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What do you think the Bible means when it says ‘the world?’ Humanity? That’s what we all think, ‘you are not of the world.’ Isn’t that what it says? You have come out of the world. I am going to show you today that when the Bible uses the word ‘world,’ what it is talking about is the church. The world is the church.

Gen 9:9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

We could go back to Gen 1, but there weren’t enough people around to make the point. If you can, grasp the fact and the truth that the whole human race was right there in the Garden of Eden in the form of Adam and Eve. We are all in Adam. Adam is the son of God (Luk 2 – the genealogy). All men are sons of God, all men are in God. Noah is another Adam, he is the father of all living. The covenant is with all mankind! They may not be aware of it.

Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

The devil is showing Christ all of the world, all of the descendants of Adam, all of the descendants of Noah. God had a covenant with Adam and Noah, God has a covenant with all mankind, he is showing him the kingdoms of all the world.

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Christ had just said, ‘I am the light of the world.’ Here, Christ is saying that you and I are the light of the world, which always takes us back to 1Jn 4:17 ‘… as he is so are we in this world.’ Is Christ the light of the world? We are the light of the world. Is Christ the bread of life? We are one bread. Whatever Christ is, that’s what we are. Christ says, ‘as my Father sent me, so send I you. The Bible is not written to what we call the world, all flesh. The Bible tells us what all flesh is. The reason that the world is so hopelessly lost is because they cannot see, they are blind. A spiritually blind person does not know that he is spiritually blind. If he did, he would not be blind. Once you see that you are completely blind, then you can begin to see.

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

If you don’t become blind, you will never see. Why do you think Paul was blind for 3 days and 3 nights after his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus? That was to tell us that we to have got to be brought to that point. The road to Damascus experience is not an exception to the rule, it is the rule. We have all got to be knocked down to our feet and brought to see our blindness.

Mat 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

All mankind has a covenant with God. Abraham was a descendant of Noah, Noah and ‘his seed after him’ had a covenant with God. There was a covenant with God before the flood. The seed of Seth (‘Seth’ means instead of) replaced Abel who Cain slew. Cain was God’s son, but he was the rejected son. God loved Abel more than he did Cain. He loved Jacob more than he did Esau. This is the part that Joseph’s brothers despised and Joseph’s brothers are the church, the seed of Abraham. Every time you hear me use the word ‘world’ here, it’s ‘kosmos.’ It is not ‘aion.’ They translate both words ‘world.’ This word that I am talking about today is ‘kosmos’, ‘the world.’ Christ said:

Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world (kosmos), then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

These things are secrets (refer back to Mat 13:35). ‘Musterion’ is the word in the Greek. Its translated secrets and it is translated mystery(ies). It is not given to them to know the mysteries (secrets) of the kingdom of God. Who is it that he is talking about when he makes that statement? Is he talking about the Romans? No, he is talking about the church.

Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

If that doesn’t tell you what ‘the world’ is, I don’t know what it is going to do. It is within the church that the children of the kingdom are the church. The ‘field is the world’ then he goes on to tell about the rest of the parable. It is just like at the beginning of the Bible. Adam, the son of God had 2 sons, Cain and Abel. Who are they? Sons of God, also, but one is the seed of the woman and the other is the seed of the serpent. Christ tells the Pharisees of his day (descendants of physical Abraham), I know you are Abraham’s seed, but you seek to kill me because you are of your father the devil. Who is he saying this to?

Joh 8:30-31 As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

He is saying it to those Jews who believed on him. The church of Jesus Christ, not just the church in the wilderness, these Jews believed on Jesus Christ.

Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

‘Gain the whole world…’ We’ve always thought of the things of the world, but this is talking about being accepted by the world. The church of God wants to be accepted by the world to the extent that they will put in pool rooms in the basements of the church and have rock concerts and do just whatever it takes to draw the world in. They want to look just as much like and act as much like the world as they possibly can. All to glorify God, to bring Christ to the masses.

Mat 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

Where do these offenses take place? They take place within the church, brother to brother. It was Judas who gave away Christ to his fellow Jews, the church in the wilderness. That’s who he gave him to.

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The whole Christian world looks at that verse and says ‘there’s coming a tribulation, it’ll be there one of these days, and it’s going to be worse than it’s ever been.’ This was written 2,000 years ago. God’s word is (primarily), was (2,000 years ago) and will be (in the future, right through the lake of fire). This will all be true. ‘You’ (me, all of us) will experience ‘great tribulation such as never was, no, nor never will be’ in this world that I am in now.

Gen 1:9-10 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

This is the verse that explains what all flesh really is. Weren’t we just told that God pushed the land up out of the water on the third day. Yes, but if that’s all you get out of it, you are not going to know what to make of the rest of the Bible. The earth is separated from the sea on the third day and the earth is just a little closer to heaven. The earth is the church.

Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

It is addressed to the King of Judah and to the people that enter in by these gates; in other words, the people of God. God’s people are the earth, God’s people is the world.

Gen 1:10 a And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas:

That’s all mankind, the seas are all mankind. God’s people are called out of the seas, they are pushed up out of the sea, a little bit closer to God. Now, to prove that, let’s go to Rev 17:15.

Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

The waters are all flesh, but this harlot sits upon them and dictates to them and tells them what’s right and wrong and leads them and guides them and sets herself up as a leader of the blind. Yet, she, herself, does not know that she is wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Until you see yourself for what you are, you remain that way. Without seeing yourself for what you are, you will never change. But, once you do admit to it, you will be given sight and you will be given a nice robe to cover your nakedness. Let me show you how these things are to be understood:

Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

You will not understand the things of the New Testament if you don’t go to the Old Testament. Before the New Testament was written, Paul made this statement to Timothy:

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All he had was the Old Testament, but all of the truths in the New Testament, according to Paul, he said he spoke nothing but what was foretold in the law and in the prophets. Paul said he did not speak anything that wasn’t already there. I can say the same thing, I don’t speak anything but what is already there. The world doesn’t know it’s the world; people who are blind, don’t know they are blind.

Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Think about that verse just a minute. He is talking to the elect who have been called out of Babylon and, he’s saying, I had this all planned from the foundation of the world. I knew Adam was going to eat of that tree. I wasn’t in the dark about that. God is not on plan B, he had this planned from the foundation of the world and right there is the scripture! From when he first started dealing with mankind in a covenant relationship.

Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Here, you have the word ‘world’ 6 times in those 2 verses. Who was it that hated Christ? Did Pilate hate Christ? Did the Romans hate Christ? No. Pilate said I don’t find anything wrong with this just man. Peter points that out in Act 2 on the day of Pentecost: ‘whom Pilate would have let go, you have slain and murdered with unjust hands.’ Who was he talking to? He was talking to the church in the wilderness, those Jews which believed on him.