The Position & Possessions of the Believer # 27 (Lesson 28)
Mike Doyle · Apr 22, 2007
Identification (2006-07), No. 29
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926024445063

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Okay, where'd we stop off last week? For those who weren't here, we're in Lesson 27, right? What question were we on? Seven. Did we finish that? Maybe set this up. We're dealing with the positions and possessions of the believer. And number, according to the Chafer's list, it's number 26 entitled, A Heavenly Association.

And under the verses that were given, he started with Ephesians 2.6 and then he goes and talks about, we're partners with Christ in life, partners with Christ in position, partners with Christ in service, and partners with Christ in suffering and we had talked last week about how the life in service works in terms of being an ambassador for Christ and kind of what that's about. We're starting into the last part of this is going to be about suffering.

2 Timothy 2.12 says, If we suffer, we shall reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. So my question was, is it possible for a believer to deny Christ? And the second part of that question, what are the consequences?

So the first question is real easy. You get a 50-50 chance of getting it right. It's either yes or no. What do you think? Very equal. I already told you, didn't I? No. You can't. No. So what happens? Take the... I'm not going to chase that down. Tell me why no. Or maybe you don't think it's enough.

What is the definition of deny? It means turn your back on Christ and walk away from him. Become unfaithful. Does that mean you assert that you no longer believe? Is that the point? I'm not so sure it means that. The word deny just means to kind of turn your back, walk away.

It doesn't have to do with position and condition. Absolutely. And positionally you can never deny him. And why not? Well my point is why wouldn't Christ deny you? That's the big question. I mean I'm capable of most anything, I think. If I'm functioning in Adam, I can do you name it. But why wouldn't Christ deny me? goes against him. He can't deny himself. Yeah, he can't deny himself.

So we are positioned in him, right, for eternity. I think it's important, it's a good verse to drive home the fact that God, once you're placed in Christ, God wouldn't deny you because he'd be denying himself. The union that we have with the resurrected glorified Christ is such that It can't be severed because it's a union created by him. And it's really not such a difficult viewpoint when you think about it.

When you sin, what do you do? You deny Christ's work, don't you? You turn your back on all the grace that God has extended to you. So restoration has to do with putting you back into your position from his perspective. For confession means to say the same thing.

William Kelly says that God would cease to be God if he acquiesced in the dishonor of his son. The believer bows and believes, adores and serves. The unbeliever and the denier, if possible, yet more, may insult now, but both must before long honor him and judge him. that all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father.

John 5.23. You alright with that? I don't want to chase that rabbit much, Father. You look at me like that, that means you got a question. Question 8.

What does it mean to suffer for his sake and is it a privilege? The verse is Philippians 1.29. For unto you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. So what does it mean to suffer for His sake?

Not looking to the world for satisfaction. Not looking to the world for satisfaction? Okay. Somebody else? Well, Christians suffer, not necessarily for Christ's sake, but the suffering that they do that's related to their service for Christ. I think they can suffer in those ways. I mean, I guess the extreme way to go is persecution. You know, severe persecution. But there are other kinds of suffering that Christians can suffer, not related, don't you think, to necessarily because they belong to Christ, although you can use it for that.

I think yes, I think that's right. If you spend any time reading the Gospels, you're going to find that in the study of the Lord Jesus' life, that as long as the Jews thought that he was the, suspicion that he was the Messiah, as they perceived the Messiah to be, who was going to be a guy who was going to come in and take over, and they were going to be in charge. Then they were a big fan of his.

But when it got down to when it didn't look like that was going to happen, and he gets crucified, most all of them abandoned him. And the group that really were his biggest detractors were who? What group? Who were the ones that were really not his dearest fans?

The Pharisees. The Pharisees. And who were those guys? Oh yeah, those religious guys, you got to watch out for them. Them religious guys, you got to watch out for them. Why were they so upset about the Lord Jesus? Because he was going to take over and mess up their whole system? Is that what they feared? Partly.

But what is it about Christ that is so offensive? They taught the law and everything under the law. When he came, he taught the opposite. He taught grace. So they resented the fact that he was here to take away their whole system. Just like that's it. They also claimed to be God. Claimed to be God. That didn't sit too well with them.

