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The Church at Ellerslie SUNDAY SERMON NOTES !!!

Eric Ludy

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Sunday, November 16, 2014

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Christophany A Study in the Centrality of Jesus Christ

!A Three Part Series !!!!!!!

SESSION ONE:

The Theophonic Messenger Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament 7

!SESSION TWO:

Moses, What Do You See? The Vision of the Christ 15

!SESSION THREE:

The One Message Church Fixing our Compasses to the North Star of Scripture 23

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SESSION ONE !

The Theophanic Messenger Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament

!Theophany The Visible Revelation of the Invisible God !The Invisible God His memorial name to all generations is YHWH !

No man hath seen God at any time . . . John 1:18 !

Not that any man hath seen the Father . . . John 6:46 !

No man hath seen God at any time . . . 1 John 4:12 !

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen . . . Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16 !!The Visible God

His memorial name to all generations is Yhwh Saves (Jesus) !No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared (revealed) Him.

John 1:18 !(Jesus) Who is the image of the invisible God . . .

Colossians 1:15 !�5

!Jesus . . . in the Beginning !

For by Him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

Colossians 1:16-17 !(God) 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 worlds;

Hebrews 1:2

!Jesus . . . in the Old Testament

!The Word of God as Creator

!. ... By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Psalm 33:4,6 !The Word of God as Righteous

!For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

Psalm 33:4 !The Word of God as Messenger

!The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1) . . . Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah (Isaiah 38:4) . . . Jeremiah . . . to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah (Jeremiah 1:1-2) . . . The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:3) . . . The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea (Hosea 1:1) . . . Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah (Jonah 1:1) . . . The word of the LORD that came to Micah (Micah 1:1) . . . In the second year of Darius the king . . . came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet (Haggai 1:1) . . . In the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1).

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The Word Was and Is Jesus

!In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made . . . He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . .

John 1:1-3,10,14

!The Angel of the Lord Mal’akh Yhwh !

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the Angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou stands is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Exodus 3:1-6 !!What Do We Know About Mal’akh Yhwh?

!1. He’s a Distinct Character throughout the Old Testament record

!Appeared to Hagar, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Balaam, Gideon, Manoah, Elijah, David and Zechariah. !

2. He’s not a created angel, but is, in fact, God

!In the womb he (Jacob) took his brother by the heel, and in his maturity he contended with God. Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor.

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He found Him at Bethel and there He spoke with us, even the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD is His memorial name.

Hosea 12:4-5

!3. He’s a visible enunciation of that which is otherwise invisible

!And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the Angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

1 Chronicles 21:16

!What is a Mal’akh? a messenger, a carrier, a vehicle of revelation !

Behold, I will send my mal’akh, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Mal’akh of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 3:1 !What is this Mal’akh Revealing? Yahveh

!But, I Thought He Was Yahveh? Yes, He is Yahveh, but more specifically, He’s Mal’akh Yhwh !

Mal’akh Yhwh is, in fact, God. He is one with God. He is in substance, very God of very God. But He is God being sent forth from God, condescending to be clothed and manifest in the visible earthen realm and become obedient unto God, in order to reveal the image of the invisible God to those who walk in darkness.

!Theophany The Visible Revelation of the Invisible God !

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!Theos

God !-phany appearance, manifestation, or revelation !!Theos + phany = Theophany God revealed, God made clear, God appearing, God comprehended, God realized !

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared (revealed) Him.

John 1:18 !Epiphany Epi - above, on, over, nearby, upon; outer !

• an experience of sudden and striking realization • a realization that Christ is the son of God • a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way !

!The All-Important Epiphany That the Theophany was, in actuality, a Christophany !Christophany Seeing Jesus in the Bible. Seeing Him here, seeing Him there, seeing Him everywhere! And not just in the symbols, such as the ark of Noah, the manna, the rock in the wilderness, the tabernacle, the high priest, the temple, the king of Israel - but in the themes, the circumstances, the characters, the stories, the literary styles. He is the histories of Israel re-enacted in a singular human life, the law of God incarnate, the proverbs come to life, the prophecies fulfilled . . . He is the Word of God made flesh.

