122504 Christmas, Family Style: Covenant Keeper

Series: Christmas, Family Style
Message: Covenant Keeper

Message Summary:

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21 NIV

God's covenant with David is an illustration of how God keeps His promises. God keeps His promises because He is a God of integrity and character. No matter how disobedient or sinful David was, God kept His promise that David's house and kingdom would endure forever.

No matter how inconsistent or sinful we are, we can't get God to undo any of His promises. They are not conditional upon what we do or how we behave. It's especially amazing that no matter how bad we are, we are still offered the gift of forgiveness and acceptance by God despite our sinfulness. Once you have made a covenant with God, no matter what you've done between now and then God doesn't feel alienated. Whether you have or have not connected with God before, He is waiting for you to accept His forgiveness. He isn't waiting for a better you. His promises are always there.

Opening

We always seem to fall short of how we would like to act and how we know we would like to be. Because it is impossible to meet a person without fault, it is natural for us as humans to have a hard time grasping God's unconditional love and promises. The truth is, we don't have to achieve a level of perfection before God will keep his promises to us.

Discussion

What is God's greatest gift? Look at the opening text above and think about the meaning of the word "gift".

In the case of God, can a "gift" also be a promise? God's gifts aren't always tangible, at least not yet. Sometimes His gifts come in the form of promises.

Do you ever feel like you aren't good enough for God? Do you know others who are into something they don't want to be into? Have you ever been in so deep that you couldn't imagine how God's gift of forgiveness could ever apply to you?

Think about David's mistake in 2 Samuel 11. Imagine how David must have felt later on in his life. Did God's promise to David and David's offspring still stand?

Life Application

No matter where you are now or where you find yourself when you stop to look at yourself one day in the future, God's promises still stand for you. He is waiting for you to take a breath and accept His gift of forgiveness. Jesus' death on the cross is a gift that allows us to be perfect in God's eyes. To accept this gift would be to give God our best. When we allow Him to be our Saviour, we honour Him by acknowledging that His character is perfect and that He is our Leader.

Closing Prayer

Lord… It is hard for us to imagine that You still offer us your promises and gift of forgiveness even when we are so sinful. Please help us to grasp this and remember it every day. Help us to remember that You aren't waiting for us to become perfect before we can accept your gift. Thank You for Your faithfulness even when we have none. Thank You for Your forgiveness and grace. In Your Name, Amen.

Creekside Langley Speaker: Jim Gaull
Creekside North Shore Speaker: Colin Griffiths