The Old Testament Church

4/16/23

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Sermon Transcript

The topic of our lesson tonight is the Old Testament Church. The Old Testament Church. And with that as our title, some might respond, “Why are you looking in the Old Testament to find out something about the church? I mean, didn’t God just come up with the church in the New Testament?” But is that what the Bible says about the church? I think we’re going to find out tonight. It is not. The church has long, long been in the plan of God for his people.

And in fact, Ephesians 3:10-11 says, “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers and heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The church was part of God’s eternal purpose, purposed in Christ. So we shouldn’t be surprised if we find the church discussed in the Old Testament and in fact when we look for it I think we’re going to find the church all throughout the Old Testament from the very beginning.

After all, what is the purpose of the Old Testament? Why do we have the Old Testament? Why do we study the Old Testament? Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” The Old Testament is a schoolmaster, so whenever we look at the Old Testament, whenever we study the Old Testament, we need to be asking what is it teaching us about Christ? It’s a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.

But what about those preachers on TV who tell me that all those Old Testament prophecies are about wars in the Middle East coming between Russia and China and whoever else and etc etc what it tells me is that they’re wrong I think a little common sense also tells me that but whenever we study the Old Testament we need to understand that the Old Testament is lifting a curtain on things that are revealed fully in the New Testament the Old Testament is showing the people of God at that time what was coming and so it would lift that curtain and give them a glimpse but then when the New Testament came we had the full revelation of Christ, then we knew with clarity the fullness of God’s revelation on those points.

So whenever I study the Old Testament, whatever I’m looking at in the Old Testament, I need to be asking myself, “To what does this pertain in the New Testament? What is the link?” And if I can’t find a link, then that should tell me I’ve gone wrong in my view of the Old Testament, because the Old Testament is a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.

There’s a lot of confusion in the world today about the church. We talked about some of it this morning. Church is not a denomination, for example. We talked about that this morning. When the New Testament was written, there was, as there is today, only one church. But the difference is that that one church in New Testament times was not surrounded by thousands of man-made organizations also calling themselves churches. That’s why we have so much confusion today.

I think a lot of people approach the church like they would a cafeteria. Going down the line and kind of picking things they like and leaving things they don’t like and if they don’t like what they pick the next time down the cafeteria line they’ll just pick something else and many people approach the church that way. They have a lot of choices you say. You hear a lot, “Go to the church of your choice.” You hear that.

It all reminds me of a story I heard once from a speaker when I lived in Dallas and I’m sure it’s a preacher story but here it goes. He said there was a man who’d been deserted on a desert island for 30 years all by himself for 30 years and then one day he was rescued and the people that came to rescue him he’d been there all by himself that whole time the people that came to rescue him noticed there were three huts set up on the island three different buildings that this man had constructed and they said what are these and he said this one is my home that’s where I live." They said, “Okay, well what’s this one?” He said, “The second one that’s where I go to church in the second hut that’s where I go to church.” And they said, “Well what about that third hut?” And he said, “That’s where I used to go to church.”

As I said there’s a lot of confusion about the church out there and our task is to cut through that confusion and one way to do that is to start by looking what the Old Testament has to say about the church. Why? I mean how is that going to cut through confusion looking at what the Old Testament has to say about the church? But I think when we do that we’ll be able to show people that the church has always been a part of God’s plan. That’s how important it is. It’s always been a part of the plan.

You know a lot of denominational preachers today will tell you that the church is a plan B. It’s something that God had to come up with at the last minute and and it’s kind of an interim thing, it’s a parenthesis, and it’s a plan B, and God intended to do something and he couldn’t do it, so he set up the church. You’ll hear that, that is absolutely false. And we’ll see that tonight as we go through and look at what the Old Testament said about the church before the church was even established.

I think looking at the Old Testament will also help us understand why there is one church and only one church. And I think it will help us understand more about the church in our own day and time help us explain to others about the church. So let’s see what the Old Testament has to say about the church, and we’re only going to look at a few verses tonight. One thing I did this afternoon was cut out about half of the verses because we just don’t have time. We could look at a lot more, but these are just a few of the ones that we could have looked at. If you’ve got your Bibles out, I hope you’re getting ready to flip. I hope you got your pencil ready.

