Israel, what a nation.
00:00:18.58\00:00:23.60
Two times in her past
00:00:23.63\00:00:25.64
she was nearly,
totally destroyed
00:00:25.67\00:00:29.85
and once again Israel is
a nation in her own land.
00:00:29.88\00:00:35.88
Practically the entire world
is looking to the Middle East
00:00:39.91\00:00:44.02
as a sign at the end
of this world's history.
00:00:44.05\00:00:49.30
In the Old Testament,
the temple was the center,
00:00:49.33\00:00:54.60
the focal point
of Israel's worship.
00:00:54.63\00:00:58.70
The temple was the place
00:00:58.73\00:01:00.11
where the
sacrifices were offered,
00:01:00.14\00:01:03.49
the temple was the place
00:01:03.52\00:01:05.19
where God was to
meet with His people.
00:01:05.22\00:01:10.18
But in the year 70 A.D.
00:01:10.21\00:01:12.56
the Roman general
Titus destroyed the temple.
00:01:12.59\00:01:19.11
Prophets
predicted it would happen,
00:01:19.14\00:01:22.07
and prophets predicted
the temple would be rebuilt.
00:01:22.10\00:01:25.73
One of my very favorite
places is in the Old Testament
00:01:25.76\00:01:28.74
Book of Amos 9:11,
00:01:28.77\00:01:31.76
"In that day I will
restore David's fallen tent.
00:01:31.79\00:01:35.93
I will repair its broken
places, I'll restore its ruins,
00:01:35.96\00:01:39.98
I'll build it as it used to be,
00:01:40.01\00:01:42.56
so that it may
possess the remnant of Edom."
00:01:42.59\00:01:45.20
He forced all the time
00:01:45.23\00:01:46.94
when Jerusalem and the
temple would be restored
00:01:46.97\00:01:50.44
and today, along with
the popular novel series
00:01:50.47\00:01:54.67
left behind, was
70 million people
00:01:54.70\00:01:57.76
are following along the
popular Christian understanding
00:01:57.79\00:02:01.72
looking to the Middle East,
00:02:01.75\00:02:03.36
waiting for the
temple to be rebuild
00:02:03.39\00:02:05.82
as a sign of a very end
of this world's history.
00:02:05.85\00:02:11.19
This is a novel.
Now God uses novels.
00:02:11.22\00:02:15.59
He used these books
00:02:15.62\00:02:17.04
to create in people an awareness
00:02:17.07\00:02:18.99
of the seriousness of the times
00:02:19.02\00:02:20.55
we are living in,
but this is a novel.
00:02:20.58\00:02:23.03
This is a truth
and we find our truth
00:02:23.06\00:02:25.20
in this book, amen. Amen.
00:02:25.23\00:02:28.52
So what does the Bible teach
us about the Israel of God?
00:02:28.55\00:02:33.19
When I first
started studying this topic,
00:02:33.22\00:02:35.60
I discovered three--
00:02:35.63\00:02:38.17
I call them curious Bible texts.
00:02:38.20\00:02:43.53
The fist one is in Revelation 2,
00:02:43.56\00:02:46.29
I'm going to show you
two of them quickly here
00:02:46.32\00:02:48.21
and then later on,
we'll get to the third one.
00:02:48.24\00:02:51.01
Revelation 2:9, Jesus said,
00:02:51.04\00:02:55.72
"I know the slander of
those who say that they are Jews
00:02:55.75\00:03:01.59
but they are not, they
are a synagogue of Satan."
00:03:01.62\00:03:07.60
Now synagogue is
another word for temple.
00:03:07.63\00:03:11.97
So who is it that would say,
00:03:12.00\00:03:14.99
I am a Jew, when
they are not a Jew.
00:03:15.02\00:03:21.19
But in fact, they are
of synagogue of Satan.
00:03:21.22\00:03:25.61
Now that made me curious.
00:03:25.64\00:03:30.66
And then the second one
00:03:30.69\00:03:32.13
Romans, turn to Romans 2:28,
00:03:32.16\00:03:36.15
"A man is not a Jew, if
he is only one outwardly,
00:03:36.18\00:03:42.20
nor a circumcision
merely outward and physical.
00:03:42.23\00:03:45.82
No, a man is a Jew
00:03:45.85\00:03:49.82
if he is one inwardly
00:03:49.85\00:03:52.84
and circumcision is
circumcision of the heart
00:03:52.87\00:03:56.20
by the spirit, not
by the written code."
00:03:56.23\00:03:59.84
Now that's curious to me,
00:03:59.87\00:04:02.19
he says "A man is not a Jew
if he is only one outwardly."
00:04:02.22\00:04:07.22
This means, that a man can
be born into a Jewish family,
00:04:07.25\00:04:12.49
and be physically
and outwardly Jewish,
00:04:12.52\00:04:16.38
but for some reason,
God says he's not a Jew.
00:04:16.41\00:04:23.27
Now that made me curious.
00:04:23.30\00:04:25.18
And I began to wonder.
00:04:29.32\00:04:32.11
Is it possible that these
curious texts are telling us
00:04:32.14\00:04:37.44
that may be we are overlooking
00:04:37.47\00:04:39.62
the real significance
00:04:39.65\00:04:43.55
of Israel in prophecy?
00:04:43.58\00:04:48.41
So I began to study from Genesis
00:04:48.44\00:04:50.44
all the way
through to Revelation,
00:04:50.47\00:04:52.78
and I found a
beautiful thread of truth,
00:04:52.81\00:04:56.22
that focuses and
centers on Jesus Christ
00:04:56.25\00:05:00.03
just like the Book of
Revelation says it to you.
00:05:00.06\00:05:03.82
I want you to just
fasten your seatbelts,
00:05:03.85\00:05:06.35
hold on for dear life
00:05:06.38\00:05:07.64
because we are going
to cover a lot of Bible,
00:05:07.67\00:05:10.00
not time for a lot
of stories this time,
00:05:10.03\00:05:12.43
we are going to
cover a lot of Bible
00:05:12.46\00:05:13.97
from Genesis all the
way through Revelation.
00:05:14.00\00:05:16.26
So let's pick up
where we left off.
00:05:16.29\00:05:18.01
Adam and Eve had
just plunged the world
00:05:18.04\00:05:20.12
into the depths
of sin and despair
00:05:20.15\00:05:21.86
when they ate the
fruit from the tree,
00:05:21.89\00:05:23.65
that God said they
shouldn't eat from.
00:05:23.68\00:05:25.83
And then we learnt that God
was there running after them,
00:05:25.86\00:05:30.37
calling after
them, where are you?
00:05:30.40\00:05:32.41
When they were fleeing from Him,
00:05:32.44\00:05:33.96
they were running from God
00:05:33.99\00:05:35.36
and He went running after them.
00:05:35.39\00:05:36.91
That's the kind
of God that we serve.
00:05:36.94\00:05:39.16
We run from Him,
He comes after us.
00:05:39.19\00:05:41.65
And then He gave him a promise,
remember in Genesis 3:15,
00:05:44.91\00:05:48.54
"And I will put
enmity between you"
00:05:48.57\00:05:50.47
that's the serpent,
the devil "and the woman,
00:05:50.50\00:05:53.13
and between your offspring"
00:05:53.16\00:05:54.91
those who choose to
follow the devil and hers,
00:05:54.94\00:05:58.42
"And he will crush your head
and you will strike his heel."
00:05:58.45\00:06:01.79
The strike on the
heel was when Jesus,
00:06:01.82\00:06:03.89
the offspring of the
woman died on the cross,
00:06:03.92\00:06:06.86
but it wasn't the final blow,
00:06:06.89\00:06:08.70
because He was raised
up again, three days later,
00:06:08.73\00:06:11.87
ascended to
heaven and one day soon
00:06:11.90\00:06:14.17
He's going to comeback
00:06:14.20\00:06:15.45
and crush the
head of the serpent.
00:06:15.48\00:06:19.92
This is the first
prophecy in the Bible.
00:06:19.95\00:06:22.13
All the rest of
scripture is unpacking
00:06:22.16\00:06:24.58
that one promise that
the seed of the woman,
00:06:24.61\00:06:27.65
Jesus, is going to
crush the head of the serpent.
00:06:27.68\00:06:30.47
But we need to understand
that when God told Adam and Eve
00:06:30.50\00:06:34.48
there was only one
woman living on this planet
00:06:34.51\00:06:38.68
and that was Eve.
00:06:38.71\00:06:39.79
Naturally, they
thought that she was the woman.
00:06:42.70\00:06:49.99
And she would have a son
00:06:50.02\00:06:52.07
and her son would be the one
00:06:52.10\00:06:54.37
that crush the
head of the serpent.
00:06:54.40\00:06:58.84
In fact, she did have a son,
00:06:58.87\00:07:02.55
and they named him Cain.
00:07:02.58\00:07:05.09
And when Cain was born,
she said in Genesis 4:1,
00:07:05.12\00:07:10.43
she said, "I have
brought forth a man, the Lord."
00:07:10.46\00:07:17.50
Adam and Eve thought
that Cain was the descendent
00:07:17.53\00:07:22.02
who would the crush
the head of the serpent.
