Would you take your Bibles and
turn with me to the book of John, chapter 18. John, chapter 18. I'd like to read one verse. John 18, verse 1. John 18, verse 1. When Jesus
had spoken these words, He had just prayed that high priestly
prayer. He went forth with his disciples
over the book Cedron, or Kedron, where was a garden into the which
he entered and his disciples. This verse of scripture Let me
tell you where I'm going with it. Let me tell you the end. I'd like for us to see the absolute
heart and obedience of worship. Worship. Here is the actual exhibition
of true worship. I want us to worship today. I
don't want us to come and just fill in time. I truly want us to worship. And
as we read God's Word, may the Spirit of God truly enliven our hearts to do so. I want that. I want that. I want
my heart to be ignited as the two on the road to Emmaus. Didn't
our heart burn as He opened unto us the Scripture? Wouldn't it
be wonderful if we could just leave today and just say, you
know, what a Savior. That's what we were just saying
about. What a Savior. This Scripture says that there
was a book that the Lord He's crossed over. He's getting ready
to go into the garden of Gethsemane. He's getting ready to go and
pray. And though the book that we're
looking at right now, John, John doesn't mention, I'm going to
read a verse or two out of a different account, out of Matthew, but
John didn't mention all of the Particulars. Under the inspiration
of God's Spirit, the Lord had John write just exactly what
he wrote. I mean, next week, Lord willing,
we look at 2 and on. It picks up where Judas is getting
ready to come and betray him, but all of those particulars
in there. John didn't mention it. What
he mentioned was, he mentioned that the Lord went over this
brook. Now this was not the first time
that this particular brook. I want you to turn to 2 Samuel
chapter 15. 2 Samuel 15. It's an account
of of when David was being pursued
by his son Absalom. Absalom, David's son. What had happened was Absalom
was raised up in his heart and he wanted the kingdom. That's
what he did. I don't think I'll wait on my
dad. I think I'll want it now. And David loved his son. This is his son. This is Absalom. And Absalom was stealing the
heart. He was going back behind and,
you know, conniving and talking to people. Telling them, say,
I love you. I'm your best friend. All the while, he's trying to
get the heart of the people. stealing the heart of the people,
get them to go after Absalom instead of David. And scripture
says in 2 Samuel 15 verses 10-14, Absalom sent spies throughout
all the tribes of Israel saying, as soon as you hear the sound
of the trumpet, then you'll say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. What
he's saying is, as soon as you hear that, I'm it. I'm the king. And with Absalom went 200 men
out of Jerusalem that were called. They went out in their simplicity.
It means that they knew not anything. They didn't realize what Absalom
was really getting them to do. They did it ignorantly. They just went out, searching
out. He sent out their spies, but
they were unaware that that's what Absalom was thinking. And
Absalom, verse 12, sent for Ahithophel, the Giloite, David's counselor,
from his city, even unto Gilo, while he offered sacrifices.
And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually
with Absalom. And there came a messenger to
David saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
David said, and all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem,
arise and let us flee, but we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest he
overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city
with the edge of the sword. Now just stay right there and
second Samuel for a minute. David's been informed of what's
going on. He told them, he said, the people,
they're going toward Absalom. And David said, we've got to
go. And they said, you know, Hithophel,
your friend, your counselor, he's aligned himself with Absalom
too. Now let me ask you this, do we
not see in that alignment of Ahithophel, his friend, David's
friend, David's counselor, one that David's listened to, stayed
with, talked with, do we not see a picture here of Judas? Picture, look here was Judas
now. And more than likely, This may have been the event, may
have been the event, when David penned Psalm 41, verse 9, actually,
my own familiar friend. Now I know, and you know, that
that was a picture of prophecy of Judas himself who would betray
the Lord. But the Spirit of God took an
event like this. Now here's a picture. You remember
when the Lord said on those two roads to Emmaus, beginning at
Moses and all the prophets. In all the scriptures He expounded
those things concerning Himself. Now here's David. And David is
being pursued by his son Absalom. And he's being informed of what's
going on, what's happening back at home. And he's told him, he
said, Ahithophel, your friend, is with Absalom. And David said,
let's flee. Now David was fleeing. David was a mighty man. He was
a warrior. David was not a timid man, but
he knew this is all falling out according to God's Word, God's
will, God's purpose. Let's go. Protecting the people. Let Absalom come in and just
take it all, he said, let's go. And let me tell you why. He knew
that it was of the Lord. Stay right there in 2 Samuel.
