Know that the church is the firstborn

Series 17

Episode 1

Prologue

Brothers and sisters, today’s topic for Treasures for the Soul is Know that the church is the firstborn. Hebrews Chapter 12 mentions that the church is “the assembly of the firstborn,” which means that the church is the church of the firstborn. Being the firstborn shows that we have an important position in God’s eternal plan and love. It also shows the church’s honour, glory, blessedness and enjoyment. The Lord is the One foreshadowed in the Old Testament. It’s so precious that He has already come. He shed His blood for us and offered up Himself once for all. Therefore, today, we no longer need to offer sacrifices, but we can enjoy the new covenant that He has established for us. The Lord is the mediator of the better covenant.

Message

Today, I want to especially read with you some Bible verses that are related to the concept of the firstborn. This passage is a very precious way to describe the church.
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven…” (Hebrews 12:22-23)
Let’s talk about the phrase: “The assembly of the firstborn”: This can also be interpreted as “the church of the firstborn.” Here, it speaks of the noble and glorious position of the church in this whole universe, and in God’s will and plan till eternity. Also, this name tells us that the church is composed of the firstborns. As a member of God’s household, each one of us is the firstborn, the true child of Abba, closest to Him. It’s very clear: The firstborn has the most precious position, blessing, enjoyment, glory and honour in this whole universe, and in God’s eternal plan and love till eternity!
The way that the Israelites treat their firstborns is probably the most prominent of any nation in the world. In fact, God calls the entire nation of Israel the firstborn. But we are even more blessed, because we are the church of the firstborn. Isn’t it precious? Hebrew Chapter 12 tells us our destination.
The Book of Hebrews was especially written to the Hebrews, the Jews who claimed to believe in the Lord, though some were not so clear about their salvation. In the past, many of the Jewish people persecuted the Lord and the disciples. But it’s so precious that when the Holy Spirit came, three thousand men believed in the Lord and were baptized. Later, quite a number of Israelites also believed in the Lord. But they were still influenced by the ideas of Judaism. They could’ve also been pulled back by the Old Testament, as it is also God’s word, and discusses laws, sacrifices, priests, temples, as well as the covenants God made with them.
None of these things could truly set people free from sin! The blood of oxen and sheep could not remove sins. It was impossible for anyone’s sins to be taken away by shedding an animal’s blood and taking its life. All these sacrifices only foreshadowed that one day the Messiah would come; He would become the Lamb of God. The Bible prophesied many times in great detail about the Messiah. John the Baptist once made such a proclamation: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) The blood of oxen and sheep could never take away sins. But all these sacrifices helped Israel know about the Saviour who was to come.
The Jews of the Old Testament also believed in God and were justified by faith. In a way, they foretasted the fruit of the cross. But now this Saviour has already come! He shed His blood and bore our sins. He suffered the greatest pain and solved the problems of our sins! It’s no longer merely a foreshadowing or foretaste. We don’t need any more sacrifices! Our sins are forgiven! We are not waiting for another saviour, but we are waiting for the Lord’s second coming. When He came the first time, He died and rose for us. It’s so precious that we’ve already received this Saviour. Recall your own experience: your life has changed since the day you accepted Him as your Saviour. He is indeed our Saviour, the true Messiah. Christ has come! This is a new age!
The Book of Hebrews mentions twelve things that are “better”. It’s really so much better: He used His blood to establish a better covenant, He’s the better sacrifice, His sprinkled blood speaks “a better word than the blood of Abel”, He’s the High Priest and He continues forever, above all the priests of the Old Testament time. He’s incomparable. He offered Himself up as a sacrifice. It’s a far better sacrifice than all the oxen and sheep, which can never be compared to Him. It’s so precious that He has come! He has truly changed us. It’s our true experience.
In the Old Testament time, the Israelites were God’s chosen people. They did not understand the Bible well enough, and hence, started to be proud and boastful. There’s no doubt that what Israel had was precious, but much of it was only a foreshadow. Paul said that the Jews had the old covenant, but the Lord has established a new covenant. The Lord is the mediator of the better covenant. What would you choose, the sacrifices of animals from the old covenant, or His perfect sacrifice that’s once for all?
The Israelites of the old covenant had Jerusalem and the temple. Today, we have the heavenly New Jerusalem. This is different from the past, when they went to Mount Sinai with fear and trembling, not being able to receive salvation. Today, as the Bible says, we “have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.”