00:07:22.05\00:07:23.96
In fact when
they named him Cain,
00:07:23.99\00:07:25.85
it means in Hebrew, 'acquired.'
00:07:25.88\00:07:27.95
They thought they had acquired
the fulfillment of that promise.
00:07:27.98\00:07:31.06
You see they took and understood
00:07:31.09\00:07:34.12
God's words literally.
00:07:34.15\00:07:36.51
But God meant
something much deeper,
00:07:40.18\00:07:43.79
and much broader
than the literal word.
00:07:43.82\00:07:49.11
And I've discovered
that millions of people
00:07:49.14\00:07:51.32
make a same mistake
that Adam and Eve made,
00:07:51.35\00:07:55.37
when they try to
interpret God's word, literally
00:07:55.40\00:07:58.98
and God meant
something far different.
00:07:59.01\00:08:04.58
They named him Cain,
00:08:04.61\00:08:05.74
because they thought
they had acquired the Lord,
00:08:05.77\00:08:08.56
who would be the
fulfillment of the promise
00:08:08.59\00:08:10.24
and crush the
head of the serpent
00:08:10.27\00:08:11.88
but the only
head that Cain crushed
00:08:11.91\00:08:14.51
was the head of
his own brother, Abel.
00:08:14.54\00:08:16.88
So they misinterpreted
the prophecy, Cain failed.
00:08:21.16\00:08:25.72
And it wasn't until
thousands of years later,
00:08:29.41\00:08:34.94
you see that seed mentioned
00:08:34.97\00:08:36.42
again in Genesis 12 chapter
00:08:36.45\00:08:39.59
"The Lord said to Abram"
00:08:44.88\00:08:46.58
whose name was
later changed to Abraham.
00:08:46.61\00:08:49.20
"Leave your country,
00:08:49.23\00:08:50.48
your people your
father's household
00:08:50.51\00:08:52.82
and go to the land
that I will show you."
00:08:52.85\00:08:56.44
So God wanted
Abraham to leave his country
00:08:56.47\00:08:59.27
to go to a new place
00:08:59.30\00:09:01.07
and I'll show you
where to go, God said.
00:09:01.10\00:09:04.48
In verse 2, "I will
make you into a great nation"
00:09:04.51\00:09:07.35
underline that,
God's promise to Abraham,
00:09:07.38\00:09:10.29
I'll make you
into a great nation
00:09:10.32\00:09:12.56
and look, at the end if verse 3,
00:09:12.59\00:09:14.40
"And all of the people on earth
will be blessed through you."
00:09:14.43\00:09:19.26
So God is promising Abraham,
00:09:19.29\00:09:20.80
if you go to the land
that I'm going to show you,
00:09:20.83\00:09:22.98
I'll build you
into a great nation
00:09:23.01\00:09:25.21
and all the people of the earth
will be blessed through you.
00:09:25.24\00:09:28.02
Now the promise of the blessing
00:09:28.05\00:09:29.79
was not just for the
nation that comes from Abraham,
00:09:29.82\00:09:33.61
the promise of the blessing was
00:09:33.64\00:09:35.55
that all of the nations of
the earth would be blessed.
00:09:35.58\00:09:39.51
Underline those words,
00:09:39.54\00:09:41.22
all the people of the earth
will be blessed through you.
00:09:41.25\00:09:43.90
We are going to see them again,
00:09:43.93\00:09:45.03
we are going to comeback
to them, it's so important.
00:09:45.06\00:09:47.66
Abraham traveled
through the land in verse 6,
00:09:47.69\00:09:50.20
"And he saw
Canaanite's living in the land."
00:09:50.23\00:09:52.79
After all, he was
in the land of Canaan,
00:09:52.82\00:09:54.59
that's where God brought him.
00:09:54.62\00:09:55.92
Canaanites live there.
00:09:55.95\00:09:58.01
And the Lord appeared
to Abraham and He said,
00:09:58.04\00:10:00.47
"To your offspring,
I will give this land."
00:10:00.50\00:10:05.16
You see God is the one who
owns it all in the first place.
00:10:05.19\00:10:08.58
And He can do
whatever as He pleases,
00:10:08.61\00:10:10.77
"To your offspring,
I will give this land."
00:10:10.80\00:10:14.72
Now that's a promise.
00:10:14.75\00:10:16.67
I see two promises here,
one, the first one is Abraham
00:10:16.70\00:10:20.57
"Through you and your offspring,
00:10:20.60\00:10:22.80
all of the nations of
the earth will be blessed."
00:10:22.83\00:10:25.48
And secondly, "To your offspring
I will give this land."
00:10:25.51\00:10:30.73
Now the problem is,
Abraham had no offspring.
00:10:30.76\00:10:36.91
He's almost 100 years
old and so is his wife Sarah.
00:10:36.94\00:10:42.48
So how in fact, she
couldn't even have babies,
00:10:42.51\00:10:45.09
Sarah was barren.
00:10:45.12\00:10:47.49
So how is God going to
fulfill His promise to Abraham?
00:10:47.52\00:10:54.69
Well Abraham and Sarah
00:10:54.72\00:10:55.75
started thinking
about it little bit
00:10:55.78\00:10:57.83
and Sarah came up with a plan.
00:10:57.86\00:11:00.07
She says, Abraham, I
have this beautiful young maid
00:11:00.10\00:11:03.96
her name is Hagar, why
don't you sleep with her
00:11:03.99\00:11:08.67
and then she can have your son,
00:11:08.70\00:11:11.05
and God can fulfill the
promise that He made to you.
00:11:11.08\00:11:15.42
And Abraham said,
00:11:15.45\00:11:17.83
sounds like a good idea to me,
00:11:17.86\00:11:23.29
so he did.
00:11:23.32\00:11:25.94
Abraham slept with her.
00:11:25.97\00:11:28.47
And she had a son,
00:11:28.50\00:11:30.22
and they named
him Ishmael...Ishmael.
00:11:30.25\00:11:37.14
Now God could
fulfill His promise
00:11:37.17\00:11:42.32
that He made to Abraham,
00:11:42.35\00:11:45.05
through your seed, Ishmael,
00:11:45.08\00:11:48.74
all the nations of
the earth will be blessed.
00:11:48.77\00:11:54.58
But God said, no.
00:11:54.61\00:11:57.77
In chapter 17:19,
00:11:57.80\00:12:00.40
"Your wife, Sarah
will bear you a son.
00:12:00.43\00:12:03.66
And you will call him, Isaac
00:12:03.69\00:12:05.63
and I will establish
my covenant with him."
00:12:05.66\00:12:10.03
Now that's interesting.
00:12:10.06\00:12:11.77
Didn't God said, Abraham,
your son, through your son,
00:12:11.80\00:12:18.39
all the nations of the
earth will be blessed. He did.
00:12:18.42\00:12:21.55
Wasn't Ishmael
Abraham's son? He was.
00:12:21.58\00:12:25.92
He was just as much as
Abraham's son as Isaac was.
00:12:25.95\00:12:33.71
In fact, he was
Abraham's first born son.
00:12:33.74\00:12:39.73
And the first born is the one
that usually gets the blessing.
00:12:39.76\00:12:45.90
So why did God say no
00:12:45.93\00:12:49.71
to Ishmael and yes to Isaac.
00:12:49.74\00:12:54.50
Can't you see that here
already in the Old Testament,
00:12:54.53\00:13:00.05
we can discover
that God's promise
00:13:00.08\00:13:02.97
was something more
than simply to a flesh
00:13:03.00\00:13:09.00
and blood physical
descendant of Abraham.
00:13:09.03\00:13:14.61
If all that
mattered was flesh and blood,
00:13:14.64\00:13:17.53
then it should
have been Ishmael,
00:13:17.56\00:13:22.45
but God said, no to
Ishmael, yes to Isaac.
00:13:22.48\00:13:26.99
There's something deeper,
00:13:27.02\00:13:28.82
something
broader happening here.
00:13:28.85\00:13:31.82
Let's take a look.
00:13:31.85\00:13:33.84
By the way,
Isaac went on to become
00:13:33.87\00:13:37.57
the father of the Jewish race.
00:13:37.60\00:13:40.10
Ishmael, the
father the Arab race.
00:13:40.13\00:13:47.41
And Isaac and Ishmael
are still fighting today.
00:13:47.44\00:13:54.17
That's what happens,
when instead of trusting God,
00:14:01.54\00:14:08.47
who made us, who knows us,
00:14:08.50\00:14:10.30
who knows more about us
than we know about ourselves.
00:14:10.33\00:14:14.05
That's what happens,
when instead of trusting God,
00:14:14.08\00:14:18.72
we trust in our own ideas
00:14:18.75\00:14:20.67
and our own
thoughts and our own works,
00:14:20.70\00:14:24.45
instead of
believing God by faith.
00:14:24.48\00:14:26.28
So every time you see a tank
00:14:26.31\00:14:28.33
rolling through the
streets of Jerusalem,
00:14:28.36\00:14:30.93
every time you
hear about a missile
00:14:30.96\00:14:32.90
flying over
Palestine in the Middle East,
00:14:32.93\00:14:35.70
it's a reminder that we are
saved by faith in trusting God
00:14:35.73\00:14:40.99
and not by works.
