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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

The subject that I want to talk to you about is the transition from law to grace because it was a transition from the dispensation of law into the dispensation of grace. I want you to look here in the book of Mark chapter 16 and verse 15 and he said unto them now this is Jesus Christ before he ascended. He says, Go ye and all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believe it and his baptized shall be saved.

And he that believeth not shall be damned. These signs shall follow them that believe. In my name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” So you got to admit it’s right there in the Bible. Is it still for today? I mean when’s the last time you raised the dead or can you drink poison and it won’t hurt you none or maybe we ought to start doing a little snake handling around here wouldn’t Wouldn’t it be neat if all of us had the supernatural abilities to, you know, make people well, go into all the hospitals and just…

be neat if all of us had the supernatural abilities to you know make people well go into all the hospitals and just clean them out whew wouldn’t that be good and we could really look at me look what I can do look how great I am. And I think that’s probably one of the reasons God don’t let us do it. Because we would just think and look at me. I’m somebody. Well, how do you explain these things? And what about the speaking in tongues?

And yet some people say, well, you know, that’s not for today. Take your Bible and look there in the book of Matthew chapter 28. Matthew chapter 28. Now, you know, now we’re going to look at three different portions of Scripture that’s at the end of the chapters, the end of the book in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It says in verse 18, and Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, amen. They were commanded to go into all the world and to preach the gospel. Now we know from Mark when all were in preach the gospel to every creature. Here it says, going all the world into preach, look now in the book of Luke, because here in Matthew they were commanded to go, but in the book of Luke they were commanded to wait until they were in due with power from high.

See there in Luke chapter 24? And look there in verse 46. Verse 46 says, And said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it be who Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. So it’s supposed to begin at Jerusalem, and then then choose Samaria and Judea in the uttermost parts of the world. So that’s why the disciples were in Jerusalem and it says, I want you to go there and wait till the right time.

So in verse 49, and behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but perry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be in dude with power from on high. So they were to go there and to wait in Jerusalem until the right time. So the command was given before. And so that’s why on the dependent cost they preach the gospel and so forth in thousands trust as Christ as their Savior. We’ll take your Bible and look in 1 Corinthians in chapter 10.

1 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 11 makes a statement. Now all these things happen under them for examples. And they are written for our admonition. And get this, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Now, the word world here is age, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. He is dealing here with the Jews and the Gentiles in the establishment of the church. I call the transition period is where the people live then. were living like in an overlapping period of time between the law and grace.

You see, Christ died on the cross, and we generally say that was the end of that dispensation at the cross. But the consequences of what happened on the cross, the judgment upon the nation of Israel, in about 68 AD, when Titus came in from Roman-aged siege against the city to destroy Israel, the temple was destroyed and in 70 AD then the Jews were scattered upon the face of the year. So that was about 70 AD. You’re talking about maybe 35 years later as a culmination of the judgment as a result of their disobedience to God, the destruction of their temple.

So I put it at that time, the fall of the temple, as the ending of that dispensation, that period of time of the law. But they hadn’t got there yet. There’s this intermediate time in here where God is dealing with people and trying to get the Jews that believed in the law and how to get them from law into grace. They still even believed at that time that God could have set up the kingdom upon the earth because they asked the question in the book of Acts in chapter 1, will Christ at this time set up or restored the kingdom to Israel.

And so after a while, they changed their focus to the Jew only to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles. And so then the gospel was sent to the Gentiles because the Jews would not down individuals yet. But as a nation, Israel has really messed up bad. And they’ve been chasing for the last 2000 years. But these were people who lived in the ends of the ages. This two dispensations here. I want you to look there in the book of Hebrews and chapter two and look there in verse one.

Hebrews chapter two and verse one. Now this will give you a little history back to the time that we’re talking about. So he says in verse one, therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard less at any time we should let them slip. He says in verse two, for if the word spoken by angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedient receive they just recompense of reward. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?

He’s talking here to Jewish believers. And he says, now under the law that was given by the disposition of angels, as it makes the statement also in the book of Galatians in chapter 3, when they disobeyed and God brought such judgment upon them and chastened them, what about you and I that have been given this great message on the so great salvation? And God has given to us a responsibility. Now they fail theirs, will we fail our responsibility, the time in which we live to preach the gospel into all the world to every creature.

