Sunday School Lesson Recap. #1: The Priority of God's House
This Sunday School Lesson is based on II Chronicles 24:1-11 KJV from August 2nd, 2020.
Think about it. How silly does it look for an athlete to run their race with weights? Wouldn’t it slow them down? Continue to read further about our Sunday School Discussion this past Sunday on “The Priority of God’s House.”
Firstly, I’ll start with the thought that our commitment and pursuit of the House of God is and will be derived from our commitment to the Lord; I would even say that our commitment to God is equivalent to our prioritizing of the House of God and vice versa. With this being said:
Lesson Point #1: Our priority and commitment to God’s house represents and should align with our priority and commitment to God and the work of the Lord in and outside of God’s physical house.
In order to prioritize God, we must commit to a lifestyle of repentance, righteousness (laying aside the weight of unrighteousness), and purity before the Lord. (I am not solely speaking of sexual purity, but holiness). A lifestyle that is consecrated for the Lord’s use and reservation; set apart for Him and His glory. Revelations 4:11 KJV says, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou has created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Repentance is a lifestyle and helps us to pursue righteousness. The more we shed unrighteousness, the more the Lord’s righteousness is purified in our lives.
We have to be willing to lay aside all distractions to pursue righteousness in Christ.
Lesson Point #2: We have to resolve in our mind and decide with all of our strength, hearts, minds, and souls that we are going to be mindful of and prioritize the house of God, and the work of the Lord (which by default means we will be prioritizing God).
Verse 1 and 4 lets us know that at 7 years of age, Joash was minded and set his heart to repair the house of the Lord.
Joash made up his mind that he was going to serve the Lord and this was represented by his commitment to prioritizing the house of God (vs. 2).
Idol worship makes room for us to justify sin and justify not prioritizing God. For context, idol worship is when we put our hope and trust in pagan gods.
When we prioritize other things, people, etc. before the Lord we are automatically neglecting the prioritization of the house of God because we are no longer prioritizing Him.
For us to serve God, prioritizing Him, we have to be willing to lay aside all other weights.
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
Lesson Point #3: Prioritizing God and choosing a lifestyle of holiness and faithfulness automatically requires a lifestyle of sacrificial love to the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 9: 10 KJV says, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
When applying this scripture to our relationship with Christ, I challenge us that if we’re going to be in a relationship with and serve Jesus, we have to commit to doing it with all of our might; with everything in us; living every day on purpose--for the cause and purpose of Christ in our lives. Concerning the House of God, whatever we find our hands doing, let’s do it with EVERYTHING in us, as unto the Lord (Col. 3:17, 23).
In order for God to use us in the House of God (the way He truly desires to do so), it will require a lifestyle of obedience and sacrifice.
Daily, the Lord is asking and requiring us to sacrifice something in order for His will to be done perfectly (or without hindrances) in the earth.
Hindrances cause for there to be an interruption in the spirit realm concerning the Lord’s desired effectiveness in using we for His glory. We have to be willing to shed anything that is not like Christ so that we can run this race light without any weights.
Again, how silly would it be for an athlete to show up to their race with extra weights, thinking that would still be effective in their race? Why do we think it’s feasible to run this race successfully with extra weights? Whether it be sin, distractions, etc. We run our race patiently, but not with any extra weights. This is unwise and a set up from the enemy to keep us stumbling in our walk with God.
In summary, what we need to do to prioritize God and His house (the four walls and the dwelling of the Lord, Jesus, in our temples when we are filled with His spirit) is: make up our mind to have our affections set on things above (Colossians 3:2), pursue repentance (which leads to righteousness), and decide that the Lord is worth our sacrifice and our purity, which is living a lifestyle of holiness--set apart for Him, His pleasure, and His use until we’ve committed our work here, on the earth.
Life Application Thought, Question, and Reflection:
The ransom the people of Israel had to pay unto the Lord in order to be considered as His people is not required of us to be considered the Lord’s children today because Jesus paid our ransom. My question to us is: How will we steward this? Will we be willing to take that extra step for the Lord? Make your calling and election sure. He’s worth it; we just have to be willing.
Until Next Sunday's Lesson Recap.,
LaGerrica S. 🌻
Comments