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!The Mystery of the Christophany

• He is

• He is before Abraham

• He is Creator

• He has always been there

• He is the Word, spoken by the Father, in order to Reveal the Father

• That was Him

• The entire Old Testament was a schoolmaster which brought us to Him

• He is the entire Old Testament in physical, visible form

• He is both a character IN the Old Testament, as well as the Physical fulfillment of the entirety of the Old Testament

• It’s All About Him, It all leads to Him, It is all fulfilled in Him

• He is the Creator of the Locked Gate as well as the Given Key that Unlocks it

!Jesus is the Key to Unlock the Mystery of the Old Testament

!The Hebrew Bible It’s a replica of our Old Testament, but it’s twenty-four books instead of thirty-nine !!Explaining the Discrepancy of 15 Books !

1 and 2 Kings are just one book - 1 1 and 2 Samuel are just one book - 1

1 and 2 Chronicles are just one book - 1 Ezra and Nehemiah are just one book - 1

The 12 minor prophets are just one book - 11 Total Difference = 15

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The Twenty-Four Witnesses The Twenty-Four that received the Revelation !!Revelation 4:2-4 !

• And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

• And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

!Revelation 5:1-9 !

• And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

• And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

• And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

• And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

• And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

• And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

• And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.

• And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.

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• And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

!!The Building of the 24 Elders Setting up the seats around the Throne !

• They saw it - they witnessed Jehovah’s nature, Jehovah’s plan, they bore witness to Jehovah’s Word

• They wrote it down in a book, carried along by the Holy Spirit

• God sealed their words as His very own

• God preserved their words inviolable, unchanging, allowing their humble jots and tittles to bear witness of His Glory

• Moses was the first witness. His authority established before all of Israel with the budding of the Rod of Aaron in the Tabernacle of Witness. And He began writing a book. A book that bore witness to the perfect righteousness of God.

• Joshua was the second witness. The seats were built by God, surrounding His throne, so that every angle of His Glory might be made clear, then a man was chosen to “see.” And when he “saw,” he wrote it down. Each book bearing witness. Each book seeing the same thing - a Lamb, as if slain, in the midst of a Throne. Each book seeing it from a different vantage, but seeing the same fire, the same rainbow, the same crystal sea, the same throng, the same glory! The witness of Judges, the witness of Ruth, the witness of Samuel, the witness of Kings, the witness of Chronicles, the witness of Ezra/Nehemiah, the witness of Esther, the witness of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Trei Asar (the Twelve). Twenty-Four Elders. Twenty-Four that saw it. Twenty-Four that testify of a Lamb and His inexplicable sufferings. Twenty-Four that witness this One’s Glory. Twenty-Four that can say, “Don’t weep, John, for there is indeed One who can open the seals of the book that is sealed!”

• The Twenty-Four have seen. They bear witness. And now they wait. For century after century they wait. Longing to see what they have witnessed beforehand made manifest - longing to see the seals of the book unlocked, the gates opened, that they, along with all the others who have believed the Words of this Prophecy, may enter into the City whose foundation is God.

• Then, after the last witness (The Trei Asar) has taken its seat about the Throne, and silence has reigned for four hundred years. Suddenly . . . He comes.

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SESSION TWO !

Moses, What Do You See? The Vision of the Christ !!

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into.

1 Peter 1:10-12 !

The Twenty-Four have seen. They bear witness. And now they wait. For century after century they wait. Longing to see what they have witnessed beforehand made manifest - longing to see the seals of the book unlocked, the gates opened, that they, along with all the others who have believed the Words of this Prophecy, may enter into the City whose foundation is God.

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Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree - Jeremiah 1:11

And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel - Amos 7:8

And said unto me, (Zechariah) what seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof - Zechariah 4:2

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Moses, what seest thou?

The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear . . . I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.

Deuteronomy 18:15,18-19

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The 24 Witnesses All See, But Not Clearly

A rod of an almond tree; A plumb line; A basket of summer fruit; a candlestick all of gold; a flying roll; a heavenly temple; a suffering intercessor; a man of pierced hands and feet; a betrayed King; a shepherd struck whose sheep scatter; a paschal lamb sacrificed but without a single bone broken; a virgin-born seed of a woman; a Bethlehemite who is also a Galilean; a priest after the order of Melchizadeck; manna from heaven; water from a rock; a prophet likened unto Moses; a naked man whose garments are given to the winner of casted lots; the Son of God; one whose goings forth are from everlasting; God with us; one who is not beautiful to the untrained eye of humanity; one who will remove the iniquity of the land in one day. !!

