 All right, welcome back to the second session. Hope you all are feeling awake and alive. Cool. I hope that a short lesson on Encounter was helpful and I mean, I'll share the PDF with you as well. I've shared the PDF with those online. Do you all have like a class WhatsApp group or something? Then I'll probably share it with one of you and you can put it on WhatsApp group. I'll share the PDF of the Encounter notes and you can, yeah. Yeah, it's a very serious subject of mind encounter. It's there's so much more to learn about it. But then now today we will move on page 20 in your notes. Page 20 in your notes. We resume from Worship Defies Definition. Is it there? Is it there? Is it a different page number or something? 18. Oh, is it? Okay. I need to check that then. Okay. Okay. So Worship Defies Definition. And we start talking about, we go to John chapter four now. John chapter four. The verse mentioned there is 23 and 24. But I mentioned, right? Out of all the four Gospels, John is the only gospel that talks about worship. Like directly using the word worship. Okay. John chapter four. I want to read from verse 21. Okay. John chapter four verse 21 onwards. It says 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. Okay. Underline that if you have to. We worship what we do know. For salvation is from the Jews. Verse 23. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. If it isn't already underlined in your Bible, you can underline that. For they are the king of worshipers. They're the kind of worshipers. Sorry. The father seeks God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. Okay. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. Okay. So we can talk about this again. It's been spoken about so much in the topic of worship worldwide. Google worship and one of the teachings is definitely beyond John chapter four and whatnot. Right. But it's very interesting. Father is seeking. Yeah. Father is seeking. Pastors, evangelists, missionaries, all of them are important by the way. Right. You know, thank God for pastors. Thank God for evangelists. Thank God for missionaries. Right. Thank God for apostles and whatnot. But then father is seeking, not just worshipers, not just, he's not even saying a father is seeking worship. It's very important. He's not saying father is seeking worshipers or he's not saying father is seeking worship. Just worship. He's seeking true worshipers. Now we'll talk about this in the next class if you have the time. If there is true worshipers, that means there are false worshipers. Yeah. If there are true worshipers, that means there are false worshipers. So we'll park that idea in the basement. They are in the basement. So we'll park it there. We'll talk about it a little later in the next chapter. Right. So one of the first things, the reason I want to read from 21 and 22 at least is Jesus says, use Samaritans. Do not know. I mean, use Samaritans worship. What do you do not know? Everybody say do not know. Okay. That means there is no knowledge. No knowledge. Right. Knowledge. The word knowledge comes from the word know, isn't it? So no knowledge. That means they don't have an understanding. There is no. In other words, there is no revelation. Are you with me? Use Samaritans worship something that you don't have a revelation of. But we worship what we do know. Right. So that means Jesus is saying we are worshiping with an understanding. We worship because we have a revelation. Revelation comes with an encounter. Remember. Don't forget encounter. Okay. Now we finally come to verse 23 and saying but the hour is coming and now when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and truth. But the father is seeking such to worship him. God is spirit. For those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. So very quickly. What does it mean to worship him in spirit? Everybody say in spirit. Okay. It's the Holy Spirit. Okay. It's not the other kind of spirit. Okay. The Holy Spirit. So the first thing is in spirit simply means we worship him by the power of the Holy Spirit that abides in us. Right. We worship him by the power of the Holy Spirit that abides in us. In your notes. Just look at it. It says the true worshipper worships from his heart, from his innermost being, from the core of his being with everything with him, not half heartedly lacking in zeal. Right. True worshippers worship from their hearts, from their innermost being. True worship is our spirit corresponding with God's spirit. Okay. True worship is our spirit corresponding with God's spirit. Corresponding simply means communication. That's what correspondence is. Right. Our spirit is communicating with his spirit. And speaking of the gift of tongues is a beautiful way in how we communicate. Now. Okay. When you can't hear me or when I can't hear you, what do I do? When I ask is like, hey, Sean, I can't hear you. What do I do? I changed my posture. I started doing this. Right. What's that? Yes or no? Right. Sean, I can't hear you. Can you be a little louder? Most of the times that is also what we do when we can't hear God or when we want to hear God. Okay. We try to hear him in the physical. God, what do you think? I can't hear you. Do we do that? Or is it just me who's done that? What are you saying? I'm trying too hard to listen to him, to hear him in my physical, natural year. Are you with me? But so many times when I'm not even trying hard, this happens. I don't know why this happens only to me, but most of the times it's like when I'm vacuuming the house, you know, when I'm just vacuuming, you know, like such a mundane thing, vacuuming and suddenly he's like, he speaks to my heart and is like, oh, where did that come from? When I'm so relaxed in my spirit, when I'm so relaxed physically and what not, he looks for the point of rest and say, okay, and he speaks. Has anybody else had that moment? Like