The Law & Grace (06/25/2000)

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Pastor David Mitchell

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Good morning again. I I've had an interesting week this week.
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I had two children Gone to college ahead of time. So I got a feeling for how it might feel
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Didn't like it and I'm depressed today But I'm going to try to hide behind the
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Lord Jesus and preach you a good sermon anyway but we took We took
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Jenny to Parent -teacher orientation. I think it's really more parent orientation than it was teacher orientation at Letourneau College and The president of the college gave a little talk to the parents and he was very kind I enjoyed the talk and he told us that this fall.
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He was going to teach a little course to us on I think he called it Parent Pouting 101 or something like that To help us deal with what it's like for your first child to go off to college
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So he said I've been there. He said my youngest child just finished college this year So he still I said
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I still remember how it feels. So I'm gonna try to give you some help next fall. So Perhaps next you know when fall gets here.
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I'll feel better about it after I hear his little talk I don't know. He'll have to be pretty good No, it was a good good trip and Jenny got to meet some of the freshmen.
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They're gonna be coming in this year and we got to look look at the dorms and all that sort of thing and Registered and she has her student card.
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So she's an official student now and everything So that was good. And while she was doing that Paul's at a
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At an Oregon. What did what they call it a Seminar of some kind with Joyce Jones, dr.
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Joyce Jones of in Waco. She's world -famous Organist and she had several of her
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Like well, they're all there through college and everything former students of hers that were there helping her teach
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And so they had a session a week -long session for high school students and Paul was able to go to that Thanks to her his grandfather and grandmother and we appreciate you arranging that and I think he had a blast and I wasn't able to miss him too much because I was
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At college with Jenny so all that happened at one time. I don't think he missed us either So I have to keep remembering brother
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Myron's message on change is good Someday, I'll figure out if I agree with him or not
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Well this morning I want to Continue our study on the law and this morning we're going to discuss specifically how the law relates to grace and We're going to be turned to Matthew chapter 17 verse 1 and also
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Acts chapter 15 and verse 19 We're gonna do the
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Acts Passage first just as a little introduction Now in this passage,
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I think we've read through this passage in Acts before You see what's happening is that in the early portions of chapter 15
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Paul had been debating with Paul and Barnabas had been debating with a group of people a group of Jewish believers who
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Well going back and look at verse 1 some of you may not have been here when we looked at it Look at chapter 15 verse 1 of Acts Certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses You cannot be saved so they were trying to Create an atmosphere where people felt like they had to keep the law along with What the
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Apostles and New Testament prophets were teaching about the gospel well
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Paul's reaction and Barnabas is reaction was shown in verse 2 and Therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them.
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So they did not agree with this idea now if we look down in verse 13 we see how they brought this to the council in Jerusalem and After they had held their peace
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James answered saying men and brethren hearken unto me now you have a situation here where James was the
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I guess you would call him the the elder elder He was the head pastor if you want to put it in modern terms and you had can you imagine a church where you've got?
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pastors such as John and Paul and Peter and Here James the brother of Jesus.
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I mean, that's quite a group of pastors in one church, isn't it? How do you suppose they ever figured out who's gonna preach the next message?
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I don't know, but I know one thing that they had a Democracy of sorts they were all allowed to give their views, but you know what
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James was the tiebreaker If they couldn't come to a conclusion James being the head pastor would make a decision
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And so we find him making a decision after hearing everybody in verse 13 after they had held their peace
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Finally, they all shut up quit arguing and James makes a decision He answers saying men and brethren hearken unto me
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Simon hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name and to this
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Agree the words the prophets as is written after this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David which has fallen down I will build again the ruins thereof and I will set it up that the residue of men might seek after the
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Lord and All the Gentiles upon whom my name is called saith the Lord who doeth all these things known known unto
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God are all his works from the beginning of the world and so we see we have a little bit of a problem between the
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Jewish believers and the Gentile believers and Some of the Jewish believers and you have to understand some of the
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Pharisees had actually been born again And we're here part of this early church And they had a zeal for the law just like Paul did when he was still
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Saul and Paul never lost his zeal for the law But Paul had perfect perspective of everything because he spent three years out in the wilderness with Jesus out out in the desert with Jesus And was taught of him and he came back to check out the
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Apostles in Jerusalem and see if they had figured things out, too He didn't come to learn from him. He came to see if they were right and so He we see here that he had spoken a little bit in this session and Had been allowed to tell about the
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Gentiles that have been saved now. We had some perhaps some Pharisees who had been saved who thought that they still needed to be
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Circumcised and to keep the law of Moses in order to be saved and that's what brought this session about Now this is what
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James came up with in verse 19 Wherefore my sentence is you see he just made a decision and he said here it is and That is the job of the pastor and he did his job.
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Well Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them Which from among the
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Gentiles are turned to God but that we write unto them that they do some things now notice first he says he's not going to trouble them and the implication is that had they been required to keep the laws of Moses and To keep all the feasts and the
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Sabbath and and to do all the things that the Judaizers were saying they needed to do it would have troubled these
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Gentiles James said I'm not going to trouble them and that is my sentence But then he gives them some things that they do need to do
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He says but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollution of idols now notice here
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That really they're really just three things. It sounds like four things, but two of them are the same so there are three things that they tell them not to do abstain from pollutions of idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood
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Now, let me ask you this. Why do you think those things are the things that were mentioned? I mean there are a lot of things that could have been mentioned
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Well, these were their biggest problems These Gentiles were involved in idolatry
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Obviously and where it says pollutions of idols they were from many of them were from areas where they were involved in Diana worship and just terrible paganism and and then it says from fornication that in many cases was part of their religious rights in The pagan religions and so they had a problem with that and from things strangled and from blood
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They didn't have any understanding at all of what the Old Testament scriptures taught about How to properly kill the animals before they ate the animals so that the meat wouldn't be filled with blood
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God had told them that they were not to eat blood And so this was one of the things that he told them to do now.
