“THE SEAMLESS THREAD OF THE TESTAMENTS”

Selected Passages

I. INTRODUCTION:
A. Three identical topics for both:
1. God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit):
2. Salvation (justification by faith alone): (I Cor. 3:11)
3. Purpose (seek and to save that which is lost):
(I Cor. 15:34)

B. Flexible methods to accommodate an expanding
population:
1. The strategic city -Jerusalem – “city of peace”:
2. The local church – Jerusalem, Rome, Corinth, Galatia,
Ephesus, Colosse, Phillipi):
3. The heresy of replacement theology (conditional vs.
unconditional promises):

C. Similar functions of local churches (Corinth yesterday
and Grace today):
1. Similar purpose and leadership < for more people:
2. Similar laws (613 in OT < over 2,000 in NT) and principles:
3. Similar conflicts – divisions, disorders, and difficulties:

II. GENERIC WORD PICTURES FOR BOTH TESTAMENTS:
A. The following “sheep” (being): (Ps. 23; Jn. 10:27; I Pet.
2:21) (See also I Cor. 11:1)
1. Humble “sheep”: (See Jn. 10:14-16)
2. The problem of “following” any authority figure: (I
Pet. 2:13; I Cor. 4:6b)

B. The faithful “slave” (doing): (Rom. 6:16-19; I Cor. 7:23)
1. The priority of faithfulness: (I Cor. 4:2)
2. The freedom to exchange “masters”:
3. Clarifying some terms – legalism, license, liberty:
(See back)

C. The fruitful “branch”: (Jn. 15:1-5, 8; 16) (See back)
1. Fruit, more fruit, and much fruit: (See 10:31)
2. Welcoming the “pruning”: (Jn. 15:2)

“Each piece of fruit will always contain seeds to produce potentially more fruit in
the future.”
D. The finish line of the “race”: (See Heb. 12:1-2; I Cor. 2:9)
1. The most difficult part of any race: (I Cor. 9:19-27)
2. Being “coached” (Paul): (I Cor. 11:1)

III. PRINCIPLES TO PERSONALLY APPLY: (Psalms 139:13-18)
(Together becoming “people of the Word” in principle AND in practice)
A. I had a “wonderful”, carefully thought out beginning.
vv. 13-15

B. I have been given a “precious”, wise, purposeful
reason for living in a limited time frame. vv. 16-17

“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born
and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain

C. I awake as a believer, with a guaranteed “glorious”
home-coming. v. 18 (See Ps. 23:4, 6; I Cor. 15:49; II Cor.
5:8; Jude 24; I Thes. 4:17)

SINNERS PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I was made by you and I was made for you, but
I have been living for myself. I am sorry for that self-rule you call sin.
I believe that Jesus Christ being my creator God, died, was buried,
and rose again to pay the insurmountable debt that my sin has
created since birth. So right now, I am turning from a life of going my
own way, to by faith, place my trust in Jesus Christ, to pay the debt of
all my sin, and to get me to heaven, when I breath my last breath.
Lord Jesus, from today on, I am yours. Thanks for saving me, this
very moment, in Jesus name, amen.

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