 Okay, thank you once again for joining Let's continue with the course the local church We've completed we were in section two talking about God's blueprint We've finished We've finished looking at the local church as the body of Christ as the family of God As the pillar of truth and army the bride and in the last class We looked at the local church as the house of worship and prayer And the temple of God, right? We've finished quite a few different aspects of perspective of the local church It's if you notice that it's just one blueprint, but in total there are 10 different perspectives Right, it's one blueprint, but 10 different perspective. Okay In each perspective is like a window that allows us to look into The church from a different In aspect for example, if this is So if there's one blueprint for this room Or if this is a much more bigger room, and if there are 10 windows From every time you look from a different window You will have a different view of the same room, isn't it? So the person looking from there have will have a different perspective of this room versus the person looking from this Window into the room, isn't it? So it's very important to have a different perspective, but it's all still the same room Right, it's still the same room. So it's one blueprint, but many different perspectives and for a healthy church For you as a pastor or as a leader to gauge how your church is doing It's very important that you look through every single window and you check Okay, how is this looking through this window how through this perspective is the church healthy through this perspective? How is it doing in the in the in the perspective of an army? What is a bride? Do we have a congregation that is loving the Lord etc. etc. Okay, so what we will look at today is Chapter 15 the local church Zion God's chosen people is Zion. So let's This is where we are starting off today In your PDFs, we are in page 107 and In your car copy is 159. Yes. Thank you So let's start off by reading Hebrews chapter 12 verse 22 to 24 Hebrews 12 verse 22 to 24. It says but you have come To mount Zion and to the city of the living God Okay I want you to pay attention to those choices of words. Okay. Yes, it's a scripture verse, but then Please pay very close attention to the choice of what it says, but you have come To mount Zion. Okay, it's a mountain mount Zion And to the city of the living God The heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of angels To the general assembly and the church of the firstborn To the general assembly and the church Of the first born Who are registered in heaven To God the judge of all to the spirit of just men made perfect To Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Okay, it's it's just packed Um, this scriptures are just super packed. Uh, you can just meditate on it for months. Uh, it's it's so powerful It's wonderful. Okay. So, um What what is what what is the scripture saying? What do you know about Zion and and it's What is your understanding from the old and the new covenant, what is your understanding of Zion people who are free? Yeah God's chosen people. Yeah, it was in the old covenant. Yes Um, so yeah, I mean, uh, yeah, we look into that as well. Okay, so it's a very important point. It was a place of worship Um, and so it's very interesting that we We read from the book of Hebrews, isn't it? Hebrews is in the new covenant And so it starts off by saying that you have come to mount Zion to the city of the living god It's talking about us new believers Everybody who believes right in Jesus who've accepted Jesus as the Lord and see even now We are part of this heavenly citizenship So The writer of the Hebrews book of Hebrews or the author is using the old testament terms To refer to us in the new covenant in the new testament Okay, and so we look a little bit more deeper and to see how the church and us as people are connected Okay, uh, let's look at the scripture first Peter chapter two verse six Because here in this passage, uh, peter is referring to Zion as the church Okay, um, somebody wants to read it or should I read it? First Peter chapter two verse six Therefore, it is also contained in the scriptures. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious and he who believes on him Will by no means be put to shame Okay, thank you. So therefore it is also contained in the scripture So therefore again any time you see therefore you need to ask why is it Therefore, okay, so you read all the previous scriptures for the context Um, right. So therefore it is also contained in the scripture. That means it is also written in the scripture It says behold I lay in Zion. So Yeah, see on see on well, okay, Zion It's a pronoun. So it's okay It says I lay in Zion. What does that mean? I lay in Zion This is just another word for dwell Right, I dwell in Zion. That's where it's I'm I Zion is my resting place It's my dwelling place Right, um, so you're saying behold I in other words if you have to replace the word lay I dwell in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious And he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame Okay, so as Zion we are the chosen people of God, uh, again, let's look at the Old Covenant Old Testament People so it was a place mount Zion it is a mountain it was a close to Jerusalem And so