Leticia Alvarado | The new covenant

Fun,

are you guys ready for today?

I'm telling you I came ready because I've

had the last 2 weekends off of preaching.

So I'm ready and I hope that you

guys are ready to.

Oh, man. Before we get started?

I know there's a few of you that

are just like me, but have you guys

ever tried watching a movie or a series

and that someone kinda jumps in the living

room,

and they just wanna keep asking questions. They

jump in, like, mid season or maybe at

the end of the movie.

This Right? I... I'm 1 of those people.

And I oftentimes I do it with my

kids when they're in their series

I remember...

It was like stranger things, or I think

another 1 I just jumped into Outer banks

and I jumped in, and I'm like, what's

going on? Like, I kept asking questions, asking

ask questions.

Or what I do when It comes to

those kid,

series I clown on the acting. I was

like oh, god. That's so cheesy. And then

they say, mom, you just... Gotta watch it

from the beginning. Right? You just gotta watch

it. Can you just stop asking questions and

we'll watch it from the beginning.

So I remember during Covid.

0II don't know when it was. Yeah I

was during Covid, I caught Covid. 1 of

my daughters got Covid.

And they were, like, on season 4 of

stranger things, and I was that person. I

was asking questions or season 3, and they

were like, you know what? Let's jump back

to the beginning.

So we binge the whole thing and we

all kinda say, well, what's your favorite season?

I was like my favorite seasons 1 and

everybody has their, but

That's... I can't proceed to go on to

the 6 week of Jeremiah

because you guys are not gonna get where

we're at... If you're just jumping in. Right?

So what we're gonna do

what you need to do is go back

and watch the other messages because we have

them all available on Youtube. But real quick,

we're gonna do a quick recap and of

what's been happening

in this summer series of Jeremiah.

Now you know that Jeremiah, it's in the

old testament

which means it's the portion of the bible

that speaks of god's creating,

how he's creating all things,

how he's... Starting to establish

relationships with humanity,

and it talks a lot about humanity's

successes,

and it also talks about the failures, starting

of them trying to follow him. And if

we're honest,

most of it is failures.

They failed many times

and specific per

predictions

of someone

called the messiah, who was gonna come and

deliver them.

Right? So all this is happening mostly in

the old testament.

And for... And just to refresh your mind.

We know that the old testament, really, When

it talks about the Messiah coming out, this

is centuries and centuries and centuries before Jesus

even came.

So was predictions.

And Jeremiah, he's the prophet of Jesus, which

is he's on behalf of communicating with God's

people

and telling the message.

His keep his his message that he's communicating

is pretty straightforward to the people.

It was almost like 1 of those messages

like, hey, you guys... Need to knock it

off.

You guys need to shape up or ship

out. That's what he's basically saying, and it

doesn't say it like that. I'm just... I'm

trying to I'm trying to relate as a

parent

Right?

But that was god's clear

instructions to his people.

He was telling them, hey, you guys need

to change the way you guys are living.

How you guys are following me

and how you guys are supposed to interact

with 1 with each other.

But all the people basically said no.

Nope. I'm not gonna do that.

And I'm... That's just me para how I

interpret. They were like, no.

They just did the complete opposite.

It was almost like, I'm sure some of

you guys have took in long road trips

with your kids before, and you're stuck in

traffic. It's hot and they're in the back

seat just fighting. They're elbow each other, and

they just won't knock it off. Right?

No matter how many times you do that

crazy back arm. I know that his moms

are laughing me because you guys know that...

And you can't feel anybody because in a

turns into a game where their legs are

moving because they're trying to dodge you.

That's what he was saying. You're saying, hey,

you guys need to knock it off.

Until you say something to get their real

attention. Says something like, hey, you guys better

knock it off or I'm gonna pull his

car over.

And then it grabs their attention.

Sometimes for me, I say that's it. We're

not going to Mcdonald's, and then they all

kinda like,

Better shape up. Right?

But this is what he was basically telling

the people.