But grace, especially when it comes to, if we suffer, for Christ's sake, I think grace is the issue. And I think you're going to get it worse within a legalistic Christian environment than you'll get in any place else. Because the world doesn't care. Do they care? Not really. But if you're a gracious person within the confines of most Christian environments, you're going to suffer. And it isn't going to be, I mean they're not going to take you out behind a building and bounce rocks off your head. The suffering is going to be rejection and those kinds of things. And it's hard, I think. In Timothy, there's a discussion about suffering outside the camp. Anybody want to tell me what the camp was? And where to join in his sufferings outside the camp? You know what the camp was? The camp was the Jewish system. It was the Jewish system. So, the Lord Jesus, what's interesting about him, fulfilling the law by dying, still, he was outside the camp, and he was crucified outside the city.

Here's another way too, and this is kind of the personal way, I think. As a believer grows in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, what happens is that their priorities begin to change, and they don't Ascribe, or they put it this way, they ascribe less and less and less to the world's value system. And because of that, there's a battle of conscience that goes on within a believer about things and stuff. And there's a suffering there. as the Lord means us, because we're not of this world. And because we're two nature people, we have the nature that is at home and loves this world, and then we're new creatures in Christ.

You know, the spirit and the flesh are at odds with one another. That's me. That's me. The spirit and the flesh are at odds with one another, so that we can't do what we would do. So there's suffering there. Now, have we been foreordained to suffer? I'm going to think, yeah, we have been. And how come? Because God says so. Okay, God says so. God in his wisdom has ordained our trials. The nature of the life. Is it just the nature of the life? Part of his nature.

So why would he do it? Draws closer to him. OK. Yeah. I think he sends trials exactly fitted for us. You know, he's not going to give me the same trials he gives Mike and vice versa. You know, and mine are always going to look much bigger. I look at Mike's. And I think, I can handle those no problem, but I can't handle my own. Our Father knows exactly what best serves us, better than we do. And so He serves us by trials and by comforts. Now, link this up.

What's the benefit of the believer's suffering? Why does he suffer? So we can enter into the fellowship. The fellowship of the sufferings, and so what good does that do? There's a oneness there, created. Question 10, I've quoted Romans 8, 18, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. So why do we suffer?

It perfects us in Him. Perfects us in Him. And for what other purpose? To glorify Him. And another purpose? The purpose is His image. So we're conformed, we're perfected, and now what? What are we going to do? We can comfort others with the same comfort that we receive.

There's a suitability created in a believer's life through his sufferings, and he is much better able to comfort others because he's been comforted of the Lord. He knows what that's like. He knows that He can sit there, so one of the guys I read says, you've probably heard this before, let us remember that our trials are few, our evil ways are many, our worthiness nothing, our comfort is great. When God tries us, let us consider how we've been trying Him. By grace, we will not murmur, but humble ourselves under a mighty hand, and He will exalt us in due time. So let's say that you're the recipient of that, and now you understand and you rest. So, the guy sitting next to you is suffering. How can you help him? How can you help him? Share your experience. Share your experience?

But, I mean, don't you think it's important to be able to walk up to somebody, or interact with them, engage in a conversation with somebody, just to tell them that, hey, you're not outside the purview of God's will. He has a specific purpose for you. You haven't been sent anything that you can't handle, that God will use to cause you to grow. This is not a surprise. This is not something that is going to cause you destruction. This is of the Lord, and you can rest in the fact that He knows well what He's doing.

And if you know and believe that because you've been down that road, you're a comfort to somebody else. Are you not? Or are you? So if you're a guy who's never suffered, what good are you? That's what I like to refer to. Don't come talk to me if you've never suffered. So, it's very difficult for the person who's suffering to understand why. And maybe the person who has been comforted can explain why. It's helpful to us to know why, and to know what God is doing, especially for younger believers.

What does Paul mean in Colossians 1.24, when he says, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of his body, which is a church, in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions. What does filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions mean? Kind of a weird verse, isn't it? Would you choose such a thing? What does that mean? was lacking in Christ's afflictions. I didn't think he lacked in anything. What do you think? I'll read what I wrote down.

