Worship — G.W. North

Shall we turn to the scriptures together beloved? I'm going to Make a valiant endeavor not to be too long because Martin Malcolm has said that he has a long list of notices that he wants to give out. He always does at these conferences and I hope you won't be too weary to listen to them and And again many of you have traveled a long way today, and I think probably I've traveled perhaps the shorter distance than most and I'm not so tired as most of you and it's lovely to see you and All the rest of the things you should know will be given by by Malcolm.

Seeing Jesus as the Beginning of Worship

I want to Ask you to turn with me for a short while by some standards to the gospel according to John and here beloved all I want to do is to pick up the the thing that God has concentrated on my heart and About which I want to talk to you tonight.

I Cannot say how glad I am. The the way the meeting has gone tonight, you know often in the opening meetings of conferences and I Suppose none. I'm not talking about the roar of conferences. The the The speakers get together afterwards and most people are sensible enough to have two or three speakers.

But I can't talk to myself. Afterwards they get together. They say bit sticky tonight, wasn't it? Did you find it was hard brother? I'll let you in on the on the secrets of these big-time speakers. That's the way they they go at it.

Oh, I found terrible resistance or or something like this you see and Well, I want to say Beloved that I am thrilled. I'll come to it a little later in the meeting and I'll tell you why. I Want first of all though To pick up this wonderful little statement that you will find in this twelfth chapter of John.

And it was said by the Greeks that came up to worship at the feast. You notice in verse 20. It says they came up to worship and They finished up by saying in verse 21 at the end we would see Jesus. That's what worship is all about and Until you do see Jesus you never will worship.

Never I said understood so clearly until the heart sees Jesus. It never will worship. It will not worship because it whips itself up by sundry choruses that says we ought to keep praising or something like that.

No heart can really worship. Till it sees the object of its worship, and I don't mean with the natural eyes particularly. One is groping through mists. Spurred on by many so-called exhortations and so on.

Vainly struggling to do its duty and as it is told. But until we really do see Jesus We just can't worship and that's the beginning and the end of the matter. In these things, you know. You might as well tell a dead man to get up and walk.

Let's tell a person that hasn't really come into Contact with Jesus to root to worship you see. Because these people were wanting to worship Jesus. We're wanting to worship and they come up to the feast and to them.

They were going to worship at the feast or in the feast or by the feast or for the feast. I don't know what they were going to do. Jesus Knew when the contact was made with him that hmm. This is what he said in verse 23 the hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

Because you can only worship a glorified Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus is glorious to you. And he knew that in order. For the Greeks that is the representatives of the Gentiles, which just about suits us tonight.

That when they were really wanting to worship He'd got to die. He knew that he'd got to fall into the ground and die. The hour had come when hearts were wanting to worship. The hours come father he said the hours come in there a marvelous thing.

I Wonder if the hour of worship has really come To you, and I don't mean strictly speaking an hour. But whether the time has ever occurred in your life when out of the maze of things the amazing maze of things You come to see Jesus it's really happened and I do want to say this that Although it is true.

You can't really worship the Lord till you see him. When you really get to that point it starts a glorious process. The more you worship him the more you will know. The more he will reveal himself to you the more reason you will have to worship him the more reason then for him to show himself to you afresh and Thus it goes on in this glorious unending cycle if it be a cycle It seems to me rather to be the straight road the ever widening way Where the glory and the vision and the knowledge of Jesus Christ comes increasingly upon the sight of the inward man and by power of spirit Above sensual things a man sees the Lord.

Hallelujah. Well, well, that's what God was wanting for every one of us may I? Push this further and then depart from this particular point because I've only taken this little phrase as a beginning that even John himself Who wrote the gospel?

Remember, I hope you can way back into the first chapter and He says in verse 14 that wonderful verse the word was made flesh and tabernacled among us and We beheld his glory. John in his Thinking of his gospel writing is really back to tabernacle days and in the tabernacle in the wilderness The glory of God was known we beheld his glory the glory.

As of an only begotten with a father full of grace and Truth you see. Hallelujah. Now that's wonderful. John begins here then he who followed the Lord Jesus Through his earthly life, and you will find him in the last chapter of his gospel following.

