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All that thou hast, thou hast for me. All my fresh springs are hid in the in the I live while I confess I nothing AM yet all possess 193.
212.
Oh, from above.
Every.
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We are.
The 4th chapter of John.
Certainly didn't get done with it.
Kept that portion about worship.
And many of the rest of it we can get.
John 413 Jesus answered and said, Under her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give, him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman says unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not either. Come, hit her to draw. Jesus saith unto her. Go.
Call thy husband, and come hit her. Woman answered, and said, I have no husband. Jesus said. Under her, thou is well said, I have no husband, for thou hast had five husbands. And he whom thou now hast not thy husband, And that saidst thou truly? Woman saith under her, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet, our fathers worshipped in this mountain. And ye say that in Jerusalem is a place that where men ought to worship, Jesus hath under her woman believe me, the hour cometh.
When ye shall neither in this mountain, or yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father, ye worship you know not what we know, what we worship. For salvation is of the Jews, but the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit and a that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh which is called Christ. When he has come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak under thee, And And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman. Yet no man said, what seeketh thou, or why talketh thou with her? Woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, said to the men, Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?
Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. In the meanwhile his disciples prayed him, saying, Master each But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that you know not of. Therefore said the disciples, 1 To another, Hath any man brought him off to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye there are yet four months, And then cometh harvest. Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields.
For they are white already to harvest, and he to keep, he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathers fruit, and a life eternal that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that same true, one source, and another Reaper, I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and ye are entered into their laborers, and many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the same of the woman which testified. He told me all that ever I did.
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So when this Americans were come unto him, they besought him that he would carry with them, and he abode there two days, and many more believed because of his own word, and said unto the woman. Now we believe not because of thy saying, for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. Now after two days he departed, thence went into Galilee.
We spoke yesterday concerning the divine life and our brother Buchanan made some comments and turned us to the end of Revelation. And I'd just like to mention before we get into our portion that when we speak of the divine life that we possess, that that new life that has been given to us. As we often comment, it's the very life of Christ. But there's two things, brethren, we need to keep in mind in connection with the Divine life, though. It's the very life of Christ first of all.
It's that the the divine life, the new nature, has no power of itself. The power for the new life is the spirit of God. It's sometimes been illustrated this way. You might have in your vehicle outside here the best engine that GM or Chrysler or whatever make can provide. You might have the best engine on the market, but if you go out and turn the key and there's no gas in that engine, you're not going to get a spark. It's not going to turn over, and so you put gasoline in.
It's unseen. You don't see that gasoline. It goes into the engine, but it's the power that makes that engine run. And so we have the very life of Christ. And John's ministry brings that out very clearly because John's ministry brings out the family, and we have that divine life, but we also have the Spirit of God as the power for that life, so that we can walk in newness of life and we can walk through this world, no matter how dark the day for God's glory.
But the other thing, and this is what was particularly I particularly wanted to mention in bringing this up, is that that life is also a dependent life, and God has provided everything for the sustenance and refreshment of that life for time and for eternity. And John's gospel certainly brings out the resource that we have. We have this well of water, we have the bread that came down from heaven a little later on in this gospel, and we find that when we get to glory, the life that we possess now.
Is no different than the life we have here, and I think it's good to keep that before our souls. Let me repeat that. When we get to glory, the life that we will have there is no different than the life we possess now. Now it's true that the hindrances are going to be removed in that day. No distractions. The flesh is gone forever. We're there with glorified bodies and so on. But I point that out because in the verses that our brother Clem brought before us yesterday in Revelation.
There are two things provided for the eternal Son, eternal sustainment of the new life. There's. In fact. Let's go back to it just for a moment. I think it would be good to just read it again.
In Revelation 22.
And verse one. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb in the midst of the street of it. And on either side of the river was there a tree of life, which bare 12 manner of fruit, and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations. And so we find two things brought before us, that which will refresh our souls for all eternity, and that which will feed us for all for all eternity.
The water of the water of life here and the tree that bears 12 manner of fruit. In other words, brethren, when we get home, everything is going to be provided for our eternal joy and satisfaction. Everything is going to be provided to sustain that new life.
And what a day that's going to be. But doesn't it rejoice our souls at the beginning of a reading meeting like this, to know that we have everything provided now we have refreshment and food for our souls from this blessed book ministered to us in the power of the Spirit? And let's see, as this hour proceeds, to drink in that which he has for us in verse 15, where our chapter we started, the woman said, Sir, give me this water.
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She didn't say, Lord, she said, Sir, give me this water. It shows she didn't understand what he had just told her, she says. So I don't have to come to this well and draw anymore. She was thinking of natural water, so she wasn't ready to receive the water of life.
And so the Lord had to do a little more work in the 16th verse he said go and come. But there's something in the middle. Bring thy husband, call thy husband. That is working on her conscience. Jesus is light and you know the light works on the conscience. His word works on the conscience. It's sharper than any two edged sword. It cuts both ways. And so when he said go and come.
But bring thy husband. Call him and bring him. Then she had to confess her condition. And now she's ready in that beautiful she confessed. I'm living in adultery or fornication. I have no husband. And he said, Thou has said, well, I have no husband. Then he revealed himself to her. He knew all about her. He knows all about you and me.
He knows how many hairs are on our head, but he has the mall counted and numbered.
Isn't that astounding? When a Barber pulls out a haircut in my hair, I tell him that's all right. They're all numbered. He's now re numbered them. Don't worry about that air. You know God knows everything. He knows the thoughts in your heart before they come into your mind. This is mind boggling, but I'm so glad it's true. He knows all about me and he knows all about you. He knows all about this woman. But he had something in mind.
