The Five-fold Essence of the Church (3) The Church as the School of God The Eternal Triune God Created to Expand Love (1 John 4:7-9) 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. The Purpose of History Is to Create a Worthy Bride for Christ, the Eternal Son of God (Rev 19:7-8) Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints True Love Exists Best between Like- Natured Persons (Col 1:15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (1 John 3:2) Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Sinners and Christ Are Not Like-Natured (Gen 1:27) God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Rom 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Eph 2:3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Believers Are Recreated with a New Nature like Christ s (1 John 3:9) No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (2 Pet 1:4) For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 1
Believers Need Continuous Trainings to Become More Like Christ as Sons (in Position) and Servants (in Function) in the Household of God (Eph 4:11-12) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ Israel Is the People of God Chosen for the Visible Kingdom of God on Earth; The Church Is the People of God Chosen for the Spiritual Kingdom of God on Earth and in Eternity. The Church Is Not a Replacement of Israel. The Church Is the Expansion of the Spiritual Israel into All Nations. God Gave His Word to Bless His People (Deut 10:12-13) 12 "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? Learning and Obeying the Law of God Is the Duty of the Leaders (Deut 17:19) King: It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes. (Ezra 7:10) Priest/Levites/Scribes: For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. Learning and Obeying the Law of God Is the Duty of the People (Deut 4:4-5) 4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 2
Learning and Obeying the Law of God Is the Duty of the People (Deut 4:6-9) 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Learning Cannot Replace Obedience Outside Cannot Replace Inside Obedience Comes from Knowledge of Truth Blessed Are Those Who Teach and Obey (Rom 10:14-15) 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" The Early Church (1 st -5 th Century AD) Stood for Truth It Did Not Follow the Hebrew/Jewish Way: Replacing True Spirituality with Knowledge, Works and Religiosity It Did Not Follow the Greco-Roman Way: Replacing Revealed Truth with Intellectual Imaginations, Physical Might and False Spirituality The Early Church Taught the Truth It Collected and Formed the New Testament It Passed on the Greek Old Testament (the Jews Passed on the Hebrew Bible) It Translated the Bible into Vernacular Languages (Latin, Syriac, Slavic etc.) It Formulated the Doctrine of Trinity It Formulated the Doctrine of Christology It Evangelized the Known World The Medieval Church (6 th -15 th Century AD) Passed on the Truth It Copied and Preserved the Bible It Preserved the Western Civilization When the Roman Empires (W & E) Collapsed It Combined the Best of Western Thinking into One System Hebrew-Christian Theism Greco-Roman Humanism Religion => Philosophy => Science The Cathedrals Were the Center of Learning & Seed of Universities 3
The Medieval Church Corrupted the Truth It Replaced Internal Repentance with External Penance It Made Christianity Mechanical It Tried to Made the Spiritual Kingdom of God Visible, as the Replacement of Israel It Sought the Glory of Man It Tried to Force Conversion It Confused the Church and the State The Early Modern Church (16 th -19 th Century AD) Stood for Truth It Returned to the Original Bible Hebrew OT Greek NT It Returned to Biblical Doctrines Salvation Is by Faith Alone, Grace Alone, and Christ Alone Authority Is in the Bible Alone Glory of God Alone It Started Missions Movements to the World The Later Modern Church (20 th -21 st Century AD) Departed from the Truth Liberalism Removed Historical Veracity of Bible, Made Religion Purely Emotional Sciencism Erected a New Pope Statism (Communism, Fascism, National Socialism, Progressivism, Islamicism) Established a New Holy Roman Empire Charismatism Made Religion Experiential, approaching Gnosticism & Mysticism Church History in Rev 2-3 Ephesus: Apostolic, 1 st C.AD.: Truth Smyrna: Patristic, : 2 nd -3 rd : Sacrifice Pergamum: Roman, 4 th -6 th : Doctrine Thyatira: Catholic, 7 th -15 th : Work Sardis: Reformed, 16 th -17 th : Bible Philadelphia: Brethren, 18 th -19 th : Love Laodicea: Evangelical, 20 th -21 st : Mission We Want to Be the Remnant of the True Church at the End Time We Must Teach the Truth/Bible/Doctrines Love Each Other Be Willing to Sacrifice for Christ Do Good Works Participate in Missions Truth Biblical Worldview: Metaphysics Biblical Way of Thinking: Epistemology Fideistic in the Bible & Theology Rational & Empirical in Philosophy Scientific but Not Sciencist in Science The Bible as History Biblical Doctrines & Systematic Theology Biblical Ethics & Guide for Spiritual Life 4
Wisdom: Principles (Prov 1:7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prov 9:10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Eccl10:2) A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left. Wisdom: How to Acts Right and Best in These Relationships Man with God Husband with Wife Parents with Children Employee with Employer Citizen with Government Believer with Unbeliever Spiritual Life vs. Popular Culture (Eph 4:21-24) 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (Eph 4:25-28) 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. (Eph 4:29-32) 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.. Skills: How to Study the Bible Analyze and Teach the Bible Tell the Gospel to Others Provide Leadership Love and Care for Others Counsel and Comfort Others Live a Happy and Blessed Life Be a Spiritual Warrior Are We Ready? 5