THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT<br> <br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 10-30-16<br> <br>



LESSON TITLE: “THE KINGDOM AND THE BODY”<br> <br>



WELCOME<br> <br>

      LET ME WELCOME EACH OF YOU TO OUR PROGRAM THIS MORNING.  WE ARE EXCITED THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THIS TIME OF OFFERING AND ENCOURAGEMENT, AS WE PARTICIPATE IN THE THINGS OF GOD.   <br> <br>

THIS PROGRAM REMAINS COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT GOD WANTS, IN THE WAY HE WANTS.  WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY COLLECTIVELY SINGING SONGS OF PRAISE TO GLORIFY HIS NAME, BY STUDYING HIS WORD, AND BY APPROACHING HIS THRONE IN PRAYER.  SO, AT THIS TIME, LET’S HUMBLY BOW OUR HEADS BEFORE OUR GOD.  <br> <br>

PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY - THE GREAT BLESSINGS OF LIFE. THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THE CHANCE THAT WE HAVE TO WORSHIP YOU. THEREFORE FATHER, MAY WE DO ALL IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH AS YOU HAVE COMMANDED. FATHER, HELP US TO HAVE THOSE THINGS WE NEED IN THIS LIFE TO LIVE EVERY DAY THAT WE MIGHT BE PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT. KNOWING THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE ONLY BECAUSE OF THE GREAT GIFT OF YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT GIFT AND WHAT IT MEANS TO US THAT WE MIGHT SOMEDAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. FATHER, THESE THINGS WE PRAY IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON JESUS, AMEN. <br> <br>

      ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS WE HAVE AS CHRISTIANS IS THE FACT THAT GOD CONTINUES BLESSING US IN SO MANY WAYS.  IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE PHYSICAL THINGS WE NEED OR THE SPIRITUAL HELP HE HAS PROMISED - OUR GOD IS THERE TO HELP US WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE NEED OF.  <br> <br>

      MANY OF OUR SONGS OF PRAISE DEAL WITH THIS IDEA OF THE WONDERFUL BLESSING WE HAVE IN JESUS CHRIST.  AND ALL OF THEM INFER THE IDEA THAT AS LONG AS WE ARE DOING OUR PART, GOD WILL KEEP DOING HIS.  I REMEMBER ONE OLD SONG THAT SAYS, “IF IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER OH LORD, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO DO.”  WHAT ENCOURAGING TRUTHS WE FIND IN THESE WORDS. THIS MORNING OUR FIRST SONG DEALS WITH A GREAT BLESSING AND PROMISE FROM GOD.  SO, AT THIS TIME WON’T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AS WE TOGETHER SING, “SAVIOR LEAD ME.” <br> <br>



DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU FELT LIKE YOU JUST COULDN’T DO ANY MORE OR LIKE YOU JUST COULDN’T GO ON?  I THINK WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE BEFORE AND WONDERED WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO TO GET STARTED UP AGAIN.  IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE REFERRING TO OUR SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL LIVES, WE ALL HAVE THESE UPS AND DOWNS THAT MAKE US FEEL LIKE GIVING UP. <br> <br>

      IF WE LOOK IN THE BIBLE THIS PROBLEM IS NOTHING NEW, BECAUSE WE FIND THAT EVEN THOSE WHO LIVED LONG AGO HAD THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. FOR A WHILE THEY WOULD BE STRONG AND FAITHFUL TO GOD, BUT THEN THEY WOULD FALL AWAY AND HAVE TO BE REMINDED, BEFORE THEY WOULD TURN BACK TO THEIR GOD.  IN LAMENTATIONS 3:40 WE READ THIS STATEMENT, “LET US SEARCH OUT AND EXAMINE OUR WAYS, AND TURN BACK TO THE LORD.”  HERE JEREMIAH TALKS OF A NEED FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO EXAMINE THEMSELVES, AND WHY?  SO THAT THEY WOULD TURN BACK TO THE LORD.  <br> <br>

