Fulfillment in the New Covenant

Fulfillment in the New Covenant

Talk Guidelines

DAY 1

Talk One: Overview of the New Covenant

Song: Amazing Grace (My sins are gone)

Resident reads Hebrews 8: 7-12 and Hebrews 9:15

Prayer: As we gather today in Your Name, Jesus, please bless us with understanding of what You did for us at the cross and what You do for us each and every day. May we always remember Your grace and mercy with gratitude. Teach us to live in Your New Covenant. We pray in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

INTRODUCTION: What is a covenant?

Testament is another word for covenant, Old and New Testaments really could be called First and Second Covenants
This retreat is about how the Hebrew or First Covenant is fulfilled in the Covenant we have in Jesus Christ. We will be talking about Moses, the tabernacle, the sacrifices under the Hebrew covenant, and aspects of the Torah, or Law of Moses, comparing them to the covenant we have today in Christ.
A covenant could be called a treaty or a contract but is more than that, for it is...
a holy agreement between God and human beings
a series of promises and commands
mostly initiated by the action of God and received by humans

I EXAMPLES OF COVENANTS

Covenant with Noah not to destroy the world by water, to have seedtime and harvest and the seasons, for humans to be able to eat meat. Sign of the covenant was the rainbow.
Covenant with Abram was for the Promised seed (Isaac), Promised Land of Israel, and Promised Blessing through descendent, Jesus Christ; to be the Lord's chosen people. Sign of the covenant was circumcision of eight day old males.
Covenant with Moses was the Law, the Torah, a way of worship, a way of justice, a way of ordering life as a community under the rule of God. Sign of the covenant was the Ten Commandments and the Tabernacle.
Covenant with David that his descendent would rule forever. Sign of the covenant was Jesus the Messiah.
New Covenant was the promise of God to forgive sins and remember them no more, to write His Law on the heart and not on stone, for all God's people to know Him. Sign of the covenant is baptism.

II Components of the Covenant:

Promises and demands for obedience
Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience
An exchange of gifts
A blood sacrifice
A ritual meal of bread and wine

III Personal Witness of What the New Covenant Means to You

Conclusion: Theme of the retreat is the New Covenant, which fulfilled all earlier ones. It is the one under which we live in relationship with God, a covenant of grace and mercy.

PRAYER: Lord God, thank you for reaching out to us in love and mercy to restore Your relationship with us. We praise and honor You for Your great kindness toward us. Give us Your grace always to live in this New Covenant. Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Share any questions or insights you have about Biblical covenants.

APPLICATION ACTIVITY: Begin working on a skit, song, poem, or poster about the New Covenant.

Talk Two: How the Lord's Supper Fulfills the Passover

Song: Jesus Messiah

Resident reads I Corinthians 11: 23-26

Prayer: Father, You delivered Your Hebrew children from the hand of Pharaoh and the Destroyer. You sent Jesus to deliver us from our Enemy, Satan. The Blood of the Lamb worked deliverance both times. You remind us every time we receive communion of that deliverance. May we live it out in our daily lives. Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.

INTRODUCTION: The Passover Seder

The central event in the story of Israel is the Exodus from Egypt.
The central event in the Exodus is the Passover, the death of the first born of Egypt and the sparing of the faithful Hebrews.
Sign of the Passover is the Blood of the Lamb on the doorposts and lintels and the communal meal.
Key parts of the meal are unleavened bread, lamb, bitter herbs, salt water, egg, parsley, a nut and apple/honey mixture that resembles mortar, and wine.
The service is a recalling of the mighty acts of God to deliver His people from bondage.
Its observance is commanded upon the people of Israel from generation to generation

I The Lord's Supper:

Instituted by Jesus Christ Himself as He and His disciples observed the Passover before His betrayal
He took the bread, broke it, and gave it to the disciples saying, " Take, eat, this is My Body broken for you, do this in rembrance of Me."
He took the cup of redemption and gave it to the disciples saying, " This is the New Covenant in My Blood for the forgiveness of sins. Drink this in remembrance of Me."
We also look to Jesus' words in John's Gospel where He declares that He is the Bread of Life and whoever eats His flesh and drinks His Blood has eternal life.
The Lord's Supper is commanded for Christians to observe from generation to generation.
There are many levels of meaning of the Lord's Supper: it is called an ordinance, a sacrament, holy communion, the Eucharist or Great Thanksgiving, a means of grace for faithful believers. It is called a memorial service, a communal feast, a way of drawing near to God, a means of receiving personal strength and renewal, a healing and converting sacrament, a representation of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

