E-pistle for July 9, 2010
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E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation July 9, 2010
Worship . . . in Spirit and in Truth
(John 4:1-54)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
Here Jesus dealt with a Samaritan woman, taught about a white harvest,
and later, in Cana, healed a nobleman's son.
II. Meditation: on true worship of the Lord God
It took Moses 40 days to receive the Law on Mt. Sinai. The rest of that year
(Exodus 19:1 and Numbers 10:11) was spent preparing and teaching the
people how to worship God. The ratio of teching time comparing worship
to law was bout 4 to 1. We usually 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 the priority.
III. Revelation: on the basic truths about worship in John 4
1. Where? (20) Whether on Mt. Gerizim or in Jerusalem, the place of
worship is not the issue.
2. When? (21, 23) "The hour is coming . . . and is," Jesus said; the God
of the "now" may be worshipped only in the "now."
3. Who? (21, 24) The Father is to be the object of worship . . . and God
is Spirit. In v. 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. What? (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. Which? (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 are false.
6. Why? (23) Two reasons (one stated; one implied) answer the question.
First, the Father is seeking for true worshippers; and secondly, He is
worthy of our worship.
7. How? (23, 24) True worshippers worship this way only: in spirit and in
truth; both are necessary for acceptable worship.
IV. Applications: on these two basic elements of worship (spirit and truth)
1. Spirit without truth: leads to anarchy, excesses, and immaturity.
(Reference Judges 21:25; and the Corinthian church)
2. Truth without spirit: leads to bondage, legalism, and death.
(Reference II Corinthians 3:6; John 6:63; and the Judiaizers.)
3. Spirit plus truth:
· Leads not to anarchy or bondage, but to the 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)
4. Therefore, let us worship: Sing, shout, and bow down!
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7.
Limits to Jesus' power on earth
(John 5:1-47)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda, vv. 1-15.
2. Jesus defended His healing of the man on the Sabbath, teaching
that He was doing what God the Father did, vv. 16-23.
3. Jesus taught that authority over life and judgment have been
granted to the Son, vv. 24-30.
4. Jesus taught about the fourfold witness given in addition to His own
witness of Himself; the witness of John the Baptist, the witness of
Christ's works, the witness of God the Father, and the witness of the
Scriptures (Moses' writings), vv. 31-47.
II. Meditation: on the limits to Jesus' power on Earth
1. The Son could do nothing of Himself . . . "what the Son SEES the Father
do, the Son also does," v. 19.
2. The Son could do nothing of His own WILL . . . only the Father's will, v. 30.
3. The Son always did those things that PLEASE the Father, John 8:29.
4. The Son did not do many mighty works in Nazareth because of their
unbelief, Matthew 13:58.
III. Observations: on these Biblical truths
1. Jesus SAW the Father's works in the heavenly realm, and He did those
same things on earth.
2. Jesus KNEW the Father's will, and always did it.
3. Jesus UNDERSTOOD what pleased the Father, and always did it.
4. Jesus operates miraculously in an atmosphere of FAITH; unbelief limits
God's blessings . . . He gives, but we must receive!
IV. Revelation: on the spiritual implications seen here
1. Jesus "saw" because the heavens were opened to Him, Matthew 3:16.
2. Jesus "yielded" Himself to the will of the Father, Hebrews 10:5-7.
3. Jesus "pleased" the Father, Matthew 3:16; 17:5.
4. Without faith, it is impossible to "please" God, Hebrews 11:6.
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Be "immersed" in the Holy Spirit, so that I may be able to see (perceive)
what is happening in the spiritual realm.
2. Seek, find, follow, and love the Father's will for my life day by day.
3. Serve faithfully, so that someday I may hear the Father say, "Well done,
good and faithful servant," Matthew 25:21.
4. Exercise spiritually to develop my "mustard-seed-sized" faith, so that
God may have an environment in which to perform miracles for His glory.
"The road to a friend's house is never too long."
- Danish Proverb
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