The Under-Appreciation of God in Our Worship
Malachi 1:6-2:9
- How would a high view of God re-order the various aspects of your life that need re-ordering?
- Give your assessment of worship in the American church. What are its strengths and weaknesses?
- Looking at Malachi 1:11-14, what is the primary concern. Do you think that we share this concern today? Respond to John Piper’s famous dictum: “Evangelism exists because worship doesn’t.” What do you think he means by that?
- Read Jeremiah 7:1-15 and Amos 5:21-24. How are the texts similar to this one in Malachi? What is the problem in each? Can you detect what it is that is making worship unacceptable in these texts? What do you learn from them about the nature of worship?
- Read Malachi 1:9. How are we presumptuous in our worship?
- What are some practical ways that we can prepare ourselves to be better worshippers? Are there some things that might even be some practical help in preparing for Sunday morning worship?
- Take some time together and search your heart and weed out any stumbling blocks that might be there regarding your own worship of God. Pray for one another to gain a higher view of God.
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The Under-Appreciation of God’s Love
Malachi 1:1-5
- How does a proper view of God’s love for you play out in the rest of your life? What issues that you or others struggle with do you think have a direct connection to a lack of appreciating and appropriating His love for you?
- Consider the following texts about God’s love for his people. Jot down what you glean from them regarding this theme.
- Romans 8:37-39
- Ephesians 2:4-5
- Ephesians 3:14-19
- 1 John 3:1
- Read Ezekiel 35 and the short book of Obadiah. Why did God judge Edom?
- How can understanding and appreciating God’s wrath help you be more appreciative of His love?
- Read the blog entry on regarding unconditional election. Pay close attention to the Scripture that is used. Summarize your understanding of this doctrine. How does it relate to this text?
- What in your life has to change to appreciate God’s love to a greater degree?
- Pray for one another to grow in your acceptance and appreciation of the how much God loves you.
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Resurrected Hearts
Luke 24:13-35
- Why do you think Luke includes this as one of his three accounts of Jesus appearances?
- Why do you think the men were kept from recognizing Jesus? Why do you think their “eyes were opened” when they were?
- What makes the Christian expectation or understanding of the role of messiah distinct from the Jewish expectation? (it might be helpful to read Luke 1:67-79) What are some OT Scriptures that you think Jesus might have used in his explanation to these two travelers? (You might want to keep the distinction in mind)
- How would hearing the Savior of the world share and explain the Scriptures to you impact your own view of them? Do you think that you would interact differently with them? Why? Is the fact that it might change your perspective a comment on the greatness of Jesus or an indictment of your present view of the Bible? Or both?
- The big idea of the message is that the Resurrection of Jesus enables us to deal with despair. Why is this so? What connections can you make between rectifying personal despair and Jesus’ resurrection?
- Spend sometime in prayer for a despairing world and anyone you personally know that is despairing. Ask God to help you be bold enough to live and speak the light of Christ and the hope of His resurrection to them.
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King Jesus
Luke 19:28-44
- Explain the connection in Luke’s ordering of his Gospel between the parable in Lk. 19:11-27 and his account of the triumphal entry in 19:28-44.
- Last week’s message was called “Who Gets to Say?” and dealt with Jesus authority over our lives as reflected in the Sermon on the Mount. The Triumphal Entry reminds us of Jesus’ kingship and shows us his sovereign control over the unfolding of the events leading up to his death. What insight do the following verses give you regarding Jesus’ sovereignty?
- John 10:17-18
- Colossians 1:15-20
- Hebrews 1:3
- What is the difference between prophecy and typology? Can you think of a biblical illustration of each?
- Why do the Jewish leaders want Jesus to rebuke his disciples? Do they understand Jesus’ claims? Look up the following texts to help: Luke 5:17-26 (note vs. 21); John 8:48-59. How do these texts help us respond when we encounter people who claim that Jesus wasn’t God?
- Why is Jesus weeping in vs. 41? What does this tell you about God’s response to those who reject him and who consequently will be judged? Consider the following quote:
- “Like the prophets of old, Jesus finds no joy in rebuking sin and declaring its dire consequences” – Darrell Bock
- Do you think people speak to glibly about the destiny of the lost? What is the proper heart to have toward those who reject Christ? (You might look up Philippians 3:18). How would such a heart affect your sharing of the message of the Gospel?
- Spend sometime in praise of Christ tonight. Praise the Lord for what is most beautiful to you about Him. Pray for others to see Jesus as King and pray for yourself to live under Jesus’ lordship.
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