Slow Peter turns around says what's going to happen to him and the Lord says mind your own business. Peter you follow me lead John to follow. Glory be to God, and he's still following. You see at the end of the great gospel Blessed be the name of the Lord for an apostle with a heart of love that cannot let go.

Cannot you got a heart like that if you haven't got a heart of God. I'll give a heart of love. I'll prophesy to you. You'll let go. You'll let go. Somebody will have to mount a rescuer operation on your behalf.

Bless God for a heart that care. But you'll let go. You'll lag behind. You'll be a dropout in the Christian faith if you haven't got a heart of love well now We find him following at the end of the gospel.

We know of course don't we? Mm-hmm. That he wrote the revelation and when you come to the revelation he's passed from the temp the tabernacle to the temple. He talks about the temple and he's in the kingdom stage and it's a marvelous thing and He then you see has progressed in his spiritual life and here he gets a great Unfolding of this glorious law him who he knew on the earth.

Whom he followed whom he loved whom he served. To whom he listened whom he observed doing wonderful works. Who called him made him the man? Was fended off everybody like Peter that overpowering dominating man in the flesh until the Holy Ghost got hold of him, and he really came to life in God and God.

He brought it the Lord brought him right through and kept him and preserved him and all sorts of Marvelous things happened in his life and there in the revelation now he sees him so different so glorious.

Now his worship is like this. I fell at his feet as one dead. Right down at his feet everything that left him. Why when the Queen of Sheba saw Solomon in all his glory and She made her great statements about the king of King of Israel who said blessed are the servants and blessed is this and blessed is that and blessed is the other.

She said the half was never told me. I saw it all and there was no breath left in me. But she was speaking quite figuratively. You know it's good to come out of figurative things when you're really in this place of love and worship.

It's good to come out of figures of speech. It's good to come into basic reality. John though he falls down. When he sees the Lord as one dead at his feet. Everything had been brought to death now. Everything was finished.

Everything was alive and opened unto the Lord in a new and glorious way and he loved him and he loved him and he became his amanuensis as Jesus wanted him to write to us beloved. And what precious things he wrote.

What Unfoldings of truths never before though what glimpses into the future. What enlightening of the eyes of the church for he became the great eyes of the church? And this is why God gives some Apostles to look into these things and see these Marvelous Wonderful things about Jesus and.

And we've got the letter on it we've got the revelation and So I want to turn with me into the book of the revelation. Mm-hmm and in chapter one. And two. Just to catch up the thinking Where already I have gone and John is seeing The Lord as he is in the midst of the seven candlesticks verse 13.

He's like the Son of Man. Praise. God Doesn't say he's like God. He was God like the Son of Man. He wasn't the Son of Man like God. All right. Like the Son of Man and And Tells us describing him Right from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.

Describes him and then He says In verse it says in chapter 2 verse 1 unto the angel of the church of Ephesus. Write these things says he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand. Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks and so he goes on?

Speaking from the Lord Jesus Christ actually writing down These wonderful things that he saw and What a blessed thing this is. You know beloved. The church is the place where men ought to see Jesus. He had this message to the seven churches and it was to the angel or messenger or star that is a light giver of The church the Message was written that through him it may be Relayed on to the church.

Jesus is there and beloved in the midst of the churches is Where men and women ought to see Jesus. That's where they ought to see him. John said I did. I saw it in the midst of the churches. Glory be to the name of the Lord and that is where he worshipped right there.

Who I Praise God. I saw this and see this so clearly if I understand John if I understand right I Understand this that no man has any ministry. He has nothing to preach and nothing to write unless first.

He is a worshipper of Jesus. It doesn't come from talent. It doesn't come by gift. It doesn't come by ordination or call. Neither did it come from maturity or growth though. These all must be taken into account.

It comes from worship. The ministry of God flows from worship. Ha worship of Jesus seeing Jesus. Hearing Jesus. I don't mean voices calling out to you know. I hear people often quoting this voice about verse about.

You'll hear a voice Behind you. Saying this that but that's only if you're going to go wrong. It says if you turn to the right hand to the left if you keep going straight, you won't hear it apparently.

I Wish people read their Bibles properly. You will hear me say this again and again, I'm always said it nobody hardly reads the Bible properly. That's the great tragedy. You only hear the voice if you're going to go wrong.

