Can We Serve Church “Cafeteria Style?” Lesson 3: The Relationship of the Church to Israel

I.Introduction A.It helps to know about changes. B.Where we’ve been: 1.Lesson one: How we “serve church” is important 2.Lesson two: Why the church is so important. 3.Summary

C.Where we are headed in this series: 1.This lesson: The relationship of the church to Israel 2.The next lesson: The relationship of the church today to the church of the New Testament (What has happened to the church in 20 centuries? Are there barnacles on our “ship’s” bottom?) 3.Future lessons: The pillars (essentials) of the New Testament church and how we seek to apply them at CBC.

II.The relationship of the church to Israel A.This is a key factor in prophecy B.Our focus is on the nature and function of the New Testament church: What is the relationship of the new to the old? C.Snapshots from the Old Testament: 1.What happened in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8, 22-24; 4:1-26) 2.Israel at Mt. Sinai Keep back! (Exodus 19:16-25) Let Moses do it! (Exodus 20:18-21; compare Deuteronomy 5:22-33)

Israel at Mt. Sinai - Dining in the presence of God (Exodus 24:7-11) 7 He took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people, and they said, “We are willing to do and obey all that the Lord has spoken.” 8 So Moses took the blood and splashed it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear like the sky itself. 11 But he did not lay a hand on the leaders of the Israelites, so they saw God, and they ate and they drank (Exodus 24:9-11, NET).

Israel at Mt. Sinai - Israel and the golden calf (Exodus 32-34) a.Two issues: Will Israel survive (chapter 32)? Will God go with them (chapters 33-34)? b.Moses is the key to Israel’s future (something that will be challenged – Numbers 12) c.And yet... This generation doesn’t enter the land and neither does Moses d.Israel’s relationship with God is vicarious, through Moses

3.The Temple: As good as it gets (1 Kings 8) a.It is glorious, but... b.There are barriers (priests, the veil...) c.Men go up 3 times a year d.God’s glory will depart e.Jerusalem will be destroyed f.The people will be exiled to Babylon g.The religious leaders will profane it 4.The Promise of better things

III.Jesus brings something vastly better A.A better covenant (1 Corinthians 3-4, Hebrews) B.A better temple (John 2, Ephesians 2) C.A better sacrifice (“once for all,” Hebrews) D.A better shepherd (John 10) E.A better mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) F.A better high priest (Hebrews) G.A better priesthood (1 Peter 2, Revelation 1:6) H.A greater glory (1 Corinthians 3-4) I.A better access and greater intimacy (Hebrews 10)

IV.Three Key Texts: A.1 Peter 2:4-10 (fulfillment) 1.There is continuity with the old 2.Christ is central 3.Our commission B.Hebrews 10:19-25 (improvement) 1.Better (sacrifice, High Priest, purification) 2.Draw near 3.Hold fast 4.Encourage one another as you gather C.Luke 5:33-39 (replacement) 1.New wineskins are needed (vss ) 2.Some will cling to the old (v. 39)

V.Conclusion A.It’s all about Jesus -- Jesus is the key 1.He restores fellowship with God 2.He restores fellowship with men 3.He fulfills the old 4.He inaugurates the new B.It isn’t heaven, but it is surely better C.The Old Testament is not the pattern for the church. D.Exhortation: 1.Don’t turn back (to Judaism) 2.Draw near to God with confidence 3.Encourage others when you gather

E.We can learn by from the Old Testament by ideal, fulfillment, analogy, illustration, example, or principle: 1.Matthew 19:4-6 (ideal) 2.1 Corinthians 5:7 (analogy) 3.1 Corinthians 9:9-13 (principle) 4.1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (example) 5.1 Corinthians 11:8-12 (precedent) 6.1 Corinthians 14:34 (precedent) 7.Galatians 4:21-31 (allegory) 8.Romans 15:4 (illustration)

Copyright © 2008 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 3 in the series, Can We Serve Church Cafeteria Style?, prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh on February 3, Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.