ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
GOD IS ETERNAL God has always existed. God does not have a beginning. He will have no end.
Isaiah 40:28
Have you never heard? Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
Praise the God who is Eternal
Before time began, God existed. Before the mountains stood, God was present. Leaders, celebrities, fashion, and technology all come and go but God will always be. Praise God because He always has been and He will be forever.
CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100
SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.
- Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
- Pray for our those suffering in Ukraine. Ask God to bring an end to the war. Pray for the church to be a light in that place.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Hebrews 5 – Christian Standard Bible
Christ, a High Priest
5 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness. 3 Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people. 4 No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 In the same way, Christ did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but God who said to him,
You are my Son;
today I have become your Father,
6 also says in another place,
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
7 During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. 9 After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
The Problem of Immaturity
11 We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. 12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. 13 Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
This morning, look back to Hebrews 4: 16 as we think about applying these truths about Jesus being our Great High Priest: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Consider the phrase “with confidence draw near” in this verse. What does it look like to draw near to God? What does it look like to do it with confidence?
Consider the phrase “throne of grace” in this verse. What are the implications of God’s throne being a “throne of grace” and not a “throne of judgment” or a “throne of condemnation”?
Consider the phrase “receive mercy and find grace” in this verse. What is it that God offers us when we approach Him? Notice that God does not necessarily offer to fix a situation or remedy a symptom, but He does offer mercy and grace. What form might God’s mercy and grace take for you today?
Lastly, consider the word “us.” We do not – or at least should not – be drawing near to God all on our own. This is something we, the local church, do together. How might you encourage a brother or sister in Christ to “draw near” today?