John 6:63 ESV It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
The Words of our Lord Jesus Christ are Spirit and Life. This Book called the Bible breathes. This is a Book were every promise is ours. We don’t need more polished sermons. We need men who know God and know the Person of the Holy Spirit. We need to be more than just the letter of the law, we need the Spirit. This is so vital to the principles of prayer. John 4:23-24 ESV But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (24) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." God created us like Him. Let me say that again. God created us like Him. Back to John 4:24. We are a spirit being, we have a soul, and we live in a body. Our soulish man consists of three areas. It is the mind or thoughts, the emotions or feelings, and the will or choices. Once saved, your spirit is alive unto God. Your spirit is your inner-most man, your soul is your inner man, and the body is your outer man. Let’s look at some Scriptures concerning the spirit, soul, and body of man. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV (23) Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 20:27 ESV The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts. Job 32:8 ESV But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.
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Genesis 4:4-5 ESV And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: [5] But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
To re-enter the true place of worship we have learn over the last 8 studies that... 1. SIN MUST BE DEALT WITH IN GOD'S WAY: God taught Adam and Eve that sin would have to be dealt with His way before man could re-enter the place of worship. In the Garden of Eden we saw that there is a right way and a wrong to deal with sin. We will see now that there is a right way and a wrong way to worship. In the life of Adam’s children, Cain and Abel, we will see that not all worship is acceptable to God. 2. NOT ALL THAT WE CALL WORSHIP IS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD: Somewhere in the Christian arena we have come to believe that God is obligated to accept any act of worship that we choose to bring in any way we choose. But this idea is not in line with the teachings of the Word of God. The Father is not obligated to accept any act of worship that man chooses to bring before Him. In reading Gen.4:2-5, why do you think that God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected the offering that Cain brought? Could it be that Abel’s sacrifice was an animal and Cain’s was not? Could it be that Abel’s offering was the “firstfruits” and Cain’s was just an offering? God had already established that there could be no covering of sins or worship without the shedding of blood. Cain wanted worship but he wanted it with the work of his own hands and not the way established by the Father. It is believed that 3 things were wrong with Cain’s worship sacrifice. (1). It was the wrong offering. (2). It was not the firstfruits. (3). It was given from a wrong heart. This reveals that we cannot worship God any way that we please. The heart of the outward and the inward sacrifice must be right. The outward sacrifice we give to the Lord must be what He asked for. It must come from the right inward sacrifice, a heart with pure motives. Lest we think that this is just an Old Testament thought or doctrine we need to reread Romans 12:1-2 and see that the word "acceptable" is there. God does not nor will not just accept anything we offer. Rom 12:1-2(ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Hebrews 9:22 ESV And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
The detail of Adam and Eve’s “sin covering” is not given in their Biblical account. It only states that God made or “killed” an animal to cover them with the skin. Throughout the Old Testament we see the picture of the altar and the sacrifice. So through this we conclude that Adam and Eve understood the importance of the sacrificial animal to cover their sins. This understanding that they had was passed on to their children and then carried on from generation to generation. In today's culture of animal rights, we would look at the sacrifice of an animal as cruel and barbaric. But, at the same time we kill 4,000 babies a day in the name of "choice." We take these types of stands today because we do not fully appreciate the seriousness of sin as God sees sin. In the Old Testament, the sacrifice of animals stands as a reminder of our own guilt before God and the need for our Lord Jesus Christ to stand as a substitute for us. Adam and Eve understood that innocent animals died in their place so that they could have a relationship with the Father and hopefully re-enter that time of worship they had once enjoyed. Place yourself in Old Testament times for a minute. The people were mostly tillers of the land, (farmers). They raised those innocent lambs from birth. The people would have grieved over the death of their little lamb knowing that it should be them that died for their sins and not their animals. Sin is costly. Coming back to a place of worship is costly. The bottom line of the teaching of Adam and Eve is that if we are to return to a place of worship, a place of walking hand-in-hand with God daily then we must deal with our sin God’s way, which is embracing the work of a cruel rugged cross and the death of an innocent savior on our behalf. I was born and raised in the small town of 250 people in Augusta Springs, Virginia. We were a poor family and I did not see indoor plumbing in a home until I was 13 years old. Since we had wood stoves my dad, my grandfather and I went to the mountains every Saturday to cut down trees for our wood. I was handling a chainsaw and axe by the age of 8 years old. This taught me to have a strong work ethic.
