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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. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

your Bible, turn to the book of Matthew. Let’s start there in the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 28, Matthew chapter 28, and I want us to look at a subject that I think is very, very important is where do we end up? Where do we end up? And who are we? And so here in the book of Matthew and chapter 28, the disciples were told to do something. They were commanded by God to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

So here in verse 18 he says, Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me, heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy He goes, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the world. This is what we consider to be the great commission, a great command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

As far as I know, this command has never been rescinded. It means it must still be in effect. So I guess we’re to do this until the end of the age, until it’s all over with. I know it’s going to cover our lifetime, but even though he told them to go, I want you to look at something else that he said in the book of Luke in chapter 24. So turn to Luke chapter 24. In Luke chapter 24, Christ has come back from the dead, and he says there after he had talked who some of them and showed them some of the scriptures, and he opened it up to them so they could see that the law, the prophets, and the Psalms taught about Christ.

And so he says in verse 45, then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. We’re always seeking to understand what the Lord says. That’s why he gave us the Holy Spirit in order to teach us what the Bible teaches. And sometimes we always will come up to the same conclusion, not all the time. But in verse 46 he says, Thus it is written, and thus it behoove Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.

That repentance and remissions of sin should be preached, in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. This is the same that we find over there in the book of Matthew, to go into all the world, preach the gospel to everybody and the message they were supposed to preach as repentance and remission of sins. You see, everybody is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent means to change your mind. You cannot save yourself by your works. So it’s encouraging a person not to trust in your works because God can save you by forgiving you of your sins.

You see, that’s what it means to be redeemed by the blood of Christ, as it says in Colossians in chapter 1, verse 13 and 14, when He’s talking about, by His blood you were redeemed by the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins. To forgive you is because He paid for it. He just doesn’t forgive you of sins because the law of God demands a death payment. So God has to be righteous and He has to be just when He justifies.

The ungodly. So therefore Jesus Christ dies on the cross, paid for our sins, gives us as a free gift everlasting life. We go to heaven because we have been forgiven. If I’ve been forgiven, it means that they’re not held against me. Means that I don’t have a sin to go to hell and pay for because he paid for all of mine. Now, that means that you must believe he did it for you for that payment to be put to your account.

But notice what he says in verse 49. And behold, I send the promise of my father upon you, but Terry ye in the city of Jerusalem until.” So there to go, but before they go, they were also commanded to wait in Jerusalem until they were in dude with power from on high. Now we know that in the book of Acts chapter one, verse eight, he says, “‘You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost “‘is come upon you, and you shall be witness unto me “‘in Jerusalem and Judea and so forth Sumerian in the other parts of the year.

So that’s when they were supposed to go, when the Holy Spirit came. Now take your Bible and turn to the Vocal of Acts. You need to really understand what is the church? What is this body of Christ? Who is the bride of Christ? Those three things you must resolve in your mind and trying to put it together. There are only three different groups in the world. The Bible says that is the Jews, the Gentiles, the Church of God. There isn’t anybody else.

There is no other group. So the church is the church. It’s the body and it is the bride of Christ. Now here in the book of Acts, I want you to look there in verse 4 of chapter 1, Acts chapter 1, and notice in verse 4, in verse 4 and being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem. Well that’s exactly what we just read in the book of Luke, chapter 24. Though they were commanded to go here, it also says, but wait for the promise of the Father which sayeth he ye have heard of me.

For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. So at the beginning of Christ’s ministry, even John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance. And he baptized and he says, I baptize you with water, but he that cometh after me, referring to Christ, shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Now during his ministry Christ never did that. And during the ministry of Christ it never happened. In other words, now the Bible is telling us it’s not many days away that what was promised is going to happen.

And that is that Jesus had made the statement. He said, I will ask the Father and He shall send another comforter. He says, who is just like me. So the Holy Spirit was going to come, not as a result of people getting together in one accord and praying him the Holy Ghost. Now, he came as a result of a promise. God, in the person of Christ, made a promise. He will send the Holy Spirit and he shall be with you and shall be in you.

So the Holy Spirit was going to come. So they were commanded to go, but commanded to wait until the Holy Spirit came that would give them the power, not many days away. Now notice what he says here. In Acts in chapter 2, look there in verse 32, This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses, therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received past tense of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost.

He hath shed forth this which you now see and hear. So what was promised according to this verse has been fulfilled. The promise is not far away and by the time you read this verse it’s already happened. So between Acts chapter 1 and verse 4 and Acts chapter 2 and verse 33. Something must have happened. Well lo and behold, look in verse 1 of chapter 2. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, fifty days from the resurrection of Christ, they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came the sound from heaven of a rushing mighty wind.

In other words, this was the baptism of the Holy Ghost. See there in verse 4, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, began to speak with other tongues. languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. And in verse 5, there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews devout men out of every heaven, nation under heaven. And every man in verse 6 heard them speak in their own language. There’s not an unknown language that was just added by translators, but in verse 8, how here we every man in our own tongue, our own language, then it names various country.