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Let's go on. I Want you to pay a special attention to verse 21 Because I want you to spend some time this week thinking about what it means
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I've spent some time thinking about what it means I've I've probably
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Written. I don't know 20 30 pages of study notes just to myself trying to Discern what this verse means.
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So I want you to think about it Let's read it together says for Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him
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Being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day Then pleased it the Apostles and the elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas Namely Judas their name bar
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Sabbaths and Silas chief men of among the brethren and they went and they told him
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This finding that the church had decided about now look at verse 28
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For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us To lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things
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So these things that were listed were considered to be necessary by both the Holy Spirit and the church that you abstain from meats offered to idols and from blood and from strangled a thing strangled and from fornication from which if you keep yourselves
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You shall do well fare you well, and then there was great joy Now it's interesting that those were the only things
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Mentioned you don't barrel. There's an awful lot of the law obviously that they didn't mention But they did mention part of the law obviously when they said to abstain from things strangled and from blood
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You really don't find that anywhere in the gospel teachings other than this place
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As far as I remember anyway But it does come from the Old Testament now what
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I want you to pay attention to is in verse 20, it seems to Limit what they told the people that they had to do to these three ideas
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But then verse 21 starts with the word for now that word means because He says let's
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Tell them about these things. Let's don't trouble them With all these other things that the
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Judaizers were trying to get them to do Let's just mention these important things and then he says for Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him
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Being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. That's an interesting statement I want you to think about it and we're gonna preach a message that has to do with that next
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Sunday the Lord willing and That particular message is going to have to do specifically with how the law
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Fits in with the concept of grace in the New Testament. I mean we have to ask the question
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Are we at a place where you don't have to keep the law and then you think about the Ten Commandments? You know name some of them in your minds and ask yourself.
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Do I not have to keep these anymore? and so we have an interesting in the
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Theology the theological world you have a pendulum swing all the time Back when
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Lewis Barry Schaefer who was the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary Which I suppose one of the stronger seminaries in the country even though if you really got rooted down in there and saw some of the things they taught and Some of the things that they believe about which which
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Bible version you should use and some of the things that they believe about Even the issue we're talking about today.
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You would wonder if they're all there So it's really difficult to decide where you would ever send a young man to seminary nowadays or if you would at all but the point is through the years that was one of the stronger seminaries while the
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Southern Baptist seminaries were falling and going rankly liberal that seminary was kind of rising and Trying to stay conservative and Lewis Barry Schaefer when he came along.
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He's written a wonderful systematic theology It's eight an eight volume set I would recommend it to anybody if you want such material if you want to really get deep into Theology and systematic study of all the doctrines of the
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Bible. It's a marvelous work when he came along the
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Religious world in the Christian Church was tending towards legalism
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They were tending to have rules lots of rules and so forth He came along and he tried to straighten that out and he swung the pendulum back this direction
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Towards grace and he's one of the most powerful teachers on the doctrine of grace.
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You'll read anywhere but he took it way over here all the way to this place and now what's interesting is probably the truth is somewhere in the middle as usual a balance and So what we'll talk about next
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Sunday has to do with how do we relate the law to This period of grace and what we call the church age, but for this morning
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I want to discuss the first part that deals with This sentence is that we trouble them.
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Not what did he mean by let's don't trouble them And I want to focus on that now.
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This is this is the difficult thing. I Am gonna put all this in print so you can get the whole thing all at one time
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The difficult thing is it not everybody's here for every session And this is another case today where if you come today and you miss next
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Sunday It's not going to be good because you're not gonna get the whole picture and you won't even get the conclusion So try to be here next
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Sunday as well to begin I want to Preach you a little message this morning on the message of the transfiguration
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Turn to Matthew chapter 17 in verse 1 Have you ever read that passage and ask yourself the question what is the purpose of this?
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Why is this even here I have It's an interesting passage and it when you every time you read it, it's interesting
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But as far as trying to glean well, what is God teaching us or what was
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God teaching Peter? I Mean he was there and observed the whole thing. What was God teaching him?
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And I want to discuss that with you a little bit this morning before we start that let me give you some necessary Definitions.
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All right when you're studying Sometimes you can get in trouble
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Get in a disagreement just over terminology. So I want to make sure we all define our terms the same way first of all, let's talk about what we mean when we use the word law and I guess even more importantly than that Let's talk about what does what did the
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New Testament writers mean when they use the term law? Well in the
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Old Testament times Merrill F Unger Wrote this that the law can for purposes of study can be divided into three sections
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First of all the Commandments and I'm going to give you the scriptures where you can or the the passages
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Some of them are fairly vast where you can find these the Commandments starting in Exodus chapter 21
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With verse 1 and going through at least verse 17 And would include the
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Ten Commandments and Secondly the judgments which would be found in Exodus chapter 21 and then go all the way through verse 1 but go all the way through chapter 23 ending with about verse 33 and the judgments have to do with the social life of the
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Hebrew nation Laws that were given specifically for their nation to be run by and then so you have the
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Commandments and then you have the judgments which dealt with their social life and then you have the ordinances and that would be from Exodus 25 1 through chapter 31 in verse 18 and That has to do with the religious life and the worship as laid out by God for them
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So when the law word law is used in the New Testament Which one of those does it mean does it mean the
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Commandments which would mean the Ten Commandments? Does it mean the judgments which deal with the social life of the
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Hebrew nation? Or does it deal with the ordinances where God instructed that Hebrew nation? Gave them specific
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Religious Underpinnings for how their religion would be operated. Which does it mean?