Genesis, chapter 12, Genesis chapter 12. I mean if we started looking at the important towering chapters of the Bible, the ones that that resonate throughout the entirety of the scripture from beginning to end, Genesis 12 would be on that list. Might be near the top of that list. Genesis 12:2-3, “And I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great and now shalt be a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Genesis 12, great promise to Abraham that in him all families of the earth would be blessed. You mean just all the Jewish families, right? Now, all families of the earth would be blessed. Jew and Gentile. This blessing was for the entire world promised to Abraham. Well, where is that blessing available? To whom is that blessing available? Where is that blessing enjoyed? Let’s listen as Paul tells us Galatians chapter 3 starting in verse 7 “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith The same are the children of Abraham and the scripture for seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel Unto Abraham saying and thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Did you hear it?

That great blessing to Abraham in Genesis 12 Paul called it the gospel But what does it mean to be of faith what does it mean to be the children of Abraham Paul answers those questions later in the same chapter Galatians 3 starting in verse 26 You know, we’re gonna see tonight is that if we just let the Bible explain itself It’ll do it Verse 26 Galatians 3 “for year all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

There’s neither June or Greek. There’s neither bond nor free There’s neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus and if ye be Christ, then are you Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise the promise. The promise blessing to Abraham’s descendants in Genesis 12 is enjoyed today today by those who have been baptized into Christ, by those in the church, the body of the saved. That’s what Paul’s telling us there. Galatians 3. So even from the book of Genesis, we can see the church in the mind of God.

We can see the faithful people of God enjoying the blessings promised to to Abraham, the blessings that came through Christ, the people of Christ, that’s the church. It’s in the church that we receive and enjoy the great blessings promised to Abraham in Genesis 12. So even in Genesis, we see the church, the very first book of the Bible.

Let’s turn to Psalm 2. Psalm 2:6. “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” Now I preached a whole sermon on Psalm 2 not too long ago. I’m not gonna repeat all that. But you’ll recall that Psalm 2 is one of the most well-known messianic prophecies in the entirety of the Old Testament. And verse 7 is a clear description of Christ. “Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.” And so is verse 6. “I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion.” Is Psalm 2 a prophecy about the church? The answer is yes.

And to see that, we need to ask another question. What is the holy hill of Zion? Let’s let the book of Hebrews answer that question. Hebrews chapter 12, starting in verse 22. “But you are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn.” The holy hill of Zion on which God set the king is the church, Jesus Christ, the head of the church. It is the eternal kingdom of the eternal king. In fact, later we’ll see another prophecy that refers to the church as a mountain.

Let’s go to Psalm 89. Psalm 89:36. “His seed shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before me.” Now in Psalm 89, God says that the throne of David will endure forever. Throne of David. And that promise in Psalm 89. Or this, this promise in Psalm 89. Was not conditional. It says so in Psalm 89. God says, “This is gonna happen no matter what you do.” You know, sometimes God would make a promise and he would say, "Now this promise will come true "if you are faithful. "And if you’re not faithful, “this other thing is gonna happen.” But that’s not what’s going on in Psalm 89. God says, “The throne of David will last forever.” And that is not conditional. It will happen, it did happen, it is happening now. Jesus Christ is ruling from the throne of David today. It’s not conditioned. Jesus occupies that throne.

But Psalm 89:36 also says that something else will endure forever. His seed. What is that or who is that? Well, we know the seed of David certainly includes Jesus. Romans 1:3, “Concerning his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, which was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh.” But I think this is looking at something else. It says his seed for Christ. I think his seed is better seen as his spiritual offspring. Well, who is that? Galatians 3:29, “if you be Christ, then you’re Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise, if you be Christ.”

Isaiah 53:10, the great messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53:10. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” In Psalm 22, another great messianic prophecy, verse 30. “A seed shall serve him. It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.” Who is that seed? Who is Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise? What seed did Jesus see after he was put to grief? Who became his spiritual offspring? What seed serves him? The answer to each of those questions is the same church, church, the church, the eternal kingdom that shall endure forever. As Psalm 89 prophesied. We are that seed. We are that spiritual offspring.

