QTRLY Bible Study:

Revolt in the Heavenly Sanctuary

Read Ezekiel 28:12–17 and Isaiah 14:12–15. What do these verses teach about Lucifer’s fall?

At first glance, Ezekiel 28:12 seems to be talking about only an earthly monarch. Several aspects, however, suggest that this is really referring to Satan.

For starters, this being is referred to as the anointed cherub “who covers” (Ezek. 28:14, NKJV), which recalls the Most Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary, where two cherubim covered the ark and the presence of the Lord (Exod. 37:7–9). This celestial being also walked in the midst of the fiery stones; that is, on the “holy mountain of God” (Ezek. 28:14) and in the center of “Eden, the garden of God” (Ezek. 28:13, NKJV)—both being expressions of sanctuary imagery. The covering of precious stones described in verse 13 contains nine stones that are also found in the high priestly breast garment (Exod. 39:10–13); thus even here we have more references to the sanctuary.

After having described the surpassing splendor of the cherub, the text moves to his moral fall. His glory went to his head. His beauty made his heart haughty, his splendor corrupted his wisdom, and his “trading”—which probably refers to his slandering of the character of God and stirring up rebellion—made him violent.

Also, arrogant earthly powers seek to move from earth toward heaven. In Isaiah 14:12–15, the “son of the morning” (Latin lucifere, from which comes the name Lucifer) goes in a different direction: he falls from heaven to earth, indicating his supernatural rather than earthly, origin. Other phrases like “throne above the stars of God,” “mount of the congregation” in the far north, and “Most High” reinforce the impression that this is a celestial being. While verses 12 and 13 are in past tense, verse 15 suddenly changes to the future. This change in time signals that there was first a fall from heaven to earth (Isa. 14:12) and that there will be a second fall, from earth to Sheol (the grave), sometime in the future (Isa. 14:15). This does not refer to any Babylonian king; it is, instead, a clear reference to Lucifer.

A perfect being created by a perfect God falls into sin? What does this tell us about the reality of moral freedom in God’s universe? And what does such freedom reveal to us about God’s character?

Monday December 16

The Accusations

After his fall from heaven, Satan attempted to distort and slander God’s character. He did this in Eden (Gen. 3:1–5), in the midst of the first “sanctuary” on earth. Satan brought his rebellion, which originated in the heavenly sanctuary, down to the earthly sanctuary of Eden. After initiating contact with Eve through the medium of the serpent, he openly planted the idea in her mind that God was depriving them of something that would be good for them, that He was holding something back that they should have. In this way, however subtly, he was misrepresenting God’s character.

The fall of Adam and Eve set Satan temporarily on the throne of this world. Several texts suggest that Satan had gained access to the heavenly court again, but now as the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31, NKJV), as one who possesses the earth but does not own it, much like a thief.

Read Job 1:6–12 and Zechariah 3:1–5. How is The Great Controversy revealed in these texts?

These texts give us a glimpse of the heavenly side of The Great Controversy. Satan presents Job’s righteousness as simply self-serving: if I am good, God will bless me. The implication is that Job doesn’t serve God because God is worthy, but because it’s in Job’s best interests; once it becomes clear that serving God won’t bring blessing, Job will abandon his faith.

In the case of the high priest Joshua (a sanctuary motif) and of other believers (see Rev. 12:10), Ellen G. White says that Satan “is accusing the children of God, and making their case appear as desperate as possible. He presents before the Lord their evil doings and their defects.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 167.

In both cases, though, the real issue is the justice of God. The question behind all accusations is whether or not God is fair and just in His dealings. God’s character is on trial. Is it fair when God saves sinners? Is God just when He declares the unrighteous to be righteous? If He is just, He must punish the unrighteous; if He is gracious, He must forgive them. How can God be both?

If God were only a God of justice, what would be your fate, and why would you deserve it?

Tuesday December 17

Vindication at the Cross

From the very beginning, God left no doubt that He would invalidate Satan’s accusations and demonstrate His ultimate love and justice. His justice demands that there be payment of the penalty for mankind’s sin. His love seeks to restore humanity into fellowship with Him. How could God manifest both?

How did God demonstrate both His love and justice? 1 John 4:10, Rom. 3:21–26.

God’s character of love and justice has been revealed in its fullest manifestation at the death of Christ. God loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10, John 3:16). By paying in Himself the penalty for violating the law, God showed His justice: the demands of the law had to be met, and they were at the cross, but in the person of Jesus.

At the same time, by this act of justice, God was also able to reveal His grace and love, because Jesus’ death was substitutionary. He died for us, in our stead, so that we don’t have to face that death ourselves. This is the amazing provision of the gospel, that God Himself would bear in Himself the punishment that His own justice demanded, the punishment that legitimately belonged to us.

Romans 3:21–26 is a biblical jewel on the theme of God’s righteousness and the Redemption in Jesus Christ. Christ’s sacrificial death is a demonstration of God’s righteousness so “that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26, NASB).

Again, sanctuary imagery provides the framework for Christ’s death. In previous weeks, we have seen that His death is a perfect, substitutionary sacrifice and that Christ is the “atonement cover” (Rom. 3:25). In short, both Testaments reveal that Christ’s mission was typified by the earthly sanctuary service.

“With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. . . . But instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. . . . At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 37. What does this quote tell you about the character of God?
 
Wednesday December 18

Vindication in the Judgment

As Scripture has shown, God’s judgment is good news for those of us who believe in Him, who trust in Him, and who are loyal to Him, even though “we cannot answer the charges of Satan against us.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 472. However, the judgment is not only for us. It also serves the purpose of vindicating God before the entire universe.

How is God’s character presented in the following texts about judgment? Ps. 96:10, 13; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 16:5, 7; 19:2.

God’s character will be revealed in His judgment. What Abraham had already understood will, in the end, be manifest to all humanity: “ ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?’ ” (Gen. 18:25, NASB). The different phases of judgment, with their open-book investigation, make sure that the angels (in the pre-Advent judgment) and the righteous (in the millennial judgment) can prove and be reassured that God is just in His dealings with humanity and that He has been merciful in each case.

Read Philippians 2:5–11. What amazing event do these verses depict?

Verses 9-11 predict the exaltation of Christ. The main two actions express the same thought: Jesus is Lord, and all creation will acknowledge Him as such. First, “every knee should bow” (vs. 10, NASB). The bowing of the knee is a customary act for recognizing the authority of a person. Here it refers to rendering homage to Christ, recognizing His supreme sovereignty. The dimension of the homage is universal. “In heaven and on earth and under the earth,” (NASB), comprises every living being: the supernatural beings in heaven, the living on earth, and the resurrected dead. Those who will pay homage don’t seem to be limited to the saved. Everyone will acknowledge His lordship, even the lost.

The second action is that everyone “should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (vs. 11, NASB). In the end, all will acknowledge the justice of God in exalting Christ as Lord. In this way all creation will acknowledge the character of God, which has been at the center of The Great Controversy, as just and faithful. Even Satan, the archenemy of Christ, will acknowledge God’s justice and bow to the supremacy of Christ (see Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 670, 671).

Thursday December 19

The Cosmic Spectacle

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus utters these amazing words: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). With this, He reveals a principle that, though easily misunderstood, is nevertheless seen throughout the Bible. It tells how, as followers of Christ, we can bring glory or shame to God by our actions.

Read Ezekiel 36:23–27. How was God going to vindicate His name in ancient Israel?

These verses comprise one of the classic passages on the new covenant. God desires to work a dramatic transformation among His people. He will cleanse them (vs. 25) and grant them a new heart and a new spirit (vs. 26) so that they will become a holy people who will follow God’s commandments. What God wants to accomplish is to justify and sanctify believers, and by their lives they will honor God for who He is and what He does (vs. 23).

Of course, the key element in vindicating God’s character before the universe is the Cross. “Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 761.

At the same time, the New Testament followers of Christ are called a “spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men” (1 Cor. 4:9, NKJV). That is, what we do is being seen not only by other people but by heavenly intelligences as well. What kind of witness do we present? By our lives we can make known the “manifold wisdom of God . . . to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10, NASB). Or our lives can bring shame and reproach on the name of the Lord whom we profess to serve.

What kind of spectacle, both to other people and to angels, does your life present? Is it one in which God is glorified, or one in which Satan can exult, especially because you profess to be a follower of Jesus?

Friday December 20

Further Study: Ellen G. White, “Why was Sin Permitted?” pp. 33–43, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “The Character of God Revealed in Christ,” pp. 737–746, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5.

“There stood in the world One who was a perfect representative of the Father, One whose character and practices refuted Satan's misrepresentation of God. Satan had charged upon God the attributes he himself possessed. Now in Christ he saw God revealed in His true character—a compassionate, merciful Father, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Him in repentance, and have eternal life.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 254.

“The mission of Christ, so dimly understood, so faintly comprehended, that called Him from the throne of God to the mystery of the altar of the cross of Calvary, will more and more unfold to the mind, and it will be seen that in the sacrifice of Christ are found the spring and principle of every other mission of love.”—Ellen G. White, In Heavenly Places, p. 319.

Discussion Questions:

Dwell on the idea that by the time the whole great controversy ends, every intelligent creature in the universe, including Satan and the lost, will acknowledge the justice and fairness and righteousness of God in His dealing with sin and rebellion. Though it is a very heavy concept for us to grasp, what does this tell us about the character of God? What does it teach us about the reality of moral freedom and just how sacred and basic freedom is to the kind of universe that God has created?
There are many Christians who deny the existence of Satan, seeing him as merely an ancient superstition held by primitive people who were looking to explain evil and suffering in the world. Think about how great a deception such a view is. It’s hard to imagine what kind of Christianity could deny the reality of a power that is so often revealed in the Bible, especially the New Testament, as a real being. What does this tell us about just how powerfully influenced some churches are by the inroads of modernism and secularism? What can we, as Seventh-day Adventists, learn from the mistakes that we see others making in order that we not fall into the same deception, as well? Without a literal Satan, what happens to the whole great controversy theme?
Inside Story~ West Africa Division: Benin

The Ghost Dancer, part 2

Shortly after my baptism, my father called me to dance in a big ghost festival in our home village. I was shaking as I told my father, “No, I don’t dance anymore.” Father urged me to dance, but I took a deep breath and told him, “I have found a power that is stronger than witchcraft.” I knew that my words were a challenge to my father and the ghost dancers. I prayed that my God would protect me from whatever evil would befall me.

