The question– How does a Holy God- a Spirit Being

have fellowship/relationship with physical man?

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fellowship/relationship

2 What is FELLOWSHIP?

Fellowship = “Relationship” in “Covenant”

“Relationship in Covenant” with a Holy God

fellowship/relationship

3 What is FELLOWSHIP

God’s desire is make man “in His own image” so that We become part of His Family

WHAT does this look like? Do we have to guess? How to relate to God?

Identity

When did covenants begin?

Adam was given specific instructions-- How God was going to relate to Adam

How Adam was to relate to God

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Walking & talking in the Garden Instructions for responsibilities & work How to obey

Look at the pattern

Relationship Identity Purpose

Why is there a need for covenants?

The whole of creation seen & unseen

are established in God’s order

The Bible is a history of God establishing order in the face of sin’s chaos!!

God says THIS IS HOW IT IS -there is no negotiation.

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God’s established order ╟ in the universe through covenants ╟ in relationships through covenants

Order

Why is there a need for covenants?

We see everything in Adams’ story but “provision in sin” – When God found their sin HE made them coverings from animal skins…He covered their sin with blood.

This is the sign of His covenant

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God was not caught off guard by sin & then conceived a new plan to “work around sin.” This was His plan from the beginning.

Adamic covenant + plus God’s covering for sin is the Pattern for the rest of the Bible.

Relationship with God is

BY FAITH not BY WORKS

7 In order to have a Basic Covenant There must be - Relationship between “persons” two or more parties bound together

Faithfulness & ability to carry it out

God is “a covenant making” God He is “a covenant keeping” God He is faithful even --when we are not

Faithful

First questions?

Who am I ? What am I doing here? Where am I going?

Identity Relationship Purpose (of God)

God answers these questions in

covenant relationship

Personal Marriage Family Generational Land City Ethnic/people group Nation World

Order/Laws-Covenants

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9 Unconditional Covenants

Important to listen to God Warnings associated with challenging God’s Covenants God’s plans will come about but those who challenge God’s covenants do so at their peril !

1. Abrahamic Covenant Gen 12 2. The Land Covenant Gen 15 3. The Davidic Covenant 2 Sam 7 4. The Everlasting Covenant Jer 31.31

Heads up!! What to look for !

Nations will be judged Mt 25.31-46

Unconditional Covenants

1. Abrahamic Covenant Gen 12 Challenged by the world

--unqualified lay claim to it --others deny its existence

2. The Land Covenant Gen 15 Challenged by Islam & world rulers

3. The Davidic Covenant 2 Sam 7 Challenged by the Church

4. The Everlasting Covenant Jer 31.31 Challenged by “lawkeepers” & “many ways” to God

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Current world events WATCH!

Abrahamic Covenant Gen 12 The Land Covenant Gen 15

Abraham mentioned 74 times in NT Known around the world as Father Abraham Father of the Faithful Heb 11.8 Father of many nations Rom 4.18 Friend of God James 2.23

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New sign of covenant required with Abraham before-birth of Isaac

12 Genesis 11-12

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Relationship Identity Purpose

God’s Covenant with Abram

Gen 11 Part 1: Out of UR Gen 12 Part 2: Out of Haran Gen 13 Part 3: Into Canaan

-- Ur of Chaldees --On the way to Canaan

Haran נה׃ חר

14 Genesis 11 Background

27Now these [are] the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, & Haran; & Haran begat Lot. 28 & Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29 & Abram & Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife [was] Sarai; & the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, & the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she [had] no child. 31 &Terah took Abram his son, & Lot the son of Haran his son's son, & Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; & they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; & they came unto Haran, dwelt there. 32 & the days of Terah were 250 years: &

Terah died in Haran < Charran נה ׃ חר

Abram Nahor

Lot Sarai

Shem Part 1: Out of UR

-- Ur of Chaldees --On the way to Canaan -- Bethel

Haran נה׃ חר

Terah

הרן Haran

15 Genesis 11 Background

Stephen’s sermon in Acts

Acts 7.1 -5 The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, (UR) before he dwelt in Charran (Haran נה׃ , (חר3 & said unto him,

4Then came he out of the land of the (UR) Chaldaeans, & dwelt in Charran (Haran נה׃ from thence, when his & : (חרfather was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5 & he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not [so much as] to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, & to his seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child.

