Weekly Bible Study – May 29, 2017

Dispensation of the Mosaic Law. Behold the Lamb.

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Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

Dispensation of the Mosaic Law. Behold the Lamb.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God and He is at the very center of the entire universe.
John 1:29, The next day he [John the Baptist not the author of this book who is John the apostle so he] saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

“He” is a reference to John the Baptist not the author of this Gospel who is John the apostle but the prophet John who was baptizing those Jews who wanted to repent and be prepared for the coming Messiah.

The question that all should have is why was our Lord called the Lamb of God?
Well, first of all, the lamb was one of four different categories of sacrifices used under the Old Testament Levitical code.

In the Old testament, the lamb was to be without spot and without blemish and was actually tied down to the horns of the altar.

Then when the lamb was tied down the priest stood there and had whoever came to him to receive forgiveness of God name his sins to the priest for the purpose of being forgiven by God. We don’t have to do that today because we have all been made priests representing ourselves to God. Therefore, all we have to do as priests is 1 John 1:9.

In the O.T. the priest would put one hand on the individual’s head and another on the lamb’s head which represented a transfer of their sins. The sins of the individual were transferred to the lamb as hundreds would observe. This was the way they learned their doctrine

Then, the priest would lift up his knife to the nose of the lamb and slit his throat. The result is blood squirting all over the place. Which is why Heb 9:22 says, And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

The point is that the lamb was not responsible for the sins but he paid for them. Now, Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. And so, when the Lord Jesus Christ was hanging on the Cross, the sins of the world were literally poured out on Him and judged. And as they were poured out on Him and judged this meant that sins were no longer the issue at salvation. And so, the Lord Jesus Christ is that lamb who took away the sin of the world.

Sin is in the singular because it represents the entire sin nature of man.

Now, when the apostle John said “Behold the lamb of God,” the word for
Behold is was it known as a Greek interjection is used as a command meaning to denote, to surprise, it means to really look, don’t miss Him.

So, the lamb of God ties the cross into the Levitical sacrifices and indicates that TLJC is the one who would be the lamb…Who literally takes away the sin of man. “takes away” is the pres-act-part of airo which means to lift up, to bear, to carry.

It means to pick up a burden and carry it from those that were burdened. The burden of our sins was placed upon the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. And, He bore our burden i.e., He paid the penalty as Rom 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now, under the law of double jeopardy our sins cannot be judged again. And, because our sins have been judged there is no longer a barrier between God and man. So, when it says that the lamb takes away our sin, it means to lift up the burden, to carry it away and to bear it. The Lord not only died for sin but also for the effects of sin.

So, John says, look, don’t miss this, “Behold the lamb of God.”

And the Lamb not only dies for our sins but He also died for the effects of our sins. This is why we read in Psa 32:1-5, (A Psalm of David. A Maskil.) How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night

Thy hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to Thee, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Selah.

Note that the Lord not only died for sin but also for the effects of sin.

The Bible is very consistent in revealing the lamb of God and Jesus Christ as the Lamb. In fact, There are 10 notable passages in which the lamb is mentioned.

1. For example: in Gen 4 there is the account of Abel and his lamb. Notice in Gen 4:3-7, where the emphasis is upon the necessity of the Lamb. Gen 4:3-7, So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Cain brought an outwardly beautiful but bloodless offering and it was in disobedience to God’s instructions. Cain’s offering had in it nothing of confessed sin of a need for propitiation. So, we see the importance of the necessity of the lamb.

2. In Gen 22, there is the incident in which Abraham offers the lamb in place of Isaac.

Gen 22:6-8, And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

In this incident, the emphasis is not on the necessity of the lamb but upon God’s provision of it. God will provide Himself the lamb. And as many of you know, the incident goes on and Abraham lifts his knife to his son’s head and a voice from heaven says:

Gen 22:12, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

In a moment Abraham sees a ram and offers the ram instead of Isaac.
God had indeed provided the lamb. In fact, Abraham was so impressed that he named the place Jehovah Jireh which is “Jehovah will provide.” The emphasis here is not upon propitiation (like Gen 4), but upon substitution. The lamb was offered as a substitute instead of Isaac.

The “Lamb of God” was offered as a substitute in place of us. That’s why we read in 1Pe 3:18, For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

3. Then the third important passage concerning the lamb is found in Exo 12 where there is the Passover Lamb i.e., slain on the night before the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. This signifies the freedom God’s people now enjoy from the cosmos because of the sacrificial lamb. So that in Exo 12, the emphasis is on the slaying of the lamb.

Exo 12:3, “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household.’”

So, there had to be one lamb for each family. And, it had to be a male of the first year without blemish.

Exo 12:5, “Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.”

But, even though the lamb was without blemish, it was of no efficacious value while it was alive. It must be slain and the blood had to be sprinkled upon the Hebrew dwelling place. The blood was to cover the household from the destroying death angel.

Exo 12:13, “And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

So the emphasis in Exo 12 is on the slaying of the lamb. And because the lamb was slain there was divine protection. The sprinkled blood protected the household from the angel of death.