When I didn’t show up for the ghost dancers’ practice session in the bush, some dancers came to remind me it was time to dance. I told them I wasn’t going to dance. They argued and tried to convince me to go with them, but I refused. Then these dancers grabbed me and forced me to go with them.

We arrived at the place where the ghost dancers were preparing for the dance. I told them again that I wasn’t going to dance. Someone forced me to drink something, and I lost consciousness. They tried to wake me, but I didn’t wake up until the next day, the day of the ceremony. The ghost dancers tried to get me to dance, but I couldn’t even stand up. Finally my father came and told them to leave me alone. I slept through the entire ghost ceremony.

After the ceremonies ended, my father took me aside and reminded me of vows I had taken to not tell anyone what we did in our dancing. Then a friend told me that I must leave the village or face death. I left my village and haven’t returned.

I was 18 years old. I had no job and no money. I’d had just three years of education and wasn’t sure what I could do. I prayed, and God hasn’t abandoned me. I am learning a trade now so that I can support myself.

It’s not safe for me to go to my father’s village, for I know that there are people there who would try to kill me. I’m not afraid of them, for I believe that Jesus is stronger than voodoo gods. But until God sends me back to my parents’ village, I feel it’s wise to stay away.

I found Christ when a pastor shared God’s love with me. Your mission offering helps spread the good news that Jesus is the only true God. Millions in Benin and around the world are waiting to hear. Thank you for giving them a chance.

Daniel lives in southern Benin.
 
Lesson 13 December 21–27
Exhortations From the Sanctuary


SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study: Heb. 10:19–25; Heb. 4:16; Exod. 24:8; James 4:7, 8; John 13:34; Heb. 10:24-25.

Memory Text: “And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:21-22, NASB).

Throughout the book of Hebrews, passages about Christian faith alternate with passages about Christian living. In other words, theology has practical implications. The “what” of faith leads to the “how” of living that faith. In Hebrews, after the author has painted the magnificent theological picture of Christ as our Sacrifice and High Priest (Heb. 7:1–10:18), he encourages and exhorts believers to live according to the implications of these truths. This exhortation is especially seen in Hebrews 10:19–25.

This passage is one long, complex sentence in Greek. It consists of two basic facts that lead to three exhortations, each starting with the phrase “let us,” and each containing the familiar triad of faith, hope, and love. Also each “let us” section contains another facet of Christian faith.

This week we will study Hebrews 10:19–25 and its practical exhortations for Christian living.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 28.

Sunday December 22

Access to the Heavenly Sanctuary

Read Hebrews 4:16; 6:19-20; and 10:19–21. To what do believers have access, and what does this mean for us? What hope is offered here, and more important, what impact should this hope have on our life and faith?

Believers have spiritual access to the heavenly sanctuary, to the very throne of God. We can seek closeness to God because our “entry” was made possible by the blood of Christ and by His representation in our behalf as our High Priest. The texts assure us that our soul has an anchor, Jesus Christ, who is in the very presence of God (Heb. 4:14–16; 6:19, 20). The assurance for us is that Christ gained full access to God after He was inaugurated as the heavenly High Priest (Heb. 6:20). At the inauguration, Christ sat on the heavenly throne, an image that demonstrates His royal status (Rev. 3:21).

The good news for us is that our Representative is in the presence of the Father. No mere earthly priest, who himself is sinful, serves on our behalf. We have the better Priest. Nothing separates the Father from the Son. Because Christ is perfect and sinless, there does not need to be a veil that shields God’s holiness from Jesus, our High Priest (Heb. 10:20).

“What does intercession comprehend? It is the golden chain which binds finite man to the throne of the infinite God. The human agent whom Christ has died to save importunes the throne of God, and his petition is taken up by Jesus who has purchased him with His own blood. Our great High Priest places His righteousness on the side of the sincere suppliant, and the prayer of Christ blends with that of the human petitioner.”—Ellen G. White, That I May Know Him, p. 78.

What assurance we have that we can have close communion with the Father, all because of what Jesus has done and is doing for us!

Dwell on what it means that Jesus is interceding for you in heaven. Why do you need that intercession so greatly?

Monday December 23

Cleansed and Sincere

Read Hebrews 10:22. What conditions for approaching God in the heavenly sanctuary are laid down in this verse?

According to this verse, worshipers should meet four conditions when they draw near to God:

1. Come with a sincere heart. The heart is our inner being, our thoughts, our motivations, our emotions, our will, and our character. God wants us to be sincere. However, the heart can become sincere only if it is cleansed. This doesn’t mean that we are perfect, just that we are striving toward revealing the character of Christ.

2. Come in full assurance of faith. As we saw in yesterday’s study, there is no more reason to doubt that we will gain access to God.

3. Come with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. The sprinkling of the heart is sanctuary language that refers back to the blood sprinkled upon the people at the wilderness tabernacle (Exod. 24:8; Lev. 8:23, 24), which made them ritually clean but could not cleanse their conscience (Heb. 9:9, 13). The cleansing in the true tabernacle in heaven, however, is a cleansing of the conscience, brought about by the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14). The justification of the repentant sinner is symbolized by this cleansing. We can have a clear conscience because we have been forgiven.

4. Come with our bodies washed with pure water. This sounds like an allusion to Christian baptism but we can also understand it in a more spiritual sense as the “washing of water with the word” (Eph. 5:26, NASB), reading the Bible and applying its principles to our lives.

In James 4:7-8, James struggles with the “double-minded” attitude of his readers. They have apparently lost their single-mindedness toward God. They have compromised and are in immediate danger. He uses language associated with purity at the sanctuary. It is truly a sanctuary concept that approaching God is possible only if purification takes place.

It should be clear that only God can cleanse our hearts. The question is: what painful choices do we make that allow Him to do this work of grace in our lives?
 
Tuesday December 24

Faith: Be Confident

Read Hebrews 10:19–25 again. One theme appears again and again, and that is “confidence.” The Greek word for “confidence” (Heb. 10:19) refers to a boldness, courage, and fearlessness that in the New Testament describes our new relationship with God.

Originally the word referred to an openness of speech, which, in this context, could specifically mean that one can freely approach God in prayer. This type of openness in our relationship with God produces a joyful confidence. The reason and object of our confidence is that we have a High Priest in heaven through whom we can have access to the presence of God. This access is unlimited and not blocked by anything but ourselves and our wrong choices. We have an open invitation to come into the heavenly sanctuary.

Where does this confidence come from? It is not produced by ourselves but by recognizing, again, that the blood of Jesus has won access to God’s presence for us.

There are other texts in Hebrews that speak about confidence and assurance: Heb. 3:6, 14; 4:16; 6:11; 11:1. What kind of confidence do these texts describe?

Assurance and confidence do not anchor us in ourselves, but only in Christ. These conditions are not dependent upon who we are but who our Mediator is. Interestingly, there is no mention that believers would have anything less than “full assurance” (Heb. 6:11, 10:22). Obviously, the new way that has been forever opened through Jesus’ death will lead without fail to full confidence. Nothing less is expected.

There are two ways to obtain Christian confidence and maintain it in faith. One is through faith itself (Eph. 3:12; the other is through faithful Christian service for others (1 Tim. 3:13). Both aspects are necessary and important. In Hebrews, too, assurance of faith and exhortation to prove oneself as a Christian go hand in hand. Christian living is never detached from Christian faith.

What things in life challenge your confidence in God or your full assurance of His good will for you? What can you do to help to protect yourself from this spiritual danger?

Wednesday December 25

Hope: Be Steadfast and Unswerving

Look up the texts below. What do they all have in common? What should believers hold on to?

Heb. 3:6

Heb. 3:14

Heb. 4:14

Heb. 6:18

Heb. 10:23

Besides having the assurance of salvation, it is important to persevere and uphold the hope offered us all. In Hebrews, to hold fast is a serious appeal. One gets the impression that some believers were slipping away from their Christian faith and hope. The apostle had to encourage them not to let go. The text expresses quite similarly the things that are worth holding onto: hope, confidence, assurance, and confession. All of these terms refer in an objective sense to the Christian belief. We can do these things because our hope isn’t in ourselves but in Jesus and what He has done for us. The moment we forget that crucial truth, we will surely lose confidence.

These texts challenge us to be steadfast from the “beginning” (Heb. 3:14) and “until the end” (Heb. 3:6, 14; 6:11). To do so “without wavering” (Heb. 10:23, NKJV) refers to an immutable and unshaken faith. Whatever the circumstance may be, our hope remains the same, our commitment to God is unchanged, because we can trust that He is faithful and will do what He has promised.

There is no question that God is true to His Word. He fulfilled the promise that He had made to Abraham and Sarah (see also Rom. 4:19–21); He fulfilled the promise of Christ’s first coming (Gal. 3:19); and He will also fulfill the promise of His return (Heb. 12:26). God’s ultimate promise, however, is eternal life, which He promised even before time began (Titus 1:2, 1 John 2:25).

God’s faithfulness is immovable. Even “if we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13, NASB). Our unfaithfulness or disbelief will not change God’s intention for us. His promises remain unshaken by our moral lapses. The promises will still be available for us because faithfulness is part of the divine nature.

It is so easy to get discouraged because of our sins. How can we overcome those sins, and yet, at the same time, not give up when we fail? Why must we cling to these promises, especially when we fail?
 
Thursday December 26

Love: Encourage One Another

“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24, NASB).

Whereas the exhortation in Hebrews 10:23 focused on the individual attitude, the next one in Hebrews 10:24 has the community of believers in view. We do not walk alone on our path with Christ. We should care for one another consistently.