The Healing of the Blind Man

!Then He (Jesus) came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

Mark 8:22-25 !Sight In Two Touches

1. The First Touch of Jesus demands yet another touch from the Healer 2. The Second Touch of Jesus gives full and complete sight !

There Aren’t Two Different Healers, But One

• Jesus is the One that gave the partial sight to the Blind • And Jesus is the One that gives the full sight to the Blind !

There Aren’t Two Different Bibles, But One

• Jesus is the Main Theme of the Old Testament • And Jesus is the Main Theme of the New Testament !

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!Moses, what do you see?

“I see men as trees walking!”

!There is a Second

• A Second Man

• A Second Covenant

• A Second Book

• A Second Touch

!The First is Not Worthy to Loose the Second’s Sandal Strap

!“One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

John the Baptist Luke 3:16

!• After Moses - Joshua

• After Elijah - Elisha

• After John the Baptist - Jesus

• After the Old Covenant - The New Covenant

• After the Blurry - The Clear

!The Testimony of the Law and the Prophets

This is My beloved Son. Hear Him! Luke 9:35 !

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The Second Touch of Jesus

He’s been there all along, but the blurry-eyed believer needs a “Second Touch” for full sight !For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

John 5:46 !Jesus, The Only Key That Unlocks the Book

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Revelation 5:6-9 !!Jesus, the Healer of the Blind

!And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you understand what you are reading? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Acts 8:26-35

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!!Jesus on the Road to Emmaus ! !

Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. Luke 24:45

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Luke 24:27 !

The Witness of the 24 !Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

John 5:39 !For had you believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

John 5:46 !Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ . . .

Galatians 3:24 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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SESSION THREE !The One Message Church

Fixing our Compasses to the North Star

!!The One Message Church !

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2

!!Jesus - The Most Basic Tool for Rightly Handling the Word Everything in Scripture pertains to Christ; He is the key to unlock the mystery !!The Strange Magnetic Pull Away from Center Don’t be duped!

!Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

Colossians 2:8-9 !So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Colossians 2:16-17 !For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:2-3

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Adding to the Sacred Stack of Bibles Beware the books set on top

!The 7 Great -Ology Baits -Ology (a science, a field of study, a body of knowledge)

1. Cosmology - the study of origin and beginnings

2. Eschatology - the study of what is to come - the ending

3. Theology - the study of all things pertaining to God

4. Soteriology - the study of salvation

5. Sabbatology - the study of the Sabbath and the particular day for honoring this rest

6. Etiquetteology - the study of moral excellence and appropriate behavior

7. Powerology - the study of enduement and the expected evidences of indwelling Grace

!The -Ology of All -Ologies

!ChristCrossOlogy The quest to intimately know Jesus Christ, to be found in Him, to win Him, to comprehend, understand, and intimately behold His work, to know the power of His resurrection, and know the fellowship of His sufferings. To deliberately make “Jesus and Him Crucified” the great centerpiece of reasoning and thought, the magnetic fixation of all philosophical deduction, and the central doctrine and interpretive key to all Life and Truth.

!It’s Called Christianity Entire givenness to the Person of Jesus, entire focus on the Person of Jesus, entire allegiance and obedience to the will of Jesus, entire desire to be intimately close to Jesus, and entire confidence in the nature and work of Jesus.

!Paul’s Singular Focus

!Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them

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but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Philippians 3:8-10

!1. That I may win Christ 2. That I may be found in Him 3. That I may know him 4. That I may know the power of His resurrection 5. That I may know the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death

!For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:2 !!Handling the 7 -Ologies Making sure Christ retains His Position of Preeminence !!#1 Cosmology - the study of origin and beginnings

!It’s the Study of a Person - Jesus, the Creator !

Jesus - The Creator of all things (Colossians 1:16), The Upholder of all things (Hebrews 1:3), The Beginning of the Creation of God (Revelation 3:14)

!#2 Eschatology - the study of what is to come - the ending

!It’s the Study of a Person - Jesus, the Almighty which is to come !