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Well, it's kind of interesting You can go into the New Testament and find
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Examples where it means any one or more of these or sometimes it means all of them at once for example in Matthew chapter 5 verse 17
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Where Jesus said think think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets I am
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NOT come to destroy but fulfill if you read that whole passage and you go all the way down through About verse well
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Forty -eight. I mean that's a long passage But in that passage you'll see that Jesus uses the word law
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To mean the commandment sometimes to mean the judgment sometimes to mean the ordinances sometimes and sometimes it just means all of it
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Let let me give you some other examples you might mark down Acts chapter 13 in verse 15
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The word law is used in that verse It says and after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogues
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God sent unto them saying ye men and brethren if you have any word of exhortation for the people
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Say on and in that particular context it seems to me that the law means the
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Pentateuch the first five books of the Bible of the Old Testament and Then it also mentions the prophets.
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So he talks about the law and the prophets Now if you go into John chapter 8 verse 5
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It says now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned.
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But what sayest thou? Well that passage the word law is used but it actually means the judgments it deals with the social laws of the people and Then in Luke chapter 1 in verse 6 it says and they were both righteous before God Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the
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Lord blamed it blameless Let's talk about John the Baptist parents and in that passage.
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It seems clear that it deals with the commandments and the ordinances So the what the word law there?
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Relates to both in John chapter 15 verse 25 It says but this cometh to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law
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They hated me without a cause Well that deals with the prophets But it's called the law and then in John chapter 10 verse 34
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Jesus answered them. Is it not written in your law? I said ye are gods now that comes from Psalm 82 6
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So there Jesus uses the word law, but he's referring to the Psalms So what we see is we as we look through this is that?
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More more often than not the word law relates to what we would think of today is the Old Testament It's not only the
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Pentateuch. It's not only the Ten Commandments. It's not just the Religious life of the
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Jewish nation. It's not just their social life. It may even include the Psalms It usually just means the
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Old Testament now sometimes by the context you can tell that it is specifically One of the three the commandments the judgments or the ordinances, but more often than not it could relate to the entire
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Old Testament. So for purposes of this study I believe in most of the verses that we're going to look at in our study that when the word law is used it relates
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To what I would call and I borrow this term from the theologians as I study
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Let's call it the Old Testament economy and what that means is the Old Testament way of doing things and That's just an easy way to look at it
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And that's what I think most the time the word law means in these verses we're about to use now Let's look at one other definition before we move on Let's look at the word
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Jew because that word can mean a lot of different things It could mean those that are from Judah and I'm going to give you a quote from W.
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E. Vine who is Pretty much agreed upon and conservative circles is one of the better Greek scholars
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He says this about the use of the word Jew in the New Testament most places it says the uses of usage of the word
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Jew in the New Testament is as a member of the Israelite nation as a race
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Distinguished from the Gentiles. And so that'll be the usage in this study And I think you'll see in the context of most of these most of these passages.
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That's exactly what it means Now turn with me to Matthew 17 in verse 1
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I Want us to read this story the transfiguration and see if we can figure out what the purpose of it and what the teaching of it is and after six days
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Jesus taketh Peter James and John his brother and Bringeth him up into a high mountain and He was transfigured before them and his face did shine as the
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Sun and his raiment was white as the light And behold there appeared unto them
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Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus Then answered
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Peter and said unto Jesus in it interesting Nobody asked him a question and he's always answering giving an answer without being asked
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Peter doesn't know what to do. He just wants to do something I mean, that's his that's his personality trait of it
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You know if he's standing around and you know, I got to do something. What do we do here? So then answered
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Peter and he said unto Jesus Lord, it is good for us to be here now he's on a mountaintop, isn't he?
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Have you ever been on a spiritual mountaintop? I mean we get to the valleys sometimes don't we? But here he is on a mountaintop and he's like we are wouldn't you agree that once you get there you want to stay there?
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I mean, you don't why would you want to go down in the valley again? Let's stay on the mountaintop And he said oh, it's good for us to be here.
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I Think it's that has to do with the concise nature of the written word He had to have said some more things than that.
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It just wasn't all recorded, but he's excited And I mean he wants this this moment.
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He wants this moment to last and I think he would disagree with brother
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Myron. He does not think change is good He does not want the scenery to change at all
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He says Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt now It is very good that he made that he inserted that statement
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Because he would have been in serious difficulty if he hadn't he's already starting to get there. He's starting to get in trouble
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But he would have been in serious difficulty if he hadn't had that attitude and that little phrase if thou wilt
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Let us make here three tabernacles One for you One for Moses and one for Elijah so Peter is going to put
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Jesus right on a level playing field with Moses and Elijah While he yet spake now listen
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Jesus did not even have to answer Peter's absurd Request and that we have hindsight still in the way we've been there had been exactly what we would have wanted to do
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Let me build three little buildings here Three little tabernacles and one to keep us all where we're out of the weather and we can stay here longer and boy
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We'll have a good time of fellowship but Jesus didn't have to answer it the Father answers from heaven and You can imagine try to picture
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Peter Try to picture after he just put his foot in his mouth how he must feel
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Right now while he yet spake. I mean Peter is still rambling on all of his plans
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Here to put Jesus on a level playing field with Moses and Elijah and right in the middle of his sentence
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Behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud which said now imagine the sound of this voice
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In the Bible in some places. It says God's sound the voice sounds like the sound of many waters
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Have you ever been to the to the beach and heard the surf coming in? It's loud
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And he hears this voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased hear ye him and when the disciples heard it they fell on their face and were sore afraid and Jesus came and touched them and said arise and be not afraid and when they had lifted up their eyes
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They saw no man except Jesus now you've won. I want you to picture this whole event as it exactly as it took place
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Peter is right in the midst of talking about how he wants to put Jesus and Moses and Elijah together and he were gonna stay up here together and this will be wonderful and right in the middle of it before he even finished his idea or his sentence a
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Bright cloud overshadowed the entire place and God the Father spake with a voice and said no
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This is my son. Hear ye him and when I looked up the other two were gone Moses and Elijah were gone.