II A Fulfilling Service

"Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrifice, therefore let us keep the feast."
Jesus Christ's Blood is the Blood of the Lamb that ratified the New Covenant for us, that paid the debt of our sin, that redeemed us out of the hand of the enemy, that cleansed us from sin.
"What can wash away our sin,nothing but the Blood of Jesus, O,precious is the flow that made me white as snow, no other fount I know, nothing but the Blood of Jesus."
The Lord's Supper celebrates the Great Exchange Jesus made for us on the cross:
He took our death and gave us His life.
He was broken so we could be healed,
He was rejected so we could be accepted by God
He took our sin and gave us His righteousness
He was condemned so we could be justified.
Communion celebrates the Christian Passover, Jesus being our Lamb of God who was slain to take away the sins of the world

III Personal Witness: What does holy communion mean to you?

CONCLUSION: When we eat the bread and drink the wine of holy communion we renew our covenant with God, the New Covenant of the forgiveness of sins.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: What does holy communion mean to you?

CONTINUE APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Talk Three: How Jesus Christ Fulfills Moses and the Prophets

Song: Days of Elijah

Resident reads Hebrews 3: 1-6

Prayer: We praise You, Lord God, for Your great deliverance You worked through Your servant Moses. We sing to You for You have triumphed gloriously over evil. Even more, we praise You for the greatest victory of all, when You raised up Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ in His glorious resurrection. All glory and honor be Yours, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Introduction: Moses was the Liberator, Leader, Deliverer of Israel

called by God to go boldly to Pharaoh and demand the release of the people
used by God to execute the ten plague judgments against the gods of Egypt.
led the people out of Egypt to the Promised Land
was used by God to demonstrate His power against Pharaoh at the Red Sea
used by God in many miracles during the journey to the Promised Land
received the ten commandments
instituted the system of tabernacle worship of God
instituted the legal system of Israel
wrote the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
a model of faithfulness to God

I Prediction of a Great Prophet by Moses

God promised Moses that God would raise up a prophet like Moses, that God's people had to listen to that great prophet.
Peter declared that this promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is prophet, priest and King.
God in the past spoke through His prophets, but now has spoken through His Son whom He appointed heir of all things.

II Comparison of Jesus Christ with Moses

Both were faithful to God
Moses was appointed to the tabernacle house of God, but Jesus was appointed to the greater house of all who believe, gentiles and Jews.
Moses was faithful as a servant of God, Jesus was faithful as the Son of God.
Moses' miracles and teachings pointed to Christ: the Passover, the deliverance at the Red Sea, the provision of manna and water from the Rock.
Both ministries point to the power of God to rescue and redeem out of bondage.
III Personal witness of how the story of Moses has helped you understand what Jesus Christ has done for you.
Conclusion: Moses the Liberator points to Jesus Christ, whose Truth sets us free.

Prayer: You have invited us to come to You, Jesus, with our burdens, so that You can give us rest. You have promised a rest for the people of God. Give us rest from our enemies, rest from our burdens, rest in Your care, in Your Name we pray. Amen.

PRAYER: Lord God, thank you for reaching out to us in love and mercy to restore Your relationship with us. We praise and honor You for Your great kindness towardus. Give us Your grace always to live in this New Covenant. Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen

DISCUSSION QUESTION: How does the story of Moses help you in your Christian journey?

APPLICATION ACTIVITY: Continue with your group's project

Talk Four: How God's Rest Fulfills the Sabbath

Song: Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Resident reads Hebrews 4:1-11

I There is a lot in the Bible about rest

the seventh day of creation in which God rested
the seventh year rest of the people of Israel
the Jubilee or 50th year of the freedom of slaves and redemption of property
the resting of the land of Israel from war
rest from one's enemies
the rest of faith and repentance
the weekly day of rest, the Sabbath

II Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath

the Sabbath was made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath
the Sabbath was not to be a burden but a delight, a true rest in the Lord
Jesus healed on the Sabbath
Jesus is not against the principle of taking a rest in the Lord for a day of worship and enjoying God and His world.

III What is the Rest of God?

