Contrite Sacrifice

Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Psalm 51:15-19 KJV 

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did the Psalmist declare that he would do if the Lord opened his lips? (v.15)
2) What does the Lord not delight in? (v.16)
3) What does the Lord not despise? (v.17)
4) What did the psalmist ask the Lord to do as it pleased Him? (v.18)
5) What would be the result? (v.19) 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What are you doing to please the Lord?

LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord is not as pleased with external sacrifices as He is in our internal brokenness and need for Him.
8) Internal brokenness that results in changed behavior always pleases God.
9) External offerings that are not the result of internal change are meaningless to God.

A Great High Priest

Sunday, January 18, 2015
Heb 4:14-5:10 KJV

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

 1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron. 5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6 As he saith also in another [place], Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Why may we be confident of our profession of faith in our Lord Jesus? (v.14)
2) Why may we come boldly to the throne of God in our time of need? (v. 15-16)
3) How does the author describe earthly priests? (5:1-4)
4) How does the author explain how Jesus was qualified to become our faithful High Priest? (v.5-9)
5) On what order was our Lord's priesthood founded? (v.10)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Who do you act as priest for (e.g., your wife, your children, etc.)?
7) Why are you qualified to intercede for them?
8) What do you do to ensure that your prayers are heard by the Lord?

LIFE LESSONS
9) The Lord has given believers the task of interceding on behalf of those we are responsible for on this earth.
10) We are qualified to intercede for those we love and care for because of our relationship with them and with the Father.
11) Before interceding for others, we must confess our own failures and shortcomings to the Lord.
12) We can boldly present our requests to God because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

A Sacrifice of Praise to God

Saturday, December 13, 2014
Hebrews 13:6-15 KJV 

6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of [their] conversation. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Because the Lord has promised to never leave us or forsake us (v.5) what can His children do? (v.6)
2) Who are we to remember and follow? (v.7)
3) What does the writer of Hebrews say about our Lord Jesus? (v.8)
4) What is the writer's warning to believers? Why? (v.9)
5) What altar does the new testament believer have that old testament priests cannot partake of? (v.10)
6) What are the differences and similarities between the old testament sacrifices and the new? (v.11-12)
7) What do new testament believers bear when we go to Jesus and depart from the religious rituals of the old testament? Why? (v.13-14)
8) What are our sacrifices to God? (v.15)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
9) What teachers has the Lord blessed you with to teach you God's word and serve as your examples of faith?
10) How else is your heart established in the Lord (i.e., by works of the flesh, or by grace)?
11) Where do you make your sacrifices to the Lord?
12) What are your sacrifices to the Lord?

LIFE LESSONS
13) The Lord blesses the seeking heart with teachers who not only teach God's word, but live it.
14) The only acceptable altar to God is the altar of the heart.
15) The sacrifices that the Lord will not refuse are "a broken spirit and a contrite heart".