There are a variety of different covenants in the Old and New Testament. The New Covenant is symbolized by the bread and the cup. The marriage covenant is symbolized by a ring. I met a guy recently who took a vow of sexual purity and he wears a purity ring as a reminder of the covenant he's made with God. In II Chronicles 15:12, the people enter into a covenant of seeking. Job makes a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully on a woman in Job 31:1. David and Jonathan enter into a covenant friendship with each other. Covenants comes in different shapes and sizes. But there is a common thread: a covenant is a commitment to live by a pre-determined standard.
Leadership comes with a price tag. The common misconception is that leadership is all about privilege. Leadership is relinquishing of one's rights. But amazing things happen when people enter into covenants with each other.
In the 1700s, a man named Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf formed a group that called themselves the Order of the Mustard Seed. They solemnly pledged three things to each other: to be true to Christ, to be kind to people, and to take the gospel to the nations. Members of the order wore a ring as a reminder of their vow. It was inscribed with the motto "None live for themselves." It didn't happen overnight. The covenant evolved. The members of the order were friends in boarding school, but it took years for them to formalize the vow and form the order. They eventually gathered together for a prayer meeting. Zinzendorf said, "Tomorrow we will make our covenant, but tonight let us pray." Zinzendorf prayed all night. The next day they pledged all of their wealth and influence for the "conversion of the heathen." That covenant set off a chain-reaction of historical proportions. It resulted in what became known as the Moravian Pentecost in 1727. It launched a 24/7 prayer watch that lasted continuously for a hundred years! It led to the conversion of everybody from John Wesley to an Indian chief named Tomo-chi-chi. He was the leader of the Creek people and actually became a member of the Order. Finally, and most importantly, it set off a worldwide missions movement.
Let me give you one example.
In April of 1731, Count Zinzendorf met an African slave from the Danish West Indies who told him about the terrible conditions he endured. Zinzendorf told the Order about it and two of the Moravians volunteered to go there as missionaries even if it meant selling themselves into slavery! They gave up everything and went, but after eighteen months they'd only gained one convert. Eighteen more Moravians went to join them the next year but nearly half of them died from yellow fever. In 1736, Zinzendorf visited the colony and he didn't even know if the missionaries were still alive. He said to his traveling companion, "Suppose the brethren are no longer here; what shall we do?" When they landed they discovered a thriving church of eight hundred converts!
I believe that most of the good things that have happened in my life trace back to a covenant. I love my wife and I think about all the blessings we've experienced together. And I can't wait to live the rest of my life with her. But it all traces back to a covenant.
I think about the good things that have happened in the last year in my life. And so much of it traced back to April 31, 2004. I spent an afternoon praying and I vowed some things to the Lord. I still have the piece of driftwood in my office as a reminder of the covenant I made with the Lord that day. Covenants are powerful things. That's what we did as a church today. Our leaders renewed their covenant to God and NCC. It was a pretty profound thing to be part of. Lots of lives with be touched because of the covenant we committed to today!
For what it's worth, the Hebrew word for committing oneself to a covenant is "Yada."
Yada Yada.
Leadership comes with a price tag. The common misconception is that leadership is all about privilege. Leadership is relinquishing of one's rights. But amazing things happen when people enter into covenants with each other.
In the 1700s, a man named Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf formed a group that called themselves the Order of the Mustard Seed. They solemnly pledged three things to each other: to be true to Christ, to be kind to people, and to take the gospel to the nations. Members of the order wore a ring as a reminder of their vow. It was inscribed with the motto "None live for themselves." It didn't happen overnight. The covenant evolved. The members of the order were friends in boarding school, but it took years for them to formalize the vow and form the order. They eventually gathered together for a prayer meeting. Zinzendorf said, "Tomorrow we will make our covenant, but tonight let us pray." Zinzendorf prayed all night. The next day they pledged all of their wealth and influence for the "conversion of the heathen." That covenant set off a chain-reaction of historical proportions. It resulted in what became known as the Moravian Pentecost in 1727. It launched a 24/7 prayer watch that lasted continuously for a hundred years! It led to the conversion of everybody from John Wesley to an Indian chief named Tomo-chi-chi. He was the leader of the Creek people and actually became a member of the Order. Finally, and most importantly, it set off a worldwide missions movement.
Let me give you one example.
In April of 1731, Count Zinzendorf met an African slave from the Danish West Indies who told him about the terrible conditions he endured. Zinzendorf told the Order about it and two of the Moravians volunteered to go there as missionaries even if it meant selling themselves into slavery! They gave up everything and went, but after eighteen months they'd only gained one convert. Eighteen more Moravians went to join them the next year but nearly half of them died from yellow fever. In 1736, Zinzendorf visited the colony and he didn't even know if the missionaries were still alive. He said to his traveling companion, "Suppose the brethren are no longer here; what shall we do?" When they landed they discovered a thriving church of eight hundred converts!
I believe that most of the good things that have happened in my life trace back to a covenant. I love my wife and I think about all the blessings we've experienced together. And I can't wait to live the rest of my life with her. But it all traces back to a covenant.
I think about the good things that have happened in the last year in my life. And so much of it traced back to April 31, 2004. I spent an afternoon praying and I vowed some things to the Lord. I still have the piece of driftwood in my office as a reminder of the covenant I made with the Lord that day. Covenants are powerful things. That's what we did as a church today. Our leaders renewed their covenant to God and NCC. It was a pretty profound thing to be part of. Lots of lives with be touched because of the covenant we committed to today!
For what it's worth, the Hebrew word for committing oneself to a covenant is "Yada."
Yada Yada.
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