You Shall Not Go Very Far Away - Part Two Jan 24, 2021 by: John Herbert | Series: You Shall Not Go Very Far Away Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T012_20210124.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Ex 8:28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away……… We will continue to look at this from a Christian perspective. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday January 24th 2021 You Shall Not Go Very Far Away Part 2 1). Ex 8:27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.” 28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away……… We had seen last time, from the type surrounding the Sons of Israel, that the enemy of our soul is quite content for Christians to ‘sacrifice to the Lord’ their God providing that they don’t make the complete separation from his kingdom that is necessary if they are to replace him and his angels in the age to come. a). And from our own perspective, we had seen how he seeks to keep us within the confines of his kingdom through our old man’s connection with that which the Scriptures describe as, ‘the world’. b). And as we considered how to best comprehend what is meant by ‘the world’, we realized that this phrase encapsulates the corrupted angelic governance of this one province in God’s universal Kingdom – Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. The corrupted governance incorporating the structures and institutions that support and further it’s corrupted purposes – 1Jo 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. This is why we are commanded in - 1 Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.18 Little children, it is the last hour……………….. That which is the manifestation of this corrupted angelic governance, which will be found in every aspect of their jurisdiction, is shown to be, ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life’. c). And this unholy trinity, that epitomize ‘the world’, will easily be found among the ranks of the Christian and may even be present in the life of those who have determined to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. d). Engagement with these 3 is one of the ways in which our enemy seeks to keep us from going very far away, and knowing this, it becomes obvious why we must pursue unrelentingly, our own 3 days’ journey of separation to its glorious conclusion – Lk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. Heb 4:11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. And if we look for a way to define what is at the heart of the ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life’, it would simply be this – the pursuit of self-gratification in the present at the expense of seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness – Ge 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. 2). Now the fact that this unholy trinity are readily found in the ranks of Christians is not something that has happened by accident, but by demonic design. a). We will remember that the 7 churches in the Book of the Revelation provide us with an overview of church history, from its beginning when the first love of pursuing His kingdom was left, to its end when all is leavened. b). And then within this overview additional information is also given. Following the church of Ephesus in Revelation Chapter 2, we come to the church in Smyrna, which is a name derived from the word myrrh, a spice that is used in connection with death and burial. c). The church ‘in Smyrna’ then figuratively points to that time in church history when Christians were relentlessly persecuted to death by a succession of Roman Emperors. And this persecution was of course demonically inspired to eradicate those who would embrace their heavenly calling. d). This strategy failed though, causing the famous observation by Tertullian, one of the early church fathers of that period – ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’ e). Rather than trying to destroy the church, our enemy reverted to the same strategy he had used against Israel at the incident of Baal of Peor – assimilation rather than extermination. f). This change in strategy began during the reign of the Emperor Constantine and accomplished its goal toward the end of the fourth century AD when Theodosius I issued an edict that made Christianity the exclusive religion of the Roman empire. The church, which was to have been separate from the world system and its structures under Satan, was now fully engaged within them. g). And it is through the name of the next church in the Revelation, Pergamos, that we are figuratively shown this conclusion. The name Pergamos is derived from the Greek word ‘Gamos’, which means marriage. Pointing to the time in church history when the church became ‘married’ to the world, forsaking their true Husband. h). This is the very thing that the Lord Himself had foretold in – Mt 13:31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 "which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." 3). Now there are two references in the Lord’s condemnation of the church at Pergamos that we should note – Re 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. And both the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans are completely contrary to the truth of the Word of God - 1Ti 4:1 ¶ Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons….. Balaam had persuaded Israel that there would be no consequences if they involved themselves with the nations surrounding them, as they were God’s chosen people and therefore no harm could come to them. And this was and is, the same message, from a Christian standpoint, that was introduced within the church, ‘You will not surely die’. a). The doctrine of the Nicolaitans has to do with bringing worldly power structures into the church, that in its worse excess created a ‘priestly’ class that elevated itself to a position of superiority and exclusivity, thereby ‘lording it over’ those who could not attain such a privileged position. b). Then the Lord’s comments to the next church in Revelation, Thyatira, add the final part to this picture - Re 2:20 "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And what we see in all of these, is a message countering the truth, that completely corrupts the word of the Kingdom, just as the Lord had foretold in - Mt 13:33 Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." This unholy trinity of doctrines sought to replace seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness with the pursuit of self-gratification in the present, misusing the Scriptures in the process. And in these doctrines, we will find the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. 