BCIC Reverence Sample

Reverence

Awareness of how God is working through the people and events in my life to produce the character of Christ in me

PROVERBS 23:17–18

THE SEARCH FOR THE KING

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.”

MATTHEW 2:11

“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.”

Biblical Character Illustrated Curriculum

Illustrated in Scripture

2 How

7 Bible

12 Memory Verse: Exodus 34:14

13 Activity:

15 Bible Story: The Son Who Wanted to Be King

16 Memory Verse: I Timothy 5:17

19 Bible Story: Favoritism Creeps into the Early Church

20 Memory Verse: I Peter 2:17

21 Activity: Mosaic Suncatcher Hearts 22 Additional Resources

“The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7b). Biblical character is illustrated in this curriculum through both artwork and lessons from the lives of people in God’s Word. We most often benefit from the positive examples of faithful men and women. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). There were also people in the Bible who are representations of poor character, and we can learn from their lives as well. “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted” (I Corinthians 10:6). We would be wise to learn from the testimonies God has given us in Scripture.

Illustrated in Life

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Hearing the Word of God causes us to grow in faith. This curriculum offers many practical applications of God’s Word to everyday life. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). As God enables us to act in faith, our lives as believers will illustrate His character to others.

The character of God is illustrated in Scripture. May it also be illustrated in our lives.

Character Quality Overview

What Is Reverence?

Read aloud and discuss what reverence means and how it applies to life.

Theoperational definition of reverence is “awareness of how God is working through the people and events in my life to produce the character of Christ in me.” In Scripture, reverence for God is often described as the “fear of the Lord” and humble worship. Knowing God inspires a sense of awe in us as we become more aware of His authority, power, and presence. To trust Him, we do not need to understand every situation. We only need to know that God is faithful to His Word and works all things together for His glory. As we lovingly obey Him, He changes us to be like Jesus. A Christian demonstrates reverence as he acts wisely and is careful not to dishonor the Lord’s name. He submits to authority, receives correction, graciously forgives others, and experiences peace because he knows that God is trustworthy and rules over all.

The opposite of reverence is disrespect. Disrespect is rooted in pride and exposes a disregard for God’s authority. When a person rejects God and His commands, he will fail to honor others. Talking back or misbehaving to get one’s own way are expressions of disrespect. The disrespectful person may foolishly think that he is powerful by belittling others or undermining authority. He may complain,

roll his eyes, or challenge authorities by saying: “You can’t make me do that” or “I hate your rules!” Disrespect exposes a heart that is fearful and seeking control, lacking the proper fear of the Lord. Because an irreverent person is unwilling to humbly trust God, he fails to see how God is at work. He will not know peace until he submits to God and trusts Him with the people and situations in his life.

Did you know that every person will stand before the Creator? God knows everything we do and why we do it.

When God’s Word is disrespected in a society, the basis for honoring God, people, and property is lost.

One day, each of us will give an account for how we lived the life He gave us. (See II Corinthians 5:10.) God will justly reward good and punish evil. He will even test each Christian’s work. Therefore, it is vital that we obey His voice and not resist Him. (See Hebrews 4:7.)

When you receive God’s forgiveness and Lordship, you are acknowledging His right to rule your life as your Savior, King, and Judge. You now belong to the Heavenly Father, Who deeply loves you. Knowing that we must answer to our Creator and Redeemer leads us to revere Him. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28).

A reverent person lives in humble and grateful awareness of God’s presence and power, trusting Him even through difficult situations.

Reverence in Scripture

As you read and study God’s Word, you will see Who He is! Be willing to be changed by Him so Christ can be seen through your life and others will glorify God.

The Character of God

We see examples of the Trinity showing mutual reverence in the following ways:

• God the Father exalted His humble, obedient Son.

(See John 8:54, Philippians 2:9–11.)

• God honored Jesus and gave Him authority over the Church.

(See Ephesians 1:20–21.)

• Jesus, in His agony prior to His crucifixion, prayed reverently to His Father and submitted to His will.

(See Luke 22:41–44, Hebrews 5:7–8.)

• Jesus revered His Father by doing what He saw the Father doing.

(See John 5:19.)

• Jesus honored His Father’s authority by speaking only what His Father directed Him to say.

(See John 12:49.)

• Jesus rejected the temptation to worship anyone but His Father.

(See Matthew 4:8–10.)

• The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ by revealing truth to believers.

(See John 16:13–14.)

