Pillars and Anchors of Life

I'll bring you greetings from the great Lone Star State, from the congregations that we pastor there, plus one in the Bios State, from East Texas. We have a wonderful church building there. In Big Sandy, near where the Ambassador College campus was located, we hosted the Council of Elders and meetings there at the end of February and the first of March this year.

Enjoyed that very much. So, East Texas, Texarkana, Texas, and of course Texarkana is there, near the corners there with Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas, and then Ruston, Louisiana. Favorite Texas joke is, why did the chicken cross the road? This answer has been proffered, but it was to show the armadillo that it could be done. The armadillo population seems to be decreasing as the population continues to increase in Texas.

A lot of people are moving in from all over the nation. But we are enjoying a beautiful spring as usual. The title today, Pillars and Anchors of Life. Pillars and Anchors of Life and then the subtitle is, It's All About the Family. What should be clearly ringing in our ears from the Word of God as we face the critical, crucial issues that are shaking the very foundations of civilization? According to the Apostle Paul, the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth.

So if you are following along in your Bible, 1 Timothy 3 and verse 15, where Paul writes, But if I tarry long that you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

A pillar holds things up, holds things in place. The ground is the stay or foundation upon which a structure is built. In short, apart from pillars and ground, the Church will not stand. Are you a pillar? Are you grounded in the present truth and willing and striving to grow in grace and knowledge with your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, ready to take this word to the ends of the earth? Let's note what the Apostle Paul writes in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 1.

Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 1. Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. If we lose sight of our reason for being, we are doomed. So do we have a perfectly teachable heart? Are we searching the scriptures diligently and daily whether these things be true? We are individually standing before the judgment seat of God and Christ on a daily basis.

You and I are personally accountable to God and Christ. No one else can stand before God and Christ for you or I. We're each one accountable. So we must be searching the scriptures daily and realizing that we are personally accountable to God for where we stand. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 14 and verse 11. Romans 14 and verse 11. Romans 14 and verse 11. For it is written as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. The church, and by the church I mean each member of the body of Christ, each member of the body of Christ, the church that called out ones according to the Apostle Peter, each person was purchased by the blood of Christ.

Let's turn there and read that in 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 15. But as he which has called you is holy, of course John 6 44 says, no man can come to me except the Father draw him and I will raise him up the last day. But as he which called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conduct, because that is written be you holy for I am holy.

And if we call upon the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here on earth. For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, you were not redeemed. I was not redeemed by corruptible things from your vain conversation or conduct received from the tradition of your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained. That word foreordained in the Greek is prokonosko. It means to know beforehand, to know beforehand.

As we shall see, the plan of salvation is very old. Who verily was foreordained, who was known beforehand, before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest to you in these last times, who by him do believe in God, that raised him from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. So therefore, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 20, For you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's, with the very price of the life of Jesus Christ. So we see clearly from the word of God that the church does not belong to us. It belongs to God in Christ. God gave his life the life of his Son, and the Son gave his life. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend, and Jesus Christ gave his life. We've been made overseers of the church of God, the church purchased by the blood of Christ. Let's turn to Acts chapter 20 now.

In Acts chapter 20 and beginning in verse 25, here's an account. Paul had spent quite a lot of time with the Ephesian church, and he's now ready to depart Ephesus, and he gives his emotionally charged plea to the people there before he departs. So Acts 20 verse 25, Paul writes, to feed the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. So we see clearly that the church belongs to God in Christ. A great price has been paid for the church, and we're privileged to be called out to be members of that body of the church of God at this critical crucial time in human history. Now if you would turn to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 1. In 2 Timothy chapter 2, Paul writing to the young evangelist Timothy. And Timothy, of course, I don't know if I should say of course, but Timothy is somewhat like his name at times, Timothy. And Paul is exhorting him, You therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, grace the divine favor.

And the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit, the same commit you to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Now this word that is translated commit in the Greek is paratithum e. Paratithum e means to place in trust.

I would call it to place in sacred trust because what has been committed to us is holy and it is the sacred. So God has committed, he's placed in sacred trust, the pearl of great price, in our trust, the purpose and plan of God. We are to preach it, teach it, live it, and defend it with our very lives. Have you ever wondered how God views you?

