TURNING RELIGIOUS RELUCTANCE-VI—John 4:1-42
Turning the Religious Lost
Attention:
This past Friday July 20, 2018 we ate with our oldest daughter, her husband, & their sons—our 2 grandchildren— at Cuban Mojos in Crawfordville. We thought it would be a good cultural experience for them to try some Cuban food.
However both grandchildren 11 & 9yrs. thumbed their noses at the food. One complained about the pickles on his authentic Cuban Sandwich. The other complained about the ‘smell’ of the pulled pork which he was not used to.
Their Dad made one of them eat a complete bite of the entire Cuban Sandwich without picking the ingredients off & eating them separately.
The boys were ‘religiously’ & pick-ily reluctant, but we sought to win them over nonetheless!
The laborious efforts of turning around the boy’s reluctance to try new foods.
What parent hasn’t gone thru those trials?!
Everybody has a religion—right or wrong!...
Everybody has a belief system to which they subscribe—right or wrong.
Even atheists have a religion & are religious people.
These may be Reluctant to turn, But by the power of God, they are turnable nonetheless!
*We are all called to serve God in spirit & in truth, AND to...“Go therefore & make disciples of ALL the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching THEM to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”!(Matthew 28:19-20)
Jesus divulged/bore witness of/ His Messianic identity to a reluctant/hesitant but religious woman.
God’s people bear witness of Messiah’s/Jesus’ identity to reluctant religious people.
How/When will God’s people turn the reluctancy of the religious?
OR--What will turn that religious reluctancy around?
Some insights toward turning religious reluctance to God.
The last time we looked in these verses we found that,
Turning religious reluctance to God requires...
1. SERVICE Insight(:1-3)
2. CONSEQUENTIAL Insight(:4-6)
3. COMPASSIONED Insight(:7-8)
4. BLIND/UNHINDERED Insight(:9)
5. POSSESSIVE Insight(:10)
6—Turning religious reluctance to God requires...
TRUTHFUL Insight(:11-14)
Explanation:(:11-14)Arrogance/Decisive
:11—“The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, & the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?”
“The woman” misses Jesus inference openly noting that in her estimation, there was no way for Him to have “living water.”
•Her conclusion is much like that of Nicodemus’ who supposed that being born again would require entering a second time into his mother’s womb to be re-born(Jn. 3:4).
She called attention to the fact that Jesus had “nothing” with which to “draw” out water from the “deep” “well”(75-100 ft.).
*Yet, she is wise enough to suppose that there may be some aspect of Jesus’ meaning that she is misunderstanding. She thus asks Him “where” He would possibly obtain “living water.”
After all, Jesus MAY carry Himself with some degree of authority & DEFINITELY speaks with some degree of authority(Jn. 7:31-32, 43-46).
Jn. 7:31-32, 43-46—“And many of the people believed in Him, & said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?” The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, & the Pharisees & the chief priests sent officers to take Him.”.....“So there was a division among the people because of Him. Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him. Then the officers came to the chief priests & Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
“Woman”(See :7, 9, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25)—gunh—Noun Fem.—
“Sir”(See :19)—kuriov—Noun Masc.—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord. Kuriov has a wider meaning[than despothv], applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—from kurov(supremacy); Supreme in authority, i.e. as noun--Controller; by implication--Mr.(as a respectful title).
“Have/Hold”...“Get/Hast”(See :17, 18)—ecw or scew—Verb—1) To have, i.e. To hold—1a) To have(hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have(hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as; 2) To have i.e. Own, possess; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to. Strong—including an alternate form scew; (used in certain tenses only); a primary verb; To hold(used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possessions; ability, continuity, relation, or condition).
“Nothing”—oute—Adverb—1) Neither, and not. Strong—Not too, i.e. Neither or nor; by analogy--Not even.?
“Draw”(See :7, 15)—antlhma—Noun Neuter—1) What is drawn; 2) The act of drawing water; 3) A thing to draw with, e.g. Bucket & rope let down into a well. Strong—A baling vessel. Used 1X.?From—antlew—from antlov(the hold of a ship); To bale up(properly, bilge water), i.e. Dip water(with a bucket, pitcher, etc.).
“Well”(See :11, 12; :6—phgh--:14—“Fountain”)—frear—Noun Neuter—1) A well; 2) The pit of the abyss(because the nether world is thought to increase in size the further it extends from the surface of the earth & so resemble a cistern, the orifice of which is narrow). Strong—of uncertain derivation; A hole in the ground(dug for obtaining or holding water or other purposes), i.e. A cistern or well; figuratively--An abyss(as a prison). Used 7X.
“Deep”—bayuv—Adj.—1) Deep. Strong—Profound(as going down), literally or figuratively. Used 3X.?From the base of—basiv—from bainw(to walk); A pace("base"), i.e. by implication--The foot.
“Where”—poyen—Adverb—1) of place--From where, from what condition; 2) of origin or source--From what author or giver; 3) of cause--How is that?, how can that be? Strong—from which(as interrogative) or what(as relative) place, state, source or cause. Used 28X.
“Living”(See :10)—zaw—Verb—1) To live, breathe, be among the living(not lifeless, not dead); 2) To enjoy real life—2a) To have true life & worthy of the name, 2b) Active, blessed, endless in the kingdom of God; 3) To live i.e. Pass life, in the manner of the living & acting—3a) Of mortals or character; 4) Living water, having vital power in itself & exerting the same upon the soul; 5) metaph.--To be in full vigor—5a) To be fresh, strong, efficient, 5b) as adj.--Active, powerful, efficacious. Strong—a primary verb; To live(literally or figuratively).
“Water”(See :10, 13, 14)—udwr; OR genitive case--udatov—Noun Neuter—1) Water—1a) Of water in rivers, in fountains, in pools, 1b) Of the water of the deluge, 1c) Of water in any of the earth's repositories, 1d) Of water as the primary element, out of & through which the world that was before the deluge, arose & was compacted, 1e) Of the waves of the sea, 1f) figuratively used of many peoples. Strong—from the base of uetov[rain, a shower]; Water(as if rainy) literally or figuratively.
:12—““Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, & drank from it himself, as well as his sons & his livestock?””
The woman continues to try Jesus by making Him know that she did not see Him as “greater than our father Jacob.” Supposedly(thru Josephus) Samaritans claimed lineage to “Jacob” thru Ephraim & Manasseh.—EBC
The woman is defending her belief system based on an understanding that “Jacob” himself “gave” the Samaritans “the well.”
She is further tying it to “Jacob” personally in stating that he himself “drank from” the very well where she & Jesus were conversing.
She continues to bolster her belief by relating that not only “Jacob” drank from the well but that “his sons & his livestock” drank from it.
Jacob’s “sons” were the very ones from whom the Jews arose!
How could Jesus’ living water stand up to such a rich historical tradition?
We have our beliefs & we have our knowledge, but that knowledge may be the very thing that keeps us puffed up & satisfied rather than winning someone to Christ. Our internal prejudices(in whatever realm/area) may be the very things that keeps us from bringing a viable witness of Christ to someone who needs Him.
*If you grow up within a certain ‘brand’ of Christianity, you ‘may be’ prone to trusting a ‘method’ wholeheartedly without personally testing it thru relationship with Christ. So when your tried-&-true ‘method’ is challenged, you understandably get hot under the collar about it! You are ‘married’ to a ‘method’ rather than to the Son of God.
“Greater Than”—meizwn—Adj. Comparative—1) Greater, larger, elder, stronger. Strong—irregular comparative of megav; Larger(literally or figuratively, specifically in age).
“Father”(See :23)—pathr—Noun Masc.—1) Generator or male ancestor—1b1) Fathers i.e. Ancestors, forefathers, founders of a nation, 1c) One advanced in years, A senior; 2) metaph.—2a) The originator & transmitter of anything—2a1) The authors of a family or society of persons animated by the same spirit as himself, 2a2) One who has infused his own spirit into others, who actuates & governs their minds, 2c1) Teachers, as those to whom pupils trace back the knowledge & training they have received;. Strong—apparently a primary word; A “father”(literally or figuratively, near or more remote).
“Jacob”(See :6)—Iakwb—Noun Proper Masc.—Jacob = “heel-catcher or supplanter”—1) Was the second son of Isaac; 2) The father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Strong—of Hebrew origin [bqey Yah-ak-ob’(heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter); the Israelitish patriarch)]; Jacob (i.e. Ja`akob), the progenitor of the Israelites. Used 27X.?From—bqe—a primitive root; properly--To swell out or up; to seize by the heel; figuratively--To circumvent(as if tripping up the heels); also To restrain(as if holding by the heel).
“Gave”(See :7, 10)—didwmi—
“Drank”(See :7, 9, 10, 13, 14)—pinw—
“Himself”—autov—Pronoun—1) Himself, herself, themselves, itself; 2) He, she, it; 3) The same. Strong—from the particle au[perhaps akin to the base of ahr[air] through the idea of a baffling wind]--Backward; the reflexive pronoun--Self, used(alone or in the comparative eautou) of the third person , & (with the proper personal pronoun)of the other persons.
“As Well As/And”—kai—Conjunction—1) And, also, even, indeed, but. Strong—apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative & sometimes also a cumulative force; And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection(or composition) with other particles or small words.
“Sons”—uiov—Noun Masc.—1) A son—1a) Rarely used for the young of animals, 1b) generally used of the offspring of men, 1c) in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father & of a mother), 1d) in a wider sense--A descendant, one of the posterity of any one,—1d1) The children of Israel, 1d2) Sons of Abraham, 1e)) used to describe: One who depends on another or is his follower—1e1) A pupil. Strong—apparently a primary word; A “son”(sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.
“Livestock/Cattle”—yremma—Noun Neuter—1) Whatever is fed or nursed—1a) A ward, nursling, child; 2) A flock, cattle, especially sheep & goats. Strong—Stock(as raised on a farm). Used 1X.
:13—“Jesus answered & said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,”
Jesus confronts the woman’s defense with fact. He lets her know in no uncertain terms that “whoever” draws & “drinks” from Jacob’s well will indeed “thirst again.”
In mid-sentence or mid-thought we are made to suppose that there must be something which Jesus will supply which is superior to anything that causes her to “thirst again.”
“Answered”(See :10)—apokrinomai—
“Said”(See :10, 11, 12, 17)—epw—Verb—1) To speak, say. Strong—a primary verb(used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from erew, rew, & fhmi); To speak or say(by word or writing).?Epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; whereas Lalew means an extended or random harangue; while legw means to relate, in words[usually of systematic or set discourse; while rew is properly, to break silence merely].
“Whoever/Whosoever/Everyone”(See :14—an)—pav—Adj.—1) individually—1a) Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; 2) collectively—2a) Some of all types. Strong—apparently a primary word; All, any, every, the whole.
“Drinks”(See :7, 9, 10, 12, 14)—pinw—
“Water”(See :10, 11, 14, 15)—udwr; or genitive case, udatov—
“Thirst”(See :14, 15)—diqaw—Verb—1) To suffer thirst, suffer from thirst—1a) figuratively--Those who are said to thirst who painfully feel their want of, & eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened. Strong—To thirst for(literally or figuratively). Used 16X.?From a variation of— diqov(Thirst).
“Again”—palin—Adverb—1) Anew, again—1a) Renewal or repetition of the action, 1b) Again, anew; 2) Again, i.e. further, moreover; 3) In turn, on the other hand. Strong—probably from the same as palh(through the idea of oscillatory repetition); adverbially--Anew, i.e. of place--Back, of time--Once more, or conjunctionally--Furthermore or on the other hand.
:14—“but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Jesus gets very responsibly personal & individualistic with His offer of “living water.”
Jesus tells the woman that ANY person who takes it upon himself to “drink of” that which He offers freely, “will in fact, “never thirst”! Thus her precious living water from Jacob’s well has been relegated to second class at best!
Though history has indeed served them well, it has still only been a means/conduit for bringing this woman & others to the ‘living water’ afforded thru God’s Anointed Messiah.
So Jesus then describes for the woman, the utter power of the “water” which He offers. Jesus’ “gift” would not only satisfy one’s thirst but it would satisfy thirst as would “a fountain of water.”
Jesus’ “water” would “become” in the one partaking, as a never-ending supply.
Beyond that it would be as “a fountain of water” which would continually be “springing up” granting to the person “everlasting life.”
Jesus’ statement should have made it plain to the woman that He is speaking in spiritual terms, making the “water” an illustration for God’s greater truth.
“The water in the well had to be drawn up with hard labor; the spiritual water would bubble up from within.”—EBC
Jesus’ “water” cannot be found in a physical well. And neither is Jesus to be simply relegated to mere patriarchal history.
“Whoever/Whosoever/Everyone”(See :13—pav)—ov...an——ov, h , o—Pronoun—1) Who, which, what, that. Strong—the relative (sometimes demonstrative)pronoun--Who, which, what, that.—&—an—Particle—1) has no exact English equivalent, see definitions under KJV--whosoever, whatsoever, whomsoever, whereinsoever, what things soever. Strong—a primary particle, Denoting a supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty.
“Drinks”(See :7, 9, 10, 12, 13)—pinw—
“Water”3X(See :10, 11, 13, 15)—udwr; or genitive case, udatov—
“I”2X(See :26)—egw—Pronoun—1) I, me, my. Strong—a primary pronoun of the first person I(only expressed when emphatic).
“Give”2X(See :15)—didwmi—
“Never”—mh—Particle—1) No, not lest. Strong—a primary particle of qualified negation(whereas ou, ouk, ouc expresses an absolute denial); adverbially--Not, conjunctionally--Lest; also(as an interrogative implying a negative answer[whereas ou expects an affirmative one])--Whether.
“Thirst”(See :13)—diqaw—Verb—1) To suffer thirst, suffer from thirst—1a) figuratively--Those who are said to thirst who painfully feel their want of, & eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened. Strong—To thirst for(literally or figuratively). Used 16X.?From a variation of— diqov(Thirst).
“But”—alla—Conjunction—1) But—1a) Nevertheless, notwithstanding, 1b) An objection, 1c) An exception, 1d) A restriction, 1e) Nay, rather, yea, moreover, 1f) Forms a transition to the cardinal matter. Strong—neuter plural of allov[else, i.e. different]; properly--Other things, i.e. adverbially--Contrariwise(in many relations). RWP—Perhaps, "nevertheless," in spite of the difference just noted.
“Become”—ginomai—Verb—1)To become, i.e. To come into existence, begin to be, receive being; 2) To become, i.e. To come to pass, happen—2a) Of events; 3) To arise, appear in history, come upon the stage—3a) Of men appearing in public; 4) To be made, finished—4a) of miracles--To be performed, wrought; 5) To become, be made. Strong—a prolongation & middle voice form of a primary verb; To cause to be(“gen”-erate), i.e. reflexively--To become(come into being), used with great latitude(literal, figurative, intensive, etc.).
“In”—en—
“Him”—autov—
“Fountain”(See :11, 14; 12—frear)—phgh—Noun Fem.—1) Fountain, spring; 2) A well fed by a spring. Strong—probably from phgnumi[To fix("peg"), i.e. specially--To set up(a tent)](through the idea of gushing plumply); A fount(literally or figuratively), i.e. Source or supply(of water, blood, enjoyment) (not necessarily the original spring). Used 12X.
“Springing up”—allomai—Verb—1) To leap; 2) To spring up, gush up: of water. Strong—middle voice of apparently a primary verb; To jump; figuratively--To gush. Used 3X.
“Into/To”—eiv—Preposition—1) Into, unto, to, towards, for, among. Strong—a primary preposition; To or Into(indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or figuratively--Purpose(result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases.
“Everlasting”—aiwniov—Adj.—1) Without beginning & end, that which always has been & always will be; 2) Without beginning; 3) Without end, never to cease, everlasting. Aiwniov gives prominence to the immeasurableness of eternity. Strong—Perpetual(also used of past time, or past & future as well).
“Life”—zwh—Noun Fem.—1) Life—1a) The state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate, 1b) Every living soul; 2) Life—2a) Of the absolute fulness of life, both essential & ethical,, 2b) Life real & genuine, a life active & vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions(among them a more perfect body), & to last for ever. Strong—Life(literally or figuratively).?Zwh corresponds to Hebrew—yx. zwh—Mere vitality, even of plants..
Argumentation:
Mat. 12:1-9—“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, & began to pluck heads of grain & to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he & those who were with him: “how he entered the house of God & ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, & are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy & not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. “For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.
Mat. 12:38-42—“Then some of the scribes & Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered & said to them, “An evil & adulterous generation seeks after a sign, & no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days & three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days & three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation & condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; & indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation & condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; & indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”
Lev. 19:11-12—“‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. ‘And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.”
Num. 23:16-19—“Then the LORD met Balaam, & put a word in his mouth, & said, “Go back to Balak, & thus you shall speak.” So he came to him, & there he was, standing by his burnt offering, & the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?” Then he took up his oracle & said: “Rise up, Balak, & hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor! God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, & will He not do? Or has He spoken, & will He not make it good?”
*Jn. 8:37-45—“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, & you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered & said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. “But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth & came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, & the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, & does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar & the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.”