00:14:41.02\00:14:42.38
Abraham tried it by
works and works didn't work,
00:14:42.41\00:14:47.57
only faith works, amen.
00:14:47.60\00:14:52.32
Isaac married Rebekah
00:14:52.35\00:14:54.29
and Isaac and
Rebekah had two sons,
00:14:54.32\00:14:58.33
Esau and Jacob, twins.
00:14:58.36\00:15:00.67
Born from the same
womb at the same time.
00:15:00.70\00:15:03.66
In fact Esau was born a
few minutes ahead of Jacob,
00:15:03.69\00:15:07.50
he was the older.
He was the first born.
00:15:07.53\00:15:10.47
He was the descendant
00:15:10.50\00:15:11.68
that should have
received the blessing.
00:15:11.71\00:15:13.69
But God said, no to
Esau and yes to Jacob.
00:15:13.72\00:15:19.33
Why?
00:15:19.36\00:15:23.11
Can't you see that the promise
00:15:23.14\00:15:25.67
God made to
Abraham through your seed,
00:15:25.70\00:15:30.34
all the nations of
the earth will be blessed.
00:15:30.37\00:15:33.14
Has to be something more
00:15:33.17\00:15:36.36
than simply being
00:15:36.39\00:15:37.86
a physical
descendant of Abraham.
00:15:37.89\00:15:41.94
If that's all it was,
then it should've been Ishmael
00:15:41.97\00:15:45.18
and if that's all it was,
then it should've been Esau.
00:15:45.21\00:15:49.93
But God said, no.
00:15:49.96\00:15:52.82
There's something
more happening here.
00:15:52.85\00:15:58.11
Jacob means a deceiver.
00:15:58.14\00:16:04.21
He was not a nice boy.
00:16:04.24\00:16:07.12
He deceived his brother
00:16:07.15\00:16:09.35
and his father into
getting that birth right,
00:16:09.38\00:16:13.47
but Jacob repented of his sins,
he asked God to forgive him.
00:16:13.50\00:16:18.14
And God forgives us
when we repent, amen.
00:16:18.17\00:16:21.22
That's good
news. He forgave Jacob.
00:16:21.25\00:16:27.57
In fact Jacob
rassled all night with God
00:16:27.60\00:16:31.69
and finally he got the victory
00:16:31.72\00:16:34.10
and because of that
God gave Jacob a new name.
00:16:34.13\00:16:40.57
He called him Israel.
00:16:40.60\00:16:43.14
A name coined by God.
00:16:46.73\00:16:50.51
A name that never existed before
00:16:50.54\00:16:53.08
either in the Bible
or outside of the Bible.
00:16:53.11\00:16:57.44
A name that had
spiritual significance
00:16:57.47\00:17:00.51
from its very beginning,
Israel began with one man.
00:17:00.54\00:17:07.31
And it was symbolic of his
spiritual experience of God.
00:17:07.34\00:17:13.36
In fact, I'll tell
you a secret about Israel.
00:17:13.39\00:17:17.90
The Hebrew
Israel, it's two words,
00:17:17.93\00:17:22.41
'Isra' is to
rule or to be ruled.
00:17:22.44\00:17:27.46
And 'El' is God.
00:17:27.49\00:17:34.14
Israel, Israel
means 'God rules.'
00:17:34.17\00:17:42.14
And every time
you watch the news
00:17:42.17\00:17:45.80
and you hear a
news commentator say,
00:17:45.83\00:17:48.34
Israel, he is
really saying, 'God rules.'
00:17:48.37\00:17:54.12
Don't tell them that,
they will quit saying it.
00:17:54.15\00:17:59.47
Israel was to be a
people ruled by God.
00:17:59.50\00:18:02.84
Israel was to be a
people who by faith trusted God,
00:18:02.87\00:18:07.31
believed Him to live
the way He made us to live,
00:18:07.34\00:18:10.96
they would be
ruled by God. Israel.
00:18:10.99\00:18:18.28
Israel began to grow
00:18:18.31\00:18:20.50
to a big family
and into a nation,
00:18:20.53\00:18:22.81
then there was a
famine in the land
00:18:22.84\00:18:25.13
and Israel
found herself in Egypt
00:18:25.16\00:18:27.80
for over 400 years
slaves to the pharaoh.
00:18:27.83\00:18:31.27
God raised up a man, Moses.
00:18:31.30\00:18:35.01
And delivered Israel
from the Egyptian slavery
00:18:35.04\00:18:38.18
through the
waters of the Red Sea,
00:18:38.21\00:18:40.50
where He
miraculously dried them up.
00:18:40.53\00:18:43.09
Across the Sinai
Peninsula to Mount Sinai
00:18:43.12\00:18:46.77
where there He gave them His law
00:18:46.80\00:18:49.51
and a blue print for the temple.
00:18:49.54\00:18:55.00
And after 40 years
of the nation of Israel
00:18:55.03\00:18:58.39
wandering in the
wilderness, in the desert.
00:18:58.42\00:19:02.21
We find them about to enter that
00:19:02.24\00:19:04.97
Promised Land
and take possession.
00:19:05.00\00:19:08.40
Moses is ready to preach
his final sermon to Israel
00:19:08.43\00:19:13.19
in Deuteronomy 28, and
here it is, his last words,
00:19:13.22\00:19:17.54
before they entered the land.
00:19:17.57\00:19:20.57
Verse 1, "If you carefully
obey the Lord, your God
00:19:20.60\00:19:23.89
and follow all of His commands
00:19:23.92\00:19:26.17
I give you today,
and if you love the Lord,
00:19:26.20\00:19:28.95
your God with all of your heart,
00:19:28.98\00:19:30.55
the Lord, your
God will set you high
00:19:30.58\00:19:32.17
above all the
nations of the earth
00:19:32.20\00:19:33.68
and all of these
blessings will come upon you
00:19:33.71\00:19:36.75
and accompany you, if
you obey the Lord, your God."
00:19:36.78\00:19:41.29
Five times in
this first 16 verses,
00:19:41.32\00:19:45.66
God says, I will pour out
all of these blessings upon you,
00:19:45.69\00:19:51.14
if you obey.
00:19:51.17\00:19:55.60
After all, Israel was
to be a nation led by God.
00:19:55.63\00:19:59.36
Ruled by God. If
you obey I'll bless you.
00:19:59.39\00:20:02.42
Look verse 4, "The fruit
of your womb will be blessed,
00:20:02.45\00:20:05.16
the crops of your
land, your livestock,
00:20:05.19\00:20:07.32
your lambs, your herds,
your cows, your animals.
00:20:07.35\00:20:10.25
The Lord will
grant that your enemies
00:20:10.28\00:20:12.21
who rise against
you be defeated."
00:20:12.24\00:20:14.23
You will be a wealthy
nation, a powerful nation,
00:20:14.26\00:20:16.77
even your babies
won't get sick and die,
00:20:16.80\00:20:19.10
your corn will grow taller.
00:20:19.13\00:20:22.10
But why did God want
to bless Israel like that.
00:20:22.13\00:20:26.89
You see God
wanted to bless Israel,
00:20:26.92\00:20:30.61
so that all of the
other nations could see.
00:20:30.64\00:20:34.15
Well, her corn grows taller.
00:20:34.18\00:20:37.17
The cows get fatter.
00:20:37.20\00:20:39.86
And babies don't
get sick and die.
00:20:39.89\00:20:42.85
We want to know the secret,
00:20:42.88\00:20:46.33
so they would go to
Israel to find her secret
00:20:46.36\00:20:49.32
and when they go to
Israel to find her secret,
00:20:49.35\00:20:51.43
they discover Israel's God.
00:20:51.46\00:20:55.29
And all of the
nations of the earth
00:20:55.32\00:20:58.15
would be blessed through Israel,
00:20:58.18\00:21:01.39
if she obeyed the Lord, her God.
00:21:01.42\00:21:07.36
You see there was a
condition to that promise.
00:21:07.39\00:21:10.18
Well, what would happen
if Israel didn't obey God?
00:21:14.56\00:21:20.00
Verse 15 tells us.
00:21:20.03\00:21:21.94
"However, if you do
not obey the Lord, your God
00:21:21.97\00:21:24.43
and do not carefully
follow all of his commands
00:21:24.46\00:21:26.61
and decrees that I
gave you today then,
00:21:26.64\00:21:28.63
all of these curses
will come upon you."
00:21:28.66\00:21:32.80
So if you obey the blessing,
00:21:32.83\00:21:34.61
I'll gather you into
the land, I'll bless you.
00:21:34.64\00:21:37.05
If you disobey the curse,
00:21:37.08\00:21:41.75
and some of the
curses that He mentions,
00:21:41.78\00:21:44.97
some of the curses
He mentions in verse 21,
00:21:45.00\00:21:47.68
diseases, cancer,
heart attacks, aids,
00:21:47.71\00:21:53.21
bird flu, swine flu.
