PROPER FOUNDATIONAL TEACHING
Victor Choudhrie
Hebrews 6:1-3
6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
3 And God permitting, we will do so.
- Repentance from dead works
Luke 24:47 – this gospel of repentance will be preached in all the world
Give up idolatry (acts 15:20) - Faith in God
Salvation – believing that Jesus is raised from the dead, and confession from the mouth that Jesus is my Lord (Rom 10:9) - Doctrines of baptisms (not just one) water, spirit …
God doesn’t look at amount of water — He looks at heart
Every believer has to be a baptizer — Jesus didn’t say go and be baptized, he said go and baptize - Laying on of hands (empowerment)
- Resurrection of the Dead
We believe Jesus was resurrected from the dead - Eternal Judgment
There is a day appointed for judgment and we shall all be judged. Goats on the left . Sheep on the right because they gave him supper when he came and knocked on the door
— I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger and you came to my house and took care of me, and I was naked and you clothed me. … give it right then … I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you visited me - Fruitfulness
Hebrews 6:7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.
Jesus did not live a systematic life …
Midrash – house of learning
Midrash – house of interaction
Home schooling … house schooling
He addressed the problems as he met them … when people come to your house church, you solve their problems in the name of Jesus
In teaching, it’s not just content.
Traditional church — command and control and produces oxymorons — confusion
Do not teach systematic theology …
Jesus gave a job description to Paul – Acts 26:
Acts 26:17-18
17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (KJV)
Acts 26:18
an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ NKJV
Inheritance …
Evangelism/Discipleship/church planting is not an event, it’s a process
Jesus goes to Samaria and Samaritans come to know the Gospel
Philip goes over there and — people are baptized — he’s only an evangelist
Peter and John learn the Spirit has fallen in Samaria … and they plant churches in Samaria. No one person has all the gifts — house church is a network of churches.
100 churches in 100 villages yet only ONE church.
God is giving Paul his job description … I am sending you and I will protect you from your own people.
You’re going to have a lot of problems from your own people.
I’m sending you to Jews and Gentiles … go and rescue the people from a form of religion — Jesus is your protection
- Open their eyes
Show them the light. Love. Speaking the truth. Signs and wonders. Testimony. Witnesses. Destroy the works of the enemy by the word of the testimony and the blood of the lamb. Prayer/Intercession. He knew their sacred texts (Acts 17 – Paul used the heathen’s sacred text to expose the lies). It’s possible to convince any religion using their text that Jesus is the ONLY way! Every religion has Jesus in it; you just have to find it. - Take them from darkness into light – use instruments in his context and his culture
- From the power of satan to God.
He sees God as powerless, so he needs to see a demonstration of power. - Forgiveness of Sins
Repentance - Inheritance
God gave Adam the Garden as his inheritance
Adam lost the whole garden just for one fruit
Esau lost his inheritance for a bowl of lentils (a bowl of mess. )We sell our birthright/inheritance for a bowl of lentils but if you’re too busy to do God’s work, you’ve sold your birthright.
Gen 15:18-21
18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates–
19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” NIV
God had a global mission — gave Abraham the nations of the earth from Egypt to Euphrates. God says, Get up and go to the land and possess the land God gave you. He circled that land and put seven altars where he brought sacrifices. He claimed that land. God gave him 10 nations.
You have to choose your land and people groups … we need to know the people groups and take possession of them.
Jesus had a global vision, but he gives us an inheritance. There is no such thing as a Christian without an inheritance. If you’re a son of the Father, the Father must give you an inheritance. You have to take possession of it.
You have to dislodge the enemy and take possession of your God-given territory. Hence, spiritual warfare. As long as the strong man is still present there — you can’t take possession there. The two cannot live together. You have to dislodge them. You cannot plunder his possession unless you first bind the strongman.
His possessions are people and land. If you buy land, you cannot farm unless you get rid of the weeds. So farmer always burns the weeds before doing any sowing or he will have a crop of weeds.
Don’t preach the gospel anywhere unless you destroy the field of weeds. That’s how you take possession of your inheritance.
Joshua, “every place you put your foot I have given it to you as an inheritance — all you have to do is take possession.” (1:3)
Romans 16:20
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Wen you’re treading, you’re treading the head of satan, ridding him from the territory God has given to you. You are repossessing your inheritance.
Every Christian must take possession of your inheritance (land and people). You nurture the church wherever the plant happens to be.
Mal 1:11
11 My name will be great among the nations [Gentiles] from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty.
Jesus came and changed the system.
Matt 24 – they came out of the temple … disciples looked at the beautiful temple. Jesus says, Not a stone will be left unturned.” Titus came and said “burn the place” … golden dome melted and spilled down between the stones; soldiers came and tore down stones and robbed the gold between the stones.
Jesus came and transferred the temple to the people — we became the temple of the Living God.
Levites – born in the family of Levites to be a priest … 1 Peter 2:9, Rev 5:9 — through the blood of Jesus, we are now royal priests.
Church is the assembly of royal priests. Men, women, and children.
1 Peter 2:5-6
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
We are the temple and we are the priests — the gentiles are the sacrifice.
Broken and contrite hearts
And the church will grow every day
1. His name shall be great among the Gentiles
2. Pure offering from morning to evening (every day all day)
3. Offer incense (intercession)
4. Pure offerings (repentant, sanctified, baptized)
He changed priesthood (Levitical to royal priesthood)
He changed sacrifice from 4 legged animals to 2 legged Gentiles
He changed the training system — from the schools to the houses/streets/homes
Congregation 2 or 3 … where He is in the midst
We are to be kings and priests — reigning on earth. To “possess the land” is to reign over the land — to transform the whole village.
The curses of the land are broken.
There is water of life in the village.
The church should be a transforming agent that transforms the whole community.
You don’t rule them, you serve them as kings and priests.
Acts 16:4-5
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
The churches were strengthened in faith and grew in numbers daily. Must be quality and quantity.
Every church must be producing churches.
These are general principals — you have to customize your strategy in each context (Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, atheists, Catholics, communists, etc.)