THE 5 PILLARS OF MATTHEW Why Should We Live with a Grateful Heart

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1 THE 5 PILLARS OF MATTHEW 1.4. Why Should We Live with a Grateful Heart

2 THANKSGIVING Our Sermon Series on the 5 Pillars (Discourses) of Matthew Is on the 1st Pillar (the Sermon on the Mount in Matt 5-7), and on Its 3rd Station (Beatitude 3): Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matt 3:5) Our Timing Happens to Be Near the Thanksgiving Holiday in A.D It Is Providential to Combine These 2 Themes Together. The American Holiday of Thanksgiving Is the Result of a National Experience by the Founders of the Country: The Pilgrims, Who Escaped Religious Persecution in Europe and Landed in Plymouth MA, Were Dying from the Harsh Conditions, When They Met Squanto, an English Speaking Amerindian, Who Was Seeking for Alliance for His Tribe, and Taught the Pilgrims How to Live in the Americas. It Was a Providential Gift from God.

3 PROVIDENCE Providence Is the English Translation of the Greek Word provoia: Provision, Foresight, Forethought. It Means a Gift for Men Prepared by God from a Time Long Ago. Gradually, Providence Becomes a Synonym of God, and Provision Represents the Things that God Provides. The First Provision of God Is Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, Who Was Chosen to Be the Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sin of the World (John 1:19). This Was Done before the Foundation of the World, When God Elected/Chose the Individual Souls of the Church, to Be the Bride of Christ, the Fellow Heir of the Kingdom of God. The Election of the Church Is Interwoven with that of Christ.

4 THE 1ST PROVISION Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24 NAU) 17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Pet. 1:17-21 NAU)

5 CHOSEN FOR HEAVEN What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened (Rom. 11:7 NAU) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:3-6 NAU) But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. (2 Thess. 2:13 NAU)

6 THE 2ND PROVISION Since Fallen Men Have Blindness in Learning Spiritual Truth, God Elected the Israelites (the Jews as their Remnants Today) as a Negative Object Lesson, to Demonstrate that by the Flesh No Spiritual Life Can Grow. Supernatural Transformation Is Necessary for Making Souls Compatible to Christ. Israel/Jews Are the Chosen People of God Not for Heaven, but for the Earth (Israel Is the Visible Kingdom of God). The Primary Concern of Israel/Jews Have Always Been the Glory on Earth, for Which God Will Honor His Promise. The Church Is the Chosen/Elect of God Not for the Earth, but for Heaven (the Church Is the Spiritual Kingdom of God, i.e. the Kingdom of Heaven). The Primary Concern of the Church Should Always Be Character Transformation (Sanctification).

7 CHOSEN FOR THE EARTH For I have chosen him (Abraham), so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him. (Gen. 18:19 NAU) 6 "For you (Israel) are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers (Deut. 7:6-8 NAU)

8 CHOSEN FOR THE EARTH 16 The LORD said to Moses, "Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 "Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, 'Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?' 18 "But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods. (Deut. 31:16-18 NAU) For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel (Rom. 9:6 NAU)

9 THE PAST REALIZATION OF THE 1ST PROVISION Christ Entered Time, Exhibited God s Truth and Love, and Redeemed His Bride: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (Jn. 14:6 NAU) 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. (Gal. 4:3-7 NAU)

10 THE PAST REALIZATION OF THE 1ST PROVISION The Church Is the Expanded Spiritual Israel (the Believing Jews Are the True Jews), but Not a Replacement of the Physical Israel (Nonbelieving Jews Hardened by God, and Are under God s Discipline till the End of the Tribulation): 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. (Rom. 2:28-29 NAU) Those in the Spiritual Kingdom of God Are under the New Covenant: Fully Forgiven of their Sins, with the Law Written in the Heart, Having a Regenerated Personal Spirit, with the Holy Spirit Living within, Guaranteed to Enter the Full Kingdom of God (Jer 31:31ff.; Ezek 36:26ff.; Heb 12:28).

11 THE FUTURE REALIZATION OF THE 2ND PROVISION God Used the Rise, Fall, and Partial Restoration of Israel in OT History to Demonstrate God s Goodness, the Futility of the Flesh, and the Faithfulness of God. Israel/Jews Are Shelved (Not Abandoned) by God, after They Rejected Jesus of Nazareth as their Christ/Messiah. Israel/Jews Are Hardened by God Spiritually. 9 He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.' 10 "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed." (Isa. 6:9-10 NAU) They Changed from Worshipping God (OT/Torah Israelism) to Worshipping Self (Pharisaic/Talmudic Judaism), to Worshipping Lucifer (Satanic/Cabalist/Sabbatean-Frankist Judaism).

12 THE FUTURE REALIZATION OF THE 2ND PROVISION Even So, God Did Not Abandon His Promises to Abraham (Land, Nation, Blessing). 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! (Rom. 11:11-12 NAU) 25 a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:25-26 NAU) God Will Save the Remnant Jews at the End of the Tribulation, and Give Them the Glory on Earth as the 1st Nation during the Millennium, to Fulfill God s Promise to Abraham. The Church Will Already Be in Glorified Body then. Because of God s Faithfulness in His Promise to Israel, We Can Trust in His Promise to the Church.

13 BE THANKFUL Because of What God Has Done for Us, We Ought to Be Grateful to Him: 12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:12-18 NAU)

14 THE LIFE OF A GRATEFUL PERSON In the OT Books of Covenant, the 1st Word of the Decalogue Has the Spirit of the Law: Be Grateful. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Deut. 5:6 NAU) A Person Grateful to God Will Do His Best to Obey God, for Pleasing God Is the Source of His Happiness. This Is the Evidence of Being in a Loving Relationship. In the NT Book of Covenant (Sermon on the Mount), the 1st Sign of a Saved Person Is Being Grateful to God, therefore Living in a Perpetual State of Thanksgiving to God, Exhibited in Meekness to Men. When You Know that You Have Infinite Wealth in Heaven, You Do Not Mind Losing Some on the Earth for God s Sake.

15 THE LIFE OF A GRATEFUL PERSON The 3rd Beatitude: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matt 3:5) The 3rd Sermonette in the Sermon on the Mount: 38 Again you have heard what is said in the Torah: An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth (Exod 21:24; Deut 19:21), 39 But I say to you, do not repay evil for evil; but he who smites your right cheek provide for him the left. 40 He who wishes to appose you in judgment and to rob your shirt, leave to him your garment. 41 He who asks you to go with him a thousand steps, go with him two thousand. 42 To him who asks from you give and from him who wishes to borrow from you do not hold back. (Hebrew Matthew 5:38-42)

16 GIVE THANKS & BE MEEK We Ought to Give Thanks to God for the Great Things He Has Done for Us: Election, Predestination, Calling, Justification, Sanctification, and the Promised Future Glorification. 29 For those whom He foreknew (Pre-Knowledge for Personal Covenantal Relationship, = Election), He also predestinedto become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (Rom. 8:29-30 NAU) Being Meek to Men (Willing to Take a Loss for the Sake of God) Is the First Sign of Knowing that You Have Been Saved (Having Become the Fellow Heir with Christ of the Kingdom to Come).