The More Excellent Covenant - Santosh Poonen - December 1, 2019
http://rlcfchurch.org/more-excellent-covenant River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The central message is that Christian life, particularly striving to be like Jesus, cannot be accomplished by human strength or effort, like a car trying to refuel itself. True ability to live a life of love and holiness comes only from God's Spirit, requiring us to cry out to Him rather than relying on self-effort. This dependence on God's divine power is compared to the infinite gap between human ability and God's wisdom.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Are we capable of living like Jesus on our own?Attempting to love or be like Jesus in our own strength is as foolish as expecting a car to fill itself up with gas.
Jesus and the woman at the well in John chapter 4Just like the Samaritan woman who brought her bucket to draw physical water, we often bring our own efforts and religious service to God thinking we can supply what He wants.
Jesus had a well of living water within HimJesus did not rely on outward things or people to meet His needs; He had a constant, unbroken connection with the Father as a well of life within Him.
According to the power of an unshakable lifeIf our mood and stability are dictated by changing circumstances or people, we do not yet know the unshakable life of Jesus.Hebrews 7:16
God has guaranteed a better covenantGod put His reputation on the line and swore by Himself so that we could have strong encouragement and take hold of a better hope.
An anchor for the soul entering within the veilOur hope is an anchor fixed firmly in heaven where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, allowing us to remain steady amidst the tossing waves of life.
I live because of the FatherJust as Jesus lived in constant dependence on the life of the Father, we live today not by our past record, but by the power of Jesus within us.John 6:57
What was the Old Covenant like?The Old Covenant was like God dragging an unwilling people out of Egypt while they looked back and complained, serving as a mere shadow of heavenly things.
The reality of the New CovenantUnder the New Covenant, God puts His laws into our minds and writes them on our hearts, placing a well of life and genuine desire inside every believer.
Partaking of the divine nature through total dependenceThe secret to sharing God's nature is the same as Jesus demonstrated: the Son can do nothing of Himself unless He sees the Father doing it.
