Weekly message: Forsake idols, God is spirit, worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music. 10/24/2021
My friends, have you forsaken the idols worshipping yet? Do you believe in the Messiah (Christ) and acknowledge the worth of Him who Christians worshiped? Turn your heart to the Lord, and worship Him in Spirit and in truth, for God is spirit. Today let us discover Apostle Paul’s preaching and convince people in Athens to follow Jesus. And Jesus’ declaration about Himself is Christ to Samaritans. May the Word of God and Spirit of Christ converts, convicts, and convinces you to forsake idols, and acknowledge Jesus is Christ (anointed one), accept and invite Lord Jesus Christ come into your heart to be your Lord and savior.
Apostle Paul was distressed to see the city was full of idols
When Apostle Paul fled from Beroea, he was alone in Athens. There were more statues of the gods in Athens than in all the rest of Greece. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens he was really distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day there. Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said:
“Men and Athens I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:16, 22, 23)
To idols’ worshippers in Athens, Apostle Paul’s message as follows,
First, he emphasized that God made all things and doesn’t live in temples built by hands. He said, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” (Acts.17:24-25)
Second, the Apostle pointed out that God has made human beings in such a way that instinctively they long for God and search for him in the darkness. He expressed, “From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God in this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘we are his offspring’” (Acts.17:26-28)
Third, divine being is not like gold or silver or stone, an image made by man’s design. Repent, for God will judge the world with justice.
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:24-31)
After Apostle Paul’s preaching, there were a few men who became followers of Paul and believed among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Jesus revealed himself to Samaritans who believed the coming Messiah, that God is Spirit, His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. And He is Messiah (Christ).
When Jesus left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. He had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus expressed who He is to her, and said,
“I tell you the truth; no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to sprit…you must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Then, Jesus declared,
“Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. (John4:21-24).
The woman said, “I know that the Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” (John4:25) Then, Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.” (John4:26)
The English word “worship” was originally spelled “worthship” and means to acknowledge the worth of the object worshiped. We should acknowledge God’s worth in spirit (in contrast to material ways) and in truth (in contrast in falsehood).
Jesus mentioned about “Born of water and the Spirit” various interpretations have been suggested for the meaning here of “water” (1) it refers to baptism as a requirement for salvation. However, this would contradict many other N.T. passages (Eph.2:8-9). (2) It stands for the act of repentance that John the Baptizer’s baptism signified. (3) It refers to natural birth; thus it means “except a man be born the first time by water and the second time by the Spirit. (4) It means the Word of God, as in John15:3. (5) It is a synonym for the Holy Spirit and may be translated, “by water, even the Spirit.” One truth is clear the new birth is from God through the Spirit. [1]
Today, the Lord dealt with mankind’s sins (Isaiah 45:16)
God created everyone for His glory, so that mankind may proclaim His praise. As Lord said, “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made…the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” (Isa.43:7,21). The Lord explicitly states the purpose of creating mankind is to proclaim His praise and for His glory. However, mankind went astray, unfaithful, and betrayed God. They ran to other gods, and bowed down to worship the image of idols made by gold, silver, and wood. The Lord strongly urged people don’t worship idols, for “All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together…ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.”(Isa.45:16, 20).
Today, God strikes nations with coronavirus (COVID-19) to humble the people in order to spring up His salvation. Many people in Asia hold No-God theory, and reject to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ our God. Some people seek God, however, they worship wrong gods, they pray to gods that cannot be saved, and worship idols made of stone and wood. The Lord urged people, “turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”(Isa.45:22). “He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited.”(Isa.45:18).
Conclusion/ Invitation
My friends, from O.T. Isaiah, to N.T. Apostle Paul, both indicated that Messiah Christ Jesus is Lord, and Jesus Christ himself instructed, “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. (John4:21-24). Do you worship idols made of gold, silver, clay, and stone? May the Spirit of Christ rest upon you and speak to you through this message, that you will be born again Christian. Just simply repent your sins, and forsake the idols, and announce that Jesus Christ is your Lord and savior. Then, read the Bible every day, and have fellowship with those who are believers, the Spirit of the Lord Christ Jesus will guide your life journey into His best.
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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