      TO ME THIS IS VERY ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE AREN’T DOING OUR BEST OR FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO GIVE UP THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE.  EVERYONE HAS BEEN THERE AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING, EVEN MANY GREAT FOLLOWERS OF GOD IN THE BIBLE.  I LOVE THE WAY PAUL PUT IT WHEN HE EXHORTED THE GALATIANS WITH THE FOLLOWING WORDS, “AND LET US NOT GROW WEARY WHILE DOING GOOD, FOR IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP IF WE DO NOT LOSE HEART.”  AGAIN, HE TELLS US NOT TO GROW WEARY OR GIVE UP, AND AGAIN WHY?  BECAUSE IF WE ENDURE AND MAKE IT, WE WILL REAP GREAT THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISES OF GOD.  BUT WE CAN NOT FAINT OR QUIT ON THE LORD.  <br> <br>

      WHAT ELSE DOES GOD DO TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MAKE IT TO THE END.  WELL, AS FAITHFUL CHILDREN OF GOD, WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE - HE IS THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.  IN FACT, IN HEBREWS 13:5, WE HAVE RECORDED THE WORDS OF OUR GOD, WHEN HE SAID, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.” YOU SEE GOD IS ALWAYS THERE TO HELP US WHEN WE FALL OR WHEN WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE ALONE.  SO THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE DOWN AND FEEL LIKE THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO GET GOING AGAIN, REMEMBER THAT GOD IS BY YOUR SIDE.  AND THAT WITH HIS HELP, ALL THINGS ARE TRULY POSSIBLE.  I CAN ASSURE YOU, IT WILL BE WELL WORTH THE EFFORT.  ARE YOU STANDING STRONG ON THE WILL OF GOD? TODAY, WE WILL BE CONSIDERING AS A SPECIFIC TOPIC A LESSON ENTITLED, “THE KINGDOM AND THE BODY,” THIS IS OUR NEXT LESSON IN THE SERIES WE ARE STUDYING WHICH IS CALLED “THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.”  <br> <br>

      SO, PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US THIS MORNING, AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER I WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD’S WORD.  THE NAME OF OUR NEXT HYMN IS, “SEEKING THE LOST.” <br> <br>



LESSON<br> <br>

BY RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'VE CONTINUED WITH US NOW AS WE GO TO GOD'S WORD AND CONSIDER ANOTHER LESSON IN OUR NEW SERIES WHICH IS ENTITLED - THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. AND CERTAINLY THIS IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL TOPIC AND THEME BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, MANY TIMES THE CHURCH IS REFERRED TO AS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. THIS IS BECAUSE, EVEN THROUGHOUT THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS - SOMETIMES EVEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND OTHER PARTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT - JESUS IS REFERRED TO AS THE BRIDEGROOM. IN FACT, SOME PARABLES LIKE MATTHEW 25 IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE PARABLE OF THE FOOLISH VIRGINS, WE KNOW THERE THAT JESUS IS REALLY BEING REFERENCED AS GOD AND CALLED AGAIN THE GROOM OR THE BRIDEGROOM. BUT THEN AS WE ALSO MOVE TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION, WE CAN SEE SEVERAL TIMES, IN CHAPTER 21, FOR INSTANCE, THERE WE KNOW THAT THE REFERENCE IN VERSE TWO GIVES US THAT JOHN SAW THE HOLY CITY - NEW JERUSALEM - COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN PREPARED AS A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND. AGAIN IN CHAPTER 21 OF REVELATION, WE CAN DROP DOWN TO VERSE NINE AND THE LAST PART OF VERSE NINE SAYS, “COME AND I WILL SHOW YOU THE BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE.” OBVIOUSLY, WHO WOULD BE THE WIFE OF THE LAMB? WELL, THOSE WHO HAVE MARRIED, THOSE WHO HAVE ENTERED THE COVENANT, THOSE WHO ARE HIS FOLLOWERS, AND THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED THEMSELVES. SO CHRISTIANS, THE CHURCH ITSELF. AND THEN EVEN OVER IN CHAPTER 22 OF REVELATION, AGAIN THE IDEA IS THAT THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY COME. SAY COME WHAT? TO THE FATHER, TO THE SON, TO THE BRIDEGROOM. TO THE REALIZATION THAT THEY MUST FOLLOW THE TRUE GOD OF ALL. AND THEREFORE, BE IN AGREEMENT AS A MARRIAGE COVENANT WITH JESUS SO THAT WE'LL BE TRUE FOLLOWERS COMMITTED TO HIM IN EVERY WAY AND ONE WITH HIM. FOR WE ARE HIS PEOPLE AND WE ARE HIS CHURCH. <br> <br>

