Bible Study at Surabaya - Monday, April 16, 2007

Law-based Church

Jude 1:5
5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

The Lord had indeed saved His people from the land of Egypt and they were huge in number. Six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty were men, besides women and children. In our day, the very great multitude of people denotes a vast congregation, even the vastest. The people were all brought out of Egypt, but the Lord destroyed them as well. Many were saved and many were destroyed as carcasses in the wilderness. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, might enter the land of Canaan. It was a real tragedy. The law-based church seems to be real in salvation and great number, but they are actually prepared for destruction.

Numbers 14:29-30
29 ‘The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.
30 ‘Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.

Becoming a Christian (pastor/minister) is not a guarantee of safe in life. Israelites seemed saved by going out of Egypt and Pharaoh’s death in Red Sea. They also experienced the miracles of God and His wonderful preservation but they died in the wilderness.
Why did it happen thus? Because of the ten spies. There were sent twelve spies, only two, Joshua and Caleb, brought a good report, while the rest brought a bad report.

Numbers 13:27-28
27 Then they told him, and said: "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
28 "Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.

The figure “10” points to the law. That is to say, law–based church with the following conducts:

• Making temptations greater than the word of God/the promise of God.
  God promised the land of Canaan flowed with milk and honey, but the ten spies saw there the descendants of Anak, men of great stature. They preferred not to go in, therefore. The ten spies had let their flesh sound louder than the word of God. These are the sound of the flesh like: “nevertheless..”, “they say..”, “he said..”
  In short, making temptations/the sound of flesh greater than the word = not holding fast to the word = not prioritizing the word
• Not being led/anointed by Holy Spirit = not relying on the power of Holy Spirit.
  Galatians 5:18
  18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
  Being led by the Spirit means not being under the Law.
  Being under the Law means not being led by Holy Spirit.
  Ten spies did not rely on the Lord/the power of Holy Spirit but on their own strength/riches/intelligence/knowledge.
  A pastor cannot serve God by his brainpower, since God in ministry searches for the heart. Lempin-El is an educational institution of character building, not knowledge, since heart is the target of God.
  Today many churches do not rely on the Spirit, but riches, brains, knowledge, and experience.

Law-based service results in nothing but complaints, which is one of the sins at the end of this age (1 Corinthians 10). Israelites complained and wanted to return to Egypt when ten spies told about their possible defeat because of the great stature of their enemies. If there is no word and Holy Spirit, there shall be dissatisfaction and complaints. Those who complained against the Lord died in the wilderness and became carcasses, not corpses; showing value degradation of human being, for the term “carcass” is only used for animals. It more means imperfection and destruction. In former times, the people of Israel could not enter the land of Canaan; implying being left at the time of Jesus’ second coming (= destruction).
In short, law-based church does not prioritize the word of God and not rely on the power of Holy Spirit but on riches, knowledge, and experience. Consequently, they complain and such can neither be perfect nor welcome Jesus’ second coming.
Law system service was also performed in the age of New Testament.

John 2:13-20
13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!"
17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"
19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty–six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"

forty-six = 46 = 10 (ten commandments)
4 refers to the first tablet of stone consisting of four commandments to love the Lord.
6 refers to the second tablet of stone consisting of six commandments to love the others.
That the temple of God was built for forty-six years implies law-based church with the two signs: no priority to the word and no reliance on the Spirit, but on brains, money, experience, etc.
At that time, the law system service performed resulted in nothing but business in the house of God. They sold and bought oxen, sheep, and doves (verse 14). In ancient times, these animals were sacrificed for the Lord, but Jesus has fulfilled them all on the cross (the sacrifice of Christ). If Jesus had not, we should have brought at least doves whenever we would serve God. The business here is to sell and buy the Sacrifice of Christ.

