Sunday School Lesson 1/11

Worship in the Sanctuary

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Welcome to Sunday School today. I am very excited to be here with you all today. I’d like to thank Rev. Dorothy for extending the opportunity to serve you all today. This is what it is, a service to God's people and it is my great privilege to be of service to you all today. I know that here we have many gifted of teachers who pour of themselves each week in Sunday School and I send my special greetings to you. If you in any way teach any Sunday school classes either present or post just stand up real quick so we can acknowledge you. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed and I know how draining is trying to pour into others so I wanted to come just for a second and bestow kindness upon you for your great service. I’d like to take this privilege to exhort each you of before we begin. You all are the most faithful people in this building. I want to say that I see you. I see your deep dedication and reverence to the word. I see your great commitment to this ministry... and most importantly I see your faithfulness to God. With all that's going on in the world, in our churches, in our jobs, in our homes, and everywhere else. I admire your consistency and your boldness for the word. Never stop learning and never stop showing up. For the Lord is truly with each one of you.

Opening Prayer & Scripture Context

(Reading of scripture (person read... get different perspectives to read the different parts.

Our text today is an extension of a praise break. We start in verse 23 and they had been praising for 16 verses. We are a little late to the praise party but right on time with where the Lord wants us to focus on on this day.

The ark of God had been brought into the tent David had pitched for it. The very presence of God was placed in its rightful place. Offerings had been made, Levites had been appointed to minister before the ark of the Lord and praises began to ring out.

I’m very much a teacher in every sense of the way. In the natural and the spiritual. Let's make some initial observations. I want to hear some voices. You know by now that I am a preacher so I need you to talk back to me. I want this to be engaging and interactive. What are some words and phrases in the text that stick out to you and why?

Great responses everyone.

Part 1: The Proclamations

* Proclamation 1: The first thing we see in the text is a proclamation. I think of a proclamation as a public service announcement, a grand imputation... and I love this definition, a proclamation is made or authorized by a person in authority. This text opens up with Oh! There is a reason to sing. There is a reason to shout. There is a reason to give... to declare that on this day. The Lord saves. This is an announcement of who God is and who he has always been. This is of great importance. The Lord is in his rightful place after the people have been saved once again. The Lord is the one who saves. What has the Lord already saved his people from? I’m going to give you some think time. What has the Lord saved them from so far?

* Proclamation 2: The next proclamation is of the Lord’s marvelous works. Not just the works that he has done for the Israelites. The works he has done for all nations. I want us to make this one personal. What are the marvelous works He has done in you? Before we start this discussion I have something that I... Time to point out. We especially as the church look back on our history a lot. But I want us to take a step back and look at the source of our deliverance. Fill in the blank for this declaration. It was the Lord who _______.

* Proclamation 3: The last proclamation in our lesson today is the Lord’s worthiness. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. I am reminded when the prophet Elijah was on Mount Carmel and he was facing off with the prophets of Baal. Those prophets cried and cried, cut themselves, screamed and prophesied. But no god answered them and nothing happened. These little ‘g’s are powerless. Useless really. But aren’t we glad we serve a God who answers when we call on him. Aren't you glad that we serve a God who is not silent... aren’t you glad we serve a god who hears... not just seeking and gives hope for the Lord says... if we ask it will be given to us, if we seek we will find and knock and it will be open to us. That’s a praise report right there. That our God answers, our God hears, our God is ready to perform just as he has said.

Part 2: A Call to Worship

We are moving on now to a call to worship. Worship is a heart posture. It’s not just singing. It is about the heart. It is an offering unto the Lord. Worship in the text... writer shows the people he invites in active worship. The author of Chronicles is showing us that the people may have forgotten how to worship the people... and stopped prioritizing worship. The people looked to others to enter into worship for them instead of having a posture of worship and reverence to the Lord. The people started skipping worship and just went straight to the message. Oh gosh I may be in your drive way cause this sounds a lot like us - and yes I say us.

When our favorite worship leader or song is not on we withhold our worship and I don't want to be in your business but we are not withholding our worship to those people... we are withholding our worship to God. Whatever happened to pure worship [first starting and our first love?]. Question for you all. Why do you believe the people then and even the people now forsake worship?

Part 3: The Nature of Worship

Worship is a stabilizer. It puts our heart in right position to receive God. It’s not an appetizer it shouldn't be optional, worship is a part of the meal. Worship requires holiness and reverence. What happens to our bodies, our hearts and our minds when we miss out on worshiping God.

This is a call to action for the Israelites and to us, we cannot forget to worship. It’s necessary in our walk with God.

Part 4: The Call to Rejoice

Lastly, let's talk about the call to rejoice. We ought to follow the lead of the Israelites and follow God into worship not for obligation but out of reverence.

There is a sound that we must make, there is action we must take to follow the Lord. Our children are waiting on us, we are set up as examples for Christ. [We must worship] the Lord in spirit and in truth.

We have to rejoice. Let’s make a tangible decision to rejoice today, to walk in gladness, to walk in joy. It is exciting to worship God! It is glorious to lift up the name of the Lord.

When we have knowledge of who the Lord is to us! It produces Joy. I want to take some time to enter into worship right now. Before we move into our discussion questions.

Conclusion

My brothers and sisters its easier to teach about worship than to do it. I pray that you would come into a posture of submission. Let move beyond theory and into action. Lets worship in joy of the Lord together

Play the song.

My Worship by Phillips Thompson

Start Reviewing the Research and Discussion Question