4. In Lev 16 the 4th passage concerning the lamb is filled with instructions about the sacrifices which were to be offered. All the way through the book of Leviticus, the emphasis is upon the character of the lamb. Over and About 20 times we are told that the Lords’ offering must be without blemish.

Or as in Lev 22:21, it shall be prefect to be accepted. Lev 22:21, ‘And when a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a special vow, or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it.

In Lev 16, the emphasis is upon complete absolution from guilt and condemnation.

5. Isa 53 is the 5th of these lamb passages, Isa 53:6-8. Here we have a big step forward in the developing revelation of the lamb. Up to this point the lamb has been and animal but now for the first time we learn that the lamb God provided is a person.

Isa 53:6-8, All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That

He was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?

He was wounded for our transgressions and Jehovah has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. In Isa 53, we discover that the lamb is a person. So far then we have:

1. Gen 4:3-7, the necessity of the Lamb.
2. Gen 22, the substitution of the lamb.
3. Exo 12, the slaying of the lamb.
4. Lev 16, the character of the lamb.
5. Isa 53, the lamb is a person.
In John 1:29, our 6th passage on the lamb, the lamb is identified as the Lord Jesus Christ. John the Baptist sees Jesus coming to him and cries,

John 1:29. So, here the lamb is, not only a person. He is now identified as the Lord Jesus Christ! The emphasis in John 1 is upon the Lamb completely removing our sins from us. The lamb of God is responsible for the removal of our sin, with all its ugly guilt and penalty.

7. Then in Acts 8, Philip explained to the Ethiopian that the lamb of God is Jesus Christ. And that the lamb is further identified as the promised Christ, the Son of God. What the Ethiopian had failed to find in Jerusalem in the Law, in the temple and in the ceremonials, he now found in Jesus Christ the lamb i.e., personal salvation. Let’s read the passage:

Acts 8:27-39, And he arose and went; and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship. And he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. “In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who shall relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.” And the eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?” And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.

8. From that we pass now to the 8th passage on the lamb i.e., 1Pe 1:18-21. The resurrection of the slain lamb was something never disclosed in O.T. times. That the lamb should die is foretold again and again but nowhere is his resurrection predicted. However, in 1Pe 1:18-21, the emphasis is upon redemption through the lamb. You were redeemed, with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ.

1Pe 1:18-21, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

9. Then in Rev 5, we see the 9th reference to the lamb who is now in the throne of heaven i.e., the very throne of the universe. The lamb in Rev 5 now sits in sovereign control over history as “the lamb in the midst of the throne.”

Rev 5:6-12, And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”

10. Then finally in Rev 21 and 22, what a climax of the never ending glory of the lamb is portrayed in these last two chapters of the N.T. The final picture of the lamb is that of His everlasting kingship. In the midst of a sinless society with the curse and pain and tears and death all gone forever, the lamb is in the midst. The lamb sits in the very throne of God i.e., called the throne of God and of the Lamb

So, from the first book in the Bible, Genesis, to the last book in the Bible, the lamb is mentioned.

Abel reveals the necessity of the lamb.

Abraham reveals the provision of the lamb.

The Exodus reveals the slaying of the lamb.

Leviticus reveals the character of the lamb.

Isaiah 53 reveals that the lamb is a person.

Then in Joh 1, we have the identification of the lamb.

Acts 8 gives us the Christ-hood of the lamb.

1Pe 1 reveals the resurrection of the lamb.

Rev 5 reveals the enthronement of the lamb.

Rev 21, 22 reveals the endless kingship of the lamb.

1. In the case of Abel, we are told simply that lamb was offered. It was offered as a propitiation for sin.

2. In the case of Abraham and Isaac, the lamb was offered in the place of one person, namely Isaac.

3. In the Exodus passage, in the case of the Passover, each family must have its own lamb. It was the lamb for one family.

4. In the book of Leviticus on the day of atonement we see the character of the lamb for one nation.

5. In Isa 53, we have a great picture of the suffering lamb, the Messiah.
He shall sprinkle many nations i.e., beyond Israel. He shall make many righteous for He shall bear their iniquities. Here we have the lamb for all the elect.

6. In Joh 1, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” We have the Lamb for the whole world.

7. In Acts 8, He is the lamb for each individual, not for the Jew only, but also for the dark-skinned gentile Ethiopian. It is the lamb for whosoever.

8. In 1Pe 1, it is the lamb foreordained from before the foundation of the world. That is the lamb for all history.

9. In Rev 5, the lamb is enthroned and we see the lamb for the universe.

10. In Rev 21 and 22 where He reigns in endless glory in the new heaven and new earth, we see the Lamb for all eternity.
Think of it,

1. Abel reveals the necessity of the lamb.

2. Abraham reveals the provision of the lamb.

3. The Exodus reveals the slaying of the lamb.

4. Leviticus reveals the character of the lamb.

5. Isaiah 53 reveals that the lamb is a person.

6. Joh 1, the identification of the lamb.

7. Acts 8 the Christ-hood of the lamb.

8. 1Pe 1, the resurrection of the lamb.

