Address—G. Hayhoe
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Want to speak of the Church's blessing in contrast with Israel?
And perhaps we could begin by looking at Ephesians chapter 1.
And the third verse.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as you have chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace. Grace for Him He hath made us accepted.
They don't love it, they know we have redemption through His blood. The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace bringeth abounds toward us. And all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ.
Both which are in heaven and which are on earth.
Even in Him they know Him also we have an obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.
Then can we turn over also to the one we read before and Second Peter chapter one, Second Peter chapter 1.
And the 19th verse.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy. For unto me do well, or can take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day gone, and the day star arise in your hearts.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy in the Scripture is of any tribal interpretation to the prophet he gave not an old time by the little man, but holy man of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
We also turn to Romans chapter 16.
Romans, chapter 16.
Verse 25.
Now for him not as a power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now it's made manifested by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.
Now in other classes in Ephesians chapter 4.
Pardon me, Ephesians chapter 3.
Verse One. For this 'cause I fall a prisoner of Jesus Christ. For you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to your word outed by revelation. He made known unto me the mystery as I rode. For in a few words, whereby when we read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His Holy.
Apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
That the 10 pilots should be fellow heiress, and of the same promise of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
Well, I was named minister according to the gift of the grace of God give unto me by the effectual working of his power unto me, who am less than the least of All Saints. Is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hidden God.
Who created all things by Jesus Christ?
I just read a few of these scriptures to show how distinct, indifferent is the blessing of the church in connection with our place in the holy grasp of the blessing of Israel. We notice in the Old Testament that God made certain promises to the nation of Israel, and as far as their own their own works were concerned, they forfeited every right to blessing. But God is going.
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Finally, bring them into blessing, bless them on the earth and through the Lord Jesus Christ. But all the promises that were made to them had to do with the earth, that the Sabbath was God's plague of rest. Who the earth, when they were brought into the land, it was a land where they could find plenty, but they were all earthly blessings that were promised to them.
And they forfeited that, and so we know that they have been set aside.
After the time being and God has taken up the church and the blessings that are given to us are not earthly blessings, but heavenly blessings.
Now it's to understand these two things that helps us to understand the whole picture of God's ways in connection with man upon the earth, because that is that God has these two deceased purposes, the purpose to bless Israel and all the nations in connection, in connection with us.
On the earth. And also that he has a distinct, separate purpose to bless the church and that our blessings are heavenly. And it's the confusing of these things that has made so many people misunderstand so much in the Bible. And it has led to all kinds of confusion. People expecting certain things that were promised to Israel, and when they didn't receive them, they were quite upset.
Whereas the promises that are made to.
Israel are the same and different from all those promises that are made to us, being part of the Bride of Christ and as we have here in Ephesians 1.
Blessed with all spiritual blessings, not on an earthly Canaan, nor in heaven, in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. That's where our blessings are. Israel's. As I say, we're in that land. God promised to them, and he told them that it would be theirs if he would give it to them. When the enemy possessed it, He said, it's my land. He tells us the Lord is there.
And he is going to fulfill Francis that he has made.
Through Christ. But Lord is not confused these promises of earthly blessing for Israel, without which is promised for the Church, and that which is held out to us. So we can see here that he tells us that these blessings are heavenly. And then He also tells us that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Now, when the time comes to bless Israel and the nations, and that occasion is brought before us in the 25th chapter of Manthew.
There we find that they inherited the Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, because their blessings were earthly and they're they're blessing on the earth was from the foundation of the world by Israel. We were going to enjoy from the hand of God blessings on the earth as he had promised, but the blessing for the church were have purpose before the foundation of the earth. God had the distinct purpose.
Before the foundation of the earth, because we were, we were predestinated to have that place in association with the Lord Jesus up there.
And because we occupy such a place of nearness to Him, because we're part of His Bride, it tells us that He has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will.
The man and his wife whom he loves very much. He tells her what are his plans and purposes. He tells her what plans he has, even if it has to do with other people. He still tells her and he shares a place of interest.
Near enough with Him. And it is seeing this that it helps us to understand what we have in Ephesians, seeing we occupy this mindless place. Being part of the Bride of Christ, He brings us infinitely into all the plans and purposes that He has, tells us what is the future, And so it says that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one.
All things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him.
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Adam was placed as the first man at the head of that first creation. He failed and so and I don't God reveals a purpose that He has and that is that He is going to bring everything that He has planned not through Adam, but through the 2nd man and the last Adam. And so when the Lord Jesus.