I gave a sermon one time on how does God view me? Have you ever just sat down and thought about, well, how does God really view me? Well, our view of God, of course, depends on how much we study and understand to a large degree, but on the other hand, what about God's view of us? In one of the places where in Scripture you see how God views us, it depends on our response to Him and His Word. So if you want to turn there, it's Isaiah 66 in verse 1.

To whom will God look? Thus says the Eternal, the heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For all these things that my handmaid and all these things of being says the Eternal, but to this man will I look.

To this man, to this woman will I look, even to him or her that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at my word. Do we tremble at God's word? Each one of us needs to ask himself or herself, do I have a contrite heart and do I tremble at the word of God?

An anchor and or a pillar, in this case I'm using the analogy of an anchor. An anchor holds the position a vessel is gained and helps it to remain steady amid the winds and waves that keeps it from the treacherous shoreline or the rocks or those things that might cause the ship to sink or crash. And we should understand that the age-old question of what is truth, are we anchored in that truth? Of what is truth is still at the core of human thought. People want to know what is truth. They've asked that question through the ages. Of course, we have the answer from Scripture itself, John 17, 17, that each one could quote, sanctify them through your word. Your word is truth.

The quest of truth centers on the great moral and spiritual issues of life. That truth centers on, does God exist? And of course, we're seeing more and more a godless society and world and more and more secularization of society. Does God exist? Who is God? What is God? What is His purpose? And the corollary to that is, who is man? What is man? What is His purpose? I think we're going to see, once again, anchors and pillars of life. It's all about the family.

Humankind can either choose to try to answer these questions through human reasoning or look to the word of God and to revelation for the answers. There have been four great systems that have attempted to answer the great questions of life. One system is false religion. And of course, false religion, false teaching, came on the scene in Genesis chapter 3. Of course, the devil had already been at work and introduced sin into the universe when he led one-third of the angels in rebellion. How long before that? Probably a long, long time. But we know about Satan's temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. So false religion, the methodology is deceit and also playing on the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of light. And the goal, of course, the end result is death. Philosophy. Philosophy claims to answer the great questions of life. The methodology is human reasoning. And the result supposedly is supposed to be enlightenment, but actually it asks more questions than it answers. And there's really more darkness in this path than there is light. Science now is, in essence, the god of the world in this day and age, so-called. The methodology is a scientific method. But science only deals with empirical knowledge, that is, knowledge of the five senses. And their goal is to predict and control.

Can science predict and control? They claim that they can. And, of course, there have been some wonderful advancements through science. The fourth method, of course, of receiving knowledge is revelation. And revelation comes from God. And we know the Scripture well in 1 Corinthians 2, that no man knows the things of God except through revelation. So there are four basic ways of gaining knowledge. The truth of God, of course, the truth of God is through revelation, through the Word of God. There's empirical knowledge, or sense knowledge, that we've mentioned. There's experiential knowledge, or knowledge that is gained through experience, which gives the test first and the lesson afterward. Too bad that humankind has to continually repeat the errors of the past. And then human reasoning, as I say, putting two and two together. Of course, our lives are built to a large degree after we're called on revelation.

From the Garden of Eden to the present time, God has implored humanity to look for him to the revealed answers to the great questions of life. And from the Garden of Eden to the present day, humanity, under the influence of Satan, continues to reject God's truth. So we can ask ourselves, am I fully dedicated to the commission Christ gave the Church at this critical, crucial period of human history? We know that commission well. Go you into all the world, disciple all nations, or make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. The religious leaders of the world have tried just about every strategy known to man to try to entice people to join their church. About everything from drive-in theaters to the crystal cathedral or whatever it might be to try to entice people all kinds of giveaways and whatever you want to name. Millions, even billions of dollars have been spent in various programs in an effort to get people to accept their version of God's revelation of what is right and wrong and how can man attain unto eternal life. Virtually every approach is failed, and the mainline denominations are closing their doors as the world becomes more secularized. The attendance of the mainline denominations fallen dramatically over the past several years, and some of the mega churches are doing well, but not the mainline denominations. When all is said and done, there are two convicting agents, which I repeated over and over again, dozens, even scores, probably hundreds of times in recent years, and that is the Spirit and the Word of God. I'm reading now John 16 and verse 7, reading John 16, 7 through 8. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth that is expedient for you that I go away, Jesus Christ speaking. For if I go not away, the comforter is masculine in the Greek. In John 14, 26, it says, the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the paracletos, will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send it unto you, as we say, it unto you. When it is come, it will elencho the world of sin. The Greek word elencho means to convict, to lay a weight upon a person's mind upon their heart, to prick them to the very core of their being. It will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.