So this is where they were given the ability to speak in another language. And so they heard, they understood. And it says in the last part of verse 11, we do hear them speak in our language, the wonderful works of God. So they had to hear it in their language and they understood what was being said. There is nothing confusing about any of this. None. This is not a bunch of mumbo jumbo. But this was the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, not many days in it. So we know that they were being baptized here. And we know that this is the first time and that it was for the Jews in Jerusalem. And this is where it took place. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts in chapter 10. The book of Acts and chapter 10. See in the book of Acts it talks about a man named Cornelius. Cornelius was a Gentile.

As a Gentile, he still was seeking the Lord. He was with the knowledge that he had trying to worship God. So God sent somebody to find Peter, and Peter was to go and tell Cornelius and his household how they could be saved. Now I didn’t make that up, that’s in the Scriptures. So they were come. And when they came there, in verse 23, then called heed them in and lodged them. And on the moral, Peter went away with them and certain brethren from Japa accompanied him, six Jews.

On the morrow, when they entered in Caesarea and Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and his near friends. So Peter is now going to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. They had preached the gospel on the day of Pentecost. Now they’re going to preach the gospel on the day to the Gentiles. So you notice there in verse 34. Then Peter opened his his mouth and he said of a truth. I perceive that God is no respecter of person.

In other words, the Jew is not any better than the Gentile. But in every nation, people who want to know the truth can know the truth. So he says here, the word is going to be preached in verse 37, talking about Jesus Christ, that word I say ye know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee unto the baptism which John preached. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.

We’re all witnesses of all these things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem whom they slew and hang on a tree. Him God raised up third day, showed him openly, not to all the people but under witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. And now get verse 42 and verse 43, very important verses. And He commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead.

In other words, Peter said, this is the message that we were given and commanded by God to go all the world and preach the gospel. And what was this gospel that was supposed to preach? Look in verse 43, to him give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever, believe it in him shall receive remission of sins. See if God will take all of your sins away, there’s none for you to pay for. Whosoever, believe it in him.

If you don’t believe in him, then that payment Christ made is not put to your account. Those that believe on him are forgiven. That is what we preach. So if God has forgiven me of all my sins, then there’s no sin for me to pay for. Now what I want you to see is this. In this chapter, when he was preaching this, look there in verse 14, he said, for, while Peter yet spaked these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

And they of the circumcision, the Jews, which believed were astonished. That’s the one who came with Peter. He says, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. So it happened on the day of Pentecost. Now it happens on the Gentiles. And so it made the statement here that they were saved, received the Holy Spirit, and yet they had not yet been water baptized. Some people say you’ve got to be water baptized to be saved.

I don’t believe that the Lord would give the Holy Spirit to lost people. So you see there in verse 47, can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received that’s past tense. Receive the Holy Ghost as well as we. So they’ve already been saved, received the Holy Spirit and baptized into the body of Christ as I’ll show you in just a moment. Now chapter 11, in verse 14 he says, when he went to see Cornelius as he rehearses the story of what took place to the Jewish people back there in Jerusalem, he explained to them what it it happen.

He says, who shall tell the words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved? So that shows you that Cornelius and his household, his kin folks, were not saved. But when you read verse 44, 45 and 46 of chapter 10, now they are saved. And so he makes this statement in verse 15. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning, at the beginning. So we know when it started, and we know what happened.

On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came, God took Jews, and in hearing the book of Acts 10, He took Gentiles, and put them together and formed one body. They are the body of Christ. That is the church. Now I want you to see that because it’s so important. See there in verse 17, for as much than is God gave them the light gift as He did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I should withstand God?

So Jews and And Gentiles are all saved the same way by faith and faith alone in what Christ did. And the message that Peter preached was what Christ commanded them to preach, the forgiveness of sins. Why? Because Christ had died and paid for all the sins of the world. And he says that the prophets give witness that this is true. They prophesied about this happening. So in the last part of verse 18 where he said, when they heard these things, held their peace and glorified God’s and then have God also to the Gentiles, also to the Gentiles.

So we know that on the day of Pentecost at the beginning, he says it happened to us. And when did it begin on the day of Pentecost? That’s important because it tells you when the church was born on the day of Pentecost. And it is made up of believing Jews and Gentiles being put together in one body. Now take your Bible, turn to the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 12. First Corinthians and chapter 12. First Corinthians chapter 12 you’ll notice there in verse 12 and he’s not talking to the most spiritual people in all the world.

He is talking to very carnal Christians but in the first part of the book it says to the saints at Corinth. They’re still saints. They just weren’t living like a saint. Saint means that they have been made pure and holy because of what Christ did for them. You’re not a saint because you live like a saint. I am a saint, not Bernard. I am a saint because I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior. I’ve been made pure and holy and set apart.

