Covenantkeepers - Part 2 | The Fellowship of God's Covenant People

2024 Sermons

“…for an everlasting covenant”

By Walter Giddings

May 26, 2024

Featured Scripture: Genesis 17:7

To what do covenantkeepers always return? Does the God of our Fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob/Israel, ever fail to keep his covenant with the seed of our Fathers? And the answer is ...? (Hebrews 13:20). So, God is not The Failure in Covenant keeping! Who fails to keep the “everlasting covenant”? Who?

20 Now the God of peace, that brought

again from the dead our Lord Jesus,

that great shepherd of the sheep,

through the blood of the everlasting

covenant,

Hebrews chapter thirteen.

If someone or somebody is not a Party to The Everlasting Covenant, can he ever be charged as a covenantbreaker? Is somebody among us who can show from The Scriptures you or I are not a party to The Everlasting Covenant??! (Hebrews 13:21). Who here can show us we are not Party to The Everlasting Covenant? Who, among family, friends, or neighbours, will show us from The Bible we are not Parties to The Everlasting Covenant? Has anybody ever shown us?!

21 Make you perfect in every good

work to do his will, working in you

that which is wellpleasing in his

sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom

be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews chapter thirteen.

Is The Posterity of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob/Israel a Party to The Everlasting Covenant? Shall we take a brief excursion into our Hymnology? Here at Fellowship of God’s Covenant People we are currently using 3 volumes: The Bible, The Hymnal, and Christogenea. Turn in our Hymnals to Selection 203.

And can it be that I should gain

An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood?

Text: Charles Wesley

Music: Thomas Campbell.

Tune: Sagina

Is this the very kind of question that thrusts a choice upon us? Indeed, does this rhetorical question immediately tell us Who We Are? Can We escape the Witness of our own Conscience? How can we avoid the Power of Conviction from The Holy Spirit?

To what do Covenantkeepers always return? In Lesson 1, Covenantkeepers, we learned that our Forefathers, The Pilgrims, returned, through much tribulation, to Bible ordained worship. Is Obedience the highest form of Worship? Did The Pilgrims, in returning to covenant keeping, return to The Blood of The Everlasting Covenant? Did the Pilgrims return to The Presence of Jesus Christ in their assemblies? Is it written: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”? [Matthew 18:20] Is Church all that hard? Or is the tribulation that Congregation attracts, the hard part? Does God permit every work, even His Own Husbandry, to be tested? As a Master Teacher is He often silent during The Test? Is His Very Presence during The Test our Answer? (1 Corinthians 3:8-9). Are we “God’s Husbandry”?

p 8 Now he that planteth and he that

watereth are one: and every man

shall receive his own reward accord-

ing to his own labour.

c 9 For we are labourers together with

God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are

God’s building.

First Corinthians chapter three.

“Ye are God’s husbandry.” Are we “God’s husbandry” because we are the very Party to “the everlasting covenant” and have “an interest in the Saviour’s blood”?

Whenever we return to Covenantkeeping, are we returning to the blood of the everlasting covenant?

We are in Lesson 2 Covenantkeepers. Some of you know the Term Covenantkeepers does not appear in the Scriptures! (Romans 1:28-32). In the latter part of Romans chapter one Paul gives an arresting description of the degenerating descent down into reprobation which can become permanent! Did the Apostle Paul do a much better job than most of America’s pulpits of admonishing us, warning us, of anything that could prevent us from laying hold on eternal life? Paul begins that classic description of that descent into depravity in Verse 18, showing that the wrath of God is always righteous. And that backsliding descent into depravity begins in “men who hold the truth in unrighteousness” and takes us all the way to the “vile affections” of sodomy! We pick up the last wretched stages of that descent at Verse 28, where the context explains the title of our 2 lessons:

p 28 And even as they did not like to

retain God in their knowledge, God

gave them over to a reprobate mind,

to do those things which are not con-

venient;

c 29 Being filled with all unrighteous-

ness, fornication, wickedness, covet-

ousness, maliciousness; full of envy,

murder, debate, deceit, malignity;

whisperers, .

p 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despite-

ful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil

things, disobedient to parents,

c 31 Without understanding, covenant-

breakers, without natural affection,

implacable, unmerciful:

p 32 Who knowing the judgment of God

that they which commit such things are

worthy of death, not only do the same,

but have pleasure in them that do them.