The challenge to love one another is a traditional component of Christian behavior (John 13:34-35; Gal. 5:13). However, loving one another does not just happen naturally. The act of “considering” suggests concentrated and careful pondering. We are urged to pay attention to our fellow believers and see how we could incite them to love others and to do good works. Unfortunately, it is easier to provoke and antagonize others than it is to spur them on to Christian love, isn’t it?

Then let us consolidate our efforts to work for the best of the community so that, because of our inducements to love, others cannot help but love and perform good works, as well.

Read Hebrews 10:24-25. What do “love” and “good deeds” have to do with the “assemblies”?

One point that Hebrews stresses is that we can express love toward one another in Christian gatherings. If someone does not come to the worship, how can he or she ever fulfill Christ’s law of love? Some people may think that they have “good” reasons to stay away from Christian meetings. Hebrews, however, touches on the sensitive issue that, in the end, it might be their own apathy that keeps them away. If one wants, one can always find reasons to avoid church attendance or other Christian gatherings. Those reasons, however, pale in contrast to the reason for coming: to be a blessing to others.

Such behavior is all the more pressing as the day of Christ’s return comes nearer and nearer. At the beginning of Hebrews 10:19–25, the author admonished believers to draw near to God in the heavenly sanctuary, and at its conclusion he reminds them that the Day of the Lord draws near to them. Christ’s return should always be a major incentive for Christian behavior.

Who in your church do you want to encourage with your words, deeds, or just by your presence? If you are deliberate in that intention, you can make a big difference in people’s lives and, in turn, be blessed yourself.

Friday December 27

Further Study: “The Mediator, in his office and work, would greatly exceed in dignity and glory the earthly, typical priesthood. . . . This Saviour was to be a mediator, to stand between the Most High and his people. Through this provision, a way was opened whereby the guilty sinner might find access to God through the mediation of another. The sinner could not come in his own person, with his guilt upon him, and with no greater merit than he possessed in himself. Christ alone could open the way, by making an offering equal to the demands of the divine law. He was perfect, and undefiled by sin. He was without spot or blemish. The extent of the terrible consequences of sin could never have been known, had not the remedy provided been of infinite value.”—Ellen G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, p. 11.

“Faith in the atonement and intercession of Christ will keep us steadfast and immovable amid the temptations that press upon us in the church militant.”—Ellen G. White, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7A, p. 484.

Discussion Questions:

Skim through the book of Hebrews. What are all the times in this book that we are called to act in certain ways, ways that directly result from our faith?
Dwell more on the idea that we have full access to God. What does that mean? How should this influence our lives, especially in times of temptation or in times of discouragement over our spiritual state?
What is the difference between “full assurance” of faith and a presumptuous attitude?
Dwell on this line taken from the Ellen G. White quote in Friday’s further study: “The extent of the terrible consequences of sin could never have been known, had not the remedy provided been of infinite value.” What does that tell us about just how bad sin is that it cost something of “infinite value,” the life of Jesus? How do we understand the idea of “infinite value”? How does the fact that Jesus is the Creator help us to grasp this amazing truth? Knowing these things, how can our lives not be transformed? How can we know these things and not want to teach them to others?
How can we develop spiritual friendships in which we encourage one another to be more loving and to live a life of good deeds? What spiritual benefits do you gain from “assembling together”? What would you miss if you could not worship with other Christians in church?
Inside Story~ NSD Division: Japan

Nurturing Spiritual Roots

Mi Eh Kim was disappointed. She had arrived in Tokyo from China to study, but she couldn’t find a Chinese Adventist congregation and didn’t yet understand enough Japanese to understand people. She was used to worshipping God every Sabbath in China, and she worried about her spiritual life when she couldn’t go. She prayed to find a place to live closer to a church.

While Mi Eh studied Japanese, she prayed that God would lead her to a university located near an Adventist church. She was accepted at a university outside Tokyo, and to her joy discovered that an Adventist church was nearby. Members offered to pick her up on Sabbaths. What an answer to prayer!

The pastor of the small group of worshippers welcomed her and introduced her to the members. Instantly Mi Eh felt the warmth of fellowship and enjoyed the spiritual feast in the town her friends had told her was cold to foreigners. She looked forward to Sabbaths with an intensity she found hard to imagine.

When she graduated she moved back to Tokyo to work. Once more she searched for a church in which to worship. But this time she learned that a Chinese-speaking congregation was worshipping in one of the Japanese churches in the city. How precious it was to worship God in her mother tongue.

Mi Eh has been in Japan for 10 years now, and sometimes she still feels like a foreigner. She knows the stress people feel in a foreign country, and she knows how happy they are to meet with people who speak their own language. Her church family helps nourish her spiritual roots and makes a huge difference in her life.

Part of a previous Thirteenth Sabbath Offering has helped nourish this Chinese-speaking church in Tokyo. It has now formed a second congregation so that more Chinese-speaking people can find spiritual nurture in a foreign land.

Mi Eh Kim (left) is one of thousands of Chinese studying or working in Japan.
 
Lesson 1 - Discipleship and Scripture

Introduction: How do you decide questions that you have about God, about how to live your life, and about how to bring others to Jesus? The answer should be "the Bible." Do you know enough about the Bible to make informed decisions? This week a controversy over one of the stars of a television reality program taught me that those in the media are ignorant about the Bible. The media showed a video clip of this star standing in church and preaching about homosexuality. The whole clip consisted only of a quotation from the book of Romans. Instead of criticizing the star, a proper discussion should have been about the Bible and what this Bible text meant. Let's dive into our Bible study and learn more about this topic!

Bible Answers


Read Luke 4:1-4. When it says that Jesus was "tempted," what does that mean?

(Satan wanted Jesus to sin. He wanted Jesus to disobey God.)


On what did Jesus rely to fend off sin?

(Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 of the Bible.)


Is that it - only the Bible? (No! We must not overlook the critical fact that Jesus also relied on the leading of the Holy Spirit.)


Notice the Scripture on which Jesus relied - it says we don't live on bread alone. How is that an answer to Satan's temptation?


Review Luke 9:12-17. Had Jesus created bread before? Did He do it in part to show that He was the Messiah?


If so, why was it the right thing to do in Luke 9 and the wrong thing to do in Luke 4?

(See how important the Holy Spirit is? This is precisely the kind of issue where we need to be guided, as was Jesus, by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.)


Read Matthew 12:1-2. Are the Jewish leaders asking Jesus to follow the Bible when it comes to guiding His disciples?

(Yes. Keeping the Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments.)


Read Matthew 12:3-4. On what is Jesus relying for His response?

(The Bible.)


Explain Jesus' Bible-based response. What is Jesus' argument?


Is He saying that sometimes it is okay to violate the commands of the Bible and have regular people do what is lawful only for priests?


If so, how is that relying on the Bible?


Read Matthew 12:5. Are Jesus' disciples priests? If not, how is this relevant?


Read Matthew 12:6-8. What is Jesus arguing?

(Jesus teaches that we need to have a deeper understanding of the law. The whole point of the law is to bring attention to the need for Jesus, the need for a Savior, the need for mercy. Exceptions were made for the priests because their Sabbath work was to bring a knowledge of Jesus to the people. Now, Jesus, the High Priest of all time, the One this is all about, is present. Therefore, He is entitled to say how the law applies, and His disciples are His priests.)


Is Jesus violating the rule of law? Is Jesus substituting the system in which the ruler makes the laws?

(No. He is reconciling what His disciples are doing with the existing law. He is asking us to look more deeply into the law.)


What is the lesson for us? That Jesus gets to bend the rules?

(No! To properly understand the law requires great discernment - discernment that comes from above. Again, this is an argument for asking the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Bible.)


Bible Authority


Go back to Luke 4 and read Luke 4:5-8. On what does Jesus rely to reject temptation?

(Again, Jesus relies on the Bible - Deuteronomy 6:13.)


In the prior response to Satan, I thought Jesus' answer was a bit difficult to understand. Here, Jesus' answer is easy to understand. Why does Satan accept this answer without debate?


Does this show that Satan accepts the Bible as the final authority?


What does the fact that both Jesus and Satan accept the Bible as the final authority teach us when we have questions?

(Satan is evil, but he is a very smart guy. If both God, and the anti-God, accept the authority of the Bible, how can we reject it in favor of our own feeble thinking? To decide that we are wiser than the Bible is foolishness.)


This brings us to a practical problem. What do we do if the person we are trying to convert or counsel is foolish and does not accept the Bible as the final authority?


If you cannot find an authority which you both accept, how can you persuade the other person that you are right?


Read Acts 17:16-17 and Acts 17:22-23. What challenge did Paul face in making disciples of these idol worshipers?

(They did not accept the Bible as authority.)


What was Paul doing when he argued on the basis of the unknown God? Is that Bible-based authority?

(This is a very important point. Paul was looking for a common ground of "authority." If we seek to convert those who do not accept the Bible, we need to find some common ground from which we can make our Bible-based arguments. Paul thought that he would argue that the god unknown to them was the true God of heaven.)


Read Acts 17:24-25. What common ground is Paul arguing here?

(The creation. Psalms 19:1 tells us that the heavens declare God's glory. Paul quickly moves to an argument based on logic and the creation. Why would a God who created the universe need to be made by human hands - like these idols?)


What common ground have you used in the past to reach those who do not accept the Bible as authoritative?

(One common ground is mutual life experiences. When we are dealing with those who do not accept the authority of the Bible, our testimony about what God has done for us in dealing with the problems of life can be a persuasive common ground.)
 
The Bible Only?


We earlier touched on Luke 9. Read Luke 9:10-11. We see Jesus teaching about the Kingdom of God. No doubt He based His teachings on the Bible. What other means did He use?

(He healed people. He created food to fed the crowd.)


In making disciples today can we duplicate Jesus' methods?

(We certainly can feed people at our evangelistic meetings and help them with practical difficulties that they face.)


Read Luke 16:1-7. What do you think about this manager?

(He is a cheat. He embezzles funds from his master - which adds credibility to the accusation that he has been wasting his master's property.)


Read Luke 16:8-9. Who is speaking here?

