Fulfilling His Covenant

Sermon Topic Sunday 3/24/13, Elder Adam Porter
Fulfilling His Covenant
Why is Israel special? Why are we concerned for them, when there are so many other peoples? Why do we stick by them?
We need to pray for our leaders that they continue to stand by Israel
There are many things that the Bible reveals about Israel TODAY … there are many things that the Restoration and the Book of Mormon reveal to us about Israel’s importance.
The people on THIS LAND would have a part in God’s work today … those who don’t believe are BLIND to this.
Genesis 12:1-7 … the promise to Abram
The seed of Abraham quarrel even today … the older seeks to destroy the younger … just as in the Book of Mormon.
“Get thee out of thy country….” Could Abraham have realized the far-reaching consequences of his communion with God? He would PRESERVED … though there would be those against them. Abraham was called the FRIEND OF GOD.
Genesis 15:1-7 … God confirmed His Covenant with Abraham, and promised him numberless descendants, and that those descendants would inherit the land Abraham walked. The Sovereign Creator of the universe NEVER breaks His covenants!! … WE have made a covenant with God, at our baptism … it is binding.
Genesis 13:12-18 … to thee I give this land FOREVER … (15:5 … can you count the stars? so shall your seed be)
Abraham dwelt in Mamre of Hebron … possibly the origin of “Hebrew”
James 2:20-23 Abraham was God’s FRIEND … his faith in God was shown by his works
Israelites went into the promised land and inherited it (having received the law along the way) … today Israel is being called upon to give up land (Joel 3:2 …for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and PARTED MY LAND) Israel will inherit the land promised by God, in God’s time and in God’s way.
Latter-day fulfillment … through the seed of Abraham came Yeshua Messiah (through Judah) by whom all nations of the earth are blessed. His lineages through both Joseph and Mary are given in Matthew and Luke, respectively. Why are genealogies so important to the Jews? Because of the Promise!
3 Nephi 9:46-51, 57-73 … the people on this side of the planet were, and are, His Covenant Chosen TOO … and will fulfill the Covenant. This land, the Americas, is the inheritance of the children of Joseph. And if the Gentiles do not repent … they will not be a part of the fulfilling of the Covenant …
I will establish my people unto the fulfilling of the coven ant with Jacob… I AM the prophet foretold by Moses … all the prophets testified of Me … all the NATIONS would be blessed.
You (children of Joseph) are the children of the Covenant … the Gentiles would be a scourge to unbelieving children of Joseph, but they would not always have power … Ether 1:35, the Gentiles must serve the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ.
I (God) will gather them (Israel) in Mine own due time, and give unto them the land I have promised (Isaiah 11:16, And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day the he came up out of the land of Egypt) … they must REPENT first.
God will give Jerusalem to the Jews … that is His promise. No believer in the book of Mormon would have been surprised in 1948 or 1967. Israel will be circumcised and cleansed … that will be in the HEART in the last days. Jerusalem will be cleansed by God.
The Jews in Israel and Jerusalem are still following the Law of Moses … there is work to be done.
2 Nephi 12:42-44, 57-74 … The Lord SPEAKS to His children … He is not done speaking … His covenants to the children of men … His word to Nephi’s and Lehi’s descendants. They are for a standard to His people.
So many today refuse His salvation … His word shall come forth to the children of men. One of the internally stated purposes of the Book of Mormon is given here … it provides the testimony of two witnesses (a Mosaic Law requirement to establish the truth of a matter, Deuteronomy 19:15) that God is unchanging, and that He speaks His word to whom He will and causes them to write it, and that He remembers His covenants (See also 2 Peter 1:20 … holy men of God spoke [and wrote msl] as they were moved by the Holy Spirit). My Word shall be gathered in one, and the world will know that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed FOREVER. Events are on God’s time clock, but we have our part.
3 Nephi 13:54-56 … He shall see fit in His wisdom that the Book of Mormon would come to the Gentiles. Another internally stated purpose of the Book of Mormon … to serve as a sign to the children of Joseph on this land, that when they see the Book in the hands of the Gentiles, they would know that the Lord is fulfilling his Word to them and would keep all His covenants.
3 Nephi 10:1-6 … if the Gentiles will repent, God will also establish His Covenant among them … the Gentiles will ASSIST the children of Abraham (see also Isaiah 49:22-23 msl) God has not abandoned His plans … and neither should we. Thru Abraham’s descendant, the world has been touched and blessed. Israel has, and is, the Lor’s prophetic time clock and weather map today. We’re seeing fulfillments … take a look!
Pray for the work of the Kingdom, and for the souls of Humankind.