Col. 3:1-5, 23-25 Seek those things that are above
1. (V.1) Christ who is your life—how does Christ get to be your life?
2. (V.24) Inheritance—If Christ is not your life, no inheritance.
3. (V.25) He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong.
Rev. 4:3-11 The Bride casting crowns before the Lord
1. Twenty-four elders represent the Bride of Christ.
2. Should be the desire of every church member to be the Bride of Christ.
3. Glory: Praise, exaltation, honor, and adoration.
Luke 14:26-35 Cost of Disciple
Acts 20:28 Christ’s Blood purchased his N.T. Church
1. The same blood that will wash our sin away, also bought and paid for a
place for us to worship.
* To have a better understanding of the Lord’s N.T. church, one must go back to the Old Testament.
Col. 1:26-28 The mystery which hath been hid
1. In the New Testament, saints represent church member.
2. This mystery was revealed to his saints.
Eph. 3:1-13 The mystery which hath been hid
1. This mystery was not revealed to all the world, but to his Saints, his church members.
2. That his church might understand the manifold wisdom of God.
Ex. 25: 8-9 Let them make me a Sanctuary
1. God desired a sanctuary that he might dwell with his people.
2. This sanctuary had to be built according to God’s plans—not man’s
Ps. 77:13 Thy Way O God is in the Sanctuary
1. Where are the ways of God found, but in His Sanctuary.
2. Man cannot go outside of the Sanctuary and find the way of God.
Ps. 150:1 Praise God in His Sanctuary
1. Man cannot please God in just any old sanctuary. Man cannot praise God just anywhere.
2. The power of God is found in His Sanctuary.
Ps. 63:1-2 To see they power and thy glory
1. Man is to seek God in His sanctuary.
Ps. 73:16-17 We find understanding to life in the Sanctuary
1. It is the Spirit of God as comforter that leads us today to understanding.
2. In order to be lead, one must be willing, humble, and looking.
Ps. 27:1-6 In time of trouble he shall hide me
Ps. 23:1-6 Dwell in the house of the Lord
* The tabernacle is a type and a picture of a N.T. Church.
Heb. 8:2-6 The True Tabernacle
1. The tabernacle is our guide to proper worship of the Lord / N.T. Church = Sanctuary.
2. Christ established his church, which is established on better promises.
Matt. 16:18 Upon this rock I will build my church
1. The Lord’s Sanctuary is just that—his. He built it; he established it; he sets the
guide lines for it. What makes it his? What is practices, teaches, and where it comes from.
2. Christ also does it in his time, his way, not ours.
* God expects his people to be in unity in His Sanctuary.
Ps. 133: 1-3 For brethren to dwell together in unity
I Cor. 12:12-27 No schism in the body
1. The Lord adds the members. The members are to be in unity.
2. To be in unity ALL must be willing to wait and follow the Lord.
3. It may not mean what you think is best, but what’s best for the body.
Heb. 10:25-31 Trodden under foot the Son of God
1. If somebody came to you and spit on the blood of Jesus Christ, how would that make you feel?
2. How does God feel about such things?
I Thes. 5:22,19 Abstain from all appearance of evil
1. How do we quench the Spirit of God?
2. What’s evil? Is it just evil to us or evil to God?
II Thes. 3:6, 13-15 Have no company with him
1. A brother who does not want to follow the teachings of a N.T. Church whether excluded, or simply in a church that chooses not to follow, they have trodden down the blood covenant of our Lord.
2. The Bible says withdraw yourselves, admonish them. It’s not business as usual.
3. Have no company with him.
4. They made a choice to not follow the Lord. Are you too, by acting like nothing is wrong?
II Cor. 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together
1. Unbelievers, those who simply choose not to follow the teachings of God ( lost or saved).
2. You cannot have fellowship with them. You cannot have fellowship with excluded church members.
Rom. 16:17-18 Mark them that cause division
1. Even if they are your close friend, one must decide what is more important—your friendship with them, or your friendship, fellowship, and bridal relationship with the Lord.
2. If you do not take a stand as the Bible teaches, you well not win them.
* I Kings 12:25-31: Sin of Israel
* In Numbers, we find when God commanded the people to live around the tabernacle, they lived where God told them.
* Today, we choose where to live, then realize there’s no sanctuary and then demand God to send us one.
* Man must remember it is Christ’s church, he chooses where he will place his N.T. church. If it’s not where you are, man better reconsider living there. Whether you have a job or not.
* God intends for man to come to him, not God to come to man.
* God places and builds churches his way, in his time. When members do not dedicate themselves to his ministry, it does not leave the Lord much to work with.
* Christ is the Head of his New Testament Church.
