And I turn to Ephesians chapter
1 again. Ephesians chapter 1. Before I
read, let me say this. We have seen thus
far in this series of messages that I've been preaching for
the past couple months. We have seen the rock of the
church. Jesus Christ is the rock of the
church. Even though, or though it be
that in Matthew chapter 16, our Lord Jesus Christ does not talk
about the rock of the church. He's speaking to Peter. But Christ
is the rock of the church. Secondly, we looked at this.
The church belongs to Christ. He said, I will build my church. Thirdly, we looked at the primary
purpose of the church. And though it is not directly
mentioned in the text, it is indicated in Peter's confession,
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. That's in
conjunction with who do men say that I am? They say all kinds
of things. But Peter, being enabled by God
Almighty, said thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And
then for the past few weeks, we've been looking at the church's
organization, and in particular, Number four, that's the church's
organization. We've been looking at the order,
the arrangement, and the structure of God's eternal purpose in the
salvation of a people. It is in light of this eternal
purpose that Paul says in Ephesians, goes on to say, and let's read
now, in Ephesians chapter one, verse 15, wherefore, you see
that? because of all that I've just
written to you. Wherefore, I also, after I heard
of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints,
cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in
my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being
enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling,
and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the
saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward
who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come, and hath put all things under His
feet, and gave Him, that is Christ, gave Him to be head over all
things to the church, which is His body. So we see, well I'm
sorry, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. So we see
the connection here to the church. In all that Paul said, in all
of this order, in all of this arrangement, here at least as
we have in chapter 1, he sums it up in this way. I pray for
you, the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that
filleth all in all. Now, I am going to go at this
from a certain angle this morning. And while we certainly here have
a small group this morning, I don't think there's anyone here that
would be disturbed in the angle that I will take, but I know
there are those who have been disturbed by this angle I will
take. And there are those, because
as Joe said, they hate the light, neither come they to the light,
lest their deeds should be reproved. It should be clear that Pseudo-Christianity
has no regard, yea even further than that, even a disdain for
the eternal purpose of God in Christ. And I will give you,
now somebody said, why do you have to go at it from that angle?
Why didn't you just give it to us simply as Paul states it? One, because I want to go at
it at this angle. And two, because I'm given command,
at times we must go at it from this angle. There are two reasons
why I made that statement. That it should be clear that
pseudo-Christianity has no regard, yea even a disdain, for the eternal
purpose of God in Christ. And I will give you two reasons,
or two evidences, that show this. Number one, Pseudo Christianity
and that's false Christianity and there is a false Christianity.
I'm not here to argue about that this morning It exists Number
one upon hearing about anyone's faith in Christ and love unto
all saints or I'll put it in a more modern-day phrase upon
hearing about anyone's profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
and Pseudo-christianity finds themselves under the horse leech
syndrome You know what the horse leech syndrome is? Proverbs chapter
30 and verse 15 Solomon says the horse leech has two sisters
or two daughters I'm sorry the horse leech has two daughters
and those two daughters cry what give give And as Earl said, what
that's talking about is this. The horse leech says more, more. They're never satisfied with
God Almighty's eternal purpose. Let me explain. Even upon hearing
about someone's professed faith in Christ and love for the saints,
they cry out, we need to pray for all without exception. even
when Jesus Christ refused to in John chapter 17. Rather than
breaking forth in praise, wherefore, I also, after I heard of your
faith, I give thanks to God. They're not satisfied with what
they see manifest even before them as faith and love. They cry, pray for all without
exception. when even, according to the word
clearly spelled out, even the eternal purpose of God does not
declare that God is going to save everyone. Pseudo-Christianity
is not satisfied. It's like the horse leech, suck,
suck, suck, suck, and never satisfied, especially, especially with God's
eternal purpose. That's number one. That's why
I say that pseudo-Christianity has not only no regard, but even
a disdain for the eternal purpose of God in Christ. Secondly, upon
hearing about anyone's faith in Christ and love unto all the
saints, pseudo-Christianity, they do not pray as Paul prayed. Look at how Paul prayed. Here
are three things, that believers may know what is the hope, that
is the earnest expectation of His calling. I'm not going to
deal with these things in particular this morning because I want to
get to this subject. And my subject is this, Christ's
church which is His body. But to get to that, we must see
the background. One, the background is what?
