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Lesson One: MAN’S CHIEF END
(WSC Q1)
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever. [b]
[a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11
[b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4
Scriptures: Psalm 19, Psalm 84
Main Idea: Our great purpose is to glorify God by enjoying him forever.
Lesson Objectives: At the conclusion of the lesson, the student will be able to
1. Explain what it means to glorify God
2. Understand why all things glorify God, but people may do so more fully.
3. Describe the four aspects of glorifying God.
4. Clarify the difference between enjoying worship and enjoying God in worship.
Supplies:
1. Giant puzzle board on an easel with the white cover side facing the group.
2. Long “twisty” balloons with pump (if necessary).
3. White board with markers.
4. Copies of Break-out Group discussion guide for Lesson One.
5. Several masking tape pieces rolled so they are sticky on both sides, placed in the shape of a question mark on the white side of the puzzle board (a balloon in this shape will be placed on the tape during the lesson).
HOOK
(Ask a young volunteer to come to the front.)
“I am going to quiz you on your knowledge of punctuation marks.” (Inflate the balloon just enough to form a small ball.) “What is this punctuation mark?” (Period).
Inflate it more and bend the balloon to make a comma or apostrophe. “What is this common punctuation mark?” (Comma or apostrophe).
Divide the comma into two small balls. “And what is this mark?” (Colon) Add a little air to extend one of the balls. “How about this one?” (Semi-colon)
Inflate the balloon until it is almost full. Tie it off. Separate a small ball from the rest of the balloon at one end and make the long section very straight. “What is this punctuation mark?” (Exclamation point)
Curve the long part of the balloon to form a question mark and use the rolled making tape pieces to fix it in that shape on white side of the puzzle board. “What is this punctuation mark?” (Question mark)
“This may seem like a funny question, but what is your most favorite punctuation mark?” (Allow the volunteer to answer, and then dismiss him/her to his seat).
Explain that your favorite punctuation mark is the question mark, because it opens doors to learning all about the world we live in.
TRANSITION:
1. “Perhaps the biggest question of all is: WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?” This question, the meaning of the universe, is sometimes called ‘the philosopher’s stone.’ What is the purpose of all things? Why does the universe exist?”
2. “In our day, many people have given up trying to answer this question. We have been told repeatedly by the thinkers of our age that there is no greater purpose for our lives. We may be able to find some PERSONAL MEANING, but there is no overall or UNIVERSAL MEANING to the world.”
3. “We are beginning a study of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. A catechism is a form of teaching that includes questions and answers. The Catechism asks a lot of good questions (107), the most important questions of all. In our class, we will only look at the first one-third of these questions (1-38). The best thing about these questions is that both the questions and the answers all come from the Bible. These questions are the ones God wants us to be asking because these are the key questions he answers for us in his Word.”
4. “The first question in the Catechism is not “What’s it all about?” but it is similar. The question is “What is it all about for us?” Let’s read it together. I will read the question, and you will please read the answer in unison.” (Direct them to Q1 in their Catechism booklet.)
“Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? (Answer?)”
(Unison) A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.
BOOK (1)
A. EXPLORATION.
“What does it mean to glorify God? We are going to explore this together. And we will begin by playing a little game called, One Finger-Two Finger. I am going to read several statements, one at a time. I will give you a little time to think about the statement, and then ask you to state whether you agree or disagree by raising one finger for Yes, I agree or two fingers for No, I disagree. Do you understand the rules? For example, if I were to say, ‘Growing grass is green,’ you would raise one finger. But if I were to say that a cloudless summer-day sky is usually purple, you would raise two fingers. Ready?” (It is important that all answer at the same time so that no one can change their answer by observing the answer of others.)
1. “To glorify God means to make God glorious.” (Allow for answers. Ask someone who disagrees why they disagree. The reason this is false is because no creature made by God can possibly make God more glorious than he already is.)
2. “God is getting more glorious every day.” (Allow for answers. Ask someone who disagrees why they disagree. The reason this is false is because God does not change. He is already infinitely glorious. He cannot become more glorious because he is already all-glorious.)
3. “Lost sinners in hell will forever glorify God.” (Allow for answers. Ask someone who agrees why they agree. The reason this is correct is that God’s justice and wrath are also a part of his glory. Those who justly suffer the punishment for their sins eternally demonstrate the glory of God’s justice.)
4. “Rocks glorify God.” (Allow for answers. Ask someone who agrees why they agree. The reason this is correct is that God has made rocks to demonstrate the glory of his wisdom and creative power. So even though they do not mean to glorify God since they have no power to reason or to will, rocks demonstrate God’s glory just by being rocks.)
5. “We can best glorify God by being saved by Jesus Christ and obediently worshiping and serving him for the rest of our lives.” (Allow for answers. Ask someone who agrees why they agree. The reason this is correct is because this is the purpose for which God made us. In the salvation of sinners God demonstrates both his justice and his mercy.)
SUMMARY: “Let’s summarize what we’ve been saying, and then we’ll see this from the Scriptures.
1. “First, to glorify God does not mean to make God more glorious, since God is eternally, infinitely all-glorious. Nothing any of his creatures could do could add or subtract anything from his glory.”
2. “To glorify God simply means to declare, demonstrate, reflect, or show his glory.”
3. “God’s glory has many aspects, like the many facets of a brilliant jewel. God is glorious in his power, wisdom, love, holiness, truth, and justice. All creatures, even rocks, declare some aspect or aspects of God’s glory.”
4. “God’s glory is best demonstrated by creatures with minds and wills who choose to worship, witness, obey, love, and even to suffer and sacrifice for God.”