(Jesus is not only speaking, but He is endorsing what the master said about his dishonest manager.)


Why is Jesus complimenting a cheat and a fraud?


And, what, exactly, is Jesus complimenting?

(Jesus is complimenting the shrewdness of the dishonest manager.)


Jesus tells us this story so that we will be "welcomed into eternal dwellings." What eternal dwellings are these?

(Heaven!)


Whoa! Is Jesus saying that if we are cheats and frauds we will go to heaven?

(No! Jesus is saying that we should use our brains and the tools at our disposal to make disciples ("gain friends"). We should be as shrewd as the world is in making disciples for God.)


Is the Bible teaching us to use the smart marketing and promotional programs used by the world in making disciples?


Friend, the Bible is the key to knowing God and understanding His will for our lives. Will you commit to regular reading and study of the Bible? Will you ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand and accept its instructions?
 
Discipling Through Metaphor


SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Sam. 12:1-7, Isa. 28:24-28, Matt. 7:24-27, 13:1-30, Luke 20:9-19.

Memory Text: Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world (Matthew 13:34-35, NIV).

Christianity is reasonable and logical. Intellect should be cultivated. Intellect alone, however, insufficiently expresses the complete human personality. Unlike robots, which are programmed to process reason and logic, humans are capable of loving, feeling, hurting, crying, caring, laughing, and imagining. Thus, Jesus framed eternal truths in ways that went beyond mere intellect alone. Jesus spoke through concrete pictures drawn from everyday life in order to reach people where they were. Children and adults could understand deep truths delivered through parables wrapped in images and metaphors.

Meanwhile, complex concepts like justification, righteousness, and sanctification were easily grasped through the Master Storyteller’s art. In other words, concepts that are often difficult to grasp in ordinary language can be taught through symbols and metaphors.

Sunday January 5

Old Testament Examples

Read 2 Samuel 12:1-7, Isaiah 28:24-28, Jeremiah 13:12-14, and Ezekiel 15:1-7. How do these parables and allegories expand our understanding of God’s relationship with humankind? Which objects or settings utilized by these prophets later appear in Christ’s parables?

As we can see, Nathan tells a parable in order to disguise the real purpose of his visit. David implicates himself as the transgressor, thereby pronouncing his own sentence. Using a literary device (a parable), Nathan accomplished something that otherwise might have produced confrontation and, perhaps, even execution (his own!).

Isaiah’s poetic story draws from the agricultural background familiar to his listeners. Centuries later Jesus would employ those same settings. Isaiah’s parable teaches about God’s unlimited mercy during times of punishment. The twelfth chapter of Hebrews likewise understands God’s punishments as tools for correction rather than weapons for vengeance. Divine punishments reflected their redemptive purposes; they were sufficient to encourage repentance, revival, and reformation. Nevertheless, when greater stubbornness and rebellion occurred, greater punishments followed.

Jeremiah’s parable is a terrifying illustration of judgment. Whenever human beings frustrate God’s redemptive purpose, God eventually releases them to the consequences that they have chosen. Christ likewise shared judgment parables with His listeners. Ezekiel uses a different symbol to convey a similar message.

What is it about storytelling that makes it such a powerful way of expressing truth? What are some of your favorite stories, and why do you like them? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.
 
Monday January 6

Architectural Wisdom

Read Matthew 7:24-27. What do these verses contribute to our understanding of Christian discipleship? Why do you think Jesus used this example from nature to teach such a crucial truth?

Modern literate societies take literacy for granted. However, even today, numerous nonliterate societies exist. Throughout ancient history literacy was the exception rather than the rule. Ruling classes, literary specialists (scribes), obtained their power through their skill in reading. Thus, Jesus framed His messages within forms that everyday, nonliterate people could understand. (Obviously, literate listeners could also understand them.)

Prior to Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, manuscripts, in most places in the world, were handwritten-a time-consuming process. Relatively few could afford to obtain such valuable commodities. Therefore, oral communication through legends, parables, and similar devices became the standard for the conveyance of information.

God offers salvation for the entire human race. Should it be surprising, then, that Christ used those forms of communication that could reach the greatest number of people? Oral tradition, transferred from generation to generation through simple stories, became the currency of redemptive thought.

Read Luke 14:27-33. What lessons can we glean from these stories? How do the metaphors here illuminate our understanding of discipleship?

Building entails preparation. Cost estimates are developed long before actual construction commences. Discipleship likewise involves preparation. Miraculous feedings, spectacular healing, and apparent success could lead prospective disciples to assume that following Jesus was easy. Jesus encouraged His listeners, however, to study the complete picture. Self-sacrifice, suffering, humiliation, and rejection constituted considerable costs. Notice once again that Jesus chose to convey this message using metaphorical language when He could have just offered a checklist of specific drawbacks that His disciples might encounter.

Tuesday January 7

Agricultural Analogies

Read Matthew 13:1-30. What was Jesus teaching His audience about discipleship? What lessons can modern Christians derive from these metaphors?

Christ’s parable of the sower is familiar to many readers. The setting for the story was commonplace for an agrarian society, something to which Jesus’ listeners could easily relate. The connection with discipleship is obvious. Essentially Jesus is challenging His listeners to evaluate their standing as disciples. Rather than confronting each individual specifically, He speaks through parables, inviting disciples to confront themselves. Looking into their soul’s mirror, they can evaluate their materialistic tendencies, review their capacity for perseverance, analyze their worldly entanglements, and choose the lifestyle of uncompromising discipleship.

At the same time, true discipleship places judgment (condemnation) in the hands of the Master, not those of the disciple. Human discernment is incomplete, human knowledge partial. God alone possesses faultless understanding. Jesus warns, too, that satanic infiltration does happen. Disciples cannot surrender their judgment (discernment) to other professed believers because these believers may be weeds not wheat. Both grow together until harvest time.

In Christ’s parable teaching the same principle is seen as in His own mission to the world. That we might become acquainted with His divine character and life, Christ took our nature and dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisible glory in the visible human form. Men could learn of the unknown through the known; heavenly things were revealed through the earthly.-Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 17.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about the deceitfulness of riches. What was He talking about? How can riches deceive even those who don’t have them?
 
Wednesday January 8

The Revolutionary’s War

Christ’s ministry was revolutionary but without the common weapons. His tools were infinitely more powerful than were swords or knives. Life-changing words, frequently expressed through parables and metaphors, became His not-so-secret weapons in the fight against evil.

Christ’s tactics and strategies caught many leaders off guard; they were ill-equipped to counter the power of His appeal with the masses. Many of His parables contained messages that worked against the leaders. The religious leaders rightly saw that their influence would be largely curtailed wherever Christ’s message penetrated the people’s hearts.

Read Matthew 21:28-32 and Luke 14:16-24, 20:9-19. What powerful messages come through these parables? Though the parables were often directed to specific people, what principles here apply to us, no matter who we are?

The parable of the vineyard applies not alone to the Jewish nation. It has a lesson for us. The church in this generation has been endowed by God with great privileges and blessings, and He expects corresponding returns.-Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 296.

No question, we have been greatly blessed by the Lord: redeemed by the blood of Christ, promised salvation based on His righteousness (not our own), given the assurance of eternal life, and offered the Holy Spirit-we have been provided with so much. It is easy, however, to forget all that we have or to take it for granted or to even scoff at it. Like the vinedressers in the parable, we might not even realize the implications of that which we are doing. In the end, their ignorance didn’t excuse them on judgment day. It won’t excuse us, either.

How often have you been deceived in the past about your own spiritual state? What have you learned from those experiences that could help you to avoid making the same mistakes again?
 
Lesson 2

Discipling Through Metaphor

(Matthew13, 2 Samuel 12, Matthew21, Luke 14)

Introduction: Metaphor? It is not a town or a person. I'll not strain your memory about high school English. You use a metaphor when you want to teach that one thing is similar or the same as something else.

What are we talking about here? Parables. Stories. Jesus was a story teller, and His stories were intended to teach us truths about God and about life.

In a book I recently read about the brain, it asserted that our brains are lazy. If we already have figured out one thing, when something similar, but more complex comes along, we are likely to consider them the same and use the same solution. No need to struggle with the complexity in the new problem.
Would God appeal to lazy brains? Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and see what we can learn about why Jesus told stories!

I. Storytelling and the Mind

A. Read Psalms 78:1-3 and Matthew 13:34-35. Aside from us having lazy brains, why do you think Jesus taught through the use of parables?

B. Some time ago, I read a study of jurors. It found that the average juror had an attention span of seven minutes. Imagine that! You are in an unfamiliar place (a courthouse), you are called upon to decide very important things - perhaps even about life and death, and your attention span is seven minutes. How is listening to a sermon different? (The surroundings are familiar, your seat is comfortable, and you are unlikely to be questioned about the sermon at the end.)

1. What do you think is the attention span for those listening to a sermon? (Not more than seven minutes!)
a. What is the solution to this problem? (Stories! Stories capture the attention of the audience. If you do not believe me, sit where you can watch the audience during a sermon. When a story is being told, the people look at the speaker. When I preach, one-third to one-half of my time is spent telling stories.) C. Read Matthew 13:13. Think back to the last sermon you heard. Can you remember what it was about? Can you remember the sermon after you have eaten your Sabbath lunch?

1. Do you feel like the people described in Matthew 13:13? If so, is it your fault - you need to concentrate more?

(I've asked myself if I'm wasting precious sermon time with all of my stories. Then I recall a sermon I heard that was a solid "Bible" sermon. It consisted of many Bible verses strung together with some commentary between. When I walked out of the church, I could hardly remember the sermon. On the other hand, I once had a young person recite to me a story I had told in a sermon ten years before! What good is it to craft a sermon if people cannot remember it two hours later?)

2. Can you remember a sermon story from years ago?

II. Storytelling and Politics
A. Read 2 Samuel 12:1-4. What are your thoughts about the rich man?
1. When you heard this story, did you think about how much you love your pet?
2. Thousands of years separate this story from us. I doubt that many readers raise sheep. Despite this, is the story still relevant? Is it still persuasive?
B. Read 2 Samuel 12:5-6. Was King David's reaction the same as yours?
C. Read 2 Samuel 12:7-9. Imagine if you were Nathan and God sent you to tell the King that he was greedy, ungrateful, unjust, an adulterer and a murderer? How do you think that confrontation would go?

