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B. In the Son as the Reality

We worship the Father in the Son as the reality (John 4:23-24). The Samaritan woman in John 4 tried to contend with the Lord Jesus by saying, "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, yet you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men must worship" (v. 20). The Jews said this based upon Deuteronomy 12, which refers to Jerusalem as the unique place ordained by God for His people's worship. We have to refer the saints back to Deuteronomy 12 and tell them that the very worship ordained by God was with two regulations. First, it had to be in the unique, central place chosen by God, and second, it was with all the rich surplus of the produce of the good land. All the children of Israel in the ancient times had to worship God by keeping these two regulations.

The Lord pointed out to the Samaritan woman that the age had changed. Deuteronomy 12 was the typology, but in the New Testament we have the reality and the fulfillment. In typology the unique worship place was Jerusalem, and in the fulfillment this place is our spirit. Today our spirit is the actual Jerusalem where God's habitation is. Furthermore, the surplus of the produce of the good land was a type of the riches of Christ. Christ is the reality of all the offerings from the riches of the good land, including the burnt offering, the meal offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the wave offering, the heave offering, and the drink offering. All these offerings were the surplus of the produce of the good land as types of Christ who is the real surplus, the real offerings. Thus, in John 4:23-24 the human spirit replaces Jerusalem as the unique worship center and Christ replaces all the offerings, the surplus of the good land.

1. By Experiencing the Son as the Good Land

Our worship to the Father in the Son as the reality is by experiencing the Son as the good land (Deut. 8:7).

2. By Enjoying the Riches of the Son
as the Rich Produce of the Good Land

We worship the Father in the Son as the reality by enjoying the riches of the Son as the rich produce of the good land (Deut. 8:8-10).

3. By Presenting the Son
to the Father as the Peace Offering

We worship the Father by presenting the Son to the Father as the peace offering (Lev. 3:1, 6, 12; 7:11-13).


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Basic Lessons on Service   pg 34