so later I'm jumping a little bit ahead, but it's okay. Let's make that point There was this region this mount region was a stronghold of a clan or a tribe called Jebusites You know, there were like the Kenanites who were part of it and um It was a stronghold. It was not just a p a place now a stronghold is like a fort Right, so we say, okay, don't let the enemy have a stronghold in your life Or the enemy has a stronghold in your life. That means he has a stronghold That's what it is and so anytime An army has a stronghold of a place That means it is impossible for the other opposition army to penetrate because it's a very important place militarily So if that is lost Though everything else is lost and so this tribe of the Kenanites called the Jebusites Were it was a stronghold for them Zion yeah And so David defeats them later on and he captures them and then later on So Jerusalem was a city that was close to mount Zion and then later Zion And the city of Jerusalem was later known as the city of David Geographically the whole zone was called as a city of David. We all know that right and then I think some uh in the previous classes We looked at from some 120 to some 134 Are the song uh Psalms if you see the title it it will say songs of ascent Ascent is simply but ascending Ascending order is you going up, isn't it songs of ascents? So I'm sure there were more Psalms, but only 14 are titled as songs of ascent from some 120 to some 134 So those were the songs that they would sing as they would ascend up the hill of the lord Right the psalmist says who shall ascend the hill of the lord? Those with clean hands and pure heart You get what I'm saying right so now You see now it's it was Which started off as just a physical or a geographical place later The people in the old covenant were also Became to know as the people of Zion Isn't simply means it simply means God's chosen people And so God wells in Zion that means he lays in Zion means that he is in the midst of his chosen people Psalm 22 verse 3 he is in the midst of the praises of his people It's it's it's that simple right and so Peter is using The old covenant terms to refer to the church and the new believers in the new covenant. Are you all following? Yes, no, maybe yeah, okay. It's very interesting. It's it's beautiful This this is again this like I said the 10 different perspectives one blueprint in each perspective is so beautiful Uh, it's it's amazing to see and when we see that the church was God's idea And we're getting a sneak peek Into his idea, isn't it and see how beautifully he's thought Is designed for his church to be A church as an army as a church as a temple of God as a house of prayer and worship as as a bride As wine and the branches as a lampstand which we will learn he's so beautifully carefully Thought about how his church should be Okay, let's read some more scriptures Um So as Zion we are the chosen people of God We are a nation of holy people who are priests unto God which is mentioned in first Peter chapter 2 verse 9 to 12 But you are a chosen generation. How many times have you read the scriptures guys? Okay, we read it multiple times. Uh, so please remember the scripture by heart Okay, first Peter chapter 2 I always get it wrong Again, like I said, no, it's okay. It's the second Peter chapter 2 or the first Peter chapter 2 Uh, because I know it's my bible is on the Left side page at the bottom top right, so that's all I remember it Uh, and so you give me a new bible. I'd be like, oh lord Okay, so first Peter chapter 2 verse 9 to 12, but you are a chosen generation A royal priesthood of holy nation His own special people That you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. It's glorious It's glorious this verse You are a chosen generation that means you've been chosen out of darkness you are special And this is connected with exodus 19 In the old covenant right when you look at exodus 19. God says you yourself have seen How I brought you out of Egypt on eagles wings. God says I brought you unto myself. He says Right, so what is trial goes through in the old covenant is an image of who we are in the new covenant It's as simple as that right from the Passover everything right So we celebrate Passover now they celebrate Passover then Passover is what passing over Right then in in exodus when you read the angel of death passed over any house that saw the blood Right. It's so very interesting. You see that It didn't matter So if you put the blood on the outside of this doorpost that we have here outside The angel of death when they passed by it didn't matter who was inside. It could have been an egyptian. It didn't matter It didn't matter if you were worthy it didn't matter if you believed in the one true god It didn't matter all of that as long as you were behind the blood or covered by the blood And that's who we are in jesus, isn't it? Right. It is his blood. He is our righteousness Right. Our righteousness is nothing but the filthy rags. That's what I will say, isn't it? And so it says we've been chosen a royal priesthood All of those words require a word study a holy nation The same words again guys, I would encourage you to read exodus 19 because god's heart originally was for the entire nation of israel to be priests Right and then it all the situation circumstances led to where