And I'll proceed just a little ahead to tell you why.
When the disciples returned, they passed her, going back to psych art. That's interesting, isn't it? And they saw what kind of a woman she was. She couldn't hide it by her dress, her face and all. But she had a new life, pretty near anyway, And she went back. When she testified, it was clear. But when they saw her, they said to the Lord Jesus, why would you talk with her?
The disciples seldom knew what the Lord was doing or why.
Until the spirit of God at Pentecost indwelt them. But when they were with them, they seldom knew. They rebuked the mothers that brought their children. Wouldn't that be awful if we rebuked the mothers for bringing their children? But they did. They did. And that's the only time you hear these three words about Jesus. He was forwards, much displeased with his disciples. Well, but they came and they saw that woman and they said, why talk us out with her 1St 20?
Seven and in 29? Well then later, they said.
Wait a minute.
White talkers, Oh, what seeketh thou verse 27? And why talketh thou with her? They didn't say it openly to him, but they were thinking this, and he knows their thoughts. And you know what seeketh thou? You know what he was seeking. He was seeking one for himself that would be his companion for all eternity.
He wanted her as his own child in that beautiful what did he seek with that woman? But then the other question why talkest thou with her? He was going to use her to do what his disciples should have done when they went to Saikar. They should have told everyone there. The Christ is out there at Jacob's will. But they kept quiet. They just got food for their own stomachs. Isn't that sad?
Let's not keep quiet, brethren. He didn't leave us here when he saved us. He sent us just like he sent this woman. And you know, it's interesting. This woman gave one of the highest truths anyone could give, and she was a Samaritan. Don't forget that she was a Samaritan. And he used one other woman, Mary of Magdalene, possessed of seven demons, before he cleansed her.
And what did Message did she give the disciples?
The Lord said, I go to my God and your God. I go to my father. And your father is not a message. He didn't use the disciples for those messages. He used those women, and they were not the finest in society.
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And we can.
Say to every believer.
When the Lord comes.
You're not going to get a new life, you're going to get a new body. And it's so comforting to know that. And let's read a couple of verses in the 11Th chapter where Jesus was on the way to raise Lazarus that expressed that, you know, brother, we're looking for the Lord today, aren't we? Well, there's two classes of people that you get a change. And in the 11Th chapter of John as he's going there, he says.
In verse 25.
To Martha, he's talking.
I am the resurrection and the life.
He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. That person that's dead, all of them, from able down to the last one of the believers, is going to need resurrection for the body.
And then he goes on and comforts us by saying whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, that I'm one of them. So far. Isn't that comforting? We're going to get a new body. It's in the bodies that we've grown. We get the life by believing. John 316 What do you think about that clam?
I was thinking that how wonderful it is that we have this picture here in in the in the word of God.
They, you know, we have pictures and we try and keep them for a long time and they do last. Some of them do. But here is just how much it we would miss if we didn't have this story of the Lord at psych arms. Well, there have been those who have sought to cut out different parts of the scriptures and even some of this blessed gospel here they cut out part of John. How much we would miss.
If we didn't have this story, we can sit there, as it were, by the Spirit, as it were, there and along with the Lord there at Sankar as well, and hear his words and how much came out of that, there was a story told, if you'll forgive me for saying, years ago in England there was a meeting, something like this, and.
They couldn't. I think it was at the breaking of bread and they couldn't. There was much put on the altar, not prayers and hymns, and but I couldn't seem to get off the ground.
And there was a long pause. There were long pauses. And then.
A brother, simple brother, whose voice was seldom ever heard over there in the corner. He got up and he said well.
Brother and he said the Lord Jesus was alone.
The loneliest man that ever taught this earth. He was alone in this world. He was alone on the cross.
But he won't be alone in the glory. He won't be alone in the glory. And here he was sitting there at Psychar as well. And so he put those two pictures together. What we have here, we've been how much have come out of that little scene there at Sight Car as well, how much we have to thank him for.
This is penetrated with the words of the Lord Jesus has gone into the very highest, the very highest truth. How wonderful.
13 and 14 brother, I don't want to go back too much, but I don't know that what he said a whole lot about verse 14 that seems to be a real key to this chapter that it's such a beautiful thing to understand about this.
Water that he gives not only does the water that he gives.
Satisfy the thirst of the soul and it puts it. I think it was brought out yesterday in another portion that this is really a double negative shall never, never thirst or I think Mr. Darby says, never thirst forever.
Every one of us has a heart that is thirsty for God and cannot find satisfaction in anything else in this world.
And this world has a lot of wells and young people.
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I often see, and I have to say, I've tried some of those wells myself, and have had to come to the conclusion that the Lord Jesus states in verse 13 He that drinketh of this well shall thirst again, and that's the way it is. But then the Lord says he that drinketh of the water that I shall give him.
Shall never thirst forever.
But that's not all. The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water. It's a springing well, what we would call an artesian well. And the direction here in this, in this verse is up springing up into everlasting life, because he's introducing in this chapter the subject of worship. And so the flow of the water is up towards God. And Jim read yesterday in the 7th chapter.
About that living water too. And there it is. It flows out. And that's more in the sense of testimony and blessing and ministry to others, whether it be in the gospel or in ministry to the Lords people. But they're the two things that the spirit of God produces in the life of a believer. First of all, it's worship. So there's not only that it that water satisfies the thirst of our hearts forever.
Oh, nothing else in this poor world can satisfy this heart of mine but Jesus himself.
