A Covenant With God
By Senior Pastor Dr. Bill Rains | August 23, 2026
Father, thank You. Our hearts are thrilled at Your wonderful blessings. Thank You for salvation full and free and for the privilege of serving You. Thank You that we can make promises to You, agree with You, and serve You. Trouble the waters of every heart. Help us long for heaven and come to the One who makes heaven possible. Give us stillness in the storm and help us win more people to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
On August 23, 2026, Senior Pastor Dr. Bill Rains preaches A Covenant With God from Nehemiah 10:1-39. Building on the sure covenant of chapter 9, the people now seal a written agreement with God. Eighty-four leaders put their names on the line, the rest of the people joined them, and practical terms of obedience were spelled out. The call still stands: demonstrate real commitment, dedicate yourself in the daily areas of life, and make a clear decision for Christ once you have knowledge and understanding.
1. Those Who Demonstrated Their Commitment to God in Writing
Chapter 10 opens with the words, Now those that sealed were Nehemiah the Tirshatha… and continues with a long list of names. If counted carefully, twenty-three priests, seventeen Levites, and forty-four chief men of the people—eighty-four influential leaders—affixed their signatures to a written covenant with God. They were so serious about living a biblically based life that they led the way by putting their names on a document.
We are not asked to sign paper today, yet the question remains: What is our personal level of commitment to Christ? How are we demonstrating that commitment by our actions and our influence? We desperately need men and women who will unashamedly say, “I am going to live for God.” Joshua set the pattern long ago: Choose you this day whom ye will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). Gentlemen, you can and should speak for your house. The decisions adults make for God impact the children watching them. What are we willing to do to show our commitment?
2. What the People Dedicated Themselves to Do
The dedication did not stop with the signers. And the rest of the people… their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law (Nehemiah 10:28-29). Good leadership was matched by good followship. The people got behind their leaders and dedicated themselves in practical areas.
They dedicated themselves in the area of courtship and marriage—refusing to give their daughters to the people of the land or take foreign daughters for their sons. God still calls His people to date and marry those who share the same faith and goals. If the one you love is not a Christian, win them to Christ; if they will not come, do not settle. They also dedicated themselves to keep the Lord’s Day holy. Sunday is the Lord’s Day—not the world’s day and not merely our day. Generally speaking, the Christian belongs in the house of God on the first day of the week. They further committed to the financial support of God’s house and to faithful attendance. Dedication shows itself in the ordinary, weekly choices of life.
3. A Decision for Christ Based on Knowledge and Understanding
The text emphasizes that those who entered the covenant were people having knowledge, and having understanding. They knew they needed God and understood that giving themselves to the Lord meant eternal life. They did not promise to be perfect or never to sin again. They simply decided to give their hearts and lives to God and serve Him as best they could.
Two decisions still need to be made. First, if you know in your heart you are unsaved, come to the Lord. You can never be good enough; He alone gives eternal life and holds you fast. Second, if you are already a believer, renew the same decision at every invitation: “Lord, I am going to stay committed to Jesus Christ. It is hard sometimes, but I will hang in there for You.” When we make those decisions, God supplies the strength and grace to keep the covenant. Someone always worries, “What if I can’t keep the promise?” One thing is certain: if you never make a promise, you will never keep it. It is better to promise, try, and even fail than never to promise at all.
What is your level of commitment to Christ?
Will you demonstrate it, dedicate yourself in the daily areas of life,
and make a clear decision based on knowledge and understanding?
The people of Nehemiah’s day sealed a written covenant because God had been so good to them in spite of their failures. The same goodness calls us today. Put your spiritual signature on a fresh commitment. Choose this day whom you will serve. As for you and your house—will you serve the Lord?