D. Read Matthew 21:28-30. Which son do you think did the will of his father?

E. Read Matthew 21:31. Jesus asks the same question I just asked you. (I got the question from Him.) What is the purpose of the story and the question?
(It is to convict the people about the
difference between words and actions.)
 
1. Do you truly believe what you just answered? If so, what does this say about righteousness by faith? (It says a great deal. We are saved by faith, not by works, but our works reveal our faith. See James 2:14-24.)

F. Let's look at this a little more deeply. Read Matthew 21:31-32. The identity of the audience is found in Matthew 21:23. They are the chief priests and elders. Jesus unfavorably compares their works to those of prostitutes and tax collectors. What kind of works could Jesus possibly be talking about?

("Works" is a very broad term. The work of the son was to obey the call of the
father. The work of the prostitutes and tax collectors was to obey the call of God. They believed John and repented. Some would say that responding and repenting was only faith and not works.)

1. What message did Jesus want to convey to the religious leaders?

(That the tax collectors and prostitutes were ahead of them in their spiritual journey.)

a. What if Jesus just said that? How would that go over?

(Just like with King David and the prophet Nathan, we see that telling a story makes it easier to speak truth to power. The target of the rebuke agrees with the point before becoming defensive.)

III. Storytelling and Truth
A. Read Luke 14:1-4. Why do you think Jesus' listeners did not respond?
B. Read Luke 14:5-6. After hearing Jesus' story (or, at least His analogy), why did Jesus' listeners not respond? Explain what you guess was their thought process.

(They knew it was wrong to work on Sabbath. They also knew that they would rescue their son or animal on Sabbath. Thus, there was a conflict in their minds that prevented them from immediately responding.)

1. What would you answer?
(The story shows us that the correct answer is that we should do good on the Sabbath.)
2. If you think about this, something very odd is taking place. Why should a person's views about rescuing an animal have anything to do with God's view of the Sabbath? Why is right behavior defined by what we would naturally do for an animal or our child?

C. Read Luke 14:16-23. We recognize this as a parable that teaches us about salvation. What motivates the decisions of the man preparing the banquet?
(Anger.)

1. Let me ask you again, why is truth about salvation defined by the anger of the host of the banquet?

We are bumping into a profound truth. God is the Creator of the universe. He
created the rules of the universe. Although we are scarred by sin and have evil propensities, we have in us an understanding of truth. The fact that common, every-day stories reflect the teachings of the Bible proves the truth of Christianity and tends to prove the existence of God. In some sense it is the grand unified theory of the universe!)

IV. Storytelling and Kingdom Secrets
A. We have discussed how stories keep our attention, disarm our defenses and help us to remember and understand lessons. Let's look at another aspect ofstorytelling. Read Mark 4:10-12. Are parables like a secret handshake - only insiders understand it? Or, is the only valid point the one we
discussed before - that stories help us to pay attention?

1. Look again at Mark 4:12. Why would Jesus want to make it difficult for someone to repent and be forgiven?

(That cannot be Jesus' meaning for it is contrary to the whole tenor of the Bible. Instead, I think Jesus is teaching us that people who do not seek the truth will miss the point of the parable. However, those who want to know truth will focus on the story, be diligent in their study, and learn the deeper truth in a way not easily forgotten.)

B. Friend, have you read through the gospels and studied the parables of Jesus? If not, why not start reading today so that you will be a gospel insider? Why not study to open the truths of the Bible in such a way that you are not likely to forget?

V. Next week: Discipleship and Prayer.
 
Hearing with the Heart

There are at least 37 different parables that Jesus told. Some of these stories are repeated in three of the Gospels, but the book of John does not contain any of them.

The Message: People can listen without hearing, but it’s impossible to hear without listening. When people truly hear someone, they take the words into their hearts. The words stay with them as they consider the meaning and absorb what was said. Really hearing someone involves a commitment.

The Pharisees listened to Jesus speak, but they didn’t really hear Him. Though they might have understood the literal meaning of His stories, they never grasped the deeper concepts about God and His kingdom. His words entered their ears but never made it to their hearts, perhaps because they had decided in advance that they would not believe what He had to say. Their hearts were hardened against Him.

After telling the story of the sower, Jesus explained to His disciples why He spoke in parables. He quoted a prophecy from Isaiah that was fulfilled by the attitudes of the Pharisees who were, by their own choice, spiritually blind and deaf.

God always desires people to turn from their sins and be forgiven. If the Pharisees had been willing to hear Jesus and take His words to heart, God would have been glad to accept them.

*****

Key Bible Text: “But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, ‘To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that “Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them”’” (Mark 4:10–12).
 
Lesson 3 - Discipleship and Prayer

Introduction: How is your prayer life? If you are like me, your answer is "inadequate and needs improvement." When I walk in the morning, I try to pray and look for God's leading in writing this lesson. However, my mind is like a squirrel constantly trying to dart off onto other matters. If you think your prayer life could use improvement, let's race into our Bible study to see how we can improve our conversations with God!

Prayer Preparation


Read Matthew 6:5 and Matthew 6:1. Who is speaking here?

(Jesus.)


What principle of life is He telling us?

(Work done for personal glory is not rewarded by God.)


What kind of reward is being discussed here?

(This cannot be salvation, for then our works would earn salvation. It must be some personal reward given by God here or in heaven.)


In recent years I became friends with a great theologian who is incredibly humble. My motives are mixed whenever I preach and teach. Part of my motive to do my best is to have others think I'm very good, and part of my motive is to help people better understand the Bible. I asked this humble saint about this and he said he also had mixed motives. If this is true for you, what does this text mean?

(Either you try to reward yourself or you have God's reward. Which would you prefer?)


What prayer principle do we learn here?

(Prayer should not be about personal glory. It should not be about "tooting our own horn.")


Read Matthew 6:6. Why is closet prayer the best?

(It avoids the problem of praying to be heard by others - and God rewards us.)


Does this problem extend to other aspects of church service - that people are involved to be seen? (I've noticed that people who are making a prayer request in church, want to preach. People who have special music, want to preach. No matter what specific part of the church service, some want to turn it into a mini-sermon. Why is this? I suspect it has to do with personal glory.)


Read Matthew 6:7-8 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. On one hand we are told not to be babbling, and on the other hand we are told to "pray continually." How do you reconcile these two ideas?

(Right now I have a top prayer priority for a close relative. It is hard for me to avoid "babbling"

(just repeating my prayer). One thing I've learned over the years is an attitude of prayer. To have one part of your mind in contact with God for His continual guidance.)


Have you thought about prayer being like someone talking to you? Would you appreciate the other person repeating the same thing continually, like they had Alzheimer's?

(No! I'm sure God does not appreciate it either.)


If repetition is out, how do we let God know that something is really important to us?

(We can just say that. At the same time, I think God understands when we want to repeatedly talk about something that is very important to us. However, we should not mindlessly repeat the same words.)


Let's look again at Matthew 6:8. If God already knows my needs

(and I certainly believe this), then why do I need to pray at all?

(This helps unlock the solution to the problems in our prior discussion. If prayer is not to alert God to things He already knows, then prayer must mostly be for our benefit. Babbling would not encourage us, but sharing our deepest concerns with God would encourage us.)

Model Prayer


Read Matthew 6:9. What, exactly, do you think Jesus means when He says this "is how you should pray?" Should we repeat this specific prayer?


If we just recited this prayer, would we be mindlessly babbling?


If you were teaching someone to pray, how would you do it?

(We provide examples of things to help people learn. In my own prayer life, I consider each part of the Lord's Prayer to be an example to teach us both the order and the topic of our prayers. Let's explore this next in more detail.)


Read Matthew 6:9 again. How should our prayers start?

(The first thing is praise. I think every prayer should start with praise to God.)
 
Why? Does God need compliments to grant our requests?

(It turns our mind to the fact that our first priority in life is to give glory to God. It reminds us of the greatness of our God - who is also our Father! What a thought!)


Read Matthew 6:10. What topic comes next in our prayers?

(When Jesus comes again, God's goal will be reached and sin, death and sickness will be gone. We want God's will to be done in our life and in our world right now. This is where we can talk to God about our goals and our problems in life.)


Read Matthew 6:11. What does God encourage us to pray about here?

(Our needs! Give us what we need, Lord. It is great to pray for others, but God also encourages us to pray for our self.)


Read Matthew 6:12. In your typical prayer, what topic do you discuss first?

(My normal instinct is to pray for the forgiveness of my sins. Somehow I think that should be the first order of business before I get into anything else.)


Why do you think forgiveness of sins should come after praise, problems and needs?

(Asking for forgiveness does not reflect God's first priority for our prayer life.)


Notice the qualifier on forgiveness. On what does the forgiveness of our sins rest?

(Read Matthew 6:14-15: forgiving others.)


Do you have someone you have not forgiven? If so, what do Jesus' words suggest?

(That God will not forgive your sins. This is a serious matter.)

Do you have a forgiving attitude in general toward those who fail to meet your standards?


Read Matthew 6:13 and James 1:13-15. Jesus asks God not to lead us into temptation, but James says that is impossible. Should we just cross out this part of the prayer because we don't have to worry about God tempting us?


Read Matthew 4:1. Here, Jesus is being led by the Holy Spirit into temptation. Is James just confused?


Let's read a couple of other texts that might help us. First, read Matthew 26:38-39. What is Jesus requesting here?

(Jesus is moving into a time of terrible temptation. He naturally wants to avoid this. He prays that God will remove the temptation.)


Second, read Job 1:9-12. What is God's role in the temptations that follow in Job's life?

(God permitted them.)


Can you see common ground between James 1:13 and these other texts, especially Matthew 4:1?

