WEBVTT - Billy Lambert - Oct 23 - 10:00 am 0:00:15.170 --> 0:00:18.349 This is Getting to Know Your Bible, a program dedicated 0:00:18.390 --> 0:00:21.050 to the proclaiming of the good news of Jesus Christ. 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:28.020 Here's Billy Lambert. 0:00:28.780 --> 0:00:30.000 Hello, I'm Billy Lambert. 0:00:30.220 --> 0:00:33.680 I am the regular speaker on Getting to Know Your Bible. 0:00:34.979 --> 0:00:37.000 And I want to welcome you today. This may be 0:00:37.080 --> 0:00:40.370 the very first time that you have seen this telecast. 0:00:41.490 --> 0:00:43.589 I want you to know that the thing that we 0:00:43.750 --> 0:00:47.290 emphasize on getting to know your Bible is the Word 0:00:47.330 --> 0:00:50.190 of God. The Bible is the greatest book that has 0:00:50.330 --> 0:00:54.310 ever been written. Many years ago, there were those that 0:00:54.620 --> 0:00:57.400 wrote books that thought they would replace the Bible. That's 0:00:57.420 --> 0:01:00.320 what Thomas Paine thought when he wrote The Age of Reasons. 0:01:00.940 --> 0:01:04.740 But the Bible continues to live century after century. Jesus 0:01:04.780 --> 0:01:07.800 said heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word 0:01:07.819 --> 0:01:11.220 shall not pass away. So on getting to know your Bible, 0:01:11.260 --> 0:01:16.270 we're teaching from the timeless word of God. The Bible 0:01:16.330 --> 0:01:19.030 is God's book, the greatest book that has ever been written. 0:01:19.750 --> 0:01:22.369 And today we're going to be opening up the pages 0:01:22.430 --> 0:01:25.809 of the word of God and delivering a message to 0:01:25.870 --> 0:01:30.679 you from God's book. Today we're going to be seeing 0:01:31.220 --> 0:01:35.509 one of our classics. That is a production of one 0:01:35.530 --> 0:01:39.430 of our telecasts from time in the past. And we 0:01:39.470 --> 0:01:42.350 want you to stay tuned. We're going to be offering 0:01:42.410 --> 0:01:46.309 a free Bible correspondence course today. And we will see 0:01:46.390 --> 0:01:49.090 information on the screen as to how you can receive 0:01:49.140 --> 0:01:52.060 that course. And so we want to pause at this time. 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:55.400 To help you in your study of the Bible, we 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:59.120 want to send you this Bible correspondence course. This course 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:02.990 is non-denominational. It's based on the Bible. It's conducted by 0:02:03.030 --> 0:02:06.350 mail and it's free. To receive this course, write to 0:02:06.570 --> 0:02:10.990 Getting to Know Your Bible, P.O. Box 314, Somerdale, Alabama, 36580. 0:02:10.990 --> 0:02:13.290 Or call toll-free 1-877-711-5214. I'd like to read now from 0:02:13.330 --> 0:02:14.850 the book of Jeremiah, the sixth chapter. 0:02:29.380 --> 0:02:35.660 And verse 16, Thus says the Lord, Stand in the 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:40.850 ways and see, and ask for the old paths where 0:02:40.910 --> 0:02:45.570 the good way is, and walk in it. Then you 0:02:45.610 --> 0:02:52.510 will find rest for your souls. But they said, We 0:02:52.550 --> 0:02:53.620 will not walk in it. 0:02:55.050 --> 0:02:55.470 I want to. 0:02:55.490 --> 0:03:00.720 Emphasize the stand in the ways and see and ask for. 0:03:00.570 --> 0:03:03.420 The old paths. 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:14.060 There was a spring discovered in a certain location, and 0:03:14.100 --> 0:03:20.270 that spring was found to have certain medicinal qualities. People 0:03:20.330 --> 0:03:24.470 who would go and immerse themselves in the water of 0:03:24.510 --> 0:03:29.489 that spring would learn that it would help in certain 0:03:29.790 --> 0:03:36.830 ways with their physical ailments. Perhaps they had arthritis hurting 0:03:36.890 --> 0:03:39.250 them and they would bathe in those waters and it 0:03:39.290 --> 0:03:44.510 would help them. There were other ways that people were helped. 