while cooking, that must be God. Yeah. It happens all the time is because he's spirit, he speaks to our spirit. Right? I want to just briefly talk about this one thing and we'll talk about this in chapter eight, maybe. But the first thing what happened in the Garden of Eden at the fall when Adam sinned and Adam and Eve sinned, when God comes and asks Adam, where are thou? Where are you? Once again, God is asking a question. Doesn't mean he didn't know where they were. It's like their spirit was disconnected from the spirit of God. That's what sin is. That's what sin is. It separates your spirit from the spirit of God. The minute John chapter three verse 16, forgot so a lot of the world that he was only begotten son, whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. The minute, that moment when you say, I believe in the Lord Jesus, I receive him as my personal Lord and Saviour, your spirit and his spirit is reunited. You are, that's what we call it as born again. Right? And now there's a clear highway for him to communicate to you and for you to communicate with him. Right? And so that is the point of what we are talking about here is that we worship him by the Holy Spirit that abides in us. Right? And then we say, okay, there's Holy Spirit, you teach me how to worship you. Isn't it? I mean, that's the easiest way, you know, easiest prison worship course you can never do it. You teach me how to worship you and he'll teach you and you can just worship. So that's the thing, right? You worship him in the spirit that we worship by the power of the Holy Spirit that abides in us. See that word there, it says by the power. Everybody say power. Okay, how many of you know that Holy Spirit is power? You know that, right? He is power. And I can't even begin to describe or define that. Does anybody here drive a car? So we all understand the difference between a manual steering and an automatic steering sorry, a power steering. We do, right? Have you seen the manual truck drivers of those days where they'll start turning from this side? It's very hard to turn a truck with manual. And then nowadays you see Volvo bus drivers you know, it's like Dosa, you know, it's like this power steering. Isn't it? When we try to worship with our own strength, you'll be exhausted. So you are trying to do everything. You are trying to make things happen and then Holy Spirit comes into this thing. It's like, hey, chill. He just relax, hey. And then he makes it look so easy. You know, just left turn. 360, whatever you want to do, right? He is raw power. Another instance in the scriptures we see that you know, when Gabriel is talking with Mary the mother of Jesus, right? So Gabriel comes and says, you're going to be pregnant. You're going to carry the Lord and she says, okay, how is this going to how is this possible? I've never been with a man before. What does Gabriel say? The Spirit of God will come over you. Yeah? Think about this, guys. The Spirit of God will come over you. We are talking about an eternal God, right? He has been there from everlasting to everlasting. We don't our minds can't comprehend that, right? I keep saying this so many times. And so for the Holy Spirit to, you know, to come over her, Mary and make this eternal God into like a seed and place it in a room can you imagine the power of that? Right? And so worshiping him in spirit is not a suggestion. It's not one of the suggestions. It's like, you know, I think it'll be nice sister if you can worship him in the spirit. It's a nice suggestion. It's not a nice idea. Let's worship him in. It's a command. It's not like you have another option. You worship him in the spirit or, you know, you have to worship him in the spirit and that's made possible because you are born again. Are you with me? Right? So that is worshiping him in the spirit and then the next thing it goes on to say is worship him in truth. Everybody say truth. Okay. What is truth is we worship him according to the revealed word of God. So this is truth. Right? We worship him according to the revealed, say revealed revealed revelation. Right? So in truth, the true worshipper worships in sincerity without any tense or hypocrisy. The true worshippers true worshipper worships as prescribed in God's word. For God's word is truth. God's word is right? John chapter 17 verse 17 it says, right? Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Okay. The John chapter 17 verse 17 is there in the notes. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Remember you know, Jesus starts off the conversation by saying, you Samaritans worship that you something that you do not know. No knowledge. There is no revelation isn't it? That's very one verse. Can someone read Psalm 119 verse 18? I hope you finish underlining that whole Psalm. All those words that I Psalm 119 verse 18 very quickly. Open my eyes. Okay. Okay. Let's all of us read the verse together. Okay. English version. Psalm 119 verse 18. Is everybody there? Okay. Five more seconds. Psalm 119 verse 18. We'll read together. Join us guys online. Okay. Ready. Read. Thanks. So open my eyes. There is a revelation that I may see the wondrous the different translations use different words like the beautiful things of your word or law. Everything points to God's word. Right. And so I mean there are times when you read the Bible you just keep reading and reading and reading and then there are times like oh. So that's what it is. You give what I'm saying? Yeah. So that's a revelation right there. So we worship him according to his word in the revealed word of God. So that's worshiping him in truth. Okay. Let me just go fast forward now to the next page. Are you guys with me so far guys? Okay. The next page we begin to talk about what happens when we worship God. So we spoke about what is worship recognizing him, reverence for God, communion with God. Worship is our response to