(In none of these texts do we see God tempting anyone. It is always Satan who does the tempting. I've long thought that in Matthew 4:1 the Holy Spirit led Jesus to Satan before Satan was fully prepared. That first temptation does not seem to be the result of the kind of preparation that we saw in the Garden of Eden. Thus, temptation will come to all of us, and I think Jesus is asking that the temptation not be allowed to come to us when we are less able to handle it. Of course, what James says about temptation and our thought process should ring true to all of us.)


Let's look at the last part of Matthew 6:13. How does this fit into the discussion we just had about God controlling when we are tempted?

(Jesus asks for victory over sin and over Satan.)


What topic does this suggest for our prayers?

(We should pray about our sin problem. We should ask for God's help live holy lives.)


In what other ways can we be delivered from Satan?

(This is the place where I pray about my family, myself and the needs of others to be delivered from Satan.)


The New International Version of the Bible (the one we use here) does not contain the language "for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." That is because none of the ancient manuscripts contain this language. It seems someone copying the Bible got carried away and added it. However, I like it so I end my prayers just like I started them -- with praise to God.


Friend, will you set aside some quiet time with the Lord's Prayer

(the prayer in Matthew 6) and use it as an example for your prayer to God?
 
Lesson 4 - Discipling Children

Introduction: It was a tough time when we left the hospital with our first born child. When we put the new-born baby in the car seat my wife was convinced it would kill the baby. I was convinced that if we did not put our baby boy in the car seat he could die. It was an unpleasant conversation, and I'm sure the hospital people wanted us to drive off - which we could not do until we had resolved this issue. My wife won the debate. On the way home, we thought that the hospital had given our son some special liquid that we needed to purchase, but no drug store sold it. Again, we were worried that we would make a mistake that would harm our baby. No one gave us an instruction book to consult for these issues. Did you feel that way with your first-born child? The Bible gives us instructions about child handling. It does not include car seats, but it is lifesaving. Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and learn more!

Giving Children Life


Read Jeremiah 7:30. Which house bears God's name?
Jeremiah 7:30
30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

(God is speaking of His temple. In our last series of lessons we learned about the temple sanctuary and how it was central for the removal of sin. We learned that the Most Holy Place was where God was present.)


What have God's people done?

(They have put idols in God's house.)


Read Jeremiah 7:31. Instead of offering animal sacrifices for sin removal, what are the people doing?

(Offering their children!)


What does God say about this?

(It did not even enter His mind that such evil should take place.)


Why would such a horrific thing enter the minds of God's people?

(They thought that by offering their children to be burned in the fire, the gods would bless them and make their life better.)


Why do people have abortions these days?

(Same reason, except the god is not an idol, but it is the same god of selfishness.)


Read Jeremiah 7:32-34. What will happen to a nation of people who sacrifice their children for their own prosperity, who serve gods other than the true God?

(They lose everything they hoped to gain - including their lives and their dignity. Some of the dead are eaten by animals. Not a glorious way to end.)


Giving Children a Knowledge of God


Read Deuteronomy 6:1-3. What is God offering here?

(The same thing the prior group of people sought - a better life.)


What route does God suggest to a better life?

(Following God's decrees and commands.)


Read Deuteronomy 6:4-5. What is the first command that God gives us?

(Read Matthew 22:36-40. The consistent theme in both the Old and New Testaments is that we need to love God first, and we need to love our neighbors.)


Read Deuteronomy 6:6 and Hebrews 8:10. We see this reference to the law being "upon your hearts" or written on "their hearts." What does it mean to have the law written on our heart?

(It becomes a part of us. It becomes a part of our will and our nature.)
 
Read Deuteronomy 6:7-9. It is common for conservative Jews to have a mezuzah, a small container in which is found this Bible text, affixed to the door of the house. As you consider these verses, what do you think is the sense of them? To actually fasten things to your head, hands and door?

(Perhaps. But, the deeper sense of this is to bathe your children with God's word. The goal is to have God's will in their hearts.)


Is this possible? Will your children rebel and hate God if you talk about God all the time?


Let' change this to television. Bathe your children with television. Talk about television in the car, when you walk and when you eat. Tie symbols of television on your hands and your head. Have a T.V. t-shirt. Could you do this? Are you doing this?


What if we changed it to the Internet? Have your computer phone on your hands and your head. Wear Google glasses. Could you do this?


It may seem impossible or impractical to bathe our children with God's law, but Satan has surely accomplished this with his messages. When my children were still living with us I recall thinking how I needed to steer the conversation to God's will. That was a challenge.


Read Deuteronomy 6:20. Have you been asked this question by your children? Have you been asked, why is that important? Why should I worry about God's rules? What difference does it make?


Read Deuteronomy 6:21-24. What parallel response can you give to your children?

(Talk about your history with God. Tell them how walking with God gives life and prosperity. Do they want to succeed in life? Obey God!)


Of all the missed opportunities I had to talk about God with my children, one area in which I succeeded was that we would read the Bible in the evening. We started with the New Testament and then went to the Old Testament. I would choose an easy to read version of the Bible, the children would take turns reading, and we would discuss what we read. It was enjoyable. Are you willing to do this?


Welcoming Children


Read Matthew 18:1-4. If you have spent a lot of time with children, do you think they are humble?

(Hardly! Children are selfish - just like the disciples who wanted to be first.)


Needless to say, this is the Bible and our Lord is speaking, so we can hardly say, "That's wrong!" What do you think Jesus means?

(Children had no status in life compared to the adults. The disciples were looking for status over each other. Jesus tells us that we should not be fighting for status.)



(You might prefer to spend your time being with people who will give you more status. But, Jesus says that spending time with children "in [Jesus] name" is unequaled in importance.)


What practical point can you draw from this?

(We certainly need to welcome children in church. We need to be sure that programs for children are created and adequately staffed.)


What will children think if they show up for Sabbath School and the teacher is not there? Will they feel welcome?


Read Matthew 18:6. How important is our influence upon children?


Read Matthew 18:7. Have you ever heard someone say, "Well, if I didn't sell [something harmful to children] someone else would?" Does Jesus admit that someone will be there to bring harm to children?

(Yes. "Such things must come.")


What does Jesus say about the excuse "if I don't do it someone else will?" (He says that is no excuse. "Woe to the man.")


Read Mark 10:13. What do you think is the object of having Jesus touch the little children?

(Parents were looking for a blessing on their children.)


Why do you think the disciples rebuked the parents? (They probably thought Jesus had more important things to do.)


Read Mark 10:14. How did Jesus react to the disciples' rebuke?

(He was indignant. The Greek reflects deep emotion. Jesus was very unhappy.)


Does that seem to be an over-reaction?

(No! We need to understand this: Jesus put a very high priority on welcoming children!)


Read Matthew 18:1-4. If you have spent a lot of time with children, do you think they are humble?

(Hardly! Children are selfish - just like the disciples who wanted to be first.)


Needless to say, this is the Bible and our Lord is speaking, so we can hardly say, "That's wrong!" What do you think Jesus means?

(Children had no status in life compared to the adults. The disciples were looking for status over each other. Jesus tells us that we should not be fighting for status.)
 
Read Matthew 18:5. How is this logically connected to the verses we just read?

(You might prefer to spend your time being with people who will give you more status. But, Jesus says that spending time with children "in [Jesus] name" is unequaled in importance.)


What practical point can you draw from this?

(We certainly need to welcome children in church. We need to be sure that programs for children are created and adequately staffed.)


What will children think if they show up for Sabbath School and the teacher is not there? Will they feel welcome?


Read Matthew 18:6. How important is our influence upon children?


Read Matthew 18:7. Have you ever heard someone say, "Well, if I didn't sell [something harmful to children] someone else would?" Does Jesus admit that someone will be there to bring harm to children?

(Yes. "Such things must come.")


What does Jesus say about the excuse "if I don't do it someone else will?"

(He says that is no excuse. "Woe to the man.")


Read Mark 10:13. What do you think is the object of having Jesus touch the little children?

(Parents were looking for a blessing on their children.)


Why do you think the disciples rebuked the parents?

(They probably thought Jesus had more important things to do.)


Read Mark 10:14. How did Jesus react to the disciples' rebuke?

(He was indignant. The Greek reflects deep emotion. Jesus was very unhappy.)


Does that seem to be an over-reaction?

(No! We need to understand this: Jesus put a very high priority on welcoming children!)


Read Mark 10:14-16. Recall that in Matthew 18:4 Jesus said that we need to become like little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Now Jesus says that we must "receive" the Kingdom of Heaven "like a little child" or we cannot receive it at all? What does this mean? How would a little child receive the gospel?

(Children may have many character flaws, but one universal trait of children is simple trust.)


How improved would your life be if you showed simple trust in God?


Friend, we need to make children a high priority in our home and in our church. We need to do everything we can to lead them in the right path, and not lead them astray. Will you commit to make a special point of this? Perhaps you will be rewarded with a more child-like attitude, one of simple trust!
 
Lesson 5
Discipling the Sick

(1 John 3, Mark 2, Deuteronomy 28, Luke 9)

Introduction: Would you like more members in your church? That is the current topic of discussion in my church!

People have ideas for outreach, but my thought is "Let's heal some sick people!" Have you ever considered what a great approach that is to bringing new people into your church? That was Jesus' approach, right? Or, was it?
Did Jesus heal people to bring more crowds to hear Him, or did He heal people because He had compassion on them? If you are healing people to attract others to the gospel, isn't that showing compassion? Let's dive into our study of the Bible and see what we can learn about how to deal with sickness!

I. Hearts and Healing
A. Read 1 John 3:16-18. How many of you prefer to love with words?

(It costs less, takes less time, and is less of a pain!)


1. How does the Bible call us to love?
("With actions and in truth.")

a. What does "in truth mean" in this context?

(It means that doing something makes your words of love credible.)

B. Read 1 John 3:19-20. What does it mean to have "our hearts condemn us?"

(It means to feel guilty.)

1. What is the Bible telling us in these verses that we have just studied?

(We need to show our love with more than just words. We will feel good about helping people who are in need.)

C. What do these verses suggest about the questions I asked in the introduction? If we could make healing a part of our gospel outreach, should we do it?