So the Holy Spirit, then, in concert with the Word of God, makes the Holy Spirit, in concert with the Word of God, convicts us of sin. So let's note now Romans 14. It's Romans 10.

Myself and my wife get aggravated at me with my dyslexic speaking, but it's Romans 10 in verse 14. How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in him, whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher? So one of the main reasons that the church was raised up and the commission given was to preach the Word. How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent as it is written?

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.

But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah said, Lord, who hath believed our report.

And then it says, so then faith comes by hearing. The Word has to be preached in some way.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And we need to settle in our minds and hearts once and for all. Are we the true church of God, or are we just another religious organization struggling to get people to join up with us? Are we boldly proclaiming the truth of God and challenging people the very depth of their being? That's what we want to do. That's what the president wants to do. That's what everybody that is connected with the propagation of the gospel and feeding the flock desires to do. And we are all committed to that.

So I would like to review to some degree what is the great truth that has been hidden through the ages, but of course began to be really made manifest when Jesus Christ came on the scene.

The great truth focuses on the plan and purpose of God and the Word even before the foundation of the world. Even before the foundation of the world, this plan and purpose was being worked out with God the Father in the Word of God. So let's go to 2 Timothy chapter 1 and look at how old this plan of salvation is with regard to God. The one is called the Word. The Word was made flesh, dwelt among us.

In 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 8. 2 Timothy 1 verse 8.

Be not you therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner.

Of course, this is one of the prison epistles. But be you partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us within holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, divine favor, even the plan of salvation. God, as we'll get into in a few minutes, this plan and purpose of God is of divine grace and favor. God and Christ wanted to share who they are and what they are with and among a family.

According to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, and that word world in the Greek is chronos, from which we get chronology, and it means time, before time began. So what is God's great purpose and plan? Well, it's all about the family. The prophet and King David asked this question about the purpose and plan of God, some 3,000 years ago, when he wrote Psalm 8. The great question is posed in Psalm 8 and verse 4, one of the greatest questions of the ages. And here I'm reading Psalm 8 and verse 4.

What is man that you're mindful of him and the Son of man that you visit him? What is life all about?

The apostle Paul then explains Psalm 8 in Hebrews 2. If you want to turn to Hebrews 2.

The apostle Paul explains Psalm 8 and provides the ultimate answer to David's question of what is man and why are you concerned with him?

In Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 10, we're going to see that the ultimate goal of God's great plan is to bring sons and daughters to glory in the family of God, the kingdom of God. So in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 10, for it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons unto glory.

In 1 Corinthians 6 it talks about daughters as well and bringing many sons unto glory. Well, when my wife and I got married, I had one female to take care of, then we had two daughters, and then the two daughters had three daughters.

I thought we'd never have an offspring that was a male. Finally, we had a grandson, a male.

At one time, I was keeping five women on the road in cars, which was quite the job.

The ultimate goal of God's great plan is to bring sons and daughters to glory in the family of God, the kingdom of God. So Hebrews 2 and verse 10, for it became him for whom all things and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons unto glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings for both he that sanctifies and they that are sanctified are all of one.

There is one spirit essence. The same spirit is in God, that is in Christ, that is in us, the Holy Spirit.

They are all sanctified. They're all of one for which cause? He is not ashamed to call them brethren. He calls them brethren because we are in that family. This great plan and purpose of God and the word has many components that are all necessary in bringing sons and daughters to glory in the family of God. The sheer genius and awesomeness of this plan defies human intelligence and creativity and to really grasp it and to explain it in a logical sequence sometimes is quite a challenge, but if we understand the family structure, it will answer many of the questions concerning the nature of God. To a large degree, it's all about the family and being anchored in the truth of God. God is the author of marriage and family. Let's briefly look at that.

In Genesis 2 verse 23, we know the story well that there was no help made for Adam.