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The only one left was Jesus Christ. Now, what is the father teaching Peter? I want you to think about that as It came down from the mountain as they came down from the mountain
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Jesus charged them saying tell this vision to no man Until the
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Son of Man be risen again from the dead now there is significance in that Jesus said don't tell anybody whatever you learn from this experience don't share it with anybody until after I am crucified buried and resurrected and So you have to ask this question, why did he tell them why is it important that they not tell anyone about this first place
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They didn't understand it yet. Anyway, they would not have been able to explain it But he told them not to say anything about it
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Well in verse 10 they say and his disciples asked him saying why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come
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Now, don't you find that an interesting verse doesn't seem to fit? It doesn't seem to fit in and Jesus answered and said to them
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Elijah truly shall first come and restore all things But I say unto you that a Elijah is come already and that he they knew him not
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But have done unto him whatsoever. They willed whatsoever. They listed they cut his head off because it was
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John the Baptist Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the
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Baptist now Let's stop there a minute and let's look through this and see if we can see what the teaching is first of all
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It says that Jesus was transfigured His face did shine
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I Want to read the passage to you from Mark. There are several is recorded at least three passages
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I want to read the mark chapter 9 in verse 2 It's a little more vivid It says and after six days
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Jesus taketh with him Peter James and John and leadeth them to a high mountain Apart by themselves and he was transfigured before them and his raiment became shining
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Now in the Luke passage it says that his raiment was glistering we don't use that word much today do that's a good word
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Glistering It says his raiment was shining exceeding white as snow
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So as no fuller on earth can white them Trying to use the vocabulary that he had to explain something.
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That's not even on the earth Now What do you think this pictures when
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Jesus was glorified Transfigured as if he were glorified.
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Well, I think it pictures the future Resurrected ascended
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Christ in his session at the right hand of the Father and It also is a time period that parallels the time of the sending of the
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Comforter into the church Now at this time Jesus was not yet really glorified
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But this is a picture of it and Peter got to see this Picking on Peter because it was his idea to build these tabernacles.
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He got to see this it was a picture of the glorified Jesus Christ, obviously and so as glorified that means the death barrel and resurrection is already completed and the
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Blood is taken to the heavenlies and scattered upon the mercy seat there and Jesus is seated at the right hand of the
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Father and what the theologians called his session his present session at the right hand of the
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Father as our advocate and so certainly this is pictured by his shining face in his glorious apparel
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It pictures the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ, which would have to happen after his death barrel and resurrection
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Now, what do you think it the significance of the fact that Moses? Comes and is standing there and Elijah Moses is a representative of the law
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Elijah is a representative of the prophets So now we have Jesus Christ and we have the law and we have the prophets
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Pictured here standing together Now, let me go into Luke chapter 9 verse 31.
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I'm trying to glean some things from all the different parallel passages here It's the same story
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Gives you one more little bit of information in Luke chapter 9 verse 31 Who appeared in glory?
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Now this is a reference of Moses and Elijah appearing
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Speaking with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and When they appeared in glory look what they were talking about.
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Look at Luke chapter 9 verse 31 and they spake of his decease They spake of his crucifixion
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Isn't that interesting that that was the topic of discussion Don't you find it interesting that here we have
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Jesus Still in his earthly ministry not really glorified yet. And yet in this moment he shines with the glory that he will have and All of a sudden
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Moses and Elijah come and they speak with him about his crucifixion and his death
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Which he should accomplish at Jerusalem But now notice this in verse 32 while they were having this discussion
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Peter was not listening Look At verse 32 but Peter and They that were with him were heavy with sleep that happened on more than one occasion, didn't it?
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Make some of us feel a little better when we nod off during the sermon doesn't it? Amen Hey, he means you're as powerful as an apostle
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But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep. Does that mean
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I preach like Jesus? No, I don't think so Or like Paul maybe And when they were awake now, look at this.
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They saw his glory and the two men that stood with him Now that's when
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Peter started talking Okay. Now he missed the conversation He missed the fact that Moses and Elijah were speaking of his death
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The crucifixion and who knows what all they were talking about concerning the finished work of the cross perhaps and they slept through that and then they wake up and they just see this scene and they see
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Jesus glorified like he will be glorified and they see Moses and Elijah and recognize them somehow and Said oh, it's good for us to be here
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Peter says I'm gonna make a tent for you. I'm gonna make a tent for Moses make a tent for Elijah We're all gonna stay up here.
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This will be good And they were speaking of his death Now Peter comes in and suggests that the that three tabernacles be built one for the law one for the
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Prophets and one for Jesus in Luke 9 33 and it came to pass as they
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Departed from him Peter said unto Jesus master It is good for us to be here and let us make three tabernacles one for thee
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One for Moses and one for Elias and it has this interesting phrase in the Luke passage not knowing what he said
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Peter didn't know what he's talking about and So we see this vivid picture starting to take place
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Now as soon as he he made the suggestion that we're going to put these three tabernacles here all of a sudden this cloud appears and The father speaks and Seemingly speaking straight to Peter.
