Worship In Truth

·         Pray to start meeting                       

·         Text scriptures : John 4:23-24

            23 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.  24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Definitions of truth in these verses:      GR     alētheia

1) objectively

a) what is true in any matter under consideration

1) truly, in truth, according to truth

2) of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly

b) what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth

1) in the greatest latitude

2) the true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention – what does this meam?

c) the truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians  - what does this meam?

2) subjectively

a) truth as a personal excellence - what does this mea?

1) that candour of mind which is free from affection, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit

other scriptures where aletheia is translated “truth” or “in truth”:

(read 2 or 3 before discussing the above)

 Jhn 1:17; Jos 24:14; 1Sa 12:24; 1Ch 29:17; Psa 17:1;   

Psa 32:2; Psa 51:6; Isa 10:20; Jer 3:10; Jer 4:2

Another scripture to consider – John 14:16   Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me

·         Aletheia also translated truth here

·         Scripture has many levels or truths to it - by two or more witnesses My Word is established)

I. I AM THE WAY.

A. There is a way that seemeth right.

1. Boat from California to Australia.

a. World's way.

b. Your way.

c. God's way.

B. Gandhi.

C. Self-righteous.

II. THE TRUTH, THE LIFE.

A. "I am the resurrection and the life."

B. "He that hath the son hath life."

C. "He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life."

D. "That whosoever believeth on Him."

III. NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME.

A. "One mediator between God and Man."

B. "No other name given among men”

In John 8:32 - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

             

In this passage Jesus speaks of:

·          natural truth – in practicality of being saved – reconciled back to God –the way

·          calls Himself “truth”

·          speaks of natural and super natural

·          John 8:32 lower case “t” – uppercase “T”?!

 By two or more witnesses ….

·        Pray to end meeting

Romans 12:1-2

Rom 12:1-2  21^st Century  KJV

 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 2 And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God

Beseech – Call near , invite, ask, call you to, intreat, call for, pray, beg, implore urgently

            Rom 15:30,

                       

·         Paul invites us to think about, by begging (he must think what he is saying is important) us in an urgent manner and tells us to listen to his message.

Therefore – so, hence, then

Bretheren –

 1) a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother

2) having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman

3) any fellow or man

4) a fellow believer, united to another by the bond of affection

5) an associate in employment or office

6) brethren in Christ

a) his brothers by blood

b) all men  - don’t forget “God would that all men be saved”   1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

c) apostles

d) Christians, as those who are exalted to the same heavenly place

Mercies  –  God’s mercy / save sinners by re-establishing His Kingdom. Gal 2:8-9

1.	compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: Have mercy on the poor sinner.

2.	the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing: an adversary wholly without mercy.

3.	the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, esp. to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.

4.	an act of kindness, compassion, or favor: She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.

5.	something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing: It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.

6.

at the mercy of, entirely in the power of; subject to: They were at the mercy of their captors.   Also, at one's mercy.  Present        1. to furnish or endow with a gift - esp. with a formal act        2. to represent, impersonate or act         3. a thing presented as a gift        4. to hand over or submit

 Lets take a look at Old Testament sacrifices and it will become clear the sacrifice is   a gift. 

•  Leviticus 16:7New International Version (NIV)    ⁷ Then he is to take the two goats and present  them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting

·         The idea here is to make a gift of something, to give something, a gift is always free – or at least it is supposed to be. In this case a sacrifice to the Living God, a gift from a man.

·          What do we call gifts (Christmas, birthday presents – spelled the same way). Remember God’s free Gift in salvation (undeserved) He – presented or gave  to us?

·         We can never out give God, in the old test. He put in place a series of animal sacrifices because He had not sent His Son yet to be a perm. Sac for us. Think of that he sent His Son not only to re-establish His Kingdom here on earth but through His Son, a permanent sacrifice or gift was given to each on of us

your body -  a temple -  1 Cor. 6:19 – A temple is where sacs were made

a living sacrifice – your reasonable service  - acceptable to God

Rom 15:16, Gal 2:20, – after what He has done for us it’s the least we can do for Him.

We are Crucified with Him – if we are joint heirs with Him Rom 8:17

Like any father all God wants for us is the best for us (His Children)

1.   He thru Paul, tells us to give ourselves over to Him and His way of thinking, His service (by working for Him, in our church, by helping and building each other up, etc. what ever He wants you to do specifically) He speaks to us most of time thru His Word, Pray – listen/spend time being quiet specifically to listen to God.  

2.   He tells us not to be like the unbelieving world but transform or change your thinking to the way He thinks. (He says that the least we can do) – when we do that (the more we think like Him. Or our thoughts line up with His, then it’s easier to discern His voice)

3.   We learn what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God the more we meditate on His Word. It’s a circle of Gods Love toward us: The more we meditate on His Word the more He reveals to us and the more He reveals to us, the more we meditate on His Word.

Consider this in-light of understanding through daily meditation of               God’s Word:

Luke 8:18New International Version (NIV)   ¹⁸ Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

4.   . The more we learn about Him the more we will want to learn - for who can resist then The God of the universe?

(read)  Isaiah 28: 9&10 “line upon line, precept upon precept”

5.   Paul telling us to meditate (think about, mull over, kick around) The Word

6.   When we do this, our view of situations – good or bad, begins to change to the way God see them. This is what He wants for us and tells us to meditate on His Word in many places in the Bible.

The Blood

Text - Leviticus 17:11 (NASB)

 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'

• God gave the people of Israel all kinds of rules to live by – called “Law Of Moses”
• Leviticus 17: 15 says

  'Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean.

            Make mental note that part of the process of becoming clean was to wash with water

• He knew the people could not keep The Law – His purpose was to show that. When The Messiah would come He would fulfill Law  -

Matthew. 5:17
"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Acts 13:39
and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

He would re-establish God’s Kingdom and bring with Him and give freely (Ephesians 2:8-9) God’s Salvation and everything that is perfect.

·        John 1:17
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

• God’s Plan was, and is being carried out now, that Jesus would (and is) our permanent sacrifice.  

John 1:29   The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

• note: John was baptizing when he saw Jesus. It is no accident that Jesus set the example of baptism for us and requires it of believers who are “born again” (interesting that John was baptizing – symbolic cleansing of old nature – by going under water & coming up clean)

• Note also that John called Jesus “The Lamb Of God” in old testament the lamb always died
  
  
• Ephesians 5:26

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

·        Jesus is The Word.  John 1:1, 14

·        John 2  1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine

 

·        Before Jesus was crucified at Last Supper he gave thanks and gave instruction:

Mark 14: 22 While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a ^(R)blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body."

23 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

 24 And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many

·       Jesus is telling us that HE is the lifeblood we need

·       Jesus is telling us that His blood is the lifeblood of our salvation

·       Jesus is telling us that until we drink of His blood that He sacrificed for us, we will not have life.

·        HE is telling us to accept the Free Gift He is offering!