There are three functions of sacrificed animals/the Sacrifice of Christ as follows:

• A sin offering
  The people of Israel previously had to offer to the Lord oxen, sheep, doves – each one according to their ability – as a sin offering. Yet, the offerings have now fulfilled in the Sacrifice of Christ, which means we do not need to offer any animal to the Lord. Thus, a sin offering means an offering to save sinful men. By this salvation, we are free from the Lord’s upcoming judgments as well as from accidents, disasters, terrorisms, and all that. We are kept under the covering (the epistle of Jude speaks of the covering of judgment).
  selling the salvation = selling the Sacrifice of Christ = repeating the same sins for a worldly matter/advantage. I thank for being taught by the Late Rev. In Juwono for the first time I am shepherded in Bride Tidings that it is all free charge because Jesus has paid it on the cross with His sacrifice. Nothing may pay it even money. Flowing from that, Lempin-El is free charge. It does not mean that the students of Lempin-El can become unserious but more serious in studying. The price has been paid in Golgotha. If you play with it, you are trading Jesus’ sacrifice. Repeating sins, the forgiveness is cancelled, the covering is opened, and the judgment remains.
  Many merchants lie to their buyers in order to get more money. Consequently, the covering is opened. If there are one thousand buyers, the covering is opened one thousand times. Likewise, a pastor who keeps his prestige, he will lie many times. Such is a serious matter.
  A repeated sin will be a habit and intentionality. In such a manner, we do not know that we are trading the Sacrifice of Christ.
  Hebrews 10:25-27
  25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
  26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
  27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
  A sin done repeatedly and unconsciously is: not serving God.
  Verse 26 “there no longer remains a sacrifice” – for all are sold.
  A habitual sin means a sin committed with no regret. Such a sinner cannot repent for he could laugh in sin.
  An intentional sin means committing sin but regarding himself righteous. Such an adversary is against the Lord and prepared for hell fire; there is no more covering.
  Psalms 119:9
  9 BETH. How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
  A young man symbolizes the strength to do something according to the flesh lusts; or in a word, a strong desire to commit sin. Who can restrain? None but the word. Not committing sin = not repeating sin = cleansing ways by taking heed according to Your word. What kind of word?
  John 15:3
  3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
  “I” here denotes God; the word which God has spoken = the word which is disclosed its mystery = verses explaining one another. Many people think that the word is preached by a man servant of God and it is true but the man is only a mediator, whoever he is.
  A verse, which is the word of God, is explained by another verse, which is the word of God. This is called teaching word, the word which is disclosed its mystery to cleanse our way. We will neither commit nor repeat a sin, but walk in holiness. By this way, the salvation is in our hand / the covering is already permanent and the judgment of God will not touch us.
  Thus, it is important to take heed to the content of the word, whether they are verses of the Bible explaining one another or not.
• A consecration offering
  Consecration signifies ministry. We should not minister carelessly or habitually. For example, a student who has an exam and do it carelessly will fail. Besides, an officer who works carelessly will be dismissed. Such is bad thing in the world, do not do it in ministry!
  Exodus 29:1
  1 "And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish,
  http://gptkk.org/tahbisan-en.php
  Aaron should offer one young bull and two rams to consecrate his children.
  Selling the consecration offering means as follows:
  • Unwillingness to serve God – even if he has received the salvation of God.
  • Not doing the ministry according to the word of God (“Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”)
  • Not continuing, even forsaking the ministry. It is not same with moving/mutation because of job or of God. If the mutation is according to God’s will, there will be an increase. Being unfaithful or leaving the ministry without a right reason, one is selling the consecration offering/Jesus’ sacrifice.
    The consequence is perdition, as the parable of talents in Matthew 25 ‘And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Such happens because the covering is opened.
  There were three kinds of consecration offering as mentioned below:
  1. young bull, which was named atonement offering.
     Exodus 29:14
     14 "But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.
     We must reconcile sins inward and outward before serving God. Flesh is outward and offal is inward. They both shall be burnt means the outward and inward sins have to be reconciled before serving the Lord.
     Colossians 3:5-9
     5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
     6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
     7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
     8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
     9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
     Verse 7 “in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them”, that are the outward sins. Fleshly men having six outward sins were created on the sixth day by God.
     verse 8-9: the six inward sins.
     As long as a man lies, he is dominated by sins outwardly and inwardly. Not lying, one has been reconciled outwardly and inwardly. Students of Lempin-El, do not lie although about little things such as a broken glass. You will get a disadvantage because of lying, i.e. you will not be used by God. Likewise, officers or all people may not lie because lying means sinning inwardly and outwardly.
     Lies are commonly used to lock sins up. Whether our inward and outward are reconciled or ruled by sins can be seen through our honesty.
     Human waste and flesh will gradually stink; they must be burnt, therefore.
     How to burn sins (waste and flesh)? By confessing them with:
     • our heart due to the word (not because the others corner us).
     • honesty, neither adding nor taking away from the reality.
     • bearing a risk
     In such a manner, the Blood of Jesus atones our sins as He cried out on the cross, “It is finished!”