Those who dabbed Mary thought that he was the gardener. Mary thought that he was the one who was just at that time going to set things right during this world, so to speak, into a beautiful garden. But the Lord Jesus said to Mary, No, Mary, you have to learn to know me in a new way.
I'm going up there, I ascend them to my father and your father and to my God and your God and so is it the second Corinthians chapter 5 it says yeah, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Would you ever wonder what that verse man yet none of it is forth know him no more, but we still know him yes, but we have to learn to know him in a new way.
Now that is.
After the flesh He came here, and He was the one who was born in this world. The confirmed promises made unto the fathers, but they rejected him. They wouldn't have Him. They said we have no king but Caesar. The Kingdom was postponed and now we don't know Him. After the flesh, we don't know Him, so to speak, as the one who is going to bring in.
The blessing that Israel is looking for, that's not our hope.
But we know him as the one who's gone up there and has brought us into association with himself. God is our Father. We are part of the Bride now. This is Christianity, this is something new.
And now they are saying is we find commonly in Christendom is a misunderstanding of the book of the Psalms. And so Christendom takes up the book of the Psalms. And because it brings before us the desires and feelings of the godly, they use these as though they they were the expressions of Christians in his present dispensation.
Now you'll never find the sound, any mention of God as our Father.
You won't even find the assurance of salvation. You'll find that versus it is has been put on thy servant away in anger, and cats are not away from my presence. You'll find expressions like this. Blessed be the Lord. It teaches my hands of war and my fingers to fight. Some of the bold steel is broken by my hands.
These were all the feelings, the exercises of an earthly people before we danced in the complex.
Well, now, could we not get a great deal of blessing out of the songs? Oh yes, but we must always remember that it has to do with the earthly people. Now Israel, God is ours, and so we can get much blessing for our souls from the Psalms. But we're not in the same position as those about whom the Psalms are written.
I sometimes use that illustration like this.
Pausing hours to be adopted into the family of a certain man.
And I know that he had a servant who served him very well and wrote a book about his experiences with his master. And so I think I'd like to read this book because it describes the experiences of this man, but his master. And I read it with great interest. I get a tremendous insight into the kind of man it is who's going to be my father.
I always addresses him as Sir, he always speaks about.
His, you'll say, a little house that he has on the property. And sometimes he even feared that perhaps he might be dismissed by his master. And so the time comes that I'm brought into the family of this man, and instead of addressing him as father, I address him as Mr. Oh, he said to me, why?
He addressed me as master. Well, I say I read a book that was written by a servant and I noticed he spoke very respectfully to you and he called you Mr. And so I thought that that's the way I should address you. Well, he said that you're in the family though, and I want you to address me as father. Then one day when I displeased and my say, are you going to send me away? Are you going to dismiss me?
Oh no, he said. Why? Why did you say that? Well.
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Now I read that book. Isn't the book Crow? Oh yes, he said, it's true. But you have to distinguish that certain things in that book will only apply to a servant, not to a son. Come in one day, ask him who's going to build a little house for me on the property? Always said you're going to live in the Father's house. Now I've heard Christians say, well, how will I know when I read the Psalms what parts have applied to me and what parts apply to Israel? How would you know?
Read that book what parts you could read with interest because they revealed the character of your new father, or what parts would apply to yourself? Well, if you understood the relationship, if you underserved the place you were brought into will be very easy for you to distinguish what part would apply to you and what part would not. I don't rather than we have the Spirit of God.
Forby we say Apple baller.
The Spirit of God sets before us very clearly now that we are not in the same provision as Israel before God. Israel's God is ours. It's not a different person than the whole of the old.
Testimony is the Lord Jesus of the new God is our Father, and it is the same blessed person, but He has revealed himself to us in a new way and is understanding this that brings us into the full liberty and blessing of Christianity. It's entering into it and it's confusing those two things. That is the cause of so much.
Confusion and christening because people.
Will say the scriptures of the Old Testament that have to do with the earthly people and with the earthly hopes.
A physical building and praise that was offered on instruments. And they'll use all this and confuse it with the place that we're brought into a spiritual building, offering up spiritual sacrifices and our place before God as his children. Well, in Ephesians one, the Spirit of God is bringing before us this one.
Place that we are brought into and seeing rain, this place is near us. He tells us what is its purpose and tells us how to eat. Work of Christ. The same work that is going to secure blessing for Israel has secured blessing for us. The work that is will fit those who dwell upon the earthly in the earthly Kingdom is the same work that is. Our title is the heavenly wine.
