Epistle for November 23, 2001
Posted by: ccfmo <ccfmo@...>
Weekly ministry letter (successor to "The Whetstone") from Christian Civic Foundation
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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President November 23, 2001
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In this Issue:
Sermon: John 4
Bible Study: Luke 6:36-38
Prayer: A Spiritual Warfare
"Inductive" & "Revelatory" Bible Study
Oh Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down
John 4
It took Moses 40 days to receive the Law on Mt. Sinai. (Maybe 80 days, since he made two trips.) The rest of the year there was spent preparing and teaching the people how to worship Almighty God.
The ratio of Worship teaching time and Law teaching time was about four to one. How does our preaching/teaching time on these two subjects compare? In my experience, we spend far more time talking about obeying God's laws than we do talking about how to worship Him. Both are vital, but worship should have priority.
In the Old Testament, the word "worship" means "to make oneself low." It implies bowing, stooping, falling down before someone as an act of submission, reverence, and homage.
The New Testament word for worship combines the ideas of "toward" and "to kiss." It means to prostrate oneself, bow down, do obeisance, show reverence, do homage, and adore.
Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well (John 4) is a magnificent model of personal soul-winning, of course. But this account also contains some deep concepts from the mind and heart of the Lord on the subject of worship. In outline form, Jesus taught these truths:
1. The where of worship (v. 20)
Whether on Mt. Gerizim or in Jerusalem, the place of worship is not the issue.
2. The when of worship (vv. 21, 23)
"The hour is coming . . . and is," Jesus said. The God of the "now" may be
worshiped only in the "now."
3. The who of worship (vv. 21, 24)
The Father is to be the object of worship . . . and God is Spirit. In verse 14,
Jesus, the Son, lays claim to Divinity . . . He can give eternal life. Therefore,
who are we to worship? The Trinity . . . the Three in One.
4. The what of worship (v. 22)
Worship requires some knowledge of the spiritual realm. The woman didn't
know what to worship; Jesus connected such knowledge of worship with the
experience of salvation. Worship, like all spiritual matters, only may be
discerned spiritually, I Corinthians 2:14.
5. The which of worship (v. 23)
Here Jesus refers to true worshippers. Mankind everywhere on earth has
an innate yearning to worship. But, Jesus implies, some are true
worshippers . . . some false . . . depending upon the next point.
6. The how of worship (vv. 23, 24)
True worshippers worship this way only: in spirit and in truth. Both are
necessary for acceptable worship. (This idea is explored more deeply
in the conclusion.)
7. The why of worship (v. 23)
Two reasons (one stated; one implied) answer the question, "Why worship?"
1) The Father is seeking for true worshippers. 2) He is worthy of our worship.
True worshippers must worship both in spirit and in truth, Jesus emphasized.
Spirit without truth: leads to anarchy, excesses, and immaturity: (Consider Judges 21:25 and the Corinthian church.)
Truth without spirit: leads to bondage, legalism, and death. (Consider the Pharisees and Judiazers, II Corinthians 3:6, John 6:63.)
Spirit plus truth: leads not to anarchy or bondage, but Lordship of Christ (Philippians 2:9-11); leads not to excesses or legalism, but to balanced freedom (Galatians 5:1, 13); leads not to immaturity or deadness, but to growth and fruitfulness (John 15:1-8).
Individually (in our personal quiet times) and corporately (in our congregations), let us truly worship the One who is worthy . . . singing, shouting, bowing down . . . (Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7.)
Give, and It Will Be Given unto You
I. Concentration: Give what? . . . Not money!
1. Mercy (36) = leniency toward a guilty person; compassion.
2. Judge not (37) = to decide; to give an opinion; to criticize.
3. Condemn not (37) = to blame; to censure; to pronounce guilty;
to reprove; to sentence; to declare unfit for use.
4. Forgive (37) = to pardon; to cancel; to cease to bear resentment against.
"Give mercy and forgiveness, not judgment (criticism) or condemnation
(pronouncing a guilty verdict and a penalty).
II. Meditation: Give how?
(See Malachi 3:10; Ephesians 3:20)
1. Good measure = full; up to standard (16 oz. pound; 32 oz. quart).
2. Pressed down = compacted to hold even more (grain, raisins, etc.).
3. Shaken together = increased capacity; more volume.
4. Running over = so full, it can't hold any more.
III. Revelation: Give why?
1. Because God gives us His blessings this way, (36).
2. Because "What goes around, comes around."
3. Because without mercy and forgiveness, Christians are blind leaders
of the blind who all fall into a ditch, (39).
