Know: Recognize that God is the Creator, who alone must be worshiped separate from, and above, His creation.
Feel: Appreciate the marvelous love of God displayed through His roles as Creator and Provider.
Do: Worship the heavenly Creator-Redeemer, who continuously displays His love toward humankind through His daily provision.
Learning Outline:
Know: The Divine Attributes
Who is God, according to the divine portrait revealed in Scripture? B What specific roles did Christ assume? C By what reasoning can God claim ownership over our lives?
Feel: Jesus Christ, Owner and Friend
How does Christ’s dual role as Owner and Friend enhance our relationship with Him?
How does the fact that Jesus created the world affect our appreciation for the created universe and its material components?
How might we enjoy a deeper, more intimate experience with our Creator?
Do: Jesus, Object of Worship
How can we demonstrate our adoration of God creatively in ways that reflect His creative power?
How can we effectively share our devotion to Christ with people who do not believe in Creation?
If there is no Creator, what worship options do people have?
Summary: Humankind was designed for worship. That worship may be directed toward self, toward created things, or toward the Creator. Only the last option brings lasting satisfaction, a true sense of belonging in the universe, and a deep sense of purpose.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Philippians 2:9–11
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Humans were created for worship. This impulse is satisfactorily met when worship is directed toward God, rather than toward anything He created.
Just for Teachers: The choice is distinct: One cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon in and of itself is not evil. It is not synonymous with Satan or the devil as some have thought. It is an Aramaic word, borrowed by the Greek text of the New Testament, denoting property or wealth. Many modern translations have used the word “money” in its place.
Serving mammon, however, is evil. A popular folk singer dating back to the 1960s once sang, “You’ve got to serve somebody.” So, do we serve a loving heavenly Father who daily provides our needs and many of our wants, or should we choose to serve rock, paper, or metal (for that is what all our “precious gems” and “money” amount to)? Many have accumulated possessions, thinking that they themselves are the masters, only to find that maintaining, repairing, and storing them requires so much time that they are the servants! Our property and wealth, however, are wonderful things when we recognize them for what they are: material blessings bestowed by a loving Creator, given in order that we might distribute His blessings to others.
Opening Activity: Display different types of money before the class. To make things more interesting, and to suggest the universal application of the illustration, include money from other countries if it is available. Talk about the average income in your country and discuss what that amount can buy in terms of food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and any extras we have. Focus on the limitations of that income:
Are there wants that the income cannot supply?
What do people who have less than the average income do in order to meet their basic human needs?
Can any amount of money supply the emotional needs for love, belonging, purpose, hope, adventure, satisfaction, wholeness?
Considering these things, how much sense does it make to worship mammon? Conversely, consider God. Ask class members to read the following texts: Psalm 50:10, 11; Haggai 2:8; Matthew 6:31–34; 7:7–11; and John 3:16. Now discuss God’s “limitations,” as well as His generosity toward human beings. Compare God’s assets with our limited incomes. Discuss the emotional needs God can meet that money cannot. In the light of the discussion, from a practical standpoint, why does it make more sense to worship God over mammon?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: In formal debates, two opposing teams present their best arguments for their positions and seek to discredit the oppositions’ arguments against their viewpoints. The most successful debaters not only know their positions but also know the opposition’s positions so well that they understand both the strengths and weaknesses.
The current lesson explores the biblical positions or statements about who God is. It claims that God’s attributes call human beings to worship. The opposing side alternatively offers the options of self-worship, mammon worship, or Satan worship—anything to divert worship away from the Creator. What are the most important points of the Christian position in support of the assertion that God must be worshiped exclusively? What divine attributes undergird that assertion?
Bible Commentary
I. Creator (Review Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6–9; Isaiah 45:11, 12; Jeremiah 51:15; and Colossians 1:13–18 with the class.)
Many commentators recognize that Paul’s most developed Christology appears in his Epistle to the Colossians, where he presents the creative and redemptive aspects of Christ. Many scholars believe Paul was writing to counter a budding heresy that contained many aspects of a belief system called Gnosticism. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary describes Gnosticism as “a generic term for a variety of religious movements of the first centuries of the Christian era. Although the theology, ritual practice, and ethics of these groups differed considerably, all purported to offer salvation from the oppressive bonds of material existence through gnosis, or ‘knowledge.’ ”—Paul Achtemeier, ed. (italics supplied), The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996), p. 380.
The Gnostics claimed that the material world was inherently evil. This claim presented challenges to orthodox Christian teaching. For example, God could not possibly be the Creator of something so evil as the material world because He is perfect and spiritual (as opposed to material). Given that Christ was sinless, it followed that He could not possibly be incarnate (have a fleshly body) because flesh—a physical, material body—was evil.