4). Now the thing for us to keep in mind here is that we didn’t just wake up one day as Kingdom believers. We have all come from a ‘church’ background such as that which we have just been describing. And because of this we need to be careful that we are not, even after all these years, still carrying around mindsets and expectations from ‘church’ the way we remember it. a). If we have embraced the Word of the Kingdom it must result in change in every aspect of our life – and particularly with regards to our understanding of ‘the church’. b). As the Word does its work in us, we can begin to understand that there is a profound difference between living in the present, which is inescapable, and being overcome by the present, so as to be dominated by our life now, within the kingdom of Satan, rather than submitting our life to the age to come – Joh 17:15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. For the greater majority of Christendom in the western world at least, ‘church’ has become something to be attended, that has a physical location and set times of operation. c). But as we know ‘church’ isn’t something we attend, it’s who we are – wherever we are – at all times. d). Let’s remember - Church = Greek – ‘ekklesia’ = called out – called out of the world - Eph 4:1 ¶ I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called….. And we have been called out of the world for one purpose – Heb 3:1 ¶ Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus….. If we were to see the ‘church’ as just something we just attend, it provides us with the opportunity to step away from any personal responsibility. e). And right along with this, if the ‘church’ is seen as something we attend, rather than who we are, we can become more concerned about the form of it rather than being focused on the function. In other words, we can become more concerned about the way things are done, than what we are here for. f). Scripture is clear with regards to our function as the church - Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. So, what do we see in the Scriptures here with respect to the church? We see the ministry of the pastor/teacher for the equipping of the saints through the teaching of the word of God – 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. We see an individual responsibility to act upon what is taught from the Word, whereby every part does its share for the benefit of others. g). And then we see an individual responsibility to assemble together to exhort one another with respect to love and good works, having done our share, which is to result in the spiritual growth of the body in love. And according to the verses from Hebrews we are to do this so much the more because we see the Day approaching – because the coming of Christ’s Kingdom, the 7th Day, becomes more certain and more real with every passing day. That which we see out ahead then dictates what we choose to do now. 5). Let’s just look for a moment at the church in its infancy, before it grew unnaturally – Ac 2:42 ¶ And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. The called out here continued in the apostles’ doctrine daily – in the temple and from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. They praised God. They broke bread, had fellowship and prayed. And all these things they continued to do steadfastly. a). And that which we see here in Acts is precisely what we saw in Ephesians 4 and Hebrews 10. b). For the called out that we read about in Acts, their race of the faith was their life, it was their daily preoccupation and their priority, even though the Kingdom remained 2000 years in the future for them, not just around the corner as it is for us, and it was not burdensome to them. And they lived in a world under Roman occupation, amidst disease and poverty, with the daily pressure of staying alive and raising a family. c). So how, in the midst of their daily struggle, with the same pressures we face, were they able to keep their focus? Acts 2:44-45 will give us the answer - 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. Their focus was not self-gratification, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, but because of the hope that was before them they had a selfless care for the spiritual and physical wellbeing of those in pursuit of the Kingdom with them – Php 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. We don’t have to rush off and sell all we have, as this could be done in the pride of life. Rather, what we need to learn from the action of those in Acts is to have as greater care for our brothers and sisters who have the same hope, wherever they may be, as we do for ourselves, and the desire to do this will only come about through a proper engagement with the Scriptures such as our brothers and sisters in Acts had. d). And if we are properly engaged with the Scriptures, then we are able to understand our present life within its Scriptural context – Ps 102:25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. 27 But You are the same, And Your years will have no end. 2Pe 3:11 ¶ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, We need to to be in one accord concerning our hope and our care for one another, having the same mind, and receiving the Word with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God. And then continuing in it daily. e). With all this in mind we might ask ourselves the question – ‘Is my life framed by seeking the Kingdom first, or does seeking the Kingdom first have to fit somewhere into the framework of my life?’ 6). Do we remember the scripture from last week that spoke of keeping ourselves unspotted from the world? - Jas 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. And how being unspotted from the world had to do with being washed with water by the word? c). And do we remember the verses from Romans Chapter 12 that told us not to be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our mind, and how the renewing of our mind comes through mature knowledge? - Col 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, Well, both James and Romans have as their focus on Christ and His coming Kingdom and both relay commands with respect to attaining that Kingdom. Now, in conjunction with this let’s note - Joh 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." So, let’s ask the questions, how did Jesus overcome the world? Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, And what did His overcoming the world make possible for us? - 1Pe 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Here is our hope, this is the object of our faith. This is the end to which we need to unspotted and transformed, if we are to overcome the world as our Lord did through faithful obedience, through death and resurrection, in submission to the will of God. 7). 1Jo 5:1 ¶ Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ have been born, brought forth, out of God – ‘flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’. And it is that which is brought forth out of God that we are to receive with gladness and simplicity of heart, the Word of truth, the Scriptures, that will enable us to overcome the world. And this is exactly what we find at the end of v4. a). The victory that will overcome the world is our faith, our faith to the saving of the soul - Ro 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." And our faith to the saving of the soul, is simply believing and living the Word of truth as we make our 3 day’s journey to our Lord’s Kingdom. b). And I wonder if we noted this in 1 John 5:5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Believing that Jesus is the Son of God inevitably takes us to the promise given to David in 2 Samuel Chapter 7. c). But here is the thing, 2 Samuel Chapter 7 does not exist in a vacuum. To get there we must pass through Genesis 1:1 first and follow the Scriptures. This seemingly simple expression, ‘he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God’ – implicitly requires the understanding and acceptance of everything God has said about His plans and purposes for His Son, which include Man, past, present and future, purposes that have been set in place from the foundation of the world, purposes that will be brought to their glorious conclusion in the Millennial Kingdom – Lu 24: 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. And it will be our faith with respect to this, encapsulated here in Luke, that will enable us to overcome the world, because our focus won’t be on ourselves but on our living hope and we will see the challenge of each day of our life as providing a steppingstone on the pathway to glory – Ro 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And this verse from Romans brings us right back to the very reason why we are here today and the purpose for us being gathered together – to receive the Word of God with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God, and then continuing steadfastly in it throughout the week ahead, exhorting one another with respect to it whenever and however we gather together and praying for ourselves and others, both individually and together, because of it. d). There is no place for the world within the church, within us, rather we are to be the church in the world, but not of the world – Php 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Let’s close with one more scripture - Col 3:1 ¶ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, [to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life] and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. More next time – If the Lord is willing. You Shall Not Go Very Far Away - Part Two Jan 24, 2021 Speaker: John Herbert Series: You Shall Not Go Very Far Away Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T012_20210124.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Ex 8:28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away……… We will continue to look at this from a Christian perspective. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday January 24th 2021 You Shall Not Go Very Far Away Part 2 1). Ex 8:27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.” 28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away……… We had seen last time, from the type surrounding the Sons of Israel, that the enemy of our soul is quite content for Christians to ‘sacrifice to the Lord’ their God providing that they don’t make the complete separation from his kingdom that is necessary if they are to replace him and his angels in the age to come. a). And from our own perspective, we had seen how he seeks to keep us within the confines of his kingdom through our old man’s connection with that which the Scriptures describe as, ‘the world’. b). And as we considered how to best comprehend what is meant by ‘the world’, we realized that this phrase encapsulates the corrupted angelic governance of this one province in God’s universal Kingdom – Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. The corrupted governance incorporating the structures and institutions that support and further it’s corrupted purposes – 1Jo 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. This is why we are commanded in - 1 Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.18 Little children, it is the last hour……………….. That which is the manifestation of this corrupted angelic governance, which will be found in every aspect of their jurisdiction, is shown to be, ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life’. c). And this unholy trinity, that epitomize ‘the world’, will easily be found among the ranks of the Christian and may even be present in the life of those who have determined to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. d). Engagement with these 3 is one of the ways in which our enemy seeks to keep us from going very far away, and knowing this, it becomes obvious why we must pursue unrelentingly, our own 3 days’ journey of separation to its glorious conclusion – Lk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. Heb 4:11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. And if we look for a way to define what is at the heart of the ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life’, it would simply be this – the pursuit of self-gratification in the present at the expense of seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness – Ge 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. 