The eternal purpose of God and its order and its arrangement,
right? But they never cry. Pseudo-Christianity
never prays as Paul prayed that believers may know what is the
hope of his calling. You can almost tell if a person
knows the truth of God or not when they talk about calling
or use the word calling, they never use it in respect to salvation. They always use it in respect
to calling into some particular ministry, maybe a pastor being
called, or a missionary being called, or an evangelist being
called, or some kind of special ministry, but they rarely ever,
probably never, in most cases, use the word calling in respect
to salvation. Yet that is the majority use
of the word calling in Scripture. And Paul says, when I heard about
your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love to all saints,
I ceased not to thank the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
He may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the
knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding be enlightened.
For what reason? That you may know what is the
hope of His calling. Secondly, that Paul prayed this
way, that believers may know the riches of the glory of God's
inheritance in the saints. False religion concentrates only
on men's inheritance in God. They never talk about God's inheritance
in the saints. Thirdly, they do not pray, as
the Apostle Paul prayed, that believers may know the exceeding
greatness of God's power. They talk about God being all
powerful and then say God won'ts. That's a contradiction in terms.
God won'ts. I mentioned this to someone just
this past week. I said this world has the won't-est
God I ever heard of in my life. Because he just come to me and
said God won'ts. And after I began to define to him who God really
was, I asked him what do you think about that? He said that
makes me uncomfortable. He was more honest than some
folks are. That makes me uncomfortable.
No, Paul is praying that these believers here would what? That
they may know the exceeding greatness of God's power to the believer. In five ways. Look at it. The
very power it took for us to believe. Verse 19. And what is
the exceeding greatness of His power? to usward who believe
according to the working of His mighty power. Secondly, the exceeding
greatness of God's powers manifests this way. It is resurrection
power, verse 20, first part, which He wrought, that is this
exceeding greatness of His power, which He wrought in Christ when
He raised Him from the dead. It took that kind of resurrection
power for us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is no
work of man's will or man's worth. It has nothing to do with human
ability and human substantiation. It has to do with the powerful
eternal purpose of God in Christ, even resurrection power. Thirdly,
this power, this exceeding, the exceeding greatness. Why would
we even have to say it that way? Because we're so dull, we have
to be told it in that way. That's why. The exceeding greatness
of His power is one, it is exaltation power. Look at it. The last part
of verse 20 and verse 21, and what is the exceeding greatness
of His power to us who believe? according to the working of His
mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him
from the dead, and here it is, look, and set Him, set, S-E-T,
and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies, we could
say. A man now sits Having been set
there by God the Father, a man now sits at the right hand of
God Almighty. Look, far above, not just above. It's not just above, though above
it is. But Paul says it is far above
all principality and power and might and dominion and every
name that is named. So we know Paul's not just repeating
himself. He's naming Mason all of these various aspects of the
reality of that which we see around us. Everything far above
all principality and power and might and dominion and every
name that is named not only in this world but also in that which
is to come. In other words, Jesus Christ
has been exalted above and far above everything. Everything. Number four, concerning
the exceeding greatness of His power. It is the power to subjugate. You hear what I said? It is the
power to subjugate, verse 22, and have put all things under
His feet. You see that? That's not talking
simply about direction. That's talking about Jesus Christ
being the conqueror over everything. And have put all things under
His feet and gave Him to be what? Head! Over all! to the church, which
is His body, the fullness of Him, which is an amazing statement. And I'm not even going to deal
with that this morning. The church is the fullness of Him that filleth
all in all. Do you see that? What a glorious
statement. Now, we've come full circle,
haven't we? See, if someone says, well, Walter
was talking about the church, then he went to Ephesians 1.