The Almighty, which is, and which was, and which is to come (Revelation 1:8), The Beginning and the Ending (Revelation 1:8), The Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8), The First and the Last (Revelation 1:17)

!#3 Theology - the study of all things pertaining to God

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!It’s the Study of a Person - Jesus, The Image of the Invisible God

!The Word (John 1:1), The Word that was with God (John 1:1), The Word that was God (John 1:1), He is The Word of God (Revelation 19:13), The Word of Life (1 John 1:1), The Word that was made flesh (John 1:14), The Image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4), The Image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15), The Express Image of his Person (Hebrews 1:3), The Brightness of his Glory (Hebrew 1:3) !

#4 Soteriology - the study of salvation

!It’s the Study of a Person - Jesus, the Man of Salvation

!The Savior of the World (1 John 4:14), A Savior, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11), Messiah (John 4:25), The Way (John 14:6), The Door of the Sheep (John 10:7), The Rock of my Salvation (2 Samuel 22:47), The Captain of Salvation (Hebrews 2:10), A Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69), The Author and Finisher of Faith (Hebrews 12:2), My Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)

!#5 Sabbatology - the study of the Sabbath and the particular day for honoring this rest

!It’s the Study of a Person - Jesus, the Rest of God

Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5), A Rest (Hebrews 4:9), God’s Rest (Hebrews 4:10), That Rest (Hebrews 4:11), The Resting-place (Jeremiah 50:6)

!#6 Etiquetteology - the study of moral excellence and appropriate behavior

!It’s the Study of a Person - Jesus, the Righteousness of God !

The King of Righteousness (Hebrews 7:2), My Righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30), My Sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30), A Refiner's Fire, Fuller's Soap (Malachi 3:2), My Refiner (Malachi 3:3), My Purifier (Malachi 3:3)

!#7 Powerology - the study of enduement and the expected evidences of indwelling Grace

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It’s the Study of a Person - Jesus, the Gift of God !The Gift of God (John 4:10; 3:16), His Unspeakable Gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)

!ChristCrossOlogy The quest to intimately know Jesus Christ, to be found in Him, to win Him, to comprehend, understand, and intimately behold His work, to know the power of His resurrection, and know the fellowship of His sufferings. To deliberately make “Jesus and Him Crucified” the great centerpiece of reasoning and thought, the magnetic fixation of all philosophical deduction, and the central doctrine and interpretive key to all Life and Truth. !

Christianity is About a Person - Jesus Christ

!!Jesus, The Great Beauty

Fairer than the Children of Men (Psalm 45:2), The Chiefest among Ten Thousand (Song of Solomon 5:10), The Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15; Revelation 21:9), The Rose of Sharon (Song of Solomon 2:1), The Lily of the Valley (Song of Solomon 2:1), A Bundle of Myrrh (Song of Solomon 1:13), A Cluster of Henna Blooms (Song of Solomon 1:14) Yea. Thou art altogether lovely. Thou art my beloved and my Friend (Song of Solomon 5:16)

!Jesus, The Great Everything

Lord over all (Romans 10:12), My All in All (Colossians 3:11), He that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:23).

! Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified The great focus, message, and meditation of the Believer !

• The Focus of our Faith (it’s the power of God) • The Catalyst of our Understanding (it’s the wisdom of God) • The Object of our Love and Affection • The Wellspring of our Joy • The Source of our Peace • The Power of God unto Salvation • The Root of our Every Doctrine

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Everything is About Jesus and Him Crucified • Every message is about Jesus, exalting Him, glorifying Him, and increasing our faith in Him

• Every message flows out of the exaltation of Him, His Work, and the Purchase of His Work

• Every discussion is about Jesus or increases our faith in His work

• Every doctrine stems from the Person of Jesus, the work of Jesus, and the victory of Jesus

• Every thing that is not born out of this faith-focus on Jesus and His Great Cross-Work, increasing the understanding of it, the adoration of Him, and the ever-increasing faith in Him and His work, is off-center and a distraction from the Center

