The Heart of God: Covenant Life (7)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on James 5, 2 Timothy 4, 2 Peter 1, 2 John, and Hebrews 13.
The apostles were the master builders of the Church. They laid the foundations and began to put up the walls of the Lord’s temple, built upon the Cornerstone which is Jesus Christ. And they have left wise and urgent words to encourage us to carry on their work in the ongoing work of the Lord and His Kingdom.

For reflection
1.  Read the assigned passages in a single sitting. What strikes you as the most important things these master builders want us to remember or do?

2.  In what ways do the unifying threads of revelation – God’s glory, God’s people, God’s work of redemption – appear in these “last words”?

3.  From each of these chapters, see if you can identify one word that captures the apostle’s message to you. Put all those words together into a single sentence, then pray that sentence back to the Lord.

4.  Meditate on Hebrews 10.24. What can you do to encourage your fellow believers in these last words of the master builders?

5.  What can you do to ensure that these last words are part of your first thing every day?  

Summary
Jesus’ last words to us promised us power to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1.8). In a very real sense, the last words of the Church’s master builders are simply an elaboration on that command. From what we have seen in this study about life in God’s covenant community, what does it mean for you to be a witness for Jesus Christ?

Closing Prayer
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
And His enemies will lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
For He will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
And He shall live;
And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.
There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Psalm 72.8-20

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.