What warrant did he have to do so? Scripture itself. Ephesians
chapter 1. All of this order has brought
us thus far to this. What? And put all things under
Christ's feet and gave Christ to be head over all things to
the church which is Christ's body, the fullness of Christ
that filleth all in all." So now, we see the second reason
that I say that pseudo-Christianity has not only no regard but a
disdain for the eternal purpose of God in Christ. Pseudo-Christianity
is not satisfied with this God. They think once a person's saved,
they know everything about God, they need to know. He's up in
heaven. He sent Jesus. Jesus died for our sins, buried,
rose again, went back to heaven and saw it. You know all there
is to know about God. And Paul says that ye may what? That the God, verse 17, the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto
you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in what? In the knowledge,
first of all, not even of yourself. He goes on to that in chapter
2. But in the knowledge of Him. Knowing who God is. And all of
these various things concerning what? His calling, His inheritance,
His exceeding greatness. Oh, what a glory. What pseudo-Christianity
does is they imagine or invent their own God. Yes, sir. That's
right. Now, I say that for a reason.
I say that because Paul said, and gave Him to be head over
all to the church which is His body. I don't mean to throw you a curveball,
but there is a church which is not his body. There are countless thousands
of people that have been called into false religion, maybe even
some so-called Christian profession, but that does not mean that they
are his body. The church that Christ is talking
about in Matthew 16. The church that Paul is talking
about in Ephesians chapter 1 is the church which is his body. You know, men want to argue with
the Catholics. The Pope's not the head of the
church. He is the head of his church. But he's not the head
of Christ's church. Christ is the head of His church,
which is His body. Although we read in Scripture
of church and churches, and this is important, although we read
in Scripture of church and churches, we never, we never read of body
and bodies. in speaking of the same people
for the same thing. Did you ever notice that? We
must beware of seeking what I am terming rational equilibrium. In other words, since there is
church and churches, then there must be body and bodies. The
answer of scripture is an emphatic no. No. Let me give you some illustrations.
There is scriptural equilibrium. But it is based upon the revelation
of scripture alone. God is light. And because we know that to be
true, we can also say, or John also is moved to say, I should
rather say, God is light and in Him is no darkness at all,
is the implication there. That is scriptural equilibrium. But it must be scriptural equilibrium. Because the scripture also says
God is love. But it doesn't mean then that
God is not the opposite of that as well. Because God also hates. So scriptural equilibrium is
not set up by some human standard. But set up by the person of God
Himself. Do you get what I'm trying to
emphasize here? There is scriptural equilibrium,
but there's not absolute equilibrium from a human perspective. We
don't look from our perspective trying to figure out who God
is. We must bow to the authority of the written revelation of
God Almighty concerning Himself. God is light, and therefore there
is no darkness in Him. But God is love, but there's
also hate in God as well. Therefore, scriptural equilibrium
gives us truth and not human opinion. But again, let me say,
we must beware of seeking this rational equilibrium that since
there are church and churches, then there must be body and bodies.
This is far more than semantics. It is doctrinal, but it's far
more than just doctrinal. It is essential because of our
vital union with Christ as the one and only head of the one
and only body. Jesus Christ is not the one and
only head of more than one body, which would make Jesus Christ
the head of a freak. And He's not the head of a freak.
And He's not a different head over different bodies, Joe. Now,
I'm going to put it this way, but this is not this way absolutely.
In other words, you have a Baptist and a Methodist. They disagree
on how an individual is saved by God. There can only be two
options. Either one of them is dead wrong
or they're both dead wrong. They both cannot be right and
thus a part of the same body. For instance, another one, if
you believe in salvation by free reigning grace and somebody else
comes along and truly believes in salvation by man's free will,
you both cannot be right. And one of you is right and one
of you is wrong. And the scripture is clear, salvation
is by the free reigning grace of God in Christ Jesus. There are not many bodies, though
there be many churches. There is one church which is
called His one body, but that one church is manifested in many
local churches. That's the best way I know how
to state it. Turn to Ephesians 4. We see why this is true. Now we'll look at it in more
detail. I'm just kind of skimming the top right now, you might
say. The same epistle now, Ephesians 4, I therefore, the prisoner
of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith you are called. Who is he talking to, just the
pastors? No, he's talking to the saints, every one of them.
