Has The Church Replaced Israel?

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All right does everybody have a handout? Y 'all seem to like the handouts the last time that I was here.
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So as you know we've been fielding questions through email so the members of 12 -5 have been sending in questions on Wednesday nights and so there's kind of three questions that I want us to tackle this evening.
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I thought I could kind of roll it all into one session and so the first and biggest question is has or did the church replace
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Israel? So did y 'all see the Instagram out there? That's what I tried to draw everybody in with with this very hotly loaded controversial question.
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Okay and so we're going to talk about the relationship between Israel and the church what that looks like. I want us to also talk about the
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Old Covenant law and how it relates to the life of a Christian and then on the back of your handout
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I want us to kind of answer this question. How is the New Covenant better than the
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Old Covenant? And then this is where we're gonna all be mad at each other as we're working through the first question but we're gonna end well.
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We're gonna end with saying you know what the New Covenant is the covenant of grace and praise
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God that Jesus cannot fail in his high priestly ministry. Okay sound good?
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So as I was thinking about this question has the church replaced Israel? Now what
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I'm about to express is my view. Okay you can say Jeremiah I do not hold that view and we can still be brothers we can high -five we can continue to sharpen one another.
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So I don't want us to treat this as well if you disagree with me you're wrong and we have no fellowship.
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In fact my prayer is that this is one of those topics that we can continue to sharpen one another. Right? Sound good?
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Are we on the same team in that? So as I was thinking about this topic did the church replace
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Israel it could be like asking this question. So you can look on your handout. It's like asking did
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Isaac replace Ishmael? Okay so this is dipping back into your your
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Old Testament memory. Right? So I want you to be thinking about the two sons Isaac Ishmael which one is older which one was the child of promise which one was the child of a bond slave.
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Okay and so this is actually going to help relate back to the question and so kind of from the initial premise that I'm operating from is
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Isaac and Ishmael are two different sons and so the second son did not replace the first they're just two different sons with two different missions and there was only one son of promise.
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Okay so you're like scratching your head how does that relate back to the first question? I'm glad you asked.
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And the best way to begin this conversation is see these two bullet points I want us to define well who is the church what does that mean and who is
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Israel that's the dicey one who is Israel. Okay so I thought one of the best ways to start defining the church is turn with me to Galatians chapter 1.
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Galatians chapter 1 I want us to begin defining what is the church.
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Okay and so church comes from the
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Greek word ekklesia and its core is the called -out ones.
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Called out how? Okay so in Galatians chapter 1 verse 2 this letter is written to all the brothers who are with me
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Paul says to the churches of Galatia. So I want to submit to you the church are the called -out ones by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
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That makes sense so far? These are the called -out ones and so you are called out by the only gospel of grace.
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So in Galatians 1 look with me at verse 6 Paul says I'm astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel not that there's actually another gospel but a said gospel that cannot actually save.
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Paul goes on in verse 7 to say not that there is another one but there are some who are troubling you troubled you and want to distort the gospel of Christ but even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you let him be accursed.
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So we see a few important phrases here but this is the gospel according to the grace of Christ.
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You'll hear me all the time refer to the true gospel as the gospel of grace not a gospel of your works the one that is grace and since it's a grace it can only be received by faith.
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Okay so let me ask a question how are we defining the church what does that mean? Called out called out once, called out how?
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Does someone know the five solas of the Reformation? Someone help me out. Wesley.
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Soli Deo Gloria, Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fidei, Solus Christus.
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Yes so these are the five alones of the Reformation that stand in contrast to what
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Romans stood for we say well we stand on God's Word alone as the ultimate authority in the
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Christian's life. We are saved by God's grace alone nothing by our merit or our actions or our accomplishments.
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In fact we are justified by faith alone apart from works and this is all in the context of in Christ alone he's our sole mediator not praying to Mary or any other saints or whatever and then
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God gets all the glory alone. So these are the called out ones now look with me at Galatians 2 16 this is this is more specific on how we are called out yet we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ right you see a little bit of the
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Sola Fidei faith alone and Christ alone so we have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of law because by works of the law no one will be justified.