Chapter of Revelation gives the Psalm of the earthly wonder the praise, as you say, of the earthly ones, and it says it washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The 5th chapter of Revelation gives the heavenly singing, and they're singing to the same person about the same precious life. Thou art worthy for thou A slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred.
And tongue. And people. And nation.
Have really read in first second Peter chapter 1 where it tells us there.
And I just like to.
Mention the way this reads in the other translation because it makes it clear.
Second Peter chapter 1 and verse 19.
The other translation, this is the way it reads. We have also the prophetic word made sure.
And then the party at first knowing this first that.
I haven't made-up this forward word for word knowing this person.
Be an interpretation of No prophecy of Scripture is to be had from its immediate interpretation.
And the thought the scope of no prophecy of Scripture is to be had from its immediate interpretation. And the point is just this when he says the prophetic word made sure God had made all those promises to Israel. And when Paul preached and said Israel is set aside, God is doing a different work now He is gathering out of the church to be the bride of Christ.
Then the godly of Israel said that. Well, what about those?
Has God forgotten him? No, He said, God hasn't forgotten them. They're all going to be fulfilled. And they've been made sure to us because we saw the one who is willing to fulfill those promises to Israel glorified on the mountain. And we saw an oldest Elias there, and we heard the Father's voice bearing witness to who this person was. No, he said, God is going to fulfill all these prophecies. They're always more sure because.
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Christ has come, redemption is accomplished. They could never be fulfilled with Israel's faithfulness, but they will be fulfilled because of the Son. And Peter said we have a little preview of the Kingdom on the mount. It's all made sure to us. Buddy said you'll never understand the scope of prophecy unless you take it in connection with the whole revelation of God's ways.
We have to take the prophecy in connection with the full complete revelation of God's ways, and the full of complete revelation of God's ways brings in the blessing of the church in this Presbyterian.
Then we might ask the question, well why then if these things were in the purposes of God, were they not mentioned in the Old Testament? So in the Spirit of God answers this very clearly by telling us that in the Old Testament this was hid from ages and from generations. That it was a secret hidden in God and not made known until Paul was caught up to the 3rd heaven and it was revealed to him. He said don't expect.
At the time within the Old Testament, you will find space for it, but you'll not find dimensionality. When I say you'll find space for it, you'll find that there was a period when God says that destruction was determined upon Jerusalem. You find a gap between the 69th week of Daniel and the 70th, and that gap we learn in Christianity.
Is almost 2000 years, we find.
That James spoke, but he said after this I will take the Tabernacle of David that is falling down and I will build it up. And then he speaks in the blessing of the nations and of the Gentiles. Afterwards he said you'll find a gap that for it, but you won't find the revelation of it. And if you just like offense that had a parenthesis in it and somebody had put a blot over the parenthesis.
And he read the sentence, and the sentence seemed quite complete without it. But you said it's something to go in that parenthesis. I wonder what it is.
You read the sentence and the sentence is quite complete without the parenthesis, but you say there's something more there. I wonder what it is. God like room for the parenthesis. But he never told what the parenthesis was until Paul was caught up to the 3rd heaven and received this wonderful revelation. And then he shows this sudden clash with the Old Testament. He said I'm not revealing a different person to you Israel. God is.
He said I'm not revealing something to you that won't fit in with the things that were revealed in the Old Testament. He said, in fact, you'll not understand the Old Testament until you see that this has to fit him. And then I might also mention the plates of the Old Testament. It's lovely to see the type and the shadow of these things.
So we find that when when Joseph came to his brethren with a message from his father, they put him in a pit and sold him to the Millionites, and he was carried down to Egypt.
And while he was rejected by his brethren, they went along with things in Canaan, and there he was in the prison in Egypt, and he took a Gentile bride, and then he was exalted up to the Lord of Egypt. Then his brethren come down, and they get blessing. Well, what a beautiful picture. The Lord Jesus was rejected by his brethren.
He was cast into prison.
He went back to glory, and in heaven now concealed heaven.
God has made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ, said Peter. Hebrews says we see not get all things but under him, but we see Jesus, who has made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, brown with glory and honor. And while the people were starving the back in the land, Joseph was Lord of Egypt.
With plenty of corn and his gentile brides was enjoying all his sights.
