Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

LESSON 1 | THEOLOGY OF THE CHURCH: THE CHURCH AT WORSHIP / 267

Theology of the Church The Church at Worship

LESSON 1

page 137 & 1

Welcome in the strong name of Jesus Christ! After your reading, study, discussion, and application of the materials in this lesson, you will be able to: • Defend the idea that salvation comes by God’s grace alone and that human beings can in no way earn or deserve it. • Recognize that worship is the proper response to the grace of God. • Explain the difference between the terms “sacrament” and “ordinance” and describe the theological perspective that lies behind each term. • Understand the meaning of baptism and the Lord’s Supper and discuss the key differences in the way Christians think about their meaning. We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise Read Romans 12.1-2, Hebrews 13.15, and Habakkuk 3.17-19 . One of the most common ideas associated with the Old Testament form of worship was the idea of sacrifice. In general public worship, as was connected to the services in the temple, those who draw near to God were in every case to bring sacrifices, whether during ordinary times of worship, or especially at important events like the dedication of the temple. At this high moment, the blood of the animals flowed greatly as the worshipers expressed their thanksgiving to God for his great blessing in the establishment of his house (2 Chron. 7.5). What is so amazing is that no one was to come before the presence of God without offering to him something to be sacrificed on his behalf. God deserves our best, highest, and most important offerings, and above our gifts and things, he deserves our very selves. We are to offer to him our highest praise, not merely during those times when we are most refreshed and most able, but even during the times of deepest hardship and greatest trial. Our God is impervious to change; he is worthy to be worshiped however things are going in our lives and ministries. Exalted high above all creation, he is the Lord God, deserving of our best and most focused energies, out best songs, our liveliest dancing, our greatest

Lesson Objectives

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C hr i s t i an M i n i s t ry

Devotion page 137 & 2