     The late Rev. In Juwono always said: “What will a pastor preach if he does not have peace in his heart?” For example, I will not preach well if I bear one hundred kilograms of sugar, referring to the burden of sins, on my shoulders because I breathe difficulty so the congregation will not understand the word. Likewise, the choir may sing but the congregation may not enjoy listening to the song if the choir sings it with bearing one hundred kilograms of sugar (the burden of sins). In addition, the congregation will complain because the preaching and the song give no blessings. Flowing from that, whether preaching, singing, or playing musical instrument, one has to burn/reconcile his sins first because it is the right ministry.
     Hebrews 13:11-13
     11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
     12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
     13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
     Jesus had been crucified outside the gate because the atonement offering are burnt outside the camp and now we should bear His reproach, which means:
     • willing to make peace
     • willing to burn sins
     It is indeed a reproach for men to confess sin to their own wives and for someone to the others, especially to confess inward sins men cannot see such as jealousy. Jesus has been naked and born reproach in order to forgive our sins and now let us bear His reproach through confessing our sins. In such a manner, we have peace and glory.
     If we serve God without confessing sin, we reproach His Sacrifice although our service seems to be great.
     Now let us do the following things:
     • looking at our consecration: not to repeat sin but to stop sinning.
     • preserving salvation by teaching word.
     • keeping the consecration in righteousness.
  2. first ram, which was named surrender offering.
     We may surrender in full after we are reconciled.
     Exodus 29:15, 18
     15 "You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram;
     18 "And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
     verse 15 “put the hands on the head of the ram” shows a continual contact. That the first ram was entirely burnt on the altar to become sweet smelling aroma before the Lord is to show an act of surrendering, which means as follows:
     • no more self-thoughts
     • no more self-feelings
     • no more self-strength
     • no more self-understandings
     • no more self-truth
     There is no more about “self” because there is no flesh anymore for it is all burnt become smoke. Such man has nothing and does not depend on his own mind, feeling, strength, intelligence, and self-truth, but only Jesus (Philippians 2). That is to say, obedience (surrendering to God in full): the guarantee of success of life and ministry.
     Youth, you have to take heed to this because success comes from obedience. For all of us, success in marriage, job, and ministry also comes from obedience.
     It is easy to surrender if all sins are already confessed. If you fail in ministry, marriage and job, you should look first into yourselves: whether you have confessed all sins or not. All sins must be burnt, primarily inward, for the outward is apparent, but the inward is hidden. If they are not burnt, there will be no peace, no surrender, and no obedience, so that God will not use us in the work of ministry.
  3. second ram, which was named consecration offering.
     Whether God will use us depends on our obedience.
     For illustration, if you have an officer whom you order to type with typewriter but he answers that he wants to write with pen (not with typewriter) or he rejects when you command him to write with pen because he wants to use typewriter, you will be confused. Consequently, you will never command him anymore. Our obedience determines God’s use in us until His second coming (consecration offering).
     Exodus 29:19, 22
     19 "You shall also take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram.
     22 "Also you shall take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
     In former translations of Indonesian Bible, “the right thigh” is mentioned “the right shoulder”.
     What to offer? Fat and the right shoulder.
     • Fat refers to tithe and special offering.
       Leviticus 3:16
       16 ‘and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the LORD’S.
       It is important to offer the Lord’s; otherwise, we will not used and trusted for the ministry.
     • Right shoulder signifies responsibility.
       Students of Lempin-El, you are divided into some groups in order to learn about responsibility that is one character of a servant of God. We have to offer fat and right shoulder not in carelessness because high priest waved them as a wave offering together with bread. If we are reconciled and obedient and we surrender to be used by God with offering fat and right shoulder (responsibility), High Priest will wave us (we are in the embrace of the Lord).
       Exodus 29:23-24
       23 "one loaf of bread, one cake made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD;
       24 "and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and you shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.
       Verse 23 shows an inseparable connection between consecration and doctrine. If the doctrine (the command) is true, the consecration must be true.
       unleavened = pure; leaven = heresies
       verse 24 “put in the hands of Aaron” = carried by the High Priest
       It is wonderful!
       Be you excellent servants carried by the High Priest! He will tremendously guarantee your lives.
       Exodus 29:31-35
       31 "And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place.
       32 "Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
       33 "They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy.
       34 "And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
       35 "Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them.
       Priest, whose consecration is true, lives in the hand of God, not in the hand of the congregation. His life is guaranteed by the consecration offering. Thus, the guarantee of our abundant life comes from the consecration of our ministry. The remain shall be burnt means the thanksgiving as fragrant smoke before God. Seven days you shall consecrate them means we are guaranteed until the time of Jesus’ second coming. Let us become faithful and responsible of our ministry, lest we are rejected before God (‘depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’)
• dove, signifying the Holy Spirit
  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water and the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
  John 16:7
  7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
  “go away” = die on the cross
  The Holy Spirit would have not descended if Jesus had not died on the cross.
  Besides the Holy Spirit, dove signifies sincerity (“be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”). That is to say, Holy Spirit helps us to worship God with a sincere heart. Holy Spirit is a Helper for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought (Romans 8).