Yeah, you read that verse again if you turn to the right hand or the left. How often does this come in so much that's thought to be prophecy people trotting out their favorite cliches from the Bible? Stored up in the memory given out at an appropriate juncture.

It's only when you're going to turn wrong that the voice will speak. And I'd much rather the Lord speak to me from in front of me than from behind wouldn't you. Yes John saw him there. He worshipped him.

And he loved him and he had something to say and something to write. Something to give. But has become a treasure in the bosom of the church. From the moment it left his pen now. This is where he sees.

Right there in the midst of the churches. Glory be to God. I Do most verily believe and times from for me does but serve this point that It's only as we Know the Lord does that anything real and vital is ever going to be accomplished for him.

Hallelujah. Amen and amen and amen. Do you see the Lord do you? Right in the midst of the churches. That's where he's got to be seen. Walking there moving around. Everything moving. And as he speaks. This is what he says as we move down say to verse 7 in chapter 2.

He that hath an ear. Let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches so the Living Lord Whom John by vision was privileged to see walking in the midst of the churches. Though he is not now seen by any visionary Is walking still in the midst of the churches and he is saying here's the communication of Jesus which says and you remember it is this book that says that it is the What is it.

That's the spirit of prophecy. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and therefore you're to hear what the spirit Is saying in the midst of the churches. Jesus was there testifying In the churches and He says you're to hear what the spirit says.

Now beloved how vital it is then that you and I should be in such glorious relationship with the Lord Jesus. That the spirit really starts to talk to us. When the spirit talks in a meeting beloved It's Jesus.

It's the glorious risen Christ of God. When the spirit starts to speak. Hmm, and when you hear the spirit you hear the voice of Jesus speaking to us glory. You know the Apostles Weren't used to this in the early days.

You see they'd seen Jesus often. They lived with him followed him. Listen to him Served him as we've already said. But Jesus was crucified. Jesus died. Jesus rose again. Jesus went back to heaven and They they know they were used to sort of power works they did many of them themselves as we often commented and probably would always comment this say this thing the These Apostles did works wonders miracles before ever they were baptized in the spirit so you see that Analytically speaking that is truly speaking.

Miracles and gifts don't come with a baptism in the spirit because they function before that. You've got that very clear. Yes, they'd raised the dead. They cleanse the leper. They cast out devils. They done many miracles before ever.

They were baptized in the Holy Ghost. Amen that's a wonderful thing for us remember, but Though they'd seen these functions of power if what we may call them the power gifts before Whilst the Lord Jesus was alive.

They weren't used to any operation of the oral gifts. In other words if Jesus spoke to them they saw his lips move. He was there With them in the flesh, and he spoke to them as they saw him and then He had to get them used to the function of the oral gifts.

So he breathed on them the Holy Spirit in Resurrection so that he could talk to them by the oral gifts of the Spirit in the days that intervened between his Resurrection and his final ascension Into heaven.

If you read very carefully you'll find this thing quite nicely outlined and revealed for us in the last phases of Gospels and in the opening verses of the Acts of the Apostles. They had to get used to Jesus speaking to them when they couldn't see him.

They had to get used to it and It was a very very wonderful thing that happened. And the Lord used to speak to them the Lord taught them the Lord revealed many many things to them. Because still beloved to this very day.

The Creative Power of the Spoken Word

The most powerful thing in the churches is the Word of God. That's the most powerful thing in the churches by the Spirit when we do Literally here the Word of God Whenever a person is spoken to by God That's it.

That's it When God has spoken on a matter Spoken to the heart. That's the conclusion of it. That is power Praise the name of the Lord. That is creative When God speaks and everybody knows when God speaks to them.

If they're dead his voice wakes and awakens the dead. If they've tried to make their bed in hell, that's it. His voice gets there, too. It doesn't matter how far they've gone say on drugs. It doesn't matter how deeply they may have sold themselves out to the devil when God speaks Praise the name of the Lord.

Something happens why I Recall now, I don't know what I've told you this story before an incident where Some a man of God true man of God Was in great grief and tragedy about his son his son had gone on to drugs and He was in a very very bad state and nothing Nothing seemed to reach him at all.