It says in Psalm 107 he satisfies that wonderful to get a hold of dear young people. Listen to this. He satisfies the hungry soul and fills the the hungry soul with goodness. He satisfies so not only is the thirst satisfied.
But that the Holy Spirit of God, which is the living water in US, springs up into everlasting life. There's a continual source of refreshment in the life of a believer, and I like to think of it in the Old Testament, the pictures we get.
In Exodus, when the children of Israel went out into the desert to satisfy that thirst, Moses was instructed to take his rod and strike the rock. It tells us that rock was Christ through the judgment of God on the Lord Jesus at Calvary.
The blessing flows, the water flows, but if you go on in the history of the children of Israel in the desert.
Over in numbers, you find that that water had stopped flowing and what had happened was the people were murmuring.
Sin stops the flow. It's what it says in the New Testament. Quench. Not the Spirit. It quenches the flow of the spirit. And Moses was told in that time to take Aaron's rod. The rod, he said it was told him.
And to speak to the rock, Moses made a mistake.
And he took his rod, the rod of judgment, and smoked the rock twice. God was gracious and gave water in spite of Moses mistake. But I just want to say this to young people. Sometimes in our lives we find that our hearts again are thirsty. We're believers now, but because of sin that has been allowed in our lives, the flow of that water that refreshes has been stifled.
And what we need to do is to go speak to the rock, go to the Lord, tell them about your sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgiveness our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And then the water will flow again. It's important, but this is what God has provided for our souls. If you see me going after things in this world to satisfy this heart of mine.
You can say there's somebody that has not learned that the wells of water in this world do not satisfy Brethren he satisfies. He really does. I had a question about the water. We know that in the 7th chapter.
Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, is it not? But also in John's Gospel, is it not true that water is a symbol of the Word of God?
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By speaking in John 3, where the Lord spoke of how that except the man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Is that not the word of God symbolized by water? Well, would it be correct to say then here in verse 14 that the two are maybe put together So that what?
Creates that well of water springing up into everlasting life, is it not?
The word of God made good to our souls by the Spirit of God that leads us into the enjoyment of divine truth. And I think of how Jeremiah could say that thy words were found. I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Well, how wonderful is that we, each believer, has.
Not only the Spirit of God, but the Word of God. And these two things will never fail. Although, as has been pointed out, sometimes we do allow things in our lives to hinder and to quench the Spirit and grieve the Spirit, and we're not in the enjoyment and the refreshment of those things that we might otherwise enjoy.
So that we think in a simple way that the water when it gets in US has two results. And we find that our God is a jealous God and he wants the 1St place and he's going to get it. So the principles that Bob was telling us about don't change. They're in the law. The first two commandments were Godler. After that it begins with manner. And so here.
This water of well, spring, well of water springing up. He follows it with worship, worship. But then there's something for man, and there's a principle of that. We might look at Luke chapter six that picks up under the old Mosaic law as to keeping Sabbath.
And I can't say much about that, but.
It's rather remarkable.
Outrage in the first verse of Luke 6.
It came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn peels, and his disciples plucked the ears of corn and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. Now the Pharisees.
They didn't like that certain of the Pharisees said unto him unto them, Why do ye that which is not lovable to do on the Sabbath days?
He's just answering them, said. Have he not read so much as this What David did when himself wasn't hungered and they that were with him, how he went into the House of God and did take and eat the showbread and gave to them that were with him.
Which it is not lawful to eat, but for the priests alone, that the Lord provides for a change here, and He definitely says it's a second Sabbath, the first one. They had kept the first part of it and given God His part.
So now we come to the time in our generation, at least when everyone is a priest and go in there and partake. But it would remind us that our highest privilege is worship. Our highest privilege is worship. So let's attend to what God asked us to do, and then from that place go forth with what is Mandarin.
In connection with what you've said and with what Bob said earlier to go to second first Peter chapter 2. Because there we have the two things and again they're brought out in the in the proper order as God always brings things out in the proper order of course. But just notice in first Peter chapter 2 and verse five he says he also as living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood. Now notice this to OfferUp.
Hold a spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. The key here is up, as Bob was saying in John Four it's upward, it's God word. And so this is the first thing that's brought before us in connection with the priesthood of believers. We're priests to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices, and he wants those continually. That's what it tells us in the end of Hebrews. Where to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices? The fruit of our lips to God continually. He wants that ever from his people.
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We're going to have the privilege tomorrow of collectively offering up those spiritual sacrifices. But then what about the other six days of the week? Individually, he wants that praise to flow upward to himself and brethren. We ought to be the happiest people on the face of the earth when we consider what he's done for us, what he is doing for us, and all that is ahead in that day of glory, The children of Israel. Their difficulty was they looked around and back, and if we look around and back, we're going to be discouraged. We're going to murmur and complain.
But when we look upward and onward, and when we're occupied with Christ, then there is going to be that upward flow. There's going to be that praise that he desires. But then in this chapter there's something else that I believe corresponds with John Chapter 7, which we've mentioned. Notice in verse 9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should now notice this. This is the key show forth the praises of him.
Who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light? So in the first one it was up, now it's it's 4th, it goes out to others and we ought to be exercised. If our praises are going up to him, then it we ought to show forth to others the praises of this blessed person that there would be refreshment and blessing for others. And if you just allow me to make one other comment connection with what Wally brought out, which I think was helpful. And I'm going to say this for the young people particularly because it helped me when I was a little younger, to see that when God uses a symbol in scripture such as water, which is what the symbol is before us, you have to look at the context to know.