0:03:44.550 --> 0:03:51.230 People were flocking from everywhere to the spring and they 0:03:51.270 --> 0:03:53.840 were bathing themselves in it in order that they might 0:03:53.910 --> 0:03:59.560 receive the help from it. someone began to think, since 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:03.580 so many people are coming to the spring to bathe 0:04:03.620 --> 0:04:08.530 in its waters, why don't I build a store? They'll 0:04:08.610 --> 0:04:11.890 always need something to drink, something to eat, so I'll 0:04:11.910 --> 0:04:12.850 just build a store. 0:04:14.110 --> 0:04:14.900 And so he did. 0:04:14.910 --> 0:04:21.080 It wasn't long until there was another store that was built. 0:04:22.190 --> 0:04:24.650 and then another and another. And someone came up with 0:04:24.670 --> 0:04:28.880 the idea of building a house there. It wasn't long 0:04:28.980 --> 0:04:35.240 until there were a number of houses surrounding the spring. Eventually, 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:39.320 there were large suburban neighborhoods surrounding the spring, and there 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:44.920 was a town that sprung up around the spring. Some 0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:49.380 years later, someone came to the location of the spring. 0:04:49.420 --> 0:04:53.980 They had heard about its medicinal qualities. And they wanted 0:04:54.020 --> 0:04:56.800 to bathe in the waters of that spring and see 0:04:56.860 --> 0:05:00.920 if they could find some physical relief. And they came 0:05:00.980 --> 0:05:04.859 to the town that now surrounded the area where the 0:05:04.900 --> 0:05:06.500 spring was. 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:09.120 And they asked. 0:05:08.980 --> 0:05:10.920 Someone on the street, can you tell me where I 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:16.390 can find the spring? They said, what spring? Oh, you 0:05:16.430 --> 0:05:18.610 know the spring that you can bathe in. It can 0:05:18.650 --> 0:05:23.630 help you physically. They said, we don't know anything about that. 0:05:23.710 --> 0:05:27.690 We haven't been living here very long. Maybe if you 0:05:27.730 --> 0:05:31.710 went down to the Chamber of Commerce, they might be 0:05:31.750 --> 0:05:32.650 able to help you with that. 0:05:33.870 --> 0:05:34.590 So they found the. 0:05:34.550 --> 0:05:37.990 Chamber of Commerce and they went in and they explained 0:05:38.070 --> 0:05:43.159 what they were searching for. And the young lady behind 0:05:43.200 --> 0:05:46.120 the desk said, you know, I remember something about that. 0:05:47.300 --> 0:05:49.420 And I believe that at one time there was a 0:05:49.500 --> 0:05:54.130 spring here and that people would come from all over 0:05:54.190 --> 0:05:56.669 to bathe themselves in the waters of that spring, but 0:05:57.230 --> 0:05:58.830 let me do a little checking and see if it's 0:05:58.850 --> 0:06:02.250 still here, if we can find it. She came back shortly, 0:06:02.270 --> 0:06:05.260 and she said, yes, the spring is still here, gave 0:06:05.300 --> 0:06:09.200 directions as to how to find it. And soon the 0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:11.880 people came to where the spring was located. There was 0:06:11.940 --> 0:06:15.720 a fence around it, but it did not appear that 0:06:15.800 --> 0:06:20.260 very many people had been visiting it lately. But they 0:06:20.300 --> 0:06:22.580 went in and they bathed themselves in the waters of 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:26.880 that spring and they found a great deal of relief. 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:34.930 You see, what happened is that the people forgot the 0:06:35.050 --> 0:06:40.810 reason that they were in that location. And a town 0:06:40.870 --> 0:06:44.690 had sprung up around that spring. Houses had sprung up. 0:06:44.710 --> 0:06:50.589 Businesses were there. And they forgot the very thing that 0:06:50.650 --> 0:06:55.070 they had to come to that location in the beginning. 