Week of November 4th – Sanctified Worship of God

Key Thought:
If someone you invited over for a dinner party showed up wearing old work jeans, a torn and stained shirt, dirt on their hands and face, and smelling like they worked at the local dairy, what would you think? Obviously if this guest is a 7th grade boy you wouldn’t think much of it, but if they’re an adult friend, you'd just have to take some offense at their disrespect. You especially will feel this way if you’ve spent the day cleaning your house and preparing a special meal for your important guest. To be invited into fellowship with God, knowing how powerful and awesome he is, and remembering how much he has done for us, means that we must offer mutual respect. God has demonstrated faithful commitment to us. This is seen through the word חֶסֶד [checed /kheh·sed/]: translated into English as “loving-kindness” and “mercy” and “goodness” and used over 200 times in the Old Testament. In response He asks that we demonstrate our love for him through sanctification. In other words, that by His standards we have a clean heart. The phrase “His standards” means that we cannot worship God on our own terms. Not only does the Bible forbid it, but it makes no sense. If I intend to worship or show respect to someone by bringing them flowers and they’re allergic to flowers, then I have not honored them. If I desire to please someone by publicly praising them, but they are embarrassed by publicity and prefer personal acts of appreciation, then I have done them no favor. Stop worshiping God by your definition of worship and begin to worship him through coming to him with a clean heart and a commitment to serve him in any role that he has prepared for you!

Sermon Highlights:
Take some time to write down some important thoughts that have stuck with you from Steve’s Sermon on Ezra 3:1-7 (Nov 4th, 2007).

Bible Reading:
Monday – Leviticus 22:32
Tuesday – Numbers 3:13
Wednesday – Numbers 8:17
Thursday – Romans 15:16
Friday – 1 Timothy 4:5

Key Questions to Ponder During the Week:

1. What examples can you think of where we worship God on our own terms?
2. How can we know that our worship of God is appropriate and pleasing to him?
3. Have you ever felt unworthy to approach God or to ask him for anything?
4. If sanctification is “clean and special for a purpose” would you say that your “feelings” have anything to do with worshiping God?
5. How does God’s “checed” affect your desire to be clean and to worship Him?