Series 17

Know that the Church is the Firstborn

Message Date: 2020-04-26

The church is extremely honourable and glorious; it is also the core of God’s plan. Hebrews 12:22-24 mentions “the assembly of the firstborn”. Indeed, the church is formed by the firstborn. As Abba’s dear children, throughout eternity, we have the most precious position, blessings, enjoyment and honour out of the entire universe. Israel pays high regard to their firstborn, because the firstborn receives special blessings and a double portion of the inheritance. God calls Israel His firstborn. Today, all of us are the heavenly Father’s firstborn, co-heirs with Christ. Thus, we are even more blessed. In the past, God used ten plagues to tackle the Egyptians, and at last their firstborn were killed. God commanded each household of the Israelites to kill a one-year-old male lamb that was without blemish, and put its blood on the two doorposts and the lintel of the house.​​ The angels would pass over those houses when they saw the blood, and their firstborn would escape death. So, those firstborn were protected and redeemed by the blood of the lambs. In the Millennium and the new earth, Israel will remain the head among all nations. It’s so precious that the Lord became the Lamb of God, shed His blood, and gave His life for the church. He redeemed us to be His forever, to be His darling and Abba’s true children. In eternity, we will be kings with the Lord and inherit all.
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Know that the church is the firstborn

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The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 1)

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The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 2)

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The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1)

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The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 2)

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Introduction

01 Introduction of Treasures for the Soul

Series 1: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord

1.1 The Most Blessed Generation
1.2 Message from John the Baptist
1.3 Abide in the Lord Always
1.4 Abide in the Lord’s Love at All Times
1.5 The Lord Speaks to Us and Helps Us in Our Hearts

Series 2: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout this Year

2.1 God’s Greatest Work Starts in Our Hearts
2.2 To Be Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout the Year
2.3 Our Spirits can Feel God and Have Fellowship with Him
2.4 The Importance of Peace
2.5 Our Spirits Need the Words of God
2.6 Give the Lord Time and Space to Speak in Our Hearts

Series 3: Let Our Hearts be Influenced

3.1 The World Needs People Who Deeply Experience God
3.2 Just as His Anointing 
Has Taught You, 
Abide in the Lord
3.3 Be Influenced 
by the Lord Throughout 
this Year

Series 4: The Importance of Peace

4.1 Enjoying God’s Peace in Your heart
4.2 Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled, Neither Let Them be Afraid.
4.3 How Should Our Spirit Respond to the Lord?

Series 5: Our Spirit Being Able to Enjoy the Lord

5.1 Our Spirit is Satisfied Only When We Worship God and Deeply Experience Him
5.2 How to Worship God with Our Spirit
5.3 Looking at the Lord with our Inner Eyes
5.4 Our Spirit Needs to Enjoy the Lord Himself
5.5 The Song of Solomon Often Mentions About “Eyes”
5.6 Realize Being Heart to Heart with the Lord in Singing and Worship

Series 6: Live out the Life of being Heart to Heart with the Lord

6.1 Living a life of union with the Lord in a stable pattern every day
6.2 Enjoying the Lord and not being disturbed
6.3 The Importance of Seeing Him with Our Spiritual Eyes

Series 7

7.1 Learn to Protect Our Spirits From Virus Prevention
7.2 Our Spirit Can Hear, Think, and See
7.3 How to Live a Life of Faith
7.4 The Importance of the Mind
7.5 David’s Eyes Beheld the Lord Always

Series 8: During the last supper, the Lord spoke about the essence of the blessings of the new covenant.

8.1 The Lord established with us the eternal love covenant by His blood
8.2 The Lord Treasures the New Covenant and Break-Bread Meeting the Most
8.3 Love Encounters
8.4 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the fourth blessing
8.5 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (1)
8.6 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (2)

Series 16: We Have Come to Mount Zion and the Heavenly Jerusalem

16.1 See that the Lord is at the right hand of the Father
16.2 Coming to Mount Zion (1): the meaning of Mount Sinai
16.3 Coming to Mount Zion (2): the difficulty in forgiveness of sins
16.4 Coming to Mount Zion (3): to Live in Grace
16.5 Having Come to the Heavenly Jerusalem
16.6 What is in the heavenly Jerusalem (1)?

