Hebrews

Lesson 4: Worship in the Church w/AnswersHebrews 10

This lesson continues from the previous lesson’s look at the role of the church, but with an emphasis on the two primary things that we as Christians are called to do: worship and service. Perhaps you have heard it said before, but I will say it again: we are saved for a purpose. God has a plan for each of us; and that plan includes activity—we can’t sit still. God and His son Jesus have a lot for us to do. But what happens so often in our Christian life is that we either do nothing at all, or we get so involved in the "doing," that we miss the whole point of "being" a Christian.

Bible

So let’s take a close look at what God wants us to do and see if we can get some insight into both the "how" as well as the "how much." To get started, I would like you to read all of Hebrews Chapter 10 (yes, including the verses you read for the previous lesson). For in these verses, we immediately see our reason for worship and celebration, and the perfect price Christ paid for us so that we can boldly be a part of God’s kingdom.

Read Hebrews 10 and consider the following:

  1. Based on the first four verses of Hebrews 10, what is the first requirement that must be met before we can worship? What does the third verse tell us that the worshippers at that time were trying to do that could not be accomplished by their regular sacrifices?
    1. ANSWER: The first requirement is that we need to be free of the guilt of our sins. As the writer points out, sacrifices offered by man cannot do this permanently—only the shed blood of Christ frees us from our sins. If we are to truly worship, then we must confess our sins and trust in the name and sacrifice of Jesus to cleanse us from those sins. 1 John 1:9 tells us that doing this will "purify us from all unrighteousness."
  2. How then can we be made clean so that we can worship God? (see verses 5-10)
    1. ANSWER: We can accomplish this by acknowledging that Jesus came to proclaim the Gospel and to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. In doing God’s will, Jesus saves us from eternal death and makes us holy in God’s eyes.
  3. In verse 14 we note two events: one having been accomplished and one in progress, i.e., "being made." What are these two things?
    1. ANSWER: Firstly, this one sacrifice fulfilled God’s will and secondly, it put in place a continuous process that he has "made perfect forever" for all believers "who are being made holy." Note that the verse says that we are "made perfect forever"—one sacrifice for eternity, one promise, one salvation, and one hope. We are His eternally.
  4. In verses 15 through 17, we are provided one of our greatest reasons to rejoice and to worship God. What is described in these three verses that should cause believers to want to rejoice and worship Him?
    1. ANSWER: As believers we now have Jesus living in us through the Holy Spirit. He has put his law in our hearts and minds, and he promises that he no longer remembers our sins! The Gospel is full of good news for us all because Jesus died for us and we have believed on him. What a joy, what a blessing, what a comfort. What a reason to worship and rejoice!
  5. We can now worship because we have been made clean. In the verses that follow (18-23) how are we provided assurance of this?
    1. ANSWER: The writer tells us that we can come before God without fear because we are covered in Jesus’ blood. No sacrifices are required—only our faith in Jesus as the Messiah, as our Savior. Acts 2:21 tells us that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Because of this, Hebrews 10:18-23 shows us that we can "draw near to God with a sincere heart...having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience." Thus, in order to worship God, we need a sincere heart and a clean conscience. We get this through believing on the name of Jesus and confessing our sins before him. Then, and only then, can we can truly worship Him.
  6. What do verses 23-25 command us to do? Why?
    1. ANSWER: We are to encourage one another, holding to the hope of the Gospel. It also instructs to continue to meet together and, as the Day of Jesus’ return approaches, to encourage others "all the more as you see the Day approaching."
  7. Read Isaiah 6:1-2. If we consider how the angels worship God, what conclusions can we draw from the picture Isaiah paints for us here about worship and service? Can you see any connection? (Look at the wings.)
    1. ANSWER: I believe that we can see (1) humility, (2) commitment to God, and (3) service to God in the six wings of the Angels. This is a strong image/message to us that, as worshippers of God, we are to be humble servants going about the work He has planned for us to do. All three of these avenues are ways in which we worship God: humility, commitment, and service. As we read in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." When we worship Him we acknowledge that we are his creation and that our purpose is to serve Him and to spread the Gospel. Matthew 28:19 instructs us, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Through our humble service to God in fulfilling His will in our lives, we worship Him each and every day—just as the angels do in heaven.
  8. What do Deuteronomy 6:13, Matthew 4:10, and Luke 4:8 tell us that we are to do? Could this be represented in the six wings of the Seraph in Isaiah?
    1. Deuteronomy 6:13
      1. ANSWER: We are to serve only God.
    2. Matthew 4:10
      1. ANSWER: We are to worship only God.
    3. Luke 4:8
      1. ANSWER: We are to worship God and to serve him only. Further, 1 Peter 3:15 tells us "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
  9. Read Isaiah 29:13, Mark 7:7, and John 4:23. What do they tell us about worship?
    1. ANSWER 1: Not to worship following human rules.
    2. ANSWER 2: When we worship following human rules, we are following teachings that are vain and which accomplish nothing.
    3. ANSWER 3: We are to worship the Father "in the Spirit and in truth." This is the kind of worship that God desires.
  10. In John 4:24 we learn an important thing about worshipping God. What is it?
    1. ANSWER: We often forget that "God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." Worshipping God through worldly ideas and outward gestures and prayers so that others can see you is not what God desires. Our spirit must be pure, and we must be worshipping God in spirit if we desire to truly worship Him.
  11. How does Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:1 relate to what John 4:24 commands us to do? What does it tell us about worship, and our role in it?
    1. ANSWER: For certain Paul is telling us that living a life dedicated to serving God is how we worship Him. Living this kind of life is our sacrifice and it ss made possible through Jesus’ sacrifice for us. If we can continually do as Romans 12:1 commands us, and if we begin each day with a focus on His kingdom (as Jesus teaches, "but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..."), then we will truly be worshiping God.
  12. And finally, what does 1 Corinthians 14:26 tell us concerning the nature of our corporate motivation during worship?
    1. ANSWER: Everything we do in worship must be to encourage each other so that the Church is being built up. Our corporate motivation in worship should be to lift up God and encourage one another for the purpose of expanding His kingdom, just as we were instructed in the verses In Hebrews that we have studied today.

I think that sometimes we lose sight of our first priorities as a Christian, i.e., to worship God and to celebrate the great victory over sin and death that His son Jesus provides for us. We are free from sin’s grip, and we have an eternity with God to look forward to. Given that, who wouldn’t want to worship! Sometimes we emphasize the worship service to the point of ignoring or downplaying the importance of worship itself.

Let’s commit to acknowledge how important worship is and maintain a readiness to worship God at all times, and in every way. He loved us so much He gave us His only Son, so let’s love Him back in return through our worship and our living.

Have a great week everyone and may God richly bless you as you continue to study with us each week.

In Christ,

Wes

[2021]

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