God wanted to warn the people.

You guys need to stop what you doing.

And if you don't stop, I'm gonna pull

the car over.

Basically what he was saying is I'm gonna

let the Babylon

come and just

overrule you guys.

He was saying you guys need to stop

singing.

He needed something to shake them up to

grab their attention. And if you remember from

last week when had shared in chapter 29,

the people desperately already wanted god to come

and rescue them. It They were... And and

take them home to Jerusalem.

But what God was telling them is that

instead of me saving you and rescuing you.

You guys are gonna stay in Babylon.

I'm sorry.

You guys are gonna stay there. These are

the consequences.

I did my part in trying to warn

you, but now you got 70 years

of waiting.

So what he told them, hey,

not going home anytime soon. So what you

guys should do is just go plant some

gardens,

build some homes, get married,

have some children,

and he told them

and pray for the city that you are

living in exile

because if things go well for them and

that city,

it will go well for you.

So that's where we found ourselves in chapter

29.

The people were living in exile. They wanted

to go home,

and God said, no, you gotta wait 7

more decades.

And they were not happy. They were not

thrilled about it, but then we move into

chapter 30,

and this remarkable thing happens.

God continues to speak through Jeremiah,

to tell them that, hey, I'm gonna restore

you.

So they get this glimpse of hope. Right?

And actually, it says in Jeremiah 30 10,

it says, so don't be afraid, Jacob my

servants.

Do not be d dismay Israel declares the

lord.

I will surely save you out of the

distant place,

your descendants from the land of their exile.

He was showing them their promise. This was

God's promise to them, that not only

was he gonna restore them, but that he

remembers them.

And he was gonna bring them home.

And not only did he say that he

was gonna bring them home,

but he was gonna restore them? So this

hope that they had

And if we continue to read a few

verses after that, it says in Jeremiah 30

versus 18 and 19, it says, I will

restore the fortunes of Jacob's 10.

And have compassion on his dwelling and the

city will be rebuilt on their ruins,

and the palace will stand in its proper

place.

For them will come songs of Thanksgiving

and sounds of re.

And that was a promise.

He was gonna let them come home

and he was gonna restore them. And not

only that, but restore everything that was lost.

You know, that's something that god does for

us on a daily.

He was going to establish a new covenant

with his people.

Now the idea of a new covenant or

this covenant was a a central

understanding of a of the narrative of the

old testament.

Now this is your first feeling if you're

taking notes.

God's covenant

are the promises

of god's love and commitment towards his people.

This passage would have not only filled the

Israelites with so much hope.

Because God was declaring that 1 day he

was gonna make a new covenant with his

people.

And we're just gonna break that down a

little because

We know that covenant is not just something

we hear on a daily basis.

But in Jeremiah 31 31, it says, The

days are coming declares the Lord.

When I will make a new covenant with

the people of Israel and the people of

Judah.

Now now a covenant

is something that you probably heard in some

kind of legal or religion kind of context.

But I want you guys to think of

it as a marriage, because marriage is considered

a type of covenant.

And if it helps,

you think it's like a mutual promise to

somebody.

New covenants come up and

scriptures, and it's a significant of God's promises

of what he is making.

And because God is making this covenant with

humankind, he's freely

entering

a mutual

binding

between 2 people,

himself and man and mankind.

He's making a promise to not only bless

his people

but he's promising to always be with them.

No matter how far they've turned or how

lost they were or how many times that

they didn't listen. He was promising

that he was gonna bless him and be

with them.

So now that we have this kind of

foundation of what what the covenant is

The kind of covenant that he was gonna

make with his people, will has continued to

read is where we find ourself in chapter

31

versus 32 and 33.

It says,

it will not be like any covenant I

have made with their ancestors when I took

them by the hand and led them out

of Egypt.

Because they broke my covenant.

Through I was a husband to them, though

I was a husband to them declares the

Lord.

This is the covenant that I will make

with the people of Israel

after that time

declares the Lord. I will put my law.