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So we are defining what it means to be the church the called out ones so look with me now
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Galatians 3 verse 7 Paul says know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
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I'm wanting to press on a principle of continuity from Old Testament to New Testament say that the church has always been those that have put their faith alone in Christ alone so that verse kind of re -emphasizes that we know then that it is those of faith the time of Abraham and even the churches of Galatia the churches today those of faith we are sons and daughters of Abraham spiritual also okay this is what it means when we define the church and look with me at the closing verses in Galatians 3 in verse 28 so it is neither
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Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free there is neither there is no male or female for you are all one in Christ by faith does it matter if you're male female
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Jew Gentile it's always by faith alone and Christ alone that is how you are spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham in verse 29 and if you are
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Christ then you are Abraham's offspring and heirs according to the promise so the church are the children of faith those of the promise okay so we've still not defined
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Israel I want us to define keep continue to define the church now when you see this is essentially how
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I understand Paul how he is defining the church so this leads us into Galatians chapter 4 so this will actually be on your handout and this right here will help us answer the question question has the church replaced
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Israel well the church or the called -out ones by grace alone through faith alone and Christ alone and I still want defining
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Israel to kind of hang out there for a moment so look with me at verse 21 tell me
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Paul says you who desire to be under the law do you not under or do you not listen to the law for it is written that Abraham had two sons one by a slave woman and one by a free woman so I want to pause who are we talking about who are the two sons and who are the mothers okay
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Ishmael and Isaac so raise your hand tell me some more of what you remember about these two sons was that wise of Sarah saying hey here's here's here's a mate it was her idea and she was mad about it right now to make things more complicated she was past the age of childbearing and she was barren like she couldn't have kids so the point is
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Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands because God said I will bless your offspring as a multitude of the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore you will actually bear children and that was kind of unthinkable
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God made a promise okay and so there was going to be a child that carried that promise now what you think about this
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Sarah recommended that Hagar be with Abraham and so they had a child not of the promise not of faith but by the flesh and their own works and their own planning okay now they had
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Ishmael first so that did not nullify the promise of God this makes sense because I want us to think about when we talk about Isaac and Ishmael there was no son replacing the other one in fact they made poor decisions they took matters in their own hands right and Sarah got mad about it and yet God still said still gonna honor my my promise through okay so so Abraham and Sarah were taking matters into their own hands and they produced a another child
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God created life but they were not trusting in the promise of God he said that I'll provide so that's but that's what we're wanting to hang on to as we answer the question does the church replace
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Israel it's similar and Paul's about to make this case it's similar to asking the question did
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Isaac replace Ishmael and the answer is no because even though they took matters into their own hands and they had a child of a bond slave that's not the child of promise right that's a great point
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God is sovereign even in the midst of our disobedience right okay so look with me at well we'll look at verse 22 again for it is written that Abraham had two sons one by a slave woman so who's the slave woman a gar and what which son was hers and one by a free woman who was that and her son was okay verse 23 but the son of the slave was born according to the flesh
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I'm gonna pause think about this Ishmael they took matters into their own hands they're the ones that produced them that was not the child of promise while the son of the free woman
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Sarah was born through promise and so miss Brenda's point God is sovereign even in light of man's disobedience
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God's promises are sure and true Ishmael or Isaac did not replace
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Ishmael first 24 now this may be interpreted allegorically so this is what's super interesting as Paul is saying
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I'm giving you an analogy and illustration is like I want you to think about two different sons and we're about to relate this to the covenants okay this is why
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I can't tell you for how many years I guess I just skipped over this this passage of Scripture or I read it
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I'm like right so I want I want to show you how this directly is about to be tied back into the church and Israel first 24 now this may be interpreted allegorically these women are two covenants now let me pause any takers out there what covenants do you think this is referring to we're about to develop more of the context but this is covenants plural any thoughts out there yes one is the
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Mosaic Covenant so thank Mount Sinai old covenant and then you got the new covenant now this is what's really groundbreaking to me is your
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Bible is divided into two Testaments Old Testament New Testament and that that Testament is a will and really is a covenant that God made with man and so what we're about to really continue to develop is all of redemptive history which are even our
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Scriptures are divided up into okay so this is talking about the old Mosaic Covenant and the new covenant and listen the new covenant that is exclusively the covenant of grace it's really really important as we're gonna continue to develop first 24 again
