“but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15)

Here, Paul says that the church is the house of God. We have discussed earlier that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles. So we must as our duty keep completely the gospel of truth. We cannot allow any one person to break down this foundation that we have.

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” (Ephesians 2:19)

This verse tells us that after we have believed in God, we are no longer strangers. An strangers is someone who has no relationship with the household of God, like a stranger on the street. We are also not guests, like those who come to church just to observe. That is why we do not ask such individuals to put in effort for this house. We are neither of these types of people. We are members of the household of God. We are of the same nation as those of the faithful. This is why we call each other brothers and sisters, even though in the flesh we may not be related. The speaker says that he came to church on his own to believe and so nobody is related to him. Even though this is the case, however, in the spirit we are all family. God’s family. Since the church is God’s family, what should we do?

First, we must have the spirit of one family. Secondly, we must know who is here in this family. Thirdly, we must be good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Since the church is the house of God, we must have the spirit of one family. What is this? Being close.

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;” (Romans 12:10)

We must love one another with brotherly love. Why is it that after we finish work, our hearts fly home? Because there, there is our love; it is our nest; our family members are there. But if husband and wife have cold wars, would you want to go home? That is difficult. The speaker shares that a sister was telling him yesterday that her children spent a lot of time on technology, so their relationship feels rather distant, and their children never desired to speak more than a few words to the parents. The speaker told the sister that this is a symptom of our modern age and many of us are glued to our devices. Even though physically we may be near each other, but our hearts may be apart. If you take the train, many people would be on their phones, and nobody would be talking. The church is the house of God. We cannot allow our church to become like this. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to just come to church and attend services. We need to be kindly affectionate to one another. If we do not know each other, how do we be kindly affectionate?

The speaker says that in some places in Taiwan, when you go to church, they will give you a name tag to wear so people know who you are, so that people can quickly form bonds. Our church can actually share a life of fellowship, having more activities so that everyone is more quickly familiar with each other. The speaker shares that here he has a feeling, that since many people here are relatives, they should know where each other stay. But he has found that this is not the case. Because the speaker is driven around here while chatting with those who drive him around from church, he realizes that the drivers sometimes do not know where others stay. The speaker thinks this could be because we are very busy earning money and we spend less time showing concern for one another.

Jesus said that a house that is divided will fall. Since the church is God’s family, we must be harmonious. Every one of us have different perspectives and we have different educational attainments, different backgrounds. This is an exercise we must do, to overcome this and be harmonious and united. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, it is very hard. This was a matter that Jesus was most worried about. That is why before Jesus was crucified to the cross, this was the last prayer that Jesus made in John 17:11. Jesus prayed that all of us would be one. This is very challenging. So what do we do? We must rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

“May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion;” (Psalm 20:2)

God sends us help from the sanctuary and strengthens us out of Zion. This means that God strengthens us out of the church. This is why it is so important for us to have faith in God and His church.

“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;” (Psalm 20:1)

Today, most of us, if not all of us, have been through some kind of trouble. Physical trouble, spiritual trouble… we’ve all been through different troubles. But why is it that we are able to endure? Because strength comes out of Zion.

““Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”” (Matthew 18:19-20)

Today, if you are going through some spiritual challenges, you need to come to church. Because God is the one who will strengthen us out of Zion. Because we will pray for one another. If we turn back to Psalms 20, in the English version, it says, “May the name of the God of Jacob defend you.” Today, how do we experience this? Today, we may not have physical enemies. But we have spiritual enemies. Some people have experienced being possessed by evil spirits. Or they have been troubled by evil spirits before. So how did God defend them?

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” (Psalm 14:7)

Zion represents the church. The salvation comes out of Zion. Why is it important that the truth be believed by all believers? Because when God brings back the captivity of His people, we must all rejoice. From verse 7, it seems that salvation is very easy. But the Bible tells us very clearly: Jesus says, Enter by the narrow gate. Walk by the narrow way. You need to go if you want eternal life. Jesus describes it as a difficult way. Psalm 14 describes why being saved is difficult.