And there they were starving. Then they come down and see the one whom they rejected, because now the Lord of Egypt and his head, come, dwell by me and you'll have plenty. The restoration of Israel. You find the same with Moses. Most of us came to deliver the people. And what did they do? Thrust him away and said, Who made the ruler and the judge over us, just as they said to the Lord Jesus.
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We will not have this man to reign over us. We have no king that sees her.
So he went to the backside of the desert. He was hidden from his people. The burdens got harder and harder. That's the history of Israel, just like Jordan's bread and there they were in the famine. But I was plenty of Egypt. And so it was in all this time. And so in Moses time there were growing up to the burdens and.
Moses comes back and he's their deliverer. But what happened during his absence?
He also took a dim foul bride.
He had a son whose name was means at least a stranger here, A stranger here.
And so when he came back.
That he made himself known to his brethren, and he delivered them, and he brought them out, and brought them to that good land. Well, how beautiful pites we have in the Old Testament. But this was all a secret, hidden. God it shows as.
James 7, the 13th of Acts. He said that known unto God are all his works from eternity. He said God that doesn't have to have an afterthought, he doesn't have to change his mind and try something different. He said he knew this all before. It was all planned and purpose before he just didn't tell the secret. He didn't tell the secret until his own time came.
And when you see this, we see the distinctness of God's ways with Israel.
And with the church.
Now I might say again that all our blessings are heavenly.
For blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
Now this might seem a little difficult for us to understand why it was that in the early part of the Acts there was tongues and I was appealing and there were signs which we don't see today. But let me say this.
That being a heavenly people, that signs do not have their place properly in Christianity, but it was necessary at the introduction of Christianity that as we are told.
Hebrews God confirmed the Word with signs following.
When Israel rejected their Messiah.
Then the Lord Jesus went, He was crucified, and he went up on high. It was necessary for the message to be preached to them to show them that the one whom they rejected was really the one who was going to bring in shrines of the restitution of all things. And so in the early part of the Acts, we see signs and wonders done in Christ's name.
To show that that one who may crucify.
Is really the one who is going to bring about the promised blessing for Israel. There was no promise of the continuance of those signs and wonders, but it was a confirmation to the nation to show them, leaving them without excuse, and that the one whom they crucified now had gone up on high. As Peter said in the early part of Acts, these things were done in His name so that they might know.
That the one who may crucified was now Lord and Christ. But they not only had rejected Christ, but they rejected the message of grace and resurrection. But those signs became proof to them that there was power displayed in the name of that risen Savior. Another thing in connection with the gifted times.
God was showing them that consequent upon their rejection, blessing was to reach out beyond the nation of Israel.
Because in the Old Testament God was dealing with one particular nation, salvation. Salvation of the Jews. But when the Lord Jesus was rejected, now God shows to that guilty nation that he's not going to confine the blessing to their nation. The blessing is to go out the eye and have a guilt of tongue.
Part of the Acts was approved for the battle. That blessing was to reach beyond the limits of Israel. But let me say again that signs and wonders are not for that which characterizes Christianity. We are a heavenly people, and our blessings are spiritual blessings. And there was no promise that these things would continue. And in the 8th chapter of Romans, for instance, it says.
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Like what is also the spiritual spirit health?
Armed firmly. I don't say the Spirit removes our infirmities. He didn't remove falls. There's no promise, Paul said for Femus. Have I left at Malevan Circuit?
There's no promise in Christianity that because we are saved that God is going to heal us, or that there are going to be these signs of power that were seen in the early part of the Acts. But what is seen as a spiritual power in the Christian?
As a spiritual power in the Christian that is able to be a testimony for Christ in the midst of all these adverse conditions of the world and so here the Christian on the sick bed God could the slaves tower and take him off, but.
Its power is going to be displayed when the Lord Jesus comes and takes us to hell. Now this is where as far as Israel is going to be concerned, the display of God's power is going to be who heal of all light diseases. It is going to be as we have in the end of I think it's the 32nd of Isaiah. The inhabitant of the lamb shall not say in that day I am sick. No, there will be a wonderful display of God's power and removing sickness from the earth.
But God won't have to remove sickness from having had never entered there. And that's where our home is, brethren. When Israel gets to their land and are blessed through Christ, all those things that afflicted them, those diseases and so on, will be taken away.
But for us, when the Lord Jesus gives a shout, we'll be beyond them all to leave them all behind. Sickness and sorrow will never enter that place. And there should be no more sickness, nor sorrow, nor crying or pain down here where part of the growing creation. Now I don't want to say that the Lord doesn't answer prayer. He does. He does. And that very interesting passage in James shows us.