So God took a rib from Adam and Eve, the mother of all living, was created.

In Genesis 2, 23, and 24, Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh.

She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. I had already given a commandment there in the last part, verse 2, of chapter 1, saying, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. That's the best-ovated commandment ever.

Next to thou shalt not eat pork. But that was quite the thing, this great plan, beginning with the family.

So at some point in eternity, God the Father and God the Word agreed that they would share their love in a family setting by bringing sons and daughters to glory through a begettle and birth process that will result in sons and daughters being born into the family of God. Emphasis on born into the family of God. We know the story of Adam and Eve so very well. We've heard it so many times. They decided to choose for themselves a knowledge of good and evil.

As a result, they sinned and were cut off from the tree of life. In short, they sinned, brought the death penalty on their head. You remember Romans 6.23 says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Thus the only way they could be redeemed, that is Adam and Eve, and for that matter you and I from sin and death, was for the Word, the only begotten Son of God, to die and become the Redeemer for every person who has ever lived or ever will live.

God and the Word knew that Adam and Eve would sin and need a Redeemer before time began. We read that from 2 Timothy 1 and verse 9. Revelation 13.8 says that Jesus Christ was slain from the foundation of the world. We read from already 1 Peter 1 and verse 20 how that we were purchased by the blood of Christ, also from Acts chapter 20.

The only Redeemer who would be counted worthy of being the Redeemer that would buy them back from sin and death would be a God being, the very God being, one who had existed in eternity.

So the Word agreed to be born of flesh, giving up his glorified state to die for the sins of the world. Let's notice now Philippians. Philippians is one of the great places to turn to with regard to this of what Jesus Christ, who was the Word, gave up to be born of flesh and come into the world.

In Philippians 2 and verse 5. Philippians 2 and verse 5.

Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus. What kind of mind was it?

Philippians, to a large degree, is a book about humility.

Where Paul once again, this is a prison epistle, was in prison.

Who being in the form of God, Morphe, say being, in this word being here, means aparto, and it has to do with existing.

Aparto being in the form of God.

In fact, you can look in Strong's one place it says to be. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery, are pagmos, a thing to be seized, I think the King James translation is not good there, a thing to be seized, to be equal, Isis with God, but made himself of no reputation.

And the word reputation, kinao, means to empty, to lay aside, made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the stake. It is defies our ability to comprehend, at least it does mine, what this being, who existed in eternity, the word did in giving up his glory and emptying himself, and taking on the form of man, to die for the sins of the world.

Wherefore, God has also highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So, it should be clear from Scripture that it was absolutely essential that both God the Father and the Son fulfill their roles exactly as they did in order for this plan to be successful.

Clearly, the family structure calls for a father, it calls for a mother and children, sons and daughters. So, let's notice what the biblical structure is.

You'll notice in 1 Corinthians 11, it states very clearly that structure.

In 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 3, I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. So, going back to do it in hierarchical structure will be God, Christ, man, woman in the family structure. Now, in the plan of God, in the plan of God, the Father serves in the role of father and mother in the sense that He calls us, He begets us, and He brings us to birth. So, let's notice that. Let's fill in the pieces here. Go to 1, go to James chapter 1. James chapter 1 and verse 17. This plan is so awesome, it is so wonderful.

It is, it just defies our ability to fully wrap our minds around it at times and to fully describe it and comprehend it. In James chapter 1 verse 17, every good gift, every perfect gift, is from above and comes down from the Father of lights with whom is no bearableness, neither shadow of turning, of His own will, beget He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creation. And as we shall see later, the Father brings us to birth. As we shall see later, the Father brings us to birth. The plan and purpose of God and the Word centers on the greatest quality of their nature and being, that is, God is love. Of course, we know that the Apostle John, the Apostle of love, in 1 John 4, 8, 1 John 4, 16 says, God is love. That is His state of being. It is the state of being of Jesus Christ.

We're hard-pressed to comprehend the love of God the Father and God the Word have shown in planning, initiating the plan, and their continued outpouring of grace and love to bring the plan to fruition.

To read it, it is easy to read, but to really meditate on it, to look at it, and to really digest it is a mind-boggling thing.

The outpouring of love to bring the plan to salvation. John 3 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but to have everlasting life.