00:21:53.24\00:21:56.07
All the result of
turning away from God?
00:21:56.10\00:21:59.90
Environment even, verse 23,
00:21:59.93\00:22:02.25
"The sky over your
head will be bronze,
00:22:02.28\00:22:04.08
the ground beneath you iron.
00:22:04.11\00:22:07.33
The rain of your country
will turn into dust and powder."
00:22:07.36\00:22:12.07
Even the environment is affected
00:22:12.10\00:22:14.95
when men and
women rebel against God.
00:22:14.98\00:22:19.16
Can't you see, look around you,
00:22:19.19\00:22:21.34
there are terrible
problems on this planet,
00:22:21.37\00:22:24.54
this world is in trouble?
00:22:24.57\00:22:26.43
But the trouble is
not because of the planet,
00:22:26.46\00:22:29.51
the trouble is because of
sin and rebellion against God.
00:22:29.54\00:22:34.55
Remember God
created the universe
00:22:34.58\00:22:36.61
that function by certain laws
00:22:36.64\00:22:38.20
and when one of
those laws is broken,
00:22:38.23\00:22:39.86
the whole thing would crash.
00:22:39.89\00:22:41.24
And He created man and woman
00:22:41.27\00:22:43.04
to live within
the circle of the laws
00:22:43.07\00:22:45.57
that He put within them,
00:22:45.60\00:22:46.94
but when we step
outside of that circle,
00:22:46.97\00:22:49.32
things go wrong and
even the environment suffers.
00:22:49.35\00:22:55.86
Marriages will fall apart,
diseases that can't be cured.
00:22:55.89\00:23:00.44
You build a house
but you won't live in it.
00:23:00.47\00:23:01.97
Plant a vineyard
and you'll not even
00:23:02.00\00:23:03.42
begin to enjoy his fruit,
00:23:03.45\00:23:04.84
and your donkey
would be taken from you
00:23:04.87\00:23:06.79
forcefully and not returned.
00:23:06.82\00:23:08.29
That sounds like
income tax to me.
00:23:08.32\00:23:13.49
Bad things happen when
you turn away from God.
00:23:13.52\00:23:17.12
People that
don't know you will eat
00:23:17.15\00:23:18.71
what's in your land
and your labor produces,
00:23:18.74\00:23:20.71
there'll be a cruel
oppression, abuse, despair
00:23:20.74\00:23:24.02
because they
turned away from God.
00:23:24.05\00:23:28.13
So if you bless me, if
you obey me, I'll bless you.
00:23:28.16\00:23:31.72
I'll gather you into the land,
00:23:31.75\00:23:33.34
build you into
a powerful nation,
00:23:33.37\00:23:34.97
but if you disobey,
then I will scatter you,
00:23:35.00\00:23:37.99
verse 64, "The
Lord will scatter you
00:23:38.02\00:23:40.58
among all the nations
00:23:40.61\00:23:41.64
from one end of the
earth to the other."
00:23:41.67\00:23:43.30
And His curses
will come upon you.
00:23:43.33\00:23:46.31
Now the curse is
just as much a promise
00:23:46.34\00:23:48.85
as the blessing, isn't it.
00:23:48.88\00:23:51.29
Mean God means what He says.
00:23:51.32\00:23:53.87
If you obey, I'll bless.
00:23:53.90\00:23:55.12
If you disobey, the
curse, that's a promise.
00:23:55.15\00:23:57.16
Sometimes we tell our kids,
00:23:57.19\00:23:58.74
if you don't behave
it's going to be your routs.
00:23:58.77\00:24:02.29
And they don't behave,
and there's never an all routs
00:24:02.32\00:24:05.85
but not with God.
00:24:05.88\00:24:08.31
God speaks the truth.
00:24:08.34\00:24:11.11
If you obey me, I'll bless you.
00:24:11.14\00:24:12.93
If you disobey,
you'll be cursed.
00:24:12.96\00:24:14.73
Not because He
wants to curse us,
00:24:14.76\00:24:16.65
but because when we
step outside that boundary,
00:24:16.68\00:24:19.67
bad things happen and we break.
00:24:19.70\00:24:22.01
Well, we know this sad story.
00:24:26.68\00:24:29.96
Israel disobeyed God,
wouldn't listen to the prophets,
00:24:29.99\00:24:34.26
wouldn't even
listen to Jesus Christ.
00:24:34.29\00:24:36.94
They crucified Him.
00:24:36.97\00:24:40.46
In 70 A.D. the
temple was destroyed
00:24:40.49\00:24:43.97
and Israel was scattered
00:24:44.00\00:24:45.46
among all the
nations of the earth
00:24:45.49\00:24:46.91
just the way the
prophet said it would happen.
00:24:46.94\00:24:48.92
But that isn't God's final word,
00:24:52.41\00:24:55.41
Moses had a little
more to say in chapter 30:1
00:24:55.44\00:24:58.38
"When all these
blessings and curses
00:24:58.41\00:25:00.53
that I have set
before you come upon you
00:25:00.56\00:25:02.65
and if you take them to heart
00:25:02.68\00:25:05.46
wherever the Lord
your God disperses you
00:25:05.49\00:25:07.78
or scatters you among
the nations," watch this
00:25:07.81\00:25:11.07
"when you and your children
return to the Lord, your God
00:25:11.10\00:25:14.97
and obey him
with all of your heart
00:25:15.00\00:25:18.07
and all of your soul,
according to everything,
00:25:18.10\00:25:20.60
I command you today,
then the Lord, your God
00:25:20.63\00:25:24.81
will restore your fortunes
and have compassion on you
00:25:24.84\00:25:29.04
and He will gather
you back into the land
00:25:29.07\00:25:32.26
from where you
have been scattered."
00:25:32.29\00:25:35.27
So that wasn't a
final word 70 A.D.
00:25:35.30\00:25:37.59
Israel was scattered among
all the nations of the earth,
00:25:37.62\00:25:40.81
but God says, if you turn to Me
00:25:40.84\00:25:43.57
with all of your
heart and all of your soul.
00:25:43.60\00:25:45.80
If you obey My commands,
00:25:45.83\00:25:47.63
then I will gather
you back into the land
00:25:47.66\00:25:52.17
and I will bless
you, there's hope.
00:25:52.20\00:25:57.36
Israel disobeyed God.
00:25:57.39\00:25:59.07
Israel was scattered
among the nations of the earth.
00:25:59.10\00:26:04.67
So what does
Israel have to do first,
00:26:04.70\00:26:09.55
before God can gather
her back into the land?
00:26:09.58\00:26:14.95
Turn to the Lord with
all of our heart, obey Him.
00:26:14.98\00:26:20.70
Well, Israel is
back in the land today.
00:26:20.73\00:26:24.46
But the nation of
Israel hasn't turned to God?
00:26:24.49\00:26:28.78
She doesn't obey God.
00:26:28.81\00:26:31.15
Even Howell Lindsey admits
00:26:31.18\00:26:33.43
90% of the people
in Israel are atheists.
00:26:33.46\00:26:37.63
No less accept Jesus Christ.
00:26:37.66\00:26:40.96
Now we are beginning to see
00:26:40.99\00:26:42.24
more and more Jewish people
in Israel turning to Jesus,
00:26:42.27\00:26:45.84
praise the Lord for that.
00:26:45.87\00:26:47.21
But that's not the nation.
00:26:47.24\00:26:49.77
So how could God
gather them back into the land
00:26:49.80\00:26:53.91
when he said, if you obey me,
00:26:53.94\00:26:56.45
then I will gather
you back into the land.
00:26:56.48\00:26:58.96
Did God's word
fail? Of course not.
00:26:58.99\00:27:04.01
That's why we need to
finish in the New Testament.
00:27:04.04\00:27:07.26
And here's that third curious
text that I promised you,
00:27:07.29\00:27:10.29
Romans chapter 9,
00:27:10.32\00:27:12.13
in Romans chapter 9.
00:27:12.16\00:27:14.41
Verse 6, "It is not as
though God's word had failed."
00:27:20.59\00:27:26.76
God's word didn't fail, why not.
00:27:26.79\00:27:29.95
Are you ready for this?
00:27:29.98\00:27:32.86
"Because not all
00:27:32.89\00:27:34.28
who are descended
from Israel are Israel."
00:27:34.31\00:27:39.23
Some people have descended
from Israel, they're not Israel.
00:27:39.26\00:27:43.96
Watch this verse 7,
00:27:43.99\00:27:46.01
"Not because they
are his descendants
00:27:46.04\00:27:48.29
are they all
Abraham's children." Wow.
00:27:48.32\00:27:52.58
Abraham has children
00:27:52.61\00:27:54.63
and God says, they
are not his children.
00:27:54.66\00:27:58.07
What's going on here?
00:27:58.10\00:28:00.52
You see this is more than
just flesh and blood children,
00:28:00.55\00:28:06.39
Not because they
are his descendants
00:28:06.42\00:28:08.40
are they all
Abraham's children."
00:28:08.43\00:28:09.87
Watch "On the contrary,
00:28:09.90\00:28:11.98
It is through Isaac that your
offspring will be reckoned."