Turn back to 2 Samuel 12. It's not very long before this. This is what happened. Here was
David, a man after God's own heart. A man that God loved. And Almighty God allowed David
to do just exactly what David wanted to do. And oh, well, number
one, the pain that David went through for the rest of his life,
and the lesson that we've learned from reading this. But let me
tell you what happened. There was a woman named Bathsheba,
just a few chapters before, chapter 15, where we were. And David
looked at her, saw her one night, she was bathing, he took her,
committed adultery with her, and had her husband killed. You know the story. 2 Samuel
12, verse 7 to 13, here's the reason that David knew what's
falling out. Absalom's coming after me, his
own boy coming after me, and this is according to God's Word,
God's will. The scripture says in 2 Samuel
12, starting in verse 7, Nathan said to David, Nathan came and
told him that story about the little ewe lamb. You know the
story. Nathan said to David, thou art
the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel,
I anointed thee king over Israel. I delivered thee out of the hand
of Saul. I gave thee thy master's house, thy master's wives into
thy bosom. Gave thee the house of Israel
and of Judah. And if that had been too little,
I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things, wherefore
thou hast despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his
sight. Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with a sword, hast
taken his wife to be thy wife, hast slain him with the sword
of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall
never depart from thine own house, because thou hast despised me,
hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus
saith the Lord, behold, I will raise up evil against thee out
of thine own house, and will take thy wives before thine eyes
and give them unto thy neighbor. He shall lie with thy wives in
the sight of this son. For thou didst it secretly, But
I will do this thing before all Israel and before the Son." The
Lord said, because of what you've done, your problems are going
to come right out of your own house. They're going to take
your wives. They're going to do it. You did
it secretly, and I'm going to expose everything. And David
knew this is what's going to happen. So wisely. Who knows? Maybe God will have
mercy. Let's go ahead and leave because God said that out of
my own house I'm going to have problems and my wives are going
to be taken. Let's go. Let's go. So the scripture
says he fled. He fled and went over this same
brook that the Lord went over. The scripture sets forth in 2
Samuel, back in chapter 15, 2 Samuel 15, flip back, in verse 30, 32. Here's what happens. And David went up by ascent of
Mount Olive and Webb. They went over. And as he went
up, He had his head covered. He went barefoot. All the people
that was with him covered every man in his head and they went
up weeping as they went up and one told David saying Ahithophel
is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord,
I pray Thee turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. It came to pass that when David
was come to the top of the mount where he worshipped God. Behold,
Hushai, the Harchite, came to meet him with his coat rent and
his earth, and earth, I'm sorry, upon his head. He had gone, crossed
over the brook, went into that garden weeping, knowing that
he'd done wrong, God Almighty had put him exactly where he
was. There was David in anguish. But
do we not see a beautiful picture of our Lord and His obedience
and His suffering in the redemption of His people? Now let me tell
you why David was there. David was there because of his
own sin. because of his own rebellion. He had rebelled against God,
he disobeyed God, and he was guilty. That's the reason that
he went across that brook. About a thousand years later,
the Lord of Glory would cross that same brook, not because
of his own sins, but preparing to be made sin for all that the
Father had everlastingly loved and gave him to be the surety. David went across praying that God would have mercy
on all those that God had told him. He said, they're going to
take them. They're going to take your wives. They're going to
take them. The Lord Jesus Christ came across assuring that all
that were His were going to be kept, preserved in Him. David went across weeping because
of his own sins. And here the Lord Jesus Christ
turned with me to Matthew 26. Matthew chapter 26. Verse 36, 46. Here was the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now let me tell you what He's
praying. He's going to go to the cross, He's going to die.
That's not the cup that He's talking about. The cup that He's
talking about is being made sin. Being made sin. And listen to
the words, now this is another one of those verses where I don't
even want to try to enter into the depth. I think that there's
times that you can actually try to explain a scripture to the
point to where you absolutely take away the glory of it. Just let God be God and listen
to what the Lord has to say. Now here's the Lord who knows.