Now that God, those answers.
Prayer. And just as in the time of Israel's utter failure, God heard the prayer of Elijah, and he manifested his power in a day when a nation was in a divided state. And God still answers prayer. Blessed go to Him in all our needs, but let us not expect or claim earthly blessings.
We're blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
That is where our blessings are.
Now let us turn to the 16th chapter of Matthew, and we'll see the Lord making the first mention of the church, Matthew chapter 16.
#13.
When Jesus came to the coast of Sisteria Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man AM? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, others Elias, and others Jeremias are one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say he that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus answered and said unto him.
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my father, which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind, the merits shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Here we find the Lord Jesus rejected by the nation. He had committed the unpardonable sin. They had attributed His works to the power of Satan. What could be worse?
They added words that we know these are works of power. We can't deny them, but the only thing we can say is they're not a God. They're the power of Satan. What further testimony could be given? The Lord Jesus had the testimony of John. He had the testimony of the Scriptures. He had the testimony of his own perfect life. He had the testimony of these works of power when they couldn't deny any of this.
But then they resorted to that awful, unpardonable crime.
I'm saying it's by the power of Satan, that's why it says it's unpardonable.
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In that sense, the unpardonable sin can't be committed today because the Lord Jesus is not here. The works of power are not manifested. When they reject me, they reject an imperfect person. But when they rejected Christ, they rejected a perfect person, they rejected a perfect testimony. And so when he was rejected, that was the unpardonable sin, now the Lord Jesus.
Goes up to the very tip of the lamb.
And the disciple, how do people say amma? I mean, now they spoke of the whole nation prophets. Now the Lord reveals to Peter for the first time something new. We said something new is going to take place.
I will build my church.
And that is, the nation is about to be set aside, and something new was to begin. I will build not. I have built, but I will build my church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And he knows not one who has been brought into that church, not one living stone in the building, will not be ever removed by all the powers of darkness.
They'll never be able to pluck 1 sheep out of the hand of Christ.
That blessed work that he's doing is a permanent and abiding workmen, and so he tells Peter.
Or Peter means so he said, Peter, you're, you're one of the songs. Peter laid hold of this. And then he has a pestle. He, uh, mentioned to the other believers. He said he also as living Peter, this could be he also as living Peter, living stones. He says I'm one, you're one too. And he said, we're living stones in the spiritual building.
And that is what the church is. It's not a physical building like the temple was. Gets a spiritual building. We offer up spiritual sacrifices. We're blessed with all spiritual blessings.
And down here, we're not promised these earthly things. God provides for us just as a country for prayers and provides for its ambassador, but it never makes its ambassador a citizen of the country where he's there representing. No. And God will never make U.S. citizens of earth. We don't belong here. We're just ambassadors here. And isn't it lovely that we have the privilege of representing him here?
Belongs. We just don't belong here. And all our blessings, just like the ambassador from the United States is up in Canada.
He's not a property owner. He's there representing his country. And when his term of office is over, he goes back home. Come see your country here. His home is here. His possessions are here. His knees are provided for up there, but he comes back and this is his song. And that's my position here in this world is we don't.
Belong here, we belong to heaven. The Lord announces this new name at its dimension of His 19th verse. I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Hellum. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The character of things in earth was to take on, shall I say a different a different order, because that is it would be during the Lords absence, the Kingdom of heaven in mystery. That is, there would be a part of the earth that would own the rule of the heavens. And even although the king was absent, I thought the Kingdom of heaven is.
Who is the one who has chosen to be the first to announce the message to both Jew and Gentile? Bell was Peter.
Never think that these are the keys of having them. It doesn't talk about the keys of having our own keys to heaven. Lord Jesus said I am the way, I am the door. He said neither is there salvation in any other, their salvation through Christ and Christ only. But Peter had the privilege of being the first one to announce the glad tidings and in that sense open the door so that Jew and Gentile could come in to these wonderful privileges during.
Absence of Christ. It's only salvation, it's only new birth that actually makes us part of the Kingdom of heart. But there is a sphere on earth that is called the Kingdom of heaven, a place of profession. And Peter is mentioned in this way as giving the keys, not the keys of the church, not the keys of heaven. But it's not confused this, but the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.