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I mean, I know he's speaking to everyone there but it's as if Peter's in the middle of his sentence saying what he is going to do and He says if it be thy will and it's like God the father said it's not my will and you're not gonna do it and So right in the middle this the father comes in verse 5 and corrects
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Peter He says while he yet spake behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved son and he is in a sense pointing to Jesus and Away from Moses and away from Elijah and he's saying in whom
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I am. Well pleased That phrase carries a ton of weight
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He's saying I am pleased in my son. I am NOT pleased in any other man The only way that I can be pleased with you and this is a fore view of propitiation that would take place when
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Jesus Died on the cross for our sins part of the finished work of Jesus was that he propitiated
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God He satisfied God's justice and judgment and law
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And he says I'm pleased with him Not with Moses typifying the law and not with Elijah typifying the
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Prophet that can't save you Listen to what Jesus says and this is what the father said as he corrects
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Peter in this particular place now at that point fear struck them and It says in verse 6 when the disciples heard it they fell on their face and I'm sure
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Peter hit the ground first because he wasn't allowed to finish his sentence and his idea of the future was just dashed and They were sore afraid and You get this in all three of the parallel passages the mark and the
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Luke passage It's more vivid than here in the Matthew passage that we're studying this morning But as soon as they looked up there was no one there, but Jesus Moses which typified the law was gone
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Elijah which typified the prophets was gone Jesus was standing and the father had just told them listen to him
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Now To me Let me read you the mark passage is pretty vivid 9 8 says and suddenly when they looked around about they saw no man anymore
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Save Jesus only with themselves and then Jesus comes and he tells them do not tell a single soul
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What you saw? until after my death burial and resurrection
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Why is that important Well, I think it's important because the
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Old Testament economy was still in effect Until the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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You have to understand that Jesus earthly ministry. He was under the law He was still under that system under that dispensation under that economy
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And so he instructed them don't tell anyone what you saw Don't tell anyone what the father said about hearing me and Moses and Elijah disappearing and whatever you think that means don't tell anybody that till after the death burial and resurrection of myself
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Why would he tell him that because it doesn't apply until that point in time? It does not whatever is being taught does not apply until Jesus really was glorified which was going to be later this was just a picture of it or a vision of it and So he instructs them to be careful not to speak to anyone about it
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Well now there's another interesting thing I find here look down at verse 14 at the in the context of what happens immediately after this is they come down from this
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Mountaintop and God doesn't allow them to pitch tents and stay up there on the mountaintop They have to come back down.
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They have to come back down into the real world and deal with people Wouldn't you agree most of our problems?
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Deal with people People problems people related problems and here they come and when they were come to the multitude
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They came to him a certain man kneeling down to him and saying Lord have mercy on my son for he is a lunatic and he is sorely vexed for oftentimes he falleth into the fire and often into the water and if you read the
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Parallel passages to this the same story the same event takes place in it It's just given it just vividly shows a man who is not only totally lost
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But he is totally oppressed by Satan. He is Considered to be a lunatic because he's not even in his right mind.
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He can't think right. He can't discern things properly he can't hear right and All of these things he throws himself into the fire.
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So he's tormented It is a perfect picture of a lost man, I mean it's a vivid picture of a man without God And he says
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I brought him to the disciples and they could not cure him And then
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Jesus answered and said Oh faithless and perverse generation now, who's he speaking to He's speaking to those who are under the law
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Because they thought they could be saved through legal means they thought that they could be saved without faith, but by works now
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Paul deals with that through and through his epistles and Deals with it again and again because he had such a heart for the
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Jews I think everything he said he's throwing it out there hoping the Jews will hear what he's saying But Jesus is speaking to those who lack faith and they think they're going to approach
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God through work keeping the works of the law How long shall I be with you and how long shall
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I suffer you bring him hither to me Now this happens immediately after the father said listen, you know
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Moses and Elijah. I'm taking out of here Jesus is left. I want you to hear him and then the
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Apostles and the Jewish believers try to go and deal with this Lunatic and try to lay hands on him and heal him and they can't do a thing with him
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They can't do anything to help him But Jesus rebuked the devil and he departed out of him and the child was cured from that very hour then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said why could not we cast him out and Jesus said to them because of your unbelief the cause of your lack of Faith for verily
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I say unto you if you have faith as the grain of a mustard seed You shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible
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Unto you and he's teaching them about faith. Now as I look at this passage,
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I see I Have to ask myself a question. What's God teaching
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Peter? And then I have to ask what you what's he teaching me? What is the purpose of why did this even happen?
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It seems to have no bearing on the future death Burial and resurrection of Jesus it seems to have no bearing on our salvation
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It seems to have a little bearing on on us at all But I believe it had a very strong impact on Peter himself in particular
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Perhaps John the Baptist can give us a little bit of a clue in John chapter 1 When he said and of his fullness
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Have all we received Grace for grace For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ No, man hath seen
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God at any time Moses never saw God the prophets never saw God The only begotten
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Son which is in the bosom of the Father He hath declared him in this
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Greek word for declares the same thing as when we call Jesus the word He is the declaration of God the
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Father He is the only one who ever Dwelt in the midst of the bosom of the
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Father. Jesus said I proceeded forth and came out from him in Hebrews chapter 1 the first few verses
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It says very clearly that in the former days God spake to us through the prophets But in these last days he hath spoken unto us by his son.
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That's why the father said hear ye him And so I want to talk to you about the fact that The New Testament is very clear on Distinguishing between the
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Old Testament economy and what we might call the New Testament economy or the gospel message Now, like I said,
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I don't want you to listen to the rest of this if you're not gonna come back next Sunday, though Because what
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I'm gonna do next Sunday is is to try to tie together this whole study that we've done on the feasts on the law and now today we're gonna talk about the gospel or we're talking about the gospel and how it's
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Contrasted with the Old Testament economy and next Sunday. We're gonna pull it together and say well, what did we learn from this?
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Why is it that God has placed his law in our hearts? What are we supposed to do with it?
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Now it's interesting that Peter went through this and he lived through it and He was taught a lesson, but I'm not sure that he totally got it
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I think God had to teach him the same lesson again through the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 2 verse 13
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It says and the other Jews dissembled likewise with him in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimilation
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And this is talking about Peter But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel
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Now this is talking about the New Testament economy not the Old Testament economy I Said unto
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Peter before all of them in other words right in front of everybody Paul said to Peter if thou being a
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Jew lives after the manner of the Gentiles and not as do the Jews Why compel us thou the
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Gentiles to live as the Jews? so Peter was having a bit of the same problem that a lot of the
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Jewish believers were having of trying to bring the law and Circumcision into Christianity and the
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New Testament economy God had shown Listen to my son.