“Get thee out of thy country, & from thy kindred, & come into the land which I shall shew thee.”

Abram must leave the past behind MARKERS OF IDENTITY

Out of thy country Out from thy kindred Out from old land into a new land

Part 1: Out of UR

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Relationship Identity Purpose

God establishes

Covenants are the key to understanding prophecy

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GOD SPEAKS DIRECTLY -- 1Now t LORD had said unto Abram,

WHAT ABRAHAM SHOULD DO--

Get thee out of thy country, & from thy kindred, & from thy father's

house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

WHAT GOD WILL DO –-

2 & I will make of thee a great nation,

& I will bless thee, & make thy name great; & thou shalt be a blessing: 3& I

will bless them that bless thee, & curse him that curseth thee:

& in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 12

Look at slide 11

Part 2: Out of Haran

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WHAT GOD WILL DO –- God’s 7 -- “I Wills”

o I will make you a great nation,

o I will bless thee,

o I will make your name great

o I will make Abraham a blessing

o I will bless them that bless thee

o I will curse him that curseth thee:

o I will bless all families of the earth

Genesis 12 Part 2: Out of Haran God’s “I will” means He will do what He says

19 Genesis 12

4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; & Lot went with him: & Abram [was] 75 yrs old when he departed out of Haran. 5 & Abram took Sarai his wife, & Lot his brother's son, & all their substance that they had gathered, & the souls that they had gotten in Haran; & they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; & into the land of Canaan they came.

Part 3: Into Canaan

20 Genesis 12

6 & Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. & the Canaanite [was] then in the land.

7 & the LORD appeared unto Abram, & said,

Unto thy seed will I give this land: & there builded he an altar (worship) unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 8 & he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, & pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, & Hai on the east: & there he builded an altar unto the LORD, & called upon the name of the LORD. 9 & Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

Part 3: Into Canaan

Covenant -- “SEED” -- LAND

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Gen 13: 14 & the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, & look from the place where thou art northward, & southward, & eastward, & westward: 15For all the land which thou seest,

to thee will I give it, & to thy seed for ever.

16& I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy seed also be numbered.

17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it & in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18Then Abram removed [his] tent, & came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which [is] in Hebron, & built there an altar unto the LORD.

Genesis 13 Covenant -- “SEED” -- LAND

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Gen 15.18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt (Nile) unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Genesis 15 Covenant -- “SEED” -- LAND

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God promised t Land -- inheritance to Abraham & to his “Seed” forever (Gen 13.14-15 , Gen 17.7-8)

(seed is singular in Hebrew & Greek) (Seed = Christ) Clue in Galatians

Covenant -- “SEED” -- LAND

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Covenant -- “SEED” -- LAND

Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham (covenant with Abram) might 1 come on the Gentiles (be transmitted) through Jesus Christ; that 2we might receive the promise of the Spirit (God’s presence) through faith.

(Abraham believed –counted to him as righteousness –had faith)

Gal 3. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham & to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ.

Fulfillment of the Promise – We as God’s children inherit as--joint-heirs with Christ the blessings of Abraham

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Gen 15.18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Ur of the Caldees

Abraham is walking the borders of the Land God promises to him & his “Seed”

1st

part of Abraham’s journey

Iran

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2nd part of Abraham’s journey

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Sinai Peninsula

Egypt

Syria

Future Jerusalem

3rd part of Abraham’s journey

Refer to Slide #13 Acts 7:1-5

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God didn’t ask them to cross the desert

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Strategic placement at the crossroads of the continents In the fertile crescent & access to land, sea & trade routes, & water

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We as believers are inheritors of this covenant made with Abraham. We are to receive the blessing by which all nations shall be blessed through Him….Messiah

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To God Be the Glory !!