Romans chapter one.

(Verse 31). What are the 2 words preceding the term “covenantbreakers”? Covenantbreakers is translated from G802 asunthetos, as-oon’-thet-os; whose seminal or seed meaning is treacherous to compacts. Covenantbreakers and its Koine Greek counterpart, asunthetos, both appear but once in The Books of The Bible. How big is Treachery?! To prepare a message of Hope, I chose the natural antonym of covenantbreakers: Covenantkeepers. The 2 words preceding the term “covenant-breakers” are (Verse 31) “Without understanding”. Is American Israel in our day largely “covenantbreakers”? Is that because American Israel is without understanding? Is American Israel without understanding because American pulpits fail to make churchianity hear, with understanding, The Scriptures?

Did the Pilgrims embrace the term Separatists? Was the National Church of England controlled by The Monarchy, the direct lineal descendants of King David? Who can show me from The Scriptures what is wrong with that? Is it the job of civil government to control church government? Or is it within the Realm of Civil Government to protect the operations of The Realm of Church Government? What King of Judah did God Himself afflict with Leprosy? What was his Sin? (2 Chronicles 26:16-21). King Uzziah was blessed of The God of Israel to restore The House of Judah to political strength and prosperity with her neighbours. Beginning in Verse 16, do we find a good King flunking the Test of Prosperity?

p 16 But when he was strong, his heart

was lifted up to his destruction: for

he transgressed against the LORD his

God, and went into the temple of the

LORD to burn incense upon the altar

of incense.

c 17 And Azariah the priest went in af-

ter him, and with him fourscore priests

of the LORD, that were valiant men.

p 18 And they withstood Uzziah the king,

and said unto him, It appertaineth not

unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto

the LORD, but to the priests the sons of

Aaron, that are consecrated to burn in-

cense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou

hast trespassed; neither shall it be for

thine honour from the LORD God.

c 19 Then Uzziah was wroth and had a

censer in his hand to burn incense: and

while he was wroth with the priests, the

leprosy even rose up in his forehead be-

fore the priests in the house of the LORD,

from beside the incense altar.

p 20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all

the priests, looked upon him, and, behold,

he was leprous in his forehead, and they

thrust him out from thence; yea, himself

hasted also to go out, because the LORD

had smitten him.

c 21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto

the day of his death, and dwelt in a sever-

al house, being a leper; for he was cut off

from the house of the LORD: and Jotham

his son was over the king’s house, judging

the people of the land.

Second Chronicles chapter twenty-six.

How Big was this for The LORD God of Israel?!!! Was God’s Judgment upon King Uzziah too severe?! Or did The Punishment fit the Crime? Until the day of his death Uzziah, king of the House of Judah, was barred from assembly, and did not, and could not live in the king’s house. He was forced by law to live in a house separate from others. He was ill! He was quarantined! He died a Leper!

How many recalls, from Leviticus 10, the two eldest sons of Aaron took censers, put fire therein, put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before The Holy of Holies? The word, strange, is translated from H2114 zuwr, which means alien. Verse 2 reveals The Judgment of God was swift!!

2 And there went out fire from the

LORD, and devoured them, and they

died before the LORD.

Leviticus chapter ten.

Verse 9 lists the commandment The LORD spoke unto Aaron. It is a statute forever unto the sons of Aaron throughout their generations: “Do not drink wine nor strong drink, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die.”

