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you you you you you you welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of our god on this lord's day for our call to worship you can turn with me in your bibles to psalm 67 psalm 67 psalm 67 i'll begin reading in verse one to the chief musician on stringed instruments a psalm a song god be merciful to us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us say lo that your way may be known on earth your salvation among all nations let the peoples praise you o god let all the peoples praise you oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy for you shall judge the people righteously and govern the nations on earth salah let the peoples praise you o god let all the peoples praise you then the earth shall yield her increase god our own god shall bless us god shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him amen well please turn to psalm 24. psalm 24 be as in bravo and we'll stand as we sing together [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Music] shall righteousness [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] glory [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] r [Music] let us pray our blessed god and holy father we rejoice in the ability to gather together in your name we thank you for the lord's house we thank you for the church of the lord jesus christ and the privilege that is ours to gather with your people to come to the father through the son and the power of the holy spirit and we pray that you would be enthroned upon our praises that you would be exalted and glorified and worshiped as we know father you are the god who made the world and all things in it you govern all your creatures and all their actions and you sent the son of your love into this world to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto you through faith in him we bless you for the gospel of our salvation we thank you for the forgiveness of sins and for the righteousness that you have given to us not according to our works or our deeds or our merit but the work of the lord jesus christ rendered on our behalf we ask today that as we gather we would be mindful of this great truth that christ jesus loved us and he gave himself for us and may you draw from our hearts worship and praise and love to our great god we ask that you would bless this congregation that you would strengthen us today as we gather together that we would be uh built up in our most holy faith and god we pray as well that those who have come here this morning that are still dead in their trespasses and sins they would be awakened by your sovereign power we know lord god that there is none righteous no not one there's none who seeks after you there is none who does the will of god but we know that you have made provision in the gospel of our lord jesus christ so lord bless that word as it goes forth may it run swiftly and be glorified and may you certainly be praised by the salvation or in the salvation of sinners this day and even now god we ask that you would forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness we confess that our conduct isn't always worthy of that gospel that we have been called with we ask that you would cleanse us in the precious blood of the lord jesus christ wash us and purify us and set us on a on a path that is that is right and good fill us with your holy spirit and bring further conformity in each of our lives to the blessed lord jesus christ as well our god we pray that you would look with favor upon those in our midst with the physical afflictions and challenges as we prayed in the last hour there are several now affected by difficult circumstance and situation we pray again for mike fisher we just commit this man to you and to the word of your grace and pray that you would look with favor upon him and upon his family we thank you for the good news concerning jonathan hall and god we pray this biopsy tomorrow would turn out well and that our brother would be able to return home that you would just bless him as he continues to receive care and treatment and god watch over him richly as well we pray for little lucy god we just asked that you would undertake on this little one's behalf we pray that this infection would go quickly that she would be restored to good health and to wholeness and that you would just look with favor upon jordan and lindsay we rejoice that casey is now home safely we pray for this little boy's growth we pray that he would be healthy and well and one day we pray that he would be born again and confess faith in the savior king as well god we pray for the newfounds we pray for our dear sister bev we ask that you would look with favor upon mrs van shake and give her health and healing and restoration after the surgery that she has had bless mrs bolt as well and god look with favor upon each and every one in this local body we all have various needs uh both physical and spiritual and today god as we come in from out of the world as we gather together one with another we pray that your word would be that bomb of gilead that you would bless and encourage our hearts she would build us up in our most holy faith and cause us to press onward by grace through faith in our lord jesus christ we pray for the current situation in our country in terms of restrictions placed upon the churches we ask god in heaven that you would move the magistrate away from such decisions we pray that they would govern in a way that is responsible a way that is good in a way that does not encroach upon the churches of the lord jesus christ and god we pray for all of the churches here in canada that they would stand fast that they would hold fast to the word of truth in light of the recent bill that has passed c4 we pray that we would fear god rather than men that we would not shrink back from declaring the whole council of god and every jot and tittle of your blessed law and gospel we ask thee would be merciful in this country that you would use this time to awaken sinners to their state before a thrice holy god we pray that many would come out of darkness into marvelous light confessing jesus christ as lord and savior and that by your sovereign grace and power we pray as well for revival in the churches that we would enjoy the nearness of god as our good that we would think your thoughts after you that we would stand in the gap and pray not only for ourselves and our families and our churches but for this nation as a whole we live in godless days we live in days much like the prophet isaiah when men call good evil and evil good we see abortion celebrated we see euthanasia continually practiced and we see this this abject refusal to bow the knee to the king of kings and lord of lords and god we cry to you in your wrath you would remember mercy and again bless that preaching of your gospel as it goes forth conquering and to conquer we asked he would look with favor upon the persecuted church throughout the earth we prayed for several in the last hour we know that our brothers and sisters face the sort of oppression and persecution we haven't seen yet god we see their faithfulness and it greatly encourages us and we see your faithfulness to be with your people and to vindicate your own elect to cry to you day and night would you look with favor upon the church wherever she gathers together and would you bless the church and would you cause her to realize that jesus is building her in the gates of hades shall not prevail against it we asked he would bless in myanmar and the great tragedy and suffering going on there we give praise to you publicly for the way that you are protecting that compound for the way that you're watching over your people and we ask god that you would continue to do so and that these little ones that they are caring for and these persons that have been dispossessed from family and friends and houses and work that they would come to a saving knowledge of the lord jesus christ we asked he would be merciful in china we know that this is an oppressive communistic regime there and we pray god in heaven that the church would continue to grow bless those faithful men who are problem proclaiming the truth as it is in jesus christ those men who don't shrink back from declaring the whole council of god may they prosper and flourish and may you continue to protect and bless them as well god look with favor upon the churches in the middle east and the great uh difficulty to serve christ in those places asked we asked he would be merciful again to ministers to pass pastors to those as well in churches that they would continue