A child’s greatest teachers are not in the classroom, they are in the home.   Without doubt, the most influential teachers for children are you, the parents.   In the formative years children will imitate, copy and replicate every thing you do.   What you say about God on Sundays and throughout the week has a profound effect on them; not only in the present, but for years to come.  According to God’s design, you are His first option for teaching your children.

God asked parents from the beginning of history to play this key teaching role (Exodus 12:26-27).   In God’s first Covenant (Old Covenant) with His people, parent and child gathered together to honor Him through inspired and organized worship.

Israeli parents regularly crowded into the Tabernacle, saying to their children, “God is important, the highest priority in life.”   During these family gatherings they gave God glory. This was never intended to be a ritualistic family exercise of repeated prayers, or uninspired Scripture readings (Matthew 6:5, 7), but rather a glory packed time between God and family.  These early gatherings were really something to behold.   In some worship services a cloud of God’s glory covered the tent, and in others His glory was viewed as a spectacular consuming fire (Exodus 40:34-35).

Although God has changed many things for His followers throughout the centuries, giving glory to God is still a part of His plan for the family and the greatest response parents can offer Him in the presence of their children.   

What does it mean to give glory to God, to worship Him fully?  Is it like the recent Olympic Games?  An athlete, for example, wins an event and gains a gold medal.  In response we glorify him/her with the highest place on the platform, thunderous applause, and the playing of a national anthem. 

But giving glory to God is more than temporary adoration.  It is rather a continual adoration, best called worship that can be first realized by putting oneself in the presence of God.      Moses’ encounter with God at Mt. Sinai paints a great picture of worship. Moses asked to see God’s glory, and in response God showed him that and more.  Not only did God present Himself to Moses, He promised that His presence would be unending. (Exodus 33: 18, 19).

Giving glory to God, worshipping Him has always been a foundational hallmark for God’s people.   The children in each generation usually succeed when they learn this at an early age.   Therefore the role of the Christian family in relation to Sunday morning worship is really important for this generation of God’s children.   It is perhaps the most significant time to teach your children about worship (Giving God glory).   But the key teachers on Sunday morning are not those who preach a sermon, lead worship, recite Scripture, or offer public prayers.  The primary teacher is you.    If during a worship service you respond positively to God’s inspired sermon, your children will take note of it.   They may see by your example how to respond to God’s Word.   On the other hand, if they hear from you a critical word about the one who delivered the sermon, then the Word becomes secondary, and even lost   in view of what you have said.   In years to come this may give them an unneeded excuse to reject the challenge and conviction of the Word.  What will they learn from you about the worship music, appropriate tithes, communion, and how to respond to the pleas for help in the Sunday school. 

My hope for you is that you will see this important teaching role God has designed for you (James 3:1).  My prayer is that all of you will be able to take your place as gold medal winners on God’s parenting platform.  

Teachable Moment

Before you go to church this Sunday, ask your children to look for God’s message throughout the morning.   Tell them to look for it in Sunday school or in the church service.   Challenge them to look for God’s message in a song, a prayer, a testimony, or even a commitment you might make to help the church.   Above all curb your comments in their presence about things that could be corrected in the church service.   Each Sunday should be a worship experience, not a progression of verbalized corrections.

The Word

Exodus 12: 26 “And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’  27.  you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’ ” And the people bowed low and worshiped. 

Mathew 6: 5, 7 5“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the you, they have their reward in full. 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words

Exodus 40: 34-35 34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle,

Exodus 33: 18, 19 18 Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!”  19 And He said, “I Myself  will make all My goodness pass before you, James 3:1  Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.