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Paul says we're interpreting this allegorically these women are two covenants so Hagar represents which covenant
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Mount Zion and another theological term that we talked about for the
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Mosaic Covenant is we here at 12 -5 call this the covenant of works okay and we probably call it a covenant of works is when you have conditions a list of commands well you have to work to obey or disobey right and so when you think about what
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God told Adam in the garden well there were conditions don't do this do this the obey blessing if you disobey persons or punishment right and so what we're gonna see is there is a covenant of grace that is totally night and day different than the mosaic the
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Mosaic Covenant the Sinaitic covenant the covenant of works is not the same as the covenant of grace in fact grace and works don't mix right if you did then you've abolished the the the gospel of grace and understanding the works of the
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Mosaic law right grace and works are different that's why we talked about these five souls were saved by grace alone through faith alone and Christ alone not by your own works okay so these are the two covenants in view covenant works covenant of grace one is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery she is
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Hagar okay so think about the imagery of the children enslaved at Egypt they were enslaved and so when you have children of the flesh enslaved you're enslaved to sin when you're under the covenant of works that you can't fulfill you you are enslaved right
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Jesus said he who sins is a slave to sin so in this analogy that's what
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Hagar represents this is Mount Sinai okay so verse 25 now
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Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia she corresponds to the present
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Jerusalem okay now let's define our other word did the church replace
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Israel and I would say no because that's like asking well did Isaac replace Ishmael no they're just they're different sons and only one is the son of promise so let's define
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Israel as the nation of Israel those that are of flesh those stiff -necked individuals that constantly were rebelling against God and he would have to raise up judges
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Kings and they would repent and be restored okay so now the two categories that we're asking about did the called out ones of faith replace the nation of Israel okay this is what
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Paul is getting into and what I'm suggesting is no the nation of Israel served many purposes of God they were under the covenant of works and they failed when you look back to Galatians chapter 3 the whole point of the law was to look at it as a mirror and realize that you were a sinner in need of saving grace and an amazing
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Savior who cannot fail okay so I would argue no the church does not replace the called out ones of faith do not replace the nation of Israel different purposes okay so look at me at verse 25 again now
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Hagar is Mount Sinai the Sinaitic Mosaic Covenant in Arabia she corresponds to the present
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Jerusalem the nation of Israel for she for she is in slavery with her children okay they're they're bound in sin to this covenant of works that they cannot fulfill and will be held accountable to on the day of judgment
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March 26 but the Jerusalem above is free and she is our mother so I want to pause
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I want to submit to you now we're talking about the church the called out ones by grace alone through faith alone this is the heavenly
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Jerusalem from above when we talk about being born again it means to be literally born from above okay two different children one doesn't replace the other we got the nation of Israel they are not being replaced by the children of promise okay so the
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Jerusalem that's from above this is the church she is our mother let's keep reading for it is written from the
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Prophet Isaiah rejoice O barren one who does not bear break forth and cry aloud you who are not in labor for the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband
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I think the context of this verse from from Isaiah is when the people the nation of Israel were enslaved there was a remnant and God is saying you're going to be restored so I'm wanting you to think about this principle the the church has always been the called -out ones by faith now we're gonna get into on the backside how not you have believers in the
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Old Testament you still have believers in the New Testament they were just under a time where the Mosaic Law was present but they were saved by the
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New Covenant in some sense the Saints of old they were a part of heavenly Jerusalem I promise yes so this is the direction we're we're headed okay because we could say that no the the church doesn't replace the nation of Israel but the the called -out ones today are the fulfillment of the believers of Israel in the
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Old Covenant my point is the true Israel of God that's the church that's the called -out ones by faith and that's the distinction that Paul makes is there's a present
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Jerusalem nation of Israel and then there's a heavenly Jerusalem that's that resides in heaven our membership by faith you say that the called -out ones of today or the called -out ones today are the heavenly
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Jerusalem and that's back in verse 26 but the Jerusalem above is free she is our mother and so this idea of being from above these are the ones that have been born again these are the ones that are trusting in Christ by faith so this helps us answer the question the church that the called -out ones by faith do not replace national rebellious
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Israel now rebellious national Israel they they are not
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God's people God's people are those of faith they are the children of promises we're gonna see Paul kind of continues to develop and so what
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I also want to talk about is it's more accurate to say that the called -out ones of faith the church or the fulfillment of the true
