Master Teacher: January- March 2020

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation

Master Teacher is the teacher’s quarterly to be used with Adult Christian Life and College and Career. Each lesson contains extensive biblical exposition and specific instructions for the teacher. The outline of the lesson is reader-friendly, and includes suggestions for maximizing teacher/student interaction and topics for making the study informa

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Dec 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781681676203

Book preview

Lesson 1 for Week of January 5, 2020

A LONG-ANTICIPATED CELEBRATION

UNIFYING TOPIC

A Place for the Ark

LESSON TEXT

I. Witnessing History Being Made (1 Kings 8:1–6)

II. God’s Confirmation (1 Kings 8:7–13)

THE MAIN THOUGHT

I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever. (1 Kings 8:13, KJV)

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

People have dedication ceremonies or grand openings for many different things. How are these ceremonies or grand openings celebrated? When King Solomon called an assembly to celebrate the dedication of the temple, the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

LESSON AIM

The completion of the temple gave Solomon cause for celebrating God’s faithfulness to Israel.

LIFE AIM

To learn to celebrate spiritual accomplishments when they are the work of God.

BEFORE YOU TEACH

Consider . . .

Focus for College and Career—Young people recognize the significance of the Ark and the temple in the religious experience of the Israelites.

Focus for Adult Christian Life—Maturing adults are thankful for the active presence of God in their lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Supplementary Study Materials

For further reference, see today’s lesson from Boyd’s Commentary; The New National Baptist Hymnal, 21st Century Edition, #30.

Need more teacher helps? Visit www.rhboyd.com.

TEACHING STEPS

First Step: Enlist two volunteers to read today’s Scripture.

Second Step: Lead the class in a discussion about congregational vision and succession from one generation to the next.

Third Step: Guide a discussion on what it means to build a house for God. Is that only a place of worship (such as a sanctuary) or does that include spaces for ministry that does not occur on Sunday? Use an easel pad or dry erase board and write out the class’s responses to be viewed by all.

Fourth Step: It can be hard to visualize the temple without something at which to look. Direct learners to use their cell phones to find pictures of Solomon’s temple online. As they are looking at the pictures, discuss the intricacies of the temple.

Fifth Step: Pray with your class. Emphasize the importance of supporting momentous occasions such as building dedications or church anniversaries. If your church or a sister church nearby is celebrating in the near future, make sure to mention that congregation by name.

God’s Word in Life

The second coming of Christ will be the revelation of the risen, exalted Christ in all of His power and glory. Angels will travel with the Son of Man when He arrives in His glory (Matt. 16:27). The word maranatha means come, Lord Jesus. For those who await His return, this will be a grand day of celebration like no other. The return of Christ will mark the end or destruction of all evil and a long-awaited day of everlasting peace. It will be a time that unifies the faithful people of God both of Old and New Testament and those in our modern times. It also will be the introduction of a new heaven and a new earth. This day will be like no other for all believers. Angels and saints together will worship Him and rejoice at His glorious coming. When Solomon built a temple for the Lord, he brought the Ark of the Covenant to the temple and dedicated the temple to the Lord. During the dedication ceremony, The Lord’s glorious presence filled the temple. The priests could not continue their service because the presence of the Lord was so great!

Connect with Learners: Perhaps a member of the class has been a part of a building dedication ceremony. If so, invite them to describe the opportunity of worship.

Introduction

Most Baptist churches still have a building fund. This is an account set aside for the sole purpose of raising money for special building projects such as new sanctuaries or fellowship halls. Often these accounts portray the unity and continuity within churches from generation to generation. In years past, the generation that started the building fund account may or may not have been the generation benefiting from the results of what was completed from the fundraising. This was often what the congregation had in mind in their efforts. We must save and build for the next generation were the words often spoken. The original idea to build a sanctuary for Israel came from David, Solomon’s father. However, God denied David’s request to build the temple and instead turned to Solomon (1 Kings 8:18–19). David gathered supplies to support the future efforts of his son (1 Chron. 22:1–5). In today’s lesson, Solomon and his generation celebrated the long journey from David’s vision to the completion of the temple. Generally speaking, Christians today do not make any connection between the underlying principles of salvation to the Old Testament tabernacle and later the temple of Solomon. To overlook this lesson is to miss a great opportunity to understand and appreciate the ongoing work of God through the Trinitarian image found in these structures and how they were used to worship God.

I. Witnessing History Being Made (1 Kings 8:1–6)