February 19, 2023 – John’s Writings – The Worship Challenge

The Worship Challenge

Daniel 3:8-18 - New International Version (NIV)

⁸ At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. ⁹ They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! ¹⁰ Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, ¹¹ and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. ¹² But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

¹³ Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, ¹⁴ and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? ¹⁵ Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

What did the astrologers do (verse 8)?

What did they tell King Nebuchadnezzar (verse 9)?

Who was supposed to “fall down and worship the image of gold” when they heard the “sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music” (verse 10)?

What is to happen to those who don’t “fall down and worship the image of gold” (verse 11)?

Who paid no attention to the king or served his gods or worshipped the image (verse 12)?

How did the king feel when he found out there were people who paid no attention to him (verse 13)?

What choice was given to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (verse 15)?

In your opinion, how would King Nebuchadnezzar have answered this question “then what god will be able to rescue you” (verse 15)?

What did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego not need to do (verse 16)?

What did they think would happen if they were thrown into the furnace (verse 17)?

What did they want King Nebuchadnezzar to know (verse 18)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the battle of the world against God shown in this passage?

John 8:39-47 - New International Version (NIV)

³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your own father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. ⁴³ Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Who did the Jews opposing Jesus say their father was (verse 39)?

In your opinion, what did Jesus mean when He replied “If you were Abraham’s children then you would do what Abraham did” (verse 39)?

What had Jesus told them (verse 40)?

Whose works did Jesus say they were doing (verse 41)?

Where did Jesus come from (verse 42)?

Why is Jesus’s language not clear to them (verse 43)?

What was the devil from the beginning (verse 44)?

What is the devil’s native language (verse 44)?

Why don’t they believe Jesus (verse 45)?

In your opinion, why don’t the listeners believe Jesus (verse 46)?

Who hears what God says (verse 47)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the battle of the world against God shown in this passage?

In your opinion, how do the passages, from Daniel 3:8-18 and John 8:39-47, demonstrate that our actions are products of our beliefs?

3 John 5-12 – New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. ⁸ We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ¹⁰ So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. ¹² Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

Why does John commend Gaius, who 3 John is written to (verse 5)?

How is Gaius supposed to send the “brothers and sisters” on their way (verse 6)?

Why had the “brothers and sisters” gone out (verse 7)?

Why should we “show hospitality to such people” (verse 8)?

What did Diotrephes love (verse 9)?

What are the things that Diotrephes did (verse 10)?

What is John’s friend, Gaius, to imitate (verse 11)?

Who if from God (verse 11)?

How is Demetrius spoken of (verse 12)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the battle of the world against God shown in this passage?

In your opinion, who in 3 John 5-12 reacts to the people of God in a manner similar to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 5:8-18?  Why would someone associating with Christians respond to them in that way?

In your opinion, how does what is loved influence actions in John 8:39-47 and in 3 John 5-12?

Revelation 13:11-18 – New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³ And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. ¹⁶ It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

Where did the second beast come from (verse 11)?

In your opinion, why did it have “horns like a lamb” but speak “like a dragon” (verse 11)?

Whose authority did it exercise (verse 12)?

What did it make “the earth and its inhabitants” do (verse 12)?

What did the second beast perform (verse 13)?

Who was deceived (verse 14)?

What would happen to all who refused to worship the image of the first beast (verse 15)?

Who was forced to receive a mark on “their right hands or on their foreheads” (verse 16)?

What did they need the mark to do (verse 17)?

What is “the number of the beast” the number of (verse 18)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the battle of the world against God shown in this passage?

In your opinion, how is the golden image of Daniel 5:8-18 similar to the image in Revelation 13:11-18?  How is the result of not worshipping similar?  How might the words of, and the outcome for, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego encourage believers facing the Revelation challenge?

In your opinion, how can Jesus’s statement that “whoever belongs to God hears what God says” in John 8:39-47 comfort us as we are concerned about our ability to discern the truth if we find ourselves in a Revelation 13:11-18 situation?  Do you think we can find ourselves in this situation today (even if it is not the end of time)?

In your opinion, how does Diotrephes, in attempting to control what Christians around him did in 3 John 5-12, model the behavior of the second beast in Revelation 13:11-18?  How can Demetrius be our model for today’s challenges? 

In your opinion, what do these passages from Daniel, John, 3 John and Revelation show us the difference between worshipping self or world instead of worshipping God?

In your opinion, how do these four very different passages help us determine our actions today “for the sake of the Name”?

 

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)