|
"God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints"
The True Church
Matthew 16:13-18 "13 When Jesus came into the
coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?14 And they said, Some
John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I
am?16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17 And Jesus answered and said unto
him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it"
Verse 18 "upon this rock I will build my church" The Rock is Jesus, the Christ,
the Son of the living God. If you confess and believe and trust that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, you are part
of His church.
Church = 1) a company of Christians hoping for eternal salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.2)
an assembly of Christians gathered for worship.3) the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth.
Acts
2:44-47 "44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;45 And sold their possessions and goods, and
parted them to all, as every man had need.46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread
from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,47 Praising God, and having favour with all
the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as be saved"
My prayer: Lord Jesus
Christ, I pray that you give us the spiritual understanding of this passage; open the eyes of your people so we can see your
church.
Verse 44 "all that believed were together, and had all things common" These are all the things
God's people have in common: Ephesian 4:4-7 "4 One body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling;5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.7
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ"
Verse 45 "sold
their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, as every man had need" To sell our possessions and goods is
in our heart, that we trust in God day by day and not in material riches. And we give others what is needed, what God has
given us in Christ: Salvation.
Psalm 68:9-10 "9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst
confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness
for the poor"
Psalm 69:29 "But I [am] poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation,
O God, set me up on high"
Psalm 72:13 "He shall spare the poor and needy,
and shall save the souls of the needy"
Verse 46 "they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple,
and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart" God's chosen people
worship daily with one accord: "Salvation is of the Lord" in the temple. Christ is the temple of God.
What
makes Christ the temple of God? Answer: In Christ dwelleth the fullness of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
"3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of
them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, shine unto them"
Colossians 1:12-19 "12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated into the kingdom of his dear
Son:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of every creature:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:17 And
he is before all things, and by him all things consist.18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all he have the preeminence.19 For it pleased that in him all fulness dwell"
Hebrews 1:1-3 "1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,2
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world,3
Who being the brightness of glory, and the image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he
had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high"
"breaking bread from
house to house" The bread is Christ; to break bread is to declare to others what Christ has done for my soul. man is
the house.
"did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart" To eat is to believe; the meat
is Christ; gladness and singleness of heart is that we rejoice in His Salvation.
1 Samuel 2:1 "And Hannah
prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies;
because I rejoice in thy salvation"
Psalm 13:5 "But
I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation"
Psalm 35:9 "And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in
his salvation"
Verse 47 "Praising God, and
having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as be saved" I have been praising God
since He brought Salvation to my soul.
"having favour with all the people" With those who know the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 34:2 "My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear and be glad"
Psalm 35:27 "Let them shout for joy, and be glad,
that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity
of his servant"
Psalm 119:74 "They that fear thee will be glad
when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word"
"the Lord added to
the church daily such as be saved" The Lord Jesus Christ is in control of Salvation; it is not in man's decision to saved
the soul. He is bringing Salvation to those whom He chose from before the foundation of the world.
Psalm 22:29
"All fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul"
Acts
13:48 "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed"
Church is not a building,
but the assembly of God's people and this is not once a week, but daily.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them"
Hebrews 2:11-12 "11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified all of one: for which cause he is
not ashamed to call them brethren,12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing
praise unto thee"
Hebrews 10:23-25 "23 Let us hold fast the profession of faith without wavering; (for
he faithful that promised;)24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:25 Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some; but exhorting: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching"
Verse 25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some" As you have seen God's
people gathered together (assembled) daily. Well, for me (by God's Grace) it has been a daily custom, I have been exhorting
people in a daily basis to trust in Christ for the Salvation of the soul.
1 John 1:3 "That which
we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father,
and with his Son Jesus Christ" God's chosen people have a true daily fellowship with the Father and with his Son
Jesus Christ; and that is what my experience has been for God's glory.
Most Christian congregations say they are
the church of God, but they are not; but this is what they are: Revelation 2:9 "I know thy works, and tribulation,
and poverty, (but thou art rich) and the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are
not, but the synagogue of Satan"
Revelation 3:9 "Behold, I will make them
of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not,
but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee"
The true child of God is a Jew in the heart and is also called a Christian, but not all Christians are Jews in the heart.
Romans 2:28-29 "28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither circumcision, which is outward in the
flesh:29 But he a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise
not of men, but of God"
Jeremiah 31:10-12 "10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare in
the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd his flock.11 For the LORD
hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of stronger than he.12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height
of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the
flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all"
The isles are God's elect/chosen people scattered all over the world. The Lord is gathering and keeping spiritual Israel
as a shepherd keep his flock. This is happening today, right before mine eyes. praise the Lord!
Isaiah 51:5
"My righteousness near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me,
and on mine arm shall they trust"
Psalm 40:9-10 "9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation:
lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared
thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation"
Congregation
= assembly, company, congregation, convocation. Are you a Jew circumcised in the heart, part of
God's church? By God's Grace I am a complete Jew, part of His church.
PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
|