to be faithful and they would worship christ and serve and glorify you and they would do so according to your truth and god be merciful to the to the state of kentucky we know that this is a great tragedy that they have experienced we ask god in heaven that you would bless the churches there that you would bless your people and strengthen them give them large hearts and a desire to engage in charity and good deeds toward their fellows and we pray that in the midst of calamity and affliction you would draw sinners unto yourself we know that this is oftentimes your way lord god men don't seek you when everything is well men don't seek you when they're prosperous men don't seek you when they're in good health but when trial comes when difficulty and hardship comes you oftentimes accompany it by your saving grace and we rejoice in that and lord god again we thank you that we have this church we thank you that we have one another we thank you that we can gather here this morning to worship you in spirit and in truth and our hearts desire and genuine plea is that you would be glorified that you would indeed bless this congregation and that you would bless the word as it goes forth and we ask these things in the name and for the glory of our lord and savior jesus christ amen well you can turn with me again in your hymn books to 405 hymn number 405 will stand as we sing together [Music] so oh [Music] is [Music] foreign [Music] i [Music] i [Music] sure [Music] is [Music] well you can turn with me in your bibles to the book of first thessalonians first thessalonians were in chapter 4 for our scripture reading this morning first thessalonians chapter 4 i'll begin reading in verse 1. finally then brethren we urge and exhort in the lord jesus that you should abound more and more just as you receive from us how you ought to walk and to please god for you know what commandments we gave you through the lord jesus for this is the will of god your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor not in passion of lust like the gentiles who do not know god that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this manner because the lord is the avenger of all such as we also forewarned you and testified for god did not call us to uncleanness but in holiness therefore he who rejects this does not reject man but god who has also given us his holy spirit but concerning brotherly love you have no need that i should write to you for you yourselves are taught by god to love one another and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all macedonia but we urge you brethren that you increase more and more that you also aspire to lead a quiet life to mind your own business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you that you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you may lack nothing but i do want i do not want you to be ignorant brethren concerning those who have fallen asleep lest you sorrow as others who have no hope for if we believe that jesus died and rose again even so god will bring with them those who sleep in jesus for this we say to you by the word of the lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the lord will by no means precede those who are asleep for the lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of god and the dead in christ will rise first then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the lord therefore comfort one another with these words amen so the apostle writing to the church in thessalonica this first epistle and here he is concluding in a sense his words he has set forth doctrine he brings in some application now and two things that i want to direct our attention to notice in verse 3 for this is the will of god oftentimes you'll meet believers you'll meet people that want to understand what the will of god is and a lot of times they think in terms of the secret will of god does god want me to go to this university does god want me to buy this particular house if something is not sin you're free to do it at times persons wait upon this secret will of god into the place of inactivity there's enough communicated clearly in the scripture in terms of the will of god that should occupy us in terms of our conduct and life notice this is the will of god your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality god the lord is the creator god the lord is the law giver god the lord defines for us human sexuality the boundaries in which we're uh able to operate and it's god the lord that legislates concerning these things not man not government not any civil sort of uh uh society's approach to what may be in the best interests of human beings god knows what's in the best interest of human beings one man with one woman in a covenant context for life that's it that's the the regulation that's the legislation that's the stipulation and mandate that man must abide by and so we see here this is in fact the will of god that you should indeed abstain from sexual immorality so young people if you're ever wondering what is the will of god for my life i will always direct you to first thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3. and then notice as well what the apostle says in verse 11. he says well verse 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all macedonia but we urge you brethren that you increase more and more that you also aspire to lead a quiet life this is good counsel this is what the people of god should receive we all want to be popular or famous this is a narcissistic selfie age but notice what paul says that you aspire to lead a quiet life to mind your own business not mind everybody else's business but mind your own business again if persons actually got this in their minds and hearts it would probably increase tranquility and peace a hundred fold in society today so mind your own business aspire to lead a quiet uh aspiring quiet life mind your own business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you that you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you may lack nothing if the church follows the instruction of the apostle paul then our conduct will be proper before an onlooking world in other words when we get out of our lane and when we try to do things that god has not sanctioned in terms of the church we look like buffoons and morons but when we do what paul says under the inspiration of the spirit we work for the glory of god we tend to our families we're faithful in our churches and we do what pleases him then we shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and as god gives us opportunity we hold forth the word of truth to a lost and dying world we need to take seriously the admonition in this section of holy scripture in terms of church life we don't exist to stick it to the man we don't exist to make a name for ourselves we don't exist to somehow go down in history as being one of those churches that defied no we're seeking to be faithful to mind our own business and to do what god has called us to and all we ask is that the civil government respect that and leave us alone and in that god is glorified when the two entities stay in their proper lanes and then they can function the way that the lord has intended i said to one more a lot of persons see at the end of chapter four here a secret rapture this is the loudest secret ever known to mankind i do not hold to the secret rapture view but if i did i would be challenged by what he says in this passage notice in verse 16 for the lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of god paul's point in this section is simply to highlight that those faithful saints that have died they're not going to be forgotten they will be raised by christ on that day when he comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead you don't need to worry you don't need to fret you don't need to be fearful about your loved ones who have preceded you to the grave god's got this christ will raise them and we all together will be with him forever in the presence of the lord god most high and in light of that paul says therefore comfort one another with these words let us pray our father we thank you for the clarity of holy scripture we thank you for the emphasis that we find in first thessalonians 4 god i pray for our young people not that it's a sin con only confined to them and certainly a sin that affects the old people as well but this this insistence upon sexual morality and purity and abstaining from those things which are lawless god help us all to think properly concerning this area in our lives and restrain us by the power of your spirit working