What Shall I Do - Part Eleven Jan 22, 2023 by: John Herbert | Series: What Shall I Do... Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T045_20230122.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Lk 24:28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. We will continue to look at the two disciples encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday January 22nd 2023 What Shall I Do…….. Part 11 1). Lk 24:25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 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. We had seen last time that the disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus had hoped that Jesus was the One who would redeem Israel, and we had seen that what they hoped for was absolutely correct, Jesus is the One who will redeem Israel, but their hope was not founded upon what the Scriptures taught about it. Hence, the rebuke that Jesus gave them and the reason ‘He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.’ a). The disciples that Jesus met with would have accepted that He was the Christ, the Son of God, because, as His disciples, they would have been a part of the group of Jews categorized at the beginning of John’s Gospel – Jn 1:11 He came to His own [things], and His own [people] did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The disciples on the road would have been among those who received Him, who had believed in His name. Yet, this revelation of itself did not give them the complete picture, they were still missing the belief in all the prophets had spoken, beginning with Moses. And it is in the first thirty- four verses of Genesis, the first Book of Moses, that the Seven Day framework in which Israel will be redeemed is set out in foundation. b). We had also seen last time that the spiritual environment into which the Word made flesh came, and the disciples up to this point had lived, was one that was corrupted by the wisdom from below through the leavened doctrine of Israel’s religious leaders – Mt 15:1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, “Whoever says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” And we had noted that there is a parallel between the circumstances that existed among the Jewish people at the Lord’s first Advent and the circumstances that exist among Christians at the end of this dispensation immediately prior to the Lord’s second Advent. Because of the leaven placed in the three measures of meal, the teaching of the Word of the Kingdom within Christendom as a whole has become completely corrupted and has been replaced by that which corresponds to the religious traditions and the commandments of men seen in Israel in Jesus’ day. But as with the Jews at the Lord’s first Advent, there are those Christians who have been brought forth from above to hear the Word of the Kingdom. And for those Christians who do hear the Word of the Kingdom there has to come a moment of profound transformation in their thinking, pictured through the experience of the disciples on the road – Lk 24:28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” Let’s notice firstly the timing for the events described in these verses, ‘it is toward evening and the day is far spent’. Within the context of Man’s Day, for us, this Day, Mans’ Day, is far spent. We are in the time during Man’s Day categorized by spiritual darkness, a time associated with night when we await the end of one day and the dawning of a new one – Ro 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. And it is because of the lateness of the ‘day’ in the Luke account, that the disciples asked Jesus to ‘abide with us.’ And as they came together late in the day, they sat at a table together to share a meal. And as Jesus blessed and broke the bread which He then gave to them, ‘their eyes were opened, and they knew Him.’ And the sequence concludes with them recounting how their hearts burned within them as Jesus opened the Scripture to them while they were on the road. c). Inevitably, with these events taking place on the third day following the Lord’s crucifixion we can see in the breaking of the bread the Lord’s death on the cross. This is not an unreasonable assumption, but let’s not get stuck on just this one thing. The opening of the Scriptures on the road and the breaking of bread at the table, can also be seen as synonymous, especially when we consider the Christian parallel to this encounter – Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. We all heard the Lord’s voice at some point late on in Man’s Day and we opened the door - Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the ages…… And as He spoke, so we heard the Word of the Kingdom, causing us to want Him to abide with us, and as a consequence of abiding together we share a meal together, He dines with us and us with Him. Ours is not a literal meal as was the disciples’ meal on the road, rather ours is a spiritual meal Jn 6:54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has life for the age, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. To eat His flesh and drink His blood speak of the same thing, and we do this through the Scriptures as Jesus is the Word made flesh. We eat the Bread of Life sent from heaven, and we do this through rightly dividing the Word of Truth. That which we must do in answer to the question that provides the title for our series. d). There comes a time for each of us then, as we continue to hear the Word of the Kingdom, that we realize that the only way we can know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings and be conformed to His death, that we might attain to the out-resurrection from the dead, is exclusively through the Scriptures. e). There comes a time for us when, like Paul, we must make the choice to lay aside everything from our leavened background, things that are no more than the religious traditions and the commandments of men in favor of receiving the pure milk of the Word, the Word of the Kingdom. And as we had said last time, this is an essential and critical part of our three days’ journey from the land of our birth to the land of our calling. f). As we have seen through the example of the disciples on the road, knowing the Christ as our Savior with respect to eternity is not the complete picture for us. We have to move on from the leavened presentation of Jesus after this fashion only, to see Him, comprehend Him, understand His identity and purpose through the Scriptures alone, never through the traditions of men. Nothing can