Isaiah 30:15 "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength"
Psalm 46:1 "Be still (cease striving) and know that I am God."
Jeremiah 6:16 "Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will have rest for your souls."
Matthew 11: 28 "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Revelation 14:13 "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now onthey will rest from their labors and their deeds follow them."
The rest of God is Shalom, the peace of God which passes all understanding, a deep trust in God, a total relying on God, letting God fight your battles, and finding your hiding place of security in Him.
The rest of God is not just one day a week but it can be a whole way of living every moment of every day. Leaning on Jesus, taking His yoke on you and learning from Him. It is walking with Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.
We enter this rest by drawing near to Jesus and surrendering our lives to Him in trust.

IV Personal Witness: How have you experienced resting in God?

PRAYER: Lord God, thank you for reaching out to us in love and mercy to restore Your relationship with us. We praise and honor You for Your great kindness toward us. Give us Your grace always to live in this New Covenant. Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen

DISCUSSION: How have you experienced resting in God?

APPLICATION ACTIVITY: Continue to work on today's group project.

Talk Five: How Jesus Fulfills the Old Testament Priesthood

Song: What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Resident reads Scripture: I Peter 2: 9-10

Prayer: Almighty God, You have called to a royal priesthood. We live in the priesthood of all believers. Grant me grace to take my calling seriously so I can always be faithful to You, through Your Son the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Introduction: Definition of a priest:

One who represents God to the people
One who represents the people before God
A mediator between God and people

I Old Testament Priesthood

Based on the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron
Based on pedigree, right ancestors
Based on physical perfection, no one with handicaps accepted
Duty to offer sacrifices before God in the tabernacle
Human beings who have to present sacrifices for their own sins to be covered before they can offer sacrifices for the people
Based on repeated rituals
Only a temporary covering of sins

II Jesus Christ the Great High Priest

Of the order of Melchizedek, mysterious priest out of Genesis who received tithes from Abraham and offered bread and wine
Sinless
Touched by the feelings of our weaknesses, since He is both God and human
Offered His own Blood once and for all to wash away sin
Operates under grace, not condemnation
Chosen by God
A priest forever
Able to save completely those who come to Him

III Our Great High Priest

Advocate/Defender who pleads our cause
Pleads for us for mercy and forgiveness
Giver of grace
Makes God real to us, bridges the gap between us and God
Makes us right with God, justified, by His sacrifice

Conclusion: Personal witness of how Jesus is your Great High Priest

DISCUSSION QUESTION: What difference does it make to have Jesus as our High Priest?

APPLICATION ACTIVITY: Continue to work on the project for today

CLOSING ACTIVITY FOR DAY 1: Each group shares its project.

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DAY 2

Talk Six: How Jesus Fulfills the Holy Place of the Tabernacle I

Song: Sanctuary

Resident reads Hebrews 9:1-2

Prayer: Father God, please give us understanding of the spiritual meanings of the earthly tabernacle of the Old Covenant, ways we can draw near to You. Teach us Your lessons from Your Word, we pray through Jesus Christ, who became flesh and tabernacle among us. Amen.

Introduction: The Tabernacle as a type of our journey of faith with Jesus

Types are events, persons, and objects from the Hebrew Bible that help point us to Christ and teach us spiritual lessons
The Tabernacle was a building designed for the worship of Israel, made of several parts
There was one entrance to the outer courtyard, showing that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth,and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him.
In front of the entrance was the altar of sacrifice, showing that all must come to Christ by personally receiving the benefits of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Next, there was the great basin or laver, where the priests washed themselves. This is a type for water baptism, which is a cleansing from sin, a baptism into the Body of Christ, and a baptism into service.
There then was a building with two rooms. We are going to talk in depth in the next two talks about the first room, the Holy Place

I Holiness

Be holy as I am holy, says the Lord
Holiness means total dedication, being set apart for the use of the Lord, consecration
"Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to Thee."

II The Showbread

twelve loaves of bread, one for each of the twelve tribes, replenished daily
Jesus said I AM the Bread of Life
He is the source of our true Life and Light
His Word nourishes our life and is a lamp unto our feet and a lamp unto our path
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the House of Bread
The BIBLE: Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth
The Bible is a roadmap for our journey
The Bible is spiritual food indeed

Conclusion: Personal Witness of how the Bible nourishes and guides your life.