Let’s turn to Psalm 110:4. “The Lord has sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Mount Kizadek.” I also preached an entire sermon on Psalm 110. It’s almost like I’m plucking out the church psalms to preach sermons on. Got a lot left? In 1 Peter 2:9, the church is called a royal priesthood. And we’re going to see some other prophecies tonight that kind of hit the royal aspect of that, but right here in Psalm 110 we’re looking at the priestly aspect of that.

Why is the church a royal priesthood? Because the head of the church is both King and High Priest. Just as we reign in life with Christ and the kingdom of Christ, Romans 5:17, so also are we priests in the priesthood of Christ. 1 Peter 2:5, “Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” And in fact that’s something we’re told to do all the time while we’re living, Romans 12:1.

But Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not from the tribe of Levi how can he be a priest? Well two reasons. First Jesus is not a priest according to the order of Levi, the tribe of Levi. Jesus’ priesthood goes back to a more ancient order, the order of Melchizedek. That’s what we’re seeing here in Psalm 110:4. But second there’s been a change in the law under the new covenant so that priests no longer have to come from the tribe of Levi. We’re not under the old covenant anymore. That’s what Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 7:14-17 when the Old Testament prophesied that Jesus would be both high priest and king and that prophecy occurs all throughout the Old Testament when that prophecy was made when Jesus was said to be both high priest and king that was also a prophecy that his people would be a royal priesthood because Jesus is King and Jesus is high priest that makes us a royal priesthood, the church.

So when we see that prophecy from Psalm 110 talking about Christ as high priest, it’s a prophecy of his priesthood, the holy priesthood of 1 Peter chapter 2, the church. Just as a king must have a kingdom, so a high priest must have a priesthood. And with Christ, that kingdom and that priesthood are the same. It’s the church, the royal priesthood. Every time we see it, it’s a reminder that the old covenant was never intended to be permanent. Never. Because if it had been permanent, Jesus could not be both high priest and king. So every time we see that prophecy, it’s a reminder that the old covenant was always intended to be replaced with the new.

Let’s turn to Isaiah chapter 2. starting in verse 1. "The word that Isaiah, the son of Amos, "saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, "and it shall come to pass in the last days, "that the mountain of the Lord’s house "shall be established in the top of the mountains "and shall be exalted above the hills. "All nations shall flow into it, "and many people shall go and say, "Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, "to the house of the God of Jacob. "He will teach us of his ways, we will walk in his paths. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many peoples and shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Oh, house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

Isaiah chapter 2 is a central, central prophecy about the church. a towering prophecy about the church. In fact, Isaiah 2 is such an important prophecy about the church that we see it repeated elsewhere in the Old Testament, almost verbatim in Micah, using very similar language later in Isaiah, also in Ezekiel, also in Zechariah.

Well first, how do we know that this is a prophecy about the church? Because Jesus tells us that. In Luke chapter 24, starting in verse 45, "then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures and said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remissions of sin should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things, and behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem “until ye be endued with power from on high.”

Do you hear it? The word went out first from Jerusalem, beginning in Jerusalem. Luke 24:47 is pointing straight back to Isaiah 2:3. That’s where that prophecy was given. And Luke 24:49 is saying those events would be fulfilled soon, as they were in Acts chapter 2. Well, what does Isaiah 2:2 say would be established? It says, “The mountain of the Lord’s house.” Now, we saw a mountain earlier, didn’t we? We see it elsewhere, but we saw it earlier in Psalm 2:6. “I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” We then went to Hebrews 12 and saw Mount Zion, the church. The church is the mountain of the Lord’s house that was prophesied in Isaiah chapter 2, that was established beginning in Jerusalem chapter 2 according to that very prophecy in Isaiah 2.

But what about the remainder of this prophecy in Isaiah 2? When will they beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks? When will nation not lift up sword against nation? Neither shall they learn war anymore. I mean if you go to the UN today in New York you’re gonna see that. Unless they scraped it off. I know that may have been one of those Bible verses that went the way of what got scraped off but it used to be there. It doesn’t have anything to do with that. That too, this peace, this promise of peace in Isaiah 2, that’s something else that’s already happened, that’s already happened.

