What Shall I Do - Part Twenty Four May 07, 2023 by: John Herbert | Series: What Shall I Do... Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T001_20230507.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Ge 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” We will continue to look at this mandate today. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday May 7th 2023 What Shall I Do…….. Part 24 1). Ge 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” We had seen last time that God had given a mandate to Adam, seen in v28, which was to be fulfilled before he and the Woman would have dominion in the place of Satan and his fallen angels. And to fulfill this mandate before the fall, Adam, and the Woman would have been ‘fruitful’ in the procreation of children thereby filling the earth with those just like themselves. And this would have led to the earth being subdued with Adam and the Woman’s progeny then exercising dominion together with them. a). I think we have always thought that Adam and the Woman would just rule had the Woman not been deceived and Adam had not entered into her sin with her, and we had not really given any consideration to children. But clearly from the mandate, this is a wrong assumption. A contingent of those of like mind and purpose with their Creator HAD to be in place first before rulership could begin. b). And as it is set in the foundation, so it must always be, which is exactly what we saw was required of Israel - Ge 35:9 Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. 11 Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 12 The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” Acts 7:14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers……..17 “But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt…….. The seventy-five who entered Egypt with Jacob multiplied into millions by the time of the Passover. And it was those comprising this nation who were to enter the land in a Theocracy, subdue the land, and at the head of the nations, rule the earth in the place of Satan. But as we have seen from the original mandate, more than just numbers are involved with this. There had to be like mindedness, and that like-mindedness had to be with God and His purpose. And from the wilderness journey alone we would know that the like-mindedness that was necessary was not there, except for Joshua and Caleb. c). And by the time we come to the Lord’s first Advent, the like- mindedness of the majority of the nation was more in line with Satan than with the God of their fathers – Jn 8:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Mt 23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in………………. 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Fruitfulness was impossible for the unrepentant nation. Their lack of faithful obedience and their refusal to change their minds, meant that there could be no fruit in their own lives and no multiplication of individuals who were likeminded with God and His purpose with respect to the Kingdom of the heavens for the rest of this age. This was made clear through the metaphor of the cursed fig tree and in the Lord’s pronouncement in – Mt 23:38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ” And as we know because of this failure to bring forth fruit, the Kingdom of the heavens was taken from them to be given to a nation which would produce fruit for the Kingdom. 2). 1 Sa 22:1 David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. In the type given through David and Saul, picturing Christ and Satan, we can again see the mandate from Genesis Chapter 1. Just as there was an increase in likeminded individuals who went to be with David at the cave of Adullam, separating themselves from Saul’s kingdom as they waited for God to place David on the throne that they might administer the kingdom together with him, so, Jesus at the right hand of the Father, has been drawing likeminded individuals to Himself for the last two-thousand years. Those who have heard the Word of the Kingdom, who have separated themselves from Satan’s kingdom as they patiently endure, awaiting the time when God will place His Christ upon the throne, and they will administer the Kingdom together with Him in the position of wife and firstborn son. a). But as we would expect, to be likeminded with Christ takes us beyond the simplicity of the salvation we presently possess, the salvation though that makes it possible through receiving spiritual life for Christians to know what the mind of Christ is, to be likeminded with Him with respect to the Seventh Day. And as we have already noted, knowing the mind of Christ can only begin by hearing the Word of the Kingdom – 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.” To say once again that which by now should be etched upon our every thought, only by hearing the Word of the Kingdom and understanding it, leading to faithful obedience, is fruit production for the Kingdom possible. b). Paul asked a question in Romans Chapter 6 – Ro 6:19 I am using an illustration drawn from human affairs because of the frailties of your humanity. For just as you placed your members as slaves at the disposal of uncleanness and lawlessness resulting in lawlessness, thus now place your members as slaves at the disposal of righteousness resulting in holiness. 20 For, when you were slaves of the sinful nature, you were those who were free with respect to righteousness. 21 Therefore, what fruit were you having then, upon the basis of which things now you are ashamed? For the consummation of these things is death. 22 But now, having been set free from the sinful nature and having been made bondslaves of God, you are having your fruit resulting in holiness, and the consummation, life for the age. [Wuest] And once more here we can see fruit coming from two different trees. The fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil whose fruit leads to death and the fruit from the tree of life, whose fruit results in holiness leading to life for the age. And if we cast our minds back to a previous study, we will remember that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is inseparable from the wisdom brought forth from below, from doing that which is right in our own eyes. And this, of course is contrasted with subjecting ourselves to the Scriptures, doing that which is right in God’s eyes, being likeminded with Him – Ro 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. And to subject ourselves to the Scriptures to be obedient to the faith, will always require us to constantly acknowledge that our old man has died and has been buried, keeping him in the place of death, thereby allowing us to walk in the Spirit – 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 age lasting