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Prayer – Lesson 1, The Revelation of Christ
Heavenly Father, as we begin this new series studying about Christ, the Triumphant Lord, help our teachers and students to be caught up in the wonder of Your glorious majesty. Encourage us in our faith! In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
How should Sunday school follow-up be conducted?
Are you wanting to do better in following up on visitors and absentees of your Sunday school class. Check out this resource for very practical tips.
The Majesty of Christ
In "God's Word for Today" Steve Oliver writes:
Christ's majesty is not simply a matter of a glorious appearance (though He certainly has that). Rather, it is a visual display of His genuine power and authority. In John's vision, each visual aspect of Christ displays an invisible attribute of Jesus' character, power, or authority. For exam-ple, the depiction of Christ's eyes “as a flame” indicates that He sees and understands everything, that nothing is hidden from Him. If we are in trouble, this is a comfort. If we are try-ing to excuse ourselves for wrongdoing, this is troubling.
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 5.
Why is Jesus called Alpha and Omega?
In "Word Focus" Darrell Grim writes:
The use of the expression Alpha and Omega in verses 8 and 11 is significant. These being the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the obvious reference is to Christ's eternity. No one else can claim this title, so He uses the emphatic expression “I AM.” Since the expression not only includes the first and the last but everything in between, it also connotes the omnipotence and omniscience of God. In verse 8 this concept is revealed in the word translated the Almighty. The Greek word pantokrator is used nine times in the Apocalypse and only once in the Epistles (2 Cor. 6:18). It is, however, used frequently in the Septuagint and is literally the “all ruler.” It represents the Hebrew word translated as “God of hosts.” He is pictured as the one who commands all and is able to overcome any foe.
Discussion: How does this help you to understand better who Christ is?
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 4.
Jehovah’s Appearance
Read Genesis 12:1-7
“And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him” (v. 7).
I’m glad that we still have an altar! The patriarchs in the Old Testament regularly built altars at the site of a theophany; a place where God had appeared to them. It would seem natural to build an altar to commemorate the appearance of God.
There is a theological significance to an altar. Altars in the Bible were places of sacrifice. But, beyond that, the altar was also a place that marked the site of God’s appearance and presence. Many churches no longer have altars at the front of the sanctuary. This is disturbing to me. I’m grateful for the many times when I, personally, have met God at an altar! The continued use of the altar in the worship of God is vitally important. The altar is a place where God’s people can just come and bask in His presence or seek His guidance and power in their lives.
It may be that many believe the altar is just a place where one seeks God for salvation and sanctification. And it certainly is that; however, the altar can be utilized often just to bring the people of the church together into the presence of God! Let’s allow the altar to be a place where all are welcomed to come into the presence of the Lord. Don’t allow the altar to be only an article of furniture in the sanctuary. Use it! (KDK)
Who can tell all the love
He will send from above,
And how happy our hearts will be made,
Of the fellowship sweet
We shall share at His feet,
When our all on the altar is laid.
(Elisha Hoffman; Public Domain)
This devotional is the Monday, May 30, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Follow up on visitors and absentee
The Sunday school teacher's responsibility does not begin and end with the classroom Sunday morning!
As a Sunday school teacher, there are various best practices you should follow to have the maximum positive spiritual impact on your class. One such weekly habit is to follow up on visitors and absentees.
Jesus' earthly ministry shows us by example that while one may preach to multitudes, investment must be made in just a few in order to develop disciples. Your pastor's effectiveness will be multiplied if you as Sunday school teacher help him by "pastoring" your class. One key element of this ministry is follow-up.
- Ask your class secretary to ask all newcomers to your class for contact information.
- Check with the secretary afterward to determine which guests and absentees need to be
contacted. - Call/text/email, visit, or mail a card within 24 hours.