!The Great Metropolis - Christ

Upon finishing his sermon, the young man went to the old pastor to ask how he had done: "What do you think of my sermon, sir?" he asked. "A very poor sermon indeed," he said. "A poor sermon!" said the young man, "it took me a long time to study it." "Ay, no doubt of it." Why, then, do you say it was poor; did you not think my explanation of the text to be accurate?" "Oh yes," said the old preacher, "very correct indeed." "Well,then, why do you say it is a poor sermon? Didn't you think the metaphors were appropriate, and the arguments conclusive?" "Yes, they were very good, as far as that goes, but still it was a very poor sermon." "Will you tell me why you think it a poor sermon?" "Because," he said, "THERE WAS NO CHRIST IN IT." "Well," said the young man, " Christ was not in the text; we are not to be preaching Christ always, we must preach what is in the text." So the old man said, " Don't you know, young man, that from every town, and every village, and every little hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to London?" "Yes," said the young man. " Ah!" said the old preacher, " and so from EVERY TEXT in Scripture there is a road to the metropolis of the Scriptures, that is CHRIST. And, my dear brother, your business is, when you get to a text, to say, 'Now, what is the road to Christ?' and then preach a sermon, running along the road towards the great metropolis - Christ. And," he said, "I have never yet found a text that had no such road, I will make a road, I would go over hedge and ditch but I would get at my master, for a sermon is neither fit for the land nor yet for the dung hill, unless there is a savor of Christ in it.

Charles Spurgeon !!And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Acts 5:42

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!Spurgeon’s First Sermon in the Tabernacle March 25th, 1861 - 27 years old !

It appears that the one subject upon which men preached in the apostolic age was Jesus Christ. The tendency of man, if left alone, is continually to go further and further from God, and the Church of God itself is no exception to the general rule. For the first few years, during and after the apostolic era, Christ Jesus was preached, but gradually the Church departed from the central point, and began rather to preach ceremonials and church offices than the person of their Lord. So has it been in these modern times: we also have fallen into the same error, at least to a degree, and have gone from preaching Christ to preaching doctrines about Christ, inferences which may be drawn from his life, or definitions which may be gathered from his discourses . . . In the days of Paul it was not difficult at once, in one word, to give the sum and substance of the current theology. It was Christ Jesus. Had you asked anyone of those disciples what he believed, he would have replied, "I believe Christ” . . . I would propose that the subject of the ministry of this house, as long as this platform shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshippers, shall be the person of Jesus Christ . . . if I am asked to say what is my creed, I think I must reply: "It is Jesus Christ” . . . the body of divinity to which I would pin and bind myself for ever, God helping me, is . . . Christ Jesus, who is the sum and substance of the gospel; who is in Himself all theology, the incarnation of every precious truth, the all-glorious personal embodiment of the way, the truth, and the life.

Charles Spurgeon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!�24

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!The Principle of Continuity From Moses unto Joshua From The Old Covenant unto the New Covenant From Wilderness unto Promise Land !

• The Law and the Prophets (Moses) conclude and exhort, establish, and empower the Book that follows (Joshua)

• The Book that follows (The New Covenant) pays honor to the Law and Prophets (The Old Covenant) before Him, and fulfills all his words

!So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

Joshua 11:23 !�25

When Moses dies, he appears a failure - his people have none of the promises realized - they esteem the land, but have not yet eaten of its fruit. But Moses has left them a vision of a good land and a promise that surely the Lamb that was slain is able to open the sealed book. !Then when Joshua walks in the words, promises, exhortation, and blessing of Moses, He proves triumphant, takes the land, conquers the enemy, and tastes of the good fruit that Moses had, indeed, declared God was able to give to them that believe. Joshua’s authority is authenticated by Moses. Joshua is proven to be of the same Spirit as the Law and Prophets before him, because He perfectly fulfills everything Moses said and demonstrates power and authority over all the powers of the land of Canaan. But, more importantly, Joshua authenticates the authority of Moses - bearing witness to the truthfulness, faithfulness, and integrity of his words, his prophecy, and law. Joshua upholds the word of Moses and therefore, in breaking the seals that Moses could not break, he accomplishes something even greater, and that which follows Moses is considered greater than Moses himself. !!The Principle of the Bridegroom’s Friend When the Husband comes, the friend must decrease !The Friend

• Moses unto Joshua • Elijah unto Elisha • John the Baptist unto Jesus • Moses and Elijah unto Jesus • The Law and the Prophets unto Jesus • The Twenty-Four Elders unto Jesus

!!!!!

