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Pull for the Shore

Saturday, January 24, 2015

True Worship

Temle of Solomon
Text: John4:21-25
21) “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22) You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. 25) The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26) Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”




The True Worshipers

"God has given each of us our own spirit." Ecclesiastes 12:7.






Intro: The primary subject of this study is: "True Worship", Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that "true worshipers", are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. John4:23. Many steadfast students of the bible will point to this passage of scripture confirming a charismatic style of worship.That is fine with me if you wish to do so, however, it is not my intent to focus on the use of spiritual gifts in this study. I thank God in my spirit that I am a child of God, born of the spirit and praising His holy Name.

God is impartial and without prejudice; The Samaritan woman's eternal salvation is all about God's mercy and has nothing to do with her ethnic background or social status. Romans9:14-15. He will reveal Himself to that special someone who has a thirst to know Him. She was spiritually thirsty when she met face to face with her Messiah. “Sir, give me this water,” John4:15. More important to see, is God's veiled revelation of Himself to the Samaritan woman, more so than just her amazing conversion. It is God who will open our spiritual eyes and ears to see Jesus/Messiah, no matter how fixed and dull our hearts have become. Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. John4:19.




Title: The True Worshipers
Subject: True Worship
Text: John 4:23-24


21) “Woman,” Jesus replied,“believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Jesus is the True Tabernacle of God and the fullness of God dwells in Him. Colossians1:19. "A time is coming", amazing to see, Jesus is revealing His death, resurrection, and glorification, to the Samaritan woman at the well. A time is coming, when beautiful buildings and sacred locations are irrelevant. A time is coming, when the body of a believer becomes the place of worship. ”Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit." 1Corinthians6:19. The place of worship comes from a heart that delights in the truth, a reality for every believer from the time you are born again.


22) You Samaritans worship what you do not know; The Samaritans were post exile Jews who intermarried with gentiles during the resettlement of Israel. They claim to worship the True God but their religious philosophy was mixed with paganism. Biblical Syncretism is defined as; Quote: "The incorporation into religious faith and practice of, elements from other religions, resulting in a loss of integrity, and assimilation to surrounding culture. Biblegateway.com. You can read about the consequence of Syncretism here: Jeremiah2:5; Deut18:9-13; 2Kings17:15-17; Isaiah2:6.  
we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Jesus statement sounds ego-centric but it is not. Knowing whom we worship is the first step, believing Jesus is your Messiah is the next step. It is a short distance from your head to your heart, (about 18 inches), however, without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews11:6. True worship delights in the truth and takes that final step of faith in Jesus Messiah. 

 23) Yet a time is coming and has now come, The time to worship God is today. Jesus did not ask the Samaritan woman to go join the true temple.

when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, Our heavenly Father wants us to worship Him in the spirit and in truth and the time is now. We worship in the spirit. The word for spirit refers to our individual spirit as apposed to our physical body. Our spirit agrees with Gods spirit that we are his child. The word truth refers to worshiping the Father without hypocrisy.

for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. Worship is based on our honesty and integrity and being truthful with Him. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they went and hid themselves, God said, "Where are you" Genesis 3:8. God seeks our communion with Him.

24) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. Spirit and truth are attributes of God. To worship the Father in the spirit and in truth just makes good sense. John4:23. "God has given each of us our own spirit." Ecclesiastes 12:7.

25) The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Sitting at the Master's feet and praying for a teachable heart is a fair request.

26) Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Only Jesus can open our spiritual eyes and ears.



Conclusion: Jesus Christ offers the Samaritan woman living water that becomes a spring, welling up to eternal life, John4:13. Like wise, when we are confronted with our sin and have a thirst for life giving water, Jesus will be there waiting for us. Our body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit, there-
fore the geological location of our worship becomes irrelevant. True worship comes from our spirit, it is not carnal; it delights in the truth, it is not hypocritical; it is the reason we take that final step of saving faith in Jesus Messiah. "Salvation comes from the Lord" Jonah2:9 - Amazing Grace!

Application: When your spirit is thirsty for heavenly spring water, run to God, never away from Him. I am just an ordinary, garden variety sinner, 
who by the grace of God, was saved and grafted into the Olive Tree - praise be to Jesus Messiah, forever and ever, Amen!

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Monday, January 19, 2015

Pull for the Shore




Life Boats

Pull For the Shore Sailor

Sermon by: D.L. Moody

1837 - 1899


A vessel was wrecked off the shore. Eager eyes were watching and strong arms manned the life-boat. For hours they tried to reach that vessel through the great breakers that raged and foamed on the sand-bank, but it seemed impossible. The boat appeared to be leaving the crew to perish. But after a while the captain and sixteen men were taken off, and the vessel went down. 

"When the life-boat came to you," said a friend, "did you expect it had brought some tools to repair your old ship?" "O, no," was the response; "she was a total wreck. Two of her masts were gone, and if we had stayed mending her, only a few minutes, we must have gone down, sir." "When once off the old wreck, and safe in the life-boat, what remained for you to do?" "Nothing, sir, but just to pull for the shore."