What he's bringing out, Don't assume. Because water means one thing in one place, there is a picture of one thing in one place. It's always going to be a picture of that in another place. Water is used in different ways, just as trees and other things, things, symbols that are drawn from nature, are used in different ways. For instance, water is sometimes used as a figure of judgment. His voice was as the sound of many waters. The Lord Jesus went under those waters. All thy waves and thy billows have come over me.
They're in the context it's used as a think figure of judgment. We've been Speaking of it in the context of the Holy Spirit.
And what's helpful to notice in that regard is that usually when it's a well or a fountain or a spring, usually when it's running water, it's a type of the Holy Spirit. But then, as Wally said, sometimes water is used as a figure of the word of God, the washing of water by the word well, I only mention that to show that that we need, when we take up these symbols to read and to consider very carefully the context. And I say again, don't always assume it's going to mean the same thing.
In every place now in verse 18 where the Lord let the woman know he knew all about it, you know she was ready to listen and now he let her know he knows all about her. You know until you get into the presence of God, you're not ready to be saved. You have to be in the presence of God and admit your loss. She had to admit that now she was nothing in His presence. Then the 19 verse says.
She said I perceived thou art a prophet. She wasn't there yet. It's like the blind man you know in John 9 When they asked him who gave you thy sight, he said, A man, a man called Jesus, gave me my sight. He wasn't there yet. The next time. What did he say? Well, he said he is a prophet, just like this woman. You know, the Lord sent all prophets, but they they did his command. But anyway.
She, the blind man, said. He's a prophet. That's where she is.
The next time what do you say? Well, he was told he's the Son of God and then he said Lord and he worshipped him. That's the progress of a Sinner by the word of God. Don't forget Jesus is the word. That's why it says in the Psalms that God has magnified his word above all his name. Don't ever forget that Jesus is the word of God and now when it's the Holy Spirit.
An example? It's merely the Holy Spirit.
Using the word of God and bringing it to your soul. It's not a part. The Holy Spirit is never a part. From the word of God. I don't see how it could ever act apart from the word of God. That's Christ. And then of course God. Jesus brings out really what she needs. What did she do when she realized he was at least a prophet? She changed the subject. You know, when you get too close to God and you're not saved yet, you change the subject. You get that all the time when you have an interesting person and they're still lost, they say.
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What about revelation? You know right away. Change the subject. What about the ********* over there and the Fuzzy Wuzzy in Australia? Well, I always say give me their name and address and they'll hear. Don't worry, I I know somebody right now. You are you saved. But anyway, she changed the subject. She said worship. We worship in this mountain. You say Jesus, that you're supposed to worship over there in Jerusalem now, which is right. That was the open door.
Beautiful 22 Ye worship, you know not what, That's religion. The Samaritans were just religious people. They were wrong. All religion is wrong except the one. Only one time in this word. You know, take care of widows and children, orphans. But otherwise religion is wrong. And so he said. You worship, you know not what. But the time has come. The hour is come.
Now this is what he wanted to this is what he was wanted to do with her. Why seeketh thou her? He was going to have her take the word of God. And it's such a high word. We could dwell hours on this. The hour has come. When Jesus was there, it's ready. But he had to die, and he had to arise, and he had to send down the Spirit of God, who is the interpreter. God is his own interpreter.
Of what he wrote. Men like to write what they think God meant when he wrote this book. We don't want that. We want what God meant when he wrote this book. And so the Spirit of God is our teacher, and that beautiful each one of us are indwelt by the teacher of this word. So he says the hours come and now he is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father.
Really. In spirits, all right, but in spirit and in truth.
For the Father seeketh such to worship him now, I would say it's by the Spirit and in truth it's in spirit too. I don't take that away, but it's only by the Spirit that you have truth. Many quote the word of God, many preach the word of God, but they do not have the Spirit, so they do not have the truth. The only way you have the truth by the Spirit of God, the teacher of the word.
I perceive that thou art a prophet. Well, ** *** hadn't didn't realize he hadn't been brought into the truth of as to his person, the deity of his person yet. But she felt that the word he had given her was the word of God. And this is what searched her out. It was the word of God. So she says. I perceived that thou art a prophet, and isn't that the office of a prophet? He gives the word of God for a given occasion, or a certain when there's a certain need, or by the spirit of God he's called to give a word.
That's a prophet. He does. And so she says, I proceed to order file. She felt that she was in the presence of one who had, who had the word of God. And so then she asked a question which was current amongst them. You say that in this mountain, in this mountain, you say that in Jerusalem is the place to worship, and so on. Well, the Lord goes on to show her that Samaritan worship is nothing.
But, and Jerusalem is going to be set aside. Jerusalem is going to be set aside. And so it was but neither in this mountain, or yet at Jerusalem. Hell, they worship the Father, and that takes He takes her up into the very highest, the very zenith, as it were, of all truth, the worship of the Father.
Bruce four that we ought to connect with this event.
It just fits beautifully. And the 4th of Hebrews and the 12Th verse. Now we've been talking about the word of God and that the word of God is a person in John as well as a written book. And this brings it out in the 12Th verse of Hebrews 4 for the word of God is quick.
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It's living and powerful.
And sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the.
Soul and spirit.
And of the joints and marrow and is a deserter of the thoughts and intents of the heart. I think Jesus as the word standing before her knew what thoughts he could bring out of her and that's why she wanted to change, go up. Purposely knowing the thoughts and intents of her heart brought out the subject of worship.
And there he begins a wonderful instruction for this age. The word of God, which we still have, is living and powerful.
And it changes the thoughts and intents of our hearts when grace comes in and we see the Savior.
And learned that he is the living word as the book begins.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And here he takes up this woman and he brings out of her heart a subject that he was wanting to expound, not just for her, but for you and I. The time has come. We're not under the law. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. There's two requirements.
