TURNING RELIGIOUS RELUCTANCE-IX—John 4:1-26+(:1-42)
Turning the Religious Lost
Attention:
Picture A Train.
The train is dedicated/committed to a specific set of tracks.
However, that specific set of tracks leads to an abandoned attempt at bridging a deep canyon in order to make a shorter way to it’s destination. The unfinished abandoned bridge cannot possibly take the train across the canyon.
The train needs to be turned!
It cannot be turned easily. It must be switched to another set of existing tracks which lead away from the original bridge & toward & across a completed bridge capable of taking it to it’s destination.
IF it can be switched to another set of tracks, it will go where it should go simply because it now follows a separate set of tracks that lead to the originally intended destination.
Think Twice Before Continuing down the ‘track’ you’re on!
The Church exists to turn the world away from it’s errant way!
Everybody lives by a ‘religion’—a set of spiritual & secular values that they hold to. These may be 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 as God’s witnesses to turn those who are on the wrong set of RR ‘tracks’...“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.
Previously as 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. TRUTHFUL Insight(:11-14)
7. LIFESTYLE Insight(:15-18)
8. PLACE Insight(:19-20)
9—Turning religious reluctance to God requires...
DECISIVE Insight(:21-24)
Explanation:(:21-24)
:21—“Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.””
As He did with the picture of water, Jesus attempts to take the woman closer & farther spiritually than she anticipated. He lets her know in no uncertain terms that there is a time on the near future(& currently(:23)) when neither Mt. Gerazim nor Jerusalem will limit true “worship” of God “the Father.”
Worship of God is not to be limited to a certain place(:20). Though the tabernacle & temple play heavily into God’s corporate worship in Israel’s past(pre-Messiah) as well as the temple in Israel’s future(Millennial, Ezek. 40-48), there is an overwhelming aspect of serving God that is not limited to place at all. There is no geographical or political boundary which will limit or determine the woman’s worship.
“Christians who seek to be ambassadors for Christ must always be wary of falling into the trap of arguing about the “right” ‘place’ of worship. “The point is not winning arguments but introducing people to the dimension of God in their lives.”—NAC
This statement is fleshed out in :23-24.
Jesus did not apologize for the truth which He believed, but instead defended it by explaining it!
“Woman”(See :7, 9, 11, 15, 17, 19, 25)—gunh—Noun Fem.—
“Believe”(See :39, 41, 42)—pisteuw—Verb—1)To think to be true, to be persuaded of, place confidence in; 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. his Fidelity. Strong—To have faith(in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. Credit; by implication--To entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ).
“Me”—moi—Pronoun—1) I, me, my. Strong—the simpler form of emoi; To me.
“Hour”(See :23)—wra—Noun Fem.—1) A certain definite time or season fixed by natural law & returning with the revolving year—1a) Of the seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn, winter; 2) The daytime(bounded by the rising & setting of the sun), a day; 3) A twelfth part of the day-time, an hour, (the twelve hours of the day are reckoned from the rising to the setting of the sun); 4) Any definite time, point of time, moment. Strong—apparently a primary word; An “hour”(literally or figuratively).
“Coming”(See :23, 25)—ercomai—Verb—1) To come—1a) of persons—1a1) To come from one place to another, & used both of persons arriving & of those returning, 1a2) To appear, make one's appearance, come before the public; 2) metaph.—2a) To come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence, 2b) Be established, become known, to come(fall) into or unto; 3) To go, to follow one. Ercomai denotes motion or progress generally, & of any sort, hence to “come” & arrive at, as well as “to go.” Strong—middle voice of a primary verb(used only in the present & imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred [middle voice]eleuyomai; or [active]elyw; which do not otherwise occur); To come or go(in a great variety of applications, literally & figuratively).
“When”(See :1, 23)—ote—Particle—1) When whenever, while, as long as. Strong—at which (thing) too, i.e. when.?From—ov, h, o—probably a primary word(or perhaps a form of the article o, h, to); the relatively(sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, Who, which, what, that.—&—te—a primary particle(enclitic) of connection or addition; Both or Also(properly, as correlation of kai).
“Neither”—oute—Adverb—1) Neither, and not. Strong—Not too, i.e. Neither or nor; by analogy--Not even.?From—ou, ouk, or ouc—Particle—1) No, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. Strong—a primary word; the absolute negative [compare mh] adverb; No or not. Expresses an absolute denial.—&—te—a primary particle(enclitic) of connection or addition; Both or Also(properly, as correlation of kai).
“Mountain”(See :20)—orov—Noun Neuter—1) A mountain. Strong—probably from an obsolete orw(to rise or "rear"; perhaps akin to airw[to lift up or take up]; compare orniv[a bird or hen(as rising in the air)]); A mountain(as lifting itself above the plain).
