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Beware of Cultural Liberalism
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Tag Archives: carnal and spiritual Christianity
Study of the Church – Part 5
This portion of The Study of the Church is devoted to the main purpose of the church. Not to be confused with the egocentric “Purpose Driven Life,” the purpose we examine here is so wonderful, it is difficult to describe the experience.
The Church – Its Worship
Matthew 28:17a
“When they saw Him, they worshiped Him. . .”
Is there anything else so sublimely wonderful? No. Nothing else in this earthly coil will come close to lifting us to heaven than worship of Him. People chase after this or that exhilarating experience – some even quite dangerous ones. They want to feel something outside the limits of their flesh. No mountain climbing, speed racing, plane jumping, gambling, joy-riding, pharmaceuticals, or any other thrilling experience will come close to the pure, selfless worship of God. It is unique to those who are saved, and those who are saved are the only ones who can understand what is being described here.
There are three essential components to the worship of God – and all three are interconnected one to the other.
1. Faith
Exodus 4:31
And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
2. Spirit
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.
Spiritual worship is directed by the indwelling Holy Spirit – which is why true believers must never join in ecumenical worship services!
Philippians 3:3
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
3. Truth
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
Jesus Christ = truth, (grammatically, Way, Truth and Life are predicate nominatives – that means they equal the subject of the sentence, which would be I – Jesus Christ) therefore there can be no hypocrisy or false pretenses in the true worship of God. There is no better example of true and false worship, than that our Savior gave us in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.
Luke 18:9-14
9 And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
To worship is to bow down in awe, to pay honor to a Holy God in humility and reverence. He is not your buddy, co-pilot, pal, or “the man upstairs.” He is so far above us that our question should not be – “why does God let this happen to me?” But, rather –
Psalm 8:4 What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?
sage
This…
Bible Study – Esau Sells His Birthright
Our last devotional, covered the birth of Jacob and Esau. We can not underestimate the value of this lesson from Old Testament history. The twins “struggled together within her” (Gen. 25:22) in the same fashion that our new natures (received at the new birth) struggle with our old natures (received at the natural birth) once we are born again. Like Rebekah, we have the two personalities struggling within us. It is the struggle for mastery in the inner soul of every single, truly born again believer.
God ordained for the “younger new nature” (Jacob) to have dominion over the “older sin nature.” (Esau)
Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you
Genesis 25:29-34
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
Two wrongs occur here. Firstly, Esau in lust of flesh, sells what is not his to sell. Secondly, Jacob takes advantage of his brother’s weakness, and “deals” for something that also was not his. The blessing was from God, through Abraham and Issac. Esau demonstrated that he had a very low regard for the birthright blessing. Like fleshly Issac, who loved Esau more than Jacob because “he did eat of his venison,” Esau was given to fleshly appetites and and placed ALL of his value on “savory meat.”
Like the carnal Christian, Esau chose fleeting, temporal satisfaction. Jacob highly regarded the eternal. Those believers who walk closely with the Lord, seek the long ranging spiritual promise of the birthright.
The Vine Vigil 