(Yes! Whether you are healing to attract crowds to hear the gospel, or healing those already attracted to the gospel, you are showing concern about both sides of the person - the spiritual and the physical.)
 
D. Read 1 John 3:21-22. Have you seen healing in your church?

1. If not, what does this text suggest?

(That we can ask for it.)

2. Is this offer conditioned on anything?

(It says we can receive anything we ask if we obey
God.)

E. Read 1 John 3:23. What kind of obedience are we talking about?

(Believing in Jesus and loving others. This suggests that we need to pay greater attention to prayer for healing (believing in Jesus)
on behalf of specific people (loving others.)

F. Read 1 John 3:24. How do we live in Jesus and have Him live in us?

(This is a very specific reference to the Holy Spirit living in us and us living a life in tune with the Holy Spirit. This is very important.)

G. Let's be very honest for a few minutes. What makes helping others a pain? I just said that helping others makes us feel good. Is it both?
1. Can you point to situations in which helping others felt good and situations in which it was a pain? What makes the difference?

(Fixing the problem for a grateful person feels good. A perpetual, unresolved problem involving an ungrateful person is a pain.)

2. How did Jesus handle the problems of people who came to Him?

(He fixed the problem instantly. Let's look next at an example.)

II. Jesus and Healing
A. Read Mark 2:1-3. Are the people coming for words or for healing?

(Both. But it sounds like more are coming for Jesus' words.)

B. Read Mark 2:4. If you were speaking to a crowd, how would you like someone digging in the roof above where you are speaking?

1. How would you like a person being lowered between you and the audience?

(It would be very distracting.)

C. Read Mark 2:5. Whose faith is Jesus referring to?

(It sounds like group faith, not just the faith of the sick guy, because it says, "their faith.")
 
1. Put yourself in the place of one of the four helpers. Is Jesus saying the words you were hoping to hear?

(No! My guy is paralyzed. I would not have needed to drag him up the roof
and then down through the roof for forgiveness of sins. I wanted Jesus to heal him.)

a. Is it possible that Jesus is talking about the sin of interrupting His presentation?

D. Read John 9:1-3. What does the question of the disciples reveal about the thinking of the people about sin and sickness?

(The two are related.)


1. Does Jesus dispute this popular belief?

(Only in this case. He does not respond, "What, are you guys nuts?" Instead, he says that neither the sins of the parents nor the son contributed to the problem here.)

2. What do you think about the reason Jesus gave?

a. Recall the story of Job and his friends? Job's friends told Job that he was suffering because of his sins. Is the answer Jesus gives about the blind man applicable to Job's situation?

(Yes!)

E. Let's get back to our story about the roof-man. Read Mark 2:6-8. Are the teachers right?

(Yes, it is God who forgives sin.)

1. If the teachers are right, why should Jesus question them?

(Because this is the critical issue for the ages - is Jesus God?)

F. Read Mark 2:9-12. Let's revisit some questions that we raised earlier. Why did Jesus perform this healing?

(The main reason seems to be to prove He is God.)
 
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If we asked the Holy Spirit to heal people so that we could bring people into the church, would that be a valid reason?

(We want to convert people so that they know that Jesus is God.)


What other reasons does the story suggest for this healing?

(Look again at Mark 2:5. Jesus was motivated by their faith.)


What does this teach us about a plan to use healings to promote the gospel?

(We need to have faith. We need to pray about it.)


Based on this story, do you think we could do this in our church? Could we heal if we had the Holy Spirit in power?

(Traditional thinking may be a trap. Consider the non-traditional approach of the friends. They did not say to their friend, "We can't do this today, the crowd is too great." Instead, someone suggested, "Let's climb up on the roof and cut a man-sized hole in it so we can interrupt Jesus' presentation by dropping you in front of Him. I think Jesus will reward us for this!" That is faith, not logic.)


Read Deuteronomy 28:15 and Deuteronomy 28:20-22. Were the people right to think that there is a connection between sin and sickness?

(Yes, of course. I see at least three main reasons for sickness:

a) We live in a sinful world;
b)our own failures; and,
c)to bring glory to God. Sometimes all three seem to apply.)


Healing and Outreach


Read Luke 9:1-2. If there is a connection between sin and sickness, are we "healing" people by converting them?

(Yes!)


Is this a way to promote the church?

(We show creative thinking when we promote the church by saying that if you follow Jesus you will be healthier, and your life will be better.)


One of the great things about me teaching at Regent University is that many of the professors and students are part of what I call the "Pentecostal Holiness" segment of Christianity. These are Christians who take obedience to God and the power of the Holy Spirit very seriously. Notice that Luke 9:1 is addressed to the "Twelve" disciples. Is healing limited to them or their time?

(Read John 14:12-14. This says "greater things" are possible for "anyone who has faith in Me." In the next few verses ( John 14:16-17) Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to live in us. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that healing is possible.)


Read 1 Corinthians 12:8-9. What does this teach us?

(Two things. Healing is a spiritual gift. Second, God is sovereign. He decides to whom He will give the gift and who will be healed.)


Read Revelation 21:3-4. What is the ultimate promise for healing?

(Those who are saved will live in the earth made new, where death, pain and sickness are a thing of the past. Praise God!)


Friend, God may give you the spiritual gift of healing, but even if He does not, you have the ability to tell others about Jesus. A relationship with Jesus helps us to avoid bringing sickness on ourselves and gives us the promise of a world free from sin and sickness. Why not share this with others today?


Next week: Discipling the "Ordinary."
 
Discipling the "Ordinary."

(James 2, Luke 5 & 18)

Introduction: This lesson gives me mixed feelings. For almost 35 years I was a member of the Adventist Church in Manassas, Virginia. When I joined, the church leaders immediately asked me to be an elder. I challenged them: "Why should I be an elder? Because I'm a lawyer?" On the other hand, I've been involved in many evangelistic outreaches in Manassas. No effort was ever made to bring in educated "professional class" members. We never converted anyone with a Ph.D or professional doctorate. Church always seemed this bizarre mix. We would never target professionals for conversion, but if we had a professional in the church, they were almost always made a leader. What does the Bible say, if anything, about these kinds of issues?

Let's plunge into our study and find out!

James and the Rich

Read James 2:1-4. Would this happen in your church?

(I suspect it would happen in most churches.)

James says this reflects "evil thoughts," and later he will call this a sin. Do you agree?

When we use the term "discrimination" in the United States, we mean treating people differently for irrelevant reasons. For example, if someone grew a lump on the arm, we would not consider it discrimination for that person to seek the opinion of a medical doctor and not a carpenter. Is there any relevant reason to make special efforts to try to bring the rich man into your church?

(I can think of at least a couple. First, it helps the church financially. Second, at least in the United States, there is a link between intelligence, education and income. Most organizations want educated, intelligent people in leadership positions to make the organization run better.)

Read James 2:5. How is the church not like "most organizations?"

(James says that God discriminates against the rich by giving faith to the poor.)

Which would you prefer in church leadership, those who are educated and intelligent, or those who are full of faith?

(Those who are full of faith would be able to rely on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.)

Do you really believe what James says - that God chose the poor over the rich?

If you say, "yes," how do you explain that Deuteronomy 28 is in the Bible? We looked at it last week because it says that those who follow God are physically and financially blessed.

How do you explain Job, a fellow we also considered last week? He was faithful, but also smart and fabulously rich. Read James 2:6-7. Is this true in your country?

James did not live in a democracy. Is his observation true in a democracy?

(In the United States, CNN reported that in 2010 those in the top 10% of income paid 70.6 of the income tax total, everyone else paid 29.4% of income taxes. To compare, those in the top 10% of income took home 45% of income. I use CNN as a source because I doubt that anyone will think that it is biased in favor of the rich.)

Read James 2:8. I'll let everyone who reads this determine whether the situation James described in his time is true for the current time in their own country. What does James say is the timeless rule regardless of where we live?

(We are to love our neighbor as our self.)

What does this mean as a practical matter?

(It means that if we have been discriminating against the poor, we should stop it. If we have been discriminating against the rich, we should stop it.)

Read James 2:9-11. Is showing favoritism a sin?
(Yes.)

To what sin does James compare favoritism?

(Murder and adultery.)

Is James getting carried away? Is he exaggerating to make a point?

(This is why grace is so important! We may think that our sins are minor, but James points out that violating any part of the law is a violation of the entire law.)

Read James 2:12-13. What do these verses suggest is James' main point?

(That we need to show mercy to people. If we treat people differently (and worse), because of their relative wealth, then we fail God because we are not showing mercy.)

Why is mercy so important?

(It is God's greatest gift to us - the mercy He showed us by saving us by grace alone!)

Jesus and the Rich

Read Luke 5:1-3. Why did Jesus get into the boat?

(It allowed Him to be seen and heard better when He was teaching.)
A boat was a valuable asset. Is Jesus blessed to have a follower who has a valuable asset?
 
Read Luke 5:4-5. Do you think Jesus was teaching the people about fishing? Who was the expert on this topic?

(Simon Peter. He was the fisherman whose business owned the boat.)


What do you think Simon Peter thought about Jesus' suggestion that they put down nets?

(He followed Jesus' suggestion to be polite. He knew it was a waste of time.)


Read Luke 5:6-8. Is Peter sinful because his business had valuable assets? Is he sinful because he failed to recognize the opportunity of fishing during the day? Why does he ask Jesus to leave because of his sins?

(Peter lacked faith in Jesus. He realized it and confessed his sin. Peter knew this was a miracle, not a missed fishing opportunity.)


Read Luke 5:9-11. Jesus calls Simon Peter, a partner in a fishing operation, to be His disciple. Why would Jesus choose a man whose education was in fishing (and perhaps business) instead of theology? Peter thought he knew more than Jesus and he did not have faith in Jesus. Why choose him (and apparently his business partners as well)?