“Jerusalem”(See :20)—Ierosoluma—Noun Proper Locative—Jerusalem = "set ye double peace”—1) Denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants; 2) “The Jerusalem that now is”, with its present religious institutions, i.e. the Mosaic system, so designated from its primary external location; 3) “Jerusalem that is above”, that is existing in heaven, according to the pattern of which the earthly Jerusalem was supposed to be built—3a) metaph.--“The City of God founded by Christ”, now wearing the form of the church, but after Christ's return to put on the form of the perfected Messianic kingdom; 4) “The heavenly Jerusalem”, that is the heavenly abode of God, Christ, the angels, saints of the Old & New Testament periods & those Christians that are alive at Christ's return; 5) “The New Jerusalem”, a splendid visible city to be let down from heaven after the renovation of the world, the future abode of the blessed.
“Worship”(See :20, 22)—proskunew—1) To kiss the hand to(towards) one, in token of reverence; 2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians--To fall upon the knees & touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; 3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration--To do homage(to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication—3a) Used of homage shown to men & beings of superior rank. Strong—To fawn or crouch to, i.e. literally or figuratively--Prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore).
“Father”(See :12, 20, 23)—pathr—Noun Masc.—1) Generator or male ancestor; 2) metaph.—2a) The originator & transmitter of anything; 3) God is called the Father—3a) Of the stars, the heavenly luminaries, 3b) Of all rational & intelligent beings, whether angels or men, 3c) Of Christians, 3d) The Father of Jesus Christ. Strong—apparently a primary word; A “father”(literally or figuratively, near or more remote).
:22—“You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.”
Jesus blatantly tells the woman that her Samaritan “worship” is misguided. By “worshiping” where their fathers have always worshiped, the Samaritans are worshiping in ignorance & thus erroneously. Jesus’ statement gets to the crux of Samaritan self-determined spirituality. In this, His statement, Jesus boldly upholds the validity of the major Samaritan-Jewish contention/doctrinal difference(:9).
“They[Samaritans] stand outside the stream of God’s revelation, so that what they worship cannot possibly be characterized by truth & knowledge.”—D.A. Carson
It is never our part to make someone ‘feel good’ about their belief for the sake of avoiding contention. Thru the contention we wrestle thru to godly belief.
Jesus also boldly proclaims to the woman that the Jews(“we”), far from worshiping in ignorance, indeed “know what we[Jews] worship.” They know what they worship because(“for”) “salvation is of the Jews.” “Salvation” stems from & arises strictly from “the Jews.” Despite the bumbles & failures involved in the Jewish application of their religiosity, at the very least they offer the world “salvation” in the true God.
Jesus Himself contended with those Jews who disdained Him & sought His death. Yet, despite such hindrances, in God’s way “salvation is of the Jews” is a reality.
Eph. 2:4-16—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel & strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope & without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, & has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, & that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”
“The Jews had a more complete understanding of the truth”(MNTC) than others, as they were God’s chosen people. However they were also charged with sharing that blessing with others, at times leading to the demise of those ‘won.’
Mat. 23:15—“Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land & sea to win one proselyte, & when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
Even with that available knowledge however, man-derived religious ‘spiritual correctness’ was elevated so that a misapplication of God’s spiritual ideals was standardized/institutionalized as proffered by the authorities.
Jesus is telling the woman that “the Jews stand within the stream of God’s saving revelation.”.....“they are the vehicle of that revelation, the historical matrix out of which that revelation emerges.”.....“salvation for Jews & Gentiles alike, lies in the Messiah announced by the Jewish Scriptures...”—D.A. Carson
“You”2X(See :32)—umeiv—Pronoun—1) You. Strong—irregular plural of su[Personal pronoun of the 2nd person singular]; You(as subjective of verb).
“Worship”2X(See :20, 21, 23)—proskunew—1) To kiss the hand to(towards) one, in token of reverence; 2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians--To fall upon the knees & touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; 3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration--To do homage(to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication—3a) Used of homage shown to men & beings of superior rank. Strong—To fawn or crouch to, i.e. literally or figuratively--Prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore).
“What”2X—ov, h , o—Pronoun—1) Who, which, what, that. Strong—the relatively (sometimes demonstrative)pronoun--Who, which, what, that.
“Not”(See :2, 15, 18, 35)—ou, ouk, or ouc—Particle—1) No, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. Strong—a primary word; the absolute negative [compare mh] adverb; No or not.