Mat. 22:15, 16—“Then the Pharisees went & plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, & teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.” Thru flattery, beguiling, & trickery.
Luke 20:19-21—“And the chief priests & the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. So they watched Him, & sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power & the authority of the governor. Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say & teach rightly, & You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:”
Jn. 1:1-14—“In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, & without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, & the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, & the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, & the world was made through Him, & the world did not know Him. He came to His own, & His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh & dwelt among us, & we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace & truth.”
Jn. 5:33—“You have sent to John[the baptist], & he has borne witness to the truth.”
Jn. 3:19-21—““And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, & men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light & does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.””
Jn. 7:17-18—“If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, & no unrighteousness is in Him.”
Jn. 8:12-18—“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.” Jesus answered & said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from & where I am going; but you do not know where I come from & where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. “And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, & the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
Jn. 8:31-36—“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, & the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, & have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Freedom comes from cultivating a right saving relationship with God by accepting His only-begotten son, Jesus! Only if the Son of God makes you free, can you be free! Therefore, you must accept Jesus’ truth first & foremost, & NOT that of your denomination or some religion that opposes, or parallels, or touches, or even intersects God’s truth.
Jn. 14:1-7—“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go & prepare a place for you, I will come again & receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, & the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, & how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; & from now on you know Him & have seen Him.”
Jn. 18:37-38—“Pilate therefore said to Him[Jesus], “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, & for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, & said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.””
Do you seek the voice of Jesus? Do you hear the voice of Jesus?
Rom. 1:16-2:1—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness & unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power & Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, & their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, & changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--& birds & four-footed animals & creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, & worshiped & served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, & receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 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. Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
Rom. 3:3-8—“For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.” But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath?(I speak as a man.) Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?--as we are slanderously reported & as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.”
1Cor. 13:4-7—“Love suffers long & is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Gal. 5:1-8—“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, & do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.”
Eph. 4:17-25—“This I say, therefore, & testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him & have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, & be renewed in the spirit of your mind, & that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness & holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.”
*Eph. 5:6-10—“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, & truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”
Eph. 6:13-15—“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, & having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”
Php. 4:6-9—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned & received & heard & saw in me, these do, & the God of peace will be with you.”
*2Thess. 2:9-12—“The coming of the lawless one[antichrist] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, & lying wonders, & with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
1Tim. 2:1-7—“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, & giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings & all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet & peaceable life in all godliness & reverence. For this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God & one Mediator between God & men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher & an apostle--I am speaking the truth in Christ & not lying--a teacher of the Gentiles in faith & truth.”
*1Tim. 3:14-16—“These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 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. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”
*2Tim. 2:15—“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2Tim. 4:1-8—“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Js. 1:17-18—“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
Js. 5:19-20—“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”
Titus 1:7-14—“For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.”
2Pet. 2:1-2—“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.”
1Jn. 1:5-10—“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, & His word is not in us.”
If we believe that there is no sin in this, that, or the other matter.
1Jn. 2:3-6—“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
1Jn. 3:18-19—“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.”
Rev. 19:11-13—“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”
Illustration:
At one point in my ministry a person accused me of not being a leader...that I was afraid of leading. After a brief discussion it became apparent that I was not a ‘leader’ for them & that i was afraid’ of leading in their direction. In that person’s mind, because I did not lead others to support their particular agenda & accepted tradition, I had failed as a leader! I tried(but failed) to explain to them that in order to lead in any direction the leader must be convinced of the validity of the direction led. The leader must be convinced of God’s will in it! Unfortunately they were unwilling to listen, but rather deafly poured out their personal disgust for me. I disagreed with the person’s direction. The detractor/accuser would not allow God’s truth to prevail!/TRUTHFUL Insight
Application:
?Your TRUTHFUL Insight readily Turn others to Christ/God’s way?
?You instrumental in Turning the Religious Reluctance of others into a Confident Relationship with God?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The labor of turning the boy’s reluctance to try new foods.
Action:
Turning religious reluctance to God requires...
6. TRUTHFUL Insight(:11-14)
1. SERVICE Insight(:1-3)
2. CONSEQUENTIAL Insight(:4-6)
3. COMPASSIONED Insight(:7-8)
4. BLIND/UNHINDERED Insight(:9)
5. POSSESSIVE Insight(:10)
Pt# 6 only! presented 07/22/2018pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
