Throughout Scripture, we read about God’s love for us. In fact, He loved us so much that He gave Jesus, His one and only Son, to die on a cross and rise from the grave to rescue us from our sins. David puts it this way in Psalm 63:3: God’s love is “better than life itself.” This kind of love demands a response: worship. When we worship, we respond to God’s love and declare His greatness. In our study today, we will take a deep dive into worship and what it means for followers of Christ to worship Him with their lives.
BREAK THE ICE
What is your favorite part of coming to church on the weekend? Where does worship fit into that?
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS
Bible Study Questions
1. What kinds of things get in the way of our worship? What steps should we take to prepare?
WATCH SERMON RECAP
2. Read Hebrews 10:23-25. Why is it important to make going to church a priority? What is the danger of not meeting together regularly?
Hebrews 10:23-25
"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."
3. Read Psalm 15:1-5. Describe the person who can enter God’s presence to worship.
Psalm 15:1-5
"Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.Such people will stand firm forever."
4. What do these verses teach about the attitude required of followers of Christ when we come to worship?
5. Read Hebrews 13:15-16. What type of worship pleases God according to these verses?
Hebrews 13:15-16
"Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God."
Application
1. When you come to services on the weekend, do you often think about preparing? Why or why not?
2. What steps can you take to actively engage in what is happening during the service?
3. Who is someone you know in need right now? What is one thing you can do to help?
MOVING FORWARD
The greatest need of every person is to know Christ. When we point others to Christ, we help them see that need, and God is pleased. Think of one friend who needs the hope of Christ who you can invite to one of our services this weekend. Share this with your group. After everyone has shared, pray for each person mentioned that they would come to know the love and hope of Jesus.
Going Deeper
When we think about worship, we often think about an event we attend at a service where we can sing songs to God and praise Him publicly. While this is certainly an extremely important aspect of worship, worship extends far beyond a service we attend on the weekends. For example, a big part of the Old Testament worship carried forward in the New Testament was the idea of offering sacrifices to God. Let’s take a few minutes to look at instructions for offering sacrifices in both the Old and New Testaments. As we do this, we will be challenged to not only engage in worship when we attend a weekend service but also throughout our entire lives.
Sacrifices in the Old Testament
1. Skim Leviticus chapters 1-6. (Take about 5 minutes to do this, using the chapter and paragraph headings to help.)
2. What were some of the different reasons to offer a sacrifice?
3. How was offering sacrifices in this way an important part of worshiping God? (There are multiple answers to this question.)
Sacrifices in the New Testament
1. Read Romans 12:1-2
2. Describe the sacrifice Christ's followers are called to offer in these verses.
3. How is offering ourselves as a sacrifice to God connected to worship?
4. According to verse 2, how can we offer ourselves as “living and holy” sacrifices to God?
Discuss:
1. Describe the difference between sacrifices offered in the Old Testament and the sacrifice Christ's followers are called to give in Romans 12.
2. How does this understanding of sacrifice expand your understanding of worship?
3. What does it look like in today’s world to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God?
4. Is there anything holding you back from offering your entire self to God as a living sacrifice? What is it?
As you think about the call to offer ourselves as sacrifices to God, think of one step He is calling you to take to give everything to Him. Maybe He is calling you to share your faith with someone who is far from Him. Maybe He is calling you to serve in the church. Share whatever step He is calling you to take with your group. Then, as you go throughout your week, share your experience taking that step.
MONTHLY MEMORY VERSE (Available for download on Sagebrush App)
1 Corinthians 2:9 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
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