Law & Grace - Gentiles, Israel & the Church - Part II

Good morning. I was really glad to hear that Katie and Laban were being so biblical by going the extra milo. Sorry about that. Last week we began a six-week insertion into the schedule that we had laid out previously in this Law and Grace series. So these topics we included in last week's handout. We also included a chart. I was a little concerned that it might be a little bit much, but it seems that most were able to absorb it, so that is also available in last week's handout.

So today we'll be moving on to part two of Gentiles, Israel, and the Church. So we'll proceed with that here this morning. We're going to continue with this topic of Gentiles, Israel, and the Church here for a second Sunday. One of the points that we have is that there are three primary groups that the Bible continues to distinguish throughout Scripture, starting with the Gentiles first, and then Israel, and then the Church, and then each of the three groups actually proceeding with that separate identity on into eternity. We could title today's message, where are they and where are you? Because one of the key things we want to make clear today is where does God have each of these three groups positioned? Where is the home for each of these groups here?

And since we'll be taking on these three top priorities in all of real estate, you know, location, location, location. And it's because location matters. Location makes a great deal of difference. And so we'll want to emphasize location as we talk about each of these three groups because they don't all have the same location. Here's the pattern that we want to, that's not the pattern, anyway, here, let's fix it, there we go.

Gentiles, who are all of the non-Jews, once in a while I hear people say, well, what's a Gentile? It's all of the non-Jews. It begun in Adam, so the very first, the very first man is the beginning of the Gentiles. It is an ethnic distinction. His place was and will be even on into eternity, the earth. That is their God-designated place. The Israel, who is all of the Jews, as opposed to Gentiles, non-Jews, begun in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is earthly. But a key point on into eternity is they're the Gentiles' access to God forever.

And we will soon take a look at that in greater detail. We in, and we say we because that's us, we in the body of Christ are a spiritual body. It is no longer one primarily of ethnic distinction. We are composed of ethnic Gentiles and ethnic Jews whose blessings, spiritual location, and citizenship are heavenly in Christ.

Why would we bother making this distinction? I mean, one could say, well, isn't this awfully picky? But there's a reason for us to do that, and as a matter of fact, a very good reason. And there are reasons for us to distinguish between these three groups that impact us now and that will impact us forever.

So there is good reason for us making this emphasis and understanding that we are of the church and not a part of Israel and not a part of the Gentiles. Okay, so you have this slide that says they're off, way off. The Gentiles were the beginning. They were the first of the three groups to start. And I don't recommend you start this way.

The Gentiles, all begun in fallen Adam, had as their primary stewards, and what do we mean by stewards? The ones with whom God made an arrangement of responsibility. The ones with whom God made an arrangement for taking care of certain things on the earth. So you had Adam and Noah were the primary stewards for the Gentiles, especially early on.

There were very few walk with God. As a matter of fact, we have the statement Enoch walked with God before the flood and Noah walked with God. There are also great judgments that are a part of the early times with this group. The fall, that is the time when Adam sinned there in the garden. The flood, the time when God flooded the world and all but eight, Noah and his family, were drowned in the flood. And then finally Babel, which was man's attempt, having one language, man's attempt at building a glory to himself and an advantage supposedly for himself. And then God brought a judgment of all these languages.

Under the founding Gentiles, the earth was the center of their domain and continues to be and will continue to be. But the first thing is the earth was cursed. God told Adam, Adam, because you have sinned, the earth is going to bring forth thistles, right? And you were made of dust, dust you will return. The earth was flooded under these Gentiles, and following the flood the earth was given a rainbow as a sign that God would not ever flood the earth again. The place, the domain of the Gentiles.

Last Sunday's mega chart, this is the one we showed in full earlier, we have just a portion of it here, we said that Gentiles are also called nations and peoples in the Bible. And that's a pattern you'll find primarily in the Old Testament, but also in the New. The Greek Old Testament and the New Testament for Gentiles or nations have the word ethnos. We get our word ethnic or ethnicity, ethnic. All those English words come from the same Greek word. And so those are the words used for Gentiles.

Typical terms in the Bible that were also referred to the Gentiles are nations of the earth. So here's the word nations and Talking about the word earth tells you where are they from? Where is their place earth, right? peoples just similar to what we had before peoples, but now where's their place of the earth and Then finally kings of the earth is another term, and that kings of the earth goes all the way into the last chapter of the Bible, Revelation chapter 22. There's one other less common phrase, and that's judges of the earth, which is similar to this. These terms all underscore that the Gentiles' home, that their designated place, is earth. In this present earth and on into the new heavens and new earth, the earth is their domain.