He's eternally stood as the surety. He knows He's going to be made
sin. He knows He is. And listen to His words and bow
to Him who prays thusly. Matthew 26, 36. Then cometh Jesus
with them, unto a place called Gethsemane
and saith unto the disciples, sit ye here while I go and pray
yonder. He took with him Peter and the
two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful, very heavy. Then saith he unto them, my soul
is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Tarry ye here and
watch with me." I read that and I think, here's the Lord. Here's the Lord, the beloved
Son, God in flesh, in human flesh. God who knows the end from the
beginning. Almighty God who knows that He
will redeem His people. And knowing all of that, He says,
I'm exceeding sorrowful, my soul. even unto death. And he went
a little further, fell on his face, prayed, saying, O my father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me nevertheless, not
as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples,
findeth them asleep, saith unto Peter, what? Could you not watch
with me one hour? Watch and pray that you enter
not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak. He went away again a second time
and prayed, saying, O my father, if this cup may not pass from
me except I drink it, thy will be done. He came and found them
asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. He left them, went
away again, prayed a third time, saying the same words. Then cometh
he to his disciples and saith unto them, sleep on now, take
your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand,
and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hand of sinners. Arise,
no, rise. Let us be going. Behold, he is
at hand that doth betray me. Truly, our Lord was a man of
sorrows, acquainted with grief. David, as a picture of the Lord
Jesus Christ, weeping because of his rebellion. And here's
the Lord of glory, his soul exceeding sorrowful, praying, Father, If
it be possible that this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not
my will, but thy will be done. Here is the very heart of worship. I'll just read this, I've got
this scripture written down. Here's what the scripture said,
we read it a moment ago, of David, 2 Samuel 15, 32. When David was
come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God. Now here was the situation. Absalom
is coming after his daddy. He's coming after his wives,
he's coming after everything. And David fled, crossed over
Kidron, the brook, the same brook, went to the top of the mountain,
weeping, praying, and the scripture says, he worshipped God. He worshipped. What is it again to worship God? I don't believe there's any better
explanation than what we just read concerning our Lord's Prayer
in the Garden of Gethsemane. Here's the very heart of worship. Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me. Here's the heart of worship,
nevertheless. Not as I will, but as thou wilt." That's the
heart of worship. We talk about worshiping God.
We come here today to worship. Worship the Lord. And this is
our prayer. Lord, not what we will. Lord, what You will. What You will. Worship is the relinquishing
of my will to His. Let me ask you this in closing.
Does He rule in heaven and earth? Does He rule in heaven and earth?
Scripture says He does. That's what Nebuchadnezzar prayed
under the inspiration of God's Spirit. He ruleth in the army
of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay
His hand. He's God. He worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will. Is He going to do whatever
He wants to? Yeah. Then worship is to say,
Lord, not my will, but Yours be done. Whenever Abraham was
told by God to sacrifice his son, his only son, Isaac, Isaac,
unto the Lord for a burnt offering, You take your son and you go
to the place that I'm going to show you, and I want you to offer
your son to me for a burnt offering." Abraham got Isaac, got some servants,
and they set out. When they came to the place,
God told him, he said, this is the place. When he came to that
place, this is what Abraham said, that boy was dead. In Abraham's
mind, that boy's dead. I'm going to sacrifice him. You
know what happened. He got Isaac up there and he
put Isaac on that altar. He took that knife and he raised
it up and the only reason he didn't kill that boy is because
God stopped him. But here's what he said to the
servants. getting ready to take that boy up there. He said, I
and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. Worship
is to bow to him, to bow to his word, to bow to his will. The
father had eternally given the son a charge. the surety ship,
to redeem and to save all that He had everlastingly loved and
in electing grace had given to the Son. That was the charge. And when
the time of the Lord's sacrifice was come, The scripture says
in John 18, 1, when Jesus had spoken these things, he went
forth with his disciples over the book Kidron, where was a
garden, into the place which he entered with his disciples. He went in obedience, and he
worshiped God. I pray this morning, Lord, give
us that heart to worship. to bow, to bow to your will,
come what may. David's plight was his son. Whatever your plight is or my
plight is, whatever our absalom is today, Lord, may I bow to
your will. You ordered that. Lord, give
me a heart to worship. and seek your face for your glory
and my good. Amen.