“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.” (Psalm 14:1)

The reason why being saved is difficult is because there are foolish people around us. What is a fool? One who is morally insensitive. They are impious, not reverent towards God. They are like an atheist, even if they believe in God with their mouths, for they live life as if there is no God. They have been separated from the wisdom revealed in God’s words—the wisdom from God. So therefore, you can see that they live their own lives; they neither take reference from nor obey God’s law. Now, the problem is this. If a person sins but does not obey God, you may say, Oh, yeah, that person will perish. Is it true? That only that person will perish? No. If you look at Achan, his family also died with him. Sin spreads.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—” (Romans 5:12)

We can observe that if a person is not godly, that person will affect his family’s faith. It is like if one person in the family does not take faith or church seriously, it affects the whole seriously. A friend who is not serious about his faith affects other friends. What they say would be ungodly. Their standard of holiness is lowered. Therefore, it affects everyone. I still remember a prodigal son that came back to church. He became holy because he became serious about his faith. Some people who did not come back to church, do you know what they said? They started to say to the prodigal son, Oh, you’ve become more holy. They said so in a way that was like mockery. Why? Because the other person has turned back to God, but they have not. That is why it is so hard to be saved, because there are fools around. What do foolish people say?

“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”” (Psalm 14:1a)

We may say, if a fool says it in his heart, how does it harm anyone else? If they say aloud, there is no God, we can see more clearly that something is not right with this person. But what did Jesus say?

“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:19-20)

Even if a fool does not say aloud, “Ah, there is no God,” their actions tell us what is in their hearts—they do not believe in God. So we can find that this is important for us to understand.

“They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.” (Psalm 14:1b)

“The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.” (Psalm 10:4)

What do his thoughts say? That there is no God. When a person is a fool, actually, they are also full of pride. They are proud and they believe that they do not need to come to God.

“And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches.” (Psalm 73:11-12)

When you see people who do not believe in God, or they believe that God exists but they do not believe that God knows everything that they do, we find that they do whatever they desire. That is why they are always at ease, doing whatever they want. And also, they increase in riches! Now, if you observe life and you compare their life with yours, you can see that, possibly, we can have a bit of jealousy. We may want to be like them! We may be like the Psalmist in Psalm 73, thinking that we are wasting our time. Look at those people—they enjoy life! I am suffering, always repenting. That is why salvation is not so easy, because we may be tempted.

You see—these foolish people mimic the sounds of faith. Everyone says Hallelujah, they say Hallelujah. Everyone prays, they too pray. They know how to say the right things and what people want to hear. But in their hearts, it is different.

“He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Mark 7:6-7)

Salvation comes out of Zion. But foolish people can lead us away from God.

“The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. “ (Psalm 14:2)

Here, it talks about how the Lord looks down from heaven. What does God see? When God looks into our church, what does He see? There was one time where the speaker was with two youth workers, we were praying together. Before we knelt down to pray, the speaker said that, “In your prayer, want you to take a survey of the whole church and see what you think.” We prayed for one hour. After praying for one hour, they said, “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

When God looks down from heaven at our church, what does He see? When God looks down in our families, what does He see? When God looks at our marriage, what does He see? When God looks at our hearts, what does He see?

Brothers and sisters, if we are not fools, we should care about what God sees, isn’t it? Psalm 14 tells us that God wants “to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” When God looks into our hearts, does He see us seeking after Him? When God looks at our family, does He see us worshiping sincerely together? When He sees our marriage, does He see husband and wife reminding each other about the commandments of God? God looks down from heaven. Those who are not fools will care about what God sees.

“They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.” (Psalm 14:3)

You would have thought that the fool is the one who is an unbeliever—one who has never believed in God. But if you look at verse 3, the fool is a person who has turned aside from the right path. That means that he knew the right thing and he knew the truth, but he departed from the truth.

“From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;” (Proverbs 2:13)

The writer of Proverbs tells us that we can be affected by those who leave the paths of uprightness. We could be influenced by those who walk in the ways of darkness. Who are those who will be protected from being negatively influenced?

“When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things, From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;” (Proverbs 2:10-13)

That means that if you are a person who keeps an eye on your faith, making sure you are following the word of God, then if someone departs from the truth, you will not follow them. But if normally, you don’t even read the Bible, or normally when you listen to the sermon, you fall asleep and do not care, then of course you will be misled. Why? Because you have nothing in your heart! You’ve got no truth. You’ve got no standards. Then of course, you cannot be protected. You just want an easy life and you do not want to think so much.

Psalm 14:3 tells us about those who have turned aside from the right way. What kind of people are they?

“Understand, you senseless among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise?” Psalm 94:8

The English Bible uses the term “senseless”. What does this mean? Would you put your hand in the fire? If the kettle finishes boiling, would you put both hands together and give the kettle a cuddle or a kiss? You won’t! Because it is senseless. If you do it, you have something wrong with your head. What does this mean? If you know how God is going to judge us, and you still do the wrong thing, would you not be judged? If you know you are going to be judged and yet you still do it, is this not senseless?