Now, so for Israel, Hebrews were the Jews. Actually, historically, the first of those three names to come up was Hebrews. And then the next one was Israel, with Jacob being named that. And finally, being called Jews towards the very end of the Old Testament. Abraham and then Isaac and Jacob were promised an earthly land. Moses led the Israelites to it out of the land of Egypt and also giving them the 613 laws of the Old Testament. All the Israelites were to obey the law of Moses, and as they obeyed, they would be blessed.

If they obeyed, they would be blessed in earthly ways. What do we mean by earthly ways? They would be blessed, for example, not having the diseases that the others had. They would be blessed by having crops and flocks that were very fruitful and productive. They would also have the respect of the Gentiles.

The Israelites from the tabernacle in the wilderness, this is the time when they were going from Egypt in towards the land that God had promised all the way back to the time of Abraham. in the tabernacle in the wilderness to four temples in Jerusalem, and we'll go through those. And the New Jerusalem, they are ultimately at the beginning to the end, the access to God for the Gentiles.

Here we have this pattern. Here's the Gentiles initiated in Adam. Israel initiated in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but then given the law and led into their land finally by Moses. And here we have the church begun at Acts chapter 2 called the Day of Pentecost, the second chapter of Acts there being the recording of the beginning day of the church. You have these slides here. I'd like to go through them just so we kind of get this fixed in our minds because it'll be helpful as we look at the next steps.

Before the seven-year tribulation period begins, it has not begun yet, we, we in the church, will be taken up to be with the Lord. That is called the rapture. That term is not used in the Bible. Specifically, but it's a term used to describe the church being taken up to be with the Lord. Okay.

It is only those From the time of Acts chapter 2 the beginning of the church up until that time. That's the church And not before and not afterwards, right? Okay We will be the bride of Christ we Have a place that is heavenly We have a place that is heavenly in the presence of the Lord, to be with the Lord always. Now, when Jesus Christ comes again, now let's think about this, the Lord taking His church up could happen, in fact we might not even finish this service here, right?

Could happen as soon as today. Seven years after that, could be the beginning, then, of the Millennial Kingdom, of Christ's coming back again. So, if the Lord were to come and take us all today, we would be coming back here with Him in resurrected bodies, in new bodies, seven years from now. Wow! But we would be coming back, not in these bodies, all of us in new bodies, as His bride. When he comes again to this earth, his second coming, that will be the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. He will come with angels. He will come with Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints, those who died during the Tribulation, and us.

Here are some artist depictions. This one is more literal in terms of The sword that comes out of Christ's mouth is drawn as if it were coming directly out of his mouth. In fact, the sword that is described in Revelation is not the Roman short sword, but it's a long, five-foot-long battle sword. The Ramphaya is a barbarian battle sword that was swung with the idea of great judgment. Here is another artist's depiction of that, and here yet another.

I think as much as they might try, the reality will be more impressive. Now, the earth will be populated by both ethnic Jews and ethnic Gentiles. Why not us? Because we will all have new bodies, not these. But the earth will be populated by ethnic Jews and Gentiles, with these kinds of bodies that have been saved during and also survived the seven-year tribulation period. Those will go into the time of the Millennial Kingdom and populate the earth. Christ will reign from Jerusalem and specifically there, from Jerusalem as the King of Israel and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords over the Gentiles. We in the church will be there reigning with Christ as his bride.

The new heavens and the new earth and the new Jerusalem will have only resurrected humans, that is, those with new bodies. There will be nobody in the new heavens and new earth, the one that's going to be after this one, with bodies like this. And I'd certainly be glad to get rid of this one.

Now, here's the key. The Israelites from the tabernacle and the wilderness to the four temples in Jerusalem on into the future and in the New Jerusalem are the Gentiles' access. What do I mean by that? when Moses took the Israelites from Egypt out into the wilderness they were out there for 40 years right and he took them up to the edge of the promised land all during that time they had the tabernacle and it was situated like this you also have a slide like this I believe on page two and There was a setup for the tabernacle.

That was a temporary movable temple. And they had a fence around it. Each of the tribes had a place around the tabernacle. And you notice each tribe had a specific place around the tabernacle, three on each side for a total of all 12 tribes. So this was the camp of Israel out in the wilderness. Pictorially, it would look something like this. Here would be this column of smoke during the day and fire by night. And so there would be the tabernacle in the middle. And then the tribes camped around the outside, three tribes assigned specifically to a location on each side.

So this would be the time when Moses was out there with the Israelites out in the wilderness. And if Gentiles wanted to come in and have access to God through the tabernacle, guess where they had to come? They had to come through the Jews. Right? They had to come through the Jews.

King Solomon was the first to build an actual temple there in Jerusalem. He had it built during his reign, and he was the son of David. And so 971 to 931 BC, 40 year period of time, during his reign, the first temple was built. It was the first temple fixed, not the tabernacle where it's temporary. The first fixed temple.