He means living, weeping, suffering, loving with infinite patience, infinite tenderness, unwarying love for every member of the body of Christ. It means the whole being bound up, not in our own progress, but in the progress of the body of Christ. It means sinking all the personal elements into the service of God, wanting neither credit nor notice nor recognition. It means an utter dropping of yourself and a handling over of yourself to God to be poured out for His body's sake, the Church.

That's what it means. And because the Church is an ongoing organism with servants, conformed to the image of Christ, serving in the body of Christ, is exactly Him. And it's the filling up of the sufferings. In other words, it continues on because the body continues on. Does that make sense? No? Not clear? Is that okay?

Any of you who have been involved in the service of the Lord, is there suffering involved in that? That have to do specifically with dealing with the other members of the body? Is there suffering involved in that? Is there patience required? Is there tenderness, unwearying love for every member of the body? Is that required?

Well, where does that come from? It's interesting that the Word of God, especially in Paul's epistle, says, death works in us so that there might be life in you. Boy, if they had given me that in the job application, I think I might have thought about it. Will you choose the path of death so that others may have life? Would you do that?

Not out of your flesh you wouldn't. Would you choose to fill up the afflictions of Christ for his bride's sake? That's really what it means. Would you suffer for the benefit of the body of Christ? Would you do that? And the point is that you're not going to get very far or do very well with that outside of conformity to Christ. It's his life that is patient, and suffers, and is tender, and is loving.

See that? And so you share in that the effluence of Christ serving in the body. And you know what? Everybody in this room is a servant of some kind or another. Everybody is. All right. Questions? I'm done with that section. Any questions? It gets quiet around here when we talk about suffering. How come? How come it gets so quiet when we talk about suffering?

One of the benefits without the effort. One of the benefits without the pain, right? I think that's one reason why you find so much in Paul's epistles. He so emphasizes focus on the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because when the focus is there, the circumstances matter a lot less. Do you see that? If you don't think about... At some point later you think, oh, there was some suffering involved there, but I wouldn't...

Because we want the pain without the benefits. We want the benefit without the pain. Yeah. But with me, all I've got is pain. I need the benefits. And with me, you know, it's more... There's the suffering, and I need the Lord. I need to know Him more. That's good. That's really good. I mean, is it not important to know that that's the need? Yeah, but the need seems like... Seems like the more I try, the worse it gets. Just making what Courtney's always saying. We need to just rest, not try. Yeah, tell the old man that. Just read Romans 6 to them like Mike says.

You know, it's interesting. I've thought for a couple of months now, as we're going through the 34 things we have, positions and possessions we have in Christ, Lewis Barry Chafer said if you believed just one of those, and took it and owned it, just one of them, it would change your whole life. So, here we are every Sunday, going through one or two at a time, right? And we're going through, asking questions about them, and looking at the verses that they pertain to. But do you walk out of here owning them?

I think believing is more than what we think it is. You know, it's not positive thinking. There's all sorts of principles involved. like Miles talks about time, and God knows what he's doing, and there's patience, all the fruits of the Spirit. He's going to do it when he's ready, not when I'm ready, you know. What's interesting about that, Mike, you know, we were on Thursday night, we were talking about the essence of faith, out of Hebrews 11, and what it is. And we, using Helmer Loy's piece of his teaching on faith, and faith in its essence is the very substance and proof of the things of God.

That's what it is. You can't see them. You know, physically you can't see them. But here we go with God's things, who is Christ himself. And the 34 things we've been talking about are the things of God. And what faith does, it proves them to me to be true. The very essence of what faith does and is, is the things of God are in fact true. It's the substance, the substance of the things of God. And hope is a certainty. It's not a wish, it's a certainty. And there isn't anything in these 34 things that we're talking about that aren't true of everyone in this room.

So the question has to be asked, well how come I don't live a month by month? Would the answer be because I don't believe God? Would that be the answer? What do you think? Or is it because I don't understand Him? Or is it because there's just too much? Or am I more focused on the circumstances of my life than I am what God says it's so? Which is it? What do you think? What's that?