That peace has been enjoyed in the church since the day the church was established in Acts chapter 2. How do we know that? Because Paul tells us that in Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians 2, starting in verse 14. "For he is our peace, who has made both one, "hath broken down the middle wall partitioned between us, "having abolished in his flesh the enmity, "even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, "for to make in himself of twain one new man, "so making peace, and that he might reconcile "both unto God in one body by the cross, “having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you, which were far off to them, which are nigh. For through him, we both have access by one spirit under the father.”

Paul, in Ephesians 2, is talking about the historical animosity between Jew and Gentile, and he is saying it is God in the church. Christ has reconciled the two in the church. He has brought them together in the church. He has made peace in the church. He has slain the enmity between them in the church. And why was that so important? Because of where we started tonight. The promise to Abraham was to bless everybody, all people through Christ. And to do that, God had to bring them all together. And that’s what happened in the church. In the church. There is peace in the church, peace among the people of God, peace with God. The head of the church is the Prince of Peace. This piece from Isaiah 2 is peace in the church.

And this piece is why there is one church. You know, if God had wanted two churches, I think he would have had one church for the Jews and one church for the Gentiles. Wouldn’t that have solved a lot of the problems that they dealt with in the New Testament, just kind of separate the two? That is not what God wanted at all. That is not what God promised. That is not what God wanted. And that is not what happened. There is one church for both Jew and Gentile because there is peace. God has slain the enmity between them. And that’s why there’s one church.

Let’s turn to Isaiah 9:6-7. “For unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David, upon his kingdom, to order it, to establish it with judgment and justice. From henceforth, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

What a wonderful prophecy about Christ and the kingdom of Christ. This beautiful prophecy of Christ points to several aspects about the church, some of which we’ve already seen here tonight. That Jesus is our everlasting Father points to us as his spiritual offspring. Seed. That Jesus is the Prince of Peace points to the peace we just saw in Isaiah 2 and Ephesians 2. government will see no end as the eternal nature of the church will last forever forever Jesus is on the throne of David points to the royal aspect of the church going back to Psalm 89 that the kingdom is ordered by Christ points to the God-given pattern for the church we find in the New Testament ordered that the church is established with judgment with justice point to the events in Act 2, it also points I think to the events that followed as Christ judged Jerusalem, as Christ judged Rome, as Christ will judge all of the enemies of his people. Beautiful, beautiful prophecy. And we could keep going in Isaiah, we could spend the whole night looking at just prophecies from Isaiah, but let’s go to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31, Jeremiah 31, starting in verse 31. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, "that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel "and with the house of Judah, "not according to the covenant "that I made with their fathers "in the day that I took them by the hand "to bring them out of the land of Egypt, "which my covenant they broke, "although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord. "But this shall be the covenant "that I will make with the house of Israel. "After those days, saith the Lord, "I will put my law in their inward parts "and write it into their hearts "and will be their God and they shall be my people. "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor "and every man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord, for they shall all know me. "From the least of them to the greatest of them, "saith the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity. “I will remember their sin no more.”

This is perhaps the most famous prophecy about the new covenant, Jeremiah 31. And in verse 33 that we just read, God says, "I will put my law in their inward parts "and write it in their hearts and will be their God “and they shall be my people.” When was that fulfilled? in the first century? How do we know that? Because we’ve read Hebrews chapter 8, Hebrews 8, starting in verse 6. "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, "by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, “which was established upon better promises.” That’s the new covenant, Jeremiah 31. "For if that first covenant had been faultless, "then there should be no place sought for the second. "For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days come,” said the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel “and with the house of Judah.”

Jeremiah 31. "Not according to the covenant that I made "with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand "to lead them out of the land of Egypt, "because they continued not in my covenant, “and I regarded them not,” said the Lord. "For this is the covenant I will make “with the house of Israel after those days,” said the Lord. "I will put my laws into their minds "and write them into their hearts. "I will be to them a God, they shall be to me a people. "And they shall not teach every man his neighbor “and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest.”

The writer of Hebrews is quoting Jeremiah 31 saying this has happened, this has happened. Who were the people of God in the first century? Upon whom did God write his law? Who enjoyed the blessings available under the new covenant? Who had forgiveness of sins? Who knew God from the least to the greatest? The church, the church, the church. It was all true in the church in the first century and remains true of the church today. Jeremiah 31 is a great prophecy about the church. We are the promised people of God. We are living today under that new covenant promised in Jeremiah 31. Church is the New Testament church, the new covenant.