Series 9: Being Heart to Heart with the Father

9.1 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 1)
9.2 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 2)

Series 10

10.1 The Love Desire in the Depths of Abba and the Lord’s hearts
10.2 Fruit of the Lord’s Crucifixion: Eternal Life
10.3 The Lord Came to Manifest the Father’s Name
10.4 The Father Sent His Only Begotten Son
10.5 Reminders on enjoying heart to heart with the Father
10.6 The Father’s Desire for Me is Forever Steadfast

Series 11

11.1 The preciousness of the Letter to Philemon
11.2 The most profitable; the most accepted.
11.3 Charge That to My Account
11.4 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (1)
11.5 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (2)
11.6 We are the Lord’s darling love

Series 12

12.1 The Lord’s Words at the Last Supper
12.2 Apart from the Lord, we can do nothing.
12.3 What is true faith?
12.4 Look upon the Lord in glory
11.5 Trust and Peace (1)
12.6 Trust and Peace (2)

Series 13: The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility

13.3 The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility (Part 2)

Series 14: Manifold evidence

14.1 How does the infinite Lord see us?
14.2 We are the ultimate and final love of the Lord
14.3 The Lord is forever a Man; He once died for us
14.4 The Lord’s manifold love evidence (Part 1)
14.5 The Lord’s manifold love evidence Part 2

Series 15: Understand How Our Spirit Works And Be Heart To Heart With The Lord Continuously

15.1 We Can Only Enjoy God By Faith
15.2 His Words Abide In Us
15.3 Live With The Lord
15.4 Seek The Things That Are Above
15.5 Understand How Our Spirit Works: Will, Mind And Feelings
15.6 Guard And Uplift Our Mind

Series 17: Know that the Church is the Firstborn

17.1 Know that the church is the firstborn
17.2 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 1)
17.3 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 2)
17.4 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1)
17.5 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 2)

Series 18: The Blessings to be the First Born

18.1 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 1)
18.2 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 2)
18.3 To be united with the Lord and become the Firstborn
18.4 The Lord is the Firstborn
18.5 The Blessing of the Firstborn: Kingship
18.6 The Blessing of the Firstborn: a Double Portion of the Blessings

Series 19: Coming to Mount Zion to Appear Before God

19.1 The Lord is the way, and the truth, and the life
19.2 Live in Grace. Enjoy the Father and the Lord
19.3 Mind the things that are above (1)
19.4 Mind the things that are above (2)
19.5 Appear before God in Mount Zion

Series 20: The final destination of our spirit and eternity is the heavenly Jerusalem

20.1 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (1)
20.2 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (2)
20.3 The Lord Becomes the Way so that We can Come Before God with Confidence
20.4 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (1)
20.5 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (2)

Series 21: Live Out the Life of the Firstborn: Be A Priest

21.1 The Father made the Lord the High Priest
21.2 Priesthood: One of the Blessings of the Firstborn
21.4 The Precedents of Priests in the Bible (2)

Series 22: When Believers Die, They Will Go to the Heavenly Jerusalem

22.1 The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (1)
The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (2)
The Spirits of the Righteous Made Perfect

Series 23: New Jerusalem is a real city

God has prepared a heavenly home for us
Is the heavenly new Jerusalem a real city?
Satan causes man not to be clear and assured about the things in heaven
Are physical substances not spiritual?
New Jerusalem is a real city (1)
New Jerusalem is a real city (2)

Series 24: God prepares for us

Genesis 22: Father and Son went together
Genesis 22: For us, the Father gave His only Son
Genesis 22: The Lord will provide
24.4 God’s preparation for us

Series 25: The Father and Son Affection

25.1 The Lord Came to Make Known the Father
25.2 The Father and Son Affection (Part 1)
25.3 The Father and Son Affection (Part 2)

Series 26: We are a royal priesthood

26.1 God who alone does wondrous things
26.2 The Lord is the High Priest
26.3 We are a royal priesthood (1)
26.4 We are a royal priesthood (2)