not about us; it’s all about God. Since God is telling the story and since we are characters in the story, we must figure out what the story is about and how it works. One big theme in God’s story is covenant. It is a governed relationship that brings blessing and cursing.

The Text

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18–19

Covenant Salvation

Today, I’m going to briefly explain the doctrine of federal headship and covenant theology. I don’t want you to be afraid of these unusual words. “Federal” and “covenant” simply refer to a compact, or contract, or a treaty. It’s an organized relationship where one person is responsible for one thing and another person is responsible for different things. The American constitutional Republic is organized federally with local, states, and national governments. We have representatives responsible for governing these levels while we are responsible for electing the right people for those offices. We live in a covenantal world because God made it that way and God saved it that way.

God made the world with covenants because He made Adam to be the head of the human race. Even though the words “covenant” and “federal” aren’t used in the first few chapters in Genesis, the prophet Hosea compares Israel breaking their covenant with God to Adam breaking his covenant with God.

But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me.Hosea 6:7

In God’s covenant with Adam, there was one prohibition (don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; Gen 2:17), one command (be fruitful and multiply; Gen 1:28), one curse of death if he disobeyed (Gen 2:17) and one implied promise (God planted the tree of life in the garden). We don’t know for certain what would have happened if Adam obeyed God. However, we can infer that it has something to do with God barring Adam from the tree of life (Gen 3:22).  We also know for certain that sin entered the human race because of the sin of our federal head—Adam. Even though we don’t think it’s fair that we inherit the guilt and nature of Adam doesn’t change the fact that it still happens.

Again, this is the way the world works. You may not like that you have your dad’s nose, but you still have it. Humanity follows the head. Our head was a sinner, so humanity became sinful. The only way to fix this problem is for God to send us a new federal representative, a new Adam. God promised this to Serpent in Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Who is this promised child who will crush the head of Satan?

Jesus is the child born of woman who crushed Satan’s head.

Jesus is the New Adam who pays for the sins of the world and creates a new humanity from the old.

Now, if you are in Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin. Why? Because you are in christ.

When people do what they want, they live like Adam. The motto for Adam is “your life for mine.” It’s telling God its His fault and Eve’s fault. Since Adam listened to Satan, not God, everyone who sins like Adam sins because they listen to Satan. This is why 1 John 3:8 says that when anyone sins, they prove the Devil is their father.

However, if instead, you believe in God, like Adam should have done, and you trust in the righteous work of Jesus, the New Adam, you are now in a new human race—a redeemed human race.

Before Jesus came into the world there was only one covenant head over the human race. Now that Jesus came into the world, we have two heads over the human race.

So, just as one covenant plunged the world into sin, another covenant saved the world from sin. God works through covenant. God saves through covenant.

Covenant Family

So, covenant headship is central to understanding our salvation. It’s also central to understanding how God created families, churches, and state governments. God rules over all those covenants as revealed in His word through a head, a representative. Today, I will focus on the covenant nature of family. In the covenant family, husbands ARE the head (Eph 5:23).

The head is always responsible (not always at fault). Husbands and dads, this means your family’s sin is your business. Consider how God portrays Job (Job 1:4-5).

His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Remember, the dominate spirit in the home will dominate the child after he or she leaves the home. This is why God commands fathers to raise children in the nurture and discipline of Jesus, so His spirit will dominate the child.

What does this mean?

Attend the Lord’s Day faithfully. Whatever excuses you use to skip church tend to become the expectations when kids become adults.

Train your family in the faith. Your kids are being catechized by someone. It’s either their teachers at school, the influencer on Youtube, or you. For young kids, catechisms are helpful. For older kids, simply talking at the dinner table will help. There’s a Biblical way to handle bullies at school and a Disney channel way. Teach them!

Be the most joyful family in a mile radius. Keep short accounts of sin. Sing! Go on late night runs to get ice cream. Why? Because the spirit of Jesus gives Ice Cream.

Since many families in our church no longer have kids in the house, let me offer some applications for you.

Older saints can’t fix the past. But you can prepare for a better future.

First, before you blame your spouse once, confess to God ten of your own sins. The Spirit of Adam blames. “Your life for mine.” While the Sprit of Christ gives. “My life for yours.”

Second, if you blame yourself, confess that to God and walk in the freedom of a forgiven person.

Third, churches need to repent of 100 years of seeking comfort. Churches only think in terms of what’s comfortable: comfortable for guests, comfortable for Christians, comfortable for everyone. But worship is not a comfortable gathering to meet with your age group. Worship is not a lecture. Worship is not a concert hall. Worship is where we come to give our selves to the triune God (Like Jesus), and God actually meets with us! And you would rather be comfortable than have children in the service.

Finally, older saints need to encourage younger saints. Look at Titus 2:3-5

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.Titus 2:3–5

Men, be like Job. Women be like the Titus 2 woman. Invite a young mom over to your home, take her under your wing. If you’re not going to obey scripture in this way, don’t add to your disobedience with your complaining that children worship God like children.

Conclusion

Our relationship with Jesus isn’t just one relationship among many in our life. It’s not even the most important relationship. You shouldn’t think of it in terms of “first is God, then my family, then my church, then. . . “ Instead, your relationship with God rules all your other relationships. Jesus is our head so we should obey Him in every relationship of our life.