And God wants it. And don't.
I tell you, if the council, we get into a little intention councils of God's heart, we will want to give it to him and that's the highest privilege we have. Never, brethren, never.
Forget the Lord's request. We don't call the meeting usually a worship meeting, but it turns out that way. It's a remembrance meeting.
And when we think of the Lord in all the sorrows, the flood of water that went over him, all those thoughts, as we come to the Lord's table to break bread and remembrance of him, it produces worship.
The Word produces worship for God and then, as have been pointed out in first Peter 2 and then.
Hebrews 13 God's part first and that blessing for man. So then the 7th chapter, the water flows sideways. We have brethren all over the world, even though if they live up in the high Andes or the.
Pyrenees of the Himalayas, as we found in our report this morning from Bhutan.
That's still sideways, that's still on the earth. The word of God going out to those places and it's produced worshippers there and they're seeking others. Oh what a what a wonderful thing the word of God is and what it produces if we just get it inside of us. The Lord Jesus was bringing this woman into the light.
And it's interesting, in the light is where God is known. Because God is light, and to know him who he is and the appreciation of that is what worship really is. But at the same time he was bringing her into the light necessarily, it made her aware of her present condition of life.
And that is necessary in our lives. We live in a world and a culture.
Young people, I think it is important for us to understand where humanism.
Predominates the thinking of people and humanism is basically putting man at the center of his world.
And judging everything as to how it affects man.
But that is not the light of the Word of God. The light of the Word of God brings us into.
God's presence, and there it is totally different, the evaluations that you form. God is known in the light because God is light, and I'd like to read a verse in Ephesians that explains what light is.
These are basic things, but extremely important to get straight in our minds.
In these days that we live in, especially for our dear young people, but for us all brethren, because.
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I have to confess, brethren, passing through the culture that we are, we are affected by its thinking.
And it rubs off on us more than we like to admit sometimes. Ephesians 5 and verse.
13 All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. For whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Light is that which shows you what is sometimes. Give the illustration if we're in this room.
And all the lights are off. No ray of light in this room. I can hear things, but I only have to. I'm only guessing what might be here.
But when somebody flips on the light immediately, I understand there's so many people sitting in this room in a meeting. There's some that are men, there's some that are young people, there's some that are children. Everything is manifest in the light. And that's important for us to get to when we come into the presence of God, to realize that there is absolutely nothing you can hide in the presence of God. In fact, if you try to hide something in the presence of God, you only make yourself that much more conspicuous.
Because the light shows that you're trying to hide something. Don't do it. And I love the liberty of conscience that this woman comes into when she no longer defends or has to try to hide anything in her life. What does she do? She goes right back into the city and tells the men of that city some of which with which she had sinned with. Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?
Had he told her everything she'd ever done? No. But she realized that she was in the light and there was absolutely nothing she could do to hide anything any longer.
We have to come to that point, and our conscience is we're going to get blessing and all the blessedness. And if there's anybody here that's trying to hide something in their life that you know is shameful, get it out into the light. Don't try to hide it anymore. It's only hindering you in the enjoyment of what God wants to bring us into.
Because in the light, not only does it manifest the shame of our own lives, but it manifests who our God is, and that's worship.
The Lord had more in mind than this woman when they it says they didn't say, they didn't even say a word.
But they thought it. Why talk us thou with her? They thought it.
And you know your thought is known by God even before you have it in your mind, so.
The Lord knew what they were thinking, what was, why did he talk with her? You know, he didn't have that woman only in mind. When the Son of God acts as God or when the Son of God acts, it's always as God. I mean it's in a way we can't perceive. So he had in mind all of Sikar, not just this woman. He he, he wanted to save her so Cycar would get the word from her. And you know, many inside car believed on Jesus because of her word.
She's a babe in Christ. Think of that. And many believe because of her word, and many more believe because they went to see him and see if what she said was true. It's all right. Either way. They get saved. It doesn't matter if they're, you know, ones who have to see. But they saw Jesus and they heard him and they said, now we believe because we heard him, we heard him ourselves. You know, we have that privilege. He didn't save us just to let us sit around.
He saved us that wherever we are, whatever we do, we speak of him.
That's the only way these poor souls are going to get saved, you know, And we should we have a responsibility. So did she. The minute her eyes were open, even a little, she he sent her back in a way. You know, it's lovely. Come see a man. The man. Christ Jesus is not Disney Christ. How did she know the Messiah was coming?
God wants worshippers and worship is no doubt the result, but I think it's very important to see here.
That it's really worshippers the Father seeketh such to worship him. And Brother Buchanan mentioned earlier that we're not only to worship in spirit, but in truth. And I'd like to hear a little more about that. And perhaps I'll raise a question, because the Lord Jesus brings before her that it was no longer to be at a physical geographical spot. The Samaritans put a great deal of importance on Mount Gerizim. The Jews of course.
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And rightly so. They worshipped at Jerusalem. That was the way that they had been instructed in the Old Testament. It was God's divine center. It was to be the exercise and joy of every true Israelite to come up to the House of the Lord at Jerusalem and worship. But he tells her here that these things are now set aside.
It's not to be at a geographical center. And so that being true, I'd like to raise this question and hear what our brethren have to say. If it is no longer a geographical center, is there still a center and if so, what is that center?
3 verses give the wonderful answer, I believe, and I'm so glad it's been brought out.
Here was assembly at Philippi where Paul had gone over there and found a few down by the seaside.
By the river in prayer where the water flowed and an assembly was formed.
He'd been put in prison there. Well, you know the story now he writes back to them and gives them what worship is.
