Wednesday, November 15, 2017, 6pm.
I. THE STORY OF THE CHILDREN’S BREAD
Matt 15:21-28 And Jesus went from there and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried out, saying, Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter suffers terribly from demon possession. But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, Send her away, for she is crying out after us. But He answered and said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me! But He answered and said, It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs. And she said, Yes, Lord, for even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that hour.
II. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BEING A LIFE OF ENJOYMENT
A. The Beginning of the Christian Life—a Marriage Feast
Matt 22:2 The kingdom of the heavens has become like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son.
B. The Continuation of the Christian Life—the Lord’s Table
1 Cor. 11:24-26 And having given thanks, He broke it and said, This is My body, which is given for you; this do unto the remembrance of Me. Similarly also the cup after they had dined, saying, This cup is the new covenant established in My blood; this do, as often as you drink it, unto the remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you declare the Lord’s death until He comes.
C. The Consummation of the Christian Life—the Marriage Dinner of the Lamb
Rev. 19:9 And he said to me, Write, Blessed are they who are called to the marriage dinner of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true words of God.
III. THE LORD BEING THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
2 Cor. 3:6, 17 Who has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life… And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Tim. 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
IV. EXERCISING OUR SPIRIT TO TOUCH THE WORD
John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truthfulness.
Eph. 6:17-18 And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints,
V. THE WRITTEN WORD BECOMING THE LIVING WORD
John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another even as I have loved you.
Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Further reading: The Tree of Life, chapter 11, published by Living Stream Ministry
Elijah was a man of like feeling with us, and he earnestly prayed that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. (James 5: 17)
