Worship with Reverence and Awe

Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Hebrews 12:22-29 KJV

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape], if we turn away from him that [speaketh] from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God [is] a consuming fire.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) The writer of Hebrews is contrasting Mount Sinai (Old Covenant) with Mount Zion (New Covenant). What do those who believe in Christ come to, according to the writer of Hebrews? (v.22-24)
2) What is likely to become of those who refuse to hear God's voice and reject Christ's offer of salvation? (v.25)
3) What did the voice of God do under the Old Covenant? (v.26a)
4) What does the voice of the Lord do under the New Covvenant? (v.26b-27)
5) What are believers receiving under the New Covenant? (v.28a)
6) How are believers to respond as citizens of the new kingdom? (v.28b)
7) How does the writer of Hebrews describe our God? (v.29) 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
8) How have you responded to the voice of the living God? Why?
9) How grateful are you for the blood of Jesus?
10) Have you received Jesus as your Savior and Lord? If not, why not.

LIFE LESSONS
11) The Old Covenant (Mount Sinai) represents the law, but the New Covenant (Mount Zion) represents God's grace. 
12) The blood of Abel represented vengeance under the Old Covenant, but the blood of Jesus represents redemption under the New Covenant.
13) Believers come to Mount Zion (the New Jerusalem) through the blood of Jesus.

Ministers of a New Covenant

Wednesday, September 10, 2014
2 Corinthians 3:4-11 

4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God; 
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 
7 But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away: 
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 
9 For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 
11 For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who did the Apostle Paul place his trust in and why? (v.4-5)
2) What were the apostles ministers of? (v.6a)
3) Why was the old covenant (the law) done away with? (v.6b-7)
4) Why was the new covenant more glorious than the old? (v.8-11)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) Who, or what, do you trust (hope) in when facing life trials and troubles?
6) Who, or what, enables you to endure the trials of life?
7) Have you ever been continually victorious over sin,  by following rules? If not, why not?

PRINCIPLES
8) The Spirit-led life enables believers to live victorious lives.
9) Christians can never live victoriously over sin by obeying the law in our own strength (power).
10)Following God's laws leads to condemnation, but following the Spirit leads to everlasting life.