4. Because such "giving" shows Christian growth . . . into the likeness and
stature of Christ.
IV. Applications: If necessary, a Christian may . . .
1. Criticize the deeds of others . . .
2. But only with compassion (mercy).
3. Reprove the actions, speech, and attitudes of others . . .
4. But only in the spirit of forgiveness (without resentment).
Prayer: A Spiritual Warfare
by Edward A. Collins
Every Christian needs intercessors. But pastors and other Christian leaders need them more. Dr. C. Peter Wagner in the book Prayer Shield proposes five reasons why pastors need intercessors.
First, "Pastors have more responsibility and accountability." James 3:1 states it best. It says, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." In other words, pastors are held with greater responsibility and accountability in God's eyes. Thus, they need intercessors.
Second, "Pastors are more subject to temptation." Dr. Ed Murphy in his book entitled Spiritual Warfare Handbook states that Christian leaders are major targets in Satan's strategy. The higher up the ladder of Christian leadership, the higher you go on Satan's hit list.
Third, "Pastors are more targeted by spiritual warfare." It has become clear that in the past few years satanists, witches, New Agers, occult practitioners, and other worshippers of darkness have entered into an evil covenant to pray to Satan for the breakdown of marriages of pastors and Christian leaders. The spiritual warfare is intensifying. If pastors plan to impact their community for Christ, they can not ignore this truth and the need for intercessors.
Fourth, "Pators have more influence on others." Dr. Ed Murphy states: "Someone has stated that if a solitary man sins, he alone is affected. If a family man sins, his entire family is affected. If a community leader sins, the community is affected. If a leader over a given structure of a given society sins, the entire society is affected. If a national leader sins, the entire nation is affected. If a world leader sins, the whole world is affected . . . If a Christian leader sins, a church, a Christian institution, or a Christian home is damaged or possibly paralayzed."
Finally, "Pastors have more visibility." Pastors are under the microscope inside and outside the church. People are often critical of pastors. This places a great deal of stress on them and thus they need supernatural help. Intercessors can provide this help.
Prayer is vital to spiritual warfare. Pastors need to pray more and they need to encircle themselves with prayer warriors. Caution: Don't attempt to do spiritual warfare without these two ingredients established.
Comparing "Inductive" and "Revelatory" Bible Study
1. Precept = instruction intended 1. Percept = knowledge gained
as a rule; maxim; by insight (second sight);
commandment; discernment; vision;
exhortation; revelation: spiritual
belief. perception; "perceived."
2. Objective = relating to that 2. Subjective = spiritual perceptions
which is external involving personal
to the mind; reflections, thoughts,
unbiased; facts. or feelings; revelations.
3. Soul = Mind 3. Spirit = Intuition
Emotions Conscience
Will Communion
4. Reasoning = process of finding 4. Revelation = knowing and (Galatians 1:12)
explanations and applying Bible truths
persuasive arguments by direct insight, or
re: Bible truth discernment, from God
(II Timothy 2:15) (Matthew 16:17)
(Psalm 119:130) ( I Corinthians 2:9-10, 14-16)
5. Emphasizes Study 5. Emphasizes Meditation
(Psalm 119:15,27) (Psalm 19:14)
to gain wisdom to experience God's
and understanding presence and to get
from God's word. a "word" from Him.
Summarizing the Contrasts
Inductive Revelatory:
1. Instruction 1. Insight
2. External 2. Internal
3. Soul 3. Spirit
4. Reason 4. Reason
5. Searching 5. Listening
(For more information, contact CCF at [email protected] or phone us at (314) 739-1121.
Pastor: As you lead your church in planning the annual budget for 2002, please remember to include an amount in your "missions" allocations for CCF. Just a small amount per month to this work would be a tremendous help to our mission of "Christian character building and lifeskill development for successful living" . . . in the public sector (schools and communities) as well as in the Christian community (churches and homes). If "epistle2equippers" has been a blessing to you, perhaps you, in turn, could be a channel of blessing to us . . . just as Paul encouraged the church in Rome toward giving and receiving mutual support and encouragement, Romans 1:11-12. Blessings, Curt