So even the church under the dispensation of grace, because we don’t have to do anything. Most people don’t and won’t. How shall we escape if we neglect not so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord Christ, was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. So he says, the word that began to be spoke by him, Christ, was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. How did they confirm the word? Remember, they didn’t have the New Testament.

They had the Old Testament. And when they went to the synagogue, they would always search the Scriptures. Well, the only Scriptures they had was the Old Testament Scriptures. Can you imagine these apostles must have been pretty good in knowing and understanding the Old Testament Scriptures and at the same time preaching the gospel of grace. Well, I have any Phasians 2, 8, 9, 1 John 5, 13, 2 Corinthians 5, 14 and 5, 21. They didn’t have those verses. They didn’t even have probably John 3, 16.

But they went and they preached the gospel. And he says here in verse four, now get the verse four, very important. God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders and with divers, miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will. God also bearing them witness. Now, who, these that heard him and the word was confirmed, un-bited by them that heard him. So the word was confirmed by the signs and the miracles by those that heard him.

Now, it doesn’t say anything in here that it is progressive and will continue from now on. The reason they were able to have the signs, the miracles, was because it was to confirm the Word, because they didn’t have the Word. So why would they listen to Paul or Peter? Because they were able to do these miracles and that gave legitimacy and it gave them authority that what they said was true and they could believe it. When you know in part and have in part, you can only believe in part.

Like we say, when you’re limited in knowledge, you’re limited in judgment. So there was a time when the Word of God was not complete. But when the Word of God is complete, when that which is perfect is come, we have this, and it’s not talking about the Second Coming of Christ, talking about the Word of God being complete, then we don’t need those sign gifts. Go back to the book of Mark. I don’t just see this. And this is what he says, and he said unto them, go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believe it and his baptized shall be saved. Now, most people when they see the word baptized automatically think it’s water, just already it comes into mind. But doesn’t necessarily mean that this is talking about water, because if water has part in your salvation, then he should have also said, and he that believeth not and is not baptized shall be damned. But it doesn’t throw that in here. So the believing here is what cleanses you. So he that believeth and is cleansed shall be saved.

And he that believeth not, well he won’t be cleansed. And that’s why he’s going to be damned. But looking for 17, and these signs, and you ought to circle of the word sign because it’s important. Not just anything, it’s a sign shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out devils and they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents and if any drink deadly things it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

Now that’s what it said. That’s what he told them to his disciples before he He left. Now look in verse 19. This is later by the time this was written, look what he says in verse 19. So then after the Lord had past tense, had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, sat on the right hand of God in verse 20, and they that he told this to, they went, that’s past tense. went forth and preached past tense everywhere and the Lord working with them confirming the word with what?

Signs. Just like it said over there in the book of Hebrews. So the Lord told them this is what I want you to do and you’re gonna be able to do these signs and miracles and so forth and then it says and he left and they went and they did it and it’s over. It didn’t say anything about you and I’ve been able to do it. That’s what he told them and by the time Mark was written they’d already done it.

Take your Bible now and turn to the book of 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians in chapter 1. I want you to look there in verse 18, verse 18. Now he’s talking to the church here at Corinth. They are the ones that God had really bless them with various gifts. You’ll find a lot of teaching about the gifts in the book of Corinthians. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness, but unto us which are saved, it’s the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the the speeder of this world. Have not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? And after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God. The world by wisdom knew not God. In verse 7 of chapter 2, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world under our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

would have done it if they were so smart. But God is showing that the wisdom of the world is foolishness. And so go back there to chapter 1 and you notice there in verse 21, for after that in the wisdom of God the world up by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that simply believe. And here’s the reason why. You see, the Jews seek after a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom.

So Jesus Christ, the power of God for signs and the wisdom of God for the philosophers. So he says here in verse 22, for the Jews requiring an underlying that word, Jews require a sign. Remember they came to Jesus and says, Master, give us a sign. Give us a sign. He says, an evil and adult of generation seek it after a sign, but there’ll be no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet June the first John was three days in three nights in the will belly even so shall the son of maybe three days in three nights in the heart of the year.