00:28:12.01\00:28:17.77
Not Esau but Isaac.
00:28:17.80\00:28:20.41
Notice that your
offspring will be reckoned.
00:28:20.44\00:28:23.62
You see, it doesn't mean that
00:28:23.65\00:28:26.00
there's no such
thing as a physical Jew,
00:28:26.03\00:28:27.98
there is, but the offspring,
00:28:28.01\00:28:31.30
the promise is not
reckoned as a descendant,
00:28:31.33\00:28:35.53
it's only through Isaac,
00:28:35.56\00:28:37.07
that his
descendants are reckoned.
00:28:37.10\00:28:40.00
In other words, if
you haven't got it yet,
00:28:40.03\00:28:41.77
He's as going to make it clear.
00:28:41.80\00:28:42.83
Now watch this in verse 8,
00:28:42.86\00:28:44.53
"It is not the natural children
who are God's children."
00:28:44.56\00:28:49.84
Not the natural children,
00:28:49.87\00:28:52.03
"but it is the
children of the promise
00:28:52.06\00:28:54.62
who are regarded as
Abraham's offspring."
00:28:54.65\00:28:59.59
That means, Abraham has children
that are not his children.
00:28:59.62\00:29:03.92
Why not?
00:29:03.95\00:29:04.98
Because it's only the
children of the promise,
00:29:05.01\00:29:07.25
that are regarded by
God as Abraham's offspring.
00:29:07.28\00:29:10.48
What seems to be right to us,
00:29:10.51\00:29:12.26
is not always what is
right with God, remember.
00:29:12.29\00:29:16.91
And just because he had
a physical son, Ishmael,
00:29:16.94\00:29:20.01
just because Isaac
had a physical son Esau,
00:29:20.04\00:29:23.97
it doesn't mean that
they were descendants.
00:29:24.00\00:29:27.12
Because only
children of the promise
00:29:27.15\00:29:29.31
are regarded by God
as Abraham's off springs.
00:29:29.34\00:29:31.79
So who are the
children of the promise,
00:29:31.82\00:29:33.78
that's the big question?
00:29:33.81\00:29:35.51
And it takes us to one of
my very favorite little books.
00:29:35.54\00:29:38.06
The little Book of
Galatians. Galatians 3.
00:29:38.09\00:29:42.49
Who are the
children of the promise?
00:29:42.52\00:29:47.89
Now if you have to take a
little nap, don't do it now.
00:29:47.92\00:29:52.29
Wake up anybody next to you
00:29:52.32\00:29:53.76
that might be
sleeping a little bit
00:29:53.79\00:29:55.19
because you don't
want to miss this,
00:29:55.22\00:29:57.40
this is the best part.
00:29:57.43\00:29:58.68
Who are the
children of the promise?
00:29:58.71\00:29:59.93
Remember, it just
because Abraham had descendants,
00:29:59.96\00:30:02.85
that doesn't mean
they were his children.
00:30:02.88\00:30:05.40
It's only the
children of the promise
00:30:05.43\00:30:06.96
that are
reckoned as his children.
00:30:06.99\00:30:08.28
Who are the
children of the promise?
00:30:08.31\00:30:09.52
Here's the answer.
00:30:09.55\00:30:10.58
Verse 7, "Understand,
then, that those who believe
00:30:10.61\00:30:16.97
are children of Abraham."
00:30:17.00\00:30:21.12
Who are the children of Abraham?
00:30:21.15\00:30:22.19
Those who believe,
you see Jacob believed,
00:30:22.22\00:30:25.57
Isaac believed,
00:30:25.60\00:30:27.34
Esau didn't believe,
Ishmael didn't believe.
00:30:27.37\00:30:31.96
So the deciding factor,
isn't their physical descendancy
00:30:31.99\00:30:36.00
the deciding factor
is, do they believe or not?
00:30:36.03\00:30:40.49
That's not all
though, it gets better.
00:30:40.52\00:30:42.77
Here we go verse 8,
"The Scripture foresaw
00:30:42.80\00:30:46.05
that God would
justify the Gentiles by faith,
00:30:46.08\00:30:50.63
and announced the
gospel in advance to Abraham."
00:30:50.66\00:30:53.55
Let me explain
that a little bit.
00:30:53.58\00:30:55.23
'Justify 'is a technical
Bible word, for 'save.'
00:30:55.26\00:31:00.69
When we are justified
we are saved by faith,
00:31:00.72\00:31:05.13
the Bible says, not by works.
00:31:05.16\00:31:08.04
We are saved by faith.
00:31:08.07\00:31:10.95
So the Bible says
00:31:10.98\00:31:12.48
"The Scripture
foresaw that God would justify
00:31:12.51\00:31:15.34
Gentiles by
faith.'' What's a Gentile?
00:31:15.37\00:31:18.89
A Gentile is simply one
who is not born a physical Jew.
00:31:18.92\00:31:25.94
I'm a half
Italian, half Puerto Rican,
00:31:25.97\00:31:29.98
I am a Gentile, and
so God is telling us,
00:31:30.01\00:31:36.13
the Scripture foresaw
that God would justify,
00:31:36.16\00:31:39.87
Italians,
Puerto Ricans, Germans,
00:31:39.90\00:31:45.17
English, African no matter what,
00:31:45.20\00:31:51.94
He would justify us by faith.
00:31:51.97\00:31:56.79
Now where did the
scripture say that?
00:31:56.82\00:32:03.38
"And He announced the
gospel in advance to Abraham."
00:32:03.41\00:32:08.09
What's the gospel?
00:32:08.12\00:32:09.57
The gospel is the good news
00:32:09.60\00:32:11.29
that you're not
saved by being good,
00:32:11.32\00:32:13.60
you're not saved by
obeying the commands, No.
00:32:13.63\00:32:16.62
We are saved,
because we trust God,
00:32:16.65\00:32:18.90
because we have faith in
God. We are saved by grace.
00:32:18.93\00:32:21.91
Unmerited, we don't deserve it
through faith in Jesus Christ,
00:32:21.94\00:32:25.78
that's how we'll
say, that's the gospel.
00:32:25.81\00:32:27.84
Jesus died on the
cross in your place,
00:32:27.87\00:32:30.25
and if you accept
Him as your Savior,
00:32:30.28\00:32:32.26
God gives you the
free gift of eternal life.
00:32:32.29\00:32:35.12
That's the gospel.
00:32:35.15\00:32:37.92
But where did God
preached the gospel
00:32:37.95\00:32:40.65
in advance to Abraham?
00:32:40.68\00:32:42.59
Here's the surprise,
00:32:42.62\00:32:44.28
when He said, "All nations
will be blessed through you."
00:32:44.31\00:32:51.01
So I don't understand that,
00:32:51.04\00:32:54.32
what does that mean?
00:32:54.35\00:32:56.31
When God said to Abraham,
00:32:56.34\00:32:57.37
"All the nations of the earth
will be blessed through you."
00:32:57.40\00:33:01.49
He was really
preaching the gospel.
00:33:01.52\00:33:06.32
Let me help you understand that.
00:33:06.35\00:33:08.79
I will
paraphrase it a little bit.
00:33:08.82\00:33:11.49
God said,
Abraham, one of these days,
00:33:11.52\00:33:16.84
I'm going to send
through your line, my son.
00:33:16.87\00:33:22.32
And Abraham, my son who
comes through your line,
00:33:26.31\00:33:33.05
is going to die on the cross.
00:33:33.08\00:33:36.31
But that won't
be the end, Abraham.
00:33:36.34\00:33:39.12
Three days later, He's
going to be raised up again,
00:33:39.15\00:33:41.52
and Abraham anyone
who believes in My Son,
00:33:45.18\00:33:51.83
will be saved.
00:33:51.86\00:33:54.54
Through My Son,
00:33:54.57\00:33:56.62
all the nations of
the earth will be blessed.
00:33:56.65\00:34:04.38
How can you just
say a weak amen. Amen.
00:34:04.41\00:34:07.17
Amen, oh that's so much
better, this is good stuff.
00:34:07.20\00:34:11.29
And it gets even
better, watch this verse 16.
00:34:11.32\00:34:14.57
Now this blows some people
away, they don't even like it.
00:34:14.60\00:34:18.36
But I like it
because it's in here.
00:34:18.39\00:34:21.26
Verse 16, "The
promises were spoken
00:34:21.29\00:34:23.80
to Abraham and to his seed."
00:34:23.83\00:34:26.22
Now watch,
"Abraham and his seed"
00:34:26.25\00:34:29.25
Paul says, "The
Scripture does not say
00:34:29.28\00:34:32.96
"and to his seeds,"
with a S on the end,
00:34:32.99\00:34:36.23
meaning many people,
00:34:36.26\00:34:37.64
no, no, he says,
but and to your seed,
00:34:37.67\00:34:41.21
singular, meaning one
person, who is Christ.
00:34:41.24\00:34:46.37
So when Abraham,
when God said Abraham
00:34:46.40\00:34:48.69
'through your seed, singular,
00:34:48.72\00:34:51.15
all the nations of
the earth will be blessed.