9.Rev 5, the enthronement of the lamb.

10 Rev 21, 22, the endless kingship of the lamb.

1. The Lamb for sin.
2. The Lamb for one person.
3. The Lamb for one nation.
4. The Lamb for the elect.
5. The Lamb as a person.
6. The Lamb for the world.
7. The Lamb for whosoever.
8. The Lamb all history.
9. The Lamb all whole universe.
10. The Lamb for all eternity.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service –– May 28, 2017

EMBEDDED VIDEO SERMON in HD –NOTES
The Doctrine of Heaven. Part 13.
The privileges that will take place in
Heaven especially for the winner believer.
The Tree of Life.

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME

from - Romans 8:38-39

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WzL2Lu6ecE

Hymn #1

Hymn #2

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin , if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word or participating in a Communion Service, so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately directly to God the Father. This will assure that you are in fellowship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry, also called the convincing ministry will then be able to teach you as the Holy Spirit is the real teacher and the pastor’s message is the vehicle the Holy Spirit uses to convince you what you are learning is true or not.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess [simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins].” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins to God; the issue for you is to believe by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life and you will be saved the very second you believe in Him:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Our Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Terms used by RMBM

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to
teaching the Word of God from the original languages and
making it available at no charge throughout the world.

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

Sermon

NOTES

Unlike the bible study, these notes are not just for reading without watching the video. These notes are more designed to follow along during the sermon and to bring up the “hover pop-up scripture references” (some websites may require to left click the link, if that doesn’t work then look them up in your Bible) when the Pastor asks everyone to turn to that passage in their bibles.

The Doctrine of Heaven. Part 13.
The privileges that will take place in
Heaven especially for the winner believer.
The Tree of Life.

1. Every tree being desirable to the sight is the first category which is designed for the prosperity of the soul.

2. The Second category of trees was the category called “good for food”.

3. The third category: the Tree of Life.

4. Category four is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

1Pe 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree [KJ], that we might die to the sin nature and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Then the second tree of life he can now partake of is called wisdom or the tree of life which pertains to Bible doctrine, Prov 3:18.

God, in His grace, has provided for us our own Garden of Eden which I call the PPOG [Predesigned Plan Of God], a perfect spiritual environment in this life.

After the fall, the purpose for the creation of man could only be perpetuated by God cutting man off from the Tree of Life and providing a new Tree of Life: the cross, 1Pe 2:24, and Bible doctrine, Prov 3:18.

Because good represented the plan of God, while evil represented the plan of Satan.

He would have rather seen His creation remain perfect and never have to choose to make a choice between good or evil.

But of course, He knew what was going to happen and therefore He provided a solution.

We would not have known evil, sin, legalism, self-righteousness, religion, and the PPOG, if we had not fell or eaten from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Only in sinfulness and spiritual death must man understand the issue of good versus evil.

How do you discover the Tree of Life in time?

Prov 3:18 She chokmah, wisdom, metabolized doctrine] is a Tree of Life to those who take hold of her.

Man was cut off from the tree of life because of his positive volition to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The tree of life was provided by God’s grace to be associated with man’s positive volition, which was to be expressed in his free will toward the plan of God.

There are many distractions to Bible Doctrine which we began to note Friday evening with the difference between distractions from doctrine and distractions to positive volition.

In Matt 13:7, 22, “thorns” refer to the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the word.

There is another problem which many believers face which can also extinguish or suffocate PVTD [Positive Volition Towards Doctrine]and that is arrogant subjectivity.

Arrogant subjectivity is an overemphasis of your personal problems when listening to Bible Doctrine being taught.

You must have self discipline to set your problems aside before listening to the teaching of the word of God.

Every message is not going to be for your present personal problems.

Knowing this beforehand is the Greek word proginisko which means to have knowledge beforehand or before the moment needed the knowledge is given.

Bible Doctrine is the essential of life, which demands perception and inflexibility in determining the reality in life.

What Bible Doctrine says should be the reality to you, 2Pe 1:16-21.

Matt 17:2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

There were a lot of Myths and stories about “gods” coming down to the earth.

You may experience something, however, if what you experience does not line up biblically, your experience though real, is wrong.

If you find reality in Bible doctrine then you will turn out to be a great lover and a very wonderful and thoughtful person.

Reality is found in the doctrine of the word of God not in empiricism or experience.

Empirical phenomena is what you see, feel, taste, touch, and hear.

Peter, even though he has experienced a glimpse of the Second coming will emphasize “doctrine over experience”.

Question: What was more real to Peter? Seeing Christ on the mount of transfiguration as He would appear at the Second advent and hearing the voice of God the Father or BD metabolized about the subject?

Reality can only be determined by what is taught in the word of God.

Personal problems are non essentials, which demand the application of doctrine, and at the same time flexibility, regulation, and restraint when involved in the function of perception and metabolization of doctrine.

If you think your problems are more important than anything else in life, you are inflexible about your personal problems, therefore disassociated from reality.

Personal problems must not be a distraction to objectivity when under Bible teaching.