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I dare I say the part of the earth where the rule of the heavens is on in the absence of the King until he returns again. But in the church was something new, that which was the Lord was going to do. I will build my church now. When did this begin? When did this marvelous event take place? And that the Lord Jesus began.
Began to build his church. Well, it was on the day of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost.
The Spirit of God came down and if you'll turn them into first Corinthians 12 The same time I won't read in in Acts chapter 2 working First Corinthians 12.
Verse 12.
For as the body is 1.
And has many members, and all members of that one body, being many are one body. So also is Christ.
Provide 1 Spirit Are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit?
Now just to mention what happened on the day of Pentecost, The servant of God came down and all those who were present there.
In that occasion that 120 in the upper bones, the Spirit of God indwells their bodies, and the Spirit of God also filled the house where they were sitting. And if I were asked what it is that characterizes this present period, I would say it's the presence of the Spirit of God here upon earth as a divine person.
In the Old Testament God made himself known to Israel as Jehovah, the come keeping God, and he's going to bless them and they will acknowledge the blessing in and through Christ. But when the Lord Jesus came, God spoke his Son and when he was walking through this world, it says God, who at Sunday Times in the divers manners take him to the Father's by the prophets half on these last days.
Unto us in Son.
And when the Lord Jesus went up on high, he sent down the Spirit, and the Spirit of God is here upon earth now as a divine person. He is here gathering out a bride for Christ.
And what takes place when one believes the gospel? Well, he is He is by the receiving Christ as his Savior. He's indwelled by the Spirit of God. And believers together are made into one body, no longer individuals, but made so members of the body of Christ.
The baptism of the Spirit, I might say in the Scripture, is never spoken out of an individual thing. It's always spoken out in a collective way. Indwelling of the Spirit is looked upon as an individual thing. My own body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. But when it says we're all baptized into one body, it means that by the baptism of the Spirit of God and believers, Jews and Gentiles are formed into one.
Body, and that is the body of Christ.
Now, on the day of Pentecost, the ones who were brought in were all Jews and Jewish proselytes, that is, ones who had accepted Judaism from among the nations.
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If one could speak in this way, Peter used the second key when he preached in the House of Cornelius. And there we have a gathering in of the Gentiles. And there again we have the mention of the baptism of the Spirit in Acts Chapter 11. It says in Acts 11 The same words about the baptism of the Spirit because.
I can put it this way on the day of telecast.
God formed the church, but He must give one more opportunity to that guilty nation.
And so before reigning in the Gentile, he, he caused the message to be proclaimed through Peter that yes, they would repent, God would send Jesus, but they rejected that. And now and not until then comes out that wonderful secret that was in the heart of God, that marvelous secret. And we find the conversion of soil of Parsis. We find the bringing in of the gem cloud and then solve.
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Becomes an instrument to tell this wonderful secret that was in the heart of God, that the Gentiles should be brought in as pairs and of the same body in Christ. And now.
And I spoke of the blessing of Israel. I want to make this very clear that when you are one of Israel.
Accepts the gospel today. His hopes are not earthly, his hopes are heavenly.
There's only there are only three companies on the earth today, the Jews, the Gentile and the Church of God. They are God's earthly people who rejected their Messiah, their beloved to the Father's sake, but their enemies for the gospel. Yes, they're God's earthly people, but they're, they're set aside. And then there's the Gentile, the unbelieving Gentile, and then there's the Church of God. And when a Gentile believes the gospel, he's no longer.
Look, the time before God has seen a Gentile, when I do believe the gospel, he's no longer looked upon us being a Jew. They're both baptized by 1 Spirit into one body, and this amazing, this blessed truth, the 2nd place, but now with one body, and everyone who dwelled by the Spirit of God is made a member of the body of which Christ is the head in glory.
It's an entirely new thing. That's what the Lord spoke of when He said new wine must be put into new bottles.
Kind of it's quite striking there what the Lord Jesus said. He said that no man having drunk of the old lion straightway desire of the new, for he sent the old his back. What does that mean? Why does the Lord say no man having drunk the old life? Well, can I put it this way? The whole system of Judaism had an appeal. The man in the flesh you didn't had a beautiful appeal. That's grand temple that binding those robes.
Those priests going around everything that would appeal to the senses and the combination of Israel were slow to give this up. It's very appealing.
Christendom has bottled a little bit of it and carried it into Christianity. And many, many true believers, members of the body of Christ, are associated with systems where they have quite a bit of this sort of thing.