So this is going on all the time, isn't it? There's this apprehension of these wonderful truths and facts that are true of us. And our faith is growing in that, but at the same time, good old Adam is trying to keep us from going there in the circumstances of our life and everyday getting out of bed and hitting the bricks in the morning and going through whatever. I think it takes, one of the reasons it takes such a long time to rest, as Courtney likes to say, is because you have to kind of go down the road of unrest and learn that there is rest in the truths and the facts. And not only that, James says he's a double-minded man. He's unstable. He's unstable, he is.

So, you know what's interesting about all this? The Lord knows all that when we start. He knows what we're about way better than we do. And all of the nuances of our life are orchestrated by Him to do what? To conform us to Christ. So we can be a usable servant. And a usable servant functions from the position of rest.

It doesn't mean that circumstances get any less. As a matter of fact, they probably get more. But your reaction to them, circumstantially, become less. I was intrigued by... Wednesday I went up with Bruce to this frontier school of the Bible. And there's some people up there that lives totally by faith. There's 200 plus students up there and 11 faculty. None of them gets a salary, not a single one. Nobody gets paid. And I was intrigued that, well, you know, somebody's going to be a little angst about that. No, they weren't. No, they weren't.

And they're not these super high-powered men and women of faith, just believers like the rest of us, who the Lord has brought them to this point. And do they suffer? I would say their lives are pretty tough, because they have to work. And plus they have this ministry as professors and teachers and instructors in the school and all the support staff.

They don't get paid either. Not a dime. They're all missionaries. Every single one of them. Well, that's kind of neat to see that there's a group of believers who do live by faith. It doesn't mean they don't go to work in the morning. They do. It doesn't mean they don't struggle and strive. I'm not sure I can live in a green Wyoming.

So anyway, the circumstances of people's lives, if the focus is on the circumstances, there's angst. If the focus is on the Lord Jesus and what is true of you in Him, there's a rest, even though the circumstances may never change. Alright, lesson 28. This is number 27, which is entitled Heavenly Citizen. Now, as we go through this, we're talking about you. The Word of God here is talking about you being a heavenly citizen. When do you get to be one? When do you get to actually be a heavenly citizen? Instantly. Instantly the minute you're saved.

So my first question was, what does it mean to be a citizen? Just to be a citizen? What's it mean? You're all citizens of Colorado, United States of America, whatever town you live in. What does it mean to be a citizen? That's where your residence is, like where you live. Where you live? The word is... Polis means a place or a town. And Arrhenius means heavenly or the heavens. So the place you're from is where? And I was born in Iowa. How come I'm a heavenly citizen? How come? Because you were taken out of Iowa and put in heaven and heavens. Okay.

Philippians 3.20 for our citizenship or our conversation. or our behavior is in heaven, whence also we wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Alright, how many of you believe this? I'm not from Parker, I'm from heaven. So then describe to me, since you all believe this and know that you're a citizen from heaven, describe what a citizen from heaven is. What is that animal?

Ephesians 2.19, so then, we are no more strangers and sojourners, but we are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God. We are in this world, we are not of it. So what is it?

Explain to me what a citizen, describe the citizen from heaven. First thing, he's born from man. Okay? You mean they all wear white clothes? What is that citizen from heaven? What is it? I mean we get an awful lot of commands in the Bible to conduct ourselves as heavenly citizens. Peter says conduct yourselves properly, honorably, righteously among the Gentiles. That's what?

Well we like to call ourselves Christians. Well how about if you looked at it rather than calling yourself a Christian, Let's say that now, your frame of reference is, I have to conduct myself as though I'm a heavenly citizen. Is that our position, whether we carry it out in our condition or not?

That's right. That's right. I mean, if you go to a foreign country, trust me, they know you're an American. Right? In most cases. When you go out in your daily sphere of influence, do they know you're from heaven? By watching him? Can they tell? So tell me, what does this citizen from heaven look like? Describe one. Does he have a name tag that says, I am heavenly? How do you know? What is this person like? He'd be like Christ. He'd be like Christ. Okay. Now. Like Christ now. And so, what do they look like? What is it about them that would make them distinguishable from anybody else around them? Not what they look like. It's who they are. It's behavior. Certainly.

