Another Ephesians Part 1 "The New Generation"
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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Introduction.
Introduction.
The Ephesians Paul was writing to were new believers. They were mostly Gentiles. Paul had founded the work himself, and was the pastor there about three years. (Acts 19). Their 2nd Pastor was Timothy. (1 Timothy 1)
These were not a gathering of people who had been with Jesus. Even Paul had not seen him in the flesh, they were a new generation.
Bro. Branham preaches the “Adoption” series, a week or so after going beyond the curtain of time.
And now the purpose of these lessons is to anchor those that have already come across the Land. The purpose of this, studying this Book of Ephesians, is to positionally place the church where it absolutely stands in Christ. 60-0522M - Adoption #3
1. The Book of Ephesians parallels the Book of Joshua.
1. The Book of Ephesians parallels the Book of Joshua.
Now as we study together, I’d like to say this, that this Book of Ephesians perfectly parallels the Old Testament Joshua. 60-0515E - Adoption #1
Our Ephesians, our Joshua, which is the Holy Spirit, Joshua means “Jesus, Saviour.” Joshua meaning the Holy Spirit representing it in the spiritual as that was in the natural, that He is our great Warrior. He’s our great Leader. As God was with Joshua, so is God (in the Holy Spirit) moving us about. 60-0515E - Adoption #1
Then did you notice Moses, that great miracle performer that brought down Israel down through the land, and brought them up to the promised land, but did not place their inheritance to them? He did not give them their inheritance; he led them up to the land, but Joshua divided the land to the people. Is that right?
And Christ brought the Church up to the place to where their possession was made to them, was given to them, just the Jordan to cross, but the Holy Spirit is the One Who sets the Church in order. The Joshua of today puts the Church in its order, giving to each one, gifts, places, position.
And He is the Voice of God speaking through the inner man that Christ has saved, the Holy Spirit. Now do you get that much of it? Now we’re getting over into the Book of Ephesians. Now, the same way, He’s positionally placing the Church where they belong.
Now, Joshua placed them in the natural land. Now the Holy Spirit is placing the Church, positionally, in the land, that they, in the position that they belong in, their inheritance. 60-0518 - Adoption #2
2. We are Living in Another Ephesians.
2. We are Living in Another Ephesians.
But we’re promised, according to Revelation 10, and according to Malachi 4, and Saint Luke 22:17, and so forth, that there is got to come an Ephesians to this. There is promised it, friends. There must come an Ephesians, that these sevenfold mysteries of the Word of God must be unfolded. And it’s in the Laodicean age that this takes place. I believe that we’re there.
I believe we’re right in the shadows of the Coming of the Son of God. And as Joshua, just before the Ephesians raised up, so did John the Baptist raise up just before the next Ephesian. And we’re promised another, another Ephesians.
It’s predicted here in the Scripture, therefore I think that we are living in the Ephesians again. Back again to…We are promised that what was left off during those seven ages.
So therefore we know that Luther could not get to It; Wesley, and so forth, the reformers, Knox, Finney, Calvin, on down, so forth, they didn’t get It all, but what they had was the Gospel Truth.
But now in the last days, we are given the understanding, by the Word, that we are going to understand It, because it’ll come an Ephesian age to it. And we’re here! 65-0117 - A Paradox
3. Redemption has two parts “Coming Out” and “Going In”
3. Redemption has two parts “Coming Out” and “Going In”
And I was speaking last Sunday on the Ephesians, how that the Book of Joshua was the Ephesians of the Old Testament, and how it was a Book of redemption.
And redemption has two different parts: “come out of” and “entering into.” First, you have to come out. Some people wants to bring the world in with them; but you got to come out of the world, to enter into Christ.
You have to come out of unbelief, to enter into faith. There cannot be one thing in your way. To really have genuine faith, you must absolutely leave everything that’s contrary to the Word of God, behind, to enter into faith.
And that was the Book of the Ephesians of the Old Testament, Joshua. Where, Moses represented the law, could not save no one; but grace could, and here Joshua is the same word like Jesus, “Jehovah-saviour.”
And now then, we find out that we have come to another Ephesians, another Ephesus now. Where, that, in our intellectual denominations and so forth, and all of our educational programs has come to its Jordan, then we must have an Ephesians again. We must have an exodus, to “come out” and to “go into,” for the Rapture. 65-0119 - The God Who Is Rich In Mercy
He told us:
There must be another Ephesians.
We are living in that Ephesians.
Ephesians involves coming out and going into.
We were not meant to be in a holding pattern rallying around the Message.
4. In the first and second Ephesians, it was a new Generation that possessed the land.
4. In the first and second Ephesians, it was a new Generation that possessed the land.
In the first Exodus the generation that came out of Egypt refused to go in at Kadesh Barnea.
They never could believe God, even though they walked through the Red Sea on dry land.
God allowed them to live in the wilderness, but they were forbidden to cross over.
How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
In the second Exodus they did the same thing.
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
They had been taught that the Messiah would bring down manna from heaven.
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Chapter 6
This was one of the things which the Jews expected from the Messiah, as we learn from Midrash Koheleth. “Rabbi Berechiah, in the name of Rabbi Isaac said, As was the first Redeemer, so also shall be the latter.
(They took that from Exodus 16:4 and Psalms 72:16.)
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
They were the first generation that did not believe.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
Just like their fathers did.
And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
I am that bread of life.
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Now He comes to the third Pull of His Ministry.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
He was playing the part of Caleb.
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
That generation saw the miracles but they did not believe the Word and go forward.
But you notice, just before they entered the promised land, all of the differences that had rose up among them. They…One of the great things was Korah. He didn’t want this one-man leadership. Dathan, and how they come up before Moses and tried to tell him that “the message had to mean this,” and put a different interpretation to it, their own ideas of what it was. And they every one perished! Every one!
Jesus said, “There wasn’t none of them but what perished.” They said, “Our fathers eat manna in the wilderness, for the space of forty years,” Saint John 6. Jesus said, “And they are every one dead.”
Dead means “Eternally separated.” They’re all dead, yet they enjoyed hearing the message, yet they enjoyed the manna that fell. Not another manna; the genuine manna! 65-0117 - A Paradox
Bro. Branham ties this to Balaam and his teaching.
A Prophet’s voice had become common to the old generation.
And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
(Illustrate: Old Trees vs. Saplings)
Conclusion.
Conclusion.
Every generation has to come out and go in. What does the new generation come out of? The Old Fighter Mentality. (Next time)