I ran a 100 foot measuring tape down the middle of the aisle with Teaching tracts stuck underneath it. Then hung a plumbline (plumbbob) from the ceiling that rested on the Bible in front of pulpit. Also laid Balance scales, Level and Square around it.
THE NEW TESTAMENT AS YOUR RULE
of Faith and Practice, Doctrine and Discipline.
Within a society. …For there to be a rule or a law there must be a Government. The Church of God functions under Theocratic Government with her Governor, the head of the Body, being Jesus Christ…The Word of God made flesh.
When we promise to take the New Testament as our rule…Does this mean that we toss out the Old Testament?? Oh no!
Gal 3:24-29 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
There are many things under the Old Testament laws that we under the New Testament are no longer required to do. Blood Sacrifices, Religious Feasts & Holy Days, Circumcision, the Restrictions of Sabbath keeping, dietary restrictions, etc.
The reason we know this is because the New Testament explains….
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Col 2:16, 17 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
We are not studying the full topic of "Testament" tonight…but briefly….
Testament: a final arrangement, specifically a contract; especially a will): - covenant
What is a will? A will is a legal contract that isn’t any good until you die.
Heb 9:16-17 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
The Old Testament was sealed with Blood Sacrifices of bulls and goats…The New Testament was sealed with the blood of Jesus.
But ….. Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Phi 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
The word “rule” here has a reference to a reed, rod, or staff employed to keep anything stiff, erect, asunder; then a measuring rod or line; then any standard or boundary (in NT) of life and doctrine.
If someone declared this church building to be 500 feet long, 200 feet wide and to be perfectly straight, level and upright…then if we questioned their judgment, we could pull out some measuring tools to let measuring tools be the judge of that!
Tape Measure: A way to measure length or distance.
Level: Levels are used to make sure your work is true horizontal (level) or true vertical (plumb).
Square: In carpentry, a square or set square is a guide for establishing right angles (90° angles), usually made of metal and in the shape of a right triangle.
A Balance: A balance compares the unknown weight to a standard weight using a horizontal lever.
Plumbline, Plummet: The instrument has been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians by bricklayers, masons, and carpenters to ensure that their constructions are "plumb", or perfectly upright. It may also be used in surveying to sight a point on the ground that is not readily visible.
CORNERSTONE: The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
These measuring tools are the standard of law by which objects are judged by.
1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
QUESTION: How do we know if we are speaking the same, minding and walking the same thing…if we are not attending church?? Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
(RULE OF) FAITH AND PRACTICE
See the balance? We say we have Faith...but do we have Practice? We must have both.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves….
1Co 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain…..(27) But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
(RULE OF) GOVERNMENT AND DISCPLINE
Again, notice the balance. To be under God's Government, we must also accept His Discipline. (laws, precepts, commandments, etc.)
Eph 4:4-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, :6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
But what if your measuring tools are incorrect? Notice that rust and neglect has caused this Square (tool) to be almost useless because you can't see the measurements carved into the steel. If you drop this level(er) enough, it could quit working correctly by breaking the bubble inside it.
But what if someone deliberately causes the measuring tools to be false?
Not only is this illegal all over the world…God also calls it sin:
Mic 6:11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
Pro 20:23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.
Lev 19:35-37 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. 36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.
Deu 25:15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
IN FACT: NOT ONLY DOES GOD HATE THIS IN THE PHYSICAL REALM…HE ABHORS IT EVEN MORE IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM.
See, in the Spiritual World….one can create and use false measurements.
Many religions have set false standards… Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Many people use false measurements to measure their spirituality….by measuring and comparing themselves with each other.
2Co 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
The scripture give an account of such behaviour:
Luk 18:11-14 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
While the publican measured himself by God’s standards:….saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
See the error is that when we use false standards and and false measurements, we are setting up our own rule(rs) based on situational ethics. We not only make allowances for ourselves, but for others that we care for. We can convince ourselves that the rules “don’t apply” in this case….or God understands this situation…because we are “good people”.
But God’s Measurements do not agree:
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 2 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
Jam 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
But thank God…even if your personal measuring standards through neglect or falsehood don’t correctly measure….the laws of this world still states that 12 inches still equals 1 foot….....AND the Laws of God still declares that sin is sin.
Isa 28:16, 17 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
Amo 7:8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:
WHAT IS THE TRUE MEASUREMENT OF OUR SOULS AND THE CHURCH OF GOD?
Our Covenant to God (vertical) and to Each other (horizontal) takes…
The Word of God.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Rightly Divided: Cut Straight
Isa 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
No Private Interpretation:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
LIVING UP TO THE MEASURE OF CHRIST:
Eph 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE:
Eph 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
No comments:
Post a Comment