The Story Begins: God Keeps His Commitment to Us

The Story Begins: God Keeps His Commitment to Us

Genesis 12, 15, 17

2-16-20

“Commitment is to bind oneself to a person or promise. This makes us all in and wide-open.”

I. God Keeps His Covenant Commitment. (Genesis 12:1-3)

1. An unconditional covenant commitment is God binding Himself by His own promises no   matter what the other party does or does not do.

Genesis 15:12-18

Ezekiel 20:6 – “The LORD says, ‘I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey…’”

Romans 8:28,29 – “…we know that for those who love God all things work together for good… For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…”

2. A conditional covenant commitment depends on the faithfulness of both parties and is                         damaged if one or both break the covenant.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 – “…I set before you…the blessing, if you obey the commandments …the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God…”

John 7:17 – “Jesus said, ‘If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God…’”

Mark Dever - “Church membership signifies a church's endorsement of a person's salvation, a commitment to one another in mutual Christ-like love and discipleship, and a continual responsibility in each other's lives for the purpose of the gospel.”

Millcreek Community Church Member Covenant

Having trusted in Christ as my Lord and Savior…by the Holy Spirit, the following is to characterize my life in God’s family:

LOVE GOD (Matthew 22:37-38)

I agree to love God through:

- Spending time alone with God. (Luke 5:16)

- Worshiping together with God’s family. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

- Giving financially. (2 Corinthians 8:6-7)

LOVE OTHERS (John 13:34-35)

I agree to love others through:

- Showing Christ’s love to God’s family. (1 John 4:7-8)

- Meeting in a Community or Discipleship group. (Acts 2:46)

- Serving in ministry at MCC. (1 Peter 4:10)

MAKE DISCIPLES (Matthew 28:18-20)

I agree to make disciples through:

- Praying and inviting others into God’s family. (Romans 10:13-15)

- Living out and sharing the gospel. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

- Intentionally discipling others to follow Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20)

With God’s strength, I commit myself to God and this covenant knowing that I am accountable to other members of God’s family and responsible to encourage others toward Christ-like living. I declare openly that I desire to continue growing in Loving God, Loving Others, and Making Disciples.

II. Living Out God’s Promises. (Genesis 17:1-14)

Romans 1:17 – “For (the Gospel) …is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:9 – “So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”

 Reviewing This Past Sunday

“Saving faith is faith in God’s provision, not our performance.”  -Tim Keller

1. What promise of God are you holding onto right now and praying?

2. Discuss the commitment definition and how you view this type of commitment?

3. What would it take for you to obey God if He called you to do something that made no sense from the world’s perspective?

4. In what areas of your life do you often struggle with trusting the promises of God (financial, marital, parental, relational, etc.)? Why?

5. Read through these promises and use them for prayer. (Exodus 14:14, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 37:4, 50:15, Isiah. 40:29-31, Matthew 4:19, 6:33, Luke 11:9-13, John 3:36, 8:36, Romans 8:28, 10:9, Philippians 4:19, James 1:5, 4:7, 5:14-15, 1 John 1:9, Revelation 3:5)