Thus, Holy Spirit helps us to pray and worship with a sincere heart, for the prayer of the upright is His delight (Proverbs 15:8). Let us now have salvation, not repeat sin but hold the teaching word so our salvation is permanent. Furthermore, let us live holily and minister the Lord with the consecration offering. We are guaranteed and we must continue it to the peak of consecration that is to say worshiping God. In such a manner, we become a house of prayer. John 2:16 “Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!" Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46 “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”
Jesus whipped all those who bought and sold in the temple. The people symbolize the law-based church trading the Sacrifice of Christ. There was no word and spirit of God, but trade for material advantages. Jesus therefore whipped them and said “My house shall be called a house of prayer? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves?”
If we return to Jesus’ sacrifice, we will be saved, consecrated, secured, and anointed by Holy Spirit until we become the house of prayer.

Here are the results of being a house of prayer:
1 Kings 8:22-23, 29, 33-35, 37
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven;
23 and he said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.
29 "that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there,?that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.
33 "When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple,
34 "then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.
35 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,
37 "When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;

1. we prevail over all temptations and troubles (verse 34)
2. we live by the care of God (verse 35)
3. we are safe from diseases, disasters, and terrorisms (verse 37)
4. we are raised up whenever we fall into sin – only after we confess sin honestly and beg His forgiveness.

Jonah, for example, was disobedient. God had commanded him to go to Nineveh, but he fled to Tarshish. He fled and forsook the ministry, the true doctrine, and the Lord. Then a great fish swallowed him up and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. He should have died. Three days and three nights refers to the Sacrifice of Christ. It means: as long as the Sacrifice of Christ is reserved for us, we may worship God. Do not become law-based church (Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.") but let us exalt Jesus’ sacrifice.

Jonah 1:1-2, 6-7
1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly.
2 And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice.
6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God.
7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.

Verse 1-2 shows the condition of a sinful man: uncomfortable, sorrowful, faint, tearful and heavy-laden. That is the condition of Jonah in the fish’s belly for three days because of his sin. He sank, meaning in decrease. I always check myself when the condition of the congregation decreases because it means I firstly sank in the sea as Jonah. I He needs the Lord’s forgiveness and will surely find it only if he returns to salvation, true consecration (which is according to the word), and sincere worship. The Lord will bring up his life, even to the glorious heavens at the time of His Second Coming.

Do not become law-based church, Christians that have no righteous teaching word and Holy Spirit. Such Christians trade the word and Holy Spirit in order to seek physical advantages. Let us have these things:

• salvation in Jesus’ sacrifice
• true consecration in line with the word of God, not of men
• sincere worship

Confess our condition to Him uprightly although we have been in the bottom of sea and He will lift us up with His hands whose the power of resurrection is.