In their minds and write it on their

hearts.

I will be their god and they will

be

my people.

Now I can't help to think about this

new covenant that he's describing

how he's telling this in this closing verse.

That the Lord wants to have

a a relationship, but not just any relationship.

He wants us to remember

that we have a relationship with him.

That it's freely given to us.

This is a life changing

relationship

that times and we take for granted.

No matter how far we are how lost

we get, no matter how many times that

we choose that different path that god is

calling us to just turn.

He wants us to remember that we always

have this freely covenant with him this relationship.

It reminds me of,

I'm sure you guys see the the movie

toy story. Right?

On the bottom of woody foot, he has

a name.

Just like this. Andy.

He has Andy name written at the bottom

of his boot.

And many times throughout the... I don't think

there's like 4 or 5 different toy stories

movies. He finds himself lost.

He gets he gets pushed away from Andy.

He gets lost. He's tries really hard to

get his way back.

But he has a reminder at the bottom

of his foot of who's he is and

whose he belongs to. Right?

And that in that point, I was out

to what verse 33 says.

Now I wanna ask you.

In your daily basis,

in your responsibilities,

your relational tensions,

and the drama that we may have going

on or the stressful

situations,

the worries,

what is taking you away from god's promise?

Are your worries

shadowing that you have this

unconditional promise with God?

Because that is the same... That's how it

was for the Israelites. That's how it is

for now, and that's how it was for

woody.

We have things in our life that's gonna

take a out, we have worries.

You know, he had a worry that Andy

was gonna go to college and he got

himself lost.

When we try to figure things out on

our own,

we go a whole different way.

But you know what? For the Israelites, it

was written on scrolls.

It was written on tablets, which made it

very easy for them to just push aside,

forgotten

and even destroyed at times.

You see there was a part in Woody,

and in toy story part 2 where he

found himself lost.

He found himself in the wrong hands. He

was beat up. He was less than perfect.

And the owner that had him, he knew

that he was not valuable. So what he

wanted to do was give Woody a makeover.

He wanted to give Woody a makeover so

that way it showed his value.

Now a small little video I wanna show

you guys.

Now

He gets this whole

transformation,

and that's just a clip. He was arm

was beat up. He got sewn up. He

got new paint. He got all,

you know, clean, shiny.

How many times?

Are we in that situation where we're lost

or we're stuck in the labels of what

people put on us where we carry the

world on as what we're trying to be

perfect and show our value

and eventually it covers up who we belong

to.

Long But it's funny because I know

and you girls know that where those s,

it gets worn off at the bottom of

that boot. Right?

So no matter how far woody goes, Eventually

that name is gonna come up and show

in light. Right?

It was gonna wear off eventually,

where he's gonna remember, and that's for us.

We have all these emotions where we pack

on our hearts, the heavy feelings of the

world that we're carrying,

and and we take on these stressful

situations that covers up.

The heart reminder that god wants for us.

But it's always gonna come to light. No

matter the seasons of hurt, no matter the

seasons,

of just the pain that we go through,

the seasons of disappointment,

deep down, it is written in our hearts

and it will shine brighter than anything.

This new covenant that we have access to

that he is inviting us to

It's not written on scrolls or tablets.

It's written on our hearts.

Now it's only up to you and me.

If we're gonna keep that daily reminder,

or we gonna let the he of the

world

right over it,

In verse 34 of chapter 31, it says,

no longer will I teach their neighbor

or say to 1 another, know the Lord.

Because they all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest

declares the lord.

For I will forgive their wicked,

and I will remember their sins no more.

This is the new covenant that he is

giving us

that is written on their hearts that is

written on our hearts.

And it's not only it just extended to

them or just to... It's extended to be

on the Jewish people. It it's extended to

everyone.

From the best parts

to the ugliest parts.

And 1 thing I love like I mentioned,

it is unconditional.

He's not expecting anything from us just our

heart.

God will forgive.