an encounter with God worshiping him in spirit and in truth what it stands for. And now we look at what happens when we worship. Okay. What happens when we worship? Worship does not add anything to God or change God. Okay. That's the first thing we need to understand that. Okay. It changes us. We are changed when we worship. Okay. So the first thing is worship transforms us. Let's go to Psalm 115. Psalm 115. Psalm 115 verse 4 to 8. Okay. It says like this. But their idols are silver and gold made by the hands of men. They have mouths but cannot speak. Eyes but they cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear. Noses but they cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel. Feet but they cannot walk. Nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Verse 8 those who make them will be like them and who will all and so will all who trust in them. Okay. Remember those lines. Those who make them will be like them. Okay. What's the first point? The worship transforms or changes right. You become like the one you worship. Okay. You must have heard that before. You become like the one you worship. Now in the first classes we've learned that worship is simply what affection, your devotion anything that you give your time to. Right. And so you know you just think about one thing day and night, night and day what not. You are worshiping that object. You are worshiping that person and what not. In verse 8 it says you become like the idols that they worship. They have everything, all the features and what not but they can't do anything. Let's look at Exodus chapter 34 was 27 or 30 to 30. Exodus chapter 34 can someone read that please for the class Exodus 34 27 to 30. Right. Thank you. So another aspect of worship is just you spending time with God, isn't it? Something that we learned. Yeah. This is you spending time with them, you being with him. So that's the kind of thing what Moses was doing. He was in his presence you know hearing from God, having communion and what not. And so he did not realize that his face was shining of God's glory. Once again highlighting the point is that you become like the one worship. Okay. Once again we'll learn more about this in the next chapter is when you've been with Jesus. Okay. When you've been with Jesus everybody around you will know that you have been with Jesus. Can I say that again? When you've spent time with Jesus, when you've sat in his presence and you come out, everybody around you will know that you have spent time with Jesus. Here we see that in the physical example in Moses' life you know that he had to cover his face. That means everybody in the camp of Israel knew where Moses was. Right. He just doesn't come with some makeup. He just didn't go up the mountain. Everybody knew that Moses was in the very presence of God. And same thing happens in our lives as well. Okay. That's the first thing. What does worship do? It changes and transforms us. Right. You become like the one you worship. If you worship the dead things, idolatry stuff you become just like them. You know, life less. That's what it is. Okay. The second thing, we experience the presence of God. Right. We experience God's presence. In worship we become more aware of and experience God's presence. In worship knowledge becomes experience. You can underline that, highlight that. Okay. In worship knowledge becomes experience. Right. In worship, okay, you've heard okay, God is like this. God is like that. He is amazing. He is wonderful and whatnot. You have all that knowledge but in worship all of that becomes experience. Like you're encountering Him. You're tasting His goodness, everything. Like firsthand. Right. That's what it says in James chapter 4 was a draw near to God and He will draw near to you. It's not saying that He might draw near to you. He doesn't say that, you know God will think about it drawing near to you when you draw near to Him. When you choose to get close to Him, He will get close to you. Right. You agree with me? Deuteronomy chapter 4 was 29 it says, but if from there you seek the Lord your God you will find Him. If you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Okay. The word seek is E-E-K doesn't mean that you just search and give up. You keep searching until you find that thing. Okay. And that's what seek here is. Okay. You keep seeking until you find Him. You keep reading. You keep reading and reading and reading until you hear His voice. Okay. Until you hear Him speak from His word. So that's the second thing in worship we experience God's presence. And finally, worship empowers us to rule and reign. Okay. Worship empowers us to rule and reign. Revelation 1, 5 to 6 it says, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first born from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and made us kings and priests for what? To His God and Father He made us Revelation chapter 1 verse 5 and 6. Right. Verse 6. He made us kings and priests to His God the Father to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9 but you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a royal priesthood. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9 okay. And all of these scriptures are there in the verse in your notes. I'm just reading of them. Okay. Just a couple of highlights over here. Very quickly. Let's go to Exodus chapter 19. Exodus chapter 19. Yeah. Easy book to find. Exodus 19 verse 4 onwards it says you yourself have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself and aligned myself. Okay. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Okay. You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Now a long story short the heart of God from the beginning is the entire nation of Israel will be a holy nation, a priesthood. It was not just a levitical priest, the tribe of Levi. But then again if you read the book of Exodus then eventually Moses comes and says who was on the Lord's side come this side. And it says only the Levites came and joined Moses. And it just from there the tribe of Levite became the priesthood. Until Jesus was crucified on the cross and shed his blood he made a way for all of us right now like we read in Revelation chapter 1 verse 5 and 6 that we are all made kings and priests. Okay. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9 it says royal priesthood. There are two different words it's kind of contradicts. Royal and priesthood when you say royal what comes to your mind? Kings, Queen Prince, Princess. That's royalty right? And you don't think of priesthood when you think of royalty sacrifice, fire, burning altar, dirty hands all of that. But here that is what worship is doing us is in worship we are empowered to rule and reign. Okay. This is caught by Bill Johnson. He says we rule with the heart of a servant. Okay. I said that again. We rule with the heart of a servant but we serve with the heart of a king. Okay. I hope you get the depth of it but yeah, we rule with the heart of a servant and we serve with the heart of a king. Okay. So the three simple things that what worship does what happens when we worship is worship changes us. We experience the presence of Lord worship empowers us to rule and reign. Right. Can someone read Matthew chapter 4 verse 8 and 10. Thanks. Right. So the devil knows the power of worship. All he wants us to do is bow down to him. That's exactly what he wanted Jesus to do, isn't it? But Jesus responds classically. We know the story of it. So the point is beware like it says in Psalm 115 Psalm 115 verse 8 we just read. You become like the one you worship. Be very mindful of whom you worship guys. Right. Are you guys with me? So in conclusion just I want to skip to page 24 in your pdf. I don't know what your notes are talking about. Page 24 I think must be page 22 for you. And I want to very quickly keeping in mind that Matthew chapter 4 was 8 and 10. Right. We should be very careful with whom we worship what we worship. I want to talk about the hindering attitudes in worship, hindering attitudes in worship. We've spoken at length about pride in this class. Right. We've read a lot of scriptures. I don't want to go back and read all the scriptures that we've read. If you want to write it down you can go back and check it out. Proverbs chapter 16 verse 18. Proverbs 16 verse 18. Proverbs chapter 6 verse 16. Isaiah 14 chapter 14 verse 13 and 15, 13 to 15. I mean there's so many things that you can study about pride. The opposite of pride is humility. But that we've spoken at length. I would encourage you as your personal study in your personal quiet time. You can look up all those scriptures from the Bible on humility. Just do that for your own exercise. When I say all, that means there will be a lot of verses. But it's very important. One of the hindering attitudes in worship is pride. What does it do? Why should I worship? I know better. I don't need anyone to worship. I am better than everybody else. The second thing is irreverence. We do not rever God's nature. We expect His blessings to be showered on us without any sacrifice. Investment of prayer or humbled repentance on our part. No reverence. Why should I pray? Why should I do anything if He wants to bless me? Let Him bless me. That's another attitude of worship. The third one is spectatorism. I'm just going to keep my eyes open. I'm just going to look around and see how Shira is worshiping. I'm just going to look around and see how Shira is worshiping. I'm just going to be a spectator. I'm not going to engage in worship. That's an attitude that you don't want to have. Sentimentalism. The music means more to the worshipper than the message of the song. Amen. Overly familiar songs are in danger of becoming sentimental for us. Lord, I give you my heart. I give you my soul. How many heart do you have? We put music more important than the message of the song. Point 5. Paying me a lip service. Paying me a lip service. Just singing the song. Being a spectator, Lord, I give you my heart. I give you my soul. I live for you alone. Every breath that I take every moment I'm away. Lord, have you away in me. What's happening over there? Say, you know the song by heart just coming naturally but then yeah. So let's move on. Fear of manipulation. Fear of being controlled by the worship leader. I don't want to lift my hands only because the worship leader is saying why should I do what he's saying or she's saying why should I close my eyes? I want to keep my eyes open. I don't want to be manipulated. Okay. Resisting change. We have never done it this way before. Resisting change. We have sung only hymns, brother. We don't want to sing any new song. For 70 years we've been singing only hymns. Who are you to come and tell us to sing a new song? Okay. Sometimes there is a fear of change. But the psalm says he's put a new song. In our hearts. A hymn of praise to our God. Right. Again, all of these points are very familiar. Most of you already know about all these things but these are the hindering attitudes in worship. Okay. I want to actually stop here and conclude this section with this chapter and the next class chapter 6 or whatnot. Okay. Any questions or anything to share? Did you learn something? All of you online. I hope you all are doing well. Shivkumar, Karan, Prabhu, all okay? Arila? All good? Nina? Jachan? Yeah. Okay. Fantastic. Thanks, guys. Cool. So we'll meet again next week and go through the next part. All right. Let's pray and we'll conclude. Father, thank you once again for this time, Lord, that we could learn from your word. I pray that your word will bear fruit in our lives, Jesus. We once again give you all the glory, honor, power and praise in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Good day. Take care. Take care, everyone.