Two weeks ago I started into a mini-series on the Church Covenant. And I don't know if you remembered my illustration that I gave last time that we talked, but I said that many of us, I fear, have treated the Church Covenant something like the latest Windows update, or if you're an Apple person, the latest operating system that's coming from Apple. You just click Agree, and away you go, hoping to receive the benefits after that. But this is what we have agreed to. And so it's good for us to remember what we have agreed to as a people. Now, if you are not here a member, this is still going to be good for you because we're going to look at things that are very important for all of our faith. But if you're not a member and are considering being a member, this is important for you as well. I'm going to read the entire covenant. Hopefully you all have a copy of it. I know that there were still some copies on the back table as we came in. If you don't have a copy and there are still copies left at the back, you can grab a copy there. But I'm going to read our entire covenant and then we'll think about what we have agreed to together. Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort, to promote its prosperity and spirituality, to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines, to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of its ministry and general expenses, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel among all nations. We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions, to religiously educate our children, to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances, to walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment, to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger, to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks. And you'll note in your copy that I said, subject to amendment. The Lord and the congregation willing will talk about that in just a moment. We further engage to watch over each other in brotherly love, to remember each other in prayer, to aid each other in sickness and distress, to cultivate Christian sympathy and feeling and courtesy, to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay. We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's word. This is our Ennerdale covenant. Last time that we talked about our covenant, you might remember that I said that this is roughly divided into three sections. The first is kind of an introductory, which tells us let everything be done in love. That's a biblical principle. And then that first section goes on to think about the church as an organization or as an institution and members relationship to it. The next section talks about our personal, family, and public walk as individuals. And the final set of commitments deals with our relationship to one another. So today we're going to think about what we have agreed to do as it relates to our personal walk, our family walk, and our walk among those in the world. A covenant, of course, is a binding agreement. That word is not used much in our society, except perhaps today we might hear that at a wedding. We have all covenanted, made this solemn agreement. If you are a member, you've made this solemn agreement with the rest of the congregation that this will be true of your life. Let's think then about this second section, which begins with we also engage to maintain family and secret devotions. I'm going to drop that family part down to point number two in just a moment, but I want to talk first of all about what we could call secret devotions. Now, secret devotions may not be the sort of term that we use very much anymore. Secret devotions is simply private devotions, or what some of you might call quiet time. It's that time where we spend with God in his word and in prayer. It can also include meditation. It can include singing. All of this is perfectly appropriate in our personal time with God. I want to talk to you very briefly about the importance of that. There are some people that say the Bible doesn't actually say that we have to have private devotions, and I will grant you that, but the Bible leads us to this conclusion. It leads us to this conclusion First of all, that Jesus in Matthew chapter six assumes that prayer will be a regular part of our lives. I'm moving quickly today for the sake of time and for the sake of, because we are also celebrating the Lord's table today. But in Matthew chapter six, verse five, Jesus says, and when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. As if that were not enough, in verse six he says, but when you pray, go into your room. And when you have shut the door, pray to your father who is in the secret place. Your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. In Matthew chapter six, verse seven, he says, and when you pray. In other words, Jesus assumes that personal and private prayer will be a part of every believer's life. This is also reinforced if we were to look into the Old Testament in Deuteronomy chapter eight, as God speaks to his people, he tells them that when they get into the land that he has promised to them, that they need to remember that the Lord led them all this way, the 40 years in the wilderness, to humble and test them, to know what was in your hearts, whether you would keep his commandments or not. So he humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We live by the word of God. I think that even further still, this is pressed home in Ephesians chapter six. And I realized that I'm cherry picking a little bit, but go with me to Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians chapter six, you'll recognize this passage as you get to it. No doubt. Ephesians chapter six and verse 10. This is the passage that all the boys in the Sunday school when I was a kid wanted to study, because it talked about armor and fighting. But it's vital for us. Follow along with me. I'm reading Ephesians chapter six, starting in verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles or the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand the evil day and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Take the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. You'll notice that as you read through this, the offensive weapons that we need are the sword of the spirit and prayer. How much do we need the sword of the spirit and of prayer? We need it as much as we are likely to face the attacks of the devil. Now, I don't know how many of you schedule your times with Satan. That would be kind of rare and