Come
to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light.
If
with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live
as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, ‘Do
not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’?
When we believe in Jesus God accepts us as his children; we become
citizens of his kingdom. There is no earthly institution to which we must
belong or rituals we must perform. Jesus’ mission on earth was to preach the
kingdom of God. On trial before Pilate, he stated that his kingdom was not of
this earth.
·
Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – “poor” in this
context means acknowledging utter dependence on God. “…by grace you have been
saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not
the result of works.”
·
…strive
first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness – “strive” suggests – a
priority and ongoing pursuit of God's kingdom and his righteousness. “…not having a righteousness of my
own that comes from regulation, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the
righteousness from God based on faith.”
·
Not
everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord", will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. “If you continue
in my word, you are truly my disciples.”
·
…the
kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding
one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Do
not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.”
·
…unless
you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven. “Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it
you may grow into salvation.”
·
I
tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. “Every
generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down
from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to
change.”
Long
ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the
prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He
is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and
he sustains all things by his powerful word.
The author of Hebrews began by
establishing Jesus as the spokesperson of God. Jesus of Nazareth was “the exact imprint” meaning he
carried God’s essential nature. John referred to Jesus as the logos which
means word – the word of God, the word of Christ, the word of truth, the word
of life. Logos means a spoken or written message, but Jesus’ life was the
living message. We are to follow Jesus’ teachings and examples. The scriptures
provide life examples and principles; they do not legislate religious practices
for believers after the end of the Jewish age. We must pattern our lives on the
life and teachings of Jesus.
“Religion
that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans
and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
The mindset of the followers of Jesus seen in the
scriptures:
After Pentecost the characteristics of joy, peace, and
assurance in believers is evident from the scriptures. Those were not passing
emotions, but deeply embedded qualities rooted in in faith. Those
characteristics provided strength even when suffering persecution. Joy, peace,
and assurance were not dependent on circumstances but came from the conviction
that Jesus was the Son of God and salvation was in his name.
·
the
kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit.
·
May
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may
abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
·
the
grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for
during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme
poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
·
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we
live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become
conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.
·
in spite of persecution, you received the word
with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all
the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
·
whenever you face trials of any kind, consider
it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith
produces endurance
·
in me you may have peace. In the world you face
persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world.
·
since we are justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
·
the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
·
Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say,
Rejoice.
·
Rejoice always, pray without
ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus for you.
·
you
believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
Unity of believers:
Unity of believers was a central
theme in Jesus' teaching as well as in the writings of the apostles. It was not
only a social or ethical requirement but a spiritual necessity. Unity is an
expression of God's nature, and the relationship between Jesus and God.
The New Testament presents unity of believers a necessary component of the kingdom.
Jesus required his disciples to
avoid religious hypocrisy saying “you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher. And call
no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in
heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor,
the Messiah.” People have different abilities but in the family of God we are
all his children.
·
…those who will believe in me … may all be one.
As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the
world may believe that you have sent me
·
All who believed were together and had all
things in common
·
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that
there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the
same mind and the same purpose.
·
Let each of you look not to your own interests,
but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in
Christ Jesus,
·
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which
binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Church:
First, we must understand the
Greek word ἐκκλησία translated “Church”:
The strictly literal definition of
ἐκκλησία can apply to any organized group of people
gathered for a common purpose, especially if summoned, whether civic, military,
ideological, or religious. Eκκλησία does not inherently connote goodness,
truth, religion, or even legitimacy — it is a neutral term for a gathered
collective, not a judgment on the nature of that group.
The word ἐκκλησία applies to
groups like the Israeli army, the Islamic State, the Chinese parliament, the
Catholic or other religious institutions, the Russian army, and the Rotary
Club. By extension then the designation Church also applies to these same
groups.
The first time ἐκκλησία is used
in the LXX is in Deuteronomy 9:10 to translate the Hebrew word qâhâl. Moses recounting
the giving of the ten commandments referred to “the day of the (ἐκκλησία)
assembly.” From prophesy Jews looked forward to the Messianic kingdom. Matthew recorded Jesus saying that he would build his
ἐκκλησία, which was a direct reference to the
eternal kingdom. Jesus was not speaking of an earthly institution as seen from
what followed – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Using
the word ἐκκλησία Matthew looked back to prophecy, he looked back to the gathering of
Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai. Matthew used ἐκκλησία in the
same framework as found in Hebrews – “you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to
the ἐκκλησία of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge
of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus,
the mediator of a new covenant…”
Had Jesus
been speaking of an earthly institution he could have made it clear by using
the term (συναγωγή) synagogue. James addressing gatherings of believers used
synagogue “if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly
synagogue (συναγωγή).” The early believers met in the temple area and were
considered a sect of Judaism. Until Cornelius no Gentiles were included in the
body of believers. The destruction of the temple ended the kingdom of Israel,
the first covenant and the Law of Moses.
Moses was instructed to tell the Israelites:
Now
therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured
possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but
you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.
Peter wrote:
But
you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in
order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of
darkness into his marvelous light.
The first assembly was earthly
governed by law; the second assembly is spiritual governed by grace.
Neither the word Church nor any
likeness of the modern church is found in scripture. It is wrong to equate the
Messianic kingdom or spiritual assembly with church. From its start the Church has
been antithetical to the kingdom taught by Jesus. The kingdom Jesus spoke of
was different to the kingdom of Israel. Jesus began his ministry by contrasting
the old ways with his way.
·
I
have come not to abolish but to fulfil.
·
unless
your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven.
·
You
have heard that it was said - you shall not murder, I say to you…
·
You
have heard that it was said – You shall not commit adultery, but I say to you…
·
It
was also said – Whoever divorces his wife, but I say to you…
·
you
have heard that it was said – You shall not swear falsely, but I say to you…
·
You
have heard that it was said – An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I
say to you…
·
You
have heard that it was said – You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy,
but I say to you.
Jesus taught life principles not
church doctrine. He said, “let
your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father in heaven,” not go to church. Jesus used everyday
situations to describe the kingdom of God. He portrayed positive human
attributes as requirements of his kingdom not religious practices. Jesus told
the Pharisees that the kingdom of God had no physical manifestation, but it is
inside you. Christianity is not a religion it is way of life. Enoch walked with God; then he was
no more, because God took him. God looked on Noah
as favourable because he was righteous not religious. Job was pleasing because
he was blameless and
upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. Abraham believed
God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. The author of Hebrews
catalogued people who lived by faith.
Church
is a human organization.
·
Church
requires people to come to it. Jesus said we must love God, and love our
neighbour.
· Church
requires membership and conformity with its doctrines. Discipleship requires we
follow the teaching of Jesus.
· Church
develops programs to convert people. Jesus said “let your light shine before
others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in
heaven.”
·
Church
is tied to its building. The Christian life is free from material hindrances.
·
Church
has a hierarchy of leaders. Disciples have one master - Christ.
·
Church
is a human institution. The kingdom of God is spiritual.
·
Church
is religion. Christianity is a relationship.