levitical priests Only the type of levites would be a priesthood But all of the changes in the new covenant, right our royal priesthood a holy nation his own special people You were called out of darkness that means you were set free you were delivered you were redeemed For what that you may proclaim the praises of him So you were you were not set free to run around like headless chickens You know, okay, you're free to go do whatever you want to do, you know, no bondage no more shackles Okay, but we were set free we were redeemed to that we may proclaim the praises of him Who called you out of darkness? Okay, and who who once were not a people but are now the people of god West end it's very important. Okay, so who once were not a people that means you we were orphaned In the light of the new covenant We had no inheritance. We were orphaned. We were orphaned to die But now we are the people of god Zion who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy So as the people of god, we obtain mercy as the people of god, we are chosen. We are special. We are royal priests We are a holy nation Beloved verse 11 it says I beg you A sergeant and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul Having a conduct honorable among the Gentiles that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may By your good works, which they observe glorify god in the day of visitation Okay, so again just revisiting the couple of scriptures. We are chosen. We are set apart basically. That's what it is We are a holy nation and verse 11 confirms that it says abstain from fleshly lust Our flesh loves lust our flesh loves sin That is the fallen nature of our flesh It's corrupted Right Corinth he says it's corrupted and it's mortal But then the time will come where we will be our body will be incorruptible our body will be immortal alright It says abstain from fleshly lust. That means just cut strife to live a holy life With everything that we have know that we've been called out know that Things think that are okay to the world is not okay to us as a church The standards set by the world are not the standards for the church or for a christian Are you all with me? Okay Listen, I know we've all heard this many times So many times we all know this this is not a sunday school thing Very from or at least from the time we were in sunday school. We've heard this be a good boy. Be a good girl All of that, you know um But living a holy life When we say holiness the only immediate immediate thought is moral purity Okay, if I if I were to ask you what do you think of holy is okay. Um Not sinning it not sinning is so general Uh, okay, um, not lying not stealing not committing murder not committing sexual immorality not committing this not committing that Those are the things that we will immediately think of when we say, okay, holiness or holy Isn't it and all of that is partially right? Moral purity comes under that But those are all part of righteousness as well So when we say a god is holy, what does that mean? Does that mean that god is only morally pure? No It's not the question is not that he does not sin or he does not lie or he does not steal He cannot sin His his holiness transcends the logic or understanding of moral purity If you catch Are you with me and so that's what we are striving for and we are encouraging We are being encouraged by peter as his people as his people who've been called out as his chosen people strive for living a holy life and That can only happen By us looking at the one who is holy We cannot look at the world And say, okay, I'm gonna look I'm gonna live a holy life because the world is sinful Yeah, that's the beginning of understanding. Okay, the world is sinful But that doesn't mean you can live a holy life just because without understanding You become holy you strive to live a holy life by looking at the one who is holy You're following Yes, no, okay all right Okay, and it is the holy spirit that empowers us that gives us a strength to live a holy life The spirit of the living god What's his first name? Holy Right, he is the one who empowers us to give you know to live a life of holiness because and I'm I say this from personal experience So now you may look at me as a worship leader or as a pastor or as a teacher, etc, etc um I've had my fair shares of addictions And you know and I remember saying okay Today's the last I'm going to be a different person from tomorrow Two days later. I'm back to square one. It's like snake and ladders, you know Right, I'm going to try. I'm going to try. I'm going to try now. I'm going to try not thinking about it I'm going to try step one step two step three to overcome this addiction But in our own strength We cannot overcome In our own strength Overcome comes with complete surrender to the holy spirit So when you're completely absolute surrender, right? We make that declaration every day You guys make it every day here at bc. What is the last line of the declaration? to him I am in absolute surrender and so our overcoming or uh A start to living a holy life begins there Is living a life of absolute surrender? It's as simple as that. Okay Are you all with me? All right, let's move on. So we've been learning about Zion and how Zion is simply me is God's chosen people and what we looked at about David capturing um The um The