Finally, my brethren, the last thing he wants to say here in this Philippians 3.
Rejoice in the Lord, the centers put before us right away. Rejoice in the Lord.
To write the same things to you.
To me indeed is not grievous. Evidently he said these things to them, but for you it is safe to have it written down in God's Word.
Then it gives 3 warnings. Beware of dogs.
Those unclean beasts that rip and tear. And I believe this is in what we might call religion. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Well, we had a good evil, that little epistle of Jude.
Evil workers then, beware of the conversation, And I think this is the Judaistic side of it, the Pharisee way of fixing up the old flesh. Beware of that. That's the strongest thing we have to beware of patching up this old flesh, making it suitable for God. God gave up on it, we just will give up on it too. Beware of the concession. Then he gives the true side of it. For we are the circumcision, or the people separated to God sanctified?
And they get three things that are necessary.
Which worship God in the Spirit. There's that in the Spirit and.
Rejoice in Christ Jesus again we have the person brought before us the joy of Christ Jesus, the King, the anointed 1, the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Rejoice in him. And then there's one last thing that's very, very necessary. I have no confidence in the flesh, this whole flesh that's in us when we get saved, it's apartment to get.
The delighting in.
Itself thinking how far I've gotten into the truth. You can't have any confidence in the flesh. You can't have any confidence in the flesh. God will not have it. The end of all flesh has come before me, he said way back in the beginning of Genesis. But he's impatient. Gone ahead and tested these 6000 years and one test after another, and the result gets worse and worse at the end of the age, I think.
We're down at the end of another age. We had the results of that in Jude yesterday. Beware of these things.
Gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ can happily say and confidently say by the word of God, there is a place. Now. It's not geographic, It's a person. It's not a flock. It's not a flock, not a pole, a fold. They put the sheep in and they carousel it around, fence it in and take care of it.
But it's a plaque. It's those that are gathered unto his name with him in the midst. Matthew 1820. And you know that's the wonderful truth of Philadelphia. In Revelation 3. They have kept my word and not denied my name. He doesn't say not denied my name. First, if you keep the word of God, you'll never deny that name. That's the point. That's only two things he expects of us today.
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To keep his word and not deny his name. Isn't that beautiful? Not a lot to ask, is it? Well then you'll be at the place. You'll be at the place you know. It says where two or three are gathered together by the Spirit under my name. There am I in the midst. Now in the midst is an expression, and when God uses an expression like a third day or anything else, I could use many. But in the midst begins in Genesis at the beginning of this book, and it ends in Revelation at the end of this book.
And it's over 24 times, very significantly throughout the book and a new so-called translation that's most popular in chrysanthemum has taken that phrase out everywhere.
It isn't. Any place in the midst is where Jesus Christ is. If you're gathered to His name, that is the place. And I'd like to just say one thing in Acts 17, because this is important. This is so important.
Acts 17 and.
Let's see.
I just started verse 24.
Acts 1724 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. The place is not a building. Let's get that right. A place to worship is not a building.
Neither is he worshiped with men's hands as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things. He's not worshipped with our hands. We don't need an organ, We don't need instruments. He wants heart. HEART. That's worship. And if He's there and you know, we never see the Lord so clearly as we do tomorrow.
At the hour when he's in our midst, I mean, and the Spirit of God has liberty to feed us, Christ, we see Him most clearly. And if you see him clearly, what do you see? The Father. He that has seen me has seen the Father.
This is worship in the beautiful well I just mentioned.
Because sometimes we hear some who say, well, I can worship God by myself in my own home.
Two or three. And that means the lowest possible number. If they're gathered by the Spirit to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he is in the midst and that will go up, and the ceiling can't stop it. The Spirit of God takes it to the Father, but if they're not gathered unto him and he is not in the midst, it doesn't get any higher than the ceiling. I don't know how many thousand you have.
But two or three. And the Incas Bible. I haven't read it but Brother Smith told me when he was Eric Smith, when he was translating that into Inca, he had the chief and others helping him, but the one place they balked was Matthew 1820. He said, I, I I tried and tried and tried but what does it say in the Inca where 3 or even 2 are gathered together?
Under my name, there am I in the midst. They couldn't understand why God would let it go up. He went down to the smallest. That's the Inca Bible today, Smith said.
So that's enough for worship.
Worship too. I think it's important to see in the 9th chapter in the.
Case of the blind man when he was brought into the presence of the Lord Jesus.
He said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him. It's something that should flow continually from our hearts, brethren, every day. It is beautiful when it can be done collectively, and there is a police of collective worship as has been brought out, where the Lord Jesus is the center. And I think it is important when we speak of that brethren to make sure that we keep the focus of ourselves.
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And on the Lord, sometimes it seems to me, what stumbles souls is that when we speak of the place.
Of his appointment. We focus in on ourselves. Our building has been said and.
Anything else but him will stumble souls. We need to be clear to keep the focus on the Lord Jesus, but worship is something that we can do at anytime. We go into the presence of God and present to God the excellencies of the person of the Lord Jesus. Worship is not so much offered for what he has done, It is offered for who he is in his own glorious person.
And when we get into the presence of God and think, who was that man who hung on that center cross? He was no normal person in this world. He was the everlasting God made flesh. He was the creator of the ends of the universe, the vast universe. And you go on and on as to the glories of his personal brethren. What does it do? Makes us feel how nothing we how we are nothing.
And how great he is and we worship him. That's the result.