Col. 1:15-18 Christ is the head of the body
1. Christ is to have the preeminence in his church, not our will.
2. Applies to your life. / How do you put this into practice?
Eph. 2:20-22 Christ is the chief cornerstone
1. The doctrine that his church is built upon is Christ’s, not man’s.
2. If man does not know and practice this doctrine, that foundation becomes a weak foundation.
Eph. 4:15-16 Head is Christ
1. That local church that Christ is building is to be in unity.
2. If it practices, follows, and lives Christ 24 hours a day, it will be.
3. Your purpose in life is to serve God.
Eph. 5:23,25 Christ is the Head
1. Christ is the head, he gave his life for it. He is building it.
2. He loves it and protects it, even from you.
3. To go outside the will and desire of God is to invite God’s wrath.
* You can have a church with proper authority and lineage, a God-called man, a proper purpose, even people, however, if Christ doesn’t support it, it will fail.
Eph. 1:20-23 Hath put all things under his feet
* There is only one place on this earth where man can bring God glory.
* There is only one place on this earth where man can worship God and it be pleasing to God.
Eph. 3:10-21 Man can only give God glory in his N.T. church
1. Only in his church can man comprehend the love of Christ.
2. To give God glory on must go through Christ.
Rom. 16:27 To God only wise be glory
1. Christ receives glory only through his N.T. church.
John 17:6-10,22 I am glorified in them
1. Christ is not speaking to the world, but to his people, his disciples, and his church members.
John 14:13 The father glorified the son
John 5:1-11 I am the true vine
1. Cannot bring forth fruit outside of Jesus Christ and his ways.
II Thes. 1:10-12 Glorified in you
1. V.1 speaking to his N.T. church in Thessalonica.
2. In the New Testament, saints represent church members.
3. Coming for saints and all saved.
4. Glorified in saints, admired by believers.
Prov. 25:27-28 Man to search his own glory
1. For man to go outside of the pattern God has set is to seek his own glory. It is rebellion to the Lord.
I Tim. 2:4; 3:15 What is God’s will
John 6:65-69 Will you also go away?
1. If you believe in Jesus, believe in the Bible, practice the Bible, where are you going to go?
Luke 6:46-49 Why call me Lord, Lord
1. Either God and his ways are going to be Lord over all of our lives, or the ruin of our house will be great. / How do or are you building you physical house and spiritual.
* What makes up the Bride of Christ?
I Cor. 1:1-2 Paul unto the Church at Corinth
II Cor. 11:1-2 Present as a chaste virgin
1. Paul, speaking about the church at Corinth, describes them as a chase virgin, espoused to Christ.
John 3:22-30 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom
1. Difference is made between John’s disciples and Christ’s disciples.
2. Both are saved and scripturally baptized.
3. The Bride is referred to as those disciples that follow Christ.
Mark 2:18-19 Can children of the bridegroom fast
1. Again, difference made between John’s disciples and Christ’s.
2. What is the difference? Those following willingly, living, practicing with Christ is referred to as the Bride, those who are not, are not.
Matt. 4:12-22 Jesus Christ starts his N.T. church
1. Christ gathers the material that John the Baptist prepared.
2. Christ calls them and gives them a purpose.
Matt. 20:1-6 Many are called, few are chosen
1. From the beginning of the church age, every man has had the opportunity to be saved, scripturally baptized, and become a faithful member of a N.T. church.
2. Many may come, get saved, baptized, become a member and won’t be chosen because they simply will not, with the heart, give into the teaching and live faithfully according to the standards of the Lord.
John 15: 1-17 Christ does the choosing
1. All that God expects of us is found in his Word.
2. Only those faithful in a N.T. church can bring forth fruit.
Eph. 6:6-7 Done with the Heart
Luke 16:10-13 Must be faithful
1. Must be found faithful in all things, even little things to us.
2. If faithful according to God’s standards, God rewards with true riches.
I Cor. 4: 1-5 Stewards found faithful
1. If saved, you’re a steward.
2. God requires all stewards to be found faithful.
3. V.5, we don’t judge, God does.
Rom. 8:16-17 Joint-heirs of Jesus Christ
1. Does a person become a joint-heir of Christ at salvation?
2. Where is the only place on this earth that a man can suffer with Christ?
Luke 9:23-24 If any man come after me
1. Salvation is free; discipleship has a price.
2. This cross is the burden of the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Mark 4:13-20 Parable of Soils
Luke 14: 25-35 Must be willing to go all the way for Christ
1. What price in this flesh is too great to pay?
2. Must be willing to forsake all, turn back on all and everything.
Ps. 15:1-5 Bridal Relationship
Matt. 15:7-10 Ye Hypocrites
1. Many say they love the Lord, and are willing to follow him wherever, but when push comes to shove, they turn the other way.
2. We allow people, jobs, vacations, family, distance, etc…to keep us from the rewards that God has for his people.
3. Our understanding of God and the doctrines of God are based on man’s teaching, not God’s.
4. We follow God, man’s way (emotion), not God’s.
Gal. 3:3-4 Having suffered so many things in vain
1. We go through many things in our life.
2. God blesses us in many ways / many times we throw it all away.
Rom. 8:18 The sufferings of this present time
1. The rewards after this life are unbelievable.