So God, the Father, gave His Son. Now notice what the Son did and why He did it. And why He did it. This is Hebrews 12, the first two verses.

Hebrews 12 1, Wherefore, seeing we also are accomplished about, was so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which us who easily beset us, and let us run with patience and race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy, the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross. What was that joy? The joy that was set before Him? The joy to see you and I in the kingdom of God. He kept the big picture of what it was all about, burning brightly in His mind. It's all about the family. I know if I do that.

I'm not ashamed to call them brethren.

We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. For the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. One of the great qualities of love is that it must be shared by outgoing concern for others. What was the greatest way that God and the Word could share their love? God's and Christ's focus has been and is on bringing the family of God to glory from the creation of Adam and Eve to the present day. Humans were created to become begotten and born sons and daughters of God. It's all about the family.

We are anchored in that truth. God and Christ deeply desire to share their being in a family setting with you and I. God and the Word are co-eternal. They have existed in eternity.

Eternity has no beginning and eternity has no end. They have existed in eternity, so they are co-eternal. They are co-essential, which is what the theologian would say. That means they are of the same essence.

John 4.24 says that God is spirit and they are uncreated.

Now let's look at Hebrews 7. Does the Bible confirm what I just said?

In Hebrews 7, we'll see here that no family relationship existed in the Godhead until Jesus was begotten in the womb of Mary. Hebrews 7 verse 1, For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem, which is king of peace, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God abides a priest continually, existing in eternity, the one who became the father and the one who became the son.

Back in 94-95 when the doctrinal wars were being were raging in Pasadena, Mr. Kubik and I were on the doctrinal committee.

I know he remembers some of those discussions.

They claimed that we could not be on the God plane since we were created beings.

I then wrote a rebuttal showing what I'm showing here today from Scripture that upon begettle and birth, and birth is equated with resurrection, we are of the eternal essence of God because we are begotten of that eternal spirit, the very essence of God.

So this understanding is critical. It may be a life and death matter for all of us.

So in resurrection, which is spiritual birth, we will be of the same essence as God, born spirit beings, not considered created beings.

Now look at John 1.

In John 1, in the Bible, there's reference to the sons of God in two senses. One sense is, and perhaps we could even say three, one sense is created beings. Adam and Eve were created. Then after that, we were born of blood and water.

But then there is another birth that is described right here.

So in John 1, verse 12, But as many as received him to them gave he power to become, as many as received him, Christ, faith in the sacrifice of Christ for their mission of sins that are past, for as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God.

To become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, born of God.

When the apostle Peter preached the sermon that was so great there when the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost, all they had were the scrolls of the Old Testament.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3.15, And from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, that was the Old Testament, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. The process of this plan called for a perfect harmonious relationship between God, the Father, and the Word. Each one would have to perfectly fulfill his role in order for the process to be successful. In order for sinful humanity to be begotten by God the Father, each one had to be viewed as sinless. The apostle Paul calls this process being reconciled to God. Let's notice this now in Romans chapter 5.

This wonderful plan of salvation planned out before the foundation of the world. How in the world could spirit be joined to flesh? Well, the flesh would have to be viewed as sinless because the wages of sin is death. And so we read this here in Romans 5 and verse 6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet for adventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us. And while that we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The religious world has embraced a reductionist view of the plan of salvation by saying that Jesus did it all. Accept Jesus as your personal Savior. You will go to heaven when you die.

They don't remotely understand the great plan and purpose of God that we are discussing here this afternoon, what God has prepared for those who love him.

And one can readily see that Satan the devil hates God's great plan and purpose, and he has blinded the hearts of men and women of the world, except those that God has called into his marvelous light. That calling is so precious for all of us.

In summary, Jesus is the firstborn from the dead and the firstborn of many brethren. Look at Romans 8-29. We're here in Romans. Just turn forward a few pages there to Romans 8-29. For whom he did foreknew, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Resurrection is equated with birth.

Now look at Acts 13. Perhaps you don't go to Acts 13 very often with regard to this topic with regard to resurrection being equated with birth.

In Psalm 2 and verse 7, it says, This day have I begotten you. That's a prophecy, and we'll see it right here, that Paul quotes it. The word begotten you in Hebrew is or begotten is yalad, y-a-l-a-d, and it's the equivalent of gonalo in the Greek. When use of the mother it means to bring forth. When use of the father it means to engender or begat.