      WHAT WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH TODAY, THOUGH, IS TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN IDEA ABOUT THIS CONCEPT OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. THE CHURCH, THAT WE ALSO EMPHASIZED LAST WEEK, IS THE CONCEPTS OF OTHER WORDS OR REFERENCES THAT ARE EQUAL TO OR THE SAME AS THE WORD CHURCH. BECAUSE SOMETIMES, NOT ONLY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT BUT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, WE SEE THAT THE WORD IS USED NOT ONLY AS CHURCH OR ASSEMBLY, BUT THE CONCEPTS AND SIMILAR WORDS ARE USED THAT APPLY TO THE VERY SAME THOUGHT OR IDEA. AGAIN, THE CONCEPT OF GOD'S PEOPLE - THE KINGDOM OR EVEN THE BODY.<br> <br> 

      NOW TO BEGIN OUR THOUGHTS I WANT YOU TO FIRST GO BACK TO THE BOOK OF DANIEL AND THE PROPHECY THERE. DANIEL CHAPTER 2 AND THERE IN VERSE 44. DANIEL ACTUALLY DEALS WITH THE IDEA THAT IN THE DAYS OF THESE KINGS, THAT THE LORD WAS GOING TO SET UP A KINGDOM. A KINGDOM - SO HE WAS GOING TO ESTABLISH A KINGDOM THAT AGAIN WOULD NOT BE DESTROYED. THAT'S QUITE INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN WE MOVE OVER TO THE NEW TESTAMENT IT'S QUITE SIGNIFICANT THAT JESUS COMES PREACHING GUESS WHAT? MATTHEW CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 17 - THE KINGDOM OF GOD. IN FACT, WE COULD EVEN BACK UP TO CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE TWO WHEN JOHN THE BAPTIZER CAME AND HE WAS PREACHING, “REPENT! FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.” IT MEANS IT IS NEAR. IT SOON WILL COME. JESUS IN CHAPTER 4, AS WE JUST INDICATED, WAS PREACHING THE VERY SAME THING IN CHAPTER 4 VERSE 17, “REPENT! FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND” - THE VERY WORDS OF JESUS. SO SIGNIFICANT THAT DANIEL SAID: IN THE DAYS OF THOSE KINGS, THE LORD GOD WILL ESTABLISH A KINGDOM. JOHN THE BAPTIZER COMES AND SAYS: THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND. JESUS SAID: THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND. IN MARK CHAPTER 9 VERSE ONE, JESUS ALSO ADDS, “SOME OF YOU STANDING HERE WILL NOT TASTE OF DEATH UNTIL THE KINGDOM COMES WITH POWER.” AND WHEN DO WE KNOW THAT TOOK PLACE? WE KNOW THAT THAT TOOK PLACE IN ACTS CHAPTER 2. IN FACT, VERSE ONE TELLS US THE DISCIPLES, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, WERE WAITING IN JERUSALEM. ALSO, ACCORDING TO THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAH CHAPTER 2 VERSE TWO AND THREE - THAT THEY'RE WAITING THERE FOR WHAT? THE POWER TO COME. AND WHAT HAPPENED IN CHAPTER 2 OF ACTS? WE SEE THERE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME UPON THEM AS CLOVEN TONGUES AND THEY SPOKE IN LANGUAGES SO THAT EVERYONE PRESENT COULD HEAR IN THEIR OWN TONGUE. OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MIRACLE! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF GOD! OF THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY OF THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD! AND YOU KNOW WHAT I ALSO LOVE THERE IN THAT VERSE? IN THAT TEXT ITSELF, CHAPTER 2 OF ACTS BUT VERSE 47 SAYS, “AND THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH.” NOT THE KINGDOM BUT THE CHURCH - DAILY. WHO WAS HE ADDING TO THE CHURCH? VERSE 47 SAYS, “THOSE THAT WERE BEING SAVED.” THE VERY SAME RESPONSE TO THE ANSWER OF VERSE 38: TO REPENT AGAIN AND BE BAPTIZED. REPENT! FOR THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND. REPENT! AND LET EVERYONE OF YOU BE BAPTIZED - ACTS  2:38. WHY? SO THAT THE SAME VERSE OF ACTS 42 COULD BE ADDED TO THE CHURCH. <br> <br>