through law and gospel and as well lord god help us to do what paul says to do what we're supposed to do to mind our own business to keep quiet to work hard with our hands and to glorify and to honor you and may we indeed encourage one another and comfort one another with the reality that we will always be in the presence of the lord bless the mate family bless the troop family bless those who have recently lost loved ones and give them grace and and cheer their hearts and encourage them in the midst of these trying times as well god bless the saints in surrey we thank you for pastor kirkpatrick bless his preaching of the word today we thank you for our brother ryan we ask that he would labor faithfully in the word and vernon and god bless our brethren in dryden and look with favor upon that church plant and may they indeed establish a faithful beachhead to proclaim the gospel there in northern ontario and god bless those in honduras be with john curry pastors carlos and luis and the various needs that are associated with that congregation and we ask through jesus christ our lord amen we can turn with me again in your hymn books to 340 hymn number 340 and we'll stand as we sing together is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] until [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] well you could turn with me in your bibles to john's gospel or in john chapter 4. john chapter 4 the lord jesus meets with this samaritan woman shows her points out to her living water it is a bit of a confusion for her she's thinking he's talking about physical temporal literal water and we see the same sort of thing when the disciples return and they talk about food so i want to read beginning in john 4 at verse 27 and we'll read to the end of uh verse 42. and at this point his disciples came and they marveled that he talked with a woman yet no one said what do you seek or why are you talking with her the woman then left her water pot went her way into the city and said to the men come see a man who told me all things that i ever did could this be the christ then they went out of the city and came to him in the meantime his disciples urged him saying rabbi eat but he said to them i have food to eat of which you do not know therefore the disciples said to one another has anyone brought him anything to eat jesus said to them my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest behold i say to you lift up your eyes and look at the fields for they are already white for harvest and he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together for in this the saying is true one sows and another reaps i sent you to reap that for which you have not labored others have labored and you have entered into their labors and many of the samaritans of that city believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified he told me all that i ever did so when the samaritans had come to him they urged him to stay with them and he stayed there two days and many more believe because of his own word then they said to the woman now we believe not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard him and we know that this is indeed the christ the savior of the world amen well let us pray our father we thank you for the written word of the living and true god and we pray now for the ministry of the holy spirit who gave us this word to guide our minds and hearts and thoughts give us grace to receive with thanksgiving the implanted word and may it encourage and strengthen our own hearts as we reflect again upon the power of our lord jesus christ to save sinners and god may this gospel may this truly be good news for those who are here in their sins we pray that you would be merciful that you would bring conviction for sin and set forth christ in his offices to save and god forgive us now all of us for all of our sin cleanse us in that precious blood of the lord jesus and we pray in his most blessed name amen well as john ends chapter 2 he makes this statement concerning our lord jesus jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men and then in 2 25 it says and he had no need that anyone should testify of man for he knew what was in man he displays this in his encounter with nicodemus in chapter three and he displays this in his encounter with this samaritan woman in john chapter four so he's met with the woman he has declared to her that i am he with reference to her question in verse 26 she says are you or we have heard that christ the messiah is coming i know that when he comes he will teach us all things and he says i am he so the lord jesus as it were reveals to him to this particular woman the nature of his office now on the heels of that we find first the testimony of the woman in verses 27 to 30. secondly we have the nature of the harvest in verses 31 to 38 and then finally a reference to the savior of the world in verses 39 to 42. just to foreshadow a bit this is where the narrative has been going it is the declaration of the samaritans that they had in fact found the christ the savior of the world remember john 3 16 god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son john wants us to understand that the world there doesn't mean all men without exception but it means men without distinction whether you're a jew whether you're a samaritan or whether you're a garden-variety gentile like the greeks in john 12. the gospel comes to sinners it doesn't come to only black sinners or white sinners or canadian sinners or american sinners or jewish sinners it comes to sinner as sinner such that christ is in fact the savior of the world and through this woman's testimony it was enough to evoke the interest of these men such that they went to see for themselves who this lord jesus was and having found him having spent time with him they make this grand declaration that he is indeed the savior of the world so let's look first at the testimony of the woman in verses 27 to 30. remember that the disciples had departed they had left jesus by jacob's well with this particular woman and they had gone into the city to buy food so now the disciples return according to verse 27 and at this point his disciples came and they marveled that he talked with a woman yet no one said what do you seek or why are you talking with her they marveled for two reasons one that he spoke to a woman and two that she was a samaritan woman she was notoriously wicked but as we find in his dealings with her she not only had those two strikes against her but she had a third strike she was a woman she was a samaritan and she had a checkered marital history whatever we can say about this particular lady she had problems in the arena of sexual immorality and that's what jesus identified to her now notice secondly her testimony in verses 28 to 28 and 29 she first of all uh remember the lord's revelation in verse 26 i who speak to you am he the messiah now notice in verse 28 the woman then left her water pot went her way into the city and said to the men come see a man who told me all things that i ever did could this be the christ she leaves her water pot this is a good sign i mean it's not the case that in order to be genuinely converted you have to leave your water pot you have to first get a water pot go to the well and there leave it in order to be safe that's not the point the point is remember that she was confused about jesus teaching when he's talking about everlasting life when he's talking about the water that satisfies for everlasting life she's confused about that she says sir the well is deep and you've brought no bucket well now she's starting to track now she's starting to understand with the revelation that he is in fact the christ things are starting to make sense to her she does no longer insist on the physical water that she had come to the well to fetch now there is something more uh uh uh important in terms of her own life relative to this man and to her own city notice that she addresses the men of the village and first she issues an invitation notice in verse 29 come see a man who told me all things that i ever did could this be the christ now this invitation is probably not as sort of uh uh uh articulated as perhaps yours and eyes yours and mine are when we meet people and we talk to them and we evangelize them and we to tell them about jesus but look at what she says to them she says come see a man who told me all things that i ever did could this be the christ she uses the language that we see in chapter one when jesus calls the disciples in verse 39 he said to them come and see and then in verse 46 the same emphasis nathanael