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Israel the present Jerusalem is where Paul wrote that right so when
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Paul wrote that think about the principle of continuity even from Old Testament before 780 and after 780 present
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Jerusalem is the rebellious national people yeah that's what
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I was wanting to bring out because it's not the present Israel today here's what's interesting about present
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Jerusalem today is they are still rebellious against God that and you know how
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I know that they reject Jesus as their Messiah they are in a sense the present Israel as a nation that's still rebellious but it's true like he wrote this before like the the judgment of the destruction of the temple and what's being contrasted is a present
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Jerusalem earthly fleshly Jerusalem with the Jerusalem that's from above and we're starting to see the
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Jerusalem that's from above is the church he was just saying think about Paul in the first century saying this
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Jerusalem he's talking about the nation of Israel I'm saying there is a principle that's true from the
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Old Testament time you still had a nation of Israel of sorts and Paul said this in the first century and I'm saying by application it's still true today there is a present
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Jerusalem that's rebellious against God and my point is they are of Hagar they are not the children of promise the children are promised are those that look to Christ alone by faith right but here's the principle that rebel against God and they are not the children of promise that they are part of their part well they're a part of the present
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Jerusalem the fleshly Israel that's rebellious against God and here's the point that Paul is making they are not the children of promise those are believers by faith alone
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Hagar's children the takeaway is they're not the children of promise it's an allegory it says it's an allegory so let's go ahead and continue we got a lot of ground to take verse 28 so we're talking about the church we're defining the church and we also defined
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Israel as present Jerusalem rebellious nation of Israel and they don't replace one another they're just different so now he goes back in verse 28 he says to the called -out ones by faith the church now you brothers like Isaac are children of the promise so this is good news believers they inherit the promises of God not a rebellious nation fleshly people the
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Jerusalem that's heavenly and from above that's been born again they are the children of promise that's his point verse 29 but just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh so this would be who of the two sons which son is born of the flesh but just as at that time he was born according to the flesh persecuted him
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Isaac who was born according to the spirit so also it is now now what
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Paul means there is Isaac is the child of promise right of divine favor just like all believers that are born again those who are born again they are the church and as we're about to see here in a moment they are the true
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Israel of God not the fleshly rebellious nation that they are part of a heavenly
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Jerusalem so verse 30 but what does the scripture say cast out the slave woman and her son for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit the son of the free woman so there's an old there was a context back in Genesis 21 there was like we were talking about earlier there was not a strong relationship between Ishmael and Isaac right or Hagar and Sarah there was animosity and the child that was born of the flesh right which is who
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Sarah eventually said you gotta go okay now what's what's wild here is the application that Paul is using in this allegory those that are adding works to the gospel of grace are cast out and are not safe they are not children of the promise oh yeah so so there's a narrative of all these stories that actually took place so he's saying take this story that we all know that's true and I want to make a case about the covenants comparing contrasting because you got to thank the audience especially the
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Jewish audience would understand these stories very well he's saying take Sarah and Hagar they're like the covenants the covenant of works at Mount Sinai and the covenant that's promised to come covenant grace that has a perfect mediator the new covenant oh yeah right
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Paul's point is saying let's take an illustration to talk about the covenants and who is the children of promise and his point is the physical offspring of Abraham they are not the children of promise it's those who are born from above and I put their faith in Christ they are the children so great clarity so before we turn the page
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I want us to make sure this is what I'm trying to say we have to define the church which are who the called -out ones by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and then who is
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Israel the present Jerusalem this is the nation of Israel ethnic
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Israel fleshly Israel now look with me in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 15 this will give us a new definition for Israel to complicate things a little bit okay
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Paul says for neither circumcision which are the fleshly ethnic nation of Israel right for neither circumcision counts for anything it's important God gave the command but it doesn't count for anything in terms of salvation because we already read earlier it doesn't matter if you're male or woman
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Gentile Jew if you're in Christ then you can be saved you can have your sins forgiven so neither circumcision counts for anything to salvation or uncircumcision but a new creation doesn't that sound like born again language right all things are brand new if you're in Christ then your heart has been changed from a heart of stone and you've been given a living heart one that trust in Christ that's what counts being born again trusting in Christ alone verse 16 and as for all who walk by this rule by faith trusting in Christ who have been born again a new creation peace and mercy be upon them and upon the
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Israel of God so the Israel of God the heavenly
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Jerusalem who is that it's all okay so I heard a lot of good answers out there but the