These people who are what, predestinated, elected, called, all of this. One vocation wherewith ye are
called, with all holiness and meekness, with long-suffering,
forbearing one another in love, not backbiting one another, not
talking about one another, but trying to build one another up.
I just had a conversation just the other day from someone, and
in the conversation they had to criticize somebody else, a
person who's supposed to be a fellow believer. For no apparent reason. Nothing, Joe, if we'd have settled
the fact of what the person was accusing the other person of,
if we'd have said that second person was wrong, it still wouldn't
have helped anything about something done years ago. No, with all
loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing who?
Forbearing the whole world in love. Is that what it says? No
sir, forbearing who? One another in love. You better not try to forbear
the world in love, they'll stab you in the back. That's what
they'll do. Look, endeavoring to keep the
unity, not make. That's part of our problem today,
we're trying to make unity. And you can't make unity, all
you can do is endeavor to keep the unity. endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The reason there
is not always unity amongst men, even believers in Christ, is
because we're not endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace. We're endeavoring to put forth
our own ideas. We're endeavoring to put forth
our own opinion. We're endeavoring to put forth our own selves,
whatever it might be. Why? Why is this so? Why is it endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? Here's why. There
is what? One body. Now if Paul says there's
one body, then how many bodies are there? One body. There is one body and one Spirit. Even as you're called in one
hope, If two people have two different hopes, and one of them
is based upon the free reigning grace of God, and the other one
is based upon anything but that, then the one hope is a false
hope. It's an erroneous hope. It's
not a hope ordained and established by God Almighty. Well, we're
all going to the same place though. No, we're not. even as you're
called in one hope of your calling, one Lord. That's why that preacher
said what he said, Joe. There is but one Lord. One faith. One faith. One baptism. That's
a confession of Jesus Christ as Lord in the water. That's
what it is. That's what it is. Not infant
baptism, that's a lie. It's not even infant baptism,
it's infant sprinkling. I don't know anybody that's baptizing
infants. It's infant sprinkling and it's an abomination before
God's eyes. And yet I know people who profess
to believe in free, sovereign grace that go to assemblies,
as we call them, to churches, as we call them, where they sprinkle
babies. This says how many baptisms are
we a part of in this one body? How many? One. One baptism. One God and Father of all who
is above all and through all and in you all. You are a part of that one body.
That one body. You see, this refutes the erroneous,
even heretical lie that the differences amongst men and women of Christian
religion are just internal rather than exclusive. Do you understand
what I'm talking about? In other words, this is just
an internal battle within the church. No, it's not. It is not an internal battle
amidst the church. It is the exclusiveness that
Paul spoke of, even in 1 Corinthians 11. It says there has to be heresies
amongst you. You know why? So that those that
are among you that are approved might be made manifest. Amos asked the rhetorical question,
can two walk together? except they be agreed. What is the answer to that? Absolutely
not. Because we know that the regenerate
person will love God. The unregenerate person will
what? Hate God. Now how do you walk together
with somebody like that? How many people, this is a small
group again, but how many people have a believer who's married
an unbeliever and can say, my marriage went along just fine?