land the mount Zion is mentioned in the notes there. Um So Zion is a name often used as a synonym for Jerusalem. The word is first found in second Samuel chapter five verse seven um, you know Commonly referred to a specific mountain near Jerusalem, which is mount Zion on which stood a Jebusite fortress And this is what David kill again. Just you know re-emphasizing what what I what I've just narrated to you And uh, go through all of those scriptures that's mentioned in the notes for first kings eight or first chronicles second chronicles Um, I love the old testament It's beautiful. It's awesome um I guess it's More story-like and more history It's wonderful, but you need to understand the old to uh understand the new right, we um People during Bible times understood that so, um David captures that and then Solomon later builds the temple in Jerusalem And Zion expanded and that's that's where the first temple was built again, you know the mount Zion All scriptures mentioned there talks about it And so in the new covenant, that is who we are. We are God's chosen people We come under the banner of Zion Uh, you know some of the radical people Jewish people nowadays are known as Zionists You get idea, right? Okay So we looked at uh, the Hebrew word Sorry, Hebrew chapter 12 was 22 to 23. We read that in the very beginning Okay, so, uh In the New Testament The church of the first born the heavenly Jerusalem is referred to as Zion that is you and me So why why why all this, uh Why all this importance of Zion or of fortress now is The stronghold has shifted hands Stronghold which was once the stronghold for the Jebusites is now the stronghold for the Israelites Right and now it's no longer a place of just a military thing like In the natural but it's a place where God dwells Right, it's it's a place where God dwells. It's his resting place. It's the place where his presence is hosted It was a place of corporate worship And uh, it was magnificent And it was a huge joy every time when people's Exams says I was glad when they said to me come let us go to the house of the lord And so one of the darkest days in the history of israel is when the first temple was destroyed for the first time Babylonians invaded and destroyed the temple of Solomon and then they they're gone into exile for 70 odd years Now the one place See as human beings Historically we relate to a physical place. I'll tell you why And let's meet for coffee We say that no like hey, can we meet for coffee? um Coffee is the least bit of our interest Isn't it is we are not really meeting to have a cup of coffee The point is to meet and have a conversation Right, but the place we can relate to is like, hey, you know the coffee day there or you know this taliserie over here You know, everybody knows taliserie, right? Uh, every road has one So you know it's the same and I used I did this study when I was uh doing youth ministry is that Young people as well they connect to a physical location physical space Okay, for example, when I was a teenager when I was part of the youth, uh, you know growing up, um I say church means it was a place where we met to play football Oh, okay. Hey, that's space. Oh, you know, this is where we hung out It was in the church and so young people connect to a physical location It is not about the location. It is because it's but it's a common meeting place Like hey, you remember this is where we used to meet you remember this bakery that was there, which got destroyed later It's it immediately makes you feel very nostalgic. Isn't it? Yeah, and uh If I have to take my stand around to the school that I studied in It does not look like anything like how beautiful it was Because apartments have come and and just same as this is where I used to study um There's a catch to it. Isn't it and so the temple of god was a place like that for the people of israel Simply because god dwelt there and that's why all this talk about zion and the importance of it in this perspective of it Okay, so the first point there it talks about in page 108 in your pdfs talks about god dwells And if he's dwelling wherever he dwells he rules from there Isn't it right god dwells and rules in zion it says So zachariah chapter 2 verse 10 it says sing and rejoice or daughter of zion for behold I am coming And I will dwell in your midst says the lord Now again, look at the reference that or daughter of zion I'm coming and I will dwell in your midst. So he's saying you are my chosen people People are also called zion and the place is also called zion Okay Some some 2 verse 6 and 8 it says yet. I have set my king on my holy hill of zion I will declare the decree the lord has said to me you are my son today. I have begotten you Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession So wherever god dwells his kingdom is there king never comes without his kingdom There is no king you will not be a king if you don't have a kingdom Right kingdom is two different words King and dominion right it's two words coming together And so if the king is present and we're talking about king of all kings in this place That means his kingdom is present and wherever his kingdom is that means there is rulership Right there's rulership in that region So he dwells wherever god dwells he reigns from that place One of the things that we talk about is the throne