weird. Ah, Satan, I'm kind of busy today, but if you come back this time next week, I got a little bit of time, we can deal with it. No, Satan can attack at any time. His attacks come unannounced, his attacks come unwanted. So it's important that we are always ready, always vigilant, always prepared to face his attacks. And part of that is the sword of the spirit and prayer. We need to be in that regularly. And some of you might be here and you might be saying, well, I haven't done this for a while or my time has lapsed. I would encourage you to take small steps. Sometimes we fail when we begin to try something new because we simply try to take everything on at once. You guys know that I'm doing jujitsu. Sometimes you can tell the people that aren't gonna last in jujitsu because they come and all of a sudden they're coming every single weeknight. You're like, we know they can't sustain it. So they do that for like a week or two and then they're just, they're gone. And sometimes I think that happens as well when it comes to other disciplines in our life, even spiritual disciplines. So if we say, well, I haven't really been having devotions the way that I should. I haven't been having quiet time the way that I should. What I'm going to do is I'm going to read 10 chapters a day and I'm going to pray for 30 minutes and I'm going to meditate for an entire hour. It might be better, brother, sister, to read one chapter. and take five minutes to pray. And allow yourself to grow from there. Where do I start? Well, a great place would be the Gospels. Reading the life of Jesus. Or, even perhaps easier, if you look at the book of Proverbs, there are 31 chapters. It will not be hard to know what day What chapter of Proverbs you're supposed to be reading if you read a chapter of Proverbs every day, right? Oh, it's the 26th, I read Proverbs chapter 26. There are also, as I have pointed out to you, many good Bible reading plans, and those are not commanded in scripture, but those are good and healthy for you, and it helps you to stay on track. I'd also encourage you to have a time and place where you read, to actually plan to do so. If you, as a saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, right? So I would encourage you to start. You don't have to read entire books of the Bible all at once. One of the blessings as well in our age is that if you find yourself having a difficult time being able to read the scriptures, there are plenty of audio versions of the Bible available. And you can get free apps where you can listen to the word of God. And that can be an excellent way of getting God's word into you. So I would encourage you, brother, sister, live up to the terms of your commitment and engage in private devotions. Now, the next thing that is mentioned here is to maintain family devotions. And I think it's a little bit redundant. It then says to religiously educate our children. I stand before you as someone who has tried and failed and tried and failed this many, many times. We have an unusual family, and as you know, things can be interrupted very quickly. I think the key is to keep on trying, to keep on trying. Where do we get the idea of family devotions or religiously educating our children? Well, we get this from Paul's words to Timothy, where Paul said to Timothy that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. From a child he had known this. We find this as well in Genesis chapter 18, where God speaks of Abraham and God says of Abraham, for I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice. We see as well in Deuteronomy chapter six, where God commands us to diligently keep his words in his heart, but then he says, you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. Ephesians chapter six, verse four, fathers specifically are told not to provoke their children to wrath, but to bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. And so we have a responsibility, parents, to raise our children in the ways of the Lord. Now, not everyone here is a parent, and I understand that. Or some of you, your children are grown, and that is, you're at a different stage in life. But for those of us that do have children, we have this responsibility. Once again, when it comes to family devotions, you have to remember the capacity of your children. If you're gonna read 10 chapters of scripture and have extended times of questioning afterward and your child is seven years old, it may not work. Or if your child is on the autism spectrum, It may not work for you to have this extended lengthy time. There are resources that can be very helpful, even reading a short passage of scripture. In our home, we use the New City Catechism, the children's version of it. I'm not on board with everything that Timothy Keller has said and expressed. I'll just state that outright. But he has provided for us a very helpful resource in the New City Catechism. And there are simple questions and answers and simple songs that go along with it and passages of scripture. So if I were to ask Judson right now, what is our only hope in life and death, Judson? That we are not our own but belong to God, says Judson. Judson, who is God? the creator of everyone and everything. How many persons are there in God, Judson? There are three persons and one God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And so there's simple questions and answers that you can go with or go through with your family and you can understand these truths together or come to come to grasp these. So I would encourage you, brother, sister that has a family, do your best. And I speak, I'll be completely transparent. We have started and stopped and started and stopped and kept on trying so many times. I think the key is just to keep on trying. Don't give up. So to maintain family devotions, to religiously educate our children, moving quickly, to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances. I think we all understand the imperative, the command of our Lord to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We understand the pattern of the New Testament church was even as they were persecuted, they went everywhere proclaiming the word, preaching the word. This was God's plan that His people would declare His truth and His salvation to those who weren't believers. All the way back in the Old Testament. Look with me. I know I'm reading a lot of passages. I know that I have a lot of passages, but let's look at a couple of them together. Psalm 96. Psalm 96. Psalm 96, starting in verse one, you see, even in the Old