Rhythms of Grace - Week 5 & 6 (2 March 2025)

Weekly Worship

Jesus called out, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:28-29, The Message)

Study by: Ivan Cooper
Sermons can be viewed on the Hope Valley Church YouTube Channel

1. Sharing Our Journey

Praise, Thanks, and Reflection

Invite people to share in response to one of the questions below. It can be done as a whole group or in subgroups. It can also involve a worship song.

• What are you thankful for?
• Where have you seen God at work?
• How has God used you?
• How have you gone living out God’s Word since our last gathering?
• Where have you struggled to follow the way of Jesus?
• Where and with whom have you witnessed to the love and good news of Jesus?

Share how you have gone with your regular time with God.

Care and Prayer

In prayer, capture the things you have shared above after also inviting people to share any personal needs for prayer or support.

2. Opening God’s Word

Setting the Scene

The idea of Sabbath rest and regular worship together goes back to the first pages of the Bible in the story of creation. This rhythm of resting from work and worshipping together every 7 days became central to the people of Israel and their way of life under the Law of Moses. Yet, the idea of rest came to its fullest meaning in the person of Jesus, who invited all who were weary and burdened to find lasting rest for their souls in Him (Matthew 11:28). In Hebrews 4, we are invited to enter with confidence into the perfect, eternal rest of God through the finished work of Jesus. The New Testament church made a new rhythm of meeting, no longer on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday, although some still did), but on the Lord’s day, Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Every week they would break bread (share communion) and remind themselves of the good news of Jesus; good news that, once heard, would change everything, everywhere, for all time.

• What does weekly worship or Sabbath rest look like in your life? Has it changed over time? What parts of it work well or what do you find difficult?

Read: Revelation 1:9-20
Take turns reading this passage as a group.

• What first caught your interest or stuck out to you as you read this passage? Or what question do you still want answered?
• It was while John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day (engaged in this practice of weekly worship) that he received a vision of the Lord Jesus that human description struggled to record. What do you find most captivating about the vision John saw? Or is there a particular worship service where you powerfully encountered Jesus and grew your faith in Him?
• Is there something you could do to engage more deeply, actively, or openly in worship with others on a Sunday?
• Strikingly, the first and greatest image that John sees here on the Lord’s day is Jesus, and his whole letter is hence recorded as ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ’. John is asked to record what he sees and send it to the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. These are messages of encouragement and exhortation (which follow in chapters 2-3). Are there things you have experienced in weekly worship that can become an encouragement to share with others?

3. Living out the Heart of God

Choose a way to apply weekly worship and Sabbath into your life…

• Commit to attending worship weekly in person or online at Hope Valley Church. If necessary, reorganize your diary to make this your habit.
• Commit to get to church before worship starts and prepare your heart to meet with God. Maybe you could create a group prayer time 15 minutes before church starts.
• Pray before worship for Jesus to meet with you and change you.
• Be more exuberant than usual in singing and prayer.
• Stay to talk and connect with 2 new people in your church family after the service.
• Make a conscious choice to pause or rest from jobs/work/responsibilities or TV/social media and reflect on or discuss with others what you learned or experienced at worship.
• Share your experience or learning with others from your experience at worship.
• Something else?

Prayer for Each Other

Break into 2s or 3s to pray:

• Pray for each other for refreshing and renewal during worship.
• Pray for the people in your life that you would like to share the love of Jesus with.
• Pray that we could follow the example of Jesus, who each week on the Sabbath came to teach in the synagogue. May we too be amazed at His Word and teachings in weekly worship (Mark 6:2).

Contacts

If you would like more information or further help, please contact:
scott.button@hopevalleychurch.com.au