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Israel of God is the church the called -out ones they're the heavenly
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Jerusalem that's been born again and that's existed from Old Testament into New Testament okay so does it make sense of what
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I'm putting forward here that's why I wanted to have handouts again did the church replace Israel no right the church of the called -out ones by faith they are the children of promise the nation of Israel they served a purpose in in God's plan of redemption and we see them fail we see them fail we see in 1st
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Corinthians chapter 10 and Romans chapter 15 all the things that were written about the nation of Israel was for our learning don't do that right and if you're trusting in Christ you've been born again we live our life and this relates to one of the questions about God's law is we can now fulfill the law we are free to live to the glory of God and when we do disobey when we do fall into sin we have a perfect mediator who we can go to who we can run to we can confess our sins knowing that he is perfectly just to say okay so we got through some of the hard part but before we flip over the page any questions it does the
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Abrahamic Covenant will break this down real quick contains an unconditional promise in conditions of works mainly be circumcised you don't do it you're gonna die okay and so what's neat is those conditions are fulfilled in the culmination of the
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Mosaic Covenant Covenant works you don't want to try to do that you don't try to earn your way to God because you're gonna fail okay so there was an aspect to the
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Abrahamic Covenant of do this and blessing don't do this death there was an element to that but God also promised an offspring singular
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Galatians talks about of Abraham oh yeah he's gonna fulfill all this to the teeth perfectly so this does relate to the
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Abrahamic Covenant the Abrahamic Covenant is not the new covenant
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Abraham was saved by the promised new covenant but those are different covenants as we're gonna see here in a moment this is what separates us from Presbyterians okay
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Presbyterians see the Mosaic Covenant as a covenant of grace there's actually internal dispute about that and we say no no no that's a covenant of death and condemnation that we're about to look at and we're gonna say exclusively the new covenant is the covenant of grace that saves to the uttermost and the members of the new covenant are the ellipse it's the the heavenly
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Jerusalem it's the church the called -out ones by faith any other questions 100 % can you relate that answer to right because the church of the called -out ones by God they're the children of promise not the nation of Israel the promises that we see in Scripture especially of salvation and the the new heavens and the new earth what
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Abraham looked to that was a promise not to the physical nation ethnic Israel that's been a promise for believers so that's why the church doesn't replace
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Israel absolutely so Romans chapter 9 says not all of ethnic
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Israel are of the Israel of God the remnant who are believers that exist amongst unbelievers that's a great that's a good one
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I'll take yours first I don't but you go ahead run okay
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I understand we'll talk about that kind of toward the end because it does relate to the covenants okay so I hope
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I hope we're on the same page on what I'm trying to convey is the church doesn't replace national
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Israel the church are the children of promise okay and so there's a lot of dispute about that this this does relate to eschatology which we're gonna hold off on a little bit because I want to transition to a really good point of application which is the question on the back how is the new covenant better than the old covenant now these are the two covenants that we were talking about there's a covenant that's at Mount Sinai that's really huge where I want us to go okay and that is a covenant of works and the new covenant is the covenant of grace no works right there's no conditions in the new covenant they are the called -out ones by God I would argue faith is not even a condition because faith is not something you can muster up on your own faith is a gift okay so I'll turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11 and this was another question that was sent in and this was a really good time to bring this up so Hebrews look at the last couple verses of Hebrews chapter 11 all of these though commended through their faith did not receive what was promised okay let's talk a little bit about the context of Hebrews chapter 11 this is the great chapter of faith the heroes of the faith right
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I want you to understand they by faith were looking forward to the promise of the coming
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Messiah who would restore all things and make all things new and bring heaven to earth okay so all of these all the heroes of faith though commended through their faith right the shall live by faith they did not receive what was promised so if you look back at verse 13 in this chapter right all of these died in faith they were justified by faith remember that's what counts that's the that's the heavenly
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Jerusalem this is the church the assembly from heaven the church all of these died in faith not having received the things promised but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on earth for people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland if they had been thinking of a land from which they had gone out they would have had an opportunity to return but as it is they
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Abraham they desired a better country that is a heavenly one so what
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I'm wanting you to think about is when God promised Abraham a land he said back in I believe it's
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Genesis 17 that it's going to be an everlasting possession so Abraham looked around and said oh yeah this ain't the promise this all this world is cursed by sin and is perishing and Christ will return and make all things new
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Abraham was looking for a heavenly home so my point is all the
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Old Testament saints they didn't get to see the fruition of all of that right they but they tasted of it by faith they trusted and the promises of God but they didn't receive it receive it on this side of eternity right so look at verse 40 since God had provided something better for us okay so I want you to think about this the