life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. Through the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection came the multiplication of those who would be likeminded with Him, those who He has been drawing to Himself over the course of this dispensation. And as those who are likeminded with Christ, who can be seen as grains of wheat, keep their old man in the place of death by faith so they produce much fruit in the Spirit. Paul said – Ro 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Paul is dealing with the law, the letter of the Scriptures, from which, Christians have been delivered so that they may be married to Christ who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God. The reference to the Lord’s resurrection makes plain that that being dealt with here has to do with the saving of the soul. And in the image of being married to Christ and bearing fruit, we can find echoes of the original mandate given in Genesis Chapter 1. c). Because of what we also find in the foundation – Ge 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Eph 5:31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. We will realize that to be married to Christ is to be one flesh with Him and this is a great mystery. To be one flesh with Christ is not literal, it is not of the oldness of the letter, but is figurative, of the newness of the Spirit. To be one flesh with Christ is to be as He is, to be of the same mind and of the same body, and out of this union we will produce fruit to God. d). Peter describes it this way – 1 Pe 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been brought forth from above, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. And the incorruptible seed will take us to another foundational, irrevocable, truth – Ge 1:11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day. What we see here all takes place on the Third Day, which will not be lost on us as we again see the resurrection. And what we are told is that the fruit tree, the tree that produces fruit, yields fruit according to its own kind, whose seed is in itself. e). If we take this irrevocable truth and apply it to the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and abides forever, who we may also equate with the tree of life, we see that the incorruptible seed that we receive through Him can only reproduce after its own kind. It can only produce like for like. And this we can see in – 1 Jn 1:9 Whoever has been brought forth out of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been brought forth out of God. Christ’s ‘seed’ remains in the one brought forth from above out of God, and as this ‘seed’ can only reproduce after its own kind, so the one brought forth from above, having the ‘seed’ cannot sin. Simply because Christ cannot sin. It is like for like. That which is brought forth from above, the man of the spirit, receiving the Word of Truth cannot sin because the Word of Truth has no connection with sin. f). Now, this does not say that we have no sin, John has dealt with this plainly – 1 Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But what it does say, is that all the while we walk in faithful obedience to the Word of Truth, the incorruptible seed, by which we are continually brought forth from above, sin is not possible. 3). Mt 13:3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed………….18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom…………….37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom……. Inevitably we will be drawn back to the Parables of the Sower and the Wheat and Tares, where we see the Lord sowing the ‘sons of the Kingdom’, those who have heard and understood the Word of the Kingdom, out into the world. And through the incorruptible seed of the Word of Truth which they have been given, not only will they experience the metamorphosis themselves, but they will also ‘reproduce’ after their own kind. Through them, others will become just like them as they are just like Christ – 1 Co 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. On the one hand this must be the role of the pastor/teachers – 2 Ti 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 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…….. And on the other hand, in conjunction with the work of the pastor/teachers, there is the responsibility that the individuals in the body have towards each other – Eph 4:15 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. And outside of the local body, those in possession of the incorruptible seed, the Word of the Kingdom, are to share that Word with others, that all might be likeminded with Christ. And this will be witnessed in two weeks’ time, as we visit the churches in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, who are themselves being fruitful and multiplying in accordance with God’s mandate. And this is witnessed every week on our screens on Wednesdays and Thursdays in particular, as well as the other studies that take place. During which we exhort and encourage those in the US and around the world in their growth to spiritual maturity, to be like minded with Christ – 1 Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…. And we are admonished throughout the Scriptures – Ro 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Ro15:5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Co 1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Php 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel….. Php 2:1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Php 3:16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind………….4:2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 1 Pe 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. To be likeminded is to come to the unity of the faith. To come to the unity of the faith, so as to be likeminded, will come through the transforming of our minds – Ro 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And the transforming of our minds will be brought about by – Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. The implanted Word that is able to save our souls is the incorruptible seed that will reproduce after its own kind. And in this way the mandate to be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion will be fulfilled – Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. And just as the nation of Israel was to enter the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and overcome their enemies, so we are to overcome our enemies in ‘the land’ which is our inheritance, the heavenly realm of the Kingdom. And we are to do this through having victory in the spiritual warfare. And to have this victory we must be likeminded with the ‘Captain’ of our salvation. We will bring this series to a close next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed. What Shall I Do - Part Twenty Four May 07, 2023 Speaker: John Herbert Series: What Shall I Do... Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T001_20230507.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Ge 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” We will continue to look at this mandate today. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday May 7th 2023 What Shall I Do…….. Part 24 1). Ge 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” We had seen last time that God had given a mandate to Adam, seen in v28, which was to be fulfilled before he and the Woman would have dominion in the place of Satan and his fallen angels. And to fulfill this mandate before the fall, Adam, and the Woman would have been ‘fruitful’ in the procreation of children thereby filling the earth with those just like themselves. And this would have led to the earth being subdued with Adam and the Woman’s progeny then exercising dominion together with them. a). I think we have always thought that Adam and the Woman would just rule had the Woman not been deceived and Adam had not entered into her sin with her, and we had not really given any consideration to children. But clearly from the mandate, this is a wrong assumption. A contingent of those of like mind and purpose with their Creator HAD to be in place first before rulership could begin. b). And as it is set in the foundation, so it must always be, which is exactly what we saw was required of Israel - Ge 35:9 Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. 11 Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 12 The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” Acts 7:14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers……..17 “But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt…….. The seventy-five who entered Egypt with Jacob multiplied into millions by the time of the Passover. And it was those comprising this nation who were to enter the land in a Theocracy, subdue the land, and at the head of the nations, rule the earth in the place of Satan. But as we have seen from the original mandate, more than just numbers are involved with this. There had to be like mindedness, and that like-mindedness had to be with God and His purpose. And from the wilderness journey alone we would know that the like-mindedness that was necessary was not there, except for Joshua and Caleb. c). And by the time we come to the Lord’s first Advent, the like- mindedness of the majority of the nation was more in line with Satan than with the God of their fathers – Jn 8:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Mt 23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in………………. 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Fruitfulness was impossible for the unrepentant nation. Their lack of faithful obedience and their refusal to change their minds, meant that there could be no fruit in their own lives and no multiplication of individuals who were likeminded with God and His purpose with respect to the Kingdom of the heavens for the rest of this age. This was made clear through the metaphor of the cursed fig tree and in the Lord’s pronouncement in – Mt 23:38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ” And as we know because of this failure to bring forth fruit, the Kingdom of the heavens was taken from them to be given to a nation which would produce fruit for the Kingdom. 2). 1 Sa 22:1 David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. In the type given through David and Saul, picturing Christ and Satan, we can again see the mandate from Genesis Chapter 1. Just as there was an increase in likeminded individuals who went to be with David at the cave of Adullam, separating themselves from Saul’s kingdom as they waited for God to place David on the throne that they might administer the kingdom together with him, so, Jesus at the right hand of the Father, has been drawing likeminded individuals to Himself for the last two-thousand years. Those who have heard the Word of the Kingdom, who have separated themselves from Satan’s kingdom as they patiently endure, awaiting the time when God will place His Christ upon the throne, and they will administer the Kingdom together with Him in the position of wife and firstborn son. a). But as we would expect, to be likeminded with Christ takes us beyond the simplicity of the salvation we presently possess, the salvation though that makes it possible through receiving spiritual life for Christians to know what the mind of Christ is, to be likeminded with Him with respect to the Seventh Day. And as we have already noted, knowing the mind of Christ can only begin by hearing the Word of the Kingdom – 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.” To say once again that which by now should be etched upon our every thought, only by hearing the Word of the Kingdom and understanding it, leading to faithful obedience, is fruit production for the Kingdom possible. b). Paul asked a question in Romans Chapter 6 – Ro 6:19 I am using an illustration drawn from human affairs because of the frailties of your humanity. For just as you placed your members as slaves at the disposal of uncleanness and lawlessness resulting in lawlessness, thus now place your members as slaves at the disposal of righteousness resulting in holiness. 20 For, when you were slaves of the sinful nature, you were those who were free with respect to righteousness. 21 Therefore, what fruit were you having then, upon the basis of which things now you are ashamed? For the consummation of these things is death. 22 But now, having been set free from the sinful nature and having been made bondslaves of God, you are having your fruit resulting in holiness, and the consummation, life for the age. [Wuest] And once more here we can see fruit coming from two different trees. The fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil whose fruit leads to death and the fruit from the tree of life, whose fruit results in holiness leading to life for the age. And if we cast our minds back to a previous study, we will remember that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is inseparable from the wisdom brought forth from below, from doing that which is right in our own eyes. And this, of course is contrasted with subjecting ourselves to the Scriptures, doing that which is right in God’s eyes, being likeminded with Him – Ro 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. And to subject ourselves to the Scriptures to be obedient to the faith, will always require us to constantly acknowledge that our old man has died and has been buried, keeping him in the place of death, thereby allowing us to walk in the Spirit – 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 age lasting