REVERENCE KEY VERSE

“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.”

PROVERBS 23:17–18

Reverence in My Life

Now let’s examine some ways God wants us to live out reverence daily.

• Why should I serve God with reverence and awe?

(See I Samuel 12:24, Hebrews 12:28–29.)

• How does the Lord reward those who fear Him?

(See Psalm 25:12, 14; Proverbs 14:26.)

• Why does God allow me to go through trials?

(See Exodus 20:20, Romans 8:28–29.)

• How should I treat my body since it is the temple of the Holy Spirit?

(See I Corinthians 6:18–20, II Corinthians 6:16–7:1.)

• What specific people groups does God say to respect?

(See Leviticus 19:3, 14, 32; Proverbs 24:21; Ephesians 5:33.)

• Is it sufficient to honor God only with my words?

(See Matthew 15:8.)

• What character qualities does God build in my life through trials?

(See Romans 5:3–4, James 1:3–4.)

Stand in Awe

The Search for the King

When you look at freshly fallen snow or the underwater world, do you get a sense of awe? Only Almighty God could create tiny insects and towering mountains! As you consider the intricacies of His creation and vastness of the universe, be amazed! “Who is like unto the Lord our God . . . Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!” (Psalm 113:5–6). Throughout history, God has worked miracles, intervened in wars, and given incredible endurance to suffering Christians. Furthermore, He offers forgiveness from sin through the great price He paid with His blood. Meditate on the greatness of God. Stand in awe and proclaim with the psalmist: “Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him” (Psalm 33:8).

Awareness

of how God is working through the people and events in my life to produce the character of Christ in me

The Search for the King

Did you know that God not only created the stars, but He also knows how many there are and calls each by name? Astronomy is “the scientific study of the universe beyond earth,” including the stars God made. Groups of stars are called constellations. Interestingly, the constellations’ Hebrew names point to the story of redemption. While we can study God’s magnificent creation, God never wants us to worship anything He has made but rather to worship only Him. One night, some ancient astronomers saw a special star! These “wise men” understood that this star was a sign that a king had been born among the Jews. Eagerly, the wise men set out on the

long journey to the capital city of Judea, where they inquired about the newborn king. When this news reached Herod, the Roman ruler of Judea and “king of the Jews,” he and the townspeople were greatly disturbed. King Herod was fearful of being overthrown, so he had built massive fortresses to secure his reign. Imagine his surprise when these foreigners arrived, searching for a new king! What did this mean? Whom would King Herod summon to help him locate the child? What would the wise men find that would cause them to be in awe of God?

Let’s read the Bible story in Matthew 2:1–13 and then discuss the following questions.

1. Whom did Herod consult about Christ’s birthplace? What did they tell him? (See Matthew 2:4–6.) What prophecy did they quote? (See Micah 5:2.)

What Bible promise or prophecy has God fulfilled that moves you to stand in awe of Him?

2. Who else claimed to want to worship the newborn king? (See Matthew 2:7–8.)

What does God say about people who pretend to honor Him? (See Matthew 15:8–9, 14.)

3. When leaving Jerusalem, how did the wise men know which way to go? (See Matthew 2:9.) What did they feel as the star led them to the new king?

(See Matthew 2:10.)

What splendors of nature inspire you to stand in awe of God? (See Psalm 148:3–5.) What about God fills your heart with joy and worship?

4. What did the wise men do when they saw Jesus?

(See Matthew 2:11a.)

Worship means “to bow down or kneel.” In what other ways can you show reverence?

(See Psalm 46:10, 100:4.) How do you express your reverence for God when talking to Him?

5. What gifts did the wise men present to Jesus?

(See Matthew 2:11b.) Which gift symbolized His royalty? (See I Kings 10:1–2.) His priesthood?

(See Leviticus 16:11–12.) His death?

(See John 19:39–40.)

What can you give out of reverence to the Lord?

(See Psalm 29:2, 51:17; Romans 12:1.) How can you honor the Lord on the first day of the week?

(See Isaiah 58:13–14, Acts 20:7, I Corinthians 16:2.)

6. What warning from God did the wise men heed, although it changed their plans?

(See Matthew 2:12.) What did God know that the wise men did not know? (See Matthew 2:13, 16.)

Do you respect your parents’ warnings, even if it means changing your plans?

Revealing the character of Christ through the stories in His Word.

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Biblical Character Illustrated Curriculum

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Biblical Character Illustrated 49-Booklet Set

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