“Know”2X(See :10, 25, 32, 42; :29—“see”)—eidw/oida—Perfect Active Indicative 2nd Plural—1) To see—1a) To perceive with the eyes, 1b) To perceive by any of the senses, 1c) To perceive, notice, discern, discover, 1d) To see—1d1) i.e. To turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything, 1d2) To pay attention, observe, 1d3) To see about something 1d31) i.e. To ascertain what must be done about it, 1d4) To inspect, examine, 1d5) To look at, behold, 1e) To experience any state or condition, 1f) To see i.e. Have an interview with, to visit; 2) To know—2a) To know of anything, 2b) To know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive—2b1) of any fact, 2b2) the force & meaning of something which has definite meaning, 2b3) To know how, to be skilled in, 2c) To have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to(1Th 5:12). Eidw/oida denotes to see with the mind's eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception. Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai & oraw; properly--To see(literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perfect only)--To know.
“We”2X—hmeiv—Pronoun—1) Us, we etc.. Strong— Nominative Plural of egw. We(only used when emphatic).
“Because/For”—oti—Conjunction—1) That, because, since. Strong—neuter of ostiv[Which some, i.e. Any that; also (definitively)--Which same]as conjunction; demonstrative--That(sometimes redundant); causative--Because.
“Salvation”—swthria—Noun Fem.—1) Deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation; 2) Salvation as the present possession of all true Christians; 3) Future salvation, the sum of benefits & blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated & eternal kingdom of God. Strong—feminine of a derivative of swthr[Deliverer] as (properly, abstract)noun; Rescue or safety(physically or morally).
“Of”—ek/ex—Prep.—1) Out of, from, by, away from. Strong—a primary preposition denoting origin(the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote).
“Jews”—Ioudaiov—Adj.—1) Jewish, belonging to the Jewish nation; 2) Jewish as respects to birth, origin, religion. Strong—Judaean, i.e. Belonging to Jehudah.?From—Iouda(in the sense of Ioudav as a country)—of Hebrew origin [hdwhy Yeh-hoo-daw' or perhaps hjy Yoot-taw'; or hjwy Yoo-taw']; Judah(i.e. Jehudah or Juttah), a part of(or place in) Palestine.
:23—“But the hour is coming, & now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit & truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
The “hour” Jesus spoke of at the beginning of His answer(:21) is simultaneously both “coming” & also “now is.” The coming & present “hour” of true worship & “true worshipers” originates & emanates from one’s adherence to “spirit & truth.”
“The hour is coming” because it’s fulfillment in the arrival of the Holy Spirit of Truth is future to the woman’s & Jesus’ conversation.
Jn. 14:16-17—“And I will pray the Father, & He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--“the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you & will be in you.”
There are “worshipers” that are “true”, so therefore there are also “worshipers” who are ‘false.’
“Worship” is a spiritual endeavor. “Worship” is also a truthful endeavor.
“True worshipers” are recognized as those who “will.” They 1)Will worship “the Father”; 2)Will worship Him “in S(s)pirit”; & 3)Will worship Him “in truth.” Otherwise idolatry results!
Thus the nature or reason for worship itself rather than the external place or location of worship is of vital importance to “the Father.”
“True worship” “emanates from the inner spirit.”—MNTC
“The Father” himself is actively “seeking such” people who will “worship Him” from the heart, rather than from conformity thru cultural inundation, intimidation, & outside coercion/compulsion.
•Islam is largely maintained thru cultural intimidation.
•Historically Catholicism has been known for the same—various ‘Inquisitions’ were undertaken in order to flush out various ‘heretics’ from within the church itself. Threatened with extremes of physical torture & death. Being so closely tied to secular government ironically weakens the Catholic church as inquisitions spread fear of death &/or injury among the people. These ‘inquisitions’ supposedly began in France in the 12th century, & spread thru other countries until the 17th century.
•State-sponsored Christian-based religion has the same effect. In Iceland: At birth, the infant’s names are automatically added to the Lutheran church membership roll, only to be removed upon that person’s actively seeking removal. There are tangible perks’ to remaining on the roll!
“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.
“Hour”(See :21)—wra—Noun Fem.—1) A certain definite time or season fixed by natural law & returning with the revolving year—1a) Of the seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn, winter; 2) The daytime(bounded by the rising & setting of the sun), a day; 3) A twelfth part of the day-time, an hour, (the twelve hours of the day are reckoned from the rising to the setting of the sun); 4) Any definite time, point of time, moment. Strong—apparently a primary word; An “hour”(literally or figuratively).