Testament, this is the plan of God, that we who are his people would proclaim his praises and the truth of his salvation. Psalm 96, oh, sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name. Proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. So brothers and sisters, let us seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances. Let us be witnesses. There is no one size fits all approach to beginning a gospel conversation. I know that there are some of you that regularly are sending out passages of scripture to unsaved friends and relatives. I know that there are some of you that have had conversations in the past and have had doors closed, but have on your part left an open door. Our responsibility is to be faithful. God is the one who brings fruitfulness. And so God calls us to be faithful. So if we are called to proclaim the gospel to everyone that would include even our own friends and acquaintances. So let's be witnesses to him where we are. Number four, to walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements and exemplary in our deportment. Look with me at Colossians chapter four. Some of you that were together with us in our Bible studies, we have gone through the book of Colossians. This book of Colossians is incredibly rich. Colossians chapter four, Colossians chapter four and verse five says, walk in wisdom toward those who are outside. Now it's not talking about indoors versus outdoors, it's talking about those who are outside of the faith, who are not believers. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. In our walk before people in the world, we should be known as people who are honest and just and faithful. we should have a good reputation as much as lies within us. And we understand that we're going through a shifting of the moral thermometer in our world today. And there are those who call good evil and evil good. And if you are going to be hated for believing in what God calls good, or if you are going to be hated for rejecting what God calls evil, you're doing right. But in other areas, so often Christians don't have a great reputation. I've seen both. I remember one job that I work, and the foreman said to the boss, get some more of those church people, come work here. Get some more of those church people. They're really good. I've also seen the other side of it, where those church people have had a bad reputation. There was one church that I was a part of and there was this guy that was talking about how horribly persecuted that he was at his work. Well, the full story came out and this guy was walking around instead of doing his job, talking about the Bible and spiritual things. Well, here's the thing, you can be a witness and still be faithful in your job. It's not an either or. It's not like, you know, they didn't hire you to preach the gospel there. That's your side job, that's your commission from the Lord. Your job was to do what they hired you for. And if you're not doing that, you're not being faithful. It's not just in our work, it's in all of our dealings. Are we people who are just? Are we faithful? Are we examples of what is good and right? Are we examples of Christ? The word or expression Christian was initially probably a term of derision for the church in Antioch. They're little Christs. Well, may each of us shine and be like Christ. So 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 tells us this, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 10 to 12. We urge you brethren that you increase more and more, that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business. That's interesting. To work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you may lack nothing. May God give us the grace to be faithful before a watching world. And this is something that we have covenanted together to do. Now, what happens if we fail? What happens if we slip up and we cuss on the job site? What happens if we say something that isn't true? Well, we confess that to those we've wronged. Oh, but they're not believers, it doesn't matter. If you've wronged them, you apologize, you confess your wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness, no matter who you've wronged. That's part of being a good example. And so let us walk circumspectly in the world. Number five, and this is, as they say, Preacher goes from preaching to meddling. Number five, to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger. Tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger. And the church says, what are we supposed to talk about then? No, that is probably not the right response to this. Tattling, you know the tattling? Always have to be telling on someone, oh, you know what they did. Sometimes it's in the guise of we gotta pray for so and so. Oh, we gotta pray for them the other day, you know what I heard. Tattling, backbiting. Backbiting, saying things behind someone's back. Excessive anger. Brothers and sisters, that should not be a part of our walk. Tattling, backbiting, excessive anger. James chapter one, verse 26. If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Ephesians chapter four, verses 25 to 27, therefore putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 verses 10 to 15. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this, if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. You know what a busybody is? Someone that always has to be up in everybody else's business. Always has to be at the hub of gossip. always has to be sticking their nose into everyone else's affairs. Now those who are such, we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. Be quiet and get to work, is what Paul says. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him that he may be ashamed. The other day I heard someone talking about how horrible it is when a church makes people feel ashamed. And we have that kind of a culture where, no, you'd never make anybody feel ashamed. And that's like, you know, that falls under this general category of the greatest commandment is to love, which means to be vaguely nice. And as we pointed out before, that's not what love means in the Bible. Love is to seek someone's best. Here, Paul actually says that there is a place for shame. That when a person is not doing and living right, shame is the appropriate response to the actions of the church. Do not keep company with him that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 1 Peter 4, verse 15, let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Proverbs 8, verse 13, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. Proverbs 26 verses 20 and 21, where there is no wood, the fire goes out. You ever been camping and had the fire go out? You didn't feed, put enough fuel in the fire. You're hoping it would keep going overnight and you didn't get enough fuel. Where there is no wood, the fire goes out. And where there is no tailbearer, strife ceases. If people would stop running around, telling stories on one another, trying to stir up strife, even under holy disguises, where there is no tailbearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife. Brothers and sisters, may we not be that kind of person. Really quickly, for a fuller treatment of this last point, point number six, you can go to a message that I preached in the past about alcohol. Our covenant in the past said that we engage to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks. I understand the reason for placing that in the covenant. But I fear that in stating it the way that it's stated, it actually goes beyond what Scripture declares. I don't want us as a church to try to hold ourselves to a higher standard than Scripture, even if it's a good idea. To basically say we have to do this if Scripture doesn't absolutely commanded. So, when it comes to alcohol, some of you know I don't drink alcohol at all. I don't drink beer. I don't drink whatever else. I don't drink any alcohol. I don't even have kombucha, which has like 0.2% alcohol in it or something. I don't drink any of that stuff, okay? I completely stay away from it. So, this is not because I have a personal desire to legitimize my, you know, my habits. But, the Bible clearly states that it is wrong to be drunk with wine. That much is very clear. Scripture says, do not be drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. The Bible warns us very sternly about wine. It tells us that wine or alcoholic drinks is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. So we have this, don't be drunk. We have, be careful of alcoholic drinks. On the other hand, we have, passages of scripture like this, Psalm 104 verses 14 and 15, where it says, of God, he causes the grass to grow for the cattle and vegetation for the service of man that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread, which strengthens man's heart. All of these things are stated as things which God brings forth that man may make use of. Grass for cattle, wine, oil, and bread. Now there are some that say, well here it doesn't actually say that people are allowed to have wine, it just says that God brings it forth. I think that that may be trying to prove something a little bit too hard, because everything else in that passage, bread and oil, are perfectly legitimate. But if that is not convincing enough to you, look with me, we'll actually turn there to Deuteronomy chapter 14. Deuteronomy chapter 14. And some of you King James readers are gonna see it even more clearly than those of us that are in the New King James today. In Deuteronomy chapter 14, we are given some tithing principles for God's people. how they're to tithe in the land that God brings them to. And so that's the context here. Now look at what it says here. You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord in the place where he chooses to make his name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil. of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. So you have the mention of new wine. New wine, it's fairly obvious, because it's new wine, it's probably not fermented. If the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his name is too far from you when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink. Now, some of you King James readers see what it says there. When it says wine, it says wine or strong drink. God here legitimizes and says that you can spend this money for whatever your heart desires, including wine or strong drink. You shall eat there before the Lord your God. You shall rejoice you and your household. So my point is not for us to all go reeling down to the bar after the service today. My point is simply to say I don't want to go beyond what scripture actually requires and forbids. Does the scripture have an absolute prohibition on alcoholic drinks? I do not believe that's defensible in scripture. Does the scripture say, be careful of alcoholic drinks? Absolutely. Does the scripture say that it's wrong to be drunken? Absolutely. But I don't want to, I think that it's unwise for us to have as part of our covenant, something that goes beyond what scripture would require of us. And so the Lord and the congregation being willing, I want to modify this statement in the days to come. I think that there are some good ways that this has been modified by other churches in the past. But the point is this. We want to be God's people following God's commands together. There's this whole we thing. We engage to do this. We engage to maintain. We engage to seek. We engage to walk circumspectly. Though this section speaks of our private, family, and public walk, it is something that is intended for us to do together. We encourage one another on this path. We keep each other accountable on this path. But if we were to look at this section, I think every single one of us would find in this some area where we have fallen and failed. Some area where perhaps we've been inconsistent in our own walk with God, our own time of reading and prayer. Some inconsistency in our own leading of our children, inconsistency in our walk before the world, inconsistency in our tattling. We have, as it were, been unfaithful. We have made promises and we have not fulfilled those promises. But as always, I want, not to excuse that, but to call us all to repentance, but to remind us that there is hope and help in our Savior, who is the great and faithful High Priest, who has succeeded perfectly in every area where we have failed. His righteousness, His sacrifice is our hope. So brothers and sisters, let us be the kind of people together that God has called us to be. Perhaps there are further conversations that you might like to have about How could I implement some of these things? I'm very happy to have those conversations with you, give you some ideas that have helped me in the past, but let's be the people that God has called us to be. Well, we will, God being gracious, next week, think about the last section of our commitments, and this section will be our commitments to one another, our walk together, and I pray that that will be of a blessing and a benefit to us. Thank you for your patience today.