room of god Right in revelation. So again, if you were to go to a palace, it has multiple rooms One of the room is the throne room Right and it is in the throne room where you get the audience with the king It is in that room In olden days it was called as the room of the presence or the room of the face So when we say face to face it's literally It literally means His presence was so strong and intimate there And so it was in the throne room where all the political decisions were made Okay, you know This is what we're going to do for our country. This is what we're not going to do for our country This is what we're going to do for our people etc etc It was in the throne room right the authority the reigning of the king is displayed in that room Isn't it because he is there the king is there and so now in now context We look at that god dwells and rules among his people And some that some to what we just read says you are my son I've begotten you ask of me and I'll give you the nations for your inheritance Now only a ruler or a king can do that Isn't it if you have if you're going to give something to Someone you have to own it, isn't it? Okay, I can't take rinse phone and says okay from today. It's not your no longer rinse phone. It's an Anand's phone I don't own it. Isn't it? Right? No Okay, so he's saying ask of me and I'll give you the nations It's not just talking about something small here It's not just a nation It's nations right very important for your inheritance And so we we we see that You know his his stamp of authority is you know Is is emphasized in these scriptures So god dwells and rules in Zion and out of Zion god shines I have no doubt about that Right Some 50 verse 1 and 2 it says the mighty one God the lord Atonai has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down out of Zion The perfection of beauty god will shine for now Sun shines Is it sunny shining right now? and the light Comes all the way to us it takes eight minutes for the light to reach from sun to earth Eight minutes right Then the light is traveling at the speed of 300,000 kilometers per second per second and so In like that the light travels across the globe seven times the second So light travels quite a distance Right, so the sun the light from the sun is traveling quite a distance at quite a pace, isn't it? It brings us light everything it makes everything bright But where is it shining the most? Close it to the sun core. That's where it's The raw power of the sun is felt there, isn't it? Yes or no, so the light can go travel far away. It shines it shines far But it's the most strongest and the most brightest at its core at its source Heaven needs no sun because the light of the space lights up all of heaven Okay So out of Zion he shines and out of Zion there is deliverance Obadiah chapter one was 17 was 21 Obadiah is a book in the bible What's your favorite book Obadiah? Who says that? Okay, Obadiah chapter one was 17 and was 21 it says but on Mount Zion there shall be Deliverance there shall be Holiness the house of Jacob Shall possess their possessions Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau Okay, the language is so beautiful Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau the kingdom shall be the lords Okay, so coming to just the mountains of Esau again in the old covenant Uh, I mentioned this there are only two kinds of people in the old covenant people in the covenant and people outside of the covenant Okay, and so Esau again represented the enemy the canonites enemy of israel enemy against god's chosen people etc He's saying the time is coming where the people of god will judge the enemies of god That's that's uh painted in the image as mountains of Esau Right every mountain will be made low every valley will be made straight so So deliverance and holiness will be in Zion Among the people of god god's people will possess their possessions The deliverers that god raises up from upon mount zion will have rule over the unsaved and ungodly And so now we are the chosen people of god Right god the king our king dwells among us And we've been given a commission And so ours is to make the prayer let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven Carry out a great commission. That's what we've been told to and in other words. That's what it's saying is that okay You are in my kingdom now. You are my chosen people um Don't just sit and warm the couch go out evangelize Etc etc, right Why because there's deliverance because he's delivered us he expects us to go and do the same So there's deliverance on mount zion the lord roars from zion Yeah, what's the significance of roe what what language is being used there with that lion roars Yeah, mighty. Yeah This is stamping saying i'm present here. This is my area The area boys we say no. Have you ever had any school fights? I've been part of many school fights in school fights. Okay. It's just so it's a long time ago. Uh-huh Yeah, it's like hey, you're coming to my area. It's like that. It's my area. Okay, call the area boys It's uh, yeah, it's hilarious. Why do we use flags? You know there's this question that was asked right to uh, what's the significance of using flag in worship? Right. Uh, now everything has a flag these days right from the countries to the political parties to other parties It it