Let’s go to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 37 starting in verse 22. “And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel and one king shall be king to them all and they shall no more be two nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore. Neither shall they defile themselves anymore with their idols nor with the detestable things nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them. So they shall be my people I will be their God and David my servant shall be king over them and they shall all have one shepherd and they shall also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them and they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein your fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell there in even day and their children their children forever and my servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and set will set my sanctuary in the midst of them forever. My tabernacle also shall be with them. Yea I will be their God and they shall be my people.”

What a magnificent prophecy about the church, all about the church. And aren’t we hearing a lot of the same phrases now that we’re studying these prophecies. Don’t we see a lot of the same things coming up again and again? You know, these prophecies about the church become a lot easier to spot the more of them that you see. Is there one church or are there many churches? Well, look at the great prophecy we just read in verse 22. “I will make them one nation. They will have one king. They will not be two nations. They will not be divided into two kingdoms.”

There are so many wonderful prophecies about the church in Ezekiel 37. We see the oneness of the church in verse 22. We see the holiness of the church. We see the forgiveness of those in the church in verse 23. We see the one shepherd who is head of the church from the line of David in verse 24. We see the eternal nature of the church in verse 25. We see the beautiful covenant of peace that we saw in Ephesians 2, we see it in verse 25. We see God dwelling with his people in the church in verse 27, as we also saw in Ephesians chapter 2.

Now let’s go to my favorite. They are kind of all my favorite when I’m studying them, but I think Daniel 2:44-45 may be my favorite. It was read so well earlier tonight. Daniel 2:44-45, “In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other pieces it shall break and consume all these kingdoms it shall stand forever for as much as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it break in pieces the iron the brass the clay the silver the gold the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter the dream is certain the interpretation thereof is sure.”

Daniel 2:44-45. Now you may have noticed something here. We had Psalm 2. We had Isaiah 2. We have Daniel 2. We’re about to have Joel 2. We’ve already talked about Acts 2. And we’ve also talked about Ephesians 2. Now you can learn a whole lot about the church just by staying in the chapter twos of the Bible. Psalm, Isaiah, Daniel, Joel, Acts, Ephesians. I think Micah is chapter 4. He didn’t get the memo. but most of them are chapter two.

Now verse 44 of Daniel 2 is one of the most important verses in the Bible and it’s one of the most important links between the old and the new covenants. You know we went through the book of Daniel verse by verse and if anyone would like to relive that or maybe live through it for the first time, it’s all on the church’s website. And when we did that, we saw that the days of these kings in verse 44 was the days of the first century Roman emperors. And we also know that the stone cut without hand there in verse 45, that’s the church, that’s the eternal kingdom that was promised to destroy Rome and did, as well as all the nations of this world.

What do we learn about the church from these verses in Daniel 2? First, we learn the church is not a divided kingdom. There is one and only one stone here, not two stones, there’s one stone. We also learn the church is not of human origin. Verse 45, it says, “It was cut out by no human hand.” Whatever this eternal kingdom is, it is not a man-made organization. No man-made organization, even if it calls itself a church, could possibly be the eternal kingdom of Daniel 2, cut without hands. The church is not the work of man. Jesus told us in Matthew 16:18, he would build the church and he did build the church.

Also we learn from Daniel 2, the church is powerful and eternal, demolishes and replaces all the nations of this world. Hebrews 12:28 refers to it as an immovable kingdom. Daniel’s kingdom is indestructible. Paul’s kingdom is immovable. That is one and the same kingdom. That’s the church. Eternal kingdom of Daniel 2 is the church of Christ. It will demolish, it will outlast, it will destroy every kingdom of this world. That is the promise. And that crucial fact about the church was prophesied long before the church was established in Acts chapter 2.

Let’s go to Daniel chapter 7. "I saw in the night visions, “Behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancients of days, and they brought him near before him. There was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

Who is this Son of Man? We know who it is, Jesus. In fact, the Son of Man from Daniel 7, that’s the messianic title that Christ most often applied to himself. But when did Jesus come with the clouds of heaven to the ancient of days? Not in Acts 2, but in Acts 1, Acts chapter 1:9. “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight.” These verses from Daniel 7 are showing us the ascension of Christ back to heaven in Acts chapter 1. And once Jesus arrived there, he’s given the kingdom in Daniel 7 that was established in Acts 2.

