Week of May 14-20
Our secular culture asks, “What’s the big deal about worship?” To them, worship is little more than a “ritual” some people do, that has little bearing on real life. Even some religious cultures say, “It doesn’t matter what you worship, as long as you worship something.” Both cultures badly misunderstand worship!
Human beings were made to worship God. C.S. Lewis once remarked, “If people won’t worship God they’ll worship anything.” The effects of that will be chaotic! We all worship something, though many secular people don’t see themselves as worshipping anything.
What is worship? Is it a ritual? Is it more than a ritual? Is it something we do once/week? What role is worship to play in our lives? Why is it important? These are the questions we’ll be looking at this week.
DAY 1
Read Exodus 20:1-5
1. Ex. 20:3 is the first of the 10 Commandments. “You shall have no other gods before me.” The Hebrew word for “before” also means “besides.” Why is this Commandment #1? What is the significance of this?
2. Read Matthew 22:37-40. Jesus was asked what was the most important command in the entire Old Testament. What was His answer?
3. How does His answer compare with the first commandment?
4. “Worship” is simply attributing greatest worth to something. We “worship” whatever we value most.
What things or people do you value most?
___ Job/career
___ Children
___ Spouse
___ Sex
___ Boy/girl friend
___ Reputation
___ Money
___ Feeling like all is well
___ Car, house, clothes
___ Feeling appreciated
___ Leisure
___ Feeling happy
___ Importance/ being impressive
___ Feeling successful
___ Security
___ God; being in right relation with Him
___ Others: ________________________________________________
5. If we are honest with ourselves (and humble), we should be appalled that we really value a lot of other things/people higher than God. Yet, God continues to reach out to you, over and over and over again. Paul told Timothy “…”if we are faithless, he remains faithful–for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13). What response does God’s response of faithfulness to your unfaithfulness invoke in you?
6. Tell God.
DAY 2
1. Before God gave the Ten Commandments, of what historical event did he remind them? Why was that important for them to remember? (Exodus 20:1-2)
2. What is the 2nd Commandment? (Exodus 20:4)
3. What two actions (verbs) in 3:5 does God say not to do with an idol? What is the significance of both terms?
4. Human beings generally don’t see worshipping something other than God as a problem. What is God’s take on this? (Exodus 20:5-6)
6. Next to the following verses, write in what worship is:
* Deuteronomy 6:13
7. One of the phrases is “to fear the Lord.” The Hebrew word means to reverence or hold in awe. It also means to have a healthy fear of consequences when we disobey.
8. What struck you most about worship from today’s devotional?
DAY 3
Worship is first and foremost a heart matter. What you value most is at the core of worship.
Read Romans 12:1-2.
1. What items does Paul associate with our “spiritual worship?” List the top five items that strike you.
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*
*
*
*
2. The prophet Malachi chastised the priests for how they approached worship. Read Malachi 1:6-8.
a. How should the priests should have been worshipping? (1:6)
b. They neither honored God nor feared Him. Malachi gives an example of their “worship” in 1:7-8. What were they doing? (for more insight, read Leviticus 22:18-25).
c. If you consistently bought cheap birthday, Christmas, anniversary presents for your spouse or friends, what would be the effect on the relationship? On you?
3. Just because the priests were “worshipping” does that mean that worship was really occurring?
4. What lesson do you draw from Malachi about worship?
DAY 4
As we’ve seen this week, worship is really a matter of the heart and values. What is it I really value most? Our fallen human nature is loathe to value God most. We’d rather value a host of other things and people more. Instead of repenting and getting our hearts right with God, what is our tendency?
Read Isaiah 29:13
1. The people have a major disconnect regarding worship. What does Isaiah tell them?
2. Jesus quotes this very verse in Mark 7:6. He then draws the conclusion about their worship in Mark 7:7. What does Jesus say is the real state of their worship?
3. The prophet Ezekiel sees a similar tendency in the people. (Ezekiel 33:31).
a. What two things do the people think is involved in worship?
b. What three problems does Ezekiel cite?
4. The prophet Hosea pointed out the same issues. Read Hosea 6:1-3
a. The people respond to Hosea’s prophetic word. How do these words “sound” to you? Does it seem they are on the right track?
b. God responds to their “sweet-sounding” words in verses 4-6.
* What did God see in their hearts in verse 4?
* What was God’s response to the people in verse 5?
* In verse 6:6:
–What had the people “offered” as worship?
–What did God expect?
Human nature will always trade the practice of worship for true heart devotion. We will go through the motions of worship as long as we continue to live life our way.
4. Does God really have your heart and devotion? Yield yourself to Him today.
DAY 5
Let’s look at a moment in time when Isaiah worshipped. The event tells us a lot about worship.
It’s been said that real worship begins when we get a clear picture of who God is, and a clear picture of who we are.
Read Isaiah 6:1-8
1. What does Isaiah “see” or understand about God in the following verses?
* 6:1–
* 6:2– (note: seraphim were angelic, six-winged creatures). Why do you think they covered their eyes and their feet?
* 6:3–
* 6:4–
2. What effect do these pictures of God have on Isaiah in verse 5?
3. Isaiah said, “Woe is me!” It was taught that if a man physically saw God he would perish. Read Judges 13:22 and Luke 5:8. What did Isaiah fear would happen to him?
4. Isaiah realized his sinful condition and that God’s judgment was deserved and probably imminent! But instead, something else happened! What did God do, beginning in verse 6, and continuing through verse 8?
5. Our worship is the deepest and most profound when the following occurs:
* We get a fresh glimpse of the holiness and power of God,
* We get a fresh glimpse of our depravity, our sinful human nature, AND
* We experience the wonder of God’s grace! Not only have we been forgiven, but He lavishes upon us Himself and His blessings.
How does Paul pull out each of these items in Ephesians 2:4-7?
6. What is your biggest take-away from this week’s devotions on worship?