be kept from the Laodicean leftovers. And to gain Christ, through the Scriptures, is what we must do if we are to inherit life for the age – 1 Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. And if we go back to the disciples on the road, we can’t help but notice that they received the revelation of the fullness of Christ through the Scriptures in connection with a journey. A journey of seven miles. A complete journey then, a journey away from Jerusalem, the center of the leavened teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, to the Christ of the Scriptures. The significance of this will not be lost on us. g). We have seen the journey made by Abraham from the land of his birth to the land of his calling, the ‘three days’ journey’ of the children of Israel from Egypt to the land of promise, and Ruth’s journey from Moab to Bethlehem. And it was not until the end of the journey that each would, and will, receive that which is promised, in the presence of the glorified Christ. h). And during the course of their journeys, before reaching their destinations, we have seen examples of separation from those who set out on the journey with them but didn’t complete it. We have seen Abraham’s separation from Lot, Joshua, and Caleb’s separation from the rest of their generation, and Ruth’s separation from Orpah. And in each case, it was the actions of those not completing the journey that brought about the separation. Lot’s focus on the world, the first generation’s unfaithfulness and disobedience, and Orpah’s desire for the familiar – 2 Ti 4:10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica….. And such must be the experience of all those who choose to walk the narrow path. Some of those who begin will inevitably look for a broader way. But for those who continue – Col 3:3 For you died, 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. 1 Jn 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 2). With this ongoing process of separation in mind, and the glory that awaits us, there is another part of Ruth’s experience that is inseparable from her journey, that will be instructive for us to re-visit – Ru 2:17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley……………23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law. We will remember from our study of the Book of Ruth, that Ruth had worked in Boaz’s field from morning until evening, showing a complete period of time, and that the barley harvest spoke of resurrection through its association with the Feast of Firstfruits and that the wheat harvest spoke of death and burial – Jn 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. And by putting these two together we saw that Ruth’s experience of working in Boaz’s field pictures that seen in connection with death, burial, and resurrection. And as the ephah of grain that Ruth beat out was shown to be barley, we will realize that it is only work done in connection with resurrection that can produce fruit – Mt 13:23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word [of the Kingdom] and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” And this of course is something that we have looked at numerous times in past weeks, that which God has declared from the beginning through the events laid out in foundation on the Third Day in Genesis Chapter 1. a). Now, to state something that is so obvious we might tend to overlook it, that which is done in resurrection necessitates death first. Death and burial must precede resurrection. b). Our ‘old man’, our flesh, that which is characterized by our soul, finds itself in complete opposition to God through its connection to Satan’s kingdom must be put to death, and this is an ongoing action that cannot be avoided if we want to receive our inheritance – Ga 4:30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” We can either choose to put off concerning our former conduct, our ‘old man’ now, as an on-going process, a process of separation, the process pictured through beating out the grain in Ruth, or we will experience death, separation from God’s purpose for us, at the Judgment Seat, that will be Millennial in length – Jn 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for the age. Ro 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. But if we should choose to lose our soul/life now, as a consistent part of our three days’ journey, as part of our answer to ‘What shall I do’, then at the Judgment Seat our soul will be redeemed from death for the age, as the sin nature will be no more, bringing an end to the body of this death for all time. c). As always, we have a choice, but the downside of having a choice is that we can make the wrong one. d). At the risk of being redundant, let’s say this one more time so that we can grasp the reality and certainty of it. We can either choose to consistently separate ourselves from our old man throughout the course of our journey, to beat out the grain to produce our ephah of barley, or we will experience ‘death’ for the Millennial Kingdom. One way or the other ‘death’ cannot be avoided. Please don’t let the residue of the Laodicean leftovers from the doctrine of Balaam, ‘You shall not surely die’, filter out this truth. e). In that Day we will be judged by the Word in accordance with the Word – and all without partiality - 1Pe 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear….. There will be no extenuating circumstances and no plea bargains. And because of the certainty of this judgment the Lord warns us, through the pen of Peter, to conduct ourselves during the time of our stay here in fear. f). This is the same admonition that is given by Jesus in – Mt 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell [Gehenna]. And let’s not forget - Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And with Ruth’s work in Boaz’s field in mind let’s remember another agricultural metaphor - Ga 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life for the age. Ru 3:15 Also he said, “Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. The six ephahs of barley given to Ruth by Boaz plus the one epha beaten out by Ruth gives a total of seven ephas, the completed work in association with resurrection, spirit, soul, and body. The end of the three days’ journey, the goal of our faith. And that which is sown to the Spirit, the death of the flesh, the death of the old man, reaps an abundant harvest exponentially greater than that which was sown. The grain of wheat that dies produces ‘much grain.’ – Ro 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Our flesh, our old man, on the one hand, is to be seen as our enemy – 1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul……. And then on the other hand, our flesh, our old man, must be seen as the sacrifice, the death of the firstborn, a sacrifice which we should willingly present to God - Ro 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Whichever way we come at this the Scripture is clear on the action we are to take so that our old man will not have the ascendancy and be able to take our crown – Re 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Ga 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Here in Galatians Chapter 3, we once again see a contrast drawn between ‘the works of the law’, the wisdom from below and ‘the hearing of faith’, the wisdom from above. The Galatians, having begun in the Spirit, the wisdom brought forth from above, were now turning back to the self-righteous works of the law, the wisdom brought forth from below, believing this would bring them to the salvation of their souls; something it could never do. And to bring this idea over into our own context, the parallel for this is going back to, or not moving away from, the Laodicean leftovers that has been a frequent subject for us. The Laodicean leftovers, like the law in Galatians, is a work of the flesh and not of the Spirit – Ro 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Again, our scripture here is very plain – if we allow our flesh to live now and thereby choose to walk according to its lusts, even though these may appear very religious, then ‘death’ awaits us in that Day – Mt 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it…….. If, however, we put to death the deeds of the body, separate ourselves from them now, by the Spirit through the Word, and this would include the Laodicean leftovers, then we shall have life in that Day – Mt 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. This is the simple message of the cross, which is foolishness to those who are perishing, those who desire to save their life now, but for those in the process of being saved, who are making the three days’ journey, who are choosing to lose their life now as they beat out the grain, it is the power of God unto salvation, the salvation of the soul – 1 Th 2:13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. The Word of God can only be found in the Scriptures, beginning in Genesis 1:1 and concluding in Revelation 22:21, and that contained between these two places can easily be described as the Word of the Kingdom, as the King and His Kingdom is the subject matter throughout. Man has no part in this Word other than men of God wrote it down as they were moved by the Holy Spirit to do so. Consequently, man’s thoughts, ideologies, philosophies, religious teachings, and religious traditions, are as far removed from this Word as the east is from the west. But for those who will receive it for what it is in truth, the Word of God, for those who believe it, who have faith, it will effectively work in them a work of transformation 2 Co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. We will continue with this next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed. What Shall I Do - Part Eleven Jan 22, 2023 Speaker: John Herbert Series: What Shall I Do... Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T045_20230122.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Lk 24:28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. We will continue to look at the two disciples encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday January 22nd 2023 What Shall I Do…….. Part 11 1). Lk 24:25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 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. We had seen last time that the disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus had hoped that Jesus was the One who would redeem Israel, and we had seen that what they hoped for was absolutely correct, Jesus is the One who will redeem Israel, but their hope was not founded upon what the Scriptures taught about it. Hence, the rebuke that Jesus gave them and the reason ‘He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.’ a). The disciples that Jesus met with would have accepted that He was the Christ, the Son of God, because, as His disciples, they would have been a part of the group of Jews categorized at the beginning of John’s Gospel – Jn 1:11 He came to His own [things], and His own [people] did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The disciples on the road would have been among those who received Him, who had believed in His name. Yet, this revelation of itself did not give them the complete picture, they were still missing the belief in all the prophets had spoken, beginning with Moses. And it is in the first thirty- four verses of Genesis, the first Book of Moses, that the Seven Day framework in which Israel will be redeemed is set out in foundation. b). We had also seen last time that the spiritual environment into which the Word made flesh came, and the disciples up to this point had lived, was one that was corrupted by the wisdom from below through the leavened doctrine of Israel’s religious leaders – Mt 15:1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, “Whoever says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” And we had noted that there is a parallel between the circumstances that existed among the Jewish people at the Lord’s first Advent and the circumstances that exist among Christians at the end of this dispensation immediately prior to the Lord’s second Advent. Because of the leaven placed in the three measures of meal, the teaching of the Word of the Kingdom within Christendom as a whole has become completely corrupted and has been replaced by that which corresponds to the religious traditions and the commandments of men seen in Israel in Jesus’ day. But as with the Jews at the Lord’s first Advent, there are those Christians who have been brought forth from above to hear the Word of the Kingdom. And for those Christians who do hear the Word of the Kingdom there has to come a moment of profound transformation in their thinking, pictured through the experience of the disciples on the road – Lk 24:28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” Let’s notice firstly the timing for the events described in these verses, ‘it is toward evening and the day is far spent’. Within the context of Man’s Day, for us, this Day, Mans’ Day, is far spent. We are in the time during Man’s Day categorized by spiritual darkness, a time associated with night when we await the end of one day and the dawning of a new one – Ro 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. And it is because of the lateness of the ‘day’ in the Luke account, that the disciples asked Jesus to ‘abide with us.’ And as they came together late in the day, they sat at a table together to share a meal. And as Jesus blessed and broke the bread which He then gave to them, ‘their eyes were opened, and they knew Him.’ And the sequence concludes with them recounting how their hearts burned within them as Jesus opened the Scripture to them while they were on the road. c). Inevitably, with these events taking place on the third day following the Lord’s crucifixion we can see in the breaking of the bread the Lord’s death on the cross. This is not an unreasonable assumption, but let’s not get stuck on just this one thing. The opening of the Scriptures on the road and the breaking of bread at the table, can also be seen as synonymous, especially when we consider the Christian parallel to this encounter – Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. We all heard the Lord’s voice at some point late on in Man’s Day and we opened the door - Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the ages…… And as He spoke, so we heard the Word of the Kingdom, causing us to want Him to abide with us, and as a consequence of abiding together we share a meal together, He dines with us and us with Him. Ours is not a literal meal as was the disciples’ meal on the road, rather ours is a spiritual meal Jn 6:54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has life for the age, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. To eat His flesh and drink His blood speak of the same thing, and we do this through the Scriptures as Jesus is the Word made flesh. We eat the Bread of Life sent from heaven, and we do this through rightly dividing the Word of Truth. That which we must do in answer to the question that provides the title for our series. d). There comes a time for each of us then, as we continue to hear the Word of the Kingdom, that we realize that the only way we can know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings and be conformed to His death, that we might attain to the out-resurrection from the dead, is exclusively through the Scriptures. e). There comes a time for us when, like Paul, we must make the choice to lay aside everything from our leavened background, things that are no more than the religious traditions and the commandments of men in favor of receiving the pure milk of the Word, the Word of the Kingdom. And as we had said last time, this is an essential and critical part of our three days’ journey from the land of our birth to the land of our calling. f). As we have seen through the example of the disciples on the road, knowing the Christ as our Savior with respect to eternity is not the complete picture for us. We have to move on from the leavened presentation of Jesus after this fashion only, to see Him, comprehend Him, understand His identity and purpose through the Scriptures alone, never through the traditions of men. Nothing can be kept from the Laodicean leftovers. And to gain Christ, through the Scriptures, is what we must do if we are to inherit life for the age – 1 Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. And if we go back to the disciples on the road, we can’t help but notice that they received the revelation of the fullness of Christ through the Scriptures in connection with a journey. A journey of seven miles. A complete journey then, a journey away from Jerusalem, the center of the leavened teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, to the Christ of the Scriptures. The significance of this will not be lost on us. g). We have seen the journey made by Abraham from the land of his birth to the land of his calling, the ‘three days’ journey’ of the children of Israel from Egypt to the land of promise, and Ruth’s journey from Moab to Bethlehem. And it was not until the end of the journey that each would, and will, receive that which is promised, in the presence of the glorified Christ. h). And during the course of their journeys, before reaching their destinations, we have seen examples of separation from those who set out on the journey with them but didn’t complete it. We have seen Abraham’s separation from Lot, Joshua, and Caleb’s separation from the rest of their generation, and Ruth’s separation from Orpah. And in each case, it was the actions of those not completing the journey that brought about the separation. Lot’s focus on the world, the first generation’s unfaithfulness and disobedience, and Orpah’s desire for the familiar – 2 Ti 4:10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica….. And such must be the experience of all those who choose to walk the narrow path. Some of those who begin will inevitably look for a broader way. But for those who continue – Col 3:3 For you died, 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. 1 Jn 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 2). With this ongoing process of separation in mind, and the glory that awaits us, there is another part of Ruth’s experience that is inseparable from her journey, that will be instructive for us to re-visit – Ru 2:17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley……………23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law. We will remember from our study of the Book of Ruth, that Ruth had worked in Boaz’s field from morning until evening, showing a complete period of time, and that the barley harvest spoke of resurrection through its association with the Feast of Firstfruits and that the wheat harvest spoke of death and burial – Jn 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. And by putting these two together we saw that Ruth’s experience of working in Boaz’s field pictures that seen in connection with death, burial, and resurrection. And as the ephah of grain that Ruth beat out was shown to be barley, we will realize that it is only work done in connection with resurrection that can produce fruit – Mt 13:23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word [of the Kingdom] and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” And this of course is something that we have looked at numerous times in past weeks, that which God has declared from the beginning through the events