represents who they are and they want to stamp their authority of that region Or declare who is reigning? And so in worship when we use flags and we use different colors and each color signifies something But basically we are just saying that okay our king is in this space. This region belongs to him We're just declaring that right and It's been there. It's flags is an ancient idea Even around the tabernacle of moses There were three tribes north south east and west and each three tribes Had one lead tribe So for example, uh under the so there's I think the east section there was a tribe of juda and there's two other tribes in benjamin and something else and The main flag the symbol of their flag was the lion And so each of the other three tribes had a flag one half ox eagle and a man And you suddenly begin to wonder okay. Hey, I've seen all those symbols somewhere You know is he kill one revelation for? You see that isn't it so Nothing is mentioned in the bible as coincidence guys Okay Okay, so uh, yeah when says the lord roars from zion. He's simply again stamping his authority who reigns in the region Uh saying that who's the king? So joel 316 the lord also will roar from zion and utter his voice from jerusalem The heavens and earth will shake But the lord will be a shelter for his people and the strength of the children of israel He will show forth his strength from among his people Okay, that's a very important point there. You can highlight it if you can He will show forth his strength From among his people There's a how many of you know this worship people are called ron cannoli Ron cannoli. Oh lord Okay, seriously, okay. Oh my gosh this generation I tell Uh Yeah Yeah, oh, yeah ancient of days Let's thank and on Come on guys. Come on guys. Oh, this is like a dagger through my heart. Like I know Seriously Ron can it doesn't matter if you like it. I don't like it Did I ask a question I don't like this But in the 90s you go back As in there were just very few movements or worship moments the integrity music which was part of ron cannoli don't know when Hosanna music there were vineyard music. They were huge, right? And so ron cannoli has a song called joshua generation You have to listen to it when you can and have you heard of this paul paul wilbur Thank you, you know paul wilbur I enter the holy of holy That's all bro Imagine you write a book. I say it's like, oh, I know that book. I don't know the author so insulting So so so Tim's also old Dover Sorry those online. I'm just taking a little bit of History class here in worship Okay, um, so he roars from zion. I mentioned about paul wilbur because he has a song called a roar from zion I'll play it at the break time Okay, um, so next section talks about releasing the rod of his strength Some 110 verse 1 and 2 uh talks about the lord said to my lord sit at my right hand I will make your enemies my your footstool. The lord shall send the rod of your strength out of zion rule in the midst of your enemies another word for The rod over there in other translations. You might see is scepter Right scepter is like again, you have all these things rule with a scepter, right? And if if you have the software called eastward Um, and if you look at all the cross references of all the bible script verses that has these words Scepter you'll understand the lord the context of all of this So it's again stamping your mark of authority. So when it says releasing the rod of his strength, it's just talking about his His authority there, okay Are you all with me? Okay, so practical ways a local church can implement this Uh as as god's own people every local church must raise up a people who represent Or represent kingdom culture and values in this world Every local church must raise up and every local church must raise up a people who are wholly sanctified and living transformed lives It's the first way of how we can implement this and call to show forth his praises Every local church must raise up a people who are Proclaiming the praises of the one who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light Call to see his kingdom come every local church must raise up a people who walk in kingdom power authority and dominion And all of these seem so basic and fundamental, isn't it? Like okay encourage everybody to be worshipers encourage everybody to pray encourage everybody to live in a kingdom culture life It's so fundamental and that's why it's fundamental. It's foundation. It's important Um, right. So challenges to be prepared for there will be resistance earlier on very earlier on in this course We learned that people will resist change Status cure Christianity will resist this kind of lifestyle. I'll pray for iPad Status cure Christianity will resist this kind of lifestyle. What does that mean? It's like, oh, do we really need to live a life like this? Isn't it not enough if you go to church on sunday morning? I'm being a good person. I donate charity to the NGOs and all of that All of this is this all isn't it too much? Isn't it too deep? There will be some sort of, you know, status cure Christianity kind of thing But as pastors and as leaders it is up to us to emphasize and to teach And encourage people to live in kingdom values and and culture All cool. All right. All right. We'll pause here. We'll take a break. We'll come back