Worship call 0651

Worship call 0651

Thursday May 12, 2022

Abiding

John 4:39–40 (NASB95) — 39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.

3531] μένω menō 118× pluperfect, memenhvkein, to stay, Mt. 26:38; Acts 27:31; to continue; 1 Cor. 7:11; 2 Tim. 2:13; to dwell, lodge, sojourn, Jn. 1:39; Acts 9:43; to remain, Jn. 9:41; to rest, settle, Jn. 1:32, 33; 3:36; to last, endure, Mt. 11:23; Jn. 6:27; 1 Cor. 3:14; to survive, 1 Cor. 15:6; to be existent, 1 Cor. 13:13; to continue unchanged, Rom. 9:11; to be permanent, Jn. 15:16; 2 Cor. 3:11; Heb. 10:34; 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:23; to persevere, be constant, be steadfast, 1 Tim. 2:15; 2 Tim. 3:14; to abide, to be in close and settled union, Jn. 6:56; 14:10; 15:4; to indwell, Jn. 5:38; 1 Jn. 2:14; trans. to wait for, Acts 20:5, 23 [3306] See abide; await; remain; stay; wait for.

He abided with the Samaritans.

These were people were half breeds. Part Jew and part people of the world.

Much like Jacob who encountered the Angel of the Lord on the shore of the river Jabbok. When dawn came and as Jacob’s eyes were opened to the identify of whom he was wrestling with Jacob did not want to let go.

Genesis 32:26–29 (NASB95) — 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there.

Jacob Himself was a half breed spiritually. He was a God’s man with one foot in the world. and when he encountered God not in a dream as he did in Bethel but when he encounters the Word the Logos face to face he found his first and foremost love and his desire was that word would remain until he was blessed.

Oh, my goodness. If you do not think that we are lost and idolatry, do examine your heart this morning as I am convicted within my own heart.

Do we really wish and desire the Lord and hold on to him holding on to the word above all else?

What occupies your mind primarily?

Really think about it. Your Job. Your hobbies. Your family, Your spouse, your worries of the day Your plans for the future. Your riches? Your poverty? The political state of this country and the world?

Do we only set aside and give to the Lord as small measure of time even if we are dedicated each day in our personal bible study, or are we continually walking in the spirit and Living out God’s word in us as we occupied with the person of the Lord on a moment-by-moment basis?

You know, some of the most Christ devoted people you will find is in prison. That’s right! Because every thing has been taken away from them. Their freedom along with all of their idols and what is left, nothing but cable tv three squares and a bed and the Word of God.

Our first and primary Love must be The Word the person of the Lord. Our desire is for Him is not visitation but for a meaningful remaining with us.

How sad is it that in our culture with the break up of families that the Father only receives visiting rights to the children? It is tragic.

But that has become the Norm.

As Children of God, do we only visiting rights, or do we want a full time father who abides with us and we with Him?

Our house grows cold without the Lord. without the Lord our Christian marriage is in name only as the light has gone out. Our family our home is a dull place indeed if the Lord has left and no longer welcome or made to feel at home.

And what is the matter with our churches today?

It is the Church of Ephesus who have lost its primary love

Revelation 2:1–5 (NASB95) — 1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

Removal of the Lampstand is tantamount to the removal of the blessing that comes with the abiding spirit of the Lord.

When the disciples were sad that Jesus was going away, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit that would abide with them. And there with the abiding spirit we no longer have to be at any particular place of worship to enter into the abiding nature of the Lord, for we worship in spirit and in truth as we abide in Him.

John 4:41–42 (NASB95) — 41 Many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

It was never really the credibility of the woman to begin with.

The woman when she entered into the city did not have a perfect Gospel. The woman did not have any kind of the reputation that any should believe her. Here was a woman who went to the well in the heat of the day to avoid even being around other woman. But none the less, Men from the city were compelled to seek out this Person Jesus to see for themselves.

She in all of her brokenness was none the less and credible witness for Christ.

The power of salvation is not in the credibility of the vessel but in the power of the Gospel.

John 4:42 (NASB95) —for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Savior of the world does not infer universal salvation. It highlights the Abrahamic promise

Genesis 12:3b (NASB95) —And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Genesis 26:4 (NASB95) — 4 “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

Genesis 28:14 (NASB95) — 14 “Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Acts 3:23 (NASB95) — 23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

Galatians 3:8 (NASB95) — 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”

As Jesus had said earlier

John 4:22 (NASB95) — 22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

Important word is the preposition EK

Out from

Salvation goes out from the Jews.

The Gospel has an outward focus, it starts with the Jews not limited to the Jews and goes out into all the world to render the hope of Salvation to all who will believe.

John 4:43–44 (NASB95) — 43 After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

So true even to this day as there is the calling out of the bride of Christ in all the world, but yet the nation of Israel, the covenant people of God continue to reject the Lord on a national basis. They are returning to the Land, Yes. And the Lord continues to be faithful to Jacob, but Jacob the nation has yet to declare Jesus as Lord.

The beauty of the protocol son is on display as the father patiently waits for the Son’s return. One day, when the famine comes to the world and I believe that we are seeing right now, that there is coming a spiritual famine and the children of God are starting to feel the pressure when one day they will come back with hat in hand saying to the father

“I am unworthy to be your son!”

The Father will gleefully kill the fatted calf and celebrate that his son has come home and there will be rejoicing for the family will be reunited.

It will be a gleeful reunion as it was with Joseph when His identity was revealed to His brothers.

John 4:45 (NASB95) — 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

Galilee was the destination. Jesus was the celebrity. For years people were probably disgusted with what was happening to their temple and yet yearly they would go. And they would be fleeced of their monies. Their sacrifices would be unapproved for no other reason but to force them to have to purchase a sacrifice from the robbers that call themselves Pharisees. And the money changers who unfairly exchanged their money.

Jesus was a hero who came in and chased these crooks out of their temple.

They were part of the crowd who watched miracle after miracle performed.

He, Jesus, was a Galilean and they after returning home anxiously waited for him to return home.

This was their Jesus.