laid out in foundation on the Third Day in Genesis Chapter 1. a). Now, to state something that is so obvious we might tend to overlook it, that which is done in resurrection necessitates death first. Death and burial must precede resurrection. b). Our ‘old man’, our flesh, that which is characterized by our soul, finds itself in complete opposition to God through its connection to Satan’s kingdom must be put to death, and this is an ongoing action that cannot be avoided if we want to receive our inheritance – Ga 4:30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” We can either choose to put off concerning our former conduct, our ‘old man’ now, as an on-going process, a process of separation, the process pictured through beating out the grain in Ruth, or we will experience death, separation from God’s purpose for us, at the Judgment Seat, that will be Millennial in length – Jn 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for the age. Ro 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. But if we should choose to lose our soul/life now, as a consistent part of our three days’ journey, as part of our answer to ‘What shall I do’, then at the Judgment Seat our soul will be redeemed from death for the age, as the sin nature will be no more, bringing an end to the body of this death for all time. c). As always, we have a choice, but the downside of having a choice is that we can make the wrong one. d). At the risk of being redundant, let’s say this one more time so that we can grasp the reality and certainty of it. We can either choose to consistently separate ourselves from our old man throughout the course of our journey, to beat out the grain to produce our ephah of barley, or we will experience ‘death’ for the Millennial Kingdom. One way or the other ‘death’ cannot be avoided. Please don’t let the residue of the Laodicean leftovers from the doctrine of Balaam, ‘You shall not surely die’, filter out this truth. e). In that Day we will be judged by the Word in accordance with the Word – and all without partiality - 1Pe 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear….. There will be no extenuating circumstances and no plea bargains. And because of the certainty of this judgment the Lord warns us, through the pen of Peter, to conduct ourselves during the time of our stay here in fear. f). This is the same admonition that is given by Jesus in – Mt 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell [Gehenna]. And let’s not forget - Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And with Ruth’s work in Boaz’s field in mind let’s remember another agricultural metaphor - Ga 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life for the age. Ru 3:15 Also he said, “Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. The six ephahs of barley given to Ruth by Boaz plus the one epha beaten out by Ruth gives a total of seven ephas, the completed work in association with resurrection, spirit, soul, and body. The end of the three days’ journey, the goal of our faith. And that which is sown to the Spirit, the death of the flesh, the death of the old man, reaps an abundant harvest exponentially greater than that which was sown. The grain of wheat that dies produces ‘much grain.’ – Ro 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Our flesh, our old man, on the one hand, is to be seen as our enemy – 1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul……. And then on the other hand, our flesh, our old man, must be seen as the sacrifice, the death of the firstborn, a sacrifice which we should willingly present to God - Ro 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Whichever way we come at this the Scripture is clear on the action we are to take so that our old man will not have the ascendancy and be able to take our crown – Re 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Ga 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Here in Galatians Chapter 3, we once again see a contrast drawn between ‘the works of the law’, the wisdom from below and ‘the hearing of faith’, the wisdom from above. The Galatians, having begun in the Spirit, the wisdom brought forth from above, were now turning back to the self-righteous works of the law, the wisdom brought forth from below, believing this would bring them to the salvation of their souls; something it could never do. And to bring this idea over into our own context, the parallel for this is going back to, or not moving away from, the Laodicean leftovers that has been a frequent subject for us. The Laodicean leftovers, like the law in Galatians, is a work of the flesh and not of the Spirit – Ro 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Again, our scripture here is very plain – if we allow our flesh to live now and thereby choose to walk according to its lusts, even though these may appear very religious, then ‘death’ awaits us in that Day – Mt 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it…….. If, however, we put to death the deeds of the body, separate ourselves from them now, by the Spirit through the Word, and this would include the Laodicean leftovers, then we shall have life in that Day – Mt 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. This is the simple message of the cross, which is foolishness to those who are perishing, those who desire to save their life now, but for those in the process of being saved, who are making the three days’ journey, who are choosing to lose their life now as they beat out the grain, it is the power of God unto salvation, the salvation of the soul – 1 Th 2:13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. The Word of God can only be found in the Scriptures, beginning in Genesis 1:1 and concluding in Revelation 22:21, and that contained between these two places can easily be described as the Word of the Kingdom, as the King and His Kingdom is the subject matter throughout. Man has no part in this Word other than men of God wrote it down as they were moved by the Holy Spirit to do so. Consequently, man’s thoughts, ideologies, philosophies, religious teachings, and religious traditions, are as far removed from this Word as the east is from the west. But for those who will receive it for what it is in truth, the Word of God, for those who believe it, who have faith, it will effectively work in them a work of transformation 2 Co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. We will continue with this next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.