0:06:57.150 --> 0:07:00.630 You know, I think there is a lesson in that 0:07:00.710 --> 0:07:01.190 for us. 0:07:02.650 --> 0:07:09.210 That sometimes we forget the intent of certain things. And 0:07:09.330 --> 0:07:11.560 as it were, we have to go back to the spring. 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:16.380 Go back to the spring. Go back to where we 0:07:16.460 --> 0:07:21.070 were in the very beginning. and see how things were 0:07:21.330 --> 0:07:27.090 at that point. Suppose men ceased to play the game 0:07:27.150 --> 0:07:32.190 of baseball for 150 years, but someone learned that there 0:07:32.250 --> 0:07:32.950 had been. 0:07:32.780 --> 0:07:36.060 At one time a game played like that. 0:07:37.140 --> 0:07:41.840 How could men begin to play the game of baseball again? Well, 0:07:41.860 --> 0:07:43.810 they'd just have to go back to the spring, wouldn't they? 0:07:44.650 --> 0:07:47.010 They would have to go and find a rule book 0:07:48.050 --> 0:07:52.430 pertaining to the playing of baseball. And if they could 0:07:52.470 --> 0:07:55.070 just follow the rules that had been given to them, 0:07:56.230 --> 0:08:00.430 well then, you see, they could have baseball in the 0:08:00.470 --> 0:08:03.710 world again, even though it had not been played. 0:08:03.930 --> 0:08:05.630 For 150 years. 0:08:06.530 --> 0:08:10.430 You see, what they had to do was to go 0:08:10.470 --> 0:08:16.370 back to the spring. Suppose someone were to discover the 0:08:16.430 --> 0:08:20.840 remains of Noah's Ark. Now there are some who think 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:24.880 they have and some think they will and I understand 0:08:24.900 --> 0:08:28.810 that but suppose it's confirmed. Suppose it should be confirmed 0:08:28.850 --> 0:08:36.670 that someone has discovered the remains of Noah's Ark. Suppose 0:08:36.710 --> 0:08:40.250 they wanted to see if they could build that Ark 0:08:40.410 --> 0:08:44.980 and restore that Ark to its original condition. Suppose they 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:47.960 wanted to build it and make it look like it 0:08:48.100 --> 0:08:52.070 did when Noah built the ark. Well, now, how do 0:08:52.110 --> 0:08:55.530 you suppose they're going to do that? How would they 0:08:55.570 --> 0:08:59.510 go back to the spring? Well, I suggest that they 0:08:59.550 --> 0:09:02.369 find out how Noah built it. And in order to 0:09:02.429 --> 0:09:04.310 do that, you would have to go back to the 0:09:04.429 --> 0:09:07.820 Old Testament, to the book of Genesis, the sixth chapter, 0:09:08.500 --> 0:09:14.080 where God gave Noah the instructions for the building of 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:17.910 the ark. And if they were to follow the instructions 0:09:17.970 --> 0:09:21.910 given to Noah about its length, about its width, about 0:09:21.980 --> 0:09:25.820 its height, about the rooms in it and the like, 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:31.900 then they could very well restore the remains they have 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:36.590 to what the ark must or possibly look like in 0:09:36.630 --> 0:09:39.590 the very beginning. But you see, they would have to 0:09:39.630 --> 0:09:46.070 go back to the spring. Suppose the church ceased to 0:09:46.250 --> 0:09:51.800 exist on earth for 200 years. Just suppose that were 0:09:51.820 --> 0:09:54.080 to happen. I don't believe it ever will, but just 0:09:54.120 --> 0:09:59.429 suppose that it did. And one day someone finds a 0:09:59.510 --> 0:10:03.790 book that called the Bible. As a matter of fact, 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:07.280 on the front of it are the words Holy Bible. 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:10.480 And as they begin to read that book, they find 0:10:10.500 --> 0:10:13.820 the word church in that book. And the first time 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:16.090 they'll find it in that book is in Matthew the 0:10:16.350 --> 0:10:21.260 16th chapter and verse 18. And they learned from reading 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:24.980 that book that saved people. 