That one was destroyed a few centuries later by the Babylonians, and so it was reconstructed. It was enhanced, if you will, under Herod the Great until the Romans destroyed it in 70 AD. And to this day, there's not been another one reconstructed, but there will be two more reconstructed on the same place.

There will be one during the Tribulation period, which could start soon. And a lot of the equipment to be used inside this Tribulation Temple is sitting there in Jerusalem. And I think we've even got some people here who have seen that. The equipment is already ready. It's waiting. So that will be the next temple. The next one after that will be the one during the Millennial Kingdom, And it's described in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 40 through 48.

And that will be a temple that will be during the reign of Christ. And the sacrifices will be memorial sacrifices. The Jews previously would sacrifice in anticipation of Christ as the Lamb of God. These will be sacrifices done in memory of his sacrifice as the Lamb. Now, during that time, this will describe the relationship between the Gentiles and Israel during Christ's reign on earth, which could start as soon as seven years from now.

Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my standard to the peoples, and they will bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. Kings will be your guardians, and their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick the dust of your feet. In other words, they will be servants. The greatest among the Gentiles will be servants to the Jews. The Jews will be thought very highly of. And you will know that I am the Lord. Those who hopefully wait for me, that is, wait for me in hope, will not be put to shame.

This is the description of how the Gentiles will treat the Israelites during this coming millennial reign, which could start as soon as seven years from now. Here's another one of Zechariah 8, 20 through 23. And we see this pattern of peoples and nations in reference to a Jew in this passage. And it goes like this.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, it will yet be that peoples will come. Even the inhabitants of many cities, the inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts, and I will go also. So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew. saying, let us go with you for we have heard that God is with you.

Isn't that amazing? Wow! Look, a Jew! Hey, can you please take us? Man, we would love it if you would take us to go see the Messiah. Would you please do that? We would be so delighted. We'll pay your way. Would you please take us there? Yeah, that'll be the way it will be. God is with you. That's pretty amazing, isn't it? Might even include congressmen. Who knows? Okay.

When Jesus reigns, the people of Israel will be highly regarded because Christ will be highly regarded. When Christ reigns the nations, that is, the Gentiles, the non-Jews, will truly uphold and support and even regard highly the people of Israel. We don't have a passage on it, but when we were going through Isaiah, the Gentiles will even come and volunteer for the Jews.

Hey, can we watch your flocks? Can we tend your orchards? Can we please come and take care of your roads and watch everything? And we'll do that because we just would love to do that. Won't that be amazing? Won't that be amazing to have somebody from Egypt or Saudi Arabia or Iran come and say, boy, I would just love to take care of your land so that you can go ahead and tend to the Messiah? That'll be amazing, won't it?

This is an aspect of the Gentiles part of filling God's eternal purpose. What's God's eternal purpose? To declare and reveal and share his glory so that he will be glorified. The Lord has seen fit to set saved Jews and Gentiles and us in the church in different relationship with himself. Will the Gentiles be so delighted to go see the Messiah of the Jews? Yes! They will be just ecstatic. Look, a Jew! Take us to the Messiah! They will be ecstatic and the Jews will be... I will be glad to take you to see the Messiah. And we, in the body of Christ, will be with Him as His bride forever.

A different role for each. Is each group just as happy as can be to take the role God's given them? Yes! So, here in this coming time, there will be this new heavens and new earth. It will be the end of this present heavens and earth. It's very nice for us to be able to meet in this room. I'm very glad that we have it. But there will come a time when it will all end. Everything that we stand on and count as secure will all be gone. And God will create a new heavens and a new earth.

The center of which will be the New Jerusalem. That is the place that we will be with the Lord. The New Jerusalem will have 12 gates. three on each side and one for each of the twelve tribes. And the Gentiles who live on the earth will get into the New Jerusalem how? Through Israel. The Gentiles will still come through Israel just like it was way back the time of the tabernacle out in the desert. Forever they will come through Israel.

It says that at each of these twelve gates there will be a pearl for a gate, not that the gates are closed. And each of the gates will be marked by a stone that matches the stones for each of the tribes of Israel that was on the breastplate of the high priest. The tribes will still be remembered on into eternity. Isn't that interesting?

Just as Israel once became the means of access to God for the Gentiles, the Gentiles will have their access to God through Israel both in the coming earthly kingdom on this present earth and in the new heavens and the new earth. The tribes of Israel will serve as the gates into the New Jerusalem, each tribe pictured by precious stones, the precious stone matching that was on the breastplate of the high priest. And those stones had the names of each of the tribes written in Hebrew on them.

The kings of the earth, Revelation chapter 20, will bring the glory of nations into the New Jerusalem. The kings of the earth is a phrase for the Gentiles and those will be the leaders of the Gentiles. There will be kings and leaders of the Gentiles on into the new Jerusalem where there is no flaw, there is no evil, there is no mourning, crying or pain, but those Gentiles will continue on into eternity to have that role with a place on earth and they will be delighted. to do so. But we in the church, the body of Christ, have a different location and standing now and forever.