In Acts 13 verse 29, And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, speaking of Jesus, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead.

And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God has so fulfilled the same unto his children, in that he has raised up Jesus again as it is written in the second Psalm.

You art my son, this day have I begotten you, this day have I ganao you, this day have I brought you forth, this day you are born into the family of God. As it says in Revelation 1.5, he is the firstborn from the dead.

And concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption.

He said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

This process of birth and magetal would be in contrast to all other created beings, including the angelic realm, like it says in Hebrews 1.5, for unto which the angel said he at any time sent you on my right hand.

Then he talks about angels, the definition of the purpose of angels, Hebrews 1.13, are they not ministering servants sent to the heirs of salvation?

Well, that's Hebrews 1.14.

So we are heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ.

Let's read that scripture. It is so important. It is so important to understand. Romans 8.17.

I've already quoted it or paraphrased it once. Romans 8 and verse 17. For if children then heirs, heirs of God, heirs of God, we inherit something that he is. We are on the God plane. And if children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, he's not ashamed to call them brethren. If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. We are going through the same begettle and birth process that Jesus went through. He was begotten, he died, and he was raised. Now look at verse 11. Back a few verses. Romans 8.11. Every person in the Church of God should be familiar, be able to at least paraphrase this scripture in Romans 8 and verse 11. For if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you. In Hebrews 12, if you would turn there, in Hebrews 12, we'll see in Hebrews 12 that Zion symbolizes the Church. What is the book of Hebrews about? The book of Hebrews compares and contrasts elements of the Old Covenant with elements of the New Covenant, the superiority of the New Covenant. In Hebrews 12, verses 18-19, Paul is talking about what was spoken from Mount Sinai, and then he comes to a contrast of Mount Zion. In Hebrews 12, verse 20, For they could not endure that which was commanded, those listening there at Sinai.

And if so much as a beast touched the mountain, it should be stoned or thrust through with a dart. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceeding fear and quake, but you are come unto Mount Zion. Now there is a Mount Zion, a geographical place in the environs of Jerusalem, but in the symbolic sense, you are come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men, married perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaks better things than that of Abel. So now go to Psalm 87. We'll be closing here in just a moment with glorious things of thee are spoken. In Psalm 87, we see something about Zion of this and that man was born in her.

When I hear glorious things of thee are spoken, it's like the hair on the nape of my neck stands up and realizing the import of what this psalm is saying, and in view of what we have said of Begettle and birth, that we are, of course, going to be resurrected and be born in the family of God. Jesus Christ has gone through that process. He is the firstborn from the dead, and as in Romans 1 declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead. In Psalm 87, his foundation is in the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. You've come to Mount Zion, a numeral company of angels, to the general assembly of the church of the firstborn. Glorious things of thee are spoken, O City of God.

I will make mention of rehab and Babylon to them that know me. Behold, Philistine and Tyre, with Ethiopia, this man was born there where in Zion.

At one time my wife and I were able to go to Jerusalem. We stood on the Temple Mount. We looked over to the Mount of Olives, and we saw these little white specks.

We asked the guide who was an Arab, what are those little white specks? He said, those are Jewish tombstones. The Jews want to be born on Mount Zion because they think they could get a head start on the resurrection because of some of the scriptures. But see, the saints have died all over the world. Some have been cremated, some have been buried, some have drowned at sea, and wherever they may be, yet in spiritual sense they are in Zion. You have come to Zion, the general assembly and church of the firstborn, written in heaven. Verse 5, And it shall be said, This and that man was born in her, and the highest himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count when he writes up his people, that this man was born there. Where? In Zion. As well as the singers, as the players on instruments, shall be there.

All my springs, which symbolizes the Holy Spirit, all my springs are in you.

So, brethren, I hope you are anchored in the present truth. I hope that you understand all about the family because to a large degree that is what it's all about. And that as we go forth, that we can sharpen each other as Mr. Cubic brought out in his wonderful sermon there about iron sharpening iron. And we have that opportunity to continue to grow in grace and knowledge. But let's never forget where we're anchored. We are anchored in the Word of God.