0:10:26.080 --> 0:10:28.199 Composed that church. 0:10:29.580 --> 0:10:32.160 Now, there's not a church that's been existing on earth 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:35.780 for 200 years. But now they have found a book 0:10:35.820 --> 0:10:39.990 that talks about it. How would they restore the church 0:10:40.230 --> 0:10:44.290 of the Bible in the world if it had not 0:10:44.470 --> 0:10:47.070 existed on earth for 200 years? 0:10:47.690 --> 0:10:48.410 Now, think with me. 0:10:49.460 --> 0:10:52.220 Is it not logical that they just have to go 0:10:52.260 --> 0:10:55.260 back to the Bible, that is, go back to the spring, 0:10:56.679 --> 0:10:59.179 and go to the book that tells you everything that 0:10:59.220 --> 0:11:03.640 you want to know about the church? And then you 0:11:03.730 --> 0:11:08.849 could have the church and reproduce the church in the world, 0:11:09.550 --> 0:11:12.130 even though it may not have existed on earth for 0:11:12.130 --> 0:11:14.970 200 years. You see, that goes back to a statement 0:11:15.010 --> 0:11:18.390 that Peter made in 1 Peter 4 and 11, that 0:11:18.429 --> 0:11:20.690 if any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles 0:11:20.750 --> 0:11:23.340 of God. We just have to go back to the 0:11:23.390 --> 0:11:25.880 rule book, to the guide that we have, and that's 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:28.819 the Bible. Now, if we were to go back to 0:11:29.740 --> 0:11:35.600 the Bible in an effort to restore in the world 0:11:36.500 --> 0:11:39.860 the church we read about in the Bible, what would 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:43.520 we find? Well, first of all, we would find that 0:11:43.640 --> 0:11:51.570 its beginning was predicted. For example, In Daniel chapter 2 0:11:51.570 --> 0:11:54.230 and verse 44, these. 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:54.959 Words are found. 0:11:55.650 --> 0:11:59.059 And in the days of these kings, the God of 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:01.739 heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, 0:12:02.480 --> 0:12:04.940 and the kingdom shall not be left to other people. 0:12:05.700 --> 0:12:10.380 It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms. 0:12:11.059 --> 0:12:14.960 It shall stand forever. So there's where its beginning was predicted. 0:12:15.500 --> 0:12:20.140 Then in Isaiah, the second chapter, Verses 2 and 3. 0:12:20.140 --> 0:12:22.300 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:27.710 that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established 0:12:27.800 --> 0:12:31.350 on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted 0:12:31.570 --> 0:12:33.829 above the hills and all. 0:12:33.750 --> 0:12:35.190 Nations shall flow to it. 0:12:35.990 --> 0:12:38.610 Many people shall come and say come and let us 0:12:38.650 --> 0:12:41.160 go up to the mountain of the Lord to the 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:43.380 house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us 0:12:43.420 --> 0:12:47.120 his ways. We shall walk in his paths. For out 0:12:47.200 --> 0:12:50.920 of Zion shall go forth the law and the word 0:12:51.260 --> 0:12:56.170 of the Lord from Jerusalem. Those verses tell us about 0:12:56.850 --> 0:13:01.810 the beginning. This is the prediction of the beginning of 0:13:01.890 --> 0:13:06.609 the church. According to Isaiah, it would begin in Jerusalem. 0:13:07.250 --> 0:13:09.470 According to Daniel, it would be in the days of 0:13:09.530 --> 0:13:12.960 the Roman kings. And it was in the days of 0:13:13.140 --> 0:13:16.890 the Roman kings in Jerusalem that that the church of 0:13:16.929 --> 0:13:20.970 the New Testament had its beginning. That's recorded in the 0:13:21.010 --> 0:13:26.410 Bible in Acts chapter 2. In Acts chapter 2, Peter 0:13:26.470 --> 0:13:29.130 preached the first recorded gospel sermon. 0:13:29.290 --> 0:13:30.710 Under the worldwide commission. 0:13:31.250 --> 0:13:33.360 The people asked what to do to be saved, and 0:13:33.380 --> 0:13:37.120 he told them to repent of their sins, to be baptized, 0:13:37.160 --> 0:13:40.220 that their sins be remitted. And the Bible tells us 0:13:40.300 --> 0:13:43.760 in verse 47, the Lord added them to the church. 0:13:44.309 --> 0:13:46.930 So if we were trying to find the church in 0:13:46.970 --> 0:13:53.120 the Bible, we would see that its beginning was predicted. Secondly, 0:13:53.820 --> 0:13:58.600 we would see that its builder was specified. We will 0:13:58.660 --> 0:14:05.550 read in Matthew 16, 18, Jesus said, I will build 0:14:06.410 --> 0:14:10.030 my church. So Jesus said, I will build. I would 0:14:10.070 --> 0:14:13.380 understand that to mean that it's Yet in the future, 0:14:13.420 --> 0:14:17.250 when Jesus said that, and that Jesus said, I will 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:21.489 build my church, that's just one. You see, at that 0:14:21.550 --> 0:14:27.210 particular time, there was not a denomination in existence. It 0:14:27.250 --> 0:14:35.150 did not exist. Jesus simply said, I will build my church. 0:14:35.950 --> 0:14:40.170 So Jesus is its builder. So we go back to 0:14:40.210 --> 0:14:44.460 the Bible. We're trying to restore the church in the world. 0:14:45.340 --> 0:14:49.160 And now we see that its beginning was predicted and 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:54.620 its builder was specified. Now, a third observation is that 0:14:54.680 --> 0:15:00.560 the bedrock foundation was laid. Upon what is the church built? 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:03.140 I want to read some passages to you that I 0:15:03.180 --> 0:15:06.790 believe will help us to understand that. First of all, 0:15:06.850 --> 0:15:13.320 from 1 Corinthians 2. the third chapter and verse number 11. 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:18.840 Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, 0:15:19.820 --> 0:15:24.980 which is Christ Jesus. So that passage says that Christ 0:15:26.220 --> 0:15:31.970 is the foundation of the church. Other foundation can no 0:15:32.020 --> 0:15:34.430 man lay than that which is laid, which is Christ. 0:15:35.210 --> 0:15:39.210 Now in Matthew the 16th chapter and verse 18, When 0:15:39.270 --> 0:15:41.710 Jesus made the promise that he would build the church, 0:15:41.750 --> 0:15:42.710 this is what he said. 0:15:44.110 --> 0:15:45.370 I say also unto. 0:15:45.210 --> 0:15:51.320 Thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:58.920 will build my church. Some mistakenly assume that the Lord 0:15:59.060 --> 0:16:03.320 meant that he would build the church upon Peter. No, 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:07.210 the church is not built upon Peter. but rather the 0:16:07.260 --> 0:16:10.950 church is built upon the confession that Peter made. In 0:16:10.990 --> 0:16:14.970 the 16th verse, Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the 0:16:15.130 --> 0:16:20.150 Son of the living God. Now the word that is 0:16:20.250 --> 0:16:25.230 translated Peter is Petros. It just means a little stone, 0:16:26.190 --> 0:16:27.330 and that is. 0:16:27.490 --> 0:16:29.470 In the masculine gender. 0:16:30.170 --> 0:16:35.530 The word that is translated rock is Petra, and it's feminine. 0:16:36.350 --> 0:16:37.410 It's feminine gender. 0:16:38.090 --> 0:16:44.090 The church was not built upon Petra, or rather upon Petros. 