VERSES: 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 11:20-29; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; Ephesians 5:19; Acts 20:7
MEMORY VERSE: John 4:24 "God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Review all 27 books of the New Testament. Keep them fresh in the students' minds.
PRAYER: Pray that we will always worship the Lord His way and not our way. Pray that we will always study the Bible, so we will know what the Lord wants us to do.
SPECIAL SONG: How Do Christians Worship God? (See May 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #5 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below under Activity)
BULLETIN BOARD: As a reinforcement to this lesson, here is an easy bulletin board for your consideration:
LESSON POINTS:
- We have studied in the past how God wanted to be worshiped in the Old Testament. He was very specific in his commands to Aaron and the priests. If anyone did not follow God's plan in worshiping Him, there were grave consequences (see Lesson - Nadab And Abihu - May 2014 on this blog). Nadab and his brother, Abihu, who were Aaron's sons and also priests, did not follow God's instructions and were killed for doing what they thought God wanted. They should have known better and were not excused with a simple scolding for doing the wrong thing. They died for their presumptuous attitude or thinking they knew better than God or perhaps thinking that it did not matter to God. Worship mattered and still matters to God.
- Not one time, not two times, but three times in Leviticus chapter 1 (verses 9, 13, and 17), we can read that a burnt offering made by fire was a sweet smelling offering to God. That meant that God was pleased. We have recently studied in the book of Romans and found that, under the New Testament Law, God is now pleased when His children (Christians) are living sacrifices. The lives that Christians live here on earth are living sacrifices to God (see Lesson - A Different Life - October 2015 on this blog). God has always known how He wanted to be worshiped and He knows today as well. God has always had a plan for creation, for the family, and also for worshiping Him. We need to read His Word to find out how to please Him.
- WHEN TO WORSHIP: In times past, we have read in Acts 20:7 what day the Lord wants to be worshiped and that is on the first day of the week. Do we know when the first day of week is? On Sunday! How many "first" days are there in a week? Only one. We know the first day of the week is Sunday. Do we know what the Christians did on that first day of the week in Acts 20:7? (Read verse.) In this verse we have book, chapter, and verse for how the church met on the first day of the week, for breaking bread or partaking in the Lord's Supper, and for preaching God's Word since that was what Paul was doing; in fact, Paul continued to preach until midnight! All acts of worship are equally important. One act of worship is not any less or more important than the other.
- GIVE TO THE LORD: We find in 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 that Paul addresses the collection of the saints or the Christians. He specifically identifies the day when Christians are to "lay by in store" or put money aside for the purpose of giving it to the Lord. When we look at 1 Corinthians 16:2, can we find what day? The first day of the week. Sunday. As God prospers Christians, they are to give back a portion of what the Lord gave them back to the Lord. They give in a proportionate manner. Christians are not to give because they must give out of duty or grudgingly; they are to give with a cheerful heart! God loves a cheerful giver!
- PRAY TO THE LORD: Christians are a prayerful people. They have prayerful attitudes (1 Thessalonians 5:17). They thank God for the good things that He gives them (James 1:17) and for His blessings (Philippians 4:6). They pray when they are happy (James 5:13). They pray for one another, especially when they are sick, knowing that God listens to a fervent prayer of a righteous Christian (James 5:16).
- SING TO THE LORD: We are told what kind of music that God wants to hear and in Ephesians 5:19 it tells Christians to sing! They are to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. They sing with the spirit and with the understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15), knowing it is important to understand what they are singing (Colossians 3:16). Colossians 3:16 also tells Christians to make melody in their hearts to the Lord. Nowhere in the New Testament are there instructions for the Christian to play an instrument to praise God. This is not what the world believes, but it is what the Truth-seeking Christian finds in these verses. What were Paul and Silas doing while the were in prison in Philippi in Acts 16:25? They were praying and singing. There are many 'singing' verses in the New Testament.
- PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER: Christians follow Christ's instructions concerning the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19, 20). The unleavened bread represents Christ's body as He died on the cross and the fruit of the vine symbolizes the blood He shed. As Christians partake in this supper or communion, they think back and remember Jesus death (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). They realize that partaking of the Lord's Supper is a very serious matter; each Christian examining his or her own self (1 Corinthians 11:27, 28), so they will not eat and drink in an unworthy manner. The instructions for partaking of the Lord's Supper is very clear. It is not a great meal where any food can be eaten. No, Paul says twice that Christians have homes in which to eat their meals (1 Corinthians 11:21, 22), saying if Christians are hungry, they should eat at home (1 Corinthians 11:34). Unleavened bread (bread that has no leavening like eggs, baking soda, baking powder, or yeast) and the fruit of the vine (grape juice) are what Christians partake of when eating and drinking of the Lord's Supper.
- PREACH THE TRUTH: We have already mentioned that Paul preached on the first day of the week in Acts 20:7. Christians should always hunger and thirst after righteousness and want to hear God's Word spoken (Matthew 5:6). Turning to 2 Timothy 4:1-4, we can read what Paul told Timothy to preach to the people. He was to preach the Word when the people wanted to hear it and when they did not want to hear His Word. He said Timothy should reprove (scold), rebuke (warn), and to exhort (build up) the people with patience and doctrine. Paul said that there would be a time coming when the people would not endure sound doctrine or they would not treasure God's Word. They would would look for people who only wanted to preach something nice and pleasant to them. He said they would in time turn their ears away from God's Word and listen to fairy tales or fables. Preachers preach God's Word to the people in order to please God.
Materials needed: 12" x 12" yellow construction paper, crayons, Bible sticker.
- Hand out yellow paper.
- Place yellow paper in a diamond shape (with a corner at the top) on the table.
- Fold two corners together.
- Fold other two corners together.
- Keeping paper folded, write 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the corners.
- Open all folds.
- Trace lines with a black crayon.
- Write "PREACH" on one open corner.
- Write "2 Timothy 4:1-4" on the "PREACH" corner.
- Draw a Bible on the "PREACH" corner.
- On another open corner, write "SING".
- Write "Ephesians 5:19" on the "SING" corner.
- Draw a musical note on the "SING" corner.
- On another open corner, write "PRAY."
- Write "1 Thessalonians 5:17" on the "PRAY" corner.
- Draw praying hands on the "PRAY" corner.
- On another open corner, write "GIVE."
- Write "1 Corinthians 16:1, 2" on the "GIVE" corner.
- In the middle of the blank square, write a "5".
- Write "THE LORD'S SUPPER" in the middle of the square.
- Write "1 Corinthians 11:20-29" in "THE LORD'S SUPPER" square.
- Draw a cup of grape juice and unleavened bread in the middle of the square.
- Turn paper over and write, "HOW DO CHRISTIANS WORSHIP GOD?" in the middle of the square.
- Turn paper over one more time, fold all corners together.
- Where the four corner meet, place a Bible sticker.