And he will remember none of their sins.

And that's the promise that God was making

regardless of whether we believe it or not.

We have this promise at the tip of

our fingers.

We have it right here in our hand.

But we're just so distracted with what the

world is going on around us. Right?

Not only is this promise an individual promise,

but it's a promise to a group of

people that are included.

It's not just for 1 person.

We see in john John chapter 1 verse

John 1:12

12 it says, yet to all who receive

me

to those who believe in his name

he gave the right to become children of

God.

Everyone has a right

to become children of God and this new

covenant that he's speaking of.

And that has

profound

implications of how we see each other and

other people around us.

Because the way we see other people or

we know other people, how we react with

other people is the genuine

way of how God sees us. Now are

we doing that?

And if we wonder,

if God could ever work in those people's

lives that that we don't really care for.

Because maybe we feel like this new covenant

is for me, but not that person because

that person hurt me too much.

Are we seeing that person the way that

Jesus sees us?

Because I know I've been that person on

that side.

That's hurt people before.

I've been that person that just did not

wanna listen

just like the people in my mind that

I say or fill that don't deserve that

same covenant.

This is your next villain.

The new covenant reveals how god works in

unexpected ways.

In unexpected people.

Like I mentioned, I'm guilty of doing this

I'm guilty of of doubting god's power of

the power of transformation of what he could

do

to the people that

necessarily are not on my favorite list.

Because there is power in the name of

Jesus. There is power and prayer and if

god could transform us,

he could transform

anybody.

You know, many of you know that last

month, 31 of our students went to camp.

And we had finished with this united night

of just celebrating everything that they had

experience with their friendships.

And me as a mom, when when I

went to go pick up my girls, I

was... I was so anxious to hear all

the stories.

I was anxious to see how

god transformed

or touch the hearts of my daughters.

And I remember the first time when they

jumped in the car, they were, like, mom,

you are not gonna believe it.

So what?

He said you you don't know.

I know him and he didn't believe in

Jesus.

And at the end of the third day,

he was accepting Jesus.

Because God can move in our kid's lives

too.

But it was the least expected person

that maybe all the kids or the ones

that knew him

That God was gonna work through them.

And I had an expected heart that God

was gonna work and my daughter's are. I

was gonna hear these amazing which he did,

I love the way that they came back.

You know, my daughter said she came back

with answers when she had questions and

but to hear the excitement beat of my

daughter's voices,

being able to witness

God's

transformation in 1 of their friend's hearts,

that was just as rewarding as it was

for me as it was for them.

Even for the lease,

unexpected people.

God does amazing things.

And we put the labels on people.

We all do this. We put labels on

people.

We put labels on people

that helps us give an understanding, Maybe I

mean, some of our families we have, you

know, the drunk in our family,

We have the single 1. We have, you

know, the broken hearted. We have the 1

that's... We have all these labels of people

that we know in our minds.

Whether it's people at work or in the

grocery store that you meet, maybe it's the

homeless lady that's always drinking.

We put labels on these people that we

don't have a second or even think that

god can transform their lives.

And when we put the labels on these

people, it affects

the way we perceive them

and the way we treat those people.

Which means on some kind of level, the

way we make the decisions or the judgments

about who we think

God loves.

And how he should extend to who and

who not?

Because of our labels we put on people.

But this new covenant that god is in

inviting us to

that is established by Jesus,

He tears down all those walls.

He tears down all the walls.

Of those people who are considered the insiders

and the people that are considered the outsiders.

And when God offers

that to us. We we

we gladly accept it. Right?

Because it's offered to us. I deserve it

I've been through craziness as Lord. Thank you.

I will accept it.

But when he turns and he invites the

person.

That you least expect.

How are your feelings towards that?

Because what he offers us

that He could do the same for everybody

else.

We need to see everybody

the same way, Jesus sees them. I having

great potential for god's work,

and that God can move in their lives

the same way.

He moved for us,

whether we fully understand it or we don't.