00:34:51.18\00:34:52.64
He wasn't talking
about many people,
00:34:52.67\00:34:54.77
He was talking about one person,
00:34:54.80\00:34:56.81
and that one
person is Jesus Christ.
00:34:56.84\00:34:59.20
It was singular, not plural.
00:34:59.23\00:35:02.86
Now that's exciting isn't it?
00:35:02.89\00:35:06.25
Well, if that's the
case, then how all the nations
00:35:06.28\00:35:08.32
of the earth
going to be blessed.
00:35:08.35\00:35:10.29
What about the
promise, is Jesus the only one
00:35:10.32\00:35:12.69
that's going to
be blessed and saved,
00:35:12.72\00:35:14.43
well it gets even better.
Galatians isn't over yet.
00:35:14.46\00:35:19.05
In Chapter 3:26,
00:35:19.08\00:35:20.97
"You are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus,"
00:35:21.00\00:35:26.76
because verse 28, "There
is neither Jew nor Greek,
00:35:26.79\00:35:30.42
slave nor free, male nor female,
00:35:30.45\00:35:33.33
for you are all
one in Christ Jesus."
00:35:33.36\00:35:36.07
And if you belong to Christ
then you are Abraham's seed
00:35:36.10\00:35:40.02
and you are heir to
all the promises." Amen.
00:35:40.05\00:35:46.43
Do you belong to
Jesus, if you do, then you are
00:35:46.46\00:35:49.78
a descendant of Abraham. Amen.
00:35:49.81\00:35:53.29
And it doesn't
matter what kind of blood
00:35:53.32\00:35:55.72
flowing through your veins.
00:35:55.75\00:35:56.99
It doesn't matter
how your mom and dad
00:35:57.02\00:35:59.38
spelled their name.
00:35:59.41\00:36:00.44
It doesn't matter
what country you live in.
00:36:00.47\00:36:02.98
It doesn't matter
what your blood is.
00:36:03.01\00:36:05.27
The only blood that matters
00:36:05.30\00:36:06.64
is the blood
that was shed for you
00:36:06.67\00:36:08.03
on Calvary 2,000 years ago.
00:36:08.06\00:36:11.54
You believe in Jesus,
00:36:11.57\00:36:12.75
you are a
descendant of Abraham. Wow.
00:36:12.78\00:36:18.40
All the promises, I can claim.
00:36:18.43\00:36:23.27
All the promises you can claim.
00:36:23.30\00:36:26.98
The promises were never based
on flesh and blood descendancy
00:36:27.01\00:36:32.55
not even from the beginning
00:36:32.58\00:36:34.65
they were always
based on faith in God
00:36:34.68\00:36:38.46
and trust in God
through Jesus Christ.
00:36:38.49\00:36:41.13
It's always been that way.
00:36:41.16\00:36:43.68
So you see in the New Testament,
00:36:43.71\00:36:47.67
the Israel of God
00:36:47.70\00:36:49.82
consists of those who
believe in Jesus Christ.
00:36:49.85\00:36:55.27
That's why Paul
closes his letter
00:36:55.30\00:36:57.88
to the church at
Galatia, saying in Galatians 6,
00:36:57.91\00:37:03.45
"Neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision means anything
00:37:03.48\00:37:07.58
what counts is a new creation."
00:37:07.61\00:37:09.95
And the new
creation is you and me
00:37:09.98\00:37:12.62
in born again in Jesus Christ.
00:37:12.65\00:37:16.44
So it doesn't
matter if you circumcise,
00:37:16.47\00:37:18.39
it doesn't matter if
you are not circumcised.
00:37:18.42\00:37:20.65
What matters is, are you in
Jesus Christ, a new creation.
00:37:20.68\00:37:24.37
And then verse 16,
00:37:24.40\00:37:25.94
"Peace and mercy to
all who follow this rule,
00:37:25.97\00:37:28.73
even to the Israel of God."
00:37:28.76\00:37:32.22
See the Israel of God
00:37:32.25\00:37:34.27
consist of all who
believe in Jesus Christ.
00:37:34.30\00:37:37.92
The church has picked
up the mantle of Israel
00:37:37.95\00:37:42.46
and is carrying it on all
the way through to the end.
00:37:42.49\00:37:47.99
You are a part of
the Israel of God.
00:37:48.02\00:37:53.53
It doesn't mean, there's
no such thing as a Jew, no.
00:37:53.56\00:37:57.82
But it does mean that a
Jew is no more accepted by God
00:37:57.85\00:38:01.75
because he is a Jew
than I am accepted by God
00:38:01.78\00:38:04.58
because I am an
Italian, a Puerto Rican.
00:38:04.61\00:38:08.50
The only way we
are accepted by God,
00:38:08.53\00:38:10.22
Jew or Gentile is by grace
through faith in Jesus Christ.
00:38:10.25\00:38:17.05
But what about the Jews
now are they finished? No.
00:38:17.08\00:38:22.07
In Romans 11
Paul tells the story.
00:38:22.10\00:38:24.76
He tells a story
of an olive tree.
00:38:24.79\00:38:27.10
And he said,
some of the branches
00:38:27.13\00:38:29.27
of that olive tree were cut off
00:38:29.30\00:38:31.45
because they
didn't believe in Jesus,
00:38:31.48\00:38:34.73
some of them stayed in,
the disciples were Jews.
00:38:34.76\00:38:37.61
They stayed in the tree.
00:38:37.64\00:38:40.12
And that was Israel.
And Jesus is the tree.
00:38:40.15\00:38:44.42
And then he said,
the wild olive branch,
00:38:44.45\00:38:46.46
that's me and you, Gentiles.
00:38:46.49\00:38:48.92
Wild olive branches
are grafted back in,
00:38:48.95\00:38:51.79
grafted into the
same tree that the Jews,
00:38:51.82\00:38:54.42
who didn't
believe were cut off of.
00:38:54.45\00:38:58.08
And then those Jews he said,
00:38:58.11\00:38:59.80
finally when
they believe in Jesus,
00:38:59.83\00:39:01.95
they're going to go graft it
00:39:01.98\00:39:03.06
back into the same
tree with the Gentiles.
00:39:03.09\00:39:06.90
The tree is the
church of Jesus Christ
00:39:06.93\00:39:09.12
when a Jew accepts Jesus Christ,
he becomes a true Jew. Amen.
00:39:09.15\00:39:13.89
And so when he says I am a Jew,
00:39:13.92\00:39:15.72
he's not telling a lie.
00:39:15.75\00:39:17.21
He is not the
synagogue of Satan,
00:39:17.24\00:39:19.18
he is a Jew, because
he is in Jesus Christ.
00:39:19.21\00:39:24.20
And I believe Romans
11 shows the time coming
00:39:24.23\00:39:26.97
when many Jews will
turn to Jesus Christ.
00:39:27.00\00:39:30.37
Because that's the only
way we can all ever be saved.
00:39:30.40\00:39:33.22
Is this true?
00:39:37.14\00:39:40.52
You're saying, pastor that's not
what I keep hearing out there.
00:39:40.55\00:39:44.41
Well, I don't care
what's happening out there,
00:39:44.44\00:39:46.25
all I care about
is what's in here.
00:39:46.28\00:39:49.32
Is it true?
00:39:49.35\00:39:50.54
Every word has
come from in here.
00:39:50.57\00:39:52.96
But let's just check it out.
00:39:52.99\00:39:54.68
Let's ask Peter, Peter!
00:39:54.71\00:39:58.03
Is Jac Colon
telling us the truth?
00:39:58.06\00:40:00.70
Well, turn in your Bibles.
00:40:00.73\00:40:04.63
To Peter and I am finding,
00:40:04.66\00:40:08.08
he was here this morning.
00:40:08.11\00:40:11.38
1 Peter 2:9,
00:40:11.41\00:40:14.94
"You" he is
writing to the church now
00:40:14.97\00:40:17.01
watch this, you church,
00:40:17.04\00:40:18.46
"You are a chosen
people, a royal priesthood,
00:40:18.49\00:40:22.31
a holy nation, a
people belonging to God."
00:40:22.34\00:40:26.13
That's exactly what God said
00:40:26.16\00:40:28.64
to the nation of
Israel in the Old Testament.
00:40:28.67\00:40:32.99
Now he is calling this
church by the same titles.
00:40:33.02\00:40:37.91
He said, God called you
00:40:37.94\00:40:39.60
so that you can
declare the praises of him
00:40:39.63\00:40:41.84
who called you out of
darkness into his light."
00:40:41.87\00:40:44.33
Once you were not a people"
00:40:44.36\00:40:45.79
You were Gentiles,
"You were not a people
00:40:45.82\00:40:48.33
but now you are
the people of God,
00:40:48.36\00:40:52.84
once you had not received mercy,
00:40:52.87\00:40:54.48
but now you
have received mercy."
00:40:54.51\00:40:59.80
He is calling the church a
holy nation, royal priesthood.
00:40:59.83\00:41:06.53
The people belonging to God.
00:41:06.56\00:41:11.66
In fact he goes on to say
00:41:11.69\00:41:15.56
and now we're
getting to another good part.
00:41:15.59\00:41:17.92
Don't sleep.