I have one older brother and 2 younger sisters. We grew up hard and under extreme circumstances. My dad was a hard worker as a carpenter, but he was also addicted to alcohol. Many times our home was like a war zone with fighting and cussing causing me to grow up with a lot of hatred and resentment towards my dad. Starting at the age of six I started attending a small Methodist church down the road from our house. I was not seeking God, but I wanted a place of peace away from the fighting in our home. From age 6 to 18 I attended three different churches using them as my temporary safe places. I graduated from Buffalo Gap High School in Swoope, Va. in June 6th, 1972 and immediately went into the U.S. Air Force. I no longer attended any church. I had already been drinking for a couple of years and through the influences of some military guys, I was introduced to a lifestyle of drugs. I found myself with the same excessive addictive behavior as my dad and became what I hated. I had a serious alcohol and drug problem. My life was headed downward quickly. I loved the Air Force and my job, but I could not shake the alcohol and drug addictions. I was a leader, well liked, and sought after. I look back now and realize that most of my popularity was because I controlled a large portion of the drug market on base and on many occasions, I gave my “so-called” friends free drugs. I felt so empty and so aimless inside. I excelled in everything I did with the military, but nothing satisfied the longing in my heart. The more emotionally distraught I became the more I looked for ways to medicate my pain. Then it happened. I wasn’t looking for it, but it happened. It was Sept.4th 1974 at 1:00am. I was lying in bed heavy on drugs with my mind going through my life and realizing how empty I felt and how much I needed to find a way to take control of my life. Then out of the blue I felt this overwhelming sense of conviction of the fact that I was a sinner, and if I died, I would go to hell. I suddenly knew that Jesus Christ was God and He was the Savior of mankind. These three things were all I could think about: My condition as a sinner, my judgment of hell and that my only help could be found in Jesus Christ. Then I had a sensation that I was going to die. I never feared death before, but this time it was different. Before when I had faced death, I believed that once you die that was it, it was all over. Now I was facing death and I realized that I was going to spend eternity in hell. I remember getting out of my bed, falling to my knees, and starting to pray. I remember that prayer as though I just prayed it. I said, “God, I am not afraid to die but I don’t want to go to hell. Lord Jesus I believe that You are God and that You died on a cross for me and for my sins. Come into my life and save me and make me a new person. Thank you for forgiving me and for saving me.” Immediately I knew something was different. I felt such peace and joy flooding my heart. I did not own a Bible, but I knew that I knew that God had just saved me and given me His life and eternal life in heaven. I immediately took my alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs and flushed them all down the commode. I sat on the edge of my bed from 1:00am to 7:00am praising God for saving a wicked man like myself. One of the greatest joys of salvation was the ability to forgive my dad for all the physical and emotional abuse that a violent alcoholic brings into a home. Then came my first test. My best friend John came to my room at 7:00am to smoke dope. I told him that I no longer did drugs because I had given my life to Jesus Christ and was a changed man. He left the room laughing at me, mocking me and went through the barracks telling everyone not to come to my room to party anymore because I had become a Jesus freak. It was okay to be accepted as an alcohol freak. It was okay to be accepted as a drug freak. But now I was rejected because I was a lover of God or Jesus freak. At 10:00am two more of my drug friends came to my room. This time it was not for the purpose of getting high. They were seeking truth. They looked at me earnestly and asked, “Charles, what has happened to you?” I told them my testimony of what happened that night. To my surprise they both started crying and said, “We want what you have, how can we be saved?” I was scared to death. I knew what I had done but I did not know how to share it with others. Suddenly, the Bible verse John 3:16 came to my memory. I had to memorize it when I was 6 years old for a Christmas play in the Methodist church. I had not read it or heard it for 14 years and here it was on the tip of my tongue like I was the one who wrote it. (John 3:16 ESV) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. When I quoted that Bible verse, they both prayed and received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. We immediately went down town to the book store and all three of us purchased Bibles. We went back on base and went into the Mess Hall and started preaching about Jesus Christ and His love for us. I immediately knew that I was called to preach and Pastor and set out to read everything I could about the Christian life. I stayed in the Air Force for 14 years and had the joy of leading over 800 military GIs to the Lord Jesus Christ and the joy of leading so far over 8,000 souls to our Savior. To God be the glory and my I be found faithful to the end. John 1:29 ESV The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