Self centeredness is training yourself to think about you and only about you and your problems.

Under the principle of self discipline, the believer must be regulated by the filling of the Holy Spirit to approach doctrine with objectivity and concentration.

Authority orientation demands that Bible teaching overrule preoccupation with personal problems.

The filling of Holy Spirit restrains occupation with personal problems as a non-essential during Bible class.

Rom 12:3, “Stop thinking of self in terms of arrogance beyond what you ought to think…

When you think of your problems during Bible class, you are an arrogant person and have distracted yourself.

Rom 12:3 but think in terms of sanity [objectivity] for the purpose of being rational without illusion.

This means being inflexible in the essentials and flexible in the non-essentials.

You become an opportunist seeking to distort doctrine, so that you can rationalize and therefore try and remove your problems.

Concentration on personal problems is tantamount to inflexibility in non essentials.

In fulfilling the function of PMA [positive mental attitude] of BD [bible doctrine], the believer must understand the interpretation of a scripture in terms of grammar, syntax, exegesis, isagogics and contextual application rather than personal application.

By failure to set aside your problems, you inject arrogance into the function of perception and metabolization and the result is subjectivity in your approach to the word of God.

Inflexibility in the non-essentials divorces you from the reality of what the passage is actually teaching, not what you would like it to teach.

Subjective distortion of doctrine to justify self or to solve personal problems is a non essential.

It becomes arrogant presumption and subjectivity to presume that every scripture is related to your current personal problems, or that God is speaking directly to you concerning your personal problems.

Instead of objectivity in approaching doctrinal teaching for the purpose of receiving the correct interpretation, your subjectively distorts what you hear to relate it to your immediate problems, so that your approach to teaching is subjective and you do not profit from the teaching.

2Co 10:5 “Assaulting and demolishing cosmic thoughts and every obstacle of pride which attacks the objective knowledge of God. even making a prisoner of every human viewpoint system of thought to the authority of Christ.”

Hymn #3

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Weekly Bible Study – May 22, 2017

Dispensation of the Mosaic Law. The Jews Panic from fear.

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try left clicking the link if it’s highlighted which should open a window with all the verses at the Biblia.com website; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens. If you are running PCMatic, the pop-ups may not work; if that’s the case, email PC Matic Support to see if they can fix that problem for you.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

Dispensation of the Mosaic Law. The Jews Panic from fear.

Once again, as many of you know, we are now dealing with the next dispensation in our study of the doctrine of dispensations which is the dispensation of the Law.

Dispensation = The Law; Rom 3:19-20.
Opening Event = Israel promises to keep the Law;
Man’s Responsibility = Believe and Obey;
Man’s Failure = The Law was broken repeatedly-
Man’s Tendency =Away from God; Dan 9:4-16.
Closing Event = Man’s Judgment –
Personal Salvation; By Grace through Faith-the blood of the Lamb.

I would like you to get a glimpse of how this dispensation of the Law began. It all began the day that they left Egypt. Before we go on, it’s important to review what is meant by the word dispensation.

A dispensation is a period of time in human history expressed in terms of divine revelation. Therefore, dispensation is a technical theological term used primarily by the apostle Paul in the presentation of the mystery doctrine of this Church-Age. Dispensations are divine categories of human history; therefore, both the divine outline and the divine interpretation of human history. Dispensations are the vehicle by which believers living at a specific time in history can orient to God’s will, plan, and purpose for their lives. God’s plan is not the same for every dispensation. In fact, the plan is quite different in each dispensation. The most difficult and subtle plan to learn by a believer is found in the Church-age where the predesigned plan of God is the protocol or the modus operandi (method of operation) for the Church-age.

Old Testament believers were under the ritual plan of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ was under the incarnation plan of God. Every Church-age believer is under the PPOG with emphasis on the mystery doctrine of the Church-age. No believer can ever glorify God in this dispensation of the Church-age without an accurate knowledge of the mystery doctrine of the Church-age.

Remember the words of the apostle Paul in Rom 16:25-26, “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 which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;”

Or 1Co 2:7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory;

Eph 3:1-10, For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles if indeed you have heard of the stewardship or the dispensation of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation [not by the Old testament prophets but directly from God] there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery doctrine of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

Therefore, our sixth principle concerning the word dispensation; A dispensation is defined traditionally as a period of time during which a particular revelation of God’s mind and God’s will is active and during which time man is tested as to his obedience to that specific manifestation of God’s will, purpose, and plan. The believer’s orientation to both time and to human history is vitally necessary for understanding God’s plan and God’s purpose. So much then for the word dispensation.

Exo 14, we also need to note the typology which is given in the beginning of this dispensation of the Law. For example; Egypt represents a type of the world or the cosmic system. The Jews or Israel represent a picture of the believer’s soul. And so we begin with the Exit of the Jews from slavery.

Exo 14:5-14, When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So, he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly.

Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi hahiroth, in front of Baal zephon. And as Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord.

Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? “Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”

Now, here we need to note the first major problem that the Jews faced which was fear and panic. Therefore, they are all living in sin.