Scripture, however, teaches that the material world, because it flowed from God’s hand, is good (Genesis 1). It repeatedly affirms that God, through Christ, created everything. Because of this, God claims the right to our worship. Based on God’s Creatorship, Scripture teaches the essential goodness, apart from sin, of the material world.
Consider This: What does Scripture teach about the material world, and how does this teaching affect our lifestyles and practices? On the other hand, how would the erroneous idea that the material world is inherently evil affect our Christian lifestyle and practices?
II. Redeemer (Review 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Peter 1:18; Hebrews 2:14, 15; and Galatians 3:13 with the class.)
God’s claim to worship as Creator is tied strongly to the material world. Because He created us as physical creatures and provided the material world for our pleasure, we owe Him our allegiance and adoration. Similarly, God’s claim to worship as Redeemer is strongly tied to the emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. Hebrews suggests that Christ’s incarnate character—one that enabled Him to fully identify with humanity by adopting a real flesh-and-blood body—is essential to Redemption. The writer sees no essential conflict between the material and spiritual realms. The true conflict is between good and evil, between authentic worship and self-worship.
In the first chapter of Revelation, John proclaims that Jesus is worthy of glory based upon His redemptive work: “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever” (Rev. 1:5, 6, NRSV, emphasis supplied). God’s claim to worship is thus two-pronged (Creation and Redemption).
Once Jesus spoke to a Pharisee named Simon, saying, “ ‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven’ ” (Luke 7:41–43, NIV). Jesus affirmed His assessment. The reasoning is that the one who owes the most loves the most. Believers owe God simply for creating them—an unpayable debt. But how much more do they owe because Christ has redeemed them? And on top of that, He daily provides and sustains those to whom He owes nothing. What a wonderful Lord we worship!
Consider This: What is God’s claim to worship based upon? Because worship means more than singing and studying at church once a week, how can the believer worship God through the financial decisions made throughout the week?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: Emphasize for your students that the Lordship of Christ extends to every aspect of our beings. Introduce the following questions as a means of generating discussion that will encourage believers to surrender all aspects of their everyday lives to the Lordship of Christ.
Application Questions:
How does the principle “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19, 20, NIV) inform our decisions and choices?
Given that worshiping God extends His ownership over everything we possess, what attitude adjustments must we make?
Because honoring God involves caring for the natural world He created, what habits must be changed?
How can we assess whether or not we are in danger of loving the gifts more than the Giver? What can we do to protect against giving God’s material gifts the affection that alone should go to God?
How can others be encouraged to adopt unselfish lifestyles that channel God’s material gifts for His divine purposes?
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: While we cannot serve God and mammon, we can use mammon to serve God. God actually calls us to do this very thing. If we fail to do so, we dishonor Him. In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells a story of three servants who were entrusted with various amounts of money. One received five units, another two, and yet another, one. The owner left, but upon his return he demanded an accounting for the money he had invested with them. Two servants had “doubled their money,” but the third had done nothing. As a result, he was banished. True Christian service requires us to multiply the gifts with which we have been entrusted.
Activities:
Plan a God-honoring project to benefit others with money (resources) derived only from the participants. Consult the “Create” sections from the previous week’s lesson for specific suggestions, but do not be limited by them.
Write and/or sing songs that uphold Jesus as Creator and Redeemer. Plan a gathering or arrange for a venue where they may be sung or performed, such as during vespers, in a nursing home, et cetera.
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Text: Philippians 2:9–11
Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Know: The Divine Attributes
Feel: Jesus Christ, Owner and Friend
Do: Jesus, Object of Worship
Summary: Humankind was designed for worship. That worship may be directed toward self, toward created things, or toward the Creator. Only the last option brings lasting satisfaction, a true sense of belonging in the universe, and a deep sense of purpose.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Philippians 2:9–11
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Humans were created for worship. This impulse is satisfactorily met when worship is directed toward God, rather than toward anything He created.
Just for Teachers: The choice is distinct: One cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon in and of itself is not evil. It is not synonymous with Satan or the devil as some have thought. It is an Aramaic word, borrowed by the Greek text of the New Testament, denoting property or wealth. Many modern translations have used the word “money” in its place.
Serving mammon, however, is evil. A popular folk singer dating back to the 1960s once sang, “You’ve got to serve somebody.” So, do we serve a loving heavenly Father who daily provides our needs and many of our wants, or should we choose to serve rock, paper, or metal (for that is what all our “precious gems” and “money” amount to)? Many have accumulated possessions, thinking that they themselves are the masters, only to find that maintaining, repairing, and storing them requires so much time that they are the servants! Our property and wealth, however, are wonderful things when we recognize them for what they are: material blessings bestowed by a loving Creator, given in order that we might distribute His blessings to others.
