Our Blog
The Judgments of God
Lesson 7 - July 17, 2016
Focus Text: Revelation 6:8-17
Central Truth: God will one day judge those who persist in wickedness.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list elements of God's coming judgment.
Lesson Outline:
- The Severity of God's Judgment (Revelation 6:1-8)
- The Justice of God's Judgment (Revelation 6:9-11)
- The Fear of God's Judgment (Revelation 6:12-17)
Prayer – Lesson 6, Our Worthy Redeemer
Heavenly Father, as our classes study this lesson today, help us to understand the privilege we have in worshipping You. Give us creative ideas about how to express their love to You. Most of all, help us to actively worship You day by day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Why have we lost the sense of worship?
In "Doctrinal Discussion" Don Englund answers this question, at least in part, with the following thought:
Decades ago, the Christian writer G. K. Chesterton observed that our world does not lack wonders, but a sense of wonder. Our generation has witnessed the destruction of human lives on a scale unimaginable a century ago. We have learned to view social and technological change as routine. And the culture has met a great deal of this phenomena of social upheaval and change with cynicism. The deadly infection eats away at our built-in, God-given capacity to wonder in childlike delight and amazement, and most serious of all, it corrodes our channels of worship. Like John, we must raise our eyes higher than the unworkable solutions of this world!
Discussion: With this thought in mind, how can we regain a worshipful spirit?
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 37.
What happens when Christians take salvation for granted?
In "God's Word for Today" Steve Oliver writes:
Especially if we have been in church our entire lives and have heard the message of salvation repeatedly, it is easy to take salvation for granted. Being saved can just become a “normal” part of life, and we may lose the freshness of the experience. We may also forget the incredible cost of salvation and perhaps never realize the vital part that redemption plays in God's plan for world history. One of the dangers of this complacency is that we fail to value our salvation sufficiently, so sin can become “no big deal.” We also forget that redemption proves beyond any doubt God's love for us, the central place that the atonement holds in His plan, and the lengths to which He is willing to go to provide for our salvation.
Discussion: How have you seen such complacency affect the spirituality of Christians?
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 33.
Giving Adoration to the Lamb
“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (v. 12).
Here and now, even before we arrive at that moment, we are overwhelmed. This Lamb is worthy! Through the corridors of time humanity has worshipped at the feet of the unworthy. And, as God warns, “they followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves” (Jeremiah 2:5).
Our Redeemer is worthy! He humbly condescended to become one of us, to be our Kinsman. He alone was sinless and thus qualified as the spotless, innocent Lamb of God. He paid the price no one else could pay; He satisfied the just demands of the holy God and rose triumphant over mankind’s terrifying enemies - sin, death and hell. He is worthy!
Did you notice the “loud voice”? It actually means shouted! Could it be that this angel will begin in clear, dignified, resonant tones, but in the awesome presence of our mighty and glorious Redeemer he is captured and conquered by wonder and his angelic voice will crescendo in uncontrollable adoration, “Worthy is the Lamb…!!!”
For all eternity, we will be endlessly overwhelmed and worship with unashamed abandon our worthy Redeemer.
Don’t you think we should begin such worship now? (Phillip Gumbs)
This devotional is the Sunday, July 10, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Update your prayer list and pray over your list
One of the easiest ways to develop community in your class is to take some time to ask students about their concerns and needs. Not only does this allow your students to share with one another about their lives, it also helps you as a teacher know how to speak to their needs from God's Word. If you have committed to praying daily for your students, this time also allows you to update your prayer list with new requests and answers.
One of our Sunday school teachers has an admirable method for class prayer. Every week, he brings a half-sheet of paper for each student with a list of prayer requests his class has been praying for, as well as recent answers to prayer. The class takes time to read through the list, add requests, and pray for the needs. As a result these prayer requests are not forgotten immediately after the brief time of prayer, but this list can guide the students' prayers throughout the week.
Questions you may want to consider include:
- How long should you take for prayer during the typical class period?
- How will you track ongoing prayer requests and answers?
- How can you ensure an appropriate level of privacy/confidentiality?