Rom 14:23, But he who doubts is condemned and whatever is not from faith is sin.
So, this principle explains why it is so difficult for many believers when they face disaster, it is the suddenness of it all. Things come suddenly to us! And the suddenness intensifies disaster and hinders the believer from concentration on promises and on bible doctrine which has been learned in Bible class under the concept of epignosis.

Therefore, normal reaction to disaster can very easily be fear and panic. Remember that many times fear is simple an emotional sin and a part of the emotional complex of sins. And this fear is designed to destroy what you have learned so that the rate of learning gives way to the rate of forgetting.

This is why Moses said in Deu 31:6, Be strong and of courageous, do not be afraid because of them, for the lord your god is the one who goes with you, he will not fail you nor forsake you.

This is something that Moses taught gave to over 2 million people to use and with the exception of a few, they all failed. They were believers who completely failed even though they were exposed to magnificent doctrine and promises from the Word of God.

They should have been able to use the shield of faith magnificently but they failed. Therefore, because they refused to operate in the faith-rest drill, this generation of Jews, with a few exceptions, they were excluded from ever setting foot into the promise land.

And it wasn’t a matter of their salvation but the fact that they could not handle stress, they could not handle pressure. And even though God did phenomenal things in grace for them, they failed to use the shield of faith. They were blessed in every possible way, including logistics. But they had one major problem which led to many more – fear.

1Jo 4:18, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected or matured in love. And so, as a result of their fear, they failed and did not use the shield of faith. Think about it! Think about what they had just experienced in the last couple of weeks.

Plague 1 — Water was turned into blood; fish died;
Plague 2 — Frogs.
Plagues 3 and 4 — Flies, biting insects and wild animals.
Plagues 5 and 6 — Diseased livestock and boils.
Plague 7 — Thunder Storms – fiery hail.
Plague 8 — Locusts.
Plague 9 — Darkness for three days.
Plague 10 — Death of Firstborn

They saw the omnipotence or the power of God. They experienced deliverance from the love of God. Yet, they forgot everything God had done for them. As the prophet Isaiah said in Isa 5:4, “What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?

Don’t judge them because the majority of believers today, in all stages of spiritual growth, find themselves in panic palace because of adversity. And so, it is the suddenness that usually gets to people! You’re going along with the usual aches and pains of life and then all of a sudden something comes along that shocks you and you begin to stress over the situation. And always remember the principle; Adversity is in evitable, stress is optional.

Adversity is what someone or something does to you, stress is what you do to yourself. And it is the sudden stress that gets to so many believers! And the reason is that so many believers are just not in the spiritual condition to pick up and use the shield of faith. The principle is also found in Psa 56:3 when David said, “When I am afraid I will trust in you.

And the word trust is batach which is the word for body slamming or casting all your worries upon the Lord. And you do this by faith. True faith always selects something that is stronger than the problems that one faces. The faith itself is nothing except for the fact that faith itself reaches out and selects a promise from God or better yet, a doctrine to handle the stress. So, doctrine resident in the soul is the faith to have a large area from which to draw. The suddenness of adversity and even from prosperity, or what appears to be prosperity, causes many believers stress.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service – May 21, 2017

EMBEDDED VIDEO SERMON in HD –NOTES
The Doctrine of Heaven. Part 12.
More Heavenly privileges from the Tree of Life.

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME

from - Romans 8:38-39

Hymn #1

Hymn #2

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin , if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word or participating in a Communion Service, so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately directly to God the Father. This will assure that you are in fellowship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry, also called the convincing ministry will then be able to teach you as the Holy Spirit is the real teacher and the pastor’s message is the vehicle the Holy Spirit uses to convince you what you are learning is true or not.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess [simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins].” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins to God; the issue for you is to believe by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life and you will be saved the very second you believe in Him:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Our Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Terms used by RMBM

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to
teaching the Word of God from the original languages and
making it available at no charge throughout the world.

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

Sermon

NOTES

Unlike the bible study, these notes are not just for reading without watching the video. These notes are more designed to follow along during the sermon and to bring up the “hover pop-up scripture references” (some websites may require to left click the link, if that doesn’t work then look them up in your Bible) when the Pastor asks everyone to turn to that passage in their bibles.

The Doctrine of Heaven. Part 12.
More Heavenly privileges from the Tree of Life.

1. Every tree being desirable to the sight is the first category which is designed for the prosperity of the soul.

2. The Second category of trees was the category called “good for food”.

3. The third category: the Tree of Life.

4. Category four is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God in His grace has provided for us our own Garden of Eden which I call the PPOG, a perfect spiritual environment in this life.

After the fall, the purpose for the creation of man could only be perpetuated by cutting man off from the Tree of Life and providing a new

Tree of Life: the cross, 1Pe 2:24.

God cut man off from the Tree of Life.

This was another manifestation that justice has to come before love.

Judgment had to come because condemnation must precede salvation.

Perfect happiness excludes boredom and complaining about his present situation in life.

Man sins many times because he becomes bored and familiar with everything he faces in life.

For you can’t have God’s perfect happiness without capacity.

1. Every tree being desirable to the sight,

2. Those good for food,

3. The Tree of Life

Because good represented the plan of God, while evil represented the plan of Satan.

He would have rather seen His creation remain perfect and never have to choose to make a choice between good or evil.

We would not have known evil, sin, legalism, self-righteousness, religion, and the PPOG, if we had not fell or eaten from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Only in sinfulness and spiritual death must man understand the issue of good versus evil.

How do you discover the Tree of Life in time?

The word blessed is the word ashreey meaning happinesses.

Wisdom is chokmah which is the Old Testament word for epignosis doctrine or metabolized doctrine.

Psa 62:10, Do not trust in oppression, and do not vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

It doesn’t say long life it says `orek jaamiym which means length of days referring to enjoying every day because you have capacity for life.

Prov 3:16, Length of days is in her right hand [the right hand represents the hand of power]; in her left hand [the Secondary hand] are riches and honor.

The word pleasant is the Hebrew word no`am meaning gracious.

Peace is shalowm meaning prosperity.

Prov 3:18 She [chokmah, wisdom, metabolized doctrine] is a Tree of Life to those who take hold of her; “to take hold” is the Hebrew word chazaq which means to seize, to be constant, to continue, to be established, to retain; to hold her fast is the Hebrew word tamak which means to obtain, to follow close, to maintain, to retain, to hold, to support, or to hold strongly with.

Prov 3:18 she [chokmah, wisdom, metabolized doctrine] is a tree of life to those who take hold of [to seize, to be constant, to continue, to be established, to retain her, and happy are all who hold her fast who obtain, follow close, maintain, retain, support, or to hold strongly with her.
The tree of life is also related to divine good in Prov 11:30, “The fruit of the mature believer is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”

The tree of life is also related to a tongue which doesn’t gossip, malign, judge, criticize, ridicule, discredit, slander, defame, mock, undermine, Prov 15:4.

Prov 15:4 “A healing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it is the crushing of the spirit.”

Positive volition is related to the tree of life in Prov 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the right lobe sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”

This is why the Tree of Life will be located forever in the New Jerusalem, Rev 22:2.

It will be a place where the word of God is glorified and where desire is totally fulfilled.

Man was cut off from the tree of life because of his positive volition to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

When man has PVTD, the opposite happens he is cut off from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and back to the tree of life.

There are many distractions to Bible Doctrine which we have noted in the past, but there is a difference between distractions from doctrine and distractions to positive volition.

In Matt 13:7, 22, “thorns” refer to the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the word.

There is another problem which many believers face which can also extinguish or suffocate PVTD and that is arrogant subjectivity.

Arrogant subjectivity is an overemphasis of personal problems when listening to Bible Doctrine being taught.

Every message is not going to be for your present personal problems. Knowing this beforehand is the Greek word proginisko which means to have knowledge beforehand or before the moment needed the knowledge is given.

What Bible Doctrine says is reality to you,
2Pe 1:16 21.

Matt 17:2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

You may experience something, however, if what you experience does not line up biblically, your experience though real, is wrong.

The depository, our Lord Jesus Christ, will be providing for you the most fantastic blessings.

Reality is found in the doctrine of the word of God not in empiricism or experience.

Empirical phenomena is what you see, feel, taste, touch, and hear.

Peter, even though he has experienced a glimpse of the Second coming will emphasize “doctrine over experience”.

Question, What was more real to Peter? Seeing Christ as He would appear at the Second advent and hearing the voice of God the

Reality can only be determined by what is taught in the word of God.

Personal problems are non essentials, which demand the application of doctrine, and at the same time flexibility, regulation, and restraint when involved in the function of perception and metabolization of doctrine.

If you think your problems are more important than anything else in life, you are inflexible about your personal problems, therefore disassociated from reality.

Self centeredness is training yourself to think about you and only about you and your problems.

Under the principle of self discipline, the believer must be regulated by the filling of the Holy Spirit to approach doctrine with objectivity and concentration.

Authority orientation demands that Bible teaching overrule preoccupation with personal problems.

Rom 12:3, “stop thinking of self in terms of arrogance beyond what you ought to think…

When you think of your problems during Bible class, you are an arrogant person and have distracted yourself.

Rom 12:3 goes on to say but think in terms of sanity [objectivity] for the purpose of being rational without illusion.

You become an opportunist seeking to distort doctrine, so that you can rationalize and therefore remove your problems.

In fulfilling the function of perception, metabolization and application of Bible Doctrine, the believer must understand the interpretation of a scripture in terms of grammar, syntax, exegesis, isagogics and contextual application rather than personal application.

By failure to set aside your problems, you inject arrogance into the function of perception and metabolization and the result is subjectivity in your approach to the word of God.

Inflexibility in the non-essentials divorces you from the reality of what the passage is actually teaching, not what you would like it to teach.

Subjective distortion of doctrine to justify self or to solve personal problems is a non essential.

It becomes arrogant presumption and subjectivity to presume that every scripture is related to your current personal problems, or that

God is speaking directly to you concerning your personal problems.