      YOU SEE MY BRETHREN, MY FRIENDS, THE KINGDOM AND THE CHURCH THAT WAS PROPHESIED THAT WOULD COME IN A DAY OF JESUS, IN THE DAYS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, THAT WOULD BEGIN FROM JERUSALEM AND BE HERALDED FAR FROM THAT POINT, WAS THE VERY CHURCH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. THE VERY ONE IN MATTHEW 16 THAT HE THERE SAID BEFORE PETER, “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH UPON THIS ROCK.” THE CONFESSION THAT I AM THE SON OF GOD, JESUS SAID, I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH. BUT THEN IN THE SAME TEXT, VERSES 18 AND 19, GO ON TO INDICATE, “AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM. I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE KEYS TO THAT KINGDOM.” YOU SEE, THAT CHURCH, THE CHURCH THAT YOU MUST REPENT! FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND. THE CHURCH THAT SOME WOULD NOT TASTE OF DEATH BEFORE THAT KINGDOM CAME WITH POWER. THE CHURCH, WHEN THAT POWER CAME AND THE KINGDOM WAS ESTABLISHED IN ACTS TWO, WAS REFERENCED AS THE CHURCH. <br> <br>

      YOU SEE, IT'S NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND ACCEPT THAT MAN, DENOMINATIONS, AND PEOPLE CHOOSE TO CONFUSE IT. CERTAINLY, JESUS DIDN'T COME AND SAY: I'M GOING TO SET UP A KINGDOM, AND I'M GOING TO SET UP A CHURCH, AND I'M GOING TO SET UP A BODY...I'M GOING TO SET UP ALL THESE THINGS AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YOU JOIN WHAT YOU WANT TO JOIN. WHERE DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT OR EVEN THE OLD TESTAMENT FOR THAT MATTER EVER INDICATE THAT IN REALITY OR PROPHECY? IT DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE JESUS SAID: I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, THE ECCLESIES, THE ASSEMBLY, THE CALLED-OUT OF GOD, AND THAT SINGULAR IN NATURE CHURCH. THE SAME WAY THAT THE WORD KINGDOM IS USED, NOT IN A PLURALITY OF SENSES, BUT IN A SINGULAR SENSE. I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH. MY KINGDOM. THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM. <br> <br>

      NOW ANOTHER TEXT THAT TO ME REALLY JUMPS OUT AND GIVES GREAT PROOF CONCERNING THESE THINGS IS FOUND THERE IN COLOSSIANS CHAPTER ONE. AND I WANT TO LOOK AT THIS TEXT. IT'S A FAMILIAR TEXT WE ACTUALLY TOUCHED ON IT LAST WEEK IN OUR DISCUSSION AS WELL, BUT NOW I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT WITH ME THIS TEXT WITH AN IDEA OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE, THE GREEK LANGUAGE. BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK HERE IN VERSE 13 IT TALKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE, GOD THE FATHER, HAD DELIVERED OR TAKEN US OUT FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS - THAT IS THE SIN OF THIS WORLD - AND IS CONVEYED OR TRANSLATED US INTO WHAT? THE KINGDOM OF THE SON OF HIS LOVE...THE KINGDOM OF WHO? JESUS. WELL, WHAT WOULD BE THE KINGDOM OF JESUS OTHER THAN THE CHURCH THAT HE SAYS I WILL BUILD AND GIVE YOU THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, PETER? YOU SEE, I WILL PUT YOU IN THE KINGDOM. BUT NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT HERE. IN THIS TEXT THE ACTION HERE - THE DELIVERED IS HAS DELIVERED. IT'S PAST TENSE. IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED. HE, THE FATHER, HATH. DO YOU KNOW WHERE COLOSSIANS ONE IS? AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH IN ACTS CHAPTER 2 – IN ACTS CHAPTER 2 THAT'S THE FIRST DAY IT HAPPENED. THE DAY THE CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED. THEY WERE ADDED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE CHURCH. AND HERE THEY ARE NOW STILL BEING WHAT? TAKEN OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD AND TRANSLATED BY THE POWER OF GOD WHERE? DELIVERED! HAVE BEEN DELIVERED! ALREADY TAKEN PLACE INTO A KINGDOM. THAT TELLS US THE CHURCH, THE KINGDOM, HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE HERE. THE ROOT WORD THERE THAT IS IN THE ORIGINAL IS BASILEIA, THE KINGDOM. BUT THERE'S ALSO AN ARTICLE IN GREEK. ARTICLES ARE ONLY DEFINITE. SO WHEN THERE'S AN ARTICLE GIVEN, IT IS SPECIFIC. IT'S NOT GENERAL. IT'S NOT A KINGDOM OF ANY KIND - THE KINGDOM OF JESUS! NO OTHER! <br> <br>