said to him can any good thing come out of nazareth philip said to him come and see she uses the identical language john doesn't want us to miss this what is the significance behind this she's moved from a concern concerning physical water to now this refreshing water that brings everlasting life and she tells her village men to come and see a man who told me all things that i ever did now that's hyperbolic to an extent she doesn't mean that when i was three he was able to see that i played with marbles that's not what she's talking about it's about her past it's about her situation with her previous husbands and the one that she was currently with that was not her husband she's amazed by this she confesses that what he spoke was in fact the truth but as well it was convicting to her in terms of its effect upon her she knew she was standing in the presence of one that had information that men typically don't have by nature she's in the presence of one who knew what was in man because he knew man she was in the presence of one who identifies himself as israel's messiah everything the old testament stipulated concerning messiah is yeah and amen in our lord jesus christ and he says that to this particular woman and then notice with reference to this come and see come see a man a.w pink makes this observation he says come come was the word of invitation that this newly born soul extended to those men it was a word she had learned from christ's own lips look at verse 16 go call your husband and come here so jesus bid her with that same language he says it is the great word of the gospel it is the word which has resulted in peace to countless hearts i think pink's absolutely right we're supposed to ponder we're supposed to contemplate we're supposed to think and and and and meditate upon that usage that we find with reference to this woman come and see as believers by grace we have come we have seen we have tasted and we know that the lord is good but if you're not a believer here this morning listen to this lady listen to what she has to say later listen to the testimony of the samaritans listen to your friend listen to your parents listen to your your your children listen to those who bid you come and see this particular man it is most crucial it is most imperative it is most essential today we talk a lot about what's essential today we talk a lot about businesses and churches and whatever and what what is and what isn't essential this for sure we know is that the most essential thing ever for any man woman boy or girl is to stand before a holy god cleansed in the blood of jesus that is what is essential that is what is crucial that is the one thing necessary you may be here today with all kinds of concerns in your mind and heart you may be here today with concerns about your work concerns about your family concerns about your health concerns about your wealth whatever those concerns may be listen to the woman come and see it is the gospel word that is issued forth and as well calvin makes the observation based on this woman's conduct what is true of us when we are called out of darkness into marvelous light to proclaim his praises and excellencies calvin says this is the nature of faith that when we have become partakers of eternal life we wish to bring others to share with us don't we we find the pearl of great price what is the typical reflex in our hearts it's to try and bring others it's to try and get them to come and see sometimes when we're first converted we do this in belligerent and horrible ways we do this in ways that we later regret but it's that attitude or that disposition of the pearl of the man who finds that pearl of great price who wants others to partake in it who wants others to participate who understands that yes this is most essential the best thing ever is to stand clothed in the righteousness of another having had my sins forgiven such that when i enter into that holy place god receives me that is most glorious back to calvin this is the nature of faith that that when we have become partakers of eternal life we wish to bring others to share with us nor is it possible that the knowledge of god shall lie buried and inactive in our hearts without being manifested before men for that saying must be true i believe and therefore i will speak and that comes from the psalms i believe and therefore i will speak the apostle paul to the corinthians invokes that same passage why because by grace paul was conquered on that road to damascus by grace the first thing we see him doing is going into a synagogue and testifying that jesus is in fact the christ it is by grace that paul comes out of that darkness into that marvelous light and paul never tired and he never stopped and he never got weary in preaching jesus christ and him crucified now this woman is a model convert at this point she understands that he's messiah she understands that he is the one promised and she now tells others to come and see when she says could this be the christ she's finding her way again she doesn't have romance she doesn't have john's gospel she doesn't have philippians she doesn't have what we have in the new testament she's had this encounter with a man who's told her all things that she ever did when she asks about the christ he identifies himself that way again she's still finding her way in the dark as it were to that light and here she comes to the man and says could this be the christ now notice in verse 30 then they went out of the city and came to him they went out of the city and came to him whatever she was she was at least worthy to be listened to in this regard no matter what kind of sinner she was what kind of uh of a woman she was she was a samaritan like those other samaritans they nevertheless were interested they nevertheless listened again there was a messianic expectation in the first century not just confined to the jews but remember the samaritans accepted the five books of moses though they rejected the prophets in a more multi-faceted exposition of what messiah would be they nevertheless had that messianic expectation so he identifies her himself to her that way so she comes back what do they do they listen they respond it's one of the things that's most grieving about living in north america we're anathematized from discussing politics and religion you can't do that because it upsets people well there's things worse than being upset i got to tell you there's things worse than a mild offense there's things worse than you know uh not always being perceived as the most courteous person we are forbidden not forbidden by law but there's this sort of prevailing attitude the woman told them come and see a man and they respond they want to know they want to determine for themselves they want to investigate where's that spirit today where is it on the part of people to say yeah if there's something out there i want to hear about it if there's something that transcends my little existence then i want to know about it no we just like to close down we like to shut off and we like to do our own thing we are as it were uh empir impervious to this sort of talk but then notice secondly so the samaritan men are leaving their city they're going to come out to meet him but there's a bit of an interlude the disciples return and then jesus speaks concerning the nature of the harvest and again it coincides with the message of the samaritans this is the savior of the world just after jesus says look the fields are white on the harvest just after jesus declares that there will be reaping from the sowing that has already taken place there will be wages received unto eternal life see this is a compact unit that goes together and that is consistent with the rest of john's gospel to present for us and to us what he does in john 20. these things are written so that you may know that jesus is the christ the son of the living god and that you may believe and that believing in his name you may have everlasting life john has an agenda john has a purpose john has a goal he wants you to listen he wants you to come and see and he wants you to believe the gospel of our lord jesus christ and be saved he didn't write this so that everybody go to hell again we've talked about this before there's those churches that teach that there's going to be that many people in heaven there's just going to be a handful of people that fall into heaven the book of revelation tells us it's a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe tongue people and nation the bible itself is the best proof that god is in the business of saving sinners it's not the hyper