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28-32)

Today, we know how God is going to judge. We know the righteous judgment of God. Let us not become senseless. If you do it, you’ll be judged! Sometimes, you see some brothers and sisters who sin and they ask the preacher, “Preacher, what should I do?” But we say, “We told you, before, we told the whole class, that God will judge. Why did you do it?” It is senseless.

“Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:21-28)

Today, we will have three points for our message. Zion means church and it is related to salvation If a person wants to be saved, he must be joined to the Lord’s body to be saved. God’s church has three requirements. What does Zion mean? In Israel, today’s Palestine, it is the south-east hill of Jerusalem. By extension, the name is applied to the entire city. The name is applied to its inhabitants. Zion is applied to the people of God generally. In the Old Testament, Zion is referred to as a fortress. David captured the fortress and called it the City of David. Then one day, David brought the ark of the covenant to Zion. Then that place was considered sacred. Later on, David’s son, Solomon, moved the ark of the covenant to the temple. And it was nearby Mount Moriah. So when the Bible talks about Zion, it comes to stand for the whole of Jerusalem. Since Zion is the joy of all the earth, the name became synonymous with redemption, i.e., salvation. To know God and to be known in His book is equivalent as being born in Zion.

““I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ ” And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” The Lord will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.”” Psalm 87:4-6

This is a very interesting passage because it talks about how people are born in Zion. So if a person knows God, if a person’s name is written in the Book of Life, that means that they are born in Zion. We understand that the origin of Zion is a fortress, then it became a sacred place. Now we need to look at the Bible to see how Zion is connected with salvation.

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” (Psalm 14:7)

It is very clear from this verse that the place Zion is connected with salvation. Let’s turn to another verse.

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” (Psalm 53:6)

Psalm 53 also tells us that the place of Zion is connected with salvation. So what we have learnt is that Zion is not just a physical place but it is a place that we need to be to be saved. At this point you may say, what does it have to do with me today? This was recorded in the Old Testament and today we are in the New Testament. So what does Zion represent?

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.” (Hebrews 12:22-23)

Can you see the connection between the verses we read in Psalms and this verse here in Hebrews? Psalm 87 talks about the one born in Zion. When we come to Hebrews 12, it talks about the church of the firstborn, registered in heaven. And then when you look at Psalm 87, it talks about how the Lord will record when He registers the people. Hebrews 12 also talks about those who are registered in heaven. This tells us very clearly the connection between Psalm 87 and Hebrews 12. Today, when we read about Zion in the Bible, it is referring to God’s church and salvation. Because when we come to the church in the firstborn, we are registered in heaven. And so, therefore, it tells us very clearly that Zion and the church are connected together. Zion represents the church. Since Zion is connected with salvation, the church must also be connected with salvation too. Praise God. Out of Zion comes salvation. So today, if we want to be saved, we need to believe in Jesus, but we need to be joined to the church of God. We thank God.

< —– Now we will take a break for the choir to sing several hymns. Have a think about Zion and the church. Choir hymns: (1) We Are Your Church, and (2) True Jesus Church—– >

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:22-23

Ephesians 1 tells us that the church is the body of Christ. We mustn’t just think that church is a bunch of people gathered together. The church is definitely not a building. The church is the body of Christ. Let us see Colossians 1:18.

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:18)

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,” (Colossians 1:24)

In the New Testament, the truth tells us that the church is the body of Christ. Therefore, today we understand that if a person wants to be saved, they need to be joined to the body of Christ.

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

We thank God. According to the Bible, Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus is the saviour of the body. And therefore, today, that is why it is so important for us to be joined to Jesus’s body—to be joined to His church. Because Jesus is the Saviour of the body. So now we can see how that out of Zion is salvation. That is why we can see that Zion represents the church and the place we need to be joined to for salvation. Do you remember the verse in Psalm 87? It talks about those who have been born in Zion. Actually, Jesus talked about the need to be born again.

“Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5

Therefore, Jesus was talking about how if a person wants to enter the kingdom of God, if they want to be saved, they need to be born again. They need to be born of water, they need to be born of the Spirit. And when they are born again, they can enter the kingdom of God. Today, if we have be baptised, then we can be registered in Zion. We can be part of the church of the firstborn. Because those who have been born again have had their names registered in heaven. That means they have salvation. If a person wants to be saved, they need to be connected to the church, the body of Christ. Baptism allows us to be born again.