Well that was a sign that he gave him they probably didn’t catch that either. So he says here in verse 22 for the Jews require sign. So when we start studying about the sign gifts the sign gifts for the Jews and the Greek seek after wisdom so we start speaking about the the other gifts that God talk about and there’s several of them that deals with wisdom or the prophecy that teaching forth of the Word of God. Then there’s the wisdom in the revealed Word of God that supersedes the wisdom of man.

Verse 23, but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews. It’s a stumbling blocks and under the Greeks it’s foolishness. So the preachers of the cross kind of dumb found both of them. They don’t understand. But to those that believe, it’s the power of God. But to those that don’t believe, it’s foolishness. Don’t make any sense. How can a man go to heaven just by believing? Just by trusting. That’s all he has to do. And yet, they’ve been under the law that you’ve got to perform.

You’ve got to live a certain way. You’ve got to qualify. You’ve got to be good enough to make it. And so they work and they sweat and try to keep the law and yet nobody ever fulfilled the law. So no man can be saved by the law. But in building the church, you’ve got these people coming out with all this understanding. Then you got the Gentiles who sought the Greek philosophers of their day and they sought for wisdom and Christ, the power of God, Christ, the wisdom of God.

See what he says in verse 23, but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews, a stumbling block, because they’re looking for signs. But isn’t that a great sign? Jesus Christ came back from the dead. In verse 24, but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, that’s for the signs and the wisdom of God, that’s for the Greeks. You’re taking Jews and Gentiles and going to make something brand new. God says He’s breaking down the middle wall of to take the Jews and the Gentiles, the believing individual, and make something co-completely new.

And he starts the church and these new believers. Take your Bible and go there to the book of 1 Corinthians 14. Now, what’s you’re looking at verse 21? Verse 21, in the law, oh, Testament, book of Isaiah, it is written with men of other tongues, languages. And other lips, well, I speak unto this people. Now, this people is a reference to Israel because they wouldn’t listen. God said, I’m going to speak unto this people through people of other languages.

So God enabled people to be able to speak in various languages. But remember, the signed gifts was for the unbelieving Jews, not just everybody, anybody. You know, it was for a particular group of people with men of other tongues and other lips. Well, I speak unto this people, and yet for all of that, they will not hear me say it the Lord. Looking verse 22, wherefore tongues are for a what? They’re for a sign. And the sign was for the Jew, not to them that believe.

So tongues were not a sign to those that believe. They were a sign to to those who did not believe, to unbelieving Jews. And so on the day of Pentecost, those that spoke, it was a sign to the unbelieving Jews that were there. Chapter 10, when Peter went to the housecoral of Cornelius, he told him six Jewish people who didn’t believe that the Gentiles could be saved. And whenever they saw that and they saw them, those Gentiles speaking in a language, they understood what they said.

And so it was assigned to these unbelieving Jews that came down with Peter, chapter 10 and chapter 11. So tongues were a sign for the unbelieving Jews. Tongues were not a devotion between you and the Lord. This is my quiet time between me and him. And it’s an angelic voice that comes over me and God enables me.

Did not, does not. That’s not Bible. My poor sister, Kay. She wanted to do right and she wanted to know the Lord. She wanted to believe right. But I just didn’t know at the time how to tell her. And there was occasion when she’d get me to go to church with her and they would be, they would do as good. They’d get up and do all that. My sister when they gave the invitation and I was standing back here and I was on the server.

I’m not going to see all this stuff going on. I knew it wasn’t for me. This is not for me, but my poor sister, tears will be coming down her cheek. And they give an invitation to go forward there, she goes, I knew that whenever I knew she’s going and they were doing their best to try to get my sister to speak in tongues. And some of the ladies who fall down on the floor and they’re just shaking like a convulsion and all that.

And I didn’t even know the Lord. This is something wrong here. Anyway my poor sister, she just wanted, if it’s real, then she wanted it. And for some reason or other she couldn’t and she’d come back and she’d just be a crying. I just don’t want me. God just don’t want me. He don’t love me. Because she tried. She tried. And finally one day after I had, you know, trusted the Lord later and I went to Bible school and came back one year and she was sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot at Northside Baptist Church.