I belong to the Lord. So in verse 12, he says, for as the body is one, And half many members, all the members of that one body, being many are one body. So also is Christ. 4 by 1 Spirit, are we all baptized into one body? Whether we be Jews, Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, had been all made to drink into one spirit. So believing Jews and Gentiles brought together one body, one Holy Spirit. So we have all been baptized by the Holy Spirit the day you trusted Christ as your Savior.

I am not seeking to be baptized. If I’m seeking to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, then what I’m saying is I’m not part of the body of Christ now. I am a part of the body of Christ because I have been baptized and it’s not based upon how you lived because these Christians here weren’t living so well. had terrible testimonies, but it doesn’t change the fact about what the Lord does. So, when you trust the Christ as your Savior, God takes you and puts you into the body of Christ.

Now, that being true, and I believe that it is, it’s important to go to the rest of it and see what happens to this body of Christ. Turning your Bible to the book of Ephesians in chapter 1, the book of Ephesians in chapter This is a letter written to the church at Ephesus, and at the church at Ephesus he makes some wonderful statements and look there in chapter 1 and verse 22. Chapter 1 verse 22 and he says here, and hath put all things under his feet and and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that fill up all in all.

Now there’s generally not much questions about the church being the body of Christ because it is stated so easy and so simply in the scriptures, the church is his body. And so it’s pictured this way, Christ is on the cross. He is there for me. He died for me. A body has now prepared me. So when He died on the cross, He did it in my place. So when I believe He did it for me, it’s kind of like the Holy Spirit of God takes me and places me into the body of Christ.

Like I died on that cross and I paid for my own sins. I really didn’t do it, but I was crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, not I, but Christ, live it then me in the life which I now live. I live by the face of the Son of God who let me gave himself for me. So I am in Christ. And whenever you trusted Christ, you are placed in Christ and you’ll be surprised how many scriptures talks about those that are in Christ.

So you’re placed by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ as though you died on that cross. So all of us believers. Well, when did this first take place, the first baptism on the day of Pentecost? So we know when it started, the birth of the church began at that time. When does it end? Well we believe it ends when the rapture takes place and the Lord takes his body out of this world. But what I want you to see there is in verse 23, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all and all.

So we know that his body is the church. He is the head of the body. Now our head, Christ is in heaven. The body is on the earth. And without the head, the body can do nothing. We do what we do because we’re listening to our spiritual head. We are a spiritual body made up of spiritual individuals. who have by faith accepted Christ as their Savior. So you’re part of the body of Christ. And you may not be in the same church.

And it’s talking about people from Pentecost to the Rapture. And anyone who has trusted Christ as their Savior regards to who they may be, how messed up they may be, how faithful they may be. Nothing makes any difference. It’s if you trust the Lord, you’re part of the body of Christ. When the Rapture takes place, Here I come, ready or not. There’s some people who teach a partial rapture, like he’s coming for a leg and an arm, and the rest of it he’ll get later.

It’s not a rupture, it’s a rapture. All of us are going. Ready or not, we’re going to be with the Lord. Now look there in chapter three. Look in chapter three of the book of Ephesians. And you’ll notice up there in verse 15 of whom the words whole family in heaven and earth is named. So part of our family is in heaven. Part of our family is on the earth. And because we are the children of God, some have already gone to be with the Lord and some of us are still here, but we’re still part of the same family.

And then he makes this statement down here in verse 21, under whom be glory in the, in your underlying that word church. this whole family is still talking about the church. It’s still one body. And if you look down there in verse 4 of chapter 4, there is one body, one body. And you and I are in this one body that God calls the church. Now, take your Bible and turn to the book of Colossians in chapter 1. Just a few scriptures to you, right?

Colossians in chapter 1. And notice up there in verse 18. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 18. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he might have, they preeminence. So we are For in Him, He is in us. He is the head of the body. Now, there’s several things that I want you to see here. It’s not just that we’ve been saved. We’re talking about how we’re going to be presented to the Son, because that day will happen.

So I want you to notice, talked about this word present. See there in verse 22? In the body of His flesh, through death to present you, holy and unblameable and un-reprovable in His sight. But it’s talking about we are going to be presented. Now look there in verse 28, whom we preach, warning every man teaching every man in all wisdom that we may, and you ought to get to present every man perfect or mature in Christ Jesus. So everyone that is in Christ, it’s not just matter of being in Christ, but it’s how you’re going to be presented before the Lord.

God wants you and I to mature in the Lord, to grow strong in the Lord, strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not just to be well, I got my little pinches inside the pearly gates and that’s all it matters. No, there’s so much more. And that’s why we warn God’s children. We teach God’s children. We try to encourage and rebuke and strengthen and help because every child of God, she wants the best for every other child of God.

True. So there’s things that God wants us to be able to do. 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. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. 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 your area by dialing toll-free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible and programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. If you are 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 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.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, and 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, and just keep looking up.