Instead of objectivity in approaching doctrinal teaching for the purpose of receiving the correct interpretation, you subjectively distort what you hear to relate it to your immediate problems, so that your approach to teaching is subjective and you do not profit from the teaching.

2Co 10:5 “Assaulting and demolishing cosmic thoughts and every obstacle of pride which attacks the objective knowledge of God. even making a prisoner of every human viewpoint system of thought to the authority of Christ.”

Hymn #3

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Weekly Bible Study – May 15, 2017

Lord’s Supper Special: Be careful how
you treat the spiritual Temple of God.

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try left clicking the link if it’s highlighted which should open a window with all the verses at the Biblia.com website; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens. If you are running PCMatic, the pop-ups may not work; if that’s the case, email PC Matic Support to see if they can fix that problem for you.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

Lord’s Supper Special: Be careful how you treat the spiritual Temple of God.

I believe that one of the most misunderstood subjects in the New Testament for believers in the Church-age under the principle of mystery doctrine is found in the use of the word Temple in the Word of God. But also, I believe that one of the other most misunderstood subjects is understanding the importance of what the Bible says about the principle or the doctrine of fellowship.

Not only are we vessels or Temples that the living God indwells as a Temple of God but we are also the spiritual body, known as the Royal family, the church of Jesus Christ, as a temple for God to indwell. And as a people gathered we are the temple of His Holy Spirit.

Now, it is for this reason that when it came to the Lord’s supper which was based upon fellowship that the apostle Paul gives us a few verses regarding the spiritual meaning of the Lord’s supper when he said, “I speak as to wise men; you judge or discern what I say.”

1Co 10:16, Is not the cup of blessing [that is the wine at the Lord’s Supper] which we bless [or ask God’s blessing upon] a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

In drinking the wine, we participate in and share a fellowship or communion in the blood of Christ (the Messiah). The bread which we break means that in eating it we participate in and share a fellowship, a communion in the body of Christ.

Now, then the apostle Paul also makes a very vital statement concerning us as members of His church, when He says in 1Co 10:17, Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

No matter how numerous we are or where we are, we are spiritually a part of the spiritual body of Christ because we all partake of the one Bread which represents the Lord Jesus Christ. For as the apostle Paul says in Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. This is why we are told to be careful concerning the celebration of the Lord’s supper because it not only represents our fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

For in Matt 25:45, our Lord said, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.”

In fact, in Acts 9:1, when Saul who, later on became the apostle Paul, was threatening and murdering the disciples of the Lord, both men and women, and would bring them bound to Jerusalem to have them killed.

That we read in Acts 9:3-5, And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And Paul [Saul] said, “Who art Thou, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

Now, who was Paul [Saul] persecuting, Jesus or the Christians? Well, it couldn’t have been Jesus because He was in heaven seated at the right hand of God. Therefore, it had to be the people of God or the Lord’s people. And so, the principle is that to persecute the Lord’s people is to persecute the Lord Himself, or the Lord’s temple where He indwells corporately. By corporately I mean as a community of believers who make up any local assembly as a Temple of God. The point being is that the way we treat others is how we treat the Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact, look 1Co 6:19, a passage that most of you are familiar with has a main interpretation but also a spiritual application where the apostle Paul said: do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

It is true that your physical body is a temple of the Holy Spirit but so is your spiritual body which you are a part of the temple of the Holy Spirit. And then Paul goes on with a warning and a command when he says in 1Co 6:20, For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.

Therefore, in 2Co 6:16 we read, For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Notice here the temple is called “we” not “you” referring to the church that you are a part of. This is why I like what the apostle Paul wrote in Eph 2:19-21, So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord;

Notice once again that the Church, the body of Christ, is referred to as a temple. And with that in mind go back to 1Co 3, where the apostle Paul gives us a very serious warning concerning not only our communion and fellowship with the Lord but how the church should have communion and fellowship with one another and not judge one another.

1Co 3:16-17, Do you not know that you [Second person plural = believers] are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you [second person plural = ya’ll]. If any man destroys the temple of God, that is the church of God, — [notice the temple of God is called the Church of God]. What does Paul say that God will do? God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you [Second person plural = you all] are.

1Co 3:18-19, Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.

For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness;” The point that the apostle Paul makes in this passage is that, do you operate in the Temple of God, your local assembly, with your spiritual gift; for in Rom 12:6 “And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly.”

Or in 1Ti 4:14, The apostle Paul says, do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you.

Or as the apostle Peter states in 1Pe 4:10, As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Notice the three main words I mentioned, exercise, neglect, serve. The operation of your spiritual gift has been given to serve others in the Temple of God or the Church of Jesus Christ.

Do You? Have I? Or have I become your enemy because I am telling you the truth? Perhaps this is another reason why in 1Co 11:31, the apostle writes, But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.

And how do you judge yourselves rightly?

PSD#1 [problem solving device #1] – Rebound or confession of sin or rebound and recovery (1 John 1:9), if needed.

Now, with all that we noted last week concerning the importance of Christian fellowship I want to speak on the second half of my message this morning with the balance of The Divine Perspective on Christian Fellowship.

