“How New Is New?” -

Date: 12-07-14

Text: — Jeremiah 31:31 — “The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” [NIV84]

The Big Idea: Lifestyle worshipers, has the New Covenant lost is freshness to you?

My Thoughts:

The new smell of a new car, the leathery aroma of a new baseball glove, the papery smell of a newly purchased book: All these are smells that bring fond memories to me. How about you? But after a while that fresh, new smell fades. Some books still have it and my Australian leather glove still has a wisp of that fresh leather smell, but not as before. It never really gets old for me, though.

Lifestyle worshipers, has the New Covenant lost is freshness to you. How New is “New”?….

Perhaps like my older books and very old baseball glove, the newness has faded a bit. I pray not. My prayer this morning is that each time you receive Holy communion—whether it is daily, weekly, monthly or seasonally—the newness of the New Covenant will be refreshened to your souls. You will be reminded afresh of what the Lord Jesus promised to do and has done in the New Covenant promises: “I will remember their sins no more” (Jer. 31:34). Why can I pray this? Because the promise of Jesus’ birth was kept, He will and does most definitely keep this promise as well. He fulfilled the Old Covenant and sealed the New Covenant all at once with His blood. What a marvel!

Borrowing the words of a famous advertisement: Try the New Covenant again for the first time. Let the table of communion be refreshen yet once again.

Scriptures to Renew Your Thoughts

A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

— 1 Corinthians 11:28 (NIV84)

In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.”

— Luke 22:20 (NIV84)

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.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

— 1 Corinthians 11:25-26 (NIV84)

Heavenly Father, by the shed blood of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and through His power, I forgive myself for making the table of communion a common ‘thing’. I ask You, Lord Jesus Christ, to bear the consequences of my feelings & actions. Remove the pain and shame I have caused Your Name. Be that part of my Life that has been disobedient to You. I release myself into your hands. Grant me a right Spirit so to more fully appreciate what You did in the New Covenant. In Your Name, Amen.

Pastor Mike

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