It will not, it cannot happen. And the reason those who get
along, the reason they get along, Joe, because somebody's compromised
the truth of God. Why? Because God didn't set it
so. But I'll give you something even deeper than that. As Henry
Mahan said, put it this way, can two walk together except
they be agreed? Henry put it this way, somebody
is not agreed with God. There's the main thing. Somebody
is not agreeing with God. And if you don't take sides with
God against yourself, you're not going to be able to walk
with God. And if you don't take sides with God for God, you won't
be able to walk together with God. God in Christ is what? All and in all. Now that's relative though, really,
right? No, He is all. Jesus Christ competes
with no one and nothing else in the believer's life. In John chapter 8, our Lord said
these words, verse 47, He that is of God, heareth God's words. Amen. Not ought to. Not should, not might, it's sometimes
He that is of God does what? That person heareth God's words. In John 7 verse 17, our Lord
Jesus Christ also said this, The person that is of God, he
shall know of the doctrine, whether I speak of God or whether I speak
of myself. Well, I don't know about what
you preach. Then you don't know God. If what I'm preaching is
the truth of God, Well, we disagree. Then you're disagreeing with
God. Because it ain't about disagreeing
with me. It's about disagreeing with God. And in 2 Timothy, turn to that
one. Somebody says, again, why do you constantly hammer on these
other people? Just preach this stuff in a positive
way. Right? Why do you have to constantly
hammer on them out there? Here's why. 2 Timothy chapter
4, here's why. I charge thee therefore before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and
the dead and is appearing, that's the first place, and his kingdom,
that's the second place. That's what it's talking about,
that's what it says. Preach the word. be instant, in season,
out of season, and then do what? Reprove. Rebuke. Exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine, for the time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine. but will after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears
and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall
be turned unto fables." In other words, keep warning, keep warning,
keep rebuking, keep rebuking, keep reproving, keep reproving. Why? Because even in the church,
especially in the local assembly. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, there's
some that I'm going to vomit out of my mouth. But those that
I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Isn't that what he says? You
see, the reason we hammer on these other people is because
not everyone that professes Christianity is a part of the body. They may be a part of a church
in its technical sense of what we're used to in our society. You may be a part of this church.
As a local assembly, that don't mean you're a part of the body.
But if you are a part of the church, you are a part of the
body. Now, turn to 1 John chapter 4
to start with. I'll give you three things, then
I'll sum it up. First John chapter 4. I'm going
to give you three statements by John. Three things. I'm going
to summarize three things that John gives us. First of all,
John says there must be a proper foundation. John chapter 4. Look at it. Verse 1. Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try. Put them to the test. Isn't
that what it's saying? Beloved, believe not every spirit.
As long as the person mentions Jesus, no. No. Beloved, believe not every spirit.
Is he talking about ethereal beings? Is he talking about the
angelic hosts? No. He's talking about people.
Because look, beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the
spirits whether they are of God. What do you mean by the spirit?
That inner force that drives a person. That thing that drives
them most. What do they hold most dear?
And what do they espouse to others as the hope of their life? What
do they espouse to others as hope before God? What do they
espouse before others as their hope of justification before
God and reconciliation with God? Try them. Put them to the test.
Why? Because many false prophets are
gone out into the world. Hereby I know you the Spirit
of God. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh is of God. Now it doesn't say that it just
says it. but that confesseth it. And every spirit that confesseth
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already
it's in the world. Ye are of God, little children,
and have overcome who? Look at it, them, these false
prophets. You're of God, little children,
and overcome them. Remember I said, John said there
must be proper foundation because greater is He that is in you
than he that is in the world. If you follow after false prophets,
you are of the false prophets. If you hold to the false prophet's
message, then you are a part of the false prophet and his
belief. Ye are of God, little children,
and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you
than he that is in the world. They are of the world, therefore
speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are
of God, he that knoweth God heareth us. Do you see that? We are of
God, and he that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of
God heareth us not. Hereby know we the spirit of
truth and the spirit of error. You see, all of these so-called
Christian beliefs out here, we're not all a part of the same body.
Not in any way, shape, or form. Not only does John say that there
must be a proper foundation, John said there must be proper
continuation. First John chapter 2 and verse
18. Little children, same people
he's writing to. Little children, it is the last
time. And as you have heard that Antichrist
shall come, even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know
that it is the last time. They, there's those they. They
what? Now I remember there's been people
that Earl preached about this and laid this out as clearly
as it could be laid out and there were some folks very upset. Well
look, they went out from us. So that lets us know what? At
one time they confessed or professed to be a part of us didn't they?