0:16:44.910 --> 0:16:48.250 It is built upon Petra. It is built upon the 0:16:48.410 --> 0:16:55.410 bedrock truth that Peter had confessed, that Jesus is the Christ, 0:16:56.010 --> 0:16:58.910 the Son of the living God. In Acts the fourth 0:16:58.980 --> 0:17:02.720 chapter and verse 11 we read, This is the stone 0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:07.240 which was rejected by you builders. which has become the 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:13.660 chief cornerstone. And then verse 12 reads, Neither is there 0:17:13.859 --> 0:17:16.220 salvation in the other, for there is no other name 0:17:16.430 --> 0:17:20.890 under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved. 0:17:21.530 --> 0:17:28.820 Jesus Christ is that chief cornerstone. In Isaiah the 28th 0:17:28.859 --> 0:17:32.640 chapter and verse 16, this was predicted. Behold, I lay 0:17:32.820 --> 0:17:37.650 in Zion, that would be in Jerusalem, a stone for 0:17:37.710 --> 0:17:45.140 a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:52.350 Whoever believes will not act hastily. So the bedrock foundation 0:17:52.380 --> 0:17:58.510 was laid. Jesus is its foundation. Now again, remember that 0:17:58.550 --> 0:18:00.790 we're going back to the Bible to see what the 0:18:00.850 --> 0:18:05.020 Bible says about the church. And we're wanting to see 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:08.300 if we cannot have it in the world today. We 0:18:08.340 --> 0:18:11.659 have learned that its beginning was predicted, that its builder 0:18:11.700 --> 0:18:17.910 was specified, and that the bedrock foundation was laid. And 0:18:18.050 --> 0:18:24.910 Jesus is its foundation. Now, how did it come to be? Well, 0:18:24.930 --> 0:18:27.310 when we began to read the Bible, we learned that 0:18:27.410 --> 0:18:32.210 it was blood bought, that it was purchased with blood. 0:18:32.940 --> 0:18:37.030 In Acts chapter 20 and verse 28, Paul was addressing 0:18:37.070 --> 0:18:40.210 the elders of Ephesus, and he said to them, Take 0:18:40.250 --> 0:18:44.090 heed unto yourselves and all the flock, over which the 0:18:44.150 --> 0:18:47.879 Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church 0:18:47.930 --> 0:18:53.520 of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 0:18:54.380 --> 0:19:00.270 The church was purchased, according to that verse, with Jesus' blood. 0:19:00.270 --> 0:19:03.770 1 Corinthians 6 and 20, Paul said, you're bought with 0:19:03.830 --> 0:19:04.270 a price. 0:19:04.310 --> 0:19:07.560 Well, what's the price? Blood. Jesus' blood. 0:19:07.580 --> 0:19:11.800 In Ephesians 5 and verse 25, Paul wrote, and your 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:17.060 husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the 0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:25.930 church and gave himself for her. Jesus died for the church. 0:19:25.990 --> 0:19:29.540 He shed his blood for the church. So now remember 0:19:29.580 --> 0:19:32.560 that we're going back to the spring. We're going back 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:35.240 to the Bible. We're going back to the book that 0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:39.310 tells us all we need to know about the church. 0:19:39.970 --> 0:19:45.690 Its beginning was predicted, its builder was specified, its bedrock 0:19:45.730 --> 0:19:50.360 foundation was laid, and it was blood-bought. But then again, 0:19:51.020 --> 0:19:53.360 here's another truth that we learn. 0:19:54.380 --> 0:19:55.000 There was a. 0:19:55.119 --> 0:20:02.570 Blueprint to follow, a blueprint or a pattern to follow. 0:20:03.630 --> 0:20:07.470 In Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 5, Paul is quoting 0:20:07.530 --> 0:20:13.450 from the Old Testament, when the tabernacle was being built 0:20:13.510 --> 0:20:17.149 or in the process of being built. And God gave 0:20:17.330 --> 0:20:22.030 Moses a blueprint for that. And here in Hebrews 8 0:20:22.030 --> 0:20:26.889 and 5 is a quotation of what God told him 0:20:27.470 --> 0:20:30.290 about the building of the tabernacle. He said, see that 0:20:30.330 --> 0:20:35.189 you make all things according to the pattern that I 0:20:35.320 --> 0:20:39.460 showed you in the mount. So there was a pattern 0:20:40.140 --> 0:20:45.120 For the tabernacle, the tabernacle was a tent-like structure, and 0:20:45.180 --> 0:20:48.000 they were not left to chance to build it. They 0:20:48.020 --> 0:20:50.300 were not left to their own design to build it. 