A heart overflowing with an appreciation of what the person of Christ means to the heart of God. And so often on Lord's Day morning, as you say, we get occupied with our side of it, And that's true. There is the sin offering and the trespass offering and so on. And it's true that we've been brought into a wonderful place because of the work of Calvary, and God has reached out to us on that basis.
But, brethren, I really believe that true worship, as I say, springs from a heart overflowing with an appreciation of what the person of Christ is. Not to us, necessarily, although that will be the result. That appreciation will deepen. But it's an appreciation of what the person of Christ means to God, and that's really what we have in the burnt offering. And I suppose that's one reason why the burnt offering is given to us first in the book of Leviticus. It's God's portion first.
Brethren thoughts what he wants from your heart and mind. And in connection with Wally's question, something again for the young people that was helpful to me as a young person was to realize there are two lines of truth that run concurrently through the scripture, the individual side of things. And when you have that, then there's always a comparable truth concerning the collective side. Let me just give you one other example. The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's individual.
What is the comparable truth in relationship to the collective side of things? Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it. But it all, brethren, has to be based on truth. If we find ourselves in the place where the Lord Jesus is, in the midst, where we can collectively express these things of which we have been speaking, it must be based on the word of God. And that's why the order in Acts chapter 2 and verse 42 is so very important again.
When God lists two or more things, the order is always important. He doesn't list things haphazardly and notice the order. There they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and brethren. That was the basis for everything else. The truth was the basis for fellowship, it was the basis for breaking bread, and it was the basis for prayer. Those are collective things, but they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and then in fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers. We can't stress that enough.
This chapter of John 4 takes us beyond something in a way that.
We never see before in the whole of the word of God. It is the fact that.
In Judaism.
Could not in itself produce worshippers according to the heart of God. And God had labored with man for thousands of years, and under Judaism for several thousand years, and had set up a system of.
Natural things that might produce something for God from the human heart. And so there was a beautiful temple, there were beautiful choir, There were many things.
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To you might say, induce or encourage from the heart of man a worship which would satisfy the heart of God, and it could not do it. Judaism, man in the flesh, with every proper help, could not produce what's presented to our hearts in this chapter. And so God was seeking a true worshiper. He was seeking one that could.
And by the means given in this chapter, was able to satisfy his own heart In the matter of worship. Man is a creature with a spirit, and only man could ever have in that way the capacity to be a worshipper of God. An animal can't worship God. He doesn't have a spirit. He does not have that connection with God, his creator. He doesn't know him.
But worship as has already been brought out, God first reveals Himself, and the revelation of God isn't complete as to himself until the New Testament. And so even that in the Old Testament you don't have man able having the capacity to worship God as he wished, because God had not yet fully made himself known to his creature as He is.
But now he has come out in the person of his Son and fully revealed himself to us, his creature. And God now is looking from that creature, having revealed himself to him in the person of the Son, those who might be worshippers of himself. But how does God produce it? Now He takes the word of God, which gives us the revelation of Himself and of his Son, and they too are the only one.
Who are the objects of proper worship? The Father? The Son? No other is to be worshipped but God in the person of Father and Son. And it's done because the Holy Spirit of God takes the true truth of the revelation of themselves and works upon the human heart in the power of new life, because without that life.
Again, the natural man will not produce the worship that God is seeking.
And so he gives us the capacity of worship by giving us a life that is suited to himself.
And then by the Word takes the Spirit of God, working upon it to bring to the soul the the glory of themselves as revealed to us. And that spirit of God causes the human vessel to spring forth as a fountain that overflows. And as it overflows, it's the overflowing of that fountain toward God that satisfies his heart, because it's worship.
Earlier first chapter the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Moses could give a law, but grace and truth could only come to us in the person of God's beloved Son. And I understand that grace and truth.
Came by Jesus. That is grace and truth. I understand that there is one singular verb for them. They're never to be separate. They're inseparable. The grace and the truth are inseparable. So when we and when it comes to worship, then we have what we have learned of God in Christ. This is what we can OfferUp. This is what we offer up to God. And this is what God is great for everything which brings Christ before him. God is grateful for and thankful for grace and truth.
Came by Jesus Christ. The Lord says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me he's all. He's everything. And you can't separate the way from the truth, nor from the life. And they're all one in Christ. I am the way, the truth and the light. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.
To Luke and the 24th chapter along this line.
We're talking now about true worship. Don't forget the expression true worshipping in truth. And I do believe it's collective. But 51 of John 24 verse 51, it came to pass. While he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven, and they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem.
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With great joy they were restored and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. I believe this was adoration. It certainly wasn't collective worship. The Spirit hadn't even come down yet. And you know, until Pentecost, there was no collective worship and they weren't individually worshipping. I believe you have adoration here, a homage to him.
Paying homage to him. We have that with blind Bartimaeus, the people all around paying homage to him. It says they worshipped, but they paid homage to him. They adored him for what he did to blind Bart. And they realized this was of God, you know? Now don't forget both Cain and Abel were worshippers and that brings this out man well worship because he's God conscious. That's what we were talking about with conscious.
He's God conscious and man well worship. Only Abel worshipped him according to God's word, God's way and Cain worship too but according to religion. Cain started religion. Satan picked it up in my as it groaned today. Religion, there's so much religion in this world. It's not worship. Now collective worship.
Is what God asks for. Now let's worship in truth and in the Spirit and truth. You can't have truth without the Spirit. And why did he say two or three?
Worship is collective. I know individually we ought to pay homage to Christ. Always. But I don't think I'm worshipping in the sense of true worship the Lord was bringing out to this woman. I may be wrong, but I'll leave that man worships all the time. You never see a cow bend a knee and worship, but man does. But doesn't mean it's true worship.
