We Who Are Within the Blessing of the Covenant (Matthew 1:21-23) 12/15/2019
Actualization of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd RUTC:
We Who Are Within the Blessing of the Covenant (Matthew 1:21-23) 12/15/2019
Last week I shared a message that was entitled, “Myself Within the Blessing of the Covenant.” God has an absolute plan of blessing for me and has given that to me as a Covenant. If I simply go into Christ, I will become “the foundation of blessings, one who will be victorious, one who will save all nations and one who will relay the Covenant and blessing to the posterity.”
What is the conclusion? It is that, in order for this Covenant to be fulfilled, it says “I will be with you.” This is the Covenant of “with.”
This week’s message is about more than the fact that God is with me but is about the blessing of Immanuel of Him being with us. The passage of Matthew 1 is often referred to as the genealogy of Jesus. This is not merely a genealogy. It is an evidence and record of how God had given the covenant of the coming Christ, and how he fulfilled that covenant. As promised, he came and became our salvation (Jesus). So, what is the promise he gives us in order to raise us as witnesses to bless and save the world? That God is now, and forever “with us.” That is the meaning of Immanuel. In this, who are we?
- There are at least three fields where we should enjoy God being with us. They are three unities, as well as systems.
1) It is the unity and system of family.
What is the reason God allowed Adam and Eve to become husband and wife? A helper was needed (Genesis 2:20).
① What was a helper needed for? Was it to put food on the table? Today, it has become a world that is more convenient to live on your own.
God needed a companion who could bear together the commission for saving and ruling the world. That is why if there is no covenant for a married couple to hold onto, or if they lose hold of the commission to bear together, that family becomes a family with no relationship with God. Harshly put, it only becomes a unification of the flesh. It means it is not a form of family God desires and blesses. This is the first reason why young adults should not hastily date and marry unbelievers.
② Another reason is that in that family, there will be another flow other than the spiritual flow of the works of the Holy Spirit. Although it may seem like they have everything and are living well, there is no satisfaction. It is insatiable. Furthermore, scars that were formed as each individual grew up get mixed up and conflicts with no reason happen. The Bible says that there are unknown flows of the spirit of darkness in the family.
③ On the contrary, if that family becomes one within Christ and the Covenant, it becomes a family that God uses. Noah’s family was powerless and mocked, but God used that family and had them make an ark and preserved the world. Joseph’s family had many problems, but the twelve tribes of Israel were formed through the twelve sons of that family. God chose those families, was within those families, and blessed and used them.
④ Last week, we saw how God chose Abraham as an individual and how he blessed Abraham forever.
Later, God gives a promise that he will become the “God of all his descendants,” commands all of the males of that family to be circumcised (Genesis 17:12-14), blesses Sarai, and names her as the “mother of nations” (Genesis 17:15-16).
2) It is the unity and system of the church.
A more eternal unity than that of a physical unity of a family, and a blessed unity is the church.
① A physical family ends on earth. It is said that they will be like angels on that day (Mark 12:25). That is why it said to happily live the short days that have been allowed to us (Ecclesiastes 9:7-9). Especially, it said that in the covenant, married couples will receive eternal inheritance together (1 Peter 3:7).
② The church is beyond that. It is the body of Christ and a family to be together on the day of eternity (Revelations 21:1-3). That is why we must have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, and a humble mind (1 Peter 3:8). The church must become one within Christ, enjoy the same blessing within the Covenant, and continuously create a spiritual flow. This is the reason for us to come together and worship, pray, share, and bless (Matthew 18:18-20).
3) It is the unity of the region and workplace I work in, and a field system.
① In a workplace and region that God is surely with, there is a different culture and flow of blessings. It is saying for us to make a flow of a covenantal blessing in my workplace, school and region. That is called Darakbang (upper room meeting) and regional church. It said that God blessed Potiphar’s household because of Joseph, and for Joseph (Genesis 39:5). God was with him. It said that when Philip went to Samaria and shared the gospel and prayed, demons fled and much joy was in the city (Acts 8:4-8).
② There are many Covenants regarding my region and workplace in the Bible.
It says that God holds my lot, and that lines have fallen for me in pleasant places as an inheritance for me (Psalms 16:5-6). It says every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon will be given to you (Joshua 1:2-3). It says that you will possess the land forever (Isaiah 60:21). The God who is with me, should be with the region, workplace, and school I am at, because of me. That is Immanuel.
- How can we actually enjoy this blessing? The mystery is true communication and spiritual strength.
In order for people to go together, they must communicate well and possess strength to help each other. If not, it only becomes a burden. What does communication mean? It means that you connect with one another. It means nothing is blocked. If there is strength, there is nothing to be blocked.
1) You need to have the mystery of communicating with God. There must be nothing that blocks you from God.
① That is the mystery of worship and prayer. I need to be in the deep place of God. That is why you must succeed in worship. After worship, you must have a time of individual prayer. It is having my own time with God and communicating.
② At that time, things that need to be repented and renewed are revealed, works I must devote in are seen, and strength that is given by God is received. In addition, my circumstances should be known to the servants of the Lord and have them pray. They are servants of the Lord that were raised to bless me. (Eli who blessed Hannah, and prophet Gad, Nathan and Samuel who was with David during his whole life and blessed him.)
2) If you can communicate with God, you are able to communicate with people. All blocked things disappear. This is the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 1:10).
What must be done in order to communicate well with people? You need to hold many conversations as well as learn how to converse. However, something more important than that is the trust that believes in each other, and the love that tries to help and considers each other preciously. Many words are not necessary. Without this, no matter how many times people meet, they do not feel anything. Rather, fights happen.
3) For a person that connects with God and people, they can connect with everything in the world.
Everything that God has prepared for me becomes visible, and the heavenly mandate, commission, and calling that I must carry out are seen as well. True success comes. It is not merely a specialty. It becomes uniqueness because God blesses it and works of recreation that saves everyone rises.
Conclusion – I bless that you become church members that enjoy the evidence that God is with me in my family, church, and field.