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:55.180 It had to be according to the pattern of God. Well, 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:57.300 now the question is, when we come to the Bible, 0:20:57.420 --> 0:21:00.480 is there any kind of a pattern? Is there a pattern, 0:21:00.530 --> 0:21:04.510 for example, of its organization? Is there any pattern to follow, 0:21:04.630 --> 0:21:09.770 any blueprint to follow? Well, there's a very simple outline 0:21:10.010 --> 0:21:14.740 of the organization of the church in Philippians chapter 1 0:21:14.740 --> 0:21:16.280 and verse 1. 0:21:16.280 --> 0:21:16.919 Listen to it. 0:21:17.619 --> 0:21:23.219 Paul and Timothy to the saints which are at Philippi 0:21:24.220 --> 0:21:28.300 with the bishops and deacons. In the church at Philippi 0:21:28.340 --> 0:21:34.869 there were Christians called saints and there were bishops and 0:21:34.900 --> 0:21:41.060 there were deacons. The word bishop, the word elder, the 0:21:41.100 --> 0:21:47.820 word pastor all refer to the same office. I've seen 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:50.540 some writings of people and they would refer to those 0:21:50.619 --> 0:21:54.510 who were the elders in the church and then they'd 0:21:54.550 --> 0:21:57.990 refer to someone else who was the pastor in the church. Well, 0:21:58.030 --> 0:22:02.290 now that's a misapplication of the terms because they refer 0:22:02.470 --> 0:22:06.609 to the same office. If you are an elder... in 0:22:06.670 --> 0:22:10.210 the church, then you are a pastor. If you're a 0:22:10.250 --> 0:22:13.790 pastor in the church, then you're an elder. To be 0:22:13.850 --> 0:22:16.470 a pastor, to be an elder, to be an overseer, 0:22:16.510 --> 0:22:20.000 to be a shepherd of the flock, all refers to 0:22:20.040 --> 0:22:21.939 the same group of men. 0:22:22.640 --> 0:22:24.540 And in every congregation in the. 0:22:24.480 --> 0:22:29.080 New Testament, there was a plurality of those who were 0:22:29.140 --> 0:22:34.240 serving as bishops or elders or pastors. For example, in 0:22:34.280 --> 0:22:37.800 the book of Titus, In the first chapter of Titus, 0:22:38.320 --> 0:22:41.210 Paul is writing to this young man, and he had 0:22:41.250 --> 0:22:46.510 been left in Crete for a specific purpose. Notice verse 0:22:46.510 --> 0:22:50.390 5 of chapter 1. For this reason I left you 0:22:50.690 --> 0:22:55.379 in Crete, that you should set in order the things 0:22:55.420 --> 0:23:01.780 that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as 0:23:01.900 --> 0:23:06.659 I commanded you. There was a plurality of elders in 0:23:06.820 --> 0:23:11.840 every church, in every city. And that would prevent someone 0:23:12.000 --> 0:23:18.750 from becoming the chief elder, the chief bishop, the chief overseer. 0:23:18.630 --> 0:23:19.710 In that congregation. 0:23:20.310 --> 0:23:23.270 And so God's pattern and his pattern for the organization 0:23:23.330 --> 0:23:27.189 of the church is there be elders who serve as 0:23:27.430 --> 0:23:30.470 under shepherds, under Jesus Christ, who is the chief shepherd, 0:23:31.390 --> 0:23:34.820 and that they oversee the flock. They care for and 0:23:35.460 --> 0:23:43.260 nurture the flock as shepherds, as pastors, as elders, as 0:23:43.359 --> 0:23:47.500 bishops of the church. Serving with them, there are men 0:23:47.560 --> 0:23:52.709 called deacons, and they're not junior elders. They are men 0:23:52.790 --> 0:23:56.570 who serve alongside the elders. Some say, well, you know, 0:23:56.590 --> 0:23:59.149 the elders take care of the spiritual affairs and the 0:23:59.680 --> 0:24:03.139 Deacons can take care of the material affairs. I believe 0:24:03.180 --> 0:24:07.520 that that's a misapplication of the work of elders and deacons. 