This morning the Lord impressed on my spirit to share about Freedom. The last song we sang yesterday at the Joy Fellowship 5th annual Apple Festival was the song: There is freedom in the House of the Lord. There is Joy in the House of the Lord.
For our Scripture reference this morning:
2 Corinthians 3:17
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Today is a special service as it is the 5th Sunday of the month. There are only a few months each year that have 5 Sundays. On the 5th Sunday of the Month we have a service that we call Seasoned Saints. The meaning of this is that on this Sunday we celebrate the older Brothers and Sisters in Christ in our congregation and we selected songs, musicians and singers that were popular in the past. In 2 Corinthians Chapter 3 Paul actually does a comparison to the Old Testament Law that God gave to Moses and the New Testament Gospel of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
I believe this morning that the Lord wants us to spend some time in 2 Corinthians 3 and glen the truth about how we look at the Law lead worship of the Past, and the Spirit Lead worship of the Present.
Jesus had a very interesting exchange about worship with the Women at the Well in John Chapter 4:
(Reminder the women at the well was: Samaritan)
The Samaritans were a group of people who lived in Samaria - an area north of Jerusalem. They were half-Jews and half-Gentiles. When Assyria captured the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. some were taken in captivity while others left behind. The ones left behind intermarried with the Assyrians. Thus these people were neither fully Hebrews nor fully Gentiles. The Samaritans had their own unique copy of the first five books of Scripture as well as their own unique system of worship. At the time of Jesus the Jews and the Samaritans did not deal with one another. Jesus, however, ministered to the people of Samaria preaching the good news to them.
John 4:19-24
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
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.
***The first point of the Message today: True worship of God must have both spirit (pneuma) and truth (aletheia).
Lets talk about these two words: word for spirit here is the greek word: pneuma
- Breath
The basic meaning of pneuma is "air in motion" or "breath" as something necessary for life.
- Spirit or soul
In a religious context, pneuma can refer to "spirit" or "soul". In the Christian New Testament, pneuma is used to refer to the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God
- the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
- sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his personality and character (the "Holy" Spirit)
- sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his work and power (the Spirit of "Truth")
The word for truth that Jesus used here is: alētheia (Key)
- what is true in any matter under consideration
- truly, in truth, according to truth
- of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly
- what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth
- in the greatest latitude
- the true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention
- truth as a personal excellence- that candour of mind which is free from affection, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit
Romans 8:14-18
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
***God’s demonstrated life force, Pnuema, the Holy spirit confirms with our God given life force, pnuema that we belong to him! That we are his child.***
***The first point of the Message today: True worship of God must have both spirit (pneuma) and truth (aletheia).
***The 2nd point of the Message today: True worship of God will unite the Holy Spirit with Your Spirit and confirm your identity in Christ.
Read it again:
Romans 8:14-16
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Proverbs 20:27
27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Genesis 2:7
7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
***The first point of the Message today: True worship of God must have both spirit (pneuma) and truth (aletheia).
***The 2nd point of the Message today: True worship of God will unite the Holy Spirit with Your Spirit and confirm your identity in Christ.
**Lets go back to our Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 3:17
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Breaking this down: The lord is that Spirit…..What Spirit? We must expand our reading for context of what Paul is about to say. Lets go back to the beginning of this Chapter.
2 Corinthians 3:1
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
*****Paul is telling them that they do not have a Christian Membership Club that they earned from listening to Paul preach. They are not wearing a name tag that says Christian as a confirmation of their identity in Christ. But the very life that they live everyday declares their transformation from who they used to be to who they are now in Christ.
I want you to see that Paul is actually using terminology from the Old Testament Prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah
Ezekiel 11:19
19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
Jeremiah 31:33
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
***The 3rd point of the Message today: Worship is not an event on Sunday morning, Worship is manifested daily in your life.
Back to 2 Corinthians 3:4
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
*** So this is where Paul begins to draw the distinction between The Letter (The Law of Moses) and the Holy Spirit, the Pnuema, God the giver of Life.
2 Corinthians 3:7
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Romans 8:1-5
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
***4th point of the Message: The Truth of Law is Glorious but weak and incomplete without the life force of the Holy Spirit.
I want to make and observation this morning. You can visit any number of main line denominational churches in this city this morning and you will find a lot of law and glory but an aging population in the pews that lack the power of the Holy Spirit. They have truth and glory but not spirit, no pnumea, no life.
2 Corinthians 3:12
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
***What is Paul speaking here about the vail being taken away when Israel will turn to the Lord?
Isaiah 45:17-19
17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
Romans 11:25-36
King James Version
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:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
***So what have we learned so far:
***The first point of the Message today: True worship of God must have both spirit (pneuma) and truth (aletheia).
***The 2nd point of the Message today: True worship of God will unite the Holy Spirit with Your Spirit and confirm your identity in Christ.
***The 3rd point of the Message today: Worship is not an event on Sunday morning, Worship is manifested daily in your life.
***4th point of the Message: The Truth of Law is Glorious but weak and incomplete without the life force of the Holy Spirit.
So now back to our Key Verse as we Close:
2 Corinthians 3:
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
***The 5th and final point of the Message today: When we worship God in Spirit and Truth we are free, we are changed, and we are transformed to be like him!
2 Corinthians 4
1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.