It doesn't matter who prayed for him. It doesn't matter to whom he went. Nothing seemed to happen and then one day He was praying. And whilst he was waiting upon the Lord It suddenly came to his heart.

I expect you know how it comes. I know exactly how it comes all of a sudden, you know. Do you ever you ever had there? Yeah, if not, press on beloved. It's a marvelous All of a sudden, you know, that's right and he knew God Showed him immediately.

This was the thing he showed him. That Jesus Christ Had come out of the tomb before the stone was rolled away and That he'd gone into an upper room when the doors were locked. So he said Lord You can get into an upper room when the doors are locked and barred against you and you can come out of a tomb.

That's sealed by all men's authority and dead-cold rock. You can get into my son whether he wants to open the door to you or not. That's that. That's right. That's right and he did because God spoke to the man that's right.

When God speaks you don't get your guidance wrong. Wrong guidance is always being hatched up in people's mind. It's not guidance at all. I hear people say I got the guidance mixed up. Of course, they didn't they didn't have any they imagined it.

That's right. Would that we came out of this realm of fantasy? Would that we came out of this? This realm where any sane person listens listening to your nose and it's not right. No, I had a young and I mustn't get too sort of reminiscent at this time of the night I Had a man come to me where London.

I've been in London the other week, you know. And I don't know what it's like here, but up in London. There's a terrible racket going on about I'm free from the law. Meaning that you can go and get drunk you can got you can go and drink in the pub you can say now.

We'll go and drink beer to the glory of God. Now we'll do this and now we'll do this. We're not under law. We're under grace. Did ever you hear such fantastic nonsense come out of the mouth of supposed spirit-filled men as that?

Hmm well, I'd sort of been invading a bit against this and. So at the end a man came up to me and he said I was so glad to hear you talk like that. That's not where we go. I won't tell you where it was.

He told me wouldn't be fair. He said they got this business about we're not under law going he said and and we. He said I spoke to the leader and I felt didn't feel too happy about it. But everybody else thought it was right.

So I thought I'd better go along. He said but you know, he said when I was unsaved I used to go on a Sunday morning and play football and I knew in my heart that one right when I wasn't saved. Who told him I didn't did you.

He said I knew in here. This wasn't right now. I said, oh no, we mustn't get sort of sabbatarian in our approach, but you see and This is the kind of what's called antinomianism. That good brother John Wesley Spoke very very heartily against which I won't wear you with now.

But God help us to see that though we are not under some law. We're under a lot of others. We're not under the Mosaic Code. God help us to see beloved that you've come to a higher state than law. See.

You've come to a higher state that law that says Lord I won't do that that might stumble my brother-in-law. That might stumble that woman across the road. They won't understand if I announce I'm going down to drink a pint of beer now.

Now walk is thou not charitably says Paul walking in love Gives you a far greater concern. To be exactly right than walking under law beloved. Love allows you freedom only to do righteousness. You understand that I mustn't it's not my subject.

The Word of God and the Life of the Church

But the tremendous thing about all this beloved is that we're to know and see and worship God and We don't understand that God when he speaks to us Is speaking in creative power and the spoken word is that is the greatest thing in a church.

Now this I know this can be carried into the wrong channel so that you know we get letter bound and when we think if We can produce people that can Spark for an hour or two then that's it. There's no more virtue in that than thinking.

It's it. If we get a lot of people all standing up giving us titbits. Five minutes here ten minutes with somebody else to win the end when you sort it all out. You've got just about nothing. God save us from that who?

The Lord keep us safe and keep us spiritual and Keep us going on as he intends us to go on. The Lord is in the midst of the churches. The Lord do they see him. Do they meet him? Do they know they've met Christ?

When they come to your group Or your church I want to pass from there to 1 Corinthians 12 the famous chapter on the gifts of the Spirit. Praise the Lord. This is wonderful truth. Here again Let us see a progression of revelation.

Feeding on Christ Before Exercising Spiritual Gifts

Before we get to the 12th chapter we have the 11th obviously and in the 11th chapter We're told about Feeding on Jesus say yes. Really? Yes. Well look We can see it it says this. The Lord Jesus verse 23 in the middle of chapter 11 the same night in which he was betrayed took bread.