Verse 10 explains why: “… that ye may put difference between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean.” Nadab and Abihu died instantly! Uzziah, king of The House of Judah lived the rest of his days as a leper! Which is better: instant death or incurable disease!? Reminds me of the story of The King who gave 3 transgressors the choice of how they wanted to die. The 1st 2 picked their personal and almost predictable unlawful lusts. The last demanded to die of natural causes. Of course, the moral of the Story is “do not transgress the commandment!”

Who can explain the enormity of King Uzziah’s Transgression? Was Uzziah King by God’s Anointing? (2 Chronicles 26:1). Or was he King by tradition and favor of the people?

Then all the people of Judah took

Uzziah, who was sixteen years old,

and made him king in the room of

his father Amaziah.

Second Chronicles chapter twenty-six.

In verse 1 above, the Hebrew text contains a dipthong of 2 consonants, aleph and thav, the first and last consonants of the Hebrew alphabet. This dipthong, ‘eth, is often unexpressed in English. The Hebrew scholars posit the theory that this dipthong, ‘eth, ayth, signals in emphasis that the following Hebrew word is the direct object of the verb. Genesis 1:1 illustrates the probability of the scholars’ theory: “In the beginning God created [‘eyth] the heavens and [‘eyth] the earth.” Jesus reveals from The Book of Revelation The First and Last letters of the Greek alphabet as one of His Titles Alpha Omega. Could it be that The Hebrew Aleph Thav has the same signification as Alpha Omega?! I mention this because the Hebrew dipthong ‘eyth appears also in Second Chronicles chapter 26, verse 1 in front of Uzziah. Could this indicate that The Great I Am, [the Aleph Thav] favored the people’s choice? (Isaiah 33:22). In order to understand the enormity of Uzziah’s Transgression we need to be in remembrance of God’s tri-fold relationship with The Congregation of Israel:

22 For the LORD is our judge, the

LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is

our king; he will save us.

Isaiah chapter thirty-three.

Can we see that this triune relationship with our God is directly connected with our Salvation?! “He will save us.” Are we in remembrance that Jesus Christ is the head of his Body, that He is the Head of the Church? Are we in remembrance that The Father has appointed The Son “King of kings and Lord of lords”?! When Uzziah entered The Holy Place to burn incense before The Veil with a censer wherein he had put fire, was he trespassing against The King of Israel? Does The Priesthood serve The King of The Temple? Does The Priesthood serve The King of Israel?

John Robinson, Pastor to The Pilgrims, taught them the nature of church government:

“… In respect of Him the head, it is a monarchy, in respect of the eldership, an aristocracy, in respect of the body, a popular state.

... the Lord Jesus is the King of the church above, upon whose shoulders the government is, and unto whom all power is given in heaven and earth ...”

Marshall Foster, The American Covenant,

Robert Ashton, 3 vols. London: John Snow,

1851. Vol 2: 140-41.

Pastor Robinson explained how a congregation of kings and priests could govern without ensuing chaos!

“… someone or few must needs be appointed

over the assembly [for] discussing and deter-

mining of all matters, so in this royal assem-

bly, the church of Christ, though all be Kings,

yet some most faithful and most able, are to

be set over the rest … wherein … they are ... charged to minister according to the Testament of Christ.”

op. cit., page 80.

(1 Peter 5:2-3). Do The Scriptures confirm what Pastor Robinson preached?

p 2 Feed the flock of God which is

among you, taking the oversight

thereof, not by constraint, but will-

ingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a

ready mind;

c 3 Neither as being lords over God’s

heritage, but being ensamples to the

flock.

First Peter chapter five.

Not “lords … but being ensamples to the flock.” (2 Corinthians 1:24). Here is a 2nd Witness to Pastor John Robinson’s preaching that is rarely preached. Paul again:

24 Not for that we have dominion

over your faith, but are helpers of

your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Second Corinthians chapter one.

Because we have received that faith as a gift from above, does that demonstrate Christ has received us?

Marshall Foster in The American Covenant, The Untold Story summarized it this way:

“This was the structure of the Pilgrim church under Pastor Robinson’s inspired leadership: Christ the King giving to each one self-government; then the Christians, forming the Body of Christ, electing representatives from among themselves to carry on the work of the church.”

op. cit.