B. BREAK-OUT GROUP DISCUSSION.
“I want you to see this for yourself from Psalm 19. Follow the directions on your BREAK-OUT DISCUSSION GUIDE PART A. But first let’s have a volunteer read Psalm 19 for the whole group.”
BREAK-OUT DISCUSSION GUIDE PART A
1. Ask for a volunteer to read Psalm 19 while others follow along.
2. Discussion Questions:
a. In what way(s) do you think “the heavens” declare the glory of God (vs. 1)?
b. Who should be able to observe the heavens’ witness to God’s glory?
c. What other aspect(s) of his glory has God revealed according to verses 7-11?
d. In what way(s) do people best glorify God according to verses 12-14?
LOOK (1)
APPLICATION.
“The Puritan Thomas Watson lists four activities that comprise our glorifying God.” We’ll look at each of these, with a SWORD DRILL. Place your Bible on its spine on the table. I’ll call out Bible reference, and when you find it, please stand up. The first one to stand gets to read it.”
“1. The first part of glorifying God is APPRECIATION. It is to esteem God most highly, to have God highest in our thoughts. People today seem so worried about self-esteem, but the Bible is far more concerned with our esteeming God.”
Sword Drill Scripture: <Psalm 97:9> (“For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.”) “This is esteeming God. We can only grow in our appreciation for God by learning more about God.”
2. “The second part of glorifying God is ADORATION (write on white board) or worship. Adoration consists in our reverently acclaiming, praising, and extolling God in the ways he declares in his Word. We must worship God in the ways he desires.”
Sword Drill Scripture: <Psalm 29:2> (“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.”) “There is an obligation to adore God. There is a glory that is due unto him, and we must ascribe it to him.”
3. “And worship must include AFFECTION (write on white board). ‘God counts himself glorified when he is loved.’ (Watson, p. 8) True love or affection is the highest kind of adoration.”
Sword Drill Scripture: <Deuteronomy 6:5> (“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”) We must love God whole-heartedly. There is a love to those who do us a good turn, which is really self-love. But love for God is a love of delight, as one delights in a friend or a treasure. True affection for God is love because he is surpassingly glorious.”
3. “The fourth part of glorifying God is SUBMISSION (Write on board). ‘This is when we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand ready dressed for his service.’ (Watson, p. 8)”
Sword Drill Scripture: <Psalm 100:2> (“Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”) “We are reminded that worship is service to God when we speak of going to a ‘worship service.’ We should also think of our service to God as a part of our worship, because he is altogether glorious and worthy of service.”
BOOK (2)
A. EXPLORATION.
“Our chief end has two, complimentary parts. Let’s read the catechism again.”
“Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? (Answer?)”
(Unison) A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.
1. “Here is a great truth. God has made you for enjoyment. Another way of saying this is happiness. Our chief end is to enjoy God through glorifying him.”
“What does it mean to enjoy God?”
“a. It does NOT simply mean to enjoy God’s gifts and favors. To enjoy the gift more than the giver honors the gift and not the giver.”
“b. It does NOT mean that it is God’s job to keep us happy, that God must supply whatever we think will please us.”
“c. It does NOT mean that we must seek our own happiness first, in any way we please.”
“What it DOES mean is that there is nothing incompatible between God’s glory and our enjoyment. If, as we have seen, to glorify God is to have great affection for God, then enjoying God is merely satisfying that affection. And satisfying that affection for God also glorifies God.” (on white board write the following next to the word “affection” “AFFECTION à ENJOYMENT)
“Thomas Watson says, ‘It is a great matter to enjoy God’s ordinances, but to enjoy God’s presence in the ordinances is that which a gracious heart aspires after.’ An unbeliever (or even a Christian) may enjoy a worship service without enjoying God’s presence. Herod enjoyed hearing John the Baptizer preaching from his dungeon, even while he was an enemy to God. (Mark 6:20)”
2. “Let’s use a comparison or analogy from marriage. Suppose what a husband really likes about his marriage is the clean house, the clean clothes, and the good food served up at each meal, but he doesn’t really care for his wife very much. If that is the case, then he made a mistake. He should not have gotten married, but simply hired a housekeeper, a launderer, and a chef! Marriage is based on a relationship of mutual affection and esteem. Many marriages turn sour because the husband or wife or both stop enjoying the other.”
“What is the stand-up comic, Rodney Dangerfield’s famous line (aside from ‘I get no respect.’)? (‘Take my wife…please!’) Does this statement glorify his wife? (No) Why does this not make his wife attractive? (Because he wants to give her away to someone else). What does this say about his attitude toward his wife? (He does not enjoy her. To him, she is not enjoyable. If he did enjoy her, he wouldn’t be trying to give her away.)”
“So what message does it send when we say (borrowing Dangerfield’s line) ‘Take my worship…please!’ or ‘Take my devotions…please!’ Something has gone terribly wrong with our relationship with God when we avoid worship services or come reluctantly to worship services, or when we struggle with having personal devotions. What has most likely gone wrong is that we have been trying to enjoy worship or enjoy our devotions or we have treated them merely as duties to be performed. But we have not been seeking to enjoy God in worship, public or private.”
“Thomas Watson writes: ‘It should be our great design, not only to have the ordinances of God, but the God of the ordinances. The enjoyment of God’s sweet presence here is the most contented life: he is a hive of sweetness, a magazine of riches, a fountain of delight.’”
B. BREAK-OUT GROUP DISCUSSION.
“Psalm 84 describes this enjoyment of God in his ordinances. Follow the directions on your BREAK-OUT DISCUSSION GUIDE PART B. But first, let’s have a volunteer read Psalm 84 for the whole group.”