It has been said that human beings were created with a desire to worship. Some people worship wealth, status, other people, or possessions. None of these things, however, can fulfill us or meet our deepest needs. None of those things can fulfill us because we were not created to worship those things. We were created to worship God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and everything in it.
In your own words, define worship.
1. What kinds of things do you see people worshiping today? How do these things set them up for disappointment?
2. Read Romans 12:1-5. How did Paul redefine worship in this passage of Scripture?
Romans 12:1-5
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
3. According to this passage of Scripture, what is the result of offering ourselves in worship as living sacrifices to God?
4. Read Galatians 5:16-26. How can we worship God, according to this passage of Scripture?
Galatians 5:16-26
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
1. What things in your life have you been tempted to worship other than God?
2. Is there anything in your life that you need to sacrifice as a way to worship God?
3. What is one way that you can worship God this week based on what you learned about worship in the Scripture you studied today?
Take some time as a group to brainstorm what it looks like to offer your lives as living sacrifices, as Romans 12:1 calls us to. When you are done brainstorming, pick one of those ways to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to practice in your own life and share that with your group. When everyone is done brainstorming, ask God to help each one of you as you seek to live for Christ and offer yourselves as living sacrifices to Him.
Scripture makes it clear that worship extends beyond the weekend services that we attend. Worship is a lifestyle. Every day, we have the opportunity to worship God by the way we live and the decisions we make. For the next few minutes, dive into three ways we can engage in worship each day of our lives.
If we want to worship God with everything in us, we must be fully devoted to Him. We cannot follow Him half-heartedly. We must follow Him with everything in us and love Him more than anything else. This, my friends, is genuine, true worship.
1. Read Mark 12:28-30.
Mark 12:28-30
28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ According to this passage of Scripture, how can we worship God by our words and actions?
2. How can we worship God according to this passage of Scripture?
3. What is at stake if we do not obey the words in this passage of Scripture?
4. What is one way we can practically obey this Scripture and be fully devoted followers, loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength?
It does not take long for followers of Christ to realize that true, genuine worship requires sacrifice. It requires that we sacrifice everything in order to be fully devoted to following Him. While worshiping Him requires sacrifice, Scripture makes it clear that the reward for worshiping Him is worth any sacrifice that we will make on this earth.
1. Read Luke 9:23-27.
Luke 9:23-27
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”
2. How can we worship God, according to this passage of Scripture?
3. What is at stake if we do not choose to worship through our sacrifice?
4. What is the result of worshiping God by sacrificing everything to follow Him?
5. What is one way that we can practically obey this Scripture and worship God through our sacrifice?
Finally, Scripture reveals that it is impossible to keep our faith to ourselves. Part of worshiping Christ is spreading His name and telling everyone about Him. When we make it our mission to make Him known and spread the hope of Christ all around us, we honor and worship Him.
1. Read Matthew 28:18-20.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
2. According to this passage of Scripture, how can we worship God by the way we live our lives?
3. What is at stake if we do not obey this passage of Scripture?
4. When it comes to making Christ known to the people around you, how is it going?
5. Who can you reach out to this week and share the hope of Christ with them?
Now that you have read about different elements of worship, take time to discuss what you learned with your group.
1. Which of these elements comes most naturally for you: worshiping Him by being fully devoted to Christ, worshiping Him by sacrificing, or worshiping Him by sharing your faith?
2. What step can you take today to grow in that area that is most difficult when it comes to your worship?
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