The Whole Story (Encounter Initiative Lesson)
IT’S EASY TO LIVE on spiritual autopilot. We
scroll, we strive, and we survive, but rarely do we seek to truly encounter the
living God. And yet, this is what we were made for. We were made to know Him,
not just about Him.
At Upstate Church, our next step is seeking
the Lord with greater intentionality than ever before. Let’s be a church that
doesn’t just talk about God, let’s ENCOUNTER Him.
The first ENCOUNTER lesson this Sunday is on PRAYER:
We Should Be a House of Prayer for All People. In Matthew 21:13 Jesus says, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”
So, this week's lesson is a deep dive into our understanding of "true worship". See you on Sunday...
Matthew 21:12-17
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out
all who sold and bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers
and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of
robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in
the temple, and He healed them.
15 But when the chief priests and the scribes
saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the
temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to
Him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have
you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have
prepared praise’?”
17 And leaving them, He went out of the city
to Bethany and lodged there.
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Matthew
21:12-17
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think Jesus responded so strongly to the corruption in the temple? What does this reveal about God’s heart for worship?
- How do we sometimes treat worship as a transaction or performance rather than genuine devotion?
- Jesus called the temple a “house of prayer.” What would it look like for our lives — and our church — to reflect that?
- Why do you think the children recognized Jesus when the religious leaders resisted Him? What does this say about the heart posture God desires?
- In what ways can our worship today include prayer, healing, and authentic praise?
Closing thought…
When we look at Matthew 21:12–17, we see that
worship is not about what we can get out of it but about giving God the honor
He deserves. Jesus made it clear that God rejects worship tainted by
selfishness and hypocrisy, but He restores hearts that come to Him in prayer
and delights in the humble praise of His people. This means worship is more
than singing songs on Sunday; it’s a lifestyle of prayer, purity, and praise
that overflows into everyday life. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Am
I offering God the kind of worship He loves, or the kind of worship He would
overturn?
END