“Coming”(See :21, 25)—ercomai—Verb—1) To come—1a) of persons—1a1) To come from one place to another, & used both of persons arriving & of those returning, 1a2) To appear, make one's appearance, come before the public; 2) metaph.—2a) To come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence, 2b) Be established, become known, to come(fall) into or unto; 3) To go, to follow one. Ercomai denotes motion or progress generally, & of any sort, hence to “come” & arrive at, as well as “to go.” Strong—middle voice of a primary verb(used only in the present & imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred [middle voice]eleuyomai; or [active]elyw; which do not otherwise occur); To come or go(in a great variety of applications, literally & figuratively).
“Now”—nun—Adverb—1) At this time, the present, now. “Now”, marks a definite point or period of time, the (objective)immediate present. Strong—a primary particle of present time; “Now”(as adverb of date, a transition or emphasis); also as noun or adjective--Present or Immediate.
“Is”—esti—Verb—1) third person singular of “to be.” Strong—third person singular present indicative of eimi; He(she or it) is; also(with neuter plural)--They are.
“When”(See :1, 23, 25)—ote—Particle—1) When whenever, while, as long as. Strong—At which(thing) too, i.e. When.?From—ov, h, o—probably a primary word(or perhaps a form of the article o, h, to); the relatively(sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, Who, which, what, that.—&—te—a primary particle(enclitic) of connection or addition; Both or Also(properly, as correlation of kai).
“True”—alhyinov—Adj.—1) That which has not only the name & resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name, real, true genuine—1a) Opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended, 1b) It contrasts realities with their semblances, 1c) Opposite to what is imperfect defective, frail, uncertain; 2) True, veracious, sincere. Strong—Truthful. Used 27X.
“Worshipers”—proskunhthv—Noun Masc.—1) A worshipper. Strong—From proskunew; An adorer. Used 1X.
“Worship”2X(See :20, 21, 22, 24)—proskunew—1) To kiss the hand to(towards) one, in token of reverence; 2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians--To fall upon the knees & touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; 3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration--To do homage(to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication—3a) Used of homage shown to men & beings of superior rank. Strong—To fawn or crouch to, i.e. literally or figuratively--Prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore).
“Father”(See :12, 20, 21)—pathr—Noun Masc.—1) Generator or male ancestor; 2) metaph.—2a) The originator & transmitter of anything; 3) God is called the Father—3a) Of the stars, the heavenly luminaries, 3b) Of all rational & intelligent beings, whether angels or men, 3c) Of Christians, 3d) The Father of Jesus Christ. Strong—apparently a primary word; A “father”(literally or figuratively, near or more remote).
“Seeking”—zhtew—Verb—1) To seek in order to find—1a) To seek a thing, 1b) To seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into, 1c) To seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after; 2) To seek i.e. require, demand—2a) To crave, demand something from someone. Strong—of uncertain affinity; To seek(literally or figuratively); specially(by Hebraism)--To worship(God), or in a bad sense--To plot(against life).
“Such/Kind”—toioutov—Adj.—1) Such as this, of this kind or sort. Strong—Truly this, i.e. Of this sort(to denote character or individuality).?From—toi—probably for the dative case of (o, h, to); An enclitic particle of asseveration by way of contrast; In sooth[truth].—&—outov—1) This, these, etc. The he(she or it), i.e. This or that(often with article repeated).
:24—“God is Spirit, & those who worship Him must worship in spirit & truth.”
Regarding His previous statement(:23) that true worshipers will worship God in spirit & truth, Jesus bolsters the principle by informing the woman that “God” Himself “is Spirit.” That is, He exists as Spirit. Thus He exists & dwells freely in a realm of which we are largely unaware as we are more the product of it, being created physical beings. However, we are also spiritual beings as well as fleshy in a manner that is seamlessly inseparable to us(Heb. 4:8-13).
Heb. 4:8-13—“For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living & powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, & of joints & marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked & open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
The Why & How of our worship is telling!
Ps. 50:23—“Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”
Ps. 51:15-17—“O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken & a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.”
2Cor. 3:17—“Now the Lord is the Spirit; & where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
1Tim. 1:17—“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor & glory forever & ever. Amen.”
“God”—yeov—Noun Masc.—1) A god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities; 2) The Godhead, trinity; 3) Spoken of the only & true God—3a) Refers to the things of God, 3b) His counsels, interests, things due to him; 4) Whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way—4a) God's representative or vice-regent—4a1) Of magistrates & judges. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A deity, especially(with o, h, to)--The supreme Divinity; figuratively--A magistrate; by Hebraism--Very.