Because everyone is invited to this new covenant.

Including people like me and you.

We're not perfect.

Life before Jesus, we were a mess. I

know I was.

But he has still invited me.

And that's 1 of the risks that we

take when we read the old testament. We

think that the Jesus story just pops out

of nowhere.

But all the stories in the old testament

are

proclaiming the messiah that is yet to come.

Now if you read the book of Jeremiah

carefully, you will realize that some of the

stories in Jeremiah

about the things that have happened to Israel,

is telling us

about the future.

About Jesus,

about the new covenant

that Jeremiah was pointing us to.

Not that he was just gonna establish the

laws, but he wanted this this to be

written on our hearts.

He wanted us to have a real good

relationship with Jesus. And that changes everything

Once we have,

an authentic

relationship with Jesus.

It changes everything.

It goes from, like dating your boyfriend to

husband. There's like 2 different

relationships.

It's breaking down the barriers that we hold

on to.

The barriers that we put ourselves

on who are the insiders and who are

the outsiders.

But in the new covenant,

It doesn't happen like that. There is no

barriers. There is no boundaries of who are...

Who's able to come in and who who

is not?

I'm sorry. Just lost my place.

He's reminding us that we need to accept

all people the same way he accepted us.

People like you and me.

Now, Jeremiah wasn't only just wanted us to

know the law. He had this new covenant.

He wanted us to understand.

What he was telling the people of Israel.

The people of Israel at this time,

they viewed this

relationship that he was talking about, with that

it was only for their people.

That no other outside, no other sinner were

allowed. It was just for them. Right?

But they didn't... They didn't understand it was

also available for the people that had hurt

them.

The people that they had gone to war

with that that they lost battles to to

the people that they had

forced their lands to be taken away in

living in captivity. This new covenant was for

everyone.

I'm gonna invite the band backup up.

You know, people think

that being on the inside

and the people who should be on the

outside

don't deserve the same relationship.

And that's not true.

If you remember last week when Fifa was

talking about the insiders versus outsiders

that we're the insiders and... We are the

outsiders,

We were at that time before Jesus called

us,

and he invited us in.

So when the next time you feel like

person don't fit in because they're the to

remember 1 time you were

considered the out outsider.

That

We all 1 day will be sitting at

the same table.

Because in Jesus eyes,

There's always room for 1 more.

Everything else that we try to do continuing

on is impossible without Jesus.

Because without Jesus, there is no way that

things will ever even out.

Because to pay for the sins or the

healing of the her or the closed wounds

at all

depends on the relationship we have with Jesus.

If we need healing, we need to run

to Jesus.

Because if you think we're gonna fix ourselves,

it's not gonna happen.

I tried fixing myself.

And that only led me to drinking every

day in my darkest moments.

Through the sacrifice that Jesus had given to

us on the cross.

It's all counted for.

He paid it off for us, the way

we send, the way we have her other

people, what we have done,

the unforgivable things.

Jesus paid it all at the cross. It's

all paid for.

And what he's saying is come sit with

me at the table.

He's saying come sit with me at the

table because there is room for 1 more

person.

And another person and another person.

This new covenant

it accepts the people that are broken.

The people that are flawed,

the people that are battling with the temptation,

and he still says come sit with me

at the table.

What that all depends on the way that

we're gonna accept that invitation.

It all depends on the way that we're

gonna accept Jesus. So he's inviting

you

to sit at the table with him.

Not at any table. This is a table

that you've never sat up before.

You know, sometimes we think about all the

hurt and the pain that maybe we've caused

on other people.

And we think man, there's no way I'll

fit at that table.

Maybe if you remember to your middle school

days or your high school days and everybody

has their tables and like, oh, I don't

fit in with those earth. I mean, I

will because I ain't don't nerd.

But people have their people that connect to.

This table is not like any other table.

This table

is a table fold of broken and flawed

people that hurt just like you and me

and he's saying come.

He's saying come.

And we need to have that mindset like

Jesus does.

