1 Corinthians (Program #21) – The Building Work with Natural Materials

In the realm of Christian service and ministry many things are done in the name of Christian work.  But 1 Corinthians 3 is a key chapter that points out absolutely clearly that the unique work all of us as the believers should be engaged in is a building work.  Verse 11 and 12 in this chapter say it:

“For another foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, stubble, “

Two categories of materials. And the first category, the materials are mineral, very precious and enduring gold, silver and precious stones.  In the second category however the materials are all perishable and natural  wood, grass and stubble.  The significant of these two categories becomes very relevant for us and the Christian work in the very next verses.

“The work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself will prove each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built upon the foundation remains, he will receive a reward;  If anyone’s work is consumed, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. “

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Exodus (Program #131) – The Sanctification of Aaron and His Sons to be the Priests (2) Sin Offering and the Way to Feast on Christ

Many items of the Old Testament are later associated with Christ in the New Testament.  Among the most frequently discussed items are the offerings that became part of the service in the tabernacle and later the temple.  What do these Old Testament animal offerings have to do with our Savior Christ and with our own experience of His divine life in us?

We are in the section of the life study of Exodus now that touches the offerings.  The offerings of the Old Testament have long been connected to, or associated with Christ.  The New Testament does make it clear that Christ on the cross was the real fulfillment of many of these offerings, like the sin offering and trespass offering that we will see today.

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1 Corinthians (Program #20) – The Building Work with Transformed Materials (1)

The goal of the Christian life is not merely to live a proper and upright life, died and then go to heaven. The goal as presented in 1 Corinthians has to do with being built up into a spiritual building that ultimately becomes God’s dwelling place on earth with His people. In short this building is the church becoming the real temple of God on earth.

What a high calling, our real work in the Christian life is a building work.  And to this end Paul instructed the Corinthians believers and us in chapter three of 1 Corinthians :

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s cultivated land, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each man take heed how he builds upon it. For another foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, stubble, the work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire. ”

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Exodus (Program #130) – The Sanctification of Aaron and His Sons to be the Priests (1) Sin Offering, Empty Hands

The priests in the Old Testament had to meet three basic requirements to qualify for their lofty service.  First they had to be born of the proper lineage then they needed to be clothed with the priestly garments and finally they had to have their hands full of the offerings.  What’s interesting is that requirements for being a priest today in the New Testament are really the same.  This is mysterious, yet it is too marvelous.

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1 Corinthians (Program #19) – Growth in Life Needed (2)

In first Corinthians the apostle Paul confronts the difficult situation in the church there in a very wise way. He first identifies that their problems would due primarily to a shortage of the growth in the divine life. Although they had received the initial gifts of the divine life and the Holy Spirit they were still infants or babes in Christ.

He then unveils to them the marvelous progression of God’s economy. First they need to realize that they are all plants growing on God’s farms. Then the goal is to be built up together into a building and finally that this building is destined to become God’s dwelling place, His temple.

How about you and me? Have we received such a vision, such a revelation or are we like the Corinthians satisfied to remain in our spiritual infancy and hang on to personal preferences in our own traditions?

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Exodus (Program #129) – The Priestly Garments (16) Golden Plate

The high priest that served God in the tabernacle in the Old Testament was adorned with a golden crown, upon which were engraved the words “Holy to Jehovah”.   This top most piece of the priestly garment connected the priest himself and the garment to God’s holiness.  As the real New Testament priests how are we connected to God’s holiness?

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1 Corinthians (Program #18) – Growth in Life Needed (1)

In the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul stresses one thing, Christ. This is his wisdom in pointing the believers’ in these problems laden church to the one unique solution to all the problems in the Christian life and in the church life.

But in chapter three he turned his focus to the church. Writing about the church in a marvelous way without even ever using the term, church. In this book his speaking related to the church is not according to the doctrine and teaching regarding the church life but according to the life and the growth in life.

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Exodus (Program #128) – The Priestly Garments (15) Robe

The Bible tells us that Christ is the embodiment or the expression of God.  No one has ever seen God, but the Son of God has given Him expression.  Without an expression, how could God ever be known?  A wonderful type of God’s expression is seen in Exodus in the beautiful garments that the priests serving in the tabernacle were required to wear.   We will look more at this divine expression in this life study of the Bible.

We are looking at the robe particularly today as we continue this examination that has gone on for many programs, some weeks actually of the garments of the priest.  We saw initially that the instructions for this priestly garment came from God Himself, Jehovah as He was giving so many instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai.  To really pick up the spiritual essence of these items of the garment, first we need to realize that in the Bible garments always signify outward expression.  How does that principle apply to the complicated priestly garment we have been looking at?

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1 Corinthians (Program #17) – The Church, God’s Farm, God’s Building (2)

The believers in Corinth in the early church were rich in many things. They have received the initial gifts of the divine life and the Holy Spirit. They were enriched in all knowledge and they even have many miraculous gifts in their midst.  Yet Paul referred to them as infants or babes in Christ. How could that be with all that God had given them?   Primarily is because they neglect the mater of life and growing spiritually in the divine life. So, the apostle Paul points out to them in clear types and pictures the importance and necessity of the divine life.

Listen again as his words are so full of references to life and growth:

3:5-9 “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Ministers through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to beach one of them. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.  So then neither is he who plants anything nor he who waters, but God who causes the growth.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s cultivated land, God’s building.”

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Exodus (Program #127) – The Priestly Garments (13 & 14) Alphabet

The garment worn by the high priest in the Old Testament gives us a wonderful picture of many aspects of Christ.  But the breastplate that was the outer-most item of the priestly garment also gives us a picture of God’s redeemed people, the church and how God conveys His word and will to man through the church.

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