2). Now the fact that this unholy trinity are readily found in the ranks of Christians is not something that has happened by accident, but by demonic design. a). We will remember that the 7 churches in the Book of the Revelation provide us with an overview of church history, from its beginning when the first love of pursuing His kingdom was left, to its end when all is leavened. b). And then within this overview additional information is also given. Following the church of Ephesus in Revelation Chapter 2, we come to the church in Smyrna, which is a name derived from the word myrrh, a spice that is used in connection with death and burial. c). The church ‘in Smyrna’ then figuratively points to that time in church history when Christians were relentlessly persecuted to death by a succession of Roman Emperors. And this persecution was of course demonically inspired to eradicate those who would embrace their heavenly calling. d). This strategy failed though, causing the famous observation by Tertullian, one of the early church fathers of that period – ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’ e). Rather than trying to destroy the church, our enemy reverted to the same strategy he had used against Israel at the incident of Baal of Peor – assimilation rather than extermination. f). This change in strategy began during the reign of the Emperor Constantine and accomplished its goal toward the end of the fourth century AD when Theodosius I issued an edict that made Christianity the exclusive religion of the Roman empire. The church, which was to have been separate from the world system and its structures under Satan, was now fully engaged within them. g). And it is through the name of the next church in the Revelation, Pergamos, that we are figuratively shown this conclusion. The name Pergamos is derived from the Greek word ‘Gamos’, which means marriage. Pointing to the time in church history when the church became ‘married’ to the world, forsaking their true Husband. h). This is the very thing that the Lord Himself had foretold in – Mt 13:31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 "which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." 3). Now there are two references in the Lord’s condemnation of the church at Pergamos that we should note – Re 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. And both the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans are completely contrary to the truth of the Word of God - 1Ti 4:1 ¶ Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons….. Balaam had persuaded Israel that there would be no consequences if they involved themselves with the nations surrounding them, as they were God’s chosen people and therefore no harm could come to them. And this was and is, the same message, from a Christian standpoint, that was introduced within the church, ‘You will not surely die’. a). The doctrine of the Nicolaitans has to do with bringing worldly power structures into the church, that in its worse excess created a ‘priestly’ class that elevated itself to a position of superiority and exclusivity, thereby ‘lording it over’ those who could not attain such a privileged position. b). Then the Lord’s comments to the next church in Revelation, Thyatira, add the final part to this picture - Re 2:20 "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And what we see in all of these, is a message countering the truth, that completely corrupts the word of the Kingdom, just as the Lord had foretold in - Mt 13:33 Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." This unholy trinity of doctrines sought to replace seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness with the pursuit of self-gratification in the present, misusing the Scriptures in the process. And in these doctrines, we will find the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. 4). Now the thing for us to keep in mind here is that we didn’t just wake up one day as Kingdom believers. We have all come from a ‘church’ background such as that which we have just been describing. And because of this we need to be careful that we are not, even after all these years, still carrying around mindsets and expectations from ‘church’ the way we remember it. a). If we have embraced the Word of the Kingdom it must result in change in every aspect of our life – and particularly with regards to our understanding of ‘the church’. b). As the Word does its work in us, we can begin to understand that there is a profound difference between living in the present, which is inescapable, and being overcome by the present, so as to be dominated by our life now, within the kingdom of Satan, rather than submitting our life to the age to come – Joh 17:15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. For the greater majority of Christendom in the western world at least, ‘church’ has become something to be attended, that has a physical location and set times of operation. c). But as we know ‘church’ isn’t something we attend, it’s who we are – wherever we are – at all times. d). Let’s remember - Church = Greek – ‘ekklesia’ = called out – called out of the world - Eph 4:1 ¶ I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called….. And we have been called out of the world for one purpose – Heb 3:1 ¶ Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus….. If we were to see the ‘church’ as just something we just attend, it provides us with the opportunity to step away from any personal responsibility. e). And right along with this, if the ‘church’ is seen as something we attend, rather than who we are, we can become more concerned about the form of it rather than being focused on the function. In other words, we can become more concerned about the way things are done, than what we are here for. f). Scripture is clear with regards to our function as the church - Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. So, what do we see in the Scriptures here with respect to the church? We see the ministry of the pastor/teacher for the equipping of the saints through the teaching of the word of God – 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. We see an individual responsibility to act upon what is taught from the Word, whereby every part does its share for the benefit of others. g). And then we see an individual responsibility to assemble together to exhort one another with respect to love and good works, having done our share, which is to result in the spiritual growth of the body in love. And according to the verses from Hebrews we are to do this so much the more because we see the Day approaching – because the coming of Christ’s Kingdom, the 7th Day, becomes more certain and more real with every passing day. That which we see out ahead then dictates what we choose to do now. 5). Let’s just look for a moment at the church in its infancy, before it grew unnaturally – Ac 2:42 ¶ And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. The