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Saints of old the Hall of Faith they are the church they're the called -out ones by faith but we today as New Testament Christians we have something better than the
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Saints of old okay we have the Holy Spirit we have God's Word Christ has already come and told us oh yeah
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I'm coming back we have tasted better realities than the Saints of old they were just they were saved the same way we were justified by faith alone in Christ alone but they saw types and shadows of it in the future right they still they still lived with the guard rails of the old covenant right they don't get to live in the time of the new covenant right and so which mountain represented the covenant of works
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Sinai okay so I want to illustrate this right so verse 40 says since God had provided something better for us as Christians that apart from us they should be made they should not be made perfect okay so you gotta think we are saved the same way as Old Testament Saints they were looking forward to Christ and they were saved by that promise and we are looking back to what
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Christ accomplished and what the writer of Hebrews is saying is we have something better than what they had so look with me at Hebrews chapter 12 starting in verse 18 think about Mount Sinai and we're going to compare
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Mount Sinai with a better mountain okay so hold that thought verse 18 of Hebrews chapter 12 for if you have not come to what may be touched a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and a sound of the trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them for they could not endure the order that was given if even a beast touches the mountain
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Mount Sinai it shall be stone indeed so terrifying was the sight that Moses said
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I I tremble with fear okay so this is Exodus 19 language right
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God is made a covenant with the nation of Israel and they said we will do this right
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God is holy this this mountain is covered with smoke now once you think about something if anyone touched
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Mount Sinai they would die this is the covenant of works this is not a covenant of grace if you touch the mountain you would die and the more
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I thought about this is I was saying this could not be a covenant of grace anyway like the people of the nation of Israel trembled before the mountain they hated it they would be holding on to their children's hands saying don't touch the mountain can you imagine that someone looked around and they didn't see their child oh no fear ripped their heart because they touch the mountain that kills that's the old cup but look with me at verse 22 but you have who have come to Mount Zion this is the new covenant this is the covenant of grace that saves to the uttermost and we have a better mediator than what the the
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Saints under the old covenant I just I want to stress to you so much that we have something so much better than the
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Saints of old that only had types and shadows verse 22 but you
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Christians we have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the
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Living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to the innumerable angels and the festal gathering and to the assembly of the church of the firstborn who is enrolled in heaven and to God and who is judge of all and the spirits of the righteous made perfect and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant the covenant of grace and sprinkled the blood that speaks a better word than the blood one of the things that I want us to take away is how we live in our lives as Christians true
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Israel Saints that have been called out we're a part of the heavenly Jerusalem we have a perfect mediator this is this is how the writer ends in verse 28 therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence
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God is an all -consuming fire the same God of Old and New Testament Mount Sinai displayed the holiness of God in his wrath against sin you don't touch the mountain oh but Mount Sinai right no longer do we grip our children's hands saying don't touch the mountain but we pray
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God can baby JJ touch Mount Sinai can he touch the cross it's a better covenant we have something so much sweeter that the
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Saints of old only got types and shadows in a promise they trusted in right but they didn't get to experience so what do you think that's we got time for questions
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I was trying to leave a little bit of time Galatians 3 7 and 8 okay yeah it says just as Abraham believed
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God and it was counted to him as righteousness and then Galatians 3 7 know that it is know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham in verse 8 and the scripture for seeing that God would justify the
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Gentiles by faith preach the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying in you shall all the nations be blessed
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I I was a visit with a guy that was he went to the master's seminary which is
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John MacArthur where y 'all heard of this and they're very dispensational and one of the one of the preaching professors literally quoted that and said
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God preached the gospel to Abraham and one of the and one of the the preaching professor said whoa whoa whoa
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I'm not really okay with that and they said we just read Galatians and just anyway just very interesting well
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I want to touch on is that is what we're talking about I love John MacArthur yeah and I love John MacArthur but this is something that a lot of Christians different and that's okay we can continue to talk about because our conviction is the church does not replace
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Israel but people that disagree with this are saying y 'all are saying that the promises made to Abraham and to Israel are replaced by the church and then
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I say well who's the church who is Israel because you got to define those terms and so these are things that I would say these are important it relates to eschatology and who is all of Israel that will be saved one day mr.