And when they come to a simple meeting where there is only the new line, nothing of that which was in Judaism, they say, oh, this is dull. What is the organ? Where's the choir? Are your buildings playing? They they don't straightway desire the middle. Why? Well, because it was a great appeal in all those old things. And one who has become accustomed to them likes them.
God was so patient with Israel that he waited 40 years.
Before he destroyed the temple, from the crucifixion of Christ until the destruction of Jerusalem was 40 years period of testing. And God gave them opportunity to leave that old thing that had such an appeal and to come out side of the camp to a rejected Christ, to leave all that behind to offer spiritual sacrifices.
And the seed of the temple was the spiritual temple to see their blessings were heavenly. And this prepared them, shall I say, to break with the whole thing. He lost their land, He lost their temple. They lost their sacrifices, everything. As it said in Hosea, they'll abide many days, you know it, without a priest, without a naphtha, without a sacrifice.
That is when they were slow to give it up, God waited and then he finally destroyed the whole thing and he said.
Now you'll have to enjoy a little while, but what a person to do all they said. Let's revive the old planet. Let's raise it up again and have some arrests that were so appealing. And that's what has been happening. The old thing has been introduced into Christianity, but there's an entirely new thing, a new thing. We are members of the body of Christ. We have heavenly hopes. We have a heavenly position. Our citizenship is in heaven. The head of the body is in heaven.
What is the expression of it? Now let's turn to 1St Corinthians 7. We'll see the expression of it in the Lord's Supper.
Verse 15 I speak with the wise man, Judge be what I say, the cup of blessing which we bless. Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ, the bread which we break? Is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, being many, are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
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Now we are main members of the body of Christ by the indwelling of the Spirit of God.
When one believes the gospel, he didn't dwell by the Holy Spirit of God.
And either made a member of the body of Christ. But what is the expression of this?
So many members of the body of Christ that never gave expression to us.
Just like if a marriage ceremony took place and the two people are pronounced man white.
But now there is a relationship that exists between them. It is the exposure of the fact that they are a mammoth.
And So what is the expression of the place that we have been brought into? It is what we have here. It's breaking bread as members of the body of Christ. And this is very lovely.
I might mention here, and perhaps I'd mentioned before, but maybe it's worth repeating here, that it is most interesting that the cup comes first and then the loaf here. Now when the Lord instituted the feast, He wrote the bread 1St and then fastened the cup after. But in 1St Corinthians 10, where we have the Lord's Table and the Lord's Supper as the expression of the unity of the body of Christ.
It's quite interesting that we have the cop coming first.
And I just suggest I enjoy this this thought to that when we think of coming to the Lord's Table, there is a feeling just like I come to your table for a meal.
I won't enjoy the meal unless I'm thoroughly relaxed there. If I feel I'm fit to be at your table, I can sit and relax and enjoy the meal. But if I don't just feel thoroughly relaxed, I will not just enjoy the meal. And so isn't this lovely? When the Lord brings us to his table in this wonderful place is near us, He first of all tells us how that which speaks of the blood of Christ.
And so has connected with Hebrews, and having therefore brought in boldness.
Surrendering the north audience by the blood of Jesus, we come into his presence. The blood has made us perfectly fit. We could not be more fit than we are. The blood of Christ has made us sick and then tells us here, we being many, are one bread, one body. We're all partakers of that one bread.
Some Christians have a little problem over whether it should be, whether it should be unleavened bread. I just mentioned this, but I don't think that they had unleavened bread in their homes even on the day of Pentecost.
Well, Lord.
Institute of the Beast is quite possible and very very likely that it was unleavened bread. But on the day of Pentecost, if you read about it in the Old Testament, you'll find this that they were to take out of their houses 2 loaves baited with letter. And this was the Pentecostal law. They can with leaven and so when they.
First began to break bread in the church. Why they must have had that leavened bread. And why? Why would it be leavened? Well, because there is a new meaning to the Lord beyond what the Lord Jesus put upon us when he passed the tomb. First of all, that is, he said, this is my body which is broken for you.
Just do in remembrance of me, His own body giving him death for us. But.
When we have the one loaf on the table, it symbolizes also something else. And what does it symbolize? We, being many, are one bread, one body. And so, just as on the Pentecostal occasion the Lord was faking with rabble, So isn't it lovely, brethren, that we can come into His presence?
Cleansed by his precious blood, and we can sit there with that horrible old nature still in US.
And remember him, if we couldn't do it, none of us would break bread at all, because we all too hard.