And when he had given thanks he break it and he said take Eat this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me, then we're told about our drink and God is Gathering us round just nicely.

He's telling us this Before you attempt to function in the gifts of the Spirit in chapter 12 Make sure that you're feeding on me. That's the simple thing. He's telling us now. I know that you all with me Understand that it isn't the bread and it isn't the wine that makes the feast.

You know that these are only symbols and that in themselves They have no virtue just Beyond the virtue that a scrap of bread and a sip of wine ought to have. I expect it has had some Minimal value but in the general intake of the food of a week.

It amounts to nothing. Hmm, but here we are we are brought together we are given this little token food, and we're given this little token drink and Then we're told or we're to understand this I must feed on Jesus.

Hallelujah. In fact if you come together as I expose we should come together tomorrow morning. And you with me take the bread and the wine. It must be a testament in that you've been feeding on Jesus for the last seven days.

In fact, I hope it's been for the last seven weeks and The last seven months and the last seven years. I hope it has that's what it's all about. It's a token feeding. It's a testamental feeding. It's not only the testament in his blood and in him, but it's your testament, too.

Feeding on the Lord. Feeding on. Is that what you do, how do you feed on Jesus? Well, you can say by faith. That's right. But how does faith feed on Jesus? Worship worship glory be to God. Amen. And you know I had a good father and a good mother and My father.

I have two sisters by the way my father was very good and He wouldn't let me sit between my two sisters because I used to keep kicking them. Punching so he made me sit by him. And and if I made too much noise he used to say keep your mouth shut when you're eating, please.

Very good father I had. I think probably you'll learn to keep your mouth shut when you're feeding on Jesus. Think you will. In case you give some of the impression you want them to feed on you worship the breathtaking vision of Christ the soul.

Satisfying glimpse of Jesus. A heart that just wants wants him wants him. Someone who falls at his feet as though He's the only one that's alive and everybody else is dead. Because when you're dead everybody else is dead to you.

You know that don't you this is the principle in Scripture. The Paul puts it nicely in Galatians 6 and 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I'm crucified unto the world.

That's being twice dead. That's the better sort of twice dead than the twice dead that Jude speaks of about people being plucked up by the roots and twice dead this blessed position where You just. He's the only one that's alive.

He's the only one That's vital. He's the only one feed and feed and feed and feed on him until the life of him frills and the vision of him fills you and the food of him. Feed you and the feel of him put you away into those realms of life and light and revelation and power and ministry and glory and love marks all that you do and say.

Amen. Very few come there. Because no one seems to know the way or if it be pointed out. Wish to take it to love the Lord. Feed on the Lord. So the 11th chapter is the introduction to the 12th. Feed and feed and feed on him.

Till you don't want anyone but Jesus. And you don't want to hear anyone but Jesus. You don't want to see any one but Jesus. And any quiet corner is a mansion and a place where you can go. Amen. Have you ever been like that?

Worship. Worship is intimacy. Worship is exclusive. Worship is just him. Of course you you you you you as well. All a lot of it. And this is the way of God. So we come to the 12th chapter. And when we come to the 12th chapter We see this.

The Gifts of the Spirit Reveal Christ in His Body

Look at look at verse 3. This is marvelous, isn't it? I give you to understand. Well, will you accept the gift? Who'll have this gift tonight? Gifts don't you? Well, you have this one. The gift of understanding that's better than all the rest.

I Give you to understand. Hallelujah, I I confirm unto you that which I've already said that's the best gift of all. That's why he finishes up the this One of the sections in this sort of this area saying In Understanding be man.

I give you to understand now. Your understandings enlightened. Are you ready to see? Are you ready to see Jesus? I Give you to understand that no man Speaking by the Spirit of God Anathematizes Jesus or calls Jesus a kiss and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord.

But by the Holy Ghost there it is you see. We start here Jesus. No, that's where it all starts. I give you to understand that. And where is he brought us? Adoration worth. Appreciation of Jesus. He's brought us there.

And now he unfolds the great truth that the gifts to us. We go down the manifestation of the Spirit verse 7 is given to everyone To profit at all. To one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom. To another the word of knowledge by the same spirit.

To another faith by the same spirit. To another the gifts of healing by the same spirit to another the working of miracles to another prophecy. To another discerning of spirits to another diverse kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues but all these Work is that one and the same self same spirit.