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Bobby for good questions who is Israel not all of Israel is of national ethnic
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Israel so those are the things that that relate to that absolutely so God made
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God vindicated his law with the nation of Israel and showed how natural man cannot keep works cannot earn their way to God God's law is holy righteous and good but when a rebellious people says okay you know we'll keep this covenant works and you get kind of the
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Pharisees in the New Testament but basically they made the conclusion we can keep the law the law is meant to show your need for a savior and so my point is
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God needed to show his law with a rebellious people for I would say mainly for our benefit to say hey don't try to earn favor with God through your works to a law you can't keep oh yeah that's the thing is
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God chose the nation of Israel to display their inability to earn righteousness with God and that could have happened with so great question the question is about what about Israel today
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I would say they're still rebellious they still despise the true
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Messiah they do not kiss the Sun even though they probably can put all those songs to you right and so I pray for Israel that they repent before the
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Lord returns I do not see them as a vital piece in eschatology they are no different in my mind and in some ways as the
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Israel of Paul's day the present Jerusalem and the rebellious like we're in Malachi on Sunday right
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Israel is the same they still reject their Messiah it's possible Romans 11 says maybe he'll change the ethnic nation of Israel's heart you know
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I mean it's possible I think that's where this this relates to are the ethnic people of Israel the children of promise and I would say
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Galatians says no believers are the children no this is this is the linchpin in which we part ways they would say the nation of Israel is the the cub the children of promise and not all those promises have been fulfilled and they will in a future millennium say yeah hi
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I love John well it goes back into who is
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Israel and who's the children of promise because let's play devil's advocate if God made promise with a rebellious ethnic people then the dispensational crowd are right but if it's true
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Israel that God said the promises are for you in their eternal position and the dispensational view is wrong because they they are not the children of God they are in principle the children of Hagar and of Ishmael and they have no promises in fact they're condemned they're cast out so I just it goes into who how you define the church how you define
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Israel and who is the promise of the land in Genesis 15 and 17 really too and my point is it says that God made an eternal possession to Abraham and those of the spiritual offspring so we got to move on the elector the elect and I would say that's the church and that's the
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Israel God they're all that they are yes they are the members of the covenant of grace
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Abraham became a member of the covenant of grace by faith now he lived in a time period where he still saw it from afar off that's why we have tasted the realities that he only could see in a distance by the other questions great question how is it better for one
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Jesus Christ came so we're living in light of now we're justified the same way we have been given the down payment of the
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Holy Spirit that seals us to the end we have in the
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Old Covenant the Holy Spirit came upon their leaders and left right we live in the New Covenant where the
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Holy Spirit and checks that we are all high priests co -heirs with Christ and so we're not bound to worship in the geographical bounds of the nation of Israel right they had the oracles of God right they were given the temple that we are the temple of God right we are the temple of God wherever the
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Saints are we have God in dwelling us so I want to say it's better in every way right and the nation of Israel was told to you know be the people of God they failed they couldn't and for us we have the
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Holy Spirit and now we can fulfill the law that makes sense yeah and the New Covenant is better because in the in the
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Old Covenant there's only spirit only a few Israel knew God by faith but in the
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New Covenant all members of the New Covenant known by faith so we don't have a mixed covenant and the law is on our hearts it's not on the tablets of stone
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Jamie they that's huge in their eschatology that God is preserving the nation of Israel for end times so God can finish his promises to this rebellious nation they eventually yeah they'll eventually be saved right now they're not but one day they will no no no it factors in this way
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Jesus Christ is the Israel of God yeah and for those that are playing the part of being a part of ethnic
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Israel they are cut off because they're rebellious they're stiff -necked they disobey and they get curses so they're broken off and the