In the Garden of Eden the worship of God had ended. How could sinful man restore that place? Could we ever re-enter the place of worship that Adam and Eve had known? Seeing that our definition of worship in these studies has been “walking daily with God in the Garden”, can we hope to restore this worship? Yesterday in part 6 we looked at the 3 things that Adam did in response to his sin. The first thing that Adam and Eve did was to try to hide themselves from one another. They were husband and wife and yet the self-consciousness produced by the sin of disobedience caused them to hide from one another in shame. Man still tries to hide or cover up sin from one another. We see Adam and Eve’s conscious sense of shame in that they tried to hide from each other and from God. Sin separates us from one another and from God. We see that their attempt to “cover themselves” was not acceptable to God. No sin is covered without the shedding of blood. So if our relationship with God is to be restored to true worship it must start with God and in God’s way. There is no covering or removal of sin without the shedding of blood. Man cannot deal with his own sin. Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their nakedness and sin with fig leaves was the best that they could do. God must deal with it through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Only God can atone for our sins. We must be willing to deal correctly with our sin by coming to the work of the cross to restore true worship. Will Israel be Saved?
Another "MUCH MORE" Scripture: We are told in Scriptures from Romans chapter 11 that there are two trees, the olive branch and the wild olive branch. Israel was on the olive branch, but was cut off because of unbelief. The Gentiles were on the wild olive branch, and many were grafted into the olive branch because of belief, (faith in our Lord). The olive branch, which is the natural branch/tree will have Israel grafted back in because of belief (faith in our Lord Jesus Christ). Romans 11:24-26 KJV For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how MUCH MORE shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: Daniel 2:22 ESV He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
Matthew 10:26 ESV Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What keep Adam and Eve from re-entering a place of worship with the Father? What would keep us from entering a place of worship with the Father? The answer...trying to keep our sins hidden. In order to re-enter the place of fellowship and worship with the Father Adam needed to deal with sin in the right way. There are 3 things that Adam did about his sin that was wrong. We will deal with these individually as the devotionals continue. 1. He tried to hide his nakedness from Eve, his wife, by a covering of fig leaves-Gen.3:7 2. He tried to hide from God-Gen.3:8 3. He tried to blame God and Eve for his sin-Gen.3:12 Today mankind as a whole is doing the same thing. We try to hide our sins from one another, we try to hide from God, and we try to blame everyone else for our sin decisions, adopting a victim mentality. These 3 things keep us from a proper fellowship with the Father and keep us from true worship. Remember, we identified true worship as “walking daily with God in the Garden”. Genesis 3:8 ESV And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
How in this world can a sinful man worship a Holy God? We don’t have to go far in the Bible to see a serious break in the relationship and fellowship between God and man. Just 3 chapters into the Bible we find a willful act of sin by man by exercising independence towards God and deciding to go his own way. Can you imagine how Adam and Eve felt when one day they are walking in the Garden of Eden in worship with God and the next day they are exiled from the Garden and from His presence? For the first time they felt grief, emptiness and fear. In one act they exchanged the worship of God for rebellion against God. It that one act of rebellion they ceased to “reflect” the image of God in their lives. They also decided in that one act of rebellion that God was not “worthy” of being their authority. In that one act of rebellion they replaced God with “self” as their final authority. Now they ruled their own lives. God could no longer be seen in their lives and choices. Their worship came to an end, as they could no longer walk in the cool of the Garden with their Father. How could they restore their relationship and fellowship with God? Was there something that they could do to get God to take them back? Man could not close the gap between himself and God. God would have to act before sinful man could return to a place of worship. Sin would have to be dealt with by God and in God’s way to restore mankind. Another "MUCH MORE" Scripture: Are Christians to judge?