Dividing to every man several years. He will because you see we're really talking about a body in Verse 12 so new that the bodies one. But the body did you see the body. I Read the body out to did you see him the bodies Jesus didn't mean.

You understand that the body is Jesus. Don't you the church in Christ the one? They're not to the body is Jesus. Not even to delight the most Fantastic of you could I cut off my head tonight and just let you see my body, but if you saw my body, it's me.

It's me. The body and the head are one. That's just one the body is Jesus. Now this is how we've got to see Jesus there. I'm going to read the body out to you again. Here it is. Not that there aren't other things we could talk about and add Though they're not added in this list.

So we're not concerned to look at them now. Here it is the body first eight wisdom knowledge First nine faith Healing first ten miracles Prophecy Designed tongues Interpretation, that's the body. Have you seen it and we've got to see this.

We'll never see Jesus properly if we don't this is this is him. This is how he is. It's quite easy. You see we'll start at the bottom. Shall we look right down to the feet now? This is in verse 10 the feet two legs tongues Interpretation there the two feet and legs see they hold up the rest of the body.

Okay? We're good. Now. We're going to work up right up through the body discernment of spirits. May I say this? I Think I may in this elite company That In a fairly long life now of having to contact things in the spirit world Contacts the right word.

I think you know a far-off. I found that often. Where evil spirits are concerned? This is the area of the body often that is effective and the seat of them I need say no more. I Tell you from experience.

And we will move on we're moving up hmm. And we go up. And it's a it's a tremendous thing that often evil spirits seek to inhabit the very bowels you can take that literally or Whichever way you want metaphorically, but they do lust like God wants to give you bowels of mercy and Compassion he wants to live right down here not just in here understand it.

Amen and we are moving up prophecy miracles Healing Faith Knowledge and wisdom. You're at the top. All right. Now. We've got the body there. Wisdom the glorious head of all isn't it right here coming down now.

Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Discernment tongues Interpretation. There he is. He's in the church. Do you see him here very often or do you sometimes have? Partial glimpses. Does he walk? Does he walk in the midst of your church brother sister.

Is he there? Walking well it tongues and interpretation. I'm not a fanatic for tongues and interpretation. I Love this thing called wisdom. Oh Praise God don't you do you love wisdom when you hear it?

Hey, do you love? Knowledge when you hear it. Real. Do you love it when you hear it. Praise God. Don't you love all these others, you know healings faith Miracles and all that sort of thing. Don't you love them when you see them.

How about prophecy? Do you love prophecy? Now I've got to tell you why I said I was so thrilled with the way the meeting had gone tonight. I hope you notice that in the tongues and interpretation. The interpretation was to God and not to man.

I hope you noticed it. Did you notice it? Keep noticing it a long time ago. God spoke these things to me. I've never mentioned it to to to in this church. Because I've all I've known but if you say something just slain straightaway.

That's it. Slain straight everybody knows better. And so that's it. And anyway, this is the way it's always happened. And so you must be wrong, but there it is. But I tell you another thing I find. You find this in the Bible.

You generally find that wisdom doesn't lie with the masses, but with the minority. Ever heard of a fellow named Noah? And so I could go on how about a chap named Job who was right only Job his wife wasn't.

And sorry about that, but there it is. Even his wife wasn't mind you. I could give you instances where the women were right. I mean, we're off. Oh Yes, that's right even Abraham was wrong once. Yeah, he had to do.

Is this the woman said God told him to. So if you're gonna be a father of faithful listen to your wife at times. But this is true. And I said and I thought now am I shall I get up and start preaching this Lord and the Lord said no Example is better than precept and this is why I was so thrilled tonight.

Somewhere sometime it's got to catch on in the churches. That he who speaks in an unknown tongue doesn't speak to men, but to God. It's written in your Bible. He speaks to God. That's what it says. Hallelujah, so I guess that if an interpretation comes of that it's got to be the God don't you what do you think?

Yeah, that's right, well I thought that a long time ago and I Still think it and so the Lord wants us to see Jesus. He wants us to see Reality. He wants us to see the Lord as he is in all his glory. It wants everybody to meet him and the churches.