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40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages8/10/1110:55 AMLiving aLife ofTrue WorshipKay Arthur, Bob & Diane VereenPRECEPT MINISTRIES INTERNATIONALPage i

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages8/10/1110:55 AMExcerpted from Living a Life of True Worship by Kay Arthur, Bob &Diane Vereen Copyright 2001 by Precept Ministries International.Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of RandomHouse, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may bereproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.LIVING A LIFE OF TRUE WORSHIPPUBLISHED BY WATERBROOK PRESS12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New AmericanStandard Bible (NASB), Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963,1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)Italics in Scripture quotations reflect the author’s added emphasis.ISBN 978-0-307-45766-0Copyright 2001 by Precept Ministries InternationalAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any formor by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, orby any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing fromthe publisher.Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the CrownPublishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.WATERBROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.Printed in the United States of America200910 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1SPECIAL SALESMost WaterBrook Multnomah books are available at special quantity discounts whenpurchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, and special-interest groups. Customimprinting or excerpting can also be done to fit special needs. For information, pleasee-mail SpecialMarkets@WaterBrookMultnomah.com or call 1-800-603-7051.Page ii

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages8/10/1110:55 AMHOW TO USE THIS STUDYThis small-group study is for people who are interested in learningmore about what the Bible says, but who have only limited time tomeet together. It’s ideal, for example, for a lunch group at work, anearly morning men’s group, a young mother’s group meeting in ahome, or a smaller Sunday-school class. (It’s also ideal for smallgroups that typically have longer meeting times—such as eveninggroups or Saturday morning groups—but want to devote only a portion of their time together to actual study, while reserving the rest forprayer, fellowship, or other activities.)This book is designed so that all the group’s participants will complete each lesson’s study activities at the same time, while you’re together.However, you’ll need a facilitator to lead the group—someone tokeep the discussion moving. (This person’s function is not that of a lecturer or teacher. However, when this book is used in a Sunday-schoolclass or similar setting, the teacher should feel free to lead more directlyand to bring in other insights in addition to those provided in eachweek’s lesson.)If you are your group’s facilitator, the leader, here are some helpfulpoints for making your job easier: Go through the lesson and mark the text before you lead thegroup. This will give you increased familiarity with the materialand will enable you to facilitate the group with greater ease. Itmay be easier for you to lead the group through the instructionsfor marking if you as a leader choose a specific color for eachsymbol you mark. As you lead the group, start at the beginning of the text andsimply read it aloud in the order it appears in the lesson,Page iii

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pagesiv 8/10/1110:55 AMHow to Use This Studyincluding the “insight boxes,” which may appear either beforeor after the instructions or in the midst of your observations ordiscussion. Work through the lesson together, observing anddiscussing what you learn. As you read the Scripture verses, havethe group say aloud the word they are marking in the text.The discussion questions are there simply to help you cover thematerial. As the class moves into the discussion, many times youwill find that they will cover the questions on their own.Remember the discussion questions are there to guide the groupthrough the topic, not to squelch discussion.Remember how important it is for people to verbalize theiranswers and discoveries. This greatly strengthens their personalunderstanding of each week’s lesson. Try to ensure that everyonehas plenty of opportunity to contribute to each week’s discussions.Keep the discussion moving. This may mean spending moretime on some parts of the study than on others. If necessary, youshould feel free to spread out a lesson over more than one session.However, remember that you don’t want to slow the pace toomuch. It’s much better to leave everyone “wanting more” than tohave people dropping out because of declining interest.If the validity or accuracy of some of the answers seems questionable, you can gently and cheerfully remind the group to stayfocused on the truth of the Scriptures. Your object is to learnwhat the Bible says, not to engage in human philosophy. Reallyread the Scriptures, asking God to show everyone His answers.Page iv

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages8/10/1110:55 AMLIVING A LIFEOF TRUEWORSHIPhere’s a hunger, a quest for the spiritual. Manwas made for worship. But worship of whom—or what? Or does it matter as long as a person findswhat works for him? Is there a way to worship that isright—and another that is false? Is there a way that willhelp us develop a genuine, intimate relationship withGod?These are the questions we want to answer as wesearch out what the Bible has to say about the subjectof worship. We are going to take an inductive approach,which means that you will observe the Word of Godfor yourself. Then, discovering what it says and means,you can determine if you want to order your lifeaccording to its truth.TPage 1