      BUT NOW I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME LATER IN THE SAME DISCUSSION, BECAUSE OF TIME WE CAN'T READ ALL OF IT, BUT I WANT YOU TO DROP DOWN TO VERSE 18 - IN THE SAME CONTEXT OF THE DISCUSSION OF THIS KINGDOM - WE HAVE BEEN PUT INTO, WHICH OF THE KINGDOM OF JESUS, AND THEREFORE ESCAPED THE SIN AND CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD. WHICH SOUNDS PRETTY MUCH LIKE SALVATION OFFERED BY JESUS THROUGH HIS BLOOD TO ME - THAT CHURCH PURCHASED WITH HIS BLOOD - ACTS 20:28. BUT NOTICE WHAT VERSE 18 INDICATES HERE AS WELL: THAT HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH. DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE FIND IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE HERE ONCE AGAIN? THE CHURCH...THE CHURCH, THE ECCLESIES. AGAIN, THERE'S AN ARTICLE - NOT ANY CHURCH. NOT ANY ASSEMBLY - THE CHURCH, CHRIST'S CHURCH. AND THEN HE ALSO USES THIS WORD BODY. AND GUESS WHAT BODY HE HAS? AGAIN, A DEFINITE ARTICLE. THE BODY, NOT JUST ANY BODY, THE BODY! ISN'T IT SIGNIFICANT THAT THE BODY AND THE CHURCH ARE IDENTIFIED AS THE VERY SAME THING. AND AS WELL, THE KINGDOM IS TALKING ABOUT ALL CONCERNING THAT WHICH CHRIST HAS BROUGHT AND ESTABLISHED - THAT THE SAVED SHOULD BE HELD WITHIN SO THAT MAN MIGHT  OVERCOME WHAT? SIN - AND ULTIMATELY FIND SALVATION THROUGH AND IN JESUS CHRIST. <br> <br>

      WE DON'T JUST FIND IT IN THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS. WE ALSO CAN FIND THE SAME THINGS IN THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIAN CHURCH. YOU MIGHT RECALL WITH ME IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 22 TALKS ABOUT THE POWER THAT ALL THINGS HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE HANDS OF CONTROL OF THE ONE WHO IS HEAD - JESUS CHRIST. BUT NOTICE WHAT HE IS SAID TO BE HEAD OF HERE. TO BE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH. AND THE VERY NEXT VERSE SAYS: WHICH IS THE BODY. THE CHURCH IS THE BODY. WELL, IF YOU'RE STILL NOT SURE LOOK OVER IN CHAPTER 5 OF EPHESIANS AS HE MAKES THE COMPARISON BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES IN CHRIST IN THE CHURCH. VERSE 23 SAYS: CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH AND THE SAVIOR OF THE BODY. YOU MEAN HE'S THE SAVIOR OF ONE INSTITUTION BUT HE'S THE HEAD OF THE OTHER? WELL DOES THAT MAKES SENSE? CERTAINLY NOT! NO WONDER WHEN WE GO BACK TO EPHESIANS CHAPTER 4 IN VERSE FOUR: IN THE THINGS THAT ARE CALLED THOSE ATTENDANCE OF UNITY OR THOSE SEVEN ONES OF UNITY. GUESS WHAT THE FIRST THING HE MENTIONS THERE? THERE IS ONE CHURCH - BODY, KINGDOM. I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, JESUS SAID. I WILL ESTABLISH MY KINGDOM - TRANSLATED FROM WHAT? THE POWER OF DARKNESS AND THINGS OF DARKNESS BY GOD THE FATHER. INTO WHAT? THE KINGDOM OF HIS SON. BRETHERN, THE PLACE WHERE THE SAVED ARE THAT THE LORD HAS ADDED, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE OBEYED HIM TOO, IS THE CHURCH - IS THE KINGDOM! AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE IT SAYS THAT THE CHURCH IS THAT INSTITUTION THAT WE ARE PLACED IN WHEN WE ARE SAVED, ACTS CHAPTER 2. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IT IS THE KINGDOM. <br> <br>