There were 102 passengers on The Mayflower. Less than half were Pilgrims. The majority were recruited by “Merchant Adventurers” who partially financed the venture. Does that mean the Pilgrims were outnumbered? Are Covenantkeepers outnumbered in American Israel today? Vastly outnumbered?!! In The American Covenant, The Untold Story, Marshall Foster expressed it this way:

“Robinson warned, this government by elected representatives did not involve any lordship over God’s people, for these representatives were but to serve their brothers and sisters in Christ, “affording the Lord and them their best service.”

op. cit.

(Mark 9:35). “This government by elected representatives did not involve any lordship over God’s people.”

35 And he sat down, and called the

twelve, and saith unto them, If any

man desire to be first, the same shall

be last of all, and servant of all.

Mark chapter nine.

According to The Scriptures to whom(?) is the unenviable task assigned, of assessing the local body of Christ’s most immediate spiritual needs and fulfilling them from the pulpit. To whom? Is it the Deacons? To what function were the 1st 7 Deacons selected? Was it the Twelve, who said, [Acts 6:2] “It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God, and serve Tables.”?

Must it be The UnderShepherds and The Elders?! Who gives them that Task? Who possesses the Authority to give The Eldership that assignment? Who is The Head of every local Body of Christ? Does The Holy Spirit anoint The Eldership of the local Body of Christ to assess that Body’s most immediate spiritual needs? To whom does The Eldership answer? Is the Eldership answerable to The Head of the Body? Is the Eldership installed by The Head of the Body?

(1 Timothy 5:1). If the Eldership has committed an error, what can the members of the Body do?

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat

him as a father; and the younger men

as brethren;

First Timothy chapter five.

Has The Good Shepherd ever failed to tend His Flock? Hirelings fail! Do we trust Our Good Shepherd? (John 10:11-14). How much do we trust The Good Shepherd?

p 11 I am the good shepherd: the good

shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

c 12 But he that is an hireling, and not

the shepherd, whose own the sheep

are not, seeth the wolf coming, and

leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the

wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the

sheep.

p 13 The hireling fleeth because he is

an hireling, and careth not for the

sheep.

c 14 I am the good shepherd, and know

my sheep, and am known of mine.

John chapter ten.

Did Jesus say, “I … am known of mine.”? Do we have to be “His” in order to know “Him”? (Romans 8:8-9). How can we be “His” in order to know “Him”, if the Pulpits of America are filled with men “in the flesh” and not “in the Spirit.”

p 8 So then they that are in the flesh

cannot please God.

c 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in

the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of

God dwell in you. Now if any man

have not the Spirit of Christ, he is

none of his.

Romans chapter eight.

Do the Enemies of Christ’s Throne of Grace know us better than we know ourselves? Is that why intelligence agents staff many pulpits in America? Is the Mark of The Federal Reserve/Income Tax Synagogue power buyouts? What would men “in the flesh” preach? (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). Was the Apostle Paul aware of this problem in the 1st Century Church?

p 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the

serpent beguiled Eve through his sub-

tilty, so your minds should be corrup-

ted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

c 4 For if he that cometh preacheth ano-

ther Jesus, whom we have not preached,

or if ye receive another spirit, which ye

have not received, or another gospel

which ye have not accepted, ye might

well bear with him.

Second Corinthians chapter eleven.

“Ye might well bear with him.” Are sheep easily led? Have our family members and neighbours been easily led? Was Eve in the forever living body when the Serpent conned her into switching Trees? Did The Serpent bring the “Jesus” of the world, the spirit of this world, and the perverted gospel to Eve? We failed in The Fall the first time around! What makes us think it will work the 2nd Time?!! Does God have a vested interest in making The Lesson indelible!!!

If we are “in the Spirit”, have we returned to The Tree of Life? Does that mean we are now witnesses to our families and neighbours? How are we doing?