called out here continued in the apostles’ doctrine daily – in the temple and from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. They praised God. They broke bread, had fellowship and prayed. And all these things they continued to do steadfastly. a). And that which we see here in Acts is precisely what we saw in Ephesians 4 and Hebrews 10. b). For the called out that we read about in Acts, their race of the faith was their life, it was their daily preoccupation and their priority, even though the Kingdom remained 2000 years in the future for them, not just around the corner as it is for us, and it was not burdensome to them. And they lived in a world under Roman occupation, amidst disease and poverty, with the daily pressure of staying alive and raising a family. c). So how, in the midst of their daily struggle, with the same pressures we face, were they able to keep their focus? Acts 2:44-45 will give us the answer - 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. Their focus was not self-gratification, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, but because of the hope that was before them they had a selfless care for the spiritual and physical wellbeing of those in pursuit of the Kingdom with them – Php 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. We don’t have to rush off and sell all we have, as this could be done in the pride of life. Rather, what we need to learn from the action of those in Acts is to have as greater care for our brothers and sisters who have the same hope, wherever they may be, as we do for ourselves, and the desire to do this will only come about through a proper engagement with the Scriptures such as our brothers and sisters in Acts had. d). And if we are properly engaged with the Scriptures, then we are able to understand our present life within its Scriptural context – Ps 102:25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. 27 But You are the same, And Your years will have no end. 2Pe 3:11 ¶ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, We need to to be in one accord concerning our hope and our care for one another, having the same mind, and receiving the Word with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God. And then continuing in it daily. e). With all this in mind we might ask ourselves the question – ‘Is my life framed by seeking the Kingdom first, or does seeking the Kingdom first have to fit somewhere into the framework of my life?’ 6). Do we remember the scripture from last week that spoke of keeping ourselves unspotted from the world? - Jas 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. And how being unspotted from the world had to do with being washed with water by the word? c). And do we remember the verses from Romans Chapter 12 that told us not to be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our mind, and how the renewing of our mind comes through mature knowledge? - Col 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, Well, both James and Romans have as their focus on Christ and His coming Kingdom and both relay commands with respect to attaining that Kingdom. Now, in conjunction with this let’s note - Joh 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." So, let’s ask the questions, how did Jesus overcome the world? Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, And what did His overcoming the world make possible for us? - 1Pe 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Here is our hope, this is the object of our faith. This is the end to which we need to unspotted and transformed, if we are to overcome the world as our Lord did through faithful obedience, through death and resurrection, in submission to the will of God. 7). 1Jo 5:1 ¶ Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ have been born, brought forth, out of God – ‘flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’. And it is that which is brought forth out of God that we are to receive with gladness and simplicity of heart, the Word of truth, the Scriptures, that will enable us to overcome the world. And this is exactly what we find at the end of v4. a). The victory that will overcome the world is our faith, our faith to the saving of the soul - Ro 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." And our faith to the saving of the soul, is simply believing and living the Word of truth as we make our 3 day’s journey to our Lord’s Kingdom. b). And I wonder if we noted this in 1 John 5:5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Believing that Jesus is the Son of God inevitably takes us to the promise given to David in 2 Samuel Chapter 7. c). But here is the thing, 2 Samuel Chapter 7 does not exist in a vacuum. To get there we must pass through Genesis 1:1 first and follow the Scriptures. This seemingly simple expression, ‘he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God’ – implicitly requires the understanding and acceptance of everything God has said about His plans and purposes for His Son, which include Man, past, present and future, purposes that have been set in place from the foundation of the world, purposes that will be brought to their glorious conclusion in the Millennial Kingdom – Lu 24: 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. And it will be our faith with respect to this, encapsulated here in Luke, that will enable us to overcome the world, because our focus won’t be on ourselves but on our living hope and we will see the challenge of each day of our life as providing a steppingstone on the pathway to glory – Ro 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And this verse from Romans brings us right back to the very reason why we are here today and the purpose for us being gathered together – to receive the Word of God with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God, and then continuing steadfastly in it throughout the week ahead, exhorting one another with respect to it whenever and however we gather together and praying for ourselves and others, both individually and together, because of it. d). There is no place for the world within the church, within us, rather we are to be the church in the world, but not of the world – Php 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Let’s close with one more scripture - Col 3:1 ¶ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, [to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life] and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. More next time – If the Lord is willing.