      THE WORD BASILEIA IS USED IN FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 15 VERSUS 22 THROUGH 24 WHEN WE READ THERE THAT SOMEDAY JESUS WILL RETURN IN THE JUDGMENT DAY AND WILL RECEIVE US TO HIMSELF AND WILL DELIVER GUESS WHAT? THE KINGDOM BACK TO THE FATHER. SO JESUS IS GOING TO COME BACK AND HE'S GOING TO TAKE THE KINGDOM ONLY AND DELIVER THE KINGDOM. WELL, WHERE IS THE CHURCH? WHO IS THE CHURCH? IT'S THE SAME THING! IT'S THE SAME BLOOD-BOUGHT INSTITUTION - BODY OF CHRIST. IT IS THAT VESSEL WHICH HOLDS THE CHURCH. IT IS THAT VESSEL LIKE PETER SAYS. THAT THE ARK WAS FOR NOAH THAT HELD THE SAVED SO THAT AFTER THE FLOOD WAS OVER THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND SALVATION IN AND THROUGH GOD. <br> <br>

      YOU SEE HOW WONDERFUL IT IS THAT WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE A PART OF THAT CHURCH. WE'RE A PART OF THAT BLOOD- BOUGHT INSTITUTION. THE ONE BODY. THE ONE CHURCH. THE ONE KINGDOM - WHICH ARE ALL THE SAME - WHICH ARE ALL ENCOMPASSED IN WHAT IT IS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US. AND THAT WE NOW HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF. NOW, WHAT SHOULD THAT MOTIVATE US TO DO? IT SHOULD MOTIVATE US TO WANT TO BE IN THAT CHURCH - IN THAT KINGDOM. I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE CHURCH OF MEN - THE KINGDOM OF MEN. I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE KINGDOM - THE BODY OF US. I WANT KNOWING THAT THERE IS BUT ONE BODY TO EVERY HEAD, THAT THERE IS OF A BODY. I WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT ONE BODY WHERE JESUS IS THE HEAD, NOT A MAN. NOT AN INSTITUTION. NOT A COUNSELOR OR A GROUP. I WANT JESUS TO BE THAT HEAD! HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO DIED FOR ME. HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT SHED HIS BLOOD. HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT IS WORTHY, ACCORDING TO WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS, TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE BODY - FOR HE ALONE MADE THE SACRIFICE. THEREFORE, I WANT TO BE IN THAT BODY, THAT CHURCH, THAT KINGDOM. <br> <br>

      AND SO WOULDN'T IT THEN BEHOOVE ME TO WANT TO DO WHAT CHRIST SAYS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT IS REQUIRED TO BE IN THAT CHURCH? CERTAINLY! SO WHERE AGAIN BETTER TO GO THEN AGAIN TO ACTS CHAPTER 2. WHEN THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART BY THEIR SIN THEY SAID - WHAT SHALL WE DO? THE ANSWER WAS CLEAR. REPENT AND LET EVERYONE OF YOU BE BAPTIZED. HAVE YOU REPENTED OF YOUR SINS? HAVE YOU CONFESSED THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST WITH YOUR MOUTH? HAVE YOU BEEN BURIED IN THE WATERY GRAVE OF BAPTISM? SO THAT YOU MIGHT MEET FIGURATIVELY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST AND RISE AS A NEW CREATURE HAVING WASHED AWAY ALL THE SINS OF THIS WORLD - NOW FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED ON THAT WHICH IS TRUE AND GOOD. IF YOU'VE DONE THAT - PRAISE BE TO GOD! YOU ARE A PART OF THE TRUE CHURCH. BUT IF YOU'VE NOT DONE THOSE THINGS, WHY NOT OBEY CHRIST? CHRIST IS THE HEAD. HE ALONE LAYS DOWN THE PATTERN IN HIS WORD, AND HE ALONE CAN OFFER SALVATION. SO MAKE SURE THIS DAY THAT YOU ARE RIGHT WITH GOD SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE TRULY THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. <br> <br>



CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      AGAIN, LET ME THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US THIS MORNING.  I HOPE WE ALL HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER.  PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD.<br> <br>

      NOW LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON?  MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A FREE CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM?  POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR FREE BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES?  NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:  

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      MAY WE ALL STRIVE TO LEARN MORE PERFECTLY GOD’S WILL, SO THAT WE WILL KNOW THE TRUE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, “WHAT GOOD THING SHALL I DO THAT I MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE?”  THEN, LET’S OBEY IT AS GOD DEMANDS!

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