Jesus He who created the Heavens and the Earth He who is God in the Flesh He who perfectly demonstrates God’s Glory He who enunciates God’s Holiness He who reveals God’s Perfect Righteousness He who brings us God’s Salvation He who manifests the Love of God He who is the Way to the Father !Jesus

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He who was without spot or blemish He who perfectly fulfilled the Messiah test He who proved to be the Sent of the Father, with Perfect Canonicity He who fulfilled the Scriptures and validated their authenticity and perfect integrity He who took the wrath of the Father and was accursed for man’s rescue He who humbled Himself and took on the form of a servant He who was crucified in obedience to the Father He who redeemed man with His blood He who atoned for man’s sin, was a satisfying offering in man’s place He who was accursed, condemned in man’s stead He who destroyed the power of sin and death He who overcame the Devil He who triumphed over the grave He who died but rose again on the third day He who rent the barrier between God and man He who brought man forgiveness of sins He who brought man cleansing from his sins He who brought man victory over sin !Jesus He who is man’s robe of righteousness He who condemned sin in the flesh He who created an avenue for man’s freedom from the law of sin and death He who provided Himself as man’s vehicle of victory and man’s passage unto the Father He who ascended to the right hand of the Father in the heavenly realms He who has given man a new life in Himself He who has made man a new creature in Himself He who has supplied man a new citizenship in Himself He who has seated man with Him in the heavenly places in Himself !Jesus He who is over all things He to whom all things, in all the heavens and earth, are subjected to He who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords

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He who went to the Father that the Spirit of God might come to believing man !Jesus He who purchased man the opportunity to have His very Life, His very Spirit, His very Power within He who made the physical body of every believing man His actual Temple He who, in reality, desires to live and move in the body of a believing man He who will enable and empower the believing man to obey He who will cause the believing man to actually triumph over sin He who will cause the believing man to live as He lived, love as He loved, and do even greater things than He did while here on earth !Jesus He who supplied us the Great Gospel that we might know His indwelling power He who supplied us the Great Gospel that we might be more than conquerors He who supplied us the Great Gospel that we might partake of His divine nature He who gave us, not a powerless form of religious godliness, but Himself, Godliness itself in Spirit power He who causes believing man to be immovable and unstoppable He who is the Head of this immovable and unstoppable juggernaut, known as the Church !Jesus He who has brought believing man into a place of heavenly adoption He who has called believing man into intimate communion and fellowship He who has placed His Name upon believing man and set His seal of love upon him He who desires to be known intimately and well by those He has redeemed He who has the deepest affections for those who have come to Him in faith !Jesus He who demands absolute and instant obedience He who commands that man yield up his life to Him He who beckons man to pick up his cross and follow Him He who says, “count the cost” before you come to Him He who says that He will spew lukewarmness out of His mouth He who commands man to repent from his sins, his old life, his old deeds, and his every idol

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He who commands that man walk in faith, unswerving confidence in His ability to perform that which He promises He who commands that man confess his sins one unto another He who commands that man must forgive others as He has forgiven them He who commands that man must renounce His every tie with darkness He who commands that man must deny himself He who commands that man let not sin reign any longer in his mortal body He who that, when He begins a work, is faithful to bring it to completion He who doesn’t just command, but enables man to obey His every command !Jesus He who is the great rescuer, the great intercessor He who calls His followers to live as He lived, and thusly rescue the weak and needy and intercede for the vulnerable and oppressed just as He did He who calls His followers to take what He has freely given them and share it with those that do not have He who calls His followers to reveal His nature, His behavior, and His attitude in every circumstance, every encounter He who first loved, that his beloved followers, might demonstrate His great love to this world about !Think on These Things? !

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are

honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,

whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good

report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think

on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and

received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be

with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

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For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus

Christ, and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:2

!Taking Every Thought Captive to the Will

!. . . the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for

pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing

that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every

thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . .

.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 !