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I'm pleased with my son Hear ye him they looked up Moses was gone the law was gone the prophets were gone in the sense of an economy by which we live and So here this same lesson is taught to Peter again because it's hard for him to get this lesson
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He is zealous for the law just as Paul was just as any Jewish believer would be and so the lesson is taught again now, let me give you some
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New Testament information About the law being contrasted with grace There is a contrast throughout the scripture between the
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Old Testament economy of living according to the law and the New Testament economy of living by grace and I'm going to show you how the
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Bible makes these contrasts first of all If you would turn to Romans chapter 3 in verse 9
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The first contrast is this before the cross the Jewish religion was the only way to heaven the
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Gentile had to become a Jew to be saved so to speak a proselyte Jew to be saved and The contrast is this after the cross the
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Jew and the Gentile Were one before the cross or at the foot of the cross they were
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Now I want you to see some of this in John in Romans chapter 3 in verse 9 It says what then are we better than they?
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Know and know wise for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles That they are all under sin
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Now you have to understand this is a contrast because if you went into the Old Testament Economy for the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and you ask that same question the answer would be yes
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The Jews are better because the only way you're gonna ever see God is if you become one
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Now in this in the New Testament economy The contrast is that Paul asked the question are we better and the answer is no and no wise
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But the reason he gives is because we're all under sin He's not trying to say to Diminish the importance of the fact that all of the oracles of God and everything we know about God came to us through the
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Jewish people That fact never goes away Our Savior was born a
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Jew That fact never goes away and I don't think Paul is trying to take away from that fact
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But what he's trying to say is as far as the way of salvation in the New Testament economy It's not such that the
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Gentiles go through the Jews and come to God anymore the fact is both Jew and Gentile come into the church and come before God in that way through baptism of The Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.
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So he asked the question. Are we better than they know and know wise? Because all are under sin now in verse 20 skip down to verse 20 through 23
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Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin
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But now the righteousness of God Apart from or without the law as manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets in other words
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The Old Testament law and the prophets spoke of this They had a foreview of this time and they do witness to the fact that what
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Paul is saying is true Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ Isn't it interesting?
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It doesn't say by faith in Jesus Christ. It says by the faith of Jesus That's a gift that you are given at the point of salvation
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You're given Jesus's faith because he's the only man that ever had any real faith That really believed that everything
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God said and I'm emphasizing the word everything God said is right He's the only man that ever believed that You can check every
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Bible character found in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11 and every one of them doubted God is someplace But not
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Jesus Christ So we're given the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe
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For there is no difference now that little phrase there is no difference Goes back to verse 9 and relates to the
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Jew and the Gentile again There is no difference whether you're a Jew or whether you're a
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Gentile the only way you'll be saved in the New Testament economy is by faith of Jesus Christ and by baptism into the body of Christ there is no difference
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Now there's another place going down to about verse 29 where it shows clearly that both the
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Jew and the Gentile are saved by faith and It says in verse 28
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Therefore we conclude that a man is justified By faith without the deeds of the law so that proves that the
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Judaizers were wrong You don't have to be circumcised. You don't have to keep the laws of Moses to be saved because justification comes by faith apart from and without the deeds of the law
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Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the
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Gentiles? Yes The Gentiles also seeing it as one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith
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So we see here that not only are the Jews not better than the Gentiles There is no difference between the two with respect to their salvation
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They are both saved by faith apart from and without the deeds of the law now in turn to Ephesians chapter 2 and Verse 13 and This emphasizes this point
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It says but now in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes were far off or made nigh by the blood now
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Who is it? That was at one time far off from God. Is that the Jews or the Gentiles? that's the
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Gentiles and You were far off were made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace
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Who hath made both one? Now that's talking about the Jew and the Gentile and hath broken down the middle wall or partition between us
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Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of Commandments contained in the ordinances
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For to make in himself of twain that means the Jew and the Gentile one new man so Making peace and That he might reconcile both the
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Jew and the Gentile unto God in one body By the cross so we see that the
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Jew the Gentile does not become a Jew to be saved now The fact is that Neither neither does the
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Jew what they both do is they become baptized in the body of Christ and They become really what the
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Old Testament meant to be true Israelites at that point true descendants of Abraham in the spirit and that he might reconcile both unto
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God in one body by the cross having slain the enmity between the Jew and the Gentile and came and Preached peace to you which were far off.
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That's the Gentile and to them that were near That's the Jew for through him. We're both will have access by one spirit unto the
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Father And so the whole system is changed and works differently. There is an Old Testament economy
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There's a New Testament economy in the Old Testament You had one man the high priest who could enter into the Holy of Holies into the direct presence of God with the blood in the
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New Testament economy Every believer becomes a priest and can come before the throne of God In worship and praise and in prayer now, therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners
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But fellow citizens of the Saints and of the household of God so we both Jew and Gentile in the
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New Testament economy are baptized in the body of Christ and become part of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the
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Apostles and the prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone so We see here that the first distinction that is made
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About the law and the grace is that under the law the Gentile had to come through the
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Jewish Religion to be saved to come before God they had to be proselyte Jews Now the
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Gentile and Jew both approach God the same way through Jesus Christ and in Christ by being baptized into his body the second
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Distinction between the two Look in Romans chapter 3 in verse 19
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It says that the law was written to those that are under the law Which would be the
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Jew The gospel the new covenant and the promise of Abraham is to quote everyone that believeth and so that is a distinction
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Now in Romans 3 19 it says now we know that what things so ever the law saith it saith to them who are under the
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Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God It's very clear that what this says is that the law was written for those who were under the law
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Which would be the Israelite nation? But Romans 10 5 says for Moses Describeth the righteousness which is of the law that the man which doeth those things shall live by them
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You got to keep every letter if you're gonna try to approach God by the law Now if it's a fact that the
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Jew could not find righteousness by the works of the law So every mouth is stopped. I mean the
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Gentiles look at this and say well, I'm not gonna say anything If the Jew could not even find righteousness by keeping the law if all that the law did was it showed his unrighteousness then every mouth in the entire world
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Jew and Gentile every mouth is stopped and the Jew and the Gentile stand as guilty before the
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Lord And So the law was written to those that are under the law, but Galatians chapter 3 verse 17 through 29
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Ephesians chapter 2 verse 11 through 19 and Then here in Romans 4 verses 8 through 18
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It speaks of the fact that the new covenant the gospel the promise of Abraham Are to the seed of Abraham is given to everyone that believeth both the
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Jew and Gentile Romans 4 8 says blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin
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Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision.
