“They Brought” | Mac Hammond
 
Recap
 
Pastor Mac taught a message entitled, “They Brought.” He said, “If you’re in a relationship with the Lord, you’re in a covenant with Him. And that covenant is one of blessing.” Yet, many covenant believers do not seem to walk in the level of blessing the Bible promises. Why is that? Pastor Mac said walking fully in the provision and purpose of God begins by understanding what the definition of a covenant actually is.
 
Dive Deeper
 
In Genesis chapter 12, we learn about a covenant of blessing through Abram, a man who believed God.
 
Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. God entered into covenant with Abram because he believed Him. The first covenant was a covenant of blessing: “I will bless you, make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.”
 
Covenant is a contractual agreement between two parties where each party provides something needed by the other party. Both parties to the agreement had to do their part before the covenant could work on their behalf.
 
If one party didn’t fulfill his part of the covenant, then his covenant partner would not be obligated to fulfill his part of the covenant.
 
In Genesis 12:2 God said, “I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”
 
The phrase “make your name great,” bothers some because it sounds like the opposite of humility. “Aren’t we supposed to be humble?” Pastor Mac says, “That doesn’t mean you are a worm.” Humility recognized the truth that without God, you can’t do anything. But with Christ, you can do all things.
 
When God says He will make your name great, it doesn’t mean you will be internationally famous, or nationally famous, or even famous on a small scale. What it means is that He wants you to be great in the circle of relationships He’s placed you in. He wants you to be seen as the best at what you do…
 
He wants your name to be great in the arena that He’s called you to function within, because when your name is great, His name is great.
 
God says He will bless you and you’ll be a blessing. Most of us are waiting on God to bless us before we consider making an effort to bless anyone else.
 
It begins by understanding the word “bless.” It is an empowerment to prosper or increase. Meaning that God empowers you to experience these things, but ultimately, you’re the one that takes the steps to do them.
 
Deut. 8:18, “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant.”
 
He says if you’re in covenant with Him, He empowers you to experience the promise and the blessing of God.
 
Read About It
 
Genesis 12:1–3, “Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
 
Deut. 8:18, “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant.”
 
Discussion Questions
 
What is the definition of covenant?
 
If you’re a believer, you are in a covenant of blessing with God. What falls under the category of blessing?
 
God says to His covenant partner, “I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” What does He mean by saying He will make your name great?
 
 

Recent Sermon Notes

At Wit’s End | Jim Hammond

Have you ever been “at your wit’s end?” When you’ve exhausted all your emotional and physical resources and have nothing left to give, what do you do? When the Apostle Paul was at his wit’s end, the Lord gave him direction saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Pastor Jim went on to expound on when we are at our wit’s end, how we can lean on His grace.

Grace Unveiled, #9: Established in the Gift of Righteousness | Jim Hammond

This past weekend, Pastor Jim taught his 9th installment in his series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The first three and a half chapters of Romans, Paul talked extensively, driving home the point, on how no one can make himself righteous in God’s eyes. The Apostle Paul didn’t leave anyone out. He listed the Pagans in the secular world, people just trying to do good, and the zealous disciplined Jews… he made sure they knew that none of them measured up in God’s eyes. No matter what they did, they would never be able to escape God’s wrath… unless there is something that appeases that judgment. That was Paul’s way of working up to a point. Paul then introduced the righteousness of God through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

The Principle of Connection | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac taught a message entitled, “The Principle of Connection.” Oftentimes, we struggle with obedience to the Word, where our obedience to the Word is not done in faith but out of legalism. We don’t do it from our heart, but we do it out of obligation. However, as Pastor Mac pointed out, if the Word is going to work for you, it has to come from our heart. There is a remedy that puts an end to legalistic obedience: once you understand the principle behind a particular mandate, obedience to the Word becomes exciting. Pastor Mac goes on to discuss the Principle of Connection.

A Faith-Building Weekend With Nancy Dufresne

What a weekend we had with guest minister Nancy Dufresne. She shared on the power of faith and reminded us that God and the Holy Spirit should always remain our focus. That means when we face difficulty, listening to the Holy Spirit, our guide on the inside, is the best thing that we can do. You can walk in faith toward your miracle!

GRACE UNVEILED: “All Under Sin,” #7 | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim delivered his seventh installment in his series on the book of Romans, entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The first three chapters of Romans focuses explicitly on the definition of sin. “Because,” as Pastor Jim says, “if you don’t understand what sin is, you will not understand the solution to the sin problem.” Paul wanted them to understand that all of mankind has a sin problem, and no matter who you are, you will never, ever be able to achieve righteousness through your own merit. If doesn’t matter if you’re a secular pagan who worships Zeus or a religious Jew who strictly follows the law, God will never see you as righteous through your own effort. Pastor Jim has much more to say in this message subtitled, “All Under Sin.”