Ephesians (Program #71) – Ordinances and the Church Life

The book of Ephesians reveals that what God is after is for Christ to be wrought into His chosen and redeemed people to produce the Church. But it also exposes many of the negative things that frustrate us form attaining to His purpose. Among these are the obvious items of sin and worldliness. But though these things surely damage the Church none are so great a problem as the not so obvious matter of ordinances.

Ordinances expressed our own way of practicing the Christian life. And each group, each gathering of believers has its’ own particular characteristics, its’ way to practice, to meet and to worship. Yet these ways that we treasure and value so dearly may in fact be the factor divide us from other believers and thereby frustrate God to the uttermost and He desires to obtain His heart desire, the Church as the One New Man.

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Ephesians (Program #61) – Ordinances and Doctrines

The cross of Christ which is the very foundation of salvation for a believer. Represents the termination of so many negative things like sin and death, the flesh, the old nature or old man, even Satan and the world.

Christians love to hear messages on these things. But have you ever listen a message about the ordinances been included in what is slain on the cross? Well, here is the message for you, in Ephesians 2:14-15, “For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.“

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Ephesians (Program #22) – The Breaking Down of the Middle Wall of Partition

The Bible in Romans tells us very clearly that Christ’s death on the cross resolved any conflict that exists between us and God. Roman 5 :1 “Therefore having been justified out of faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  And how we worship Him and praise Him for making such peace. But there is another peace that was accomplished through the redeeming death of Christ and Paul talks about this peace in Ephesians chapter 2:14 “For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.”

This specifically is not talking about peace between us and God. This is talking about peace between bitter and fierce enemies, peace between man and even between races and it is a crucial aspect of the salvation that we had received.  We’ll talking about this peace today on our life study of the book of Ephesians.

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Deuteronomy (Program #21) – The Rehearsal of the Law (15)

Deuteronomy or the re-speaking of the law has a long portion containing many of the detail statues and ordinances that supplemented the basic 10 commandments. Among these were stringent prohibitions against mixture.  For example, a woman was not to wear a man’s clothing and vice verse. Also an ox was not to be yoked with a donkey to plow a field. These statues even went so far to prohibit the wearing of wool and cotton at the same time.  What does all of these have to do with us as New Testament believers?  Outwardly of course we are not under these same restrictions. But there is an inward, an intrinsic principle which does have a real application for us as the New Testament believers, as we will see in today’s life study of Deuteronomy.

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Deuteronomy (Program #18) – The Rehearsal of the Law (12)

When Jehovah God gave the 10 commandments to Moses on Mt Sinai to pass on to the children of Israel, they failed to understand that God was giving them a portrait of Himself.  In any society, the laws of that society reflect the kind of person the law giver is. But not only did the 10 basic commandments review our God in His person so also do the detail ordinances and statues that followed.

Deuteronomy, is the rehearsing or re-speaking of the law to a new generation of Israelites waiting to enter into the good land. And each of them unveils more of what kind of God we have.

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Deuteronomy (Program #8) – The Rehearsal of the Law (1)

The word Deuteronomy means a second speaking or re-speaking . In Deuteronomy what is been re-spoken by Moses to the assembled nation of Israel was the commandments, the law, the ten commandments, the ordinances, statues and judgments. These were originally given to the people some 38 years prior at Mt Sinai.  The reason for this repeating of the word is that Moses was facing a new generation that had grown up after the law was originally given to their fathers. By now the fathers were all dead. And God’s purpose was with this new, young generation.

The words here of Moses, are the words of a loving, caring father’s speaking to his children. How much all of us as God’s children today needs to hear His word spoken again and again and how much even we ourselves shall speak this word to our own children again and again.

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Exodus (Program #76) – The Enactment of the Covenant (1)

The book of Exodus is a story of God delivering His people Israel out of bondage and slavery in Egypt. He led them from Egypt through the Red Sea and into the wilderness, where they wondered for forty years. God gave them the law, His commandments and the ordinances in this wilderness time. Was it His intention for them to just simply take the law that He has given and carry it out? Or did God first need to reveal Himself and His heart desire?  He rescue them, delivering them from their bondage in Egypt and brought them to the wilderness to have an intimate fellowship with Him. more…

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Exodus (Program #71) – The Implications, Indications and Significances of the Ordinances of the Law (2)

After the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus chapter 20, the Lord continued for 3 more chapters to give item after item of regulations regarding man’s relationships. These added items are called “ordinances”, many if not most, seem to us to have nothing whatsoever to do with us as New Testament believers. They deal with such things as treatment of slaves and the ancient feasts and rituals of Jewish religion; and, even such things as “not boiling the kid in its mother’s milk”. So how do we as Christians regard these Old Testament details? Do we just skip over and dismiss them? Or, in the light of God’s New Testament ministry, is there a real and meaningful application of these items for us?  We return once again today to the book of Exodus and the remarkable journey of God’s people out of their bondage of worldly captivity and through the wilderness.

We’re continuing today to look at Exodus chapter 22 and 23, chapters that as we said offer many items all contain in these ordinances that were supplements or additions to the basic ten Commandments that we’re all quite familiar with. In an earlier message, we heard that though we cannot directly see Christ in the ten original commandments, these supplemental ordinances contain all of the rich details of Christ – what do we mean by this kind of speaking? more…

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Exodus (Program #70) – The Implications, Indications and Significances of the Ordinances of the Law (1)

The Bible is the divine revelation.  As such, we need to realize that every chapter contains diamonds and gems.  But if you read the Bible you know there are difficult and hard chapters.  Exodus 21, 22 and 23 for examples deal with slaves and murders and liers.  Where can the gems possibly be within such chapters as these?  Stay with us for this life study of the Bible with Witness Lee.

The focus of our message today is to see the gems and crystals contain in these 3 chapters of Exodus; 21, 22 and 23.  We’re going to see today that these chapters concerning the addition of the ordinances to the basic commandments are full of, in Witness Lee’s words, implications, indications and significances.  The goal of this ministry is always to get beyond the superficial and to get into the depth.

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Exodus (Program #69) – Sundry Ordinances of the Law

We are all familiar with commandments and ordinances.   It seems everywhere we turn, we’re met by these rules and regulations.  The same is true in the latter part of Exodus where we find many ordinances and commandments.  But have you ever seen the sweetness of these commandments of God?  You’d want to stay with us for today’s life study of the Bible, featuring the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee.

The genuine ministry of the New Testament is not a miraculous things produced in a short period of time.  It requires much preparation involving the cross, and the spirit in the context of proper Body life.  This comes to mind because the central human figure in Exodus is Moses.  We realize how extensive was the time given to his preparation.  This word preparation is rich in spiritual significance.  more…

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