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So it speaks of the Jew and the Gentile For we say that faith is reckoned to Abraham for righteousness
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Now, how was it reckoned when he was circumcised or before he was circumcised the Bible asked well not in circumcision but in uncircumcision in 11 of Romans chapter 4 says and he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of faith
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Which he already had before he was circumcised so he was an
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Assyrian at the point when he had the faith and that's how he can be the father of faith to all nations not just the
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Jewish nation and He might be in fact the scripture goes on and says this happened while he was in Uncircumcision so that he might be the father of all them that believe
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Though though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also
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And so it brings the promise full circle Not only to Abraham not only to the
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Jewish nation who believe but also to the Gentiles Who believe and they are in Christ and therefore the promises to them as well.
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In fact, the covenant is to them as well Because it is given to Abraham and to his seed which is
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Jesus And if you are baptized into his body and you're in Christ, then it is to you whether you be a
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Jew or a Gentile So he's the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only
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But who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet Uncircumcised for the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law
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But through the righteousness of faith For if they which are of the law be heirs faith is made void and the promise made of none effect
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Because the law worketh wrath for where no law is there is no transgression Therefore it is a faith that it might be by grace to the end
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The promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the law
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But to that also which is a faith of Abraham that would be the Jew and the Gentile Which is the father of us all both
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Jew and Gentile as it is written I have made thee a father of many nations that speaks of the
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Gentile nations for before him whom he believed Even God who quickened the dead and calleth those things which be not as those they were that's the
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Gentiles again It's like they don't exist and now all of a sudden God's brought them into life
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Who against hope believed and hoped that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be so We see then that the there is another contrast
01:00:04
That the law was written to those who are under the law and the New Testament economy The gospel of grace is written to both
01:00:12
Jew and Gentile who believe Now I'm gonna have to bring this thing to a close
01:00:19
Let me give you just a couple more and they're not as long as that one Another contrast is that the
01:00:25
Bible teaches that grace exceeds the law in glory I'm trying to lay down the fact that the
01:00:30
Bible gives a contrast between the Old Testament economy and the New Testament economy there is a difference and There's a purpose in God showing us the difference
01:00:39
The purpose is he does not want us to be brought under the law or under circumcision Those of us who are in the
01:00:46
New Testament economy The purpose is not to do away with the law like so many have done and some of the books that have been written in The last few years not that Lewis Barry Schaefer tried to do away with the law
01:00:57
But there was such a swing into grace that people got the place where they didn't really care What God thought about things and what
01:01:04
God said about things? So we have to have a balance now the balance act is this
01:01:12
First of all grace exceeds the law in glory 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse 8 says
01:01:19
How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious for if the ministration of condemnation?
01:01:27
Which is speaking of the law be glorious much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory
01:01:35
So Paul says the law is glorious He says but if it's true that the law is glorious when the letter of the law kills you and all that the law does is it points out how exceedingly sinful you are and it
01:01:47
Points out your need for Jesus Christ and that's glorious. He said imagine how much more glorious being in Christ is
01:01:56
He says it far exceeds the law and glory Because when you're in Christ You're seated at the right hand of the
01:02:02
Father in the heavenlies far above not only the earth and all that's in the world And all that the flesh has to deal out and all the
01:02:09
Satan has to deal But even the law is down there on the earth. It's an earthly thing And now you're seated in the heavenlies in Christ.
01:02:16
Can Christ sin? Go like this not only be right it'll wake you up Can the
01:02:26
Holy Spirit sin? Can the new man? Who is in control of the
01:02:32
Holy Spirit sin? Can he break the law? Will he keep the law is the law not written in our hearts?
01:02:38
Is this not? Far more exceedingly glorious than the Old Testament economy in the law.
01:02:45
I mean it was glorious But it couldn't it couldn't make him righteous could it?
01:02:51
But being in Christ gives you the very righteousness of God So this economy far exceeds the law and glory and the law is considered to be in fact by Paul Beggarly elements in comparison to grace now you have to understand.
01:03:07
This is comparative language He's not saying that the law is bad. He's not saying the law is not beautiful that the law is not glorious He's not even saying that there aren't millions of in samples in The Old Testament that are there for us today, and that's what we're gonna talk about next
01:03:25
Sunday He's not saying that But what he's saying is when you hold the law up and compared to Jesus Christ when you put
01:03:33
Moses and Elijah There with Jesus and then you want to come in and build a little tabernacle and put them all in there together side -by -side
01:03:42
God won't allow that Because Jesus Christ and being baptized into his body
01:03:51
Far exceeds the law What the law could not do that can do and so the law is considered to be beggarly elements compared to The gospel
01:04:05
Galatians 4 9 says but now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God How turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements wherein to ye desire again to be in bondage?