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages8/10/1110:55 AMWEEK ONEOBSERVEThe first place the word worship is mentioned in the English Bible isin Genesis 22. Although the word appears only once in that chapter,you can learn some foundational truths about true worship by studying this passage.Leader: Read aloud Genesis 22:1-10, which you see printed in the sidebar. Have the group say “God” aloud every time He is mentioned. Also havethe group draw a triangle around each occurrence of the word God (plus allpronouns that refer to Him).GENESIS 22:1-10 mark the word worship with a big W. 1Now it cameabout after theseINSIGHTWorship is the Hebrew word shachah(“a” as in “father” and “ch” as in“Christ”). It means to prostrate oneself or to bow down. In the Old Testa-things, that God testedAbraham, and said tohim, “Abraham!” Andhe said, “Here I am.”2He said, “Take nowment, it is the common term used foryour son, your onlycoming before God in worship toson, whom you love,honor Him. The English word meansIsaac, and go to theto look at someone’s “worth-ship.” Toland of Moriah, andworship God is to respect and honoroffer him there as aHim for who He is.burnt offering on oneof the mountains ofwhich I will tell you.”Page 3

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages43So Abraham roseand saddled his donkey, and took two ofhis young men withhim and Isaac his son;and he split wood forthe burnt offering, andarose and went to theplace of which Godhad told him.OBSERVEWhen Abraham was seventy-five years oldand childless, God told him that He wouldmake of him a great nation through whomall the nations of the earth would be blessed.Isaac, the son God had promised, was bornwhen Abraham was one hundred years old.It was through Isaac that God would giveAbraham a land, a nation, and a seed,which according to Galatians 3:16 wouldbe Jesus Christ.On the third dayAbraham raised hiseyes and saw the placefrom a distance.510:55 AML i v i n g a L i f e o f Tr u e W o r s h i pearly in the morning48/10/11DISCUSS What do you learn from marking the references to God?Abraham said tohis young men, “Stay What did God instruct Abraham to do?here with the donkey,and I and the lad willgo over there; and wewill worship andreturn to you.”OBSERVELeader: Read Genesis 22:1-10 again. Thistime have the group say Abraham’s namealoud and underline it every time you readhis name or a pronoun that refers to him.Page 4

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages8/10/1110:55 AMWeek OneDISCUSSLook at the references to Abraham that youmarked and discuss what you observeabout this man from the text.65Abraham took thewood of the burntoffering and laid it onIsaac his son, and hetook in his hand the What does Abraham do?fire and the knife. Sothe two of them How does he respond to God’s command?walked on together.7 What’shis relationship with God? withhis son? Doesanything surprise you about whatyou read?Isaac spoke toAbraham his fatherand said, “My father!”And he said, “Here Iam, my son.” And hesaid, “Behold, the fireand the wood, butOBSERVELeader: Read aloud Genesis 22:1-10 onceagain. Have the group read aloud with youand mark the phrase burnt offering likethis:where is the lamb forthe burnt offering?”8Abraham said,“God will provide forHimself the lamb forthe burnt offering, myson.” So the two ofDISCUSS What do you learn from these versesabout the burnt offering and how it relatesto the act of worship?them walked ontogether.Page 5

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages68/10/1110:55 AML i v i n g a L i f e o f Tr u e W o r s h i p9Then they came tothe place of which Godhad told him; andAbraham built the altarthere and arranged thewood, and bound hisson Isaac and laid himon the altar, on top ofthe wood.10Abraham stretchedINSIGHTThe burnt offering is described inLeviticus 1. A burnt offering was avoluntary offering, an offering by firethat was a soothing aroma to theLord. The entire sacrifice (except forthe skin) was to be placed on thealtar. Nothing was to be held back.When the person offering the sacrifice laid his hand on the head of theout his hand and tooksacrifice, it was accepted to makethe knife to slay his son.atonement on his behalf.GENESIS 22:11-1911But the angel ofthe LORD called tohim from heaven andsaid, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said,“Here I am.”12He said, “Do notstretch out your handagainst the lad, and donothing to him; forOBSERVELeader: Read 22:11-19 aloud and onceagain mark every reference to God, including anypronouns or synonyms. every reference to the angel of the Lordwith a box, like this:Do notbother to mark synonyms or pronouns forthe angel of the Lord.Page 6

40Min LivingLifeWorship RPK int.qxp:True Worship pages8/10/1110:55 AMWeek OneDISCUSS What did the Angel of the Lord stopAbraham from doing in verses 11 and 12?7now I know that youfear God, since youhave not withheldyour son, your only Whydid the Angel of the Lord stopAbraham? How does this relate to Genesis 22:1 andto what God was doing to Abraham? Readthe Insight Box on fear and discusshow Abraham showed his fear of God.son, from Me.”13Then Abrahamraised his eyes andlooked, and behold,behind him a ramcaught in the thicketby his horns; andAbraham went andtook the ram andINSIGHToffered him up for aIn verse 12, the word fear is theburnt offering in theHebrew word yare (yaw-ray). In thisplace of his son.context it means to have reverencetoward God, to trust Him, to respectHim. It does not mean to be afraidof Him. God is reverenced when aperson respects Him for who He is.A believer’s fear of God is seen whenhe or she walks in His ways andloves and serves Him in absoluteobedience.14Abraham calledthe name of that placeThe LORD Will Provide, as it is said tothis day, “In themount of the LORD itwill be provided.”Page 7