0:24:08.300 --> 0:24:10.619 Elders are over all of the work of all of 0:24:10.660 --> 0:24:13.850 the church all of the time, and deacons should do 0:24:13.950 --> 0:24:16.850 what the elders ask them to do or assign them 0:24:16.910 --> 0:24:19.869 to do in the work of the church. Some of 0:24:19.950 --> 0:24:23.130 it may be physical, such as feeding the hungry, but 0:24:23.270 --> 0:24:26.710 some of it might be spiritual in nature as well. 0:24:27.460 --> 0:24:29.980 And so you have elders and you have deacons and 0:24:30.020 --> 0:24:33.300 you have the members in the local church. That's the 0:24:33.359 --> 0:24:37.250 pattern for the organization of the church. But what was 0:24:37.310 --> 0:24:41.129 the pattern for its terms of entrance? Well, in John 0:24:41.130 --> 0:24:45.189 9 and 4 we read that Jesus said, I am 0:24:45.270 --> 0:24:48.720 the door, but by me if any man enter in, 0:24:48.820 --> 0:24:52.060 he shall be saved and shall go in and out 0:24:52.240 --> 0:24:55.879 and shall find pasture. So Jesus Christ is the door. 0:24:56.609 --> 0:24:59.590 He's the door into the kingdom. He's the door into 0:24:59.630 --> 0:25:02.190 the body of Christ. He's the door into the church. 0:25:02.890 --> 0:25:06.690 And we must enter the door to be in the church, 0:25:07.290 --> 0:25:09.130 to be in Jesus Christ is. 0:25:09.210 --> 0:25:11.139 In fact, to be in the body. 0:25:11.680 --> 0:25:15.480 And in order that we might be in Christ, that 0:25:15.520 --> 0:25:18.400 we might have the remission of our sins, we just 0:25:18.440 --> 0:25:21.040 simply need to go back, for example, to the book 0:25:21.080 --> 0:25:24.000 of Acts. Just go simply to the book of Acts 0:25:24.400 --> 0:25:27.960 and start in chapter 2. Go through the entire book 0:25:28.630 --> 0:25:31.910 and find out what men and women did in Bible 0:25:31.950 --> 0:25:35.850 times to be saved and to be added to the church. 0:25:36.510 --> 0:25:38.770 In the second chapter, we learn that they repented and 0:25:38.810 --> 0:25:41.780 were baptized and were added to the church. In Acts 0:25:41.780 --> 0:25:44.720 8 and 12, the people believed Philip preaching the things 0:25:44.780 --> 0:25:47.960 concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus 0:25:48.020 --> 0:25:51.479 Christ and they were baptized, both men and women. In 0:25:51.640 --> 0:25:54.290 Acts 18 and 8, the Corinthians heard, believed, and they 0:25:54.330 --> 0:25:57.240 were baptized. And on and on, we could go with 0:25:57.560 --> 0:26:01.520 all the examples of conversion in the New Testament. There's 0:26:01.560 --> 0:26:04.820 a pattern for what one must do to be saved. 0:26:04.880 --> 0:26:08.570 Believe on Christ, repent of sins, confess faith in Christ, 0:26:08.640 --> 0:26:12.530 and to be baptized. But then God gave a pattern 0:26:12.570 --> 0:26:15.540 for the way the church is to worship. John 4, 0:26:15.540 --> 0:26:20.570 24 somewhat summarizes that. God is a spirit, and they 0:26:20.630 --> 0:26:24.850 that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 0:26:25.410 --> 0:26:26.910 And on the Lord's day, we're. 0:26:26.730 --> 0:26:31.400 To sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making 0:26:31.480 --> 0:26:35.260 melody in our hearts to the Lord, Ephesians 5, 19. 0:26:35.260 --> 0:26:37.200 We are to gather together upon the first day of 0:26:37.220 --> 0:26:40.400 the week, according to Acts 20 and 7, to observe 0:26:40.440 --> 0:26:44.379 the Lord's Supper. We pray to God, 1 Timothy 2, 0:26:44.380 --> 0:26:46.620 verse 8. And on the first day of the week, 0:26:46.680 --> 0:26:49.780 we lay by in stores. God has prospered us. That is, 0:26:50.140 --> 0:26:54.460 we give to the Lord, 1 Corinthians 16 and verse 1. 0:26:54.460 --> 0:26:56.040 And we continued. 0:26:55.500 --> 0:26:59.919 Steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and 0:27:00.020 --> 0:27:04.630 in prayers, Acts 2 and verse 42. So God has 0:27:04.690 --> 0:27:09.450 given a pattern for the way we worship. Now think 0:27:09.510 --> 0:27:12.690 with me. We're talking about going back to the spring, 0:27:13.190 --> 0:27:16.340 going back to the Bible, going back to the fountainhead 0:27:16.720 --> 0:27:20.220 to find how God describes the New Testament church. May 0:27:20.260 --> 0:27:24.750