December 3, 2023 – Isaiah in the New Testament – Worship from the Heart

Worship from the Heart

Isaiah 29:13-16 - New International Version (NIV)

¹³ The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
¹⁴ Therefore once more I will astound these people
    with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
    the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
¹⁵ Woe to those who go to great depths
    to hide their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
    “Who sees us? Who will know?”
¹⁶ You turn things upside down,
    as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,
    “You did not make me”?
Can the pot say to the potter,
    “You know nothing”?

What do the people do with their lips (verse 13)?

Where are their hearts (verse 13)?

What is their worship based on (verse 13)?

How will God “astound these people” (verse 14)?

What will happen to “the intelligence of the intelligent” (verse 14)?

Who will have woe (verse 15)?

How do people turn things (verse 16)?

In your opinion, can the “pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”” (verse 16)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the focus of people’s worship?

Mark 7:1-13 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus ² and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. ³ (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)

⁵ So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

⁶ He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
⁷ They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’

⁸ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

⁹ And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— ¹² then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. ¹³ Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Who “gathered around Jesus” (verse 1)?

What did they see the disciples doing (verse 2)?

Where did the Pharisees and Jews get the requirement to wash from (verses 3)?

In your opinion, why would coming from the marketplace make a difference (verse 4)?

What did the Pharisees and teachers of the law ask Jesus (verse 5)?

Who was right about the Pharisees and teachers of the law (verse 6)?

In your opinion, how does the context of verses 1-6 add depth to Jesus quoting the statement “their teachings are merely human rules” (verse 7)?

What did the Pharisees and teachers of the law have to let go of to hold “on to human traditions” (verse 8)?

Who said “honor your father and mother” (verse 10)?

How do the Pharisees and teachers of the law let people get out of doing things for their fathers or mothers (verses 11 and 12)?

How is the “word of God” nullified (verse 13)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the focus of people’s worship?

In your opinion, how do both Isaiah 29:13-16 and Mark 7:1-13 show how people “turn things upside down”?

Galatians 1:11-24 - New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. ¹² I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

¹³ For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. ¹⁷ I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

¹⁸ Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.

²¹ Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. ²² I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³ They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they praised God because of me.

What does Paul want his “brothers and sisters” to know (verse 11)?

How did Paul receive the gospel (verse 12)?

What did Paul do in his “previous way of life in Judaism” (verse 13)?

What was Paul “extremely zealous” for (verse 14)?

When was Paul set apart (verse 15)?

Who did Paul not consult (verse 16)?

When did Paul go to “Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas” (verse 18)?

Who else did Paul see (verse 19)?

What report did the churches of Judea hear (verses 22 and 23)?

How did the churches react to that report (verse 24)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the focus of people’s worship?

In your opinion, how is the promise that “the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish” in Isaiah 20:13-16 fulfilled in Galatians 1:11-24?

In your opinion, how does Galatians 1:11-24 provide hope for those who Jesus names as hypocrites in Mark 7:1-13?

1 Timothy 4:1-10 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ³ They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. ⁴ For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

⁶ If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰ That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

What does the Spirit clearly say some will do “in later times” (verse 1)?

Who will the teachings “come through” (verse 2)?

In your opinion, why would “they” establish rules against marriage and eating certain foods (verse 3)?

What is good (verse 4)?

How are the things received with thanksgiving consecrated (verses 4 and 5)?

When will Timothy be a “good minister of Christ Jesus” (verse 6)?

How has Timothy been nourished (verse 6)?

What is Timothy to “have nothing to do with” (verse 7)?

What holds “promise for both the present life and the life to come” (verse 8)?

Why does Paul “labor and strive” (verse 9)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the focus of people’s worship?

In your opinion, what does 1 Timothy 4:1-10 reveal about the source of the “human rules” that Isaiah 29:13-16 condemns?

In your opinion, what does the fact that Jesus points out in Mark 7:1-13, that it is the Pharisees and teachers of the law who nullify the law, help us understand about the “hypocritical liars” that Paul warns of in 1 Timothy 4:1-10?

In your opinion, what guidance do we find in Galatians 1:11-24 and 1 Timothy 4:1-10 to determine who has received a revelation from Jesus and who has received a revelation from “deceiving spirits”? 

In your opinion, what do these passages from Isaiah, Mark, Galatians, and 1 Timothy teach us about how to worship God with our hearts instead of with our lips?

In your opinion, how should we respond to God, who has called us “by his grace” today?

 

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)