I mean, I have my friend Rico's up here from Mexico. You know, he's instantly identifiable because when I talk to him, he speaks back in Spanish. Hey, you're not from around here. It's getting to where we'd be if you don't speak Spanish. Hey, you're not from around here. That's right. But he has certain characteristics about this man that even without the language you would know. You could tell.

His culture is different. The way he behaves in certain instances is different. He's a gentleman, a very proud man. And yet I bet he hasn't made over 10 grand a year in his whole life and he's 69 years old. And he still works and he's happy to be working. He says to me, Michael, I'm very happy. I'm very happy. Because he's working, 69 years old.

Crystal was taking him home the other day after he'd been tiling all day long. She asked him if he was tired, and his response was, no, I like my work. So there's a characteristic about this man, characteristic of Ricon, not all Mexican citizens are like him.

But what's characteristic about a heavenly man or woman? They reflect God's glory. That's right. They reflect His glory. They manifest the fruit of the Spirit. Those kinds of things. And that's detectable. That's detectable. They like their work. Because they're working heartily under the Lord.

They don't seem to be as influenced by the circumstances around them that people around them seem to be sometimes. You know, they have a, as Maloy used to say, that there's a hope about them that people can see. There's a, if you're an epistle of Christ, it's for men to read. Yeah, but a lot of times people don't like that. It doesn't matter whether they like it.

Sometimes they may get fired, or... Well, then you go back to suffering. Right, and then it's... Right. No fair complaining. Right. Mike, when you have the piece that asks this understanding, people can see that. Yes, they can. They really can. People see that. And we have to do with a sovereign God, and we're his sons, right? And so he has called us to use us in a world to manifest his own glory.

Well you have to expect that he's going to do that because he says he's doing it. So when someone comes up to you and not in this language but says, I don't know what it is about you but I'd like to know more about it. It wasn't because you were being pious. It's because the life of the Lord Jesus was being manifested through you by the Spirit of God. and he was drawing somebody to his son, you happen to be the vessel or the conduit. So being one of these epistles of Christ for all men to read. You know what's great about an epistle?

It's non-verbal. If I send you an email, you don't hear my voice. If I send you a letter and you read it, you don't hear my voice, you read the letter. If I'm walking around or you're walking around in your epistle of Christ, you're not talking, you're not doing this, you're just living. So these heavenly citizens, they live this life enabled by the Spirit of God and guess what? People can see it.

The Lord Jesus said in John 17 that the Father would love us as He loved us, as He and the Father loved each other. And for what purpose? That the world might know that the Father sent a Son. How is the world going to know that the Father sent a Son if the world can see the love of God in us?

How would that carry out? Because that love wouldn't be there without that event taking place. It wouldn't be there. So, why are we waiting for the Savior if we are already citizens? Because He is going to take us home. He is going to take us home. Guess what? The verse says that we are soldiers and strangers. We are not from around here. We will know the power of his resurrection when our own physical bodies are changed at the Lord's return. Romans 8-11.

And you know what's interesting? How many believers, and this happens to me all the time, how many believers during the course of the week in some sort of a conversation they'll say something to the effect, well I hope the rapture happens this afternoon. All believers think like that don't they? Don't they think it would be nice if it would be How about 941? 30 seconds, I'm ready. You know, kind of thing.

We know we're not from around here. We know that this isn't our home. We can't wait to get home. There's a hope and an expectancy in an informed believer's life about their home and wanting to go home. And next to that, there's the viewpoint that I'm only here for a while for the Lord to do what he wants to do through me, and when he's done, how much time will he carry before he takes you home?

Let's say that at 10 o'clock this morning, I'm done. You're out of here. Instantly. You know why? You've served his purpose. Well, even greater than that. Why? I've served his purpose. I'm done. But why wouldn't he say, well, I'll get to you on Tuesday? Because he wants you now. He wants you now. He wants you home with him right now.

And the only reason we're still here is because he's not done using us. That's the only reason. Otherwise we'd all be out of here. Love requires intimacy and association. And God is not about the business of leaving you around because you haven't been too cool of a Christian this week, or maybe he's dreaming up some more for you to do, or you didn't measure up, or whatever you're thinking, the minute you're done, you're gone.

Here's another reason why. Why are we waiting for the Savior? And that's because he left that sin nature in us. And that's That gives us a reason to wait, an expected hope, a free promise. Yeah, that actually does increase the desire to be home, because you know the minute you leave here, all that is of him gets left behind. Or just in response to what Mike said, that may be true in terms of how it affects us. It's not true in how he wants us home and what he has for us. That's right. That's right.

So, keeping that in mind now, what is the household of God? Our citizenship is in heaven, so what is the household of God? Please don't give me the mansions on the Golden Street. Where has this household gone? What is it? Let me ask it a different way. Where is our abiding place? Alright, I'll give you two choices. I'll give you two choices. Is it a place or is it a person? Yeah, it's a person.

Our abiding, our risen Lord Jesus is the abiding place and the environment of our new nature and of who we are and in that life that we walk. So, the household of God, granted we're persons and we have bodies and place is important, but from a spiritual standpoint, our place is in Christ only. That's where the household of God is. So what does it mean to be a sojourner and a stranger?

Well, we're just temporary here. Okay. Which one does that fit? That's the sojourner. Okay. The stranger is the person that's in a place that he doesn't belong. Okay. That's the dictionary definition. The word for sojourner in the Greek means that you're a guest. That's what it implies, that you're just a guest. And the word for stranger means that you're an alien resident, is maybe the best way to say it.

You've got a home nearby, but you're not from here. Again, back to my friend Rico. My friend Rico went to buy a home in Denver and live here, but he's still not from here. And he's hanging out for a while, he's got a house here, but he's not from here. He's from Chihuahua, that's where his home is.

So here I am, here you are, on this planet, and you're a soldier and a stranger. You're here as a guest. You're not from around here. You may have bought a home, but you're still not from here. This isn't your home. Let me put it another way. The earth itself is not your home. There isn't anything here that will satisfy or contribute to where you are. Okay, question six, and now we're in Hebrews 12, 18-22. And maybe we ought to read that because it's kind of interesting. Let's go to that. Whoever gets here first can read. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 18-22.

For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched, and to a blazing fire, and to darkness, and gloom, and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words which was such those that even those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them, for they could not bear the command that if even a beast touches the mountain it will be stolen.

And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I am full of fear and trembling. For you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the myriads of the angels." Okay, so the writer of Hebrews is writing Hebrew who had become Christians, or had become believers. And he uses the example of these two mountains, Sinai and Zion, as examples to show or contrast to the Jewish mind, and believe it or not, we think a little Jewish ourselves, to contrast the difference in these two mountains. Now, isn't it interesting, those verses talk about, here's the significance of Sinai, law, fear, fire, blackness, tempest, condemnation. And Zion is the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of life. Now, if you've done any sort of cursory study about Mount Sinai, you couldn't even touch the mountain where you died. And because that's where God was. So, what does Sinai relate to in our life? Sinai equals Judaism, yeah, but what? What is it really? The law. The law system. So most of us know that we're not under the law as summarized in the Ten Commandments. We're in much trouble with that. Yet why do we continue to labor under the principle of law?

There's a certain comfort in what you know. That's true. That creation thrives on his righteousness. Say that again? Adam, the first, tries to justify himself before God. Okay, now I get it. You know, back to the basic premise we've been talking about. We're citizens of heaven. We are who God says we are.

If you have what I would call Sinai mentality, then you have, you think to some degree your blessings depend in some way upon yourself. Right? Because that's the Sinai viewpoint. You're under that shadow. We seek to attain rather than just obtain. Okay?

So, That mentality is so ingrained in us, that when grace first appears, we don't understand it, we don't recognize it, and we're actually fearful of it, because we are so familiar with fear, fire, blackness, temperance, condemnation, that that's, as Bruce says, that's what we're comfortable with. But then we're brought to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the place of grace, We don't know anything about that. And it scares us. In our whole life, in our whole existence up until the time we enter into Christ is based on my trying to do something to get God either to bless me or to keep him from condemning me. Right? Well, you become a believer and you use this example You've been taken to the City of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem. So where is this Mount Zion, the City of the Living God?

How do you get there? Where is this place? You're from there, that's... Okay, I'm from there, but gee, how do I get home? I don't have my GPS with me. I can't find it. Where is it? This is your GPS right here. That's right. Where is this place? Where is this, to use the best example, Mount Zion? The City of the Living God. Where is it?

That's Christ, isn't it? What's that? Christ. It's Christ. And where is Christ? In me. In the heavenlies. He's in you, but he's in the heavenlies, isn't he? You're in him. So, in this location, it's interesting, are there other creatures there? Anybody know where they are? He just lists quite a few of them. There's the general heavenly gathering. of the innumerable company of the angels. So they're there. There's these creatures called angels that are hanging out there.

There's the church of the firstborn. Who are they? Jews? The Jews? That's us. Christ is there. God, the judge of all, is there. And then the spirits of just men made perfect. Who are those guys? I don't like those guys. Who are those guys? Are they the same as the church of the firstborn? No, they're not. Who are they? The Old Testament believers. They're saints that are saved, but not in the body of Christ. They're Old Testament saints.

Then there's this person, Jesus Christ, who is termed the mediator of the new covenant. And there's another interesting thing there called the blood of the sprinkling. Why would that have to be there? Because it's the righteous and everlasting basis of all the blessings that are there and are to come. It's the blood of Christ.

So this is a very interesting place to hang out. John last night went to a There's a name for it, but a girl in her class, she's from Nicaragua, and she turned 15. If you know anything about the Mexican culture, when you turn 15, that's a big deal. So they had this really cool formal party for her last night, 250 people.

So John got to go. He's sitting in this... So when he got home, I said, well, who was there? So he starts listening. So it's important for us to know, when you get home from the party, who is there? Who is there right now? And, interesting, is that where you are? Is that where you're from? Well, you ought to know who's there then. You ought to know who attends.

What is the significance of our names being written in heaven? Well, if I go down to the city and county of Denver and I look up your name, and your name is written in their books, what does it say about you? That you belong there. That you belong there. You're a citizen. It's significant, I think, for that point alone. Your name's written in heaven. You must be a citizen then.

Is that the same as the Lamb's Book of Life, that we're written, and then you're erased if you aren't a Christian? Is that the same as the Lamb's Book of Life where it sounds like everybody is there and if you aren't a Christian your name is taken out?

That's what Hal Malloy believed. He believed sincerely that everybody's name is written in that book and that through their life they erase it. Through their death they erase it. Through their lack of faith. When they die, once they die if they haven't received Christ then Their name is taken out at their death. I think I'm talking about the all-encompassing, especially for the believers. My name was written in the book of the Lamb before I ever showed up on the planet. So yeah, your name is there. Now, one last point.

If you looked at Luke 10, it was a very interesting verse. Luke 10.20 says, and Jesus is speaking to his disciples, and he had sent the 70 out to minister, and they had come back, and he says to them, nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, and this is, he's given them all kinds of powers to do stuff. He said, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Why would he say to them, don't rejoice in all this power I've given you? Why would he say that to them?

So rest. Now think about it. The Lord Jesus comes to you guys and says, look, I'm going to give you power. Man, you're going to have power over all the spirits, so go out two by two, do your thing, and come back. And he says, don't think that's a big deal. Don't rejoice in that. I would be rejoicing like crazy. Why does he say don't rejoice in that?

Because that's an earthly thing. There you go. That's right. That's an earthly thing. And they were to be at some point in the future heavenly men and not earthly creatures anymore. And the rejoicing is to be in the heavenly things and not in the earthly powers. That's close.

Father, how we thank you for your word, and we thank you for the position and the possessions we have in your son, who is a glorified father. And our understanding is to be clear about who we are, where we are, and what we have, and that we would rest and abide there so that your glory might be manifested to the world and to those who withdraw into your son. Thank you, we pray.