Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (Psalm 15), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [1] The question is addressed to Yahweh, Israel’s God, the one true God revealed in the Jewish/Christian Scriptures. The question asks: Who is the true worshiper who lives with God? What characterizes a person who lives in God’s presence? The question is inspired—Yahweh tells us this is a good question to ask him. Is this question important to you? Have you asked this question of Yahweh? What other “ultimate” spiritual questions do you have for God? Are they the kinds of questions God says we should ask him? How would you determine this?

• [2ff] Yahweh answers the question. How would you have answered the question? How do you instinctively think about what true worship really is? How do you imagine a “really devout, spiritual person?” What do you think “the best religious experience” would be like?

• Yahweh describes the true worshiper as one whose life with God consists of love for others, who reflects the characteristics of God himself in his relationships with others. What sort of response do you have to these attributes? Do you like some but dislike others? Are they signs of weakness to be laughed at? Admirable? Impractical? Impossible?

• Even though the Messiah is not explicitly mentioned in this Psalm, we know it is primarily about him because he taught his disciples that each part of the Scriptures is ultimately about him (Luke 24:27, 44). Jesus is the only one whose life completely reflected God’s character in these ways, the only True Worshiper. This doesn’t exclude you from living with God—rather, Jesus shares his life of worship with you so that you’re included! Now, because no one can turn Jesus away from God’s presence, no one can turn you away from God’s presence (v. 5c). And now you also can begin to exhibit these attributes of the True Worshiper through faith in Jesus. How does this Christian way of belonging in God’s presence and becoming more like the True Worshiper differ from non-Christian ways? As a Christian, do you find the Christian way intuitive, or do you easily slip into non-Christian ways of attempting to live with God?

• Can you think of passages in the Gospels where Jesus exhibits each of the character traits of the True Worshiper as described in verses 2-5? Can you think of passages in the New Testament where members of the church are called to live in these same ways? Have you prayed for the Holy Spirit’s help to worship this way in Christ?