We have to be careful ourselves. What we may call worship may not be worship. Cain thought this was worship. He thought it was much more beautiful and acceptable than the blood that Abel used. But God said the blood.
True worship. If they gathered together to worship, I don't see how. Now, individually they can have armies and they can please the Lord individually if they're indwelled and saved, but that's not collective worship of God Speaking of.
Say in connection with worship in spirit too, sometimes young people.
Say that or ask why we don't use music in our services.
But music in itself is not spiritual. It stirs man's emotions greatly and.
It's something that is not wrong in itself, but is adapted for men in the flesh.
And.
It's part of natural sweetness. Perhaps we can say in the Old Testament, honey was forbidden in the sacrifices of God, and it's not something that's totally prohibited. Music isn't in the New Testament, but it's something that does not belong in the sacrifices of God.
Worship in spirit is what comes from the instrument of the heart and the lips.
That are mentioned in the New Testament. You don't have other instruments. Sometimes people say well.
There's harps mentioned in Revelation that you have to take Revelation as it is in figurative language. So there's no other instruments I find in the New Testament but the heart and the lips, and I think that is important to understand. It's what comes from the heart that has been won by the love of Christ, the heart that is occupied with the glorious person of the Lord Jesus. Whether individual or collective, what flows from that heart is.
Worship to God, and I think that's.
So beautiful to get ahold of.
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Acts 17 And what you're saying now?
Verses 2425 and 26.
Acts 172425 and 26.
God that made the world in all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Neither is worshipped with man's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath in all things, and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and hath determined.
The times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation. I'd rather see here what you have to say it's so conclusive about.
Worship in a physical, human way, that is, instruments.
Instruments are played with hands, and in the age in which we live, God isn't desiring what we can do with our hands.
He does use the heart and the tongue. Those two parts of our body are used in worship, and I don't think the rest of the body is.
In your heart unto the Lord. And that's also why we don't have pre arrangement, isn't it? We worship in spirit. Maybe you can make a comment on that, but tomorrow there won't be any pre picked hymns or who's going to take part. I think it goes along with what Bob said in connection with worshipping in the spirit. Maybe we can have some help.
Go ahead.
And John's Gospel, the 10th chapter in the 31St verse.
Now we know did I say the 10th and 9th chapter 31? Now we know that God here is not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will him he hear us so on.
Say it too in connection with the use of instruments, because it is such a big thing in Christian circles, so-called today. And people, when this is explained, react so defensively about it. It's not a matter of of defending, it's simply recognizing what God recognizes today as the as true worship in spirit and in truth.
An instrument in itself is not spiritual, they're.
Hymns that are played beautifully, played to stir your emotions, even that are played by unsaved people. Is that worship and spirit and truth? No, in itself it is not. But worship is the appreciation of who Christ is and who our God is, and the pouring out of the heart in connection with that. That's what worship is in spirit and in truth in.
Experiences in Latin America I sometimes contrast to experiences I had.
Because I think sometimes we're deceived by our ears. We think when there's beautiful music, oh, this is the atmosphere of worship. Remember one time with Columbia Cannon? We were in the Dominican Republic and in the home of a man who professed to be a believer. His name was Mario Obiel and he had a daughter, little 8 year old girl, and she could sing beautifully. I don't know if she was a believer. Her mother wasn't.
That she was contracted to sing on radio and TV and make records.
And Mario asked his little girl to come and sing to us.
No one ever cared for me like Jesus. And that little girl poured out that music out of her lips. I tell you it was something that really touched me in my heart to hear that beautiful music from her heart, her from her mouth flowing out. And yet I don't know if there was any response, God knows, from her heart as she sang that hymn.
The other person.
I remember is in the mountains of Peru.
An older brother who was in the first love of his faith in Christ. And as we visited him in his home, he picked up his hymn book and sat down beside me. And he said, brother, I want to sing, teach me to sing. And he opened up his hymn book, but he really didn't wait for me to teach him to sing. He sang. And I don't know what tune he is, but if you looked at his face it was flowing right out of his heart.
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The first one pleased my ear. God knows if it pleased God's ear. But the second one wasn't too pleasing to my ear, but it was evident it was pleasing to God's ear. So let's not just go by mere sounds. Beautiful music is nice, but that's not necessarily what pleases God. Pleases God is worship in spirit and in truth. Verse 15 of Hebrews 13.
Several times today, and I just want to end up with one thought about it. This is worship, of course. Verse 15, Hebrews 13, by the way.
I'll leave that go by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. Now that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. With that thought, turn to Isaiah.
50 Isaiah 57 and verse 19.
This is the Lord speaking.
Isaiah 5719. I create the fruit of the lips. I create the fruit of the lips. How does he do that? Well, we could turn to Genesis, that we could turn to Psalm 22, and I'm not going to do it.
But we could also turn to Hebrews, where we are and look at Chapter 2. And this is the same as Psalm 22.
The verse I'm Speaking of chapter 2 and verse 12.
First of all, it's sort of nice to see an 11 at the end. He is not ashamed to call them brethren. He's not ashamed to call us brethren. Isn't that beautiful? 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst that's taken out in a popular translation in the midst of the Church.
Well, I sing praise unto thee. Did you ever hear Jesus singing in the midst of our assembly when we break bread? I mean, did you? Yes, you did. He creates the fruit of our lips, brethren. That's what happens with collective worship. I'm in the midst and I, the Lord create the fruit of the lips. There. That's the way I sing praises unto God.
Isn't that beautiful? I don't think there's anything more beautiful on that 15th verse of the 13th of Hebrews. Maybe there is. But on that verse?
#150.