Opening Activity: Display different types of money before the class. To make things more interesting, and to suggest the universal application of the illustration, include money from other countries if it is available. Talk about the average income in your country and discuss what that amount can buy in terms of food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and any extras we have. Focus on the limitations of that income:
Considering these things, how much sense does it make to worship mammon? Conversely, consider God. Ask class members to read the following texts: Psalm 50:10, 11; Haggai 2:8; Matthew 6:31–34; 7:7–11; and John 3:16. Now discuss God’s “limitations,” as well as His generosity toward human beings. Compare God’s assets with our limited incomes. Discuss the emotional needs God can meet that money cannot. In the light of the discussion, from a practical standpoint, why does it make more sense to worship God over mammon?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: In formal debates, two opposing teams present their best arguments for their positions and seek to discredit the oppositions’ arguments against their viewpoints. The most successful debaters not only know their positions but also know the opposition’s positions so well that they understand both the strengths and weaknesses.
The current lesson explores the biblical positions or statements about who God is. It claims that God’s attributes call human beings to worship. The opposing side alternatively offers the options of self-worship, mammon worship, or Satan worship—anything to divert worship away from the Creator. What are the most important points of the Christian position in support of the assertion that God must be worshiped exclusively? What divine attributes undergird that assertion?
Bible Commentary
I. Creator (Review Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6–9; Isaiah 45:11, 12; Jeremiah 51:15; and Colossians 1:13–18 with the class.)
Many commentators recognize that Paul’s most developed Christology appears in his Epistle to the Colossians, where he presents the creative and redemptive aspects of Christ. Many scholars believe Paul was writing to counter a budding heresy that contained many aspects of a belief system called Gnosticism. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary describes Gnosticism as “a generic term for a variety of religious movements of the first centuries of the Christian era. Although the theology, ritual practice, and ethics of these groups differed considerably, all purported to offer salvation from the oppressive bonds of material existence through gnosis, or ‘knowledge.’ ”—Paul Achtemeier, ed. (italics supplied), The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996), p. 380.
The Gnostics claimed that the material world was inherently evil. This claim presented challenges to orthodox Christian teaching. For example, God could not possibly be the Creator of something so evil as the material world because He is perfect and spiritual (as opposed to material). Given that Christ was sinless, it followed that He could not possibly be incarnate (have a fleshly body) because flesh—a physical, material body—was evil.
Scripture, however, teaches that the material world, because it flowed from God’s hand, is good (Genesis 1). It repeatedly affirms that God, through Christ, created everything. Because of this, God claims the right to our worship. Based on God’s Creatorship, Scripture teaches the essential goodness, apart from sin, of the material world.
Consider This: What does Scripture teach about the material world, and how does this teaching affect our lifestyles and practices? On the other hand, how would the erroneous idea that the material world is inherently evil affect our Christian lifestyle and practices?
II. Redeemer (Review 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Peter 1:18; Hebrews 2:14, 15; and Galatians 3:13 with the class.)
God’s claim to worship as Creator is tied strongly to the material world. Because He created us as physical creatures and provided the material world for our pleasure, we owe Him our allegiance and adoration. Similarly, God’s claim to worship as Redeemer is strongly tied to the emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. Hebrews suggests that Christ’s incarnate character—one that enabled Him to fully identify with humanity by adopting a real flesh-and-blood body—is essential to Redemption. The writer sees no essential conflict between the material and spiritual realms. The true conflict is between good and evil, between authentic worship and self-worship.
In the first chapter of Revelation, John proclaims that Jesus is worthy of glory based upon His redemptive work: “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever” (Rev. 1:5, 6, NRSV, emphasis supplied). God’s claim to worship is thus two-pronged (Creation and Redemption).
Once Jesus spoke to a Pharisee named Simon, saying, “ ‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven’ ” (Luke 7:41–43, NIV). Jesus affirmed His assessment. The reasoning is that the one who owes the most loves the most. Believers owe God simply for creating them—an unpayable debt. But how much more do they owe because Christ has redeemed them? And on top of that, He daily provides and sustains those to whom He owes nothing. What a wonderful Lord we worship!
Consider This: What is God’s claim to worship based upon? Because worship means more than singing and studying at church once a week, how can the believer worship God through the financial decisions made throughout the week?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: Emphasize for your students that the Lordship of Christ extends to every aspect of our beings. Introduce the following questions as a means of generating discussion that will encourage believers to surrender all aspects of their everyday lives to the Lordship of Christ.
Application Questions:
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: While we cannot serve God and mammon, we can use mammon to serve God. God actually calls us to do this very thing. If we fail to do so, we dishonor Him. In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells a story of three servants who were entrusted with various amounts of money. One received five units, another two, and yet another, one. The owner left, but upon his return he demanded an accounting for the money he had invested with them. Two servants had “doubled their money,” but the third had done nothing. As a result, he was banished. True Christian service requires us to multiply the gifts with which we have been entrusted.
Activities: