Seekers for Jesus: 1st Quarter 2017

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corp.

Seekers for Jesus is a quarterly written especially for young people ages 12-14. In addition to introductory material and biblical exposition, each lesson contains a section to help students apply the lesson to life. Questions are interjected to gauge the student’s understanding of the presentation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Oct 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781681671734

Book preview

Lesson 1

01.01.17

WORTHY OF PRAISE!

Psalm 33:1–9

Background Scripture: Psalm 33:1–9

Word Up! God deserves praise .

THE REAL DEAL ON TODAY’S LESSON

To allow more space for exposition, all lesson print Scripture passages may not appear in their entirety.

SIDELINE QUESTION: Why does God deserve all the praise?

TODAY’S LESSON

It’s Sunday morning, and the praise leader stands up with his usual enthusiasm. Are you ready to praise the Lord? he asks. I can’t hear you! For anyone who stayed up late Saturday studying (or watching Netflix), this invitation to praise might seem more like a command, and not a particularly welcome command at that. Who wants to be told what to do, even when it’s a good thing, especially if that person is tired and maybe a little bit grumpy?

The praise leader here is echoing what, thousands of years before, the psalmist—or person who wrote a psalm—told Israel. It is time to rejoice! One does not have to search very long or hard in order to think of something praiseworthy about God. Take a look at creation and how God, the Creator, brought everything into existence. The wonderful sights and sounds of the earth as well as the heavens are a direct result of the marvelous power and works of God. The proper response to such wonderful works is praise, and all praise belongs to God. Psalm 33 not only declares that all the people should praise God but also instructs us on how to praise.

I. God Is the Center of All Praise (Psalm 33:1–3)

Just as the praise leader today might do, the psalmist called the people of Israel to worship. They were to get out lyres and harps to make music for the Lord. These were not the only instruments that could be used, but they represent all of the instruments. What was really important was that the people should sing a song to the Lord.

The song for Israel in Psalm 33 needed to be a new song. How do you feel when the praise leader says that the next song is new and asks everyone to learn it? Sometimes the new song is uncomfortable because the melody or words are strange. Sometimes it’s just exciting to learn something new. But why does a church ever need to sing new songs? Why couldn’t your congregation, or the nation of Israel way back when, sing all the same songs over and over? Because God is still at work in the world, and He does new things every day. When God does something new, He deserves a new song to celebrate what He has done.

Ever wonder what someone could offer to a God who is all-knowing and powerful? One thing that is always welcomed from believers is praise. The psalmist encouraged Israel to join their voices with the stringed instruments to offer praise to God. If anyone should be willing and ready to praise the Lord, it should be people who do what is right, the righteous. Worship songs should always strive to have God at the center.

The Word of the Lord is not only powerful, but it is dependable. It brings order. The Word seeks to bring good into the world and, although evil does exist, good will win over evil. God’s work is not only motivated by His love, but also by His faithfulness to His creation. God is loyal to His creation, and all that He does is for the good of His people. The evil within the world cannot and will not erase the signs of God’s loving kindness to His