calvinistic god that grudgingly and in a miserly sort of way lets a few in along the way but his grand purpose is to consign the mass of humanity unto damnation that's not biblical that's not scriptural that's not even common sensical why would god undertake what he undertook in order to manifest his his glory in the salvation of sinners by his son to not save sinners it just doesn't make any sense but what we're dealing with in john's gospel is the savior of the world now notice the nature of the harvest the disciples return and they're confused disciples return and they're confused notice in verse 31 in the meantime his disciples urged him saying rabbi eat the disciples had gone into the city to buy food according to verse 8. the disciples were not docetists for those of you who do not know what a docetist is a docetist was an early heretic that plagued the church and what docetist taught was that jesus really didn't come in the flesh he simply appeared to be in the flesh he was more like a phantom because you see under the influence of some not all but some great philosophy the physical was bad it was not good the only purpose of the physical was to contain the spirit or the soul and that's what's really important well the disciples weren't docists jesus didn't simply appear to be a man jesus was a man true humanity true divinity one glorious person but as a man he'd need food he'd need carbohydrates a minimal minimal amount he'd need protein he'd need fat he need those sorts of things such that he'd be empowered physically to be able to do what god had called him unto so it was not docetism that affected the early church rather or it wasn't docetism that affected the minds of these apostles but rather they saw true humanity now notice the explanation of his mission in verses 32 to 34. it's one of those places where jesus tells us really good stuff that we really need to listen to in the first place he makes this declaration verse 32 but he said to them i have food to eat of which you do not know i have food to eat of which you do not know so again like with the woman they're talking at different levels the woman is talking about jacob's well and the physical water that you draw out to satisfy your physical thirsts jesus uses that as a foil to teach concerning this water of life to teach concerning spiritual things well the same thing is operative here the disciples return and they say a teacher you need to eat he says i've got food to eat of which you do not know so they're talking about whatever it is they had stowed away whatever it is they had fetched in the city they want to bring that to satisfy their their master but he says i have this other food he's talking at the level of spiritual things and that's what we see as he proceeds here in terms of the nature of the harvest notice specifically the question that they offer up verse 32 33 therefore the disciples said to one another has anyone brought him anything to eat you should see yourself here brethren i should see myself here we're not always the sharpest tools in the shed are we has anybody brought he's talking at a completely different level just like that woman that woman says the well is deep and you have no bucket how are you ever going to satisfy your thirst he's talking about something far more sublime something far more excellent something far more glorious the same obtains here the disciples are scratching their heads who fed him how's he going to make it he hasn't had enough nourishment now notice how he explains himself in this section verse 34 jesus said to them excuse me for a moment my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work that is a glorious statement that deserves to be unpacked in light of the rest of the gospel narrative and in light of the rest of the bible in the first place he describes his mission my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work he's on a mission from the father we would call this in theology his active obedience his compliance with the law of god he's doing everything that was commanded via god's holy law active obedience we absolutely crucially need that in order for justification not just here but throughout john's gospel we see this emphasis that jesus has come to do the will of the father look at chapter 5 and verse 30 i can of myself do nothing as i hear i judge and my judgment is righteous because i do not seek my own will but the will of the father who sent me look at chapter 6 at verse 38 for i have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me this is the will of the father who sent me that of all that he has given me i should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have everlasting life and i will raise him up at the last day you see the son comes to do what the father had given him to do active obedience we need a righteousness that avails with god we're not going to bring it because we're wretches we're not going to bring it because we engage in idolatry and blasphemy and sabbath-breaking and insubordination to authority we're murderers we're adulterers we're liars we're we're uh thieves and liars and and covetous people we can't just get better we can't just try harder we can't just do more rather god calls us to look to his son who obeyed the law perfectly in every jot and tittle he always did what the father said he didn't do it with grudging intent he didn't do it with any sort of complaint he complied he always did what his father commanded why so that when sinners believe in him we are forgiven of our sins based on what we would call his passive obedience his death on calvary we need his blood to wash us we need his blood to cleanse us we need his blood to purify us because we're filthy and undone but again we need righteousness so that we can enter into the presence of god so when we believe the gospel by god's grace we're not only forgiven but as the bible teaches we are given the righteousness of christ and it's received by faith alone it's a beautiful transaction it's a most blessed situation and paul treats it in second corinthians he says that god made him christ who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become what the righteousness of god in him i do not set aside the grace of god for if righteousness comes to the law then christ died in vain galatians 2 21. what's paul indicating that he's indicating that we need righteousness doesn't god most high declare this on several occasions it is better to obey than to sacrifice he says that in first first samuel chapter 15 he says that in the book of hebrews it is better to obey than to sacrifice in salvation specifically in justification we are not only forgiven of our sins but we receive the righteousness of jesus it is accredited to us and it is received by faith alone so back to john chapter 4 when he says my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work we should appreciate the act of obedience of our blessed savior as well this statement for those at least who've been reading the book on the trinity reflects the missions remember missions the sending of the son and the spirit by the father they don't exhaust the relation between father son and spirit but it does reveal something to us about that about god most high notice what jesus says in verse 34 my food is to do the will of what of him who sent me he's the only begotten son the father is unbegotten the son is begotten the spirit proceeds from the father and the son again this doesn't exhaust the relations but it certainly reveals the relations that obtains between the father and the son the father sends the son in order to save his people from their sins and then notice this resolution to do his work or to finish his work in theology we have something called the covenant of redemption i don't want to bore you or take too long away from the sermon here but basically the covenant of redemption happened before the foundation of the world where the father chose to save a miserable group of sinners and the son promises covenants to be their surety to be their mediator to be their prophet priest and king so when we look at the life and ministry of our lord jesus christ he's resolute he's not a haphazard he's not just hoping that it may pan out but remember in luke chapter nine when he makes that that that that embarkment on to uh the city of jerusalem it says he set his face like a flint he was steadfast he wasn't the hippie jesus of jesus christ superstar that just wandered around the hills of of israel drinking chamomile tea and not understanding why he came he comes to finish the work of the father and that means the