They went out from us. But they were not of us. For
if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that they
might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. Amen. You see, when you're a
part of a local assembly that believes the truth, you've got
no reason to leave that local assembly apart from providential
hindrance. No reason whatsoever, apart from
providential hinderings. You leave that assembly because
somehow you don't like something somebody held to from the Word
of God. You are coming out from among
the church. You see that? Coming out from
among the body. And why do men come out from
among it? So it might be made manifest that they're not a part
of it. Now not only that, Not only did John say that there
must be proper foundation, not only did John say there must
be a proper continuation, but John shows that this is true
only when spiritual birth proceeds. 1 John chapter 5. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ. Now I've said this, I've said
it on the radio, I've said it here. Pseudo-Christianity are always
talking about Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. I hate to
put it this way, but turn them on and watch them. I wouldn't
really advise. You turn them on and do watch
them, you're going to hear them always talk about who? Jesus,
Jesus, Jesus. They rarely ever, if ever, call
Him what? Christ. And even less so do they
call Him Lord. And even when they do, they do
not meet the standard of Him who is Christ and Lord. Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. That's why some go out from among
us. Right there's why. Because they can believe for
a while. But in time of testing, when trouble and persecution
comes because of the Word's sake, because of the truth of the personal
work of Christ's sake, they fall away. I can't handle that. I won't have that. I don't believe
that. John says, Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And every one that loveth
him that begat love of him also that is begotten of him. No man,
no man is ever saved in a vacuum. No person's ever saved to live
out their life by themselves. It's just not so. If God Almighty
begat you, then you'll love those who are begotten of God. By this,
Do you see it? By this we know that we love
the children of God. When we love God and keep His
commandments. Why, I just can't do that. Then
you've got a problem. We're not talking about Romans
7 and looking at the law. We're talking about believing
Christ, that Jesus is the Christ and loving the people of God,
of being long-suffering one toward another. Those are the commandments
of God, is it not? For this is the love of God that
we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. If it is a constant struggle
for you to love God's people, you don't love God's people.
If it's a constant struggle for you to believe that Jesus is
the Christ, you don't believe that Jesus is the Christ. His
commandments are not grievous. Whatsoever is born of God, what
overcometh the world? And this is the victory that
overcometh the world, our faith. So let me summarize this. Being
a member of the one body is not in the power of men, but it lies
wholly in the purpose of God, as we've seen in Ephesians 1,
and in the power of God. Mason, both. Both. In other words, here's God's
purpose. But Paul says, I want you to know the power behind
all this. I'm praying for you that you know the exceeding greatness
of His power. Do you see it? It's not just
the purpose. Many rely on the purpose. They
want nothing to do with the power. Many want to rest in the purpose,
but they are denying the power thereof. So being a member of
the one body is not in the power of men, but it lies wholly in
the purpose of God and in the power of God. And second, continuing
as a member of the one body lies not in the power of the member,
but in the power of, the authority of, and the headship of the body,
Jesus Christ Himself. Because those who are part of
the body are the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
You think that in the end Jesus Christ will somehow be empty
in any respect? Is he going to be missing a hand?
Remember it says being a part of the body, some of us are hands,
some of us are feet, some of us are eyes, right? Isn't that
the way Paul kind of explains it? Do you think Jesus Christ
is going to be deformed in all the glory that is to come? No,
His full body will be there with Him as the Head. Every single
member. Why? Because He's the Head. He's
the Head. The Head. Now next time I want
to consider these distinctions in more detail. Because when
it talks about the church, which is His body, it's talking about
intimate union with Christ. Church talks about our calling.
The body emphasizes where we're called unto. We're called unto
an intimate union with Jesus Christ. This is far more than
just, I believe these doctrines. It's far more. And that's one
of the hardest things to preach. Because I see it so much. People
who, because they believe in the doctrines of free sovereign
grace, they think they're a member of the body. And that ain't necessarily
so. Because he's the head of a what?
A body. A real, bonafide body. Paul said we're flesh of his
flesh. And bone of his bone. as we continue here as we eat
together. May it be in the fellowship of
the truth of the personal work of Thy Son. I thank You in Christ's
name. Amen.