But why can’t Daniel 7 be pointing to the end of all time? Because at the end of all time Christ will not be given a kingdom, Christ will deliver a kingdom. 1 Corinthians 15:24. And in Daniel 7 he’s not delivering a kingdom, he’s being given a kingdom. So that tells us this is the ascension and that kingdom is the church, given to Christ by God Almighty. That’s why we are the church of Christ, because it belongs to Christ. It was built by Christ. It was redeemed by Christ. It’s given to Christ by God Almighty, God the Father. Acts 1 shows us the ascension as it was viewed from the earth. Daniel 7 shows us the ascension Christ as it was viewed from heaven and what an incredible scene it is.

Joel 2:28-32. Running a little short on time so I won’t read all that prophecy but that is one of the key prophecies in the Bible about the church in Joel 2 and in fact that prophecy is so important that the Holy Spirit guided Peter to quote that prophecy in the very first gospel sermon creeped in Acts chapter 2. When Peter stands up in Acts chapter 2, he quotes that prophecy from Joel 2. And Peter says in Acts 2:16, “this is that.” What you are seeing happening here in Acts chapter 2 is that prophecy from Joel 2. That is what Peter says. That is what Peter says. “It shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh” is the prophecy from Joel 2. And Peter says in Acts 2 that this is that. The things in Acts 2, that’s what Joel was talking about.

Describing the momentous day of the church’s establishment, he describes it as a day of power. Christ describes it the same way in Mark 9:1. Luke 24:49. Acts 1:8. It was a day of great power. And the church is still powerful today. There is no more powerful organization on earth than the church of our Lord. That’s what Joel 2 is telling us. That’s what Daniel 2 is telling us. That’s what Acts 2 is telling us.

Zechariah. Zechariah 12 and 13, two chapters in Zechariah. I saved these for last because these may be the most amazing and wonderful of all. think they’re kind of obscure. I mean we went verse by verse of the book of Zechariah here not too long ago and I had not seen this, I had not studied that prior to that time. I hadn’t seen the church in these two chapters prior to my study at that time but when you do it’s just it’s just it is incredible, it is wonderful.

Let’s look at those two chapters Zechariah 12 and 13. Let’s start in verse 3, Zechariah 12. “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people.” Okay, now, you know, we’ve studied a lot of prophecies tonight, so we should be starting to be on the lookout for some of those words that may be a clue that we’re seeing the church here. Mountain, Zion, peace, stone, stone. “All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, Though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

Wow, that’s a powerful stone. Where have we seen a powerful stone before tonight? We’ve seen it in Daniel chapter 2:44-45. The stone cut without hands sweeping away the kingdom to this world. And here in Zechariah 12:3, we see another stone, one that cuts in pieces everybody who gathers against it, even if the entire world were to gather against it. Those two stones are one in the same. they are the church. And this Jerusalem in verse 3, it’s the new Jerusalem Revelation 21, it’s the bride of Christ, it’s the heavenly Jerusalem of Hebrews 12, it’s the Israel of God in Galatians 6:16, it’s the church, the church, the church.

Let’s skip down to verse 10 of Zechariah 12. “I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourn for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication.” When did that happen? We’ve already seen the answer to that question. We saw it in Joel 2 we saw it in Acts 2 That’s where Peter pointed to that exact same prophecy that we just read from Zechariah It’s the same thing in Joel 2 Peter pointed to that in Joel 2 and said this is that What’s happening in Acts 2 is what was prophesied in Joel 2 and that prophecy in Joel 2 is what we just read from Zechariah 12:10 “This is that.”

What Peter said what about the second half of Zechariah 12:10 “they shall look upon me who they have pierced they shall mourn.” When did that happen we have an inspired answer as to the date of that prophecies fulfillment Just like we did for the first half of the verse 10 We have an inspired answer to the second half as well. John 19:33-37 points to that very same scripture "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, "and forthwith came there out blood and water. "He saw it bare record, and his record is true, "and he knoweth that he saith true that you might believe. "For these things were done that the Scripture "should be fulfilled. "A bone of him shall not be broken, "and another Scripture that said, “They shall look on him whom they pierced.”

