Topic: “The Enemy In A Me”
Ice Breaker: If you had to defend yourself what would be your weapon of choice and why? Creative Idea: Throw your most expensive vase, throw your spouses dentures, use your high heels in a violent manner, and of course the usual weapons of choice…the broom or your tooth brush.
Nine Steps of Covenant
1. The Exchange of Robes
a. Peoples coats ere their identity.
b. Jesus exchanged coats with us…
i. We gave him our filthy rags.
ii. He gave us…
1. A Robe of Righteousness
2. A Garment of Praise
3. The Armor of God
2. The Exchange of Belts
a. An exchange of strength
i. Historically, belts symbolized strength,
ii. The belt was the place where weapons and arms were attached.
3. The Exchange of Weapons-Deuteronomy 7:1
a. Virtually an exchange of enemies.
i. Our enemies become His enemies, His enemies become our enemies.
1. He takes on the Hittites.
a. Fear
b. Terror
c. Intended to Break you Apart
d. Confounded (Deut. 28
2. He defeats the Gergashites.
3. He overcomes the enemy “in-a-me”!
b. The opposite of love is not hate, it is selfishness. God is Love and He hates all that harms and destroys us.
i. Once we’ve been redeemed, we begin to hate what God hates…sin, etc.
ii. We give God our ungodly hate, unforgiveness, revenge, murderous thoughts, etc.
iii. God gives us His weapons:
1. A Flaming Sword
2. A Double-Edged Sword
3. The Word of God
a. Not to hide in our pocket, to hide in our heart
b. You don’t have it in your heart until you can say it.
c. It becomes revelation—something I always knew but never personally realized until we need it for battle.
4. Blood Sacrifice
a. All covenant had to be sealed with a blood sacrifice so that the parties realized the seriousness of it.
b. Life is in the blood.
5. The Walk of Death
a. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word…
6. A Mark on the Hand
a. The striking of wrists and exchanging of blood as a visible reminder of the covenant.
7. Pronouncement of blessings and curses.
a. When Jesus is accepted a s Lord and Savior, He redeems us from the curse of the law.
b. However, every time we walk in disobedience, outside of our covenant, the consequence of the sin may still occur and we live beneath the blessing of God.
c. Such a pronouncement was to challenge each party to uphold the covenant and to inflict reverential fear on both parties of the consequences of breaking the covenant.
8. Covenant Meal
a. Firmingly solidifying the covenant.
b. There is blessing at the table
c. He prepares a table for me in the presence of mine enemies! (Psalm 23:5)
9. Exchange of Names
a. Isaiah 62:2 He will give us a new name!
b. Abram-Abraham
c. Jacob-Israel
d. Forsaken-Accepted
e. Forgotten-Remembered
f. Dejected-Exalted
g. Downcast-Uplifted…
Text: Exodus 23:22; Deuteronomy 7:1
Study Group Lesson:
The Cronkites? The Termites? The Mightymites? Etc….