A NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHING MATERIAL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CHURCH
Pages: 128
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5
BOOK REVIEW
In the Old Testament era God gave series of detailed description of the mode of worship. Five books of the Bible are dedicated for the instructions on worship.
These five books of Moses became the teaching manual in homes, families and the synagogue.
Right from the birth of the Old Testament Church God demanded that worship be taught to the children, youth, toddlers, and adults Exodus 12:17;24-27; Josh 4:7; Esther 9:28.
So the people of Israel had a better understanding of worship and therefore were very cooperative when it came to the art or practice of worship.
When the people of Israel understood worship the result was amazing.
A NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHING MATERIAL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CHURCH
LATTEST NEWS
Written by george annan
Monday, 04 May 2009 14:00
Pages: 128
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5
BOOK REVIEW
In the Old Testament era God gave series of detailed description of the mode of worship. Five books of the Bible are dedicated for the instructions on worship.
These five books of Moses became the teaching manual in homes, families and the synagogue.
Right from the birth of the Old Testament Church God demanded that worship be taught to the children, youth, toddlers, and adults Exodus 12:17;24-27; Josh 4:7; Esther 9:28.
So the people of Israel had a better understanding of worship and therefore were very cooperative when it came to the art or practice of worship.
When the people of Israel understood worship the result was amazing.
The Israelites became massively involved in worship. Example is the walking around the wall of Jericho Joshua 6:1-20. The dedication of Solomon’s Temple 2 Chron. 5:1-14. The annual visit to Shiloh for worship service Judges 21:19; 1 Sam 1:3 When Moses and the children of Israel sang in worship when the Lord delivered them from the Egyptians by walking them through the red sea Exodus 15:1-12.
God is always pleased when there is massive involvement of His people in worship because He inhabits the praises of His people Psalm 22:3.
Today the Church is become passive, unresponsive and less enthusiastic with regards to worship. The New Testament Church is lacking in passion for worship. Different and sometimes irrelevant liturgy is creeping in to take the place of worship. We find people scratching their head with arms folded and starring etc. during worship and prayer times. Worship leaders struggle to get their members to cooperate in worship. Some pastors even come into the service after the praise and worship is over just to deliver the word. Some pastors and Churches are getting frustrated when they consistently do not see their members display passion for worship and are not responsive in worship and prayer. Not to talk of the difficulty in getting members to join the choir.
The reason to this problem is because we have not taught worship and praise like in the days of Old to past generation, current generation and the younger generation. The effect is that we have lost the glory. The older generation is banning prayer from schools, craving for same sex marriage and loving pleasure more than God and they are mentoring our youth in educational institutions
When Jesus came to fulfill the law He confronted the laws God has instructed the Israelites to teach them as memorial to their children and these laws were the Pillars of worship which brought vitality and life to the Old Testament Church. Jesus confronted the laws and re-directed them to Himself as the fulfillment.
If the laws or teachings on worship were given a prominent place in the Old Testament Church, then I believe Jesus Christ fulfilled them so we can give them even a more prominent place in the New Testament Church because Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is the Onus, Ultimate and Reason for the New Testament Church therefore what He basically came on earth to do must be given to my opinion a hundred percent (100%) place in our churches.
Its about time Pastors and Churches come together to BRING BACK THE GLORY that has left families and the Nations and the best way to do that is to emphasize JESUS CHRIST . Christ in us is the hope (the fact that we can anticipate that if we do right we will enjoy the glory) of glory (Col 1:27). But remember that this Jesus Christ is the embodiment of all the re-interpreted laws of the Old Testament Worship. So why not delve deep, dichotomize, dissert, and emphasize the teaching of the re-interpreted laws on which the New Testament Church is built in our Sunday school curriculum. The Old curriculum has worked but the church is fast loosing the glory so we need a new perspective and approach. The gate of hell should not prevail against the church in our time. NO, NO, NO. WE MUST EMPHASIZE JESUS CHRIST and the New Testament Worship.
When I was growing up as a Christian the Church provided tremendous teachings for my growth but I heard very little about our mode of worship. Why we worship the way we do. I visited a good number of churches if I could get detail scriptural basis for clapping, dancing, standing, jumping, kneeling, offering and sacrifices, incense and why we do or do not use it, the use of musical instruments, the code of dressing, the covering of head and many more as they relate to the New Testament Church but got very little information. I graduated from Bible College and did not hear anything about them.
Apart from Sunday school which is excellent and obviously exempted in my case study, the teachings we hear in adult Sunday Schools are the same we hear on weekdays and Sunday sermons, prayer meetings and home cell meetings. Instead these topics that relate to maintaining the glory have been given little or less than one percent of our sermons and theology. I became even more desperate because if we do not emphasize the very tenets on which the New Testament Church is built the probability of loosing the glory was high.
I continued to teach and preach the revelations and insights God has put into my spirit concerning these pillars of worship in churches, Bible schools and even when I was building a church in the West African Nation of the Gambia (a predominantly Muslim community). The results has always been an increase in understanding, renewal of passion for worship, praise and even prayer and rededication of involvement in the things of God which led to massive participation in worship placing the congregation in an atmosphere of receptiveness, expectancy, and readiness to receive their portion of His Glory. And it will do the same for you and your congregation.. I have put these materials into a book with the title ‘EXPERIENCE GOD’S GLORY - the ultimate blessing for the true worshipper’
In this book you will find among other insights how the Christian can prepare his or her sacrifices and season them with prayers and how we can celebrate our faith employing the Expressive Mediums in a balanced manner to appropriate the glory of God into our lives.The book is thought - provoking, with mind illuminative biblical exegesis and life transforming message, written from practical experience and deeper insight to prepare the church to enjoy God's best - "His Glory" in this Third Millennium and beyond if Christ tarries. So let’s get hold of it and BRING BACK THE GLORY!
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