Zechariah 12:10. Those who mourn in verse 10 are those who look upon the one they pierced and those who look upon the one they pierced or the ones who look and understand who he is. They understand what they’ve done. That’s why they mourn. That’s why they mourn. They’re like those who looked at Numbers 21:8, they’re like those who looked in John 3:14. They’re like those who look in Acts chapter 2. Starting in verse 36. “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know it surely that God hath made this same Jesus whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” “Now, when they heard this, they were pricked in the heart. And they said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

They looked, they saw, they mourned, they looked on the one they had pierced in Acts 2:36 and in Acts 2:37 they mourned because of it that is the same sequence we see in Zechariah 12:10 Zechariah 12:10 is focused on Acts chapter 2 the prophecy in the first half of that verse was fulfilled in Acts chapter 2 and the prophecy of the second half of that verse was fulfilled in Acts chapter 2. Yes, Jesus was pierced earlier but it was in Acts chapter 2 that they who did that looked and saw and understood and mourned.

What happens next? Well, Peter was asked that question at the And then, “Brother, what shall we do? What happens next? What can we do?” We know how Peter responded. Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for remission of your sins. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Well, how does Zechariah answer that same question? We know what happens next in Acts chapter 2. What happens next in Zechariah? Zechariah 13:1. "In that day, there shall be a fountain open "to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem “for sin and for uncleanness.”

What is this fountain that would be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness? Well, what was provided in the first century that involved water and was for sin and uncleanness? Didn’t Peter just answer that question? Isn’t that exactly what Peter answered? Didn’t he say baptism in Acts 2:38? Isn’t that water for sin and uncleanness? That’s what baptism is. Zechariah 13:1 links water and sins in the first century. 'Cause we know those prophecies came about in the first century. Peter told us that in Acts chapter 2, and John told us that when he pointed to that same prophecy.

Zechariah 13:1 links water and sin in the first century. Acts 2:38 links water and sin in the first century. Each verse follows mourning over the death of the good shepherd. Zechariah 13:1 is an Old Testament description of baptism for the remission of sins. Ephesians 5:26-27, “that he might sanctify and cleanse it.” How? “With the washing of water by the word.” That washing of water by the word is the one baptism of Ephesians 4:5. That one baptism is water baptism, Acts 8:38. It is water that fills this fountain in Zechariah 13:1. There is no other water in the first century or any century that is for sin and uncleanness other than baptism under the new covenant.

The links between Zechariah 12 and 13 in Acts chapter 2 are absolutely amazing and wonderful. In Zechariah 12 and 13, we’ve seen the outpouring of God’s spirit. Saw that in Acts 2. We’ve seen those who looked upon the one they pierced. We saw that in Acts 2. We see that they finally understood what they’ve done. We saw that in Acts 2. We’ve seen the same people mourn over their sin. We see them ask what they must do and acts - and we’ve seen the answer wash in the fountain of sin in the fountain for Sin and uncleanness be baptized for the remission of sins.

So, where are we well we found the New Testament Church and the Old Testament We didn’t even have to look that hard But the question for you today is whether you have found the church today and task. Why? Because as I said there are many man-made organizations that call themselves churches. They are not the one church for many reasons but the main reason is they’re man-made. One thing we learned about the church from our study tonight is that it is not man-made. It is not made with human hands. It is the stone cut from that mountain without hands. It is the church that Jesus promised to build in Matthew 16, the church that he did build in Acts chapter 2, and as we discussed this morning, it is not a denomination, it is the Church of Christ.

That is not our name, it is our description. And the only way to find that church, only way to find that church and to be a part of that church and to be added by that church is to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, because when you do that, God will add you to the Lord’s Church, which is the promised, eternal, immovable, indestructible, powerful Kingdom of Christ. You’ll be buried in the waters of baptism, you’ll be raised to walk in newness of life. God will deliver you from the domain of darkness, transfer you into the Kingdom of His dear Son, the church of Christ. If that is your need or we can help in any way, please come while we stand and while we sing.