life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. Through the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection came the multiplication of those who would be likeminded with Him, those who He has been drawing to Himself over the course of this dispensation. And as those who are likeminded with Christ, who can be seen as grains of wheat, keep their old man in the place of death by faith so they produce much fruit in the Spirit. Paul said – Ro 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Paul is dealing with the law, the letter of the Scriptures, from which, Christians have been delivered so that they may be married to Christ who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God. The reference to the Lord’s resurrection makes plain that that being dealt with here has to do with the saving of the soul. And in the image of being married to Christ and bearing fruit, we can find echoes of the original mandate given in Genesis Chapter 1. c). Because of what we also find in the foundation – Ge 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Eph 5:31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. We will realize that to be married to Christ is to be one flesh with Him and this is a great mystery. To be one flesh with Christ is not literal, it is not of the oldness of the letter, but is figurative, of the newness of the Spirit. To be one flesh with Christ is to be as He is, to be of the same mind and of the same body, and out of this union we will produce fruit to God. d). Peter describes it this way – 1 Pe 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been brought forth from above, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. And the incorruptible seed will take us to another foundational, irrevocable, truth – Ge 1:11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day. What we see here all takes place on the Third Day, which will not be lost on us as we again see the resurrection. And what we are told is that the fruit tree, the tree that produces fruit, yields fruit according to its own kind, whose seed is in itself. e). If we take this irrevocable truth and apply it to the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and abides forever, who we may also equate with the tree of life, we see that the incorruptible seed that we receive through Him can only reproduce after its own kind. It can only produce like for like. And this we can see in – 1 Jn 1:9 Whoever has been brought forth out of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been brought forth out of God. Christ’s ‘seed’ remains in the one brought forth from above out of God, and as this ‘seed’ can only reproduce after its own kind, so the one brought forth from above, having the ‘seed’ cannot sin. Simply because Christ cannot sin. It is like for like. That which is brought forth from above, the man of the spirit, receiving the Word of Truth cannot sin because the Word of Truth has no connection with sin. f). Now, this does not say that we have no sin, John has dealt with this plainly – 1 Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But what it does say, is that all the while we walk in faithful obedience to the Word of Truth, the incorruptible seed, by which we are continually brought forth from above, sin is not possible. 3). Mt 13:3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed………….18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom…………….37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom……. Inevitably we will be drawn back to the Parables of the Sower and the Wheat and Tares, where we see the Lord sowing the ‘sons of the Kingdom’, those who have heard and understood the Word of the Kingdom, out into the world. And through the incorruptible seed of the Word of Truth which they have been given, not only will they experience the metamorphosis themselves, but they will also ‘reproduce’ after their own kind. Through them, others will become just like them as they are just like Christ – 1 Co 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. On the one hand this must be the role of the pastor/teachers – 2 Ti 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 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…….. And on the other hand, in conjunction with the work of the pastor/teachers, there is the responsibility that the individuals in the body have towards each other – Eph 4:15 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. And outside of the local body, those in possession of the incorruptible seed, the Word of the Kingdom, are to share that Word with others, that all might be likeminded with Christ. And this will be witnessed in two weeks’ time, as we visit the churches in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, who are themselves being fruitful and multiplying in accordance with God’s mandate. And this is witnessed every week on our screens on Wednesdays and Thursdays in particular, as well as the other studies that take place. During which we exhort and encourage those in the US and around the world in their growth to spiritual maturity, to be like minded with Christ – 1 Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…. And we are admonished throughout the Scriptures – Ro 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Ro15:5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Co 1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Php 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel….. Php 2:1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Php 3:16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind………….4:2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 1 Pe 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. To be likeminded is to come to the unity of the faith. To come to the unity of the faith, so as to be likeminded, will come through the transforming of our minds – Ro 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And the transforming of our minds will be brought about by – Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. The implanted Word that is able to save our souls is the incorruptible seed that will reproduce after its own kind. And in this way the mandate to be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion will be fulfilled – Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. And just as the nation of Israel was to enter the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and overcome their enemies, so we are to overcome our enemies in ‘the land’ which is our inheritance, the heavenly realm of the Kingdom. And we are to do this through having victory in the spiritual warfare. And to have this victory we must be likeminded with the ‘Captain’ of our salvation. We will bring this series to a close next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.