What is a Distraction? Anything that turns the eyes of the soul away from Jesus and Him Crucified

!What is a Brilliant Distraction? Anything that turns the eyes of the soul away from Jesus and Him Crucified, the whole while convincing them that Jesus and Him Crucified is their entire focus !Rightly Handling the Word Reasonable Home-Construction !

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14 !!

• Jesus went forth

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• He encountered a great multitude • He was moved with compassion • He healed their sick

!!Option #1 - The Kitchen Sink

People, People, and more People over-emphasizing the multitude !

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved

with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. Matthew 14:14

!!Option #2 - The Guest Room

Compassion over-emphasizing the need for compassion !

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14

!Option #3 - The Chimney

Healing over-emphasizing the need for healing !

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with

compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14

!Option #4 - The Surround-Sound 30-seat Theater

Straining to Find Meaning �31

over-emphasizing things that are not even correct !

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved

with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. Matthew 14:14

!Option #5 - The Foundation

Jesus Increasing Jesus and thusly creating context and perspective for every other truth !

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was

moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14 !!Think on this . . . Jesus. Cherish Him. Adore Him. Worship

Him. Know Him. Believe Him. Trust Him. Yield to Him. Follow Him.

Obey Him. Marvel at Him. Suffer with Him. Live unto Him. And die

for Him.

!Oh, and think on this, too . . . Jesus Crucified.

Cherish His Work. Know it. Reckon it. Yield to it. Believe it. Be

transformed by it. Let it free you. Remake you. Renew you. Protect you.

Preserve you. Shield you. Acquit you. Redeem you. Wash you.

Resurrect you. Seat you in the heavenly place. And supply you reason,

purpose, and meaning to your life.

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!!!!

!!!!In the book of Exodus we read that the Angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in the burning bush, saying of the name Yahweh, “This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations” (Exodus 3:1, 15); and in the book of the prophet Hosea we are told by way of a strong implication that the Angel who appeared to Moses is the same one who wrestled with Jacob before his encounter with Esau in Genesis 32, and who later appeared to Jacob after his return to Bethel from Paddan-aram as recorded in Genesis 35:9-15:

“In the womb he [i.e. Jacob] took his brother by the heel, and in his maturity he contended with God. Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel and there He spoke with us, even the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD is His memorial name.” (Hosea 12:4-5).

!Since the Angel who appeared to Moses said, “[Yahweh] is My memorial-name to all generations”, and since Hosea says of the Angel, the one with whom Jacob wrestled and whose favor he sought, “Yahweh is His memorial name”, then the Angel who appeared to Moses can be none other than the Angel who appeared to Jacob (and the other patriarchs) before him.

!Moreover, the Angel who appeared to Moses is the same name-bearing Angel who accompanied Israel in her wilderness wanderings and eventually brought her into the land of Canaan: “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him” (Exodus 23:20ff.). [We are already led to expect this very thing in the story of the patriarchs, where God promises to bring the children of Israel up out of Egypt, and foreshadows it in the story of Jacob, who is redeemed by the Angel (more on this later).]

!Since the Angel who appeared to Jacob is the same Angel who appeared to his fathers before him, and since the Angel who appeared to Moses is the same Angel who appeared to Jacob, and since the Angel who appeared to Moses is the same Angel who brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt, and who also accompanied them through the wilderness and led them into the land of Canaan, then the Angel of the patriarchs is the Angel of the Exodus and Conquest.

!When the book of Judges later speaks of one called “the Angel of the LORD”, it records him saying: “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers” (Judges 2:1), thus showing continuity of identity between the Angel of the Exodus-Wilderness-Conquest period and the Angel of the time of the Judges. [It is also of interest that the Angel in the book of Judges acts very much like the Angel who appeared to Jacob, for when Jacob asks the Angel for

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His name, He replies, “Why do you ask My name?” (Genesis 32:29), which is similar to the reply given to Manoah when he asks the same question: “Why do you ask My name? It is beyond understanding [Lit. “Wonderful”]” (Judges 13:18).]

!Since the Angel of the patriarchs is the Angel of the Exodus, and since the Angel of the Exodus and Conquest is the Angel who appeared in the time of the Judges, then the same Angel is in view in all three periods – Patriarchal, Exodus-Wilderness-Conquest, and Judges.

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