salvation of guilty vile helpless sinners like you and i so in verse 34 jesus says a lot of theology in a very short span and we ought to delight in it and rejoice in it my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work again he's doing that because that's not our food none of us can say that i don't care how good a soul winner you are i don't care how holy you are i don't care how morally pure you are you are not jesus none of us can say my food is to do the will of him who sent me that's just not us brethren he says that because we never will he says that because we never do he says that because we never have if god doesn't send the son of his love then we die in our sins now notice the lord's instruction on the heels of this verse 35 do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest behold i say to you lift up your eyes and look at the fields for they are already white for harvest again he's operating it the same way he appeals to something known in the physical realm don't you realize that in four months there's going to be a harvest they knew that they understood that they weren't sort of you know foreigners and in israel they understood the law of sowing and reaping they understood time frames in terms of harvest so he appeals to something they know in the physical and then he draws again a spiritual application from this and this one look at what he says behold i say to you lift up your eyes and look at the fields for they are already white for harvest they wouldn't have been at the time that jesus spoke this the fields physically and temporally would not have been white for harvest but he says they are why because probably when they looked up they'd see those men from the samaritan village coming to meet with him they would lift up their eyes and see the spiritual fields white under harvest jesus is teaching his disciples that samaritans get to enter into the kingdom based on the messiah of israel he is teaching them that he is in fact the savior of the world lift up your eyes don't be so introspective don't be so much looking at your own nation your own people group that you forget the mass of humanity the other tribes the other tongues the other peoples the other nations this is why i read psalm 67 at the outset of worship what does the psalmist say that god will cause his face to shine upon who the nation of israel upon the nations in isaiah isaiah 42 and 49 there is the the servant songs of yahweh and the prophet or rather the messiah that has promised to come will be a light not only to the jews he will not only recover the lost tribes of jacob but he will be given as a light unto the gentiles see jesus is teaching that to them jesus is affirming that to them jesus is telling them it's not just about your own narrow ghetto it's about the entirety of the world the messiah that hails from israel is the savior of the world so lift up your eyes they're white for harvest it is the samaritans that are coming down that particular hill the background to this amos 9 13 a promise a new covenant blessing behold the days are coming says the lord when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed the mountain shall drip with sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it that fits beautifully with what we're seeing in john's gospel up to this point jesus turns the water into wine not for some cheap parlor trick but to underscore that the new covenant has come the blessings the the promises the the anticipation has been realized now in the word the one who was with god and the one who was god the word who became flesh and tabernacled among us that's what jesus is affirming to these disciples notice he speaks to the division of labor with reference to this he says in verse 36 he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together now the obvious application is the prophets and the apostles the ones who sowed were the ones who lived during the time of promise they were the ones that lived during the time of anticipation they were the isaias they were the jeremiahs they were the micahs they were those sowers who were recording under the inspiration and power of the holy spirit what god would do in his son the lord jesus christ what god would do in the revelation of the messiah so the sowers according to redemptive history is everyone who preceded these disciples every man who wrote every man who preached john the baptist was another one who sowed who made preparation for this time of reaping such that now the disciples having been deputized by christ can go therefore to make disciples of all the nations to baptize them and to teach them to observe all that he had commanded and that he promises that he would be with them even to the end of the age so the sowers are the old testament prophets the reapers are the new testament preachers the the the apostles the disciples the evangelists and notice what jesus says in verse 36 he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life the the the wages there aren't you know you're going to get 50 bucks for every soul that that you know converts that's not it the wages is the blessed joy of sharing or participating in this glorious plan of god to save his people from their sins that's the wages that's the blessing that's the joy so notice he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life that both he who sows the prophets and he who reaps may what they may rejoice together you see the saving of souls that most essential thing that out of darkness in the marvelous light that's what brings joy to the people of god remember the lesson in luke chapter 15. all the sinners drew near to hear jesus tax collectors and all that that just the the the the the hoi polloi the the the bad people they all draw not near to hear jesus so what do the religious leaders do what do the scribes and the pharisees do they they complain they they grumble they're upset what's the nature of their complaint this man receives sinners and eats with them you can see the contempt dripping off of them you can see their judgmental attitude you can see their contrary way to the work of god most high this man receives sinners and and he eats with them what an insult so i would submit that all the sinners are probably wondering what's he going to say how is he going to answer how is he going to respond to this wouldn't you if i was one of the holy ploy that happened to draw near to hear him and i heard that complaint i'd shoot my eyes to jesus to hear how he's going to answer is he going to say no i don't i don't like these icky nasty people get away from me or is he going to say something else well jesus says something else and he says it three times he says it by way of three illustrations three pictures three parables in the first place he says that there is a shepherd who loses a sheep and he leaves the 99 sheep and he goes and he finds that one sheep and he grabs it he puts it on his shoulders and he goes back what is he doing when he goes back he's rejoicing he says he does it like a woman who loses a coin she doesn't say well i'll just write it off at the end of the year no she moves the furniture she picks up her broom and she finds that coin what does she do when she finds it i found michael she rejoices and then with that that man who had the two sons and the one son says father you're better off to me dead than alive i just want my share of the inheritance give me my loot so i can do what i want to do so this young man takes the father's loot he goes out in the field or he goes out in the the far country and he lives a godless life and then he comes to himself he's not converted when he comes to himself he's not converted to the father runs from the porch and falls on him and robes him and blesses him and gives him life eternal but what happens with the other son he's like the pharisees and the scribes he's upset he's like them saying oh this man receives sinners and eats with them he grumbles he whines he moans and what does the father say son it was right for me to do this this son who was lost is now found this son who is dead is now alive what's the point pharisees and scribes and persons who grumble over the gospel bad persons who rejoice in the salvation of sinners good same thing at luke 19. zacchaeus shimmies up that sycamore tree so that he can look down and see jesus when jesus bids him to come down and says i'm going to have dinner at your house tonight how does the crowd respond they're murmuring they're grumbling they're complaining they don't like that to see persons who understand that christ is altogether lovely when persons understand that