First of all, we must never assume that loving God the Father, loving God the Son under occupation with Christ, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit be set aside for a lot of nonsense called “Christian fellowship” or social life with Christians? Too many believers assume this erroneous concept because there is no organization of their life and thinking around Bible doctrine. Therefore, they have no focus on invisible God. All their focus is on turning churches into Christian country clubs, what I have called for years, the dog and pony show, for those of you who are old enough I would say Lassie or Mr. Ed.

Christian fellowship is nice, but it is not the Christian way of life. Therefore, we need to learn to distinguish between fellowship with God and so-called Christian fellowship with people, which is nothing more than having social life with Christians. Christian fellowship is no substitute for fellowship with God. The reason there are so many problems today and sins among Christians is simply because of wrong priorities. You never put fellowship with visible people above your relationship or fellowship with God.

However, you cannot fulfill the #1 priority of fellowship with God simply by resolving to make God #1; it comes through the daily perception of Bible doctrine. Christian fellowship is no substitute for learning Bible doctrine from whomever is your right pastor. Spiritual growth and the execution of the PPOG [predesigned plan of God] and subsequent glorification of God only occurs through perception of doctrine and applying it to your life always, not through Christian fellowship.

Assembling together for a private Bible study and other forms of worship must never be confused with Christian fellowship. For example, look at what the writer of the book of Hebrews says in that popular passage found in Heb 10.

Heb 10:23-26, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope [confidence] without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Therefore, if you forsake assembling yourself together with the people or the Temple of God you are living in sin. There’s nothing you can do or sacrifice to get back into fellowship with God except rebound (1 John 1:9) and recover.

Heb 10:25, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another;

The word encouraging is the present active participle of the Greek verb PARAKALEO which means to be encouraged. But this is a participle used as a noun in the Greek, and so it should be translated “encouragement.”

Furthermore, this is known as a telic participle which indicates the purpose of the action of “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” which is to gather together to receive encouragement, not from fellowship with one another but from the communication of Bible doctrine.

So, we are to assemble for the purpose of encouragement. What is encouragement in the assembly, the church, the temple, the body of Christ? It is perception of Bible doctrine and it application to our life, not Christian fellowship.

Bible doctrine must have #1 priority in your life. Without that you will never have fellowship with invisible God. That’s why Peter says 1Pe 1:8, and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

The manifestation of invisible God is Bible doctrine. The only way you can have fellowship with invisible God is to learn Bible doctrine. And the only way you can learn Bible doctrine is to expose yourself to doctrine every time the doors of the church are open.

Why?

Because of what the apostle Paul says in Eph 4:11-16, And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

Eph 4:12-16, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

So, in Heb 10:25 Encouragement comes from Bible doctrine, not from Christian fellowship. Someone may inspire you to come to Bible class once, but that will not keep you there. What keeps you coming to Bible class is your own motivation from your own understanding and perception of bible doctrine, and making it the #1 priority in your life. Assembling with other believers in a local church or its equivalent is for the purpose of encouragement through the perception of Bible doctrine.

In other words, Heb 10:25 is talking about learning Bible doctrine in the company of other believers not assembling together just for Christian fellowship. Your Christian fellowship with other believers is inconsequential! It is your fellowship with God that counts! The purpose of assembly worship is the function of post-salvation epistemological rehabilitation, and through the momentum from metabolized doctrine. This is so you can execute and fulfill the PPOG for your life.

Now, many believers cannot assemble for Bible doctrine and encouragement from the Word of God. They are isolated because of Geographic’s, handicaps, illness, lack of transportation or many other reasons. However, they are not violating this verse. Bible doctrine is the purpose of assembly, and they can learn Bible doctrine alone or with others. And as the apostle Paul said that although they are not with us face to face, they are with us in spirit.

For he said to the believers at Corinth when he was not with them face-to-face, 1Co 5:3-4, For I, on my part, though I am absent from you in my body I am present with you in spirit, In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

So since they are getting doctrine, they are in effect “assembling themselves.” The priority is to get doctrine to have fellowship with God. While some believers are isolated from Christian fellowship, they are not isolated from the communication of Bible doctrine. God always supplies a right pastor with doctrine for positive believers. In other words, positive volition will not be denied by God.

For those who live in geographical locations where pastors are not doing their job the Lord says to them.

Jer 23:4,“I shall also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.”

For some positive believers, doctrine is provided through face-to-face teaching in a local church. For others, doctrine is communicated through the internet, tapes, audio, video, books, radio, etc. But God always supplies a right pastor-teacher with doctrine for the positive believer: 1) Through the local church under face-to-face teaching. 2) In an isolated situation where no assembly with orthodox teaching is possibly. Isolation can be caused by illness, handicap, or lack of accurate teaching in a town.

And while the isolated Christian cannot assemble himself with other believers, he still fulfills the concept of Heb 10:25 through his daily perception of doctrine on the internet through video, audio, books or wherever he is. And remember not everyone’s right pastor is located in the same geographical location.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.