01:04:18
You observe days and months and times and years. He says I'm afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain he's teaching very clearly that if you try to say you've got to keep the law and be
01:04:33
Circumcised and also keep the gospel to be saved that you're returning to beggarly elements elements that are compared to Being seated in the heavenlies in Christ very dull
01:04:47
Now next week we're gonna talk about what he's not saying You know, he teaches that Moses is a schoolmaster in Christ and the
01:04:57
Apostles and the prophets the New Testament prophets are the foundation Now that's an interesting thought
01:05:04
It is true in a sense that Christianity came out from the
01:05:10
Jewish religion But it is not true that the Jewish religion is the foundation of Christianity It might logically seem so but biblically it is not true for the scriptures teach
01:05:22
That in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 20 through 22 that Christ and the Apostles and the prophets are the foundation of the church
01:05:31
So Moses was the schoolmaster The Bible says the law was given as a schoolmaster to bring us to see a need for Jesus Christ to bring us to see a need for the grace of God and the
01:05:43
Righteousness of Jesus Christ and as a matter of fact his faith the law was
01:05:49
Called a bondwoman or as the gospel is called the free woman that's found in Galatians chapter 5 verse 21
01:05:57
The law is considered to be Jerusalem. Whereas grace and the New Testament economy is considered to be the new
01:06:03
Jerusalem That's found in Galatians chapter 5 also Grace is said to be more excellent in Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 4
01:06:15
The law is said to be weak and the gospel strong in Romans chapter 8 in verse 2 The law is called the old husband and the gospel is called the new husband
01:06:25
If the old husband dies, you're free to marry the new that's found in Romans chapter 7 verses 3 through 6 the law is called the old wineskin by the
01:06:35
Lord Jesus Christ and He says you can't put new wine in an old wineskin. The gospel is called the new wineskin
01:06:42
That's Matthew chapter 9 verses 14 through 19. The law is a shadow
01:06:47
Whereas the gospel of Christ is the antitype Jesus Christ is the actual thing that the law was
01:06:54
Shadowing and the prophets as a matter of fact the law kills and grace brings life 2nd
01:06:59
Corinthians 3 6 says the law binds and the gospel brings Liberty 2nd Corinthians 3 14 through 17
01:07:07
Say the law is contrary to us and the gospel is hid in our hearts
01:07:12
Colossians chapter 2 verse 14 as compared to Hebrews chapter 10 verse 16 and following the law is under the old priesthood
01:07:20
Grace under the new high priest that's found in Hebrews chapter 7 Starting with verse 17 going all the way into chapter 8 the greater and more perfect tabernacle and A better sacrifice is what the
01:07:36
New Testament gospel is as compared to the law that's found in Hebrews chapter 9 verses 11 through 14 and so we see all these comparisons that are made that tells us that There is a distinction to be made between the two and this is all with reference as far as an economy for salvation
01:07:56
How does a man come to God does he build a stairway to heaven by keeping rules by keeping laws?
01:08:03
Not at all Can he create his own righteousness by keeping the law can he please
01:08:09
God by keeping the law Paul dealt with the Galatians there? He said you started out in faith. Now. Do you think that by doing works that you please
01:08:16
God? He said no it's all faith and So we see that God gives us these contrasts
01:08:25
And he gives them very clearly and shows us the differences He gives us those so that we would not be tempted by anyone to go back towards the beggarly elements of thinking that if we keep the feasts or if we keep the law or Anything that has to do with the law or the prophets of the
01:08:44
Old Testament that that's going to cause us to be more pleasing to God than if we don't Our pleasing this to God is not found in anything other than what the father said to Peter when he looked down and said
01:08:57
This is my son in whom I am well pleased Hear ye him
01:09:04
We're pleasing to God because we're in Christ period rather Jew or Gentile and That should solve the issue of whether this preacher thinks you got to go into the law
01:09:16
To be right with God. I Hope that solves the issue because I believe every verse
01:09:22
I just read this morning. I try to preach the things I believe Now next
01:09:28
Sunday I want to Hopefully be able to finish. There's so much material. It's hard to do it in sermons
01:09:35
Back to my anywhere close most of it. You'll have to get printed form But next Sunday, I want to bring this together and say then what's the
01:09:41
Old Testament for? What are the feasts therefore I'm going to ask the question next Sunday did the early church keep the feasts
01:09:50
Now if they did why did they do it did they think it helped them be saved Did they think it made them more spiritual than those who didn't keep the feasts?
01:10:00
We'll ask some of those questions and bring together What the Bible means when it says that all that it was written before time was written as in samples for those of us who?
01:10:10
were in the end of the world Let's stand and have prayer together Dear father, we thank you for your word.
01:10:22
We thank you that you Gave us These wonderful letters of the
01:10:29
Apostle Paul that you preserve them down to this day for us We thank you how you spoke through him and gave us clear teachings on how to discern these things
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Father we know that there are people and groups around us that that keep the
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Sabbath still we know that there are people that Believe that certain forms of the law must be brought into Their worship in order for their worship to be pleasing to you.
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We know there are all kinds of things around us and Without the
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Word of God, we would have no light. We would have no guidance and we wouldn't know what to believe
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We thank you for a wonderful Apostle Paul who loved the Jews so much and was so schooled in the
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Jewish religion and yet he spoke so clearly and vividly about the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ far exceeds the law and he taught even the
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Apostle Peter and Corrected him on these very issues and he said the line
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For the church for the days to come and father we thank you that we have this word now help us to discern
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Properly to have proper balance in our Christian lives help us to understand that the only way we please you is if we're in Christ Help us to understand.
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However that being in Christ and being with the filled with the Holy Spirit will move us to keep your law and So father we pray that you'll give us insight here and help us to be balanced and to walk in such a way that that our very conscience is
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Right with you that we do not condemn ourselves Help us to do everything that we do to your glory and for you
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Father we pray that you go with us into our fellowship time and bless our meal together and we thank you for it