Are we our spouse’s and family’s best chance to switch Trees? Or are we making this too hard on ourselves instead of enjoying the moment? The Apostle Paul reminds us in [Philippians 4:6], “Be careful for nothing.” As a rookie, tenderfoot, newbie returning to The Bible, this seemed to say be rash, be daring, go where angels fear to tread! This seemed so inharmonious with the rest of Scripture, I used some study tools our ancestors did not possess. The meaning I discovered is be full of cares, worries, anxieties over nothing! Enjoy the moment!

[John 6:44] reads: (Jesus speaking), “No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” If only the Father, and the Father alone, can drag somebody to Jesus, why on God’s green earth are we trying to do it?! Are we forgetful?! Do we forget How Sovereign our God is?! The Word “Reign” is in the Word “Sovereign.” “Our God Reigns!” Quit being a drag!! That is not our job! That is God’s Job!

Since June, I had been courting Maggie. In September she went to church with me the 1st time for Tabernacles memorial at Christian Reform Fellowship. The ladies quickly found out she had the campsite next to mine. Our ladies are interested in stuff like that, you know. They asked her when she knew I was the one. She answered the 2nd week, and then said, “I am just waiting for him to catch on.” The sound of the hens cackling drew the attention of some roosters.

I did not know that until the 3rd year of our marriage. While I was courting her, she got the idea that I was checking her out to see if she was Christian enough for me to marry. A lot of ladies can get really honked off over something like that. Not Maggie. She started wearing her favorite T Shirt. I noticed it for the 1st time. It was written over the entire front. She stuck out her chest so I could read it. It took me a minute. It read: “Preach the word at all times. If necessary, use words.” Imagine that! “Preach the word at all times. If necessary, use words.” Enjoy the moment! Maggie did!

Bibliography

Genesis 17:7

“…for an everlasting covenant”

Hebrews 13:20-21 “through the blood of the everlasting covenant.”

And can it be that I should gain,

An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood? The Hymnal, 203. Text : Charles Wesley.

1 Corinthians 3:8-9. “ye are God’s husbandry.”

Romans 1:28-32. the natural antonym of “covenantbreakers”.

2 Chronicles 26:16-21. Uzziah’s “heart was lifted up to his destruction.”

Leviticus 10:2. “they died before the LORD.”

[Leviticus 10:9-10] “put difference between holy and unholy.”

2 Chronicles 26:1. The Enormity of Uzziah’s Transgression.

The Dipthong Aleph-Thav, ‘eth, ayth. Does it = Alpha-Omega ?

Isaiah 33:22. “our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King.”

Quoting from The Works of John Robinson, in The American Covenant by Marshall Foster. the nature of church government.

Op. cit. page 80. “charged to minister according to the testament of Christ.”

1 Peter 5:2-3. not as “lords” “but being ensamples.”

2 Corinthians 1:24. “helpers of your joy.”

The American Covenant. “the structure of the Pilgrim church.” op. cit.

“no lordship over God’s people.” op. cit.

Mark 9:35. “servant of all.”

1 Timothy 5:1. “Rebuke not an elder.”

John 10:11-14. “an hireling .. careth not for the sheep.”

Romans 8:8-9. “not in the flesh, but in the spirit.”

2 Corinthians 11:3-4. “another Jesus … another spirit .. another gospel.”

[Philippians 4:6] “Be careful for nothing.”

[John 6:44] “except the Father .. draw him.”

“Our God Reigns”

“Preach the Word at all times: if necessary, use words.”

The Biggest Error of Christian America

Most ministers call Abraham a “Jew” without justification or Scriptural evidence. Preachers refer to Moses and the ancient Israelites who came out of Egypt as “Jews.” Why? It is because they are taught to do so in their colleges and seminaries (controlled by jews). The book of Exodus calls them Israelites, the House of Jacob, Hebrews, Israel, and the children of Israel. Never are any of this race called “Jews.”