he is the pearl of great price when persons get that be in their bonnet and they can't wait to tell others about jesus when god saves those sinners what do they do they rejoice they praise god they bless god the best prayer meetings i mean all prayer meetings are wonderful those prayer meetings where persons come and say oh my my friend or my neighbor or my family member confessed faith in jesus christ we have a brother and a sister that used to be in our church they moved away to ontario many years ago this day their three daughters are being baptized praise god almighty see it's not the case that we don't want others to share with us we want everybody we want sinners to come we want you to taste and see that he's good there's no miserliness in the kingdom of god there's no ebonies or scrooges in the kingdom of god the reapers and the sowers rejoice because they're seeing the work of the savior in the conquest of sinners that brings glory to god it brings cheer to the hearts of his people and then notice with reference to the the the power behind this verse 37 for in this the saying is true one sows and another reaps again this is obvious physical situation employed in a spiritual way but then notice in verse 38 i sent you to reap that for which you have not labored others have labored and you have entered into their labors the geneva bible says the doctrine of the prophets was as it were a sowing time and the doctrine of the gospel as the harvest and there is an excellent agreement between them both and the ministers of them both so there's sowers there's reapers but note the power behind them both verse 38 i sent you again the language of the great commission is conspicuous here go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptize them and teach them the language of matthew chapter 9 is also very appropriate here matthew 9 it says when he jesus saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion for that why why was he moved with compassion for them because they were poor because they had sickness because they were ill because they were maimed because they were lame certainly jesus is about the physical certainly jesus is about the temporal certainly jesus is concerned not only with our soul but with our body because jesus isn't a gnostic but notice when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd it's an indictment upon the religious situation in the first century that the fact that the samaritans in our passage are confessing that he is a the savior of the world is an indictment upon israel in the first century remember when jesus in john chapter 2 goes in to cleanse the temple what was that it's an indictment upon the religious situation in israel at this time it was a mess and these sheep that jesus looked upon that were weary and without any sort of concern or care they were under the the the religious teachers of his day that were horrible people but then it goes on then he said to his disciples the harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few therefore pray the lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest it's not our harvest we don't own it we don't possess it we just get the privilege and the prerogative to work in it it isn't ours it isn't us it isn't about you and me it's about christ most high at the right hand of the father sending forth the spirit blessing and empowering his church such that they can undertake in what he has called them to to go out and to reap what has been sown and to bless god for the privilege of being able to do so now that brings us now to the samaritans finally notice in verses 39 to 42 the savior of the world we have a reference to the woman's testimony again in verse 39 many of the samaritans of that city believed in him so again how many times do we just read passages like that and we don't stop to ponder many many in samaria samaria remember this is the the the messed up samaritans these these aren't you know with the great religious pedigree these are persons that were you know basically taken from other nations and populated this region in israel way back in the 700s bc they engaged in all kinds of wickedness in terms of idolatry and syncretism they were just miserable people and yet many of the samaritans have come from the city according to verse 30 many of the samaritans have listened to this woman's testimony again you don't find many people today who are even interested one wit in what the bible has to say in this western world i understand it's different in other parts of the world that you can actually talk about religion and politics without cutting each other's heads off or or avoiding each other for the rest of your life it just ought not to be that way but we've been conditioned to be sissies and if anybody ever challenges us with anything we don't like that's it it's done you're over that's just not cool at all whatsoever but in this instance the samaritans believed notice the testimony of the woman the many of the samaritans of that city believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified he told me all that i ever did now notice they want this they understand this but then they make a special appeal to the savior in verse 40. so when the samaritans had come to him they urged him to stay with them and he stayed there two days now this is intriguing for two reasons one because they wanted jesus to be with them this is a good sign persons who hate jesus don't want jesus to be with them you can witness this all throughout society today but secondly jesus went to be with them give this idea that god doesn't really save that he doesn't really have this large heart filled with with love and compassion for needy sinners it's just not sustainable in a search of the scriptures if that were the case jesus would say oh no no no no no i'm not going to spend any time with you you get a little bit from this woman i've got bigger and brighter things that i need to do he spent two days with them and what does he do when he's there with them for those two days he speaks the word of truth to them it is a most blessed and wonderful thing and i take from this the absolute importance for you to spend time in the words of jesus sometimes people say well i have an interest in the gospel i have an interest in religion i have an interest in christianity i have an interest in being saved i've heard enough to scare me about not being saved i really want to be saved what should i do well obviously the first the first response is believe on the lord jesus christ and you shall be saved the second is read the bible how many times have you met people that have this earnest longing for salvation and they never read the bible i i just don't get it if you really have an earnest longing for salvation guess what you might try you might actually read the bible you might actually spend time with jesus you might actually listen to the words of eternal life you might end up saying with peter when jesus says do you also want to leave peter says lord to whom shall we go you have the words of eternal life so if you're interested or serious about your soul pick up your bible and read it the samaritans had the wherewithal and the hood spa to urge him to stay with them and he stayed there two days and then it tells us and many more believed because of his own word there's a revival happening in samaria there's a revival happening in the city of saikar there's a revival happening under the presence and the power of the messiah operative by the holy spirit in the hearts of men showing them who he is revealing to them his altogether loveliness and giving them the graces of faith and repentance that they might close with them and then the passage of the narrative of the section ends on that high note of their confession in verse 42. notice then they said to the woman now we believe not because of what you said they're not discounting they're not disregarding they're not saying oh you sinful horrible woman that's not it at all all they are saying is that we have seen him for ourselves we have heard him for ourselves we believe not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard him and we know this is something these men knew that israel missed this is something that these men received that israel was missing we know that he is the christ and we know that he is the savior of the world it is a most glorious declaration and it's not only glorious but it's hope filled this is not just true in the first century with reference to jews with reference to samaritans with reference to greeks but this is operative in the here and now christ is the savior