Dwight Lyman Moody
Light in the darkness, sailor, day is at hand! 
See o'er the foaming billows fair haven's land,
Drear was the voyage, sailor, now almost o'er,
Safe within the life-boat, sailor, pull for the shore.

Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore!
Heed not the rolling waves, but bend to the oar;
Safe in the life-boat, sailor, cling to self no more!
Leave the poor old stranded wreck, and pull for the shore.

Trust in the life-boat, sailor, all else will fail,
Stronger the surges dash and fiercer the gale,
Heed not the stormy winds, though loudly they roar;
Watch the "bright morning star," and pull for the shore.

Bright gleams the morning, sailor, lift up thy eye;
Clouds and darkness disappearing, glory is nigh!
Safe in the life-boat, sailor, sing evermore;
"Glory, glory, hallelujah!" pull for the shore.


"Heaven's Bright Shore"

Performed by Alison Krauss



Out on the hills of glory land
So happy and free at God's right hand
They tell of a place of marvelous grace
On heaven's bright shore
Pilgrims on earth someday will go
To live in that home forever more
Trusting in Him who died for sin,
And rose from the grave
On heaven's bright shore (on heaven's bright shore),
There's gonna be no more dyin' (over there)
Not one little grave (not one little grave),
In all that fair land (that wonderful land).
Not even a tear will dim the eye,
and no one up there will say goodbye
Just singing His praise through endless days
on Heaven's bright shore (on heaven's bright shore)
When I must cross that rolling tide,
There'll be someone on the other side
Welcoming me to that fair land, made perfect by love
When I walk up the milky white way,
I'll see that home coming in a ray
How great it must be for angels to see
A pilgrim reach home
On heaven's bright shore (on heaven's bright shore),
There's gonna be no more dyin' (over there)
Not one little grave (not one little grave),
In all that fair land (that wonderful land)
Not even a tear will dim the eye,
And no one up there will say goodbye
Just singing His praise through endless days
On Heaven's bright shore
Just singing His praise through endless days
On Heaven's bright shore



Quote: "He was an American evangelist and publisher who founded the Moody Church in downtown Chicago. Preached to thousands in evangelistic meetings and had touches of revival in scotland and other countries. Ira Sankey was his worship leader who was used of the Lord in the meetings. Moody wrote many books including "Prevailing Prayer" and "The Way To God." Moody once said: "If this world is going to be reached, I am convinced that it must be done by men and women of average talent." And thus was born his ministry of book publishing, bible college and many other outreaches to equip the average layperson to be a soul winner and do great exploits for the Lord." (Sermonindex.net).

 To learn more about the life of Dwight L. Moody please click this link.
Wholesomewords.org/D.L.Moody biography





Your comments are always welcome
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Friday, January 16, 2015

Ministry of Jesus 3

Feast of Tabernacles

Text: John 7:45-5

45) The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” 46) The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks” 47) The Pharisees then answered them, You have not also been led astray, have you? 48) No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49) But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed 50) Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, 51) “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing does it?” 52) They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” 53) Then they all went home.


FEAST OF TABERNACLES

John 7:45-53

Part - 3




Title: Feast of Tabernacles
Subject: Religious Leaders Unbelief
Text: John7:45-53 

45) "The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” Because the guards along with the crowds were amazed at Jesus teaching and His invitation, John7:38. They did not lay hands on Jesus because His hour had not yet come. John7:30
46) The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” The words Jesus spoke came directly from His Father. “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” John7:16. The people were hearing direct revelation from God the Son, its no wonder they were astonished.

47) The Pharisees then answered them, “You have not also been led astray, have you? The Pharisees were angry because they thought the guards were also deceived. The ministry of Jesus Christ never ceased to be met with strong opposition even up to the point of His betrayal and false arrest 
in the Garden of Gethsemane.

48) No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? The Pharisees now continue their dialog with the officers, so they ask; have any of the Pharisees believed? The officers no doubt answered no to their question. It is near to impossible to reason with unreasonable people.

49) But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.” The religious rulers refer to the festival attendees as an uneducated mob, with a curse put on them. All of the Pharisees bitterness has been inappropriately misdirected at the festival goers. (They were not - "fair-u-see" ).  

50) Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) *said to them, Nicodemus a Pharisee who visits Jesus in John chapter 3 under the cover of night is referred to as ‘one of their own Number’, meaning a member of the Sanhedrin.

51) “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” Nicodemus takes a very brave defensive stand for Jesus which is commendable. In John19:39, Nicodemus joins Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, in preparing the body of Jesus for burial. Many students of the bible believe that, the sincere actions of Nicodemus is evidence, that he was a true disciple and believer in Jesus Christ.

52) They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” The Pharisees were wrong. The prophet Jonah was from Gath-Hepher not far from Nazareth, which means he was a Galilean, and so there was a prophet who came from Galilee. 2Kings14:25 - they were also wrong about Jesus Christ.

53) Then they all went home. They did not recognize that Jesus was their promised Messiah.



Conclusion/application: This wonderful passage of scripture can only come to a sad conclusion. Jesus of Nazareth is the Promised Messiah as foretold in the Scriptures. He Tabernacle'd Among us and we recognized Him not - the good news is that forgiveness of our sins through Jesus 
Christ is for everyone - the True Gospel.



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