Scripture: for teacher background:
Isaiah 6:1-6; Hebrews 12:1,2; Psalm 95.
Making contact:
Have you ever been to a big soccer game or
watched it on T.V.? How many people are on the field?
What are they doing? How
many people are in the stands? What are they doing?
Discuss the difference between the players
and the spectators. Who is the audience?
Exploration:
Let’s compare worshiping God to a soccer
game in stadium.
When we are in church, are we the audience
in the stands or the payers?
Many people think we are in the audience, watching
the minister/pastor, choir, singers etc, but no, the angels are in the stands
watching us “play”.
God is in the Special guest seat. He loves to share in our
worship.
The minister and worship leaders are like the managers at the side
trying to help the team play to their best and the players are all of us,
playing our hearts out for the Lord.
Now this kind of worship is in a group –
like a team but often we worship on our own.
Let’s always remember the whole of
our life is really the “game” and how we “play” during the week is just as
important as to how we play on a Sunday. When we work and play, we are also
worshiping the Lord as well as when we read our Bibles, pray and sing songs to
Him.
Even our thoughts come before God, so
everything about us rises to Him like perfume. I hope it is always sweet
perfume and not a nasty smell.
For the Bible says we are always surrounded
by a host of witnesses. They are cheering for us and encouraging us.
We are in the Jesus team! We worship
together and we worship on our own.
Let’s look at what Psalm 95 says about
worship.
Come let us praise the Lord!
Let us sing for joy to God who protects us!
Let us come before Him with thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs of praise
For the Lord is a mighty God.
He rules over the whole earth…….
Come let us bow down and worship Him;
Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.
He is our God;
We are the people He cares for
The flock for which He provides.
When we worship God we must concentrate on
Him and worship Him. This isn’t the time to look at what clothes other people
are wearing or to chat to our friends about a new game we have or to worry
about a test we have to learn for.
Let’s first give God all our attention, our
love, our praise, our thanks.
Let’s sing to Him and pray to Him and then later
we can have time for friendship with others and time to pray about our test.
If we can learn to worship on our own, as
we learnt in our lesson on prayer, then worship together will be like a huge
band or orchestra playing together and making beautiful music, or like single
flowers being put in a mass arrangement.
When you worship on your own and even in
church, try this.
Say you are next to your bed, then kneel and put your elbows
on the bed then put your hands like a tent, close your eyes and put your face
into your hands.
Then imagine you are in a prayer tent with Jesus and tell Him
how much you love Him.
Use your imagination when you pray. Think
of what the Bible tells us about heaven and about God’s throne.
Imagine His glorious throne and all the
thousands of angels around Him. Imagine you are in the throne room and kneeling
before Him.
Tell Him you worship Him. Sing a song to Him – out aloud!
Application
Teach
the children what hypocrites are. Those who pretend to worship God but inside
are full of nasty thoughts. God sees what we are all the time.
We need to be
honest with Him and then when we come before Him in church and worship it will
be with clean hearts and it will be with joy.
Let’s not be shy to show that we
love Jesus with all our hearts. Its lovely to clap and raise our hands as the
Bible tells us.
The fans at a soccer match go wild when their team scores.
We
can show much more joy because we are on the winning side. Let’s not be shy or
embarrassed about our love for Jesus.
Stand up and SHOUT it if you love my
Jesus!
Challenge to Mission
If we could be even a
little bit as enthusiastic about the Jesus team and be willing to be in the
team as the soccer fans are it would be great.
Let’s promote mission and let’s
help the church to grow. A worshiper will draw others to Jesus because where
the name of Jesus is lifted up there He draws people to Himself.
May your life
and your church bring people to Jesus.
Consolidation
There is a worksheet
showing individual and corporate worship.
Memory Verse
“People will worship the Father as He
really is, offering Him the true worship that He wants." John 4:23
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