00:41:17.95\00:41:20.58
"As you come to
him, the living stone"
00:41:20.61\00:41:24.33
Jesus is the living stone.
00:41:24.36\00:41:30.40
"As you come to
him the living stone
00:41:30.43\00:41:33.56
rejected by men,
but chosen by God
00:41:33.59\00:41:37.48
and precious to Him.
00:41:37.51\00:41:39.68
You also like living stones
00:41:39.71\00:41:43.85
are being built in
to a spiritual house."
00:41:43.88\00:41:48.02
So Jesus is the living stone
00:41:48.05\00:41:51.83
but we too are living stones.
00:41:51.86\00:41:54.86
The bible says, and we too
00:41:54.89\00:41:57.33
are being built in
to spiritual house.
00:41:57.36\00:42:01.43
Now when we go
to Ephesians 2:19,
00:42:01.46\00:42:07.01
he says "Consequently,
00:42:07.04\00:42:08.79
you are no longer
foreigners and aliens,"
00:42:08.82\00:42:13.02
that's us, Gentiles,
that He's talking to,
00:42:13.05\00:42:15.72
the church in Ephesus
consisting of Gentiles,
00:42:15.75\00:42:18.87
he says, you Gentiles,
you are no longer foreigners,
00:42:18.90\00:42:23.72
you're no longer aliens,
00:42:23.75\00:42:26.23
"But you are fellow
citizens with God's people
00:42:26.26\00:42:30.97
and members of God's household."
00:42:31.00\00:42:34.17
Watch this,
"Built on the foundation
00:42:34.20\00:42:38.55
of the apostles
and the prophets,
00:42:38.58\00:42:41.51
with Christ Jesus Himself
as the chief cornerstone.
00:42:41.54\00:42:47.84
In him the whole
building is joined together
00:42:47.87\00:42:52.04
and rises to
become a holy temple."
00:42:52.07\00:42:55.81
You are the
stones of the temple.
00:42:59.52\00:43:04.31
I promised you, I'll
bring you a piece of the temple
00:43:04.34\00:43:07.66
turned to the person to
your left and to your right
00:43:07.69\00:43:10.95
and say, welcome
to the temple of God
00:43:10.98\00:43:14.40
because you are the
stones of the temple.
00:43:14.43\00:43:17.02
I told you that I
was on a committee
00:43:21.15\00:43:23.21
to rebuild the temple.
00:43:23.24\00:43:28.09
You can be on that committee.
00:43:28.12\00:43:30.56
When you tell
someone about Jesus Christ,
00:43:38.18\00:43:40.52
you are on the
committee to rebuild the temple.
00:43:40.55\00:43:45.66
Sometimes people get mad at me,
00:43:45.69\00:43:49.01
and they say, "Pastor,
00:43:49.04\00:43:50.17
I thought I was going to
see a brick here tonight."
00:43:50.20\00:43:53.50
One lady sitting in
the front row in Alaska,
00:43:53.53\00:43:56.52
had her camera there,
00:43:56.55\00:43:57.58
ready to take a
picture of the stone.
00:43:57.61\00:44:00.35
I said, I'll smile for you.
00:44:00.38\00:44:03.94
She got mad.
00:44:03.97\00:44:05.85
Dot get mad at me,
00:44:05.88\00:44:07.86
get mad at
whoever is telling you
00:44:07.89\00:44:09.30
that it's going to be real stone
00:44:09.33\00:44:11.84
because you are the stone.
00:44:11.87\00:44:14.02
Jesus is the
cornerstone, you are the temple.
00:44:14.05\00:44:18.99
But what about the land?
00:44:19.02\00:44:20.17
God said, He promised the land
to Abraham's seed, didn't He.
00:44:20.20\00:44:23.96
In Acts 7, we
find a surprise there.
00:44:23.99\00:44:27.06
Acts 7, Steven in his
last sermon before he died,
00:44:27.09\00:44:33.90
told the story
about how Abraham,
00:44:33.93\00:44:35.85
verse 4, "left the
land of the Chaldeans
00:44:35.88\00:44:39.54
and God sent him to this
land that you are now living in
00:44:39.57\00:44:42.79
and He gave him
no inheritance here,
00:44:42.82\00:44:47.31
not even a foot of ground.
00:44:47.34\00:44:49.07
But God had promised him
that he and his descendants
00:44:49.10\00:44:51.96
after him would
possess the land."
00:44:51.99\00:44:55.10
Now did God's word failed?
00:44:55.13\00:44:56.72
God said you
would possess the land
00:44:56.75\00:44:58.63
and now Steven says,
00:44:58.66\00:45:00.10
that he didn't even
get one square foot of God,
00:45:00.13\00:45:02.76
did God's word failed. No.
00:45:02.79\00:45:05.16
Because Abraham understood
exactly what God meant.
00:45:05.19\00:45:09.54
In Hebrews, you can read that,
00:45:09.57\00:45:11.34
in Hebrews 11,
00:45:11.37\00:45:13.21
look in Hebrews
11 the faith chapter.
00:45:13.24\00:45:15.94
It says in verse 9" By faith he,
00:45:15.97\00:45:18.24
Abraham made his
home in the promised land
00:45:18.27\00:45:20.47
like a stranger
in a foreign country,
00:45:20.50\00:45:22.36
he lived in tents,
like Isaac and Jacob,
00:45:22.39\00:45:25.38
who were heirs with
him of the same promise.
00:45:25.41\00:45:27.94
For he was looking forward
to a city with foundations,
00:45:27.97\00:45:32.49
whose builder and maker is God."
00:45:32.52\00:45:35.26
Abraham knew that
God was not talking
00:45:35.29\00:45:38.71
about that land in Palestine.
00:45:38.74\00:45:41.34
Abraham was looking
to the New Jerusalem,
00:45:41.37\00:45:44.44
to the new
heaven, to the new earth.
00:45:44.47\00:45:46.71
In fact Paul
himself even wrote that
00:45:46.74\00:45:49.48
God promised Abraham
00:45:49.51\00:45:51.28
that he will be
heir even of the world.
00:45:51.31\00:45:55.13
You see God promises the land,
00:45:55.16\00:45:57.40
but He always gives us more.
00:45:57.43\00:46:01.72
Then what he
says, he's going to do.
00:46:01.75\00:46:03.22
What a God, amen. Amen.
00:46:03.25\00:46:08.86
Abraham saw it.
00:46:08.89\00:46:10.28
In Revelation 3:12,
00:46:14.23\00:46:21.70
Jesus writes to the church
00:46:21.73\00:46:24.02
"Him who overcomes
I will make a pillar
00:46:24.05\00:46:26.14
in the temple of my God.
00:46:26.17\00:46:28.08
Never again will he leave it."
00:46:28.11\00:46:30.80
You see, the church He overcomes
00:46:30.83\00:46:33.29
I'll make a pillar
in the temple of my God.
00:46:33.32\00:46:36.59
You'll never leave it.
00:46:36.62\00:46:37.93
"I will write on
him the name of my God
00:46:37.96\00:46:40.08
and the name of
the city of my God.
00:46:40.11\00:46:41.88
The New Jerusalem is coming down
00:46:41.91\00:46:44.28
out of heaven from God,
00:46:44.31\00:46:46.35
and I will also
write on him my new name."
00:46:46.38\00:46:49.33
He who as in let him
hear what the spirit says,
00:46:49.36\00:46:51.82
to the church.
00:46:51.85\00:46:54.37
The New Jerusalem is the home
for the church of Jesus Christ.
00:46:54.40\00:47:00.81
And you are
citizens of that city.
00:47:00.84\00:47:03.30
He even says as
much in Hebrews 12:22,
00:47:03.33\00:47:07.05
he says, "You have
come to Mount Zion,
00:47:07.08\00:47:09.36
the heavenly Jerusalem,
the city of the living God."
00:47:09.39\00:47:12.32
We are now citizens
of that New Jerusalem
00:47:12.35\00:47:15.50
even though we are
here in this old world
00:47:15.53\00:47:17.21
but one day soon,
00:47:17.24\00:47:18.65
He's going to
come down to this earth
00:47:18.68\00:47:20.09
and we're going to be in it
00:47:20.12\00:47:21.57
and that'll be
our home for ever.
00:47:21.60\00:47:25.24
Oh, what a promise.
00:47:25.27\00:47:28.74
I know some of
you are struggling.
00:47:28.77\00:47:31.92
Some of you are saying, pastor,
00:47:31.95\00:47:34.23
that's not what it says
in the left behind book.
00:47:34.26\00:47:38.57
No, it's not what
it says in the novel.
00:47:38.60\00:47:43.35
But it is what it
says in God's word.
00:47:43.38\00:47:47.83
And you know, even in Jesus'
day they struggled with this.
00:47:47.86\00:47:55.25
They had a hard time
00:47:55.28\00:47:57.25
accepting what
you're hearing right now.
00:47:57.28\00:48:00.52
The Jews were stunned.
00:48:00.55\00:48:02.92
In John 2:19, when Jesus said,
00:48:02.95\00:48:07.38
pointing to the
building to the temple,
00:48:07.41\00:48:10.14
he said, "tear down this temple
00:48:10.17\00:48:12.92
and I will raise
it up in three days."
