People_of_God_1_Robert_Turner_1987

The People of God 1 of 5 Sermon by Robert F. Turner Voices From The Past and The Present Listen Here: https://audio.com/eutychus/audio/people-of-god-1-robert-turner-1987 Original Audio: https://newtestamentchristians.com/searchingthescriptures/main_pages/audio_files/Robert%20Turner/downloads_robert_turner.htm Robert F. Turner also produced a more extensive written study on the same theme: Main introduction and course page: People of God – A Study of the Church (on AreYouaChristian.com / WordPoints) Summary: In “The People of God 1” (recorded 1987), veteran gospel preacher Robert F. Turner explores the heart of what God has always desired from His people. Moving beyond external forms, organizations, or mere numbers, Turner insists that the church is fundamentally a certain kind of people—those who respond to God with genuine faith, obedience, and wholehearted devotion. Beginning with God’s call of Abraham (a Gentile) out of Ur of the Chaldees, Turner traces the development of physical Israel as a holy nation and kingdom of priests. He shows how this literal people served as a type and shadow of the greater spiritual reality fulfilled in Christ. Key passages highlight the conditional nature of Israel’s covenant, the importance of individual heart obedience (even within the nation), and the same language applied to Christians in 1 Peter 2 as a chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, and people for God’s own possession. Turner addresses contemporary issues of his day—including reactions against institutionalism and calls for no church treasury or organization—warning that abuses should never lead believers to discard biblical principles. He closes with Paul’s message on Mars’ Hill (Acts 17): God does not need temples or human service as though He lacked anything; what He truly wants is a people who seek Him, feel after Him, and give Him their hearts. This opening lesson in a five-part series lays a strong foundation for understanding the church qualitatively rather than merely institutionally. It is a clear, faith-building call to be the kind of people who, like Abraham, obey God even when the way is unclear or the cost is high. TRANSCRIPT: You came out of a busy life to come together, for what? If you don’t already know, you’ll soon find out. It is not to be a program of entertainment of any kind. No free dishes gonna be given away, no door prizes or anything like that. We’re just here to study together and pray together and try to make this a profitable time. I had originally thought that I would talk with you on the subject of the Hebrew letter, just discuss the Hebrew letter. But half of my ancestors were women, and you know, I change my mind now and then. So I decided that maybe it would be better if I didn’t use both the evening and the morning period discussing a book of the Bible. There’s another subject that’s very dear to my heart, and I think is especially needed now: something about the nature of the church. It’s particularly needed now because historically we have gone through a period of upset and disturbance with reference to the church of the Lord in the institutional issues of the past. That fostered — may I say fathered — a sort of reaction on the part of some. They became somewhat disenchanted with the idea of the church and of its organization in any form. We have encouraged that by perhaps adopting some concepts about church that are not all as true as they ought to be. In the ’60s, you remember, there was a general rebellion against religion, against organized religion. (I want to be sure this is on. Yes, it is.) Against organized religion. This was in the world generally. The world generally sort of rebelled against the idea of the establishment and any kind of organization. This went hand in hand with the problems we were having about institutionalism and super organizations among God’s people. It spawned or fathered a sort of rebellion against any kind of organization. We’re now hearing a lot more of it all over the country. Sort of the idea that we oughtn’t even have any kind of local church organization. No church treasury. This is not a new idea. Many years ago I ran across some people who called themselves the Way. Their idea was simply that people should become Christians and then meet in their homes in small cell groups and have nothing more than that. Make no effort whatsoever to build a building or establish any sort of location. Anything that smacked of the church as an institution was taboo, even on a local scale. That has revived. There are others pressing that point now. We need to talk about those things. The idea of no treasury appeals to some who don’t want to give, and to others who see abuses made of the treasury. If I read the present problem accurately, it’s more playing on abuses than it is on principle. Those doing this are throwing out the baby with the wash water. There are abuses made of local church organization. People become wedded to the organization rather than to Christ. They become more concerned about the organization having a good name, and the importance of the organization takes the place of the importance of serving the Lord. That’s an abuse. We must not let an abuse cause us to cast out a principle. When you allow an abuse of the treasury to lead you to conclude that we ought not have a treasury or any kind of organized effort, you have allowed the principle to be negated because someone is abusing it. On that basis you could cast out Christianity itself. People abuse Christianity, therefore we oughtn’t to have any such thing. That doesn’t make sense. So I’m going to try to discuss with you some things about the church. I may not use the word church a lot because I’m trying to get your minds to focus on what God really wants of us. He wants us to be a certain kind of people. God wants a people — not just a people to have numbers or to boast about how many meet together under His name. In this sense, “church” takes on a qualitative sense. The church is a certain kind of people. If we get more interested in simply being on the roll and backing up our organization than in being the kind of people God wants us to be, we’re missing the point. You can be the kind of people God wants you to be and still have a functioning local church with its overseers and its treasury and do no injustice to what God teaches concerning His people. The Call of Abraham To begin with, I go back to the call of Abraham. God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, separating him from his own homeland, and said, “I want to make of you a special nation.” Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. — Genesis 12:1-3 Abraham was a Gentile. God began with him as a seed to develop a people. Later He promised, “in thy seed shall all nations be blessed.” God had purposed before the foundation of the world to send His Son, clothed in flesh, to dwell among men and die for us. God’s Purpose and the Nation of Israel God chose to build a nation through which He would send His Son. He started with Abraham, a man of faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a land which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went. — Hebrews 11:8 Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons became a nation through the bondage in Egypt. In Exodus 19:5-6 God said: Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. This was a physical, literal people, but God placed a condition on them: obedience. He wanted more than physical descent. In Deuteronomy 7:6-8: For thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God: Jehovah thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession… Jehovah did not set his love upon you… because ye were more in number… but because Jehovah loveth you, and because he would keep the oath which he sware unto your fathers. Holy means separated, set apart — first physically, then morally for God’s purpose. In Deuteronomy 10:12 God asks: And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul? Even while forming a physical nation, God dealt with them as individuals. See Ezekiel 18 — “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” The Same Language for Christians The same language used for Israel is now used for Christians in 1 Peter 2:5, 9: Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. The physical nation served as a type and shadow of the spiritual people God truly desires. John the Baptist warned in Matthew 3:9: Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. In Jeremiah 19, God had the prophet break a potter’s vessel as a sign that the physical nation would be broken. What God Really Wants Paul on Mars’ Hill in Acts 17:24-27 declared: The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything… that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. God does not need our buildings, our songs, or our sacrifices if they do not come from the heart. “To obey is better than sacrifice.” If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. The true church that belongs to Christ is a certain kind of people — a people who have dedicated their lives to His service. I’m just getting started on the things I want to say about the church as a quality of people. I hope you’ll bear with me. Invitation If you realize you need to give yourself more fully to the Lord, you can do that. If you need to confess sins and request the prayers of the brethren, that is available. If you have never obeyed the gospel, believe in Christ with all your heart, repent of your sins, and be baptized into Christ. Salvation is in Him alone. Won’t you come while we stand and sing? Detailed Outline of “The People of God 1” Sermon by Robert F. Turner (1987) DETAILED OUTLINE: Introduction & Purpose of the Lesson Greeting and explanation of the gathering: not entertainment, but study and prayer for a profitable time. Original plan to discuss the Hebrew letter changed; now focusing on the nature of the church — a subject especially needed today. Historical context: institutional issues, 1960s rebellion against organized religion, and resulting disenchantment with church organization. Critique of extreme reactions: No local church organization No church treasury Meeting only in small home cell groups (reference to “the Way”) Warning: Abuses should not cause us to discard biblical principles (“throwing out the baby with the wash water”). Goal: Focus minds on what God really wants — a certain kind of people (qualitative sense of “church”). God Wants a Certain Kind of People Not merely numbers or organizational boasting. Church = a certain kind of people who are truly dedicated to Christ. Possible to have functioning local churches (overseers, treasury) while being the right kind of people. Emphasis: Avoid being wedded to organization over Christ. The Call of Abraham – Beginning of God’s Special People God called Abraham (a Gentile) out of Ur of the Chaldees. Key promise: Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation… and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. — Genesis 12:1-3 Eternal purpose: God planned to send His Son through this lineage (foreknowledge vs. foreordination explained). Abraham chosen as a man of faith (Hebrews 11:8). Line: Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → twelve sons → nation of Israel through Egyptian bondage. The Physical Nation of Israel as God’s People Exodus 19:5-6 — conditional covenant: Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession… a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. — Exodus 19:5-6 Deuteronomy 7:6-8 — chosen not for numbers but because of God’s love and oath. “Holy” = separated/set apart (physical then moral sense). Deuteronomy 10:12 — what God requires: fear, walk in His ways, love and serve with all heart and soul. Individual responsibility emphasized (Ezekiel 18: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die”). God wanted more than physical descent — a people who obey from the heart. Transition to the Spiritual People of God Same language applied to Christians: 1 Peter 2:5 — living stones, spiritual house, holy priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9 — elect race, royal priesthood, holy nation, people for God’s own possession. — 1 Peter 2:5,9 Physical Israel as type/shadow of the spiritual reality in Christ. John the Baptist’s warning: Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father… — Matthew 3:9 Mistakes of the Jews: relying on physical descent, circumcision, and national status. Jeremiah 19 — potter’s vessel broken as sign of judgment on the physical nation (only a remnant saved). What God Really Wants (Acts 17) Paul on Mars’ Hill: God does not dwell in temples made with hands nor is served as though He needed anything. …that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him… — Acts 17:24-27 God wants the heart: obedience better than sacrifice. Jesus’ words: If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. True church = people who have fully dedicated their lives to Christ. Conclusion & Invitation Turner is only beginning the series; more to come on the church as a quality of people. Personal appeal: Give yourself more fully to the Lord. Opportunity for confession, prayer, or obedience to the gospel (believe, repent, be baptized). Salvation is in Christ alone. Tags and SEO Terms: Robert F. 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