First of all we need to realize there are two words that relate to judgment. The first one means "to cast a sentence," like a judge would do in court. Only God the Father has the right to cast a sentence about our eternal destiny. The second word for judging is "to evaluate or examine." Our Lord Jesus Christ told us that we would know them by their fruit. This requires a judgment or evaluation according to Scripture. The Word also tells us that we don't judge those outside the church but we are to judge those within the church. We have a responsibility to evaluate one another and hold one another to the faith that is in us. Gal 6:1(ESV) Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. The righteous judgment released by the believers: However, in the end God will use the saints to judge all things. 1Co 6:2-4(ESV) Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? Exodus 25:9 ESV According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
Hebrews 8:5 ESV Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. There is no teaching in Scripture that helps us understand God’s plan for mankind in salvation and worship like the study of the Tabernacle. It is a “divinely designed building”. In the study of the Tabernacle we will find the true place, way, and time in God’s redemptive plan and God’s worship with man. Man was created to worship God. Adam walked in perfect relationship and fellowship with God. Sin changed all that. Because of the fall of man, fellowship and worship was “cut off”. Man’s relationship with God needed to be rebuilt through God's redemptive plan. This relational rebuilding plan of God was progressive. With each step over a period of 4,000 years God was revealing His nature and character and teaching the shadow of the One who would bridge the gap between man and God, between Heaven and earth, our Lord Jesus Christ. In the upcoming lessons we will look at worship from Adam to Abraham. This will cover the time frame of about 4,000BC to 1,900 BC. It is amazing that Gen.1-11 covers over 2,000 years of history as God calls man to salvation and worship. Hebrews 9:23 ESV It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Another "MUCH MORE" Scripture: Are we all important within the body of Christ? What about the less honorable, less attractive, and the feeble members? They are to given MUCH MORE honor because they are MUCH MORE necessary to the body.
1 Corinthians 12:20-23 KJV 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, MUCH MORE those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow MORE abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have MORE abundant comeliness. 1Co 12:20-23(ESV) As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, Rev. 13:8 ESV And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
God, who was unapproachable because of His holiness and majesty, made a way for sinful man to stand before Him. We looked at the Tabernacle in study #2. Let me say that the Tabernacle is more than just a part of Christian history. It was the Tabernacle that helped prepare man for our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever asked yourself, “Why did God have man go through the 4000 years of the process of the Tabernacle, the Priests, and the Law if He knew that it would not work in making mankind righteous?” God knew that these things were more than just experiments on His part. God knew before the foundation of the earth that His Son would die for the sins of all mankind. Yet the Tabernacle and later the Temple taught us volumes about the plan of God in salvation and worship. We know from Scriptures that the Tabernacle was a “picture” of the true Tabernacle in Heaven. The Tabernacle and all that went with it; the Law, the Priests, and the sacrificial system are a shadow of good things to come of the substance. That is why the Bible uses 50 chapters devoted to the teaching of the Tabernacle. Yet only 2 chapters are devoted to the entire creation of mankind. Heb 8:5-6 ESV They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” (6) But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. Heb 10:1-4 ESV For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. (2) Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? (3) But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. (4) For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:1 ESV For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
