When I came into the church in 2006, I discovered a passion that was unlike any other—my newfound understanding of who God is was in its infancy. I knew I needed to grow and fast.
I had to learn as much as I could very quickly. One day at church I was handed a Sabbath school lesson. I don’t remember what the lesson was on but I do remember finishing the entire quarter in one week. I asked for another one then I was told how the lessons work. Aha..
All the blanks were filled in, Scriptures circled and my notes I put in a specific order to remember what I read. Just like in history class in school I was overcome with joy and going way ahead on my lesson book.
As time progressed I noticed something sad. I was told it had been this way for years. I noticed very few people were in Sabbath school, while during the sermon the church was full. I have also witnessed this around the country at various churches. Usually what I have witnessed is, and I have to be honest, is that most who don’t come for Sabbath school don’t really have a strong relationship with God or study time in the Scriptures.
This is alarming to me as one of the greatest joys I find as a Christian is studying His Word. This is exactly what the Sabbath school lesson does. I have to hand it to the leaders and authors and editors of the Sabbath School Lesson. Many great hours and thought have gone into these lessons and they are very simple for everyone to understand. It allows the members to understand the basics while in Sabbath School the teachers can teach the deeper things because the members already got the simpler version in their weekly studies.
I—at times—have wished the Lesson covered certain deeper things in the lesson but as a teacher I’m grateful it didn’t because I can bring out those things in class on Sabbath. I’ve been a Sabbath School teacher for 12 years and I don’t think many understand what a great devotional and Bible study the Sabbath school lessons are. One young person asked me one time how they can learn more about the Bible and I referred them to doing the adult Sabbath school lesson!
Even though it only has four main topics a year, it is subdivided into 13 weekly lessons each quarter, which cover a vast amount of topics. If anyone really wants to read the entire Bible I would suggest doing the Sabbath school lesson. I believe that Sabbath School is the most important part of our Sabbath service.
But why is it many people believe only the sermon is. Is it more common to just sit there and hear someone else speak while you stay quiet? Is it more convenient or is it because that’s your dose of spirituality for the week and it’s easier because you didn’t have to do anything—other than show up for the last 30-minutes of church?
Does Sabbath School require too much from us? Is it too much studying? Is it too hard to get up early on Sabbath in order to attend, even though many of us do it or get up earlier for work all week long? I know many people find it hard to study on their own. I realize that because it’s hard for me to read as well, as I constantly have to reread chapters and make notes when I read in order to remember what I read the day before—or even that morning.
When you are in a class with people who want to learn about God and they share what they learned that week, it’s a great benefit for all. We can hear how God reveals Himself to people—sometimes unique, sometimes similar. Sabbath School is a time to seek God and study, but it’s also a time of reflection as we witness to each other how God revealed Himself to each one of us through the week.
As I mentioned, I am surprised that some do not want to take part in this time of learning and worship. I have discovered that Sabbath school always takes the hit when it comes to allotting time, because it’s not viewed as important as other formalities of structure. Take covid, for instance. While many churches have closed, many have turned to online services for church. What I have seen is that many congregations have decided to not study the lesson but only have a service where the pastor speaks, and that’s all.
Many will argue and say “Well I can watch the lesson elsewhere, like 3ABN or Amazing Facts etc” there is no interaction there with the listener. So if they have a question what do they do?
Thankfully, many churches have opened, but now Sabbath school is lighter than ever before and still many choose the sermon only, rather than participating in Sabbath school lesson study.
Many years ago a friend of mine who was a new believer asked me to study the Sabbath School lesson with him after church. There was not enough time to cover it at church, and let’s be honest, some teachers ramble on instead of talking about the lesson... I’ve been to some lesson studies that only spend 30 to 45 minutes, because the morning remarks are a 30-40 sermons. We started studying the lesson in depth and didn’t end until we covered the whole lesson. Sometimes it took two hours and at times it was 4 hours because others joined us.
I stopped this for awhile because I moved churches. Two years ago I started my Facebook group page Biblical Thinking with the intention of continuing this again.
Now we cover topics of the Bible and others areas of discussion that are biblically-based. My focus on the page is the Sabbath School lesson. It brings me joy and once again me and my friend can review the lesson in depth and we go as long as it takes and it’s interactive.
Sometimes life gets in the way and I’m not able to cover that lesson that week or I have to do a brief overview of that weekly lesson—the life of a dad with 4 young kids (two being seven month old twins). But I make sure to keep my focus on the page and share with both Adventist and non-Adventist. We get to study the wonderful biblical lessons that come from the Sabbath School Lesson.
I would hope that every church member would consider making their Sabbath School class a high priority. It’s one of the most important times of our worship service. As believers, we can get together and study about our loving God. Nothing else should take away from this.
I hope that many will gain an understanding on how important this is and how life changing it can be for anyone who picks up the Sabbath School Lesson. God has used it to change my life and I pray that He uses it to change yours. May we all come closer to God by the reading of His word.
The Sabbath school should be one of the greatest instrumentalities, and the most effectual, in bringing souls to Christ.--TSS 20. {CSW 10.2}
Ray Chavez is an AFCOE graduate and elder of his church in Albuquerque, NM. He is happily married to Jessica and they currently have four awesome children.