And I explained John 3 16 to her. She trusted Christ the Savior. She was so glad. He just never understood. She was seeking for something that just wasn’t real. And I hurt for the people that because of their sincerity, they’re looking, they’re hungry, they want, but it’s all flesh. It’s all flesh. It’s not the book. So look what he says here in verse 22, where, for tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe. But most of them tell you it’s a sign that you’ve got the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

It’s a sign that you’re really saved. No, it’s not. It’s a sign to the Jewish people, the unbelieving Jews. And then he talks about looking verse 33, for God is not the author of confusion, but a peace as in all churches of the saints. God is not the author of confusion. Then it says, women keep silent in the churches. If you took the women out of the tongues movement today, it would die. God says for the women, shut up.

It means keep quiet. It means you don’t open your trap. It’s not what God wanted the women to do. You don’t find what God gave these gifts to the women. And the Bible says when Christ came back in the book of Ephesians, He gave gifts on the men for it is not permitted, not permitted under them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience as also sayeth the law. And if they will learn anything, if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands.

So these things are in the Scriptures and when you put them in this rifle place, it can make so much sense. It’s so easy. Looking for Corinthians in chapter 12, looking for 13, all believers are baptized into the body of Christ. 13 for by one spirit, are we all baptized into one body? Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit. So all these people that he’s talking to even here at Corinth, in spite of their disobedience, all baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body.

So all of God’s children have already been baptized by the Holy Spirit once and for all. There’s verses talking about being filled with the spirit, but Just because everybody has been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the one body, does that mean everybody has the same gifts? No. Look what he says in verse 29, are all apostles? The answer would be no.

Are all prophets? No. Are all teachers? No. Are all workers of miracles? No. Have all the gifts of healing? No. Do all speak with tongues? No! But that’s the sign you got the baptism of the Holy Ghost. No, I’ve got the baptism of the Holy Ghost and I’ve never spoken tongues and have no desire for it. I don’t want it. No need it. Now, this is a transition period. So I believe these things were limited to the times of the apostles.

Look what he says in 1 Corinthians in chapter 13. Look what he says here in verse eight. Charity or love never fails. There’s no end to it. But whether there be prophecies. That’s the teaching forth of the Word of God as it was being revealed to them. They shall fail. I mean they’ll stop being given because the Word of God will be written. It’ll be complete and you won’t need it anymore. He says whether there be tongues they shall cease.

That means come to a literal halt. Stop. So it says they’re gonna stop. And he says and whether they’re be acknowledged it shall vanish away. for we know in part we prophesy in part because he’s talking about what you know I’m talking about Jesus Christ now. We’re talking about the revealed Word of God and verse 10 But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away So what we have is the complete Word of God And we don’t need that which is in part see those things were temporary And he says when I was a child I speak as a child.

I understood as a child I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. It’s saying that the tongues and all those things Those are childish things. Those were toys for tots These are toys for the baby church But when the church starts growing those are baby things and there’s still people today Wine and and pining and moaning and groaning over. Oh, I got the baby rattler. You don’t have a baby rattler What kind of a, I got a ball.

You got a ball. I want the ball. No, I want the rattle there. That’s so stupid. I didn’t grow up. I don’t need those childish things anymore. And there’s whole church has been built on baby rattleers. God enabled different ones to speak in a language. Not unknown language, it’s an unknown language. What’s the value of it? Well, it’s an angelic language. Well, then let the the angel’s speaking. What are you doing with it? This is you and me. This is sin.

You and me sin. We’ve all done things wrong. And God says He loves us, but He hates our sin. And God says to pay for that sin is eternal separation from God in hell. Now God loves us and doesn’t want us to go to hell. But if you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, you will. But to go to heaven, you have to be perfect as righteous as God. And none of us are perfect. of us are righteous. We can’t go to heaven because we’re not good enough.

You have to be perfect to go to heaven, not good. And because of sin, we can’t get in. So how am I going to get to heaven? Now Jesus Christ can do something about it. Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God, He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead, and said if we would believe that he did it for us.

He would put this death payment that he made to our account, and we get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, the whosoever, open imitation of whosoever, believe it in him. That’s all he has to do is to believe that he did it for them. And you will not perish. It means you won’t go to help, but have everlasting life. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. 771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George road Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.