A different one from the Gentiles or Israel. The Gentiles are those, as we had in last week's chart, among the nations is a common phrase in the Old Testament particularly. All those in Israel, in Israel is another common phrase in the Old Testament, We're baptized in Moses. First Corinthians chapter 10 says that Israel was baptized into Moses.

But only the church was baptized into Christ. That is, those from the day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts chapter 2, until the time when the Lord takes His church home, the day we call the rapture. Only those are made to be in Christ, and we are in Christ by God's doing.

1 Corinthians 1.30 By God's doing we are in Christ Jesus. God will accomplish it all by grace.

What did you do to be in Christ? Nothing. All you did was believe. And what you believed in was not anything you did but all in His works and His accomplishment. Right? The five ways in which we are joined with Christ and with us seated in the heavenlies and only those in the church Get that seating. Not the Gentiles, not Israel. There in the heavenlies, in Christ, is where we are blessed. Not if, but we most certainly are. We are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Ephesians 1.3. There in the heavenlies, Not here. The Gentiles place is here. Israel has the land here. We are already blessed there. And we're not waiting to get blessed there. We are blessed there now. There in the heavenly sin Christ is where we are now seated with Him. Now seated with Him.

There in the heavenlies in Christ is where we have our citizenship. The pattern in biblical times was there was a book of life. The book of life was the list of living citizens. Living citizens of a city. Well, heaven is the place where we have our listing. As being in the book of life, that list of living citizens. We're already there. That's where we have our citizenship. And we're not waiting for it. We have it now.

There in the heavenlies is where we breathe in pure grace. Last week I said this is pure, unadulterated, pedal to the metal, full on, full out grace. not mini grace, not just enough grace, not wimpy skimpy grace, not just adequate grace, full on, full out, complete, total grace, and nothing but. The grace is of such a magnitude that God will be showing it to us in graphic demonstration on into the rolling ages of eternity. He will be showing us His grace.

It won't be like, you know, hey, we've got a halftime show here, you know? No, not like that. We won't be saying that this grace stuff is okay, but when are we going to have a coffee break? You know? I'm getting kind of tired of sitting here. I need to stand up. I'm tingling in weird places. No, none of that. None of that. It will be on into rolling ages.

We will be in awe. of the grace that he will demonstrate to us. He will show us grace. We're just barely scratching the surface of grace here. And the reason I can say that is because if God's going to demonstrate it to us on into the rolling ages to come, there's no way we could do anything but barely scratch the surface of how awesome grace is. Isn't that great? Here's the expanded and explained that Courtney read for us. I'd like to finish with it as well. It's the last slide on page two.

But the one true God being wealthy in mercy. You think of wealth. God's not just got a fair amount. He's wealthy in it. He is astoundingly wealthy. so as to withhold punishment that was justly due us, because of his great love with which he loved us." Not just some love, not just, yeah, he kind of loved us a little. His great love with which he loved us.

And by the way, there's some things I want to underscore. THE one true God, I put that in there because the original language, the Greek, has a definite article, THE. And it's because in Ephesus, the pagans had all kinds of gods. All sorts. Different ones. And he says, no, none of those. This one.

And none of the pagan gods loved you. They didn't care about you. You hoped to get their attention and make a deal with them. Hey, if I give you some meat and offer it at the temple, will you do this for me? You're making bargains. This god loves you. which the pagan gods never did.

Even when we were dead, spiritually separated from God in our transgressions, He made us alive together with Christ. We were united with Christ in His resurrection. And it's THE Christ, THE Messiah. By grace, which is God's unmerited favor, you have been permanently and irreversibly saved. That word saved means permanently saved.

Okay? There's no whoops! Right? no whoopsing here, and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, the full and final consequence of having been baptized into Him, so that, here's the so that, so that in the ages to come, age after age after age to come, He will show so as to visibly demonstrate the awesome wealth of His grace. Not just a little bit of grace, just enough, just a tiny amount, no. Awesome wealth of grace and kindness to us who are in Christ Jesus.

That's going to go on forever. So don't need to worry about what you're going to do when you get to heaven. It's not your problem. It's what God's going to do. He's going to be showing us, demonstrating His grace on into the rolling ages of eternity. It's that great. That's fantastic. Let's pray. Let's thank Him for that. Lord, we thank You as we look at this.

We see You have important distinctions between what You're doing with the Gentiles who were saved and those Israelites who were saved by faith. as well as looking at us in the church. And the three different groups have different relationships with Jesus Christ. And yet, and yet they're in harmony. It's like a song with harmonious notes alongside the melody. And Lord, we thank you for what you are doing and have done and will do on into the rolling ages of eternity. It's just awesome to think about. We thank you in Jesus name. Amen.