In meeting with God for worship we realize that true worship is not something that we do our own way. It is not up to us to determine what God calls worship and what God calls acceptable in His sight. He has established the parameters of what He would call acceptable worship. What is the right way to worship God? Religion is man’s attempt to reach God and hold a daily relationship and fellowship with Him by our own efforts, standards and rules. Our ways to worship usually installs the ideal of "what is the easiest and what costs the least for me." True Christianity realizes that we cannot find God through our own efforts, nor can we worship God anyway we please. We as believers have liberty, but liberty abused is nothing more than returning to bondage. Just as there are right and wrong ways to approach God’s salvation there are also right and wrong ways to approach God’s worship. Throughout history God has chosen a WAY, a PLACE, and a TIME for man to worship. I know those who would say, "I can worship God at any time, place, or way that is in me." Really? Then why is the term "ACCEPTABLE" used so much in the New Testament? Example below. Rom 12:1-2 ESV I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and ACCEPTABLE to God, which is your spiritual worship. (2) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and ACCEPTABLE and perfect. For 500 years the Tabernacle was God’s place and way of worship, and the feasts were His time table. It taught two important truths about worship. First, the Tabernacle taught us about the presence of God among His people. Second, it taught us how a sinful man could approach a Holy God. The balance between the Judgment of God versus the Love of God is hard for many to reconcile. Many have a hard time seeing both as possible with God. There are those who only see God as the great judge and a cosmic kill-joy ready to wipe out mankind for the least little word or deed. Some see God as the great white-bearded loving grandpa ready to throw His arms around us, bounce us on His knee, and give us all a candy bar no matter how we have behaved.
Let's look at the word Bethesda in light of the loving and judging God. The word "Bethesda" is Hebrew and we read about it in the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. In the Hebrew it comes from the word "khesed" which means the mercy or "loving-kindness" of God. The word "Beth" would be "the house of." Therefore, "Bethesda" means the house of God's mercy or the place of His loving-kindness. It is God's nature or His character to be loving, merciful and kind. So He can BE loving, merciful, and kind because He IS loving, merciful and kind as His nature. It is not just what God does, it is WHO He is. Yet, line upon line, precept upon precept, all Scriptures together declares that God hates sin and must judge sin and rebellion. If this were not true He would never have allowed His precious Son leave the glory of heaven and die on a cruel cross for our sins and our redemption. Therefore, even though His nature, essence and heart is love, mercy and kindness, His judgment is necessary. Out of His love for mankind, He is the one calling people to repent and be saved and yet out of His judgment, He is the one who created hell and declared that all mankind is guilty. The God who cannot NOT love us the same God who cannot NOT judge sin and the sinner. It is a double-sided sword. One edge of the sword is God's love and the other side is God's judgment. After all, we are quick to quote the verse that says "God is love", but He is also a consuming fire. God's justice and judgment is just as just as His love is loving. They can never be out of balance. 1 John 4:7-8 ESV Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (8) Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, (29) for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 4:12 ESV For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. PREPARING OURSELVES TO HEAR GOD'S VOICE: This book identifies the voices that draw our time and attention away from God's voice. It could be the voices from social media. It also teaches how to tune in to the voice of God while tuning out distractions. The key to this book is learning how to have a prepared heart to receive a word from the Father. 15 WAYS TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD: This book helps us to have ears to hear and eyes to see what it is that God may be speaking. It identifies that there are at least 15 ways to hear from God. THE FIVE WITNESSES OF SALVATION: It gets confusing when you hear so many people say they are Christians and yet deny the Bible, deny Christ as the Son of God and as the only way to God, and deny the Holy Spirit as part of the Godhead. There are 5 measuring tools in the Word of God that reveals the true believer.
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AuthorCharles Morris. Founder and Senior Pastor of RSI Ministry, RSI School of Ministry, and RSI Publishing L.L.C.. Archives
March 2021
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