“Spirit”2X—pneuma—Noun Neuter—1) The third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father & the Son; 2) The spirit, i.e. The vital principal by which the body is animated—2a) The rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides, 2b) The soul; 3) A spirit, i.e. A simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, & possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, & acting—3a) A life giving spirit, 3b) A human soul that has left the body, 3c) A spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. An angel—3c1) used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men, 3c2) The spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels & equal to God, the divine nature of Christ; 4) The disposition or influence which fills & governs the soul of any one—4a) the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.; 5) A movement of air(a gentle blast). Strong—A current of air, i.e. Breath(blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively--A spirit, i.e. (human)--The rational soul, by implication--Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman)--An angel, demon, or (divine)--God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit. RWP—‘“The Spirit” is the use of pneuma as metaphor.”?Pneuma corresponds to Hebrew—xwr. A)quch—Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely--The animal sentient principle only, which is distinguished from, B) pneuma—The rational & immortal soul, & C)zwh—Mere vitality, even of plants. These terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew...A)vpn, B)xwr & C)yx.
“Must”(See :4—“Needed”; :20—“Ought”)—dei—Verb—1) It is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right & proper—1a) Necessity lying in the nature of the case, 1b) Necessity brought on by circumstances or by the conduct of others toward us., 1c) Necessity in reference to what is required to attain some end, 1d) A necessity of law & command, of duty, equity, 1e) Necessity established by the counsel & decree of God, especially by that purpose of his which relates to the salvation of men by the intervention of Christ & which is disclosed in the Old Testament prophecies—1e1) Concerning what Christ was destined finally to undergo, his sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension. Dei seems to be more suggestive of moral obligation, denoting especially that constrain which arises from divine appointment. Dei, the third person of dew, is commonly used impersonally in classical Greek. This usage is less common, but frequent, in the N.T. Dei indicates a necessity in the nature of things rather than a personal obligation; it describes that which must be done. Strong—used impersonally; It is(was, etc.) necessary(as binding).
“Worship”2X(See :20, 21, 22, 24)—proskunew—
“In”—en—
“Truth”—alhyeia—Noun Fem.—1) objectively—1a) What is true in any matter under consideration—1a1) Truly, in truth, according to truth, 1a2) Of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly, 1b) What is true in things appertaining to God & the duties of man, moral & religious truth—1b1) In the greatest latitude, 1b2) The true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention, 1c) The truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God & the execution of his purposes through Christ, & respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles & the inventions of the Jews, & the corrupt opinions & precepts of false teachers even among Christians; 2) subjectively—2a) Truth as a personal excellence—2a1) That candor of mind which is free from affection, pretense, simulation, falsehood, deceit. Strong—from alhyhv; Truth.
Argumentation:
Isa. 29:11-14—“The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” Therefore the LORD said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work & a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.””[1Cor. 1:20]
1Cor. 1:20—“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
Isa. 1:9-18—“Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah: “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, & the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity & the sacred meeting. Your New Moons & your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. Come now, & let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”
1Cor. 2:4-14—“And my speech & my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit & of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Illustration:
We always tried to teach our kids to work at what made them satisfied in their soul/If you have a passion for your work, you will never have to ‘work’ a day of your life/DECISIVE Insight
Don’t build ‘YOUR church’!
Don’t build ‘your church’ on your personal preferences because you will disparage others who are not so given to your personal preferences! What we must do in order to worship in spirit & truth, is to surrender our preferences to the Lord of Glory!
In my years as a pastor, I’ve heard church members fuss about having to use a hymnbook at all; & I’ve heard others fuss about using anything other than the hymnbook.
In my years I’ve heard church members fuss because the hymns are not from a specific edition of the Baptist Hymnal! In my years I’ve heard people fuss because they’re not sung from the Baptist Hymnal at all, but another one...same songs, different hymnal.
I’ve heard church members fuss about the use of electronic equipment; As well as the lack of the use of electronic equipment!
I’ve heard church members fuss about the color, fabric, & feel of the carpet.
I’ve heard church members fuss about the pews—padded not padded—material(wood, metal, plastic, etc.), how many, closeness to one another, angle toward the front, slope of the floor.
I’ve heard church members fuss about the size, material, & location of the pulpit.
DO NOT MAKE AN ISSUE of any of these things!! They are merely aids to worship.
*Instead, I encourage & implore & exhort you to:
!!Worship God in spirit & truth!!
Application:
?Your DECISIVE 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:
A train that is dedicated/committed to a specific set of tracks, but must be switched to another set of existing tracks.
Action:
Turning religious reluctance to God requires...
9. DECISIVE Insight(:19-20)
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. TRUTHFUL Insight(:11-14)
7. LIFESTYLE Insight(:15-18)
8. PLACE Insight(:19-20)
Pts.# 9-only! presented 09/30/2018pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