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Gentiles are grafted in by faith so Romans 11 just makes the analogy of you you have to in order to be elect of God you receive
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Jesus Christ who is the elect or the elect and the Israel of God how do you partake by faith but it definitely relates so thinking of Bobby's question the second part was kind of like the reformation of reforming of Israel after World War two what are your thoughts on that so you don't see that as any significance because I guess would it be the dispensationalist they'd be like look see it came back together was it 1940 they became a nation again it's been a while yeah so for dispensationalist that was huge they became because Israel has to become a legit nation and rebuild the temple and all this is stacking up for the end times and for what
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I'm presenting is Christ can return at any moment we're not waiting on a rapture necessarily and that's a whole nother thing
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I'm for you know I would love to get into it so special because it never has that ever happened before because they were saying like the nation was decimated and then actually some people see that significant for me
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I don't see as significant what else is I gonna say something
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I would be more okay with is the church is the fulfillment of Israel right we just looked at Hebrews 11 the true saints right they saw something to come and now we have something better so there is some type of fulfillment and this is what's neat we we share this with Abraham as one day we all await for Jesus to return and resurrect the dead right resurrect true saints of all time and Abraham will see that fulfilled promise at the eschaton the last day when we're all ready we'll all get to partake in sharing an everlasting position so earlier in Romans 11
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Paul says look we have an ethnic nation of Israel they're rebellious they're disobedient and yeah that grieves his heart back in Romans 9 right yeah and so but he says but think about bigger categories
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God's sovereign it's actually a good thing if this people turns against God and now we can evangelize the
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Gentile nations so that's what he's talking about there is a hardening there is a rebellious tendency with this ethnic people it's for the good of the
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Gentiles and now the New Testament Church we are the living temple of God and we share the gospel to all of creation so there's a lot of when you're talking because he also talks about the fullness of the
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Gentiles yes right and all that there's a lot of theories the one I like the most is there's an elect and so there's a last elect person that comes to saving faith and so I think when the last
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Gentile comes to saving faith Christ returns and we just don't know when that is and Matthew chapter 25 the parable of the ten virgins have your wicks trimmed have oil and your lamps be ready because he could return at any moment be ready stay awake everybody else we got maybe time for one more
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I don't see Pastor Nathan anywhere or Keith saying that time's up so we can okay so with the law
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I'm just throwing something out there but with the law be considered a blessed first to the nation of Israel it's blessed in the sense
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Paul says in Romans 7 holy righteous and good the law reflects God's unchanging character so we had another question of saying how does the old covenant law pertain to the
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Christian life today well we kind of see a threefold structure to the law we see the moral equity of the law every one of those commands stems from God being holy righteous and good but then you have ceremonial laws that were fulfilled in Christ we don't have to sacrifice animals right we get to eat bacon in the new covenant yeah and there there are civil laws to the nation that we're not and so we can still learn from we can still learn from the book of Proverbs a lot of wisdom in there right but not everything's gonna one -to -one carry over the same and so my point is it's blessed the law reflects
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God's unchanging character so that's why you see a lot of the commit the Ten Commandments in the
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New Testament because that reflects the unchanging character we do see a fulfillment with the
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Sabbath in Jesus right and so we don't have to not pick up sticks on Saturday right and so it is a curse in a sense that ethnic
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Israel that tried to obey well they received curses yeah and so the offspring singular
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Jesus Christ who was both spiritual he's God and an actual physical
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Jew perfect but feel the law to its entirety and that's why the old covenant is obsolete
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Jesus filled it and he inaugurated a new and better covenant and we live in the new covenant and we're awaiting the consummation of the new covenant with the the restoration of all things and so we live in this time where we're living the kingdom of God is here now it's all it's above but it's here wherever the
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Holy Spirit's at it's the kingdom of God but we're awaiting that physicality when Jesus comes and restores all things because this physical world is is perishing that's why for me
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I'm not waiting for a thousand year reign we're getting something so much better than that something that will never in the parable of the vineyard in Mark 12