What it was to be bacon with leaven, the old natures not to be active, you know, it's to be in the place of death figured in the bacon with leaven. What is it? A lovely thing that I can sit there in the Lord's presence as I did this morning, and know that all my sins are put away and of the law. I had the old nature suing me that I was there as a member of His body.
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Not a place. And so I broke bread. Not merely as a forgotten center.
Called as a matter of the body of Christ. What a privilege. And one has often said that I don't believe a Christian really enjoys the remembrance of the Lord as he should, until he realizes that we do break bread as members of the body of Christ. Pardon me using an illustration I did the other night.
But just illustrated, I often think of the.
I often think of Rahab the harlot. He was a poor, sinful woman in the city of Jericho. But then, as she put her faith in the God of Israel, she put the scarlet line in the window. She was sheltered from the judgment. She was forgiven. But there's more to the story. She was brought into the royal line of Israel. She married.
Salman and you'll find her name in the lineage of Christ in Genesis in Matthew 1 now.
He's brought into an entirely new position, not only forgiving him children, but she's brought into this position she could actually sit at the table with royalty.
He can sit down there.
And I have sometimes said, supposing she looked across the table to her new husband and said, well, it's wonderful to be a forgiven Carlos. What would he say? Well, he'd say, but you're certainly forgiven. But you're far more than that to me. You're far more than that. As far as I'm concerned now, that's gone forever. And I look upon you as a bride of my choice.
For the evidence that lovely, we are forgiven. We're fitted through the blood.
But you can sit at the Lord's table and hear him say to you, Thou art all fair, my love. There is no spot in thee. Oh, you say that I've got a measurable old nature within. God sees that in a place of death too. What a place we're brought into. This is Christianity, this is the place we're brought into. The Lord gave the remembrance, but not until the truth of the church was revealed to Paul.
To get the full blessed name of the remembrance of the Lord.
That we can gather and remember him as members of his body. Well, we have president of Alaska, he's got occupied with just alongside of us, the remembrance of the Lord that's very blessed with you. And I'm sure that each one of us here remember the Lord's suffering. But if you just like Rahab.
Never, never thinking of her places near us, only of her husband.
And that he married her when she was such a little character, but he wanted her also to enjoy the new place. And brethren, the Lord wants us to know the two things that he picked us up as Browns little brain that he picked us up in our sins, but he's brought us 9. He's brought us 9. We're in this place of nearness. And the expression I say of this marvelous truth is in breaking bread as members of his body. Many wonder that Satan.
Oppose such a test. Why any wonder that he tries his best to spoil the testimony? I believe it's very weird that a lot of strikes. Well then, what is our hope?
I won't take time to turn to the Scripture because I'm sure it's well known to us. In First Thessalonians one tells us that those unbelievers were waiting for God's Son from heaven. First Thessalonians 4 thinks about the Lord coming, doesn't talk about His feet standing on the Mount of Olives, speaks about us growing up and feeding Him in the air.
Isn't he going to come an army speech going to stand on the Mount of Oz when he comes for Israel's deliverance? Yes, when he comes to bless Israel, he'll come back to this earth because there wasn't earthly and he'll put down the enemies. He will establish the Kingdom in power, but our blessings don't belong here. And so when he comes for us, he's not even going to come together. He's just going to come and give a show and say.
Once you all come up and meet me, your home's not here.
Oh, blessed. We're going to meet him in the air and he's going to escort us as a father's house. He's going to leave the singing. He's going to have his rightful place. And before he does anything towards making possession of his world and saying things right in it, you know what he's going to do? He said I'm going to have my bride with me. Before I do it, I'm going to have my bride with me.
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Just like if you own the house and you plan to get the plan to get married.
Somebody says, why don't you live in the house and say, well, I'm waiting until I have my bride with me. They'll live them together. They'll live them together. All of us have wonderful brethren. The Lord Jesus has a right to this earth, and he's going to take his rights to this earth. But he says, I'm not going to do it till I am my bride, and then I'll bring my bride with me and everybody will have to admire. My bride will come to be glorified in the Saints and to be admired in all.
Because our testimony among you was believed. And so when that glorious wedding takes place in Calumet, the manifestation of all of sin for Christ in our lives will take place, and then He'll come back and displace here. And how long let beauty that He has placed upon us last.
Along the blast, well after 1000 years, the bride is still seen and prepared as a bride adorned her husband. No laws of beauty, no laws of placing his affections, that remains and that's the whole of the church.
So that the prophet in me.