of the world we preach him boldly to all sinners everywhere calling them to believe on him and to turn from their sins and we have the confident expectation that god most high will save a great multitude of them that no man can number and he'll do so from tribe tongue people and nation because christ is the savior of the world in fact turn back to the prophet isaiah in chapter 49 isaiah 49 we're going to close this in just a few minutes but in isaiah chapter 49 we see that emphasis in a prophetic passage again these are servant songs of the lord four of them in the prophet isaiah various facets of the work of the lord jesus christ the most famous of course it's chapter 53 the one where he is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief a passage that that we could almost call isaiah an apostle because it's so evangelistic so evangelical but notice in chapter 49 at verse 5 and now the lord says who formed me from the womb to be his servant to bring jacob back to him so that israel is gathered to him for i shall be glorious in the eyes of the lord and my god shall be my strength think about that too in light of what he says in verse 32 my my my my food is to do the will of him who sent me see that's still operative even in the pre-incarnate state as well it is to finish his work same sort of thing here in verse 5 i shall be glorious in the eyes of the lord and my god shall be my strength indeed he says it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of jacob and to restore the preserved ones of israel i will also give you as a light to the gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth lo and behold we come to a samaritan city in the first century and we find that it's not israel that's confessing this but rather it's samaria that's confessing this again an indictment upon the religious condition of the first century jews at the time of the messiah he is the savior of the world and again world is not all men without dis exception but it's without distinction you could be a jew you could be a samaritan you could be a gentile you could be one of those categories of persons what qualifies you for salvation is nothing it's that you have the sin that you need to be saved from and that it's god in his good pleasure who has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world well in conclusion let's visit those main categories again the testimony of the woman i cannot escape the connection between this woman and what we have in the song of solomon the song of solomon is about christ and his church the puritan john owen describes it this way the whole book of canticles which is another name for song is designed to no other purpose but variously to show forth to insinuate and represent the mutual love of christ in the church blessed is he who understands the sayings of that book and has the experience of them in his heart that's the best hermeneutical help you'll get for the book of song of solomon but in song of solomon there's a bit where the bride describes her man now listen to how the bride describes her man it's not the way we would there's an eastern situation here we usually say he's got you know nice biceps or she's got a pretty face or something like that that's essentially what the bride is doing but in sort of a convention that we wouldn't typically operate in she says my beloved is white and ruddy chief among ten thousand his head is like the finest gold his locks are wavy and black as a raven his eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set his cheeks are like a bed of spices banks of scented herbs his lips are lilies dripping liquid myrrh his hands are rods of gold set with barrel his body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires his legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold his countenance is like lebanon excellent as the cedars his mouth is most sweet yes he is altogether lovely this is my beloved and this is my friend o daughters of jerusalem now i realized that the samaritan woman didn't get in to that degree of detail i i get that but it's what happens in chapter 6 of song verse 1 that really resonates in terms of what happens with this woman's testimony to the men in the village the daughters of jerusalem say where has your beloved gone o fairest among women where has your beloved turned aside that we may seek him with you see that's what this woman does this woman tells the villagers come see a man who told me all things that i ever did again brethren i don't think she did it in some rose depressed sorrowful way she's probably bubbly she is probably joyful she is probably delighted come see a man that resonated with these men they leave according to verse 30 they come down the hillside they're the living embodiment of the fields being white unto harvest they come they testify they affirm that he is both christ and he is the son of god so the bride describes her man in this particular way in such a way that the persons to whom she describes him have this response where is he that we might find him too brethren as evangelists as pastors as preachers as those who teach the word of god we describe christ the way christ is he's all together lovely he's chief among ten thousand he saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto him through or all who draw an eye unto god through him we ought to take the scripture light this woman to bring it to bear upon others not in obnoxiousness not in a horrible sort of a way but in this manner of the pearl merchant who finds this pearl of greatest price and he delights in it the church of christ has everything in christ and therefore she must be about preaching him and him crucified in him resurrected in such a manner and in such a fashion that the spirit is well pleased to bless and attend and open hearts so that like these samaritans they are able to see that he is the christ and that he is in fact the savior of the world that is an encouragement for the church today and for sinners today listen to jesus certainly listen to the woman of samaria certainly listen to these samaritans uh villagers who testify that he is the christ and he is the the savior of the world but be in the word of god read the gospel narratives learn of jesus read luke 15 if you're a sinner and you're and by sinner i mean all of us are sinners but there are some say by grace and others that are not and if you're one of the others that are not don't despair don't sorrow don't be distressed rather come and see listen to the savior read luke 15 see the heart of jesus see his benevolence see his beneficence see that john 3 16 is a reality god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life this is john's goal for you today he says in verses 30 and 31 in chapter 20 and truly jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that you not me i have by grace but you is what he says in chapter 20 in verses 30 and 31 that you may believe that jesus is the christ the son of god and that believing you may have life in his name well let us pray our father in heaven we thank you for the encouragement that we have as a church to set forth christ you know in in all of his loveliness as prophet priest and king as the one who is the christ the one who is the savior of the world we thank you for that work of of redemption on behalf of the lord jesus we thank you for his fulfillment of all the law of god and his sacrifice and and death and resurrection again and lord we pray that wherever this gospel is proclaimed today that you would be pleased to save sinners from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and god bless and encourage our hearts and help us to to be faithful evangelists to invite others to come and to see the lord of glory and we pray in his most blessed name amen well you can turn in your hymn books and we'll close our service by singing 5 68 5 6 8 we'll stand as we sing to get us as we sing together [Music] is [Music] oh the grace of the lord jesus christ and the love of god and the communion of the holy spirit be with you all amen father we thank you and we praise you and we bless you for your gracious salvation we know we didn't earn it we know that we haven't worked for it we know it isn't dependent upon our performance but it's because of what christ has done in finishing the work that the father had given to him both in his life and in his death and again in his resurrection we have everything necessary for salvation we give praise to you for the lord jesus again bless the gospel as it is proclaimed this day and we pray in his name amen please be seated for a brief time of meditation you