00:48:12.95\00:48:18.04
They thought He was
talking about the building,
00:48:18.07\00:48:22.68
and He knew they would think
00:48:22.71\00:48:25.09
he was talking
about the building,
00:48:25.12\00:48:27.01
but in fact He was
talking about Himself.
00:48:27.04\00:48:32.72
And they were stunned.
They couldn't accept it.
00:48:32.75\00:48:35.83
They couldn't make a
shift from the bricks
00:48:35.86\00:48:38.61
and the mortar to the
living stone of Jesus Christ.
00:48:38.64\00:48:43.49
We can't afford to
make the same mistake
00:48:43.52\00:48:47.62
that they made back then.
00:48:47.65\00:48:51.55
In fact they missed it
so badly that in Mathew 27,
00:48:51.58\00:48:57.65
when Jesus was on
the cross, they said,
00:48:57.68\00:49:01.26
"You who are going
to destroy the temple
00:49:01.29\00:49:03.39
and build it up in
three days, save yourself!
00:49:03.42\00:49:07.32
Come down from the cross,
00:49:07.35\00:49:09.04
if you are the Son of God!"
00:49:09.07\00:49:11.81
They missed it so badly
00:49:11.84\00:49:14.47
that they didn't understand
00:49:14.50\00:49:16.19
that the only way for Jesus
00:49:16.22\00:49:17.75
to truly rebuild the true
temple was to die on the cross.
00:49:17.78\00:49:21.89
He could not come
down from the cross
00:49:21.92\00:49:24.05
and rebuild the temple.
00:49:24.08\00:49:25.62
They missed it.
00:49:28.73\00:49:30.72
Let's not make the same mistake.
00:49:30.75\00:49:33.60
Now we can
understand why Jesus said,
00:49:33.63\00:49:36.43
when He went into
the temple, Mathew 12:6,
00:49:36.46\00:49:40.15
I tell you one greater
then this temple is here.
00:49:40.18\00:49:47.30
But they missed it.
00:49:47.33\00:49:49.94
They kept
looking at the building,
00:49:49.97\00:49:52.54
instead of looking at
the man, Jesus Christ.
00:49:52.57\00:49:58.15
And no wonder when
Jesus went into the temple
00:49:58.18\00:50:01.43
for the last time...
00:50:01.46\00:50:03.07
and left, He said, your house
00:50:06.63\00:50:13.32
is left unto you desolate
00:50:13.35\00:50:18.40
because the
presence of the living God
00:50:18.43\00:50:21.28
was leaving that
temple for the first time,
00:50:21.31\00:50:25.41
for the last time
to build His new temple
00:50:25.44\00:50:29.71
by grace through
faith in Jesus Christ.
00:50:29.74\00:50:34.37
No wonder, He said,
your house is left desolate.
00:50:34.40\00:50:39.71
But what about the antichrist,
what about the antichrist?
00:50:39.74\00:50:43.26
Doesn't he rebuild
that temple in Jerusalem
00:50:43.29\00:50:46.17
and then go over
there and destroy it?
00:50:46.20\00:50:50.03
2 Thessalonians,
00:50:50.06\00:50:52.05
2 Thessalonians makes it
crystal clear Chapter 2:4,
00:50:52.08\00:50:58.53
"He will oppose
and will exalt himself
00:50:58.56\00:51:01.40
over everything
that is called God."
00:51:01.43\00:51:04.37
This is anti-Christ.
00:51:04.40\00:51:06.94
"He will oppose
and will exalt himself
00:51:06.97\00:51:08.78
over everything that is
called God or is worshiped,
00:51:08.81\00:51:12.43
so that he sets
himself up in God's temple,
00:51:12.46\00:51:17.07
proclaiming himself to be God."
00:51:17.10\00:51:21.80
Every place in the New Testament
00:51:21.83\00:51:23.92
where Paul uses
the word 'God's temple'
00:51:23.95\00:51:26.91
He is talking about
the church of Jesus Christ.
00:51:26.94\00:51:32.63
Antichrist sets
himself up in the church
00:51:32.66\00:51:38.06
and he does his
dirty work in the church.
00:51:38.09\00:51:41.31
When the whole world practically
00:51:45.13\00:51:47.52
is looking to Israel,
00:51:47.55\00:51:50.25
waiting for the
mosque to be torn down,
00:51:50.28\00:51:52.62
so they can build a
temple for antichrist to come.
00:51:52.65\00:51:57.35
Antichrist is doing his
dirty work in the church.
00:51:57.38\00:52:00.26
What's he doing
there? You want to know?
00:52:03.76\00:52:07.81
Because you're going to see
00:52:07.84\00:52:09.09
some things that are
going to make your eyes
00:52:09.12\00:52:10.84
turn as big as saucers.
00:52:10.87\00:52:13.32
He would set
himself up in God's temple
00:52:13.35\00:52:15.48
proclaiming himself to be God.
00:52:15.51\00:52:20.83
Revelation 21.
00:52:20.86\00:52:24.84
I want to close in
Revelation chapter 21.
00:52:24.87\00:52:28.09
Verse 9, "One of
the seven angels said,
00:52:33.50\00:52:36.91
"Come, I will
show you the bride,
00:52:36.94\00:52:40.05
the wife of the Lamb.
00:52:40.08\00:52:45.26
And he carried me
away in the Spirit
00:52:45.29\00:52:46.80
to a mountain great and high,
00:52:46.83\00:52:48.10
and he showed me the
Holy City, the New Jerusalem,
00:52:48.13\00:52:53.71
coming down out
of heaven from God."
00:52:53.74\00:52:57.79
Verse 12, "It
had a great high wall
00:52:57.82\00:52:59.50
with twelve gates
00:52:59.53\00:53:01.31
and with twelve
angels at each of the gates.
00:53:01.34\00:53:03.66
And on the gates
were written the names
00:53:03.69\00:53:05.73
of the twelve tribes of Israel."
00:53:05.76\00:53:08.67
Only the Israel of
God can enter that city.
00:53:08.70\00:53:12.85
Won't you walk
through those gates with me...
00:53:16.98\00:53:21.96
with Israel of God?
00:53:21.99\00:53:25.19
Several years ago,
00:53:30.38\00:53:33.54
my wife and I went to
a religious convention
00:53:33.57\00:53:37.59
in Toronto, Canada.
00:53:37.62\00:53:39.75
And one day a Jewish man
00:53:46.51\00:53:51.63
dressed in his black
Jewish robes, Jewish hat,
00:53:51.66\00:53:57.49
and his Hebrew books and Bibles,
00:53:57.52\00:54:01.06
was walking down the hallway.
00:54:01.09\00:54:05.34
When he looked ahead
and he saw an Arab man,
00:54:05.37\00:54:12.40
dressed in his
traditional Arab headdress
00:54:12.43\00:54:18.40
with his Arab books in his arms,
00:54:18.43\00:54:22.16
walking right towards him.
00:54:22.19\00:54:27.77
And the Jew was afraid
00:54:27.80\00:54:30.97
and the Arab was afraid
00:54:34.71\00:54:38.57
as they approach each
other closer and closer
00:54:41.49\00:54:46.06
and then they both
stopped outside the same door,
00:54:46.09\00:54:52.16
about to go in.
00:54:52.19\00:54:55.31
Jewish man
looked at the Arab man
00:54:55.34\00:54:59.47
and he said,
are you a Christian?
00:54:59.50\00:55:05.72
The Arab said,
"I am a Christian.
00:55:05.75\00:55:09.88
Are you?
00:55:09.91\00:55:12.42
And the Jewish man
said, 'Yes, I am a Christian.
00:55:12.45\00:55:18.80
And the Arab and
the Jew embraced.
00:55:18.83\00:55:26.20
You see the
solution to the problems
00:55:26.23\00:55:30.24
is not going to be
done in Washington D.C.
00:55:30.27\00:55:34.79
or by any diplomat,
00:55:34.82\00:55:38.12
the problem can only be solved
00:55:38.15\00:55:40.87
by lifting up the
cross for Jesus Christ. Amen.
00:55:40.90\00:55:46.17
The true Israel of God.
00:55:46.20\00:55:50.64
Oh, Lord, God, we
thank you and we praise you,
00:55:50.67\00:55:53.98
in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, for having a plan.
00:55:54.01\00:56:01.94
Sometimes men fail,
00:56:01.97\00:56:04.56
they did all the way
through the Bible times,
00:56:04.59\00:56:07.53
but Your plan never fails.
00:56:07.56\00:56:10.63
And Lord, we want to
be part of Your plan.
00:56:10.66\00:56:14.67
We want to walk with You.
00:56:14.70\00:56:16.75
And we want to walk
through the gates of that city
00:56:16.78\00:56:19.84
rejoicing as the
bride of the Lamb.
00:56:19.87\00:56:24.61
And we thank you and praise You
00:56:24.64\00:56:26.16
in the name of Jesus Christ,
our Savior and our Lord, amen.
00:56:26.19\00:56:31.73