Not the mindset of what we put on

labels and we think that they can't sit

with us, we need to have the mindset

of Jesus and saying there is room for

1 more person at the table.

Even though it's probably hard for me to

love you right now or trust you or

even forgive you, but I know that God

can transform you. And I know that the

power of Jesus could do amazing things in

your life because I know that there's room

at the table

for you.

There's always room for 1 more.

Whether you feel like you are worthy or

you're not?

You know, I had some crazy un thoughts

this past week.

But I know that god still says

come sit with me.

And in a moment, we're gonna take comm

together.

Because this is the new covenant that we

have access to. Now if you didn't come

in, you didn't grab your your element,

raise your hand and Marco will give you

1.

But what we do here at church, we

we practice open comm, which means you don't

have to take a class.

Or you don't have to be a member.

It means that you just wanna participate in

this moment with us.

And that you are a follower of Jesus

and you believe that God can transform your

life.

At this moment, I don't even want you

to think of it has just taken comm

together. I want you to think of it

as

I've invited to the table and I am

worthy of sitting next to our Lord.

There's a spot at the table for me.

Now in fact, if you're feeling like the

today's your decision, to follow Jesus. I wanna

invite you to make that mark while you

take this today with me.

Now I know at the beginning of the

series, I have you guys do it a

little different. Where I didn't want you to

take it with me.

I wanted you guys to take it on

your own terms as to your own commitment,

a But today we're gonna do it again

different.

As we take our elements,

I want you to just look around the

room,

make eye contact with 2 or 3 people,

with the recognition thing, we're entering this covenant

together.

I got you and you got me.

We're doing this together. Because this is what

church is. We are a family.

We will go through good times and bad

times together.

We will hold each other's burdens ends up,

and we're gonna be sitting at the table

together.

In Luke 22, it says that when God

said at the table,

He took the piece of bread.

And he said that this this represents my

body,

which is broken for you.

Let's take the bread and remember just make

who few Eye contact with some... Someone.

Then he continues to say.

This cup,

that we're about to take. It's just not

no other cup.

This is just not no

sweet wine. This represents the the blood of

my body.

Now this promise was made thousands and thousands

years ago before me and y. Well, I

can't open mine.

This cup of

represents...

If I could open mine,

there us.

The blood that was shed

of the forgiveness

of the heart

that once we caused on god

Let's take the cup.

We are entering a new covenant with god.

And the same way, Jeremiah was telling his

people to turn around to turn around to

turn around,

Maybe we need that reminder today.

I don't know what's going on in your

life.

I don't know what worries or stressed that

you are facing

or the temptation that you are battling where

you've... Feel un to accept this new covenant,

but god works.

He works in the most unexpected ways and

the most unexpected people.

And if he could do it for me,

he could do it for you.

People like me and you will be at

the table. We just have to remember, the

promise that we have written on our hearts.

Even when we find it's too hard to

believe or love those heart... Those people.

They're invited to.

We you stand with me?

Lord, I just wanna thank you.

I just wanna thank you for having patience

among us Lord.

I wanna thank you for the the invitation

that you call each and every 1 of

us

to sit up the table with you, Lord.

Lord I asked that right now that you

just remove any inside voices that you remove

any labels that we may be holding on

ourselves.

That makes us feel less worthy of what

you... How you see us.

Lord, I asked for

courage right now.

That you give us courage and and bold

to continue to walk the path that you

have called us on

I just wanna thank you for everything that

you have done. I wanna thank you and

I wanna say sorry.

I wanna say sorry for the many times

that I didn't listen.

For the many times that I said no

to your yes.

For turning around when you were calling me

in the other direction, and I just wanna

thank you. For giving me this promise that

you are gonna restore.

That you are gonna heal because you are

our redeem, you are our healer, you are

our doctor, you are the 1 that calls

us

beautiful and blessed and worthy. You are the

1 that continues to call us by the

name,

We thank you and we love you in

your name we pray.

Amen.