“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:5

Today, many people believe in Jesus. But they have not received baptism. Baptism allows us to wash our sins away, so that we can be saved. Baptism allows us to have a regeneration from being a sinner to become a child of God. If we are not baptised, if we are not baptised according to the Bible, how can we be regenerated? If we are not born again, how can we be registered in heaven? We thank God. From what Jesus tells us, if we want to enter the kingdom of God, we need to be born again. We need to be born of water and of the Spirit. So then the promise of God would be fulfilled. According to Psalms, it tells us that we are born in Zion. And it tells us in Acts 2:38,

“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Today, when a person is a sinner, they need the forgiveness of sins. Where to get the forgiveness of sins? Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. After baptism, when our sins are washed away, we are registered in heaven. So thank God, now we understand—not only that Zion represents the church, but through baptism, we are joined to Zion, to the church, to the body of Christ, and that we can have salvation. And therefore, baptism allows us to be joined to the body of Christ. Baptism allows us to enter the kingdom of God. Baptism allows us to be regenerated. Baptism allows us to receive the forgiveness of sins. Baptism allows us to become a part of Zion. Zion is the place of those who have been born of God. Now we understand that Zion represents His church, and that church is important for salvation, and that we need to be joined to the church for Jesus to save us. Then which church belongs to Him?

We need to pay attention to Jesus’s words.

Firstly,

“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”” (Mark 16:17-18)

We thank God. Many people who come to True Jesus Church, their illnesses have been healed. And people who have trouble by evil spirits, they come to True Jesus Church, and the evil spirits are cast out in the name of Jesus. So according to the words of Jesus, the signs will follow those who believe. There will be signs and miracles.

“how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Hebrews 2:3-4)

God confirms the truth that is spoken through signs and wonders, confirming that whatever has been preached is the message from God. So that today you want to find Mount Zion, if you want to find God’s church, you must find the church where the power of God abides. In True Jesus Church, God’s power is here. We thank God, just recently in a place nearby in Birmingham, we have a small church there. There was a child who had a skin problem. His whole body was in poor church. A sister prayed for him. She prayed to Jesus. As she was praying, she touched the skin of this little boy, and said to Jesus, “Jesus, please help this child. Help him have a good sleep so he can sleep until morning. Thank God, the child fell asleep, and over a very short period of time, he was completely healed.” We have brothers and sisters from Birmingham here, afterwards you can ask them and they will testify to you that it is a miracle! God is here in His true church.

Now our second point.

You may say that as long as someone calls upon Jesus, they are part of God’s church. But what did Jesus say?

“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

If a church belongs to God, they must not only know God’s will, they must also follow God’s will. That means the truth of God’s words.

““Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the Lord of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’” (Zechariah 8:3)

Here it talks about Zion. It talks about Jerusalem. Now, don’t forget what we read in Hebrews. Hebrews tells us that when the Bible talks about Zion and Jerusalem, and when it talks about the city, it talks about the church of God. So the church of God, according to the Bible, will be called the City of Truth. And so because it is a City of Truth, therefore, the church must follow the truth of God’s words and God’s will. Today, when you come to God’s church, you need to make sure that the church follows the word of God—the Bible. This is the second point. The first point was that the church must have signs and miracles. The second point is that the church must follow God’s words and God’s will.

The third is that the church must have the Holy Spirit.

“Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1 John 3:24)

How do we know that the Lord abides in us? By the Spirit whom He has given us. What happened when the Holy Spirit was poured down on the group of disciples in Acts?

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)

So thank God, now we have understood the three points needed in a church of God:

1. Signs and miracles
2. The truth
3. The Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues.

Now we have understood. Out of Zion. Zion means church. The church, Zion, is connected with salvation. If a person wants to be saved, he needs to be joined to God’s church through baptism. Today, we understand that Zion is important. We thank God. We want to show you through the Scriptures that how do we know we are God’s church? Because we have signs and miracles, we have the truth, and we have the Holy Spirit.

We thank God that in our church, we have three modes of prayer. Silent prayer, prayer with words of understanding, and we also pray in tongues—just like what we have learnt in Acts 2:4. When a person receives the Holy Spirit, they will speak in tongues. That is the utterance given by God. Today, we don’t just have faith. We have evidence of God’s Spirit abiding in us. Today, you can also experience God living in us. Put your hands together and close your eyes to help you concentrate. Then begin your prayer by saying, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray” to call upon the name of the Lord to listen to your prayer. Then you can say “hallelujah” to praise God. Then you end your prayer with “amen”.