Read Mark 6:3, John 1:45-46, Luke 9:58 and Isaiah 11:10-12. These texts show that Jesus was homeless, He was not educated in a traditional sense, He grew up in a lousy town and there was some question about the morality of his conception ("Mary's son"). The Isaiah prophecy predicts that Jesus will be a warrior King who will rally the Jews and defeat their enemies. If you were empire-building, would you choose Peter? Would you choose the conditions of Jesus' life for a warrior king?


If you were reforming a religious movement, would you choose Peter? Would you choose for the leader being poor, homeless, uneducated and of questionable heritage?


The Trinity had plenty of time to consider all of this, why did They make the decisions They did? (Read Hebrews 4:15-16. When we say "We want to be like Jesus," we should not aim to be uneducated, homeless or being scorned by others. One reason Jesus came with all of these disadvantages is because of grace - He wants us to see that He lived through the kind of problems humans face.)


Read Judges 7:2-3. Are you familiar with this principle?

(God works through weakness so that it is clear that God is the source of the solution.)


Would this principle explain in part why Jesus chose the disciples He did and lived the life He led?


The Advantage of Being Poor


Few think being poor is an advantage. Few hope to be poor. Yet we have just seen that Jesus chose to be poor and chose unlikely disciples to show us that the Kingdom of heaven is for all, regardless of wealth. The Bible suggests another advantage of being poor, and we turn to it next.


Read Proverbs 10:15. Perhaps James missed this text. What does it say about wealth?


In contrast, read Psalms 144:1-2. What does this say about our fortress in life?


Read Luke 18:18-20. Is Jesus' answer the one you would give? Is it the answer Paul would give?


Read Luke 18:21-24. No one who has ever discussed this story with me believes this instruction applies to them. Why not?


If it does not apply to you, why did it apply to this rich ruler?


Read Romans 10:9-11. Will keeping the commandments or giving away all of our wealth earn our salvation?

(No! Jesus was talking to the ruler about trust. As Romans 10:11 says, if we trust in Jesus we will never be put to shame. The lesson Jesus taught was that we must trust Him instead of our wealth. That is why wealth is a disadvantage when it comes to grace. We trust our wealth.)


Friend, will you look more realistically at wealth and your fellow church members? Will you love all as you love yourself, and will you make it your goal to depend only on Jesus?
 
Jesus and the Social Outcasts
(Luke 15, 1 Corinthians 5, Matthew 21, Mark 5, John 4)


Introduction: Recently, I heard of a Christian singer who walked out of the Grammy Awards. I said to myself, "Good for her." I had watched part of the show and was unhappy that instead of sticking to music, some of the participants chose to promote evil. This past Sabbath my pastor pointed to what this Christian singer had done and asked, "What would Jesus have done?" I thought, "I need to reconsider my prior attitude." One way I decide what I should do is to ask myself, "Will this promote evil or will this promote the Kingdom of God?" This Christian singer took a stand by saying that she would not be a part of the promotion of evil. On the other hand, Jesus seemed to constantly be hanging around with evil-doers. Let's dive into our study of the Bible and see what lessons we can learn!

Gathering Evil


Read Luke 15:1-2. Would you like sinners to come to your church to hear the gospel?


What point do you think the religious leaders were making?

(They were concerned that Jesus was promoting sin by associating with sinners. Those gathering around were social outcasts.)


Were the religious leaders concerned about status or sin?


Aside from the regular members, do sinners flock to your church? What about social outcasts?


Do we have a problem if sinners or social outcasts do not gather at our church to hear the gospel? Is the problem that we have the attitude of the religious leaders in this story?


Read Luke 15:3-7. Jesus tells this story to illustrate why it is good for sinners and tax collectors to come to hear the gospel. What is Jesus' point?

(The unrighteous need to be converted, not the righteous. How can you convert the unrighteous unless you seek them?)


Does this answer the question about what the Christian singer should have done at the Grammy Awards?


What if sinners held a meeting to celebrate sin, and a Christian came to hear them? Have we reversed the facts of Jesus' sheep story?


If we have, should this change our conclusion?


Read 1 Corinthians 5:9-10. What does Paul say about associating with sinners?

(If we live in the world we must associate with pagans.)


Read 1 Corinthians 5:11. What standard does Paul apply to the issue of associating with sinners?

(He says don't associate with sinners who claim to be Christians.)


Wait a minute! Everyone in my church is a sinner (including me)! What is Paul's point? (Paul's concern is about harming the gospel. If you make no pretense about God, then I can associate with you. But, if you say you are promoting God, but you promote Satan instead, then I should not associate with you.)


Read 1 Corinthians 5:12-13. Why expel the sinner? Doesn't the sinner need to be in church? Why should we expel one sinner when we are encouraging other sinners to attend church?

(The only thing that makes sense to me is to ask, "What is this person doing to the church and to the gospel?" The sinners who came to Jesus wanted to learn something better. They wanted to change. The sinner in the church who promotes sin, who wants to lead people away from the gospel, needs to be tossed out.)


Let's revisit our Christian singer at the Grammy Awards. Now what do you think she should have done?

(Clearly the Grammy Awards represent "the people of the world" and not the church. Paul says that we should expect them to promote evil.)


What about the principle that we should expel from church those who promote evil? The idea is that Christians should not promote evil, and therefore this Christian singer could say, "My influence here promotes evil - because people will say I approve of this."


I'm still uncertain about the right answer here. Let's turn next to several stories about Jesus to see if we can sharpen our thinking!

Tax Collectors Ahead


Read Matthew 21:28-30. Which son did what his father wanted?


Read Matthew 21:31-32. Jesus asks the same question I just asked you. How do you think Jesus answers this question?

(Jesus agrees that performance is more important than words.)


How are tax collectors and prostitutes doing "what the father wanted?" If performance is what our Father in heaven wants, how can Jesus equate prostitutes with the son who agreed to work?

(Look again at Matthew 21:29 and Matthew 21:32. We see that the good son "changed his mind." The tax collectors and prostitutes "repent and believe.")


Read Matthew 21:33-39 and Matthew 21:45. The religious leaders know that Jesus is talking about them! What kind of attitude do they have towards Jesus?

(They are hostile. They want to kill Him.)
 
Let's put these two stories together. What is the complete picture of the tax collectors, tenants, prostitutes and religious leaders?

(The religious leaders say the right words, but they are hostile to Jesus. They do not believe or repent. The tax collectors and prostitutes used to say and do the wrong thing, but they change their mind, repent and obey God.)


What kind of tax collectors and prostitutes should we voluntarily associate with?

(Those who seek truth, who are not hostile to the gospel.)


What kind of sinners should we not voluntarily associate with?

(Those who say they are following the truth, but who are hostile to the gospel.)


One more time, the Grammy Awards! Did the Christian gospel singer do the right thing?

(Considering the texts we have read, I think the answer is "yes." It is true that she was in the world, and not in the church, but she was in the middle of a program where some of the participants were making the argument that sin is morally right. They were evangelizing for sin!)


Discerning Hostility


Read Mark 5:1-5. Is this fellow dangerous? How would you like him living in your neighborhood?


Read Mark 5:6. Don't miss this, "from a distance, he ran" towards Jesus. How would you feel if he was running directly towards you?


We discussed pagans who are hostile to the gospel as opposed to those who are coming to hear the gospel. Our conclusion was that we should resist those who are hostile. How would you classify this fellow when he was in the running phase?

(Not just hostile, but incredibly dangerous! We might have to reconsider our prior conclusion!)


Read Mark 5:7. Now that you hear what this man says, would consider him hostile?

(He acknowledges who Jesus is, and asks Jesus not to hurt him!)


What does the contrast between the man's actions and his words teach us?

(We need to be careful about who we classify as being hostile.)


Read Mark 5:8-12. What is the problem with this fellow? (He is demon-possessed.)


Are the enemies of the gospel demon-possessed?


Read Mark 5:18-20. What does this teach us about the possibility for people who seem hostile to the gospel?

(Leaving to one side the question of whether they are involuntarily or voluntarily in tune with Satan, this shows the great potential for someone who leaves Satan's camp.)


Simple Outcasts


Read John 4:7-9. What was the obvious social differences between Jesus and this woman?

(She was both a Samaritan (a Jew of mixed blood) and she was a woman.)



(Somewhat.)


Read John 4:13-18. It is odd that this woman comes to the well by herself. Her background tells us why - she was a moral outcast. She is not just a Samaritan and a woman, but she is even rejected by Samaritan women! What is the lesson for us?

(The gospel is for everyone. No one is too "low.")


Friend, we need to be aware of our influence, and we need to be alert to the adverse influence of sinners in the church. However, the stories of Jesus' life show us that we are here to save everyone. No one is unworthy of the gospel. Will you put this into action in your life?
 
Lesson 8

With the Rich and Famous
(Matthew 19, John 3, Luke 16)

Introduction: Money is a tricky thing. In the last few weeks I've referred to Deuteronomy 28, which teaches that those who follow God's commands will be materially blessed. It was this rule of life that caused Job's friends to argue that his loss of wealth and other problems were due to Job's failure to obey God. Even Job believed this, for in Job 31 he recounted his obedience and demanded a hearing in which God would have to answer him. On the other hand, in Matthew 19:24 Jesus equates money with an inability to get into heaven. How can obedience lead to wealth, but then wealth keeps you out of heaven? Let's jump into our study of the Bible and see what we
can learn!


I. Rich Ruler
A. Read Matthew 19:16-17. If someone asked you this question, how would you respond?

(I would say "There is nothing good you can do to enter heaven. Instead, you must rely on what Jesus did on your behalf.")

1. What did Jesus answer?

(I think Jesus said essentially the same thing - only God is good so
don't ask me what good thing you can do.)
2. Some translations say, "Good Master" or "Good Teacher," but the majority of those I
consulted do not include "good" to describe Jesus. The problem with translating this as
"Good Master" is that Jesus seems to respond that only God is good and He (Jesus) is not
God. What problem does that present? (Jesus is God! The way the NIV, and many others,
translate this is consistent with the general teaching of the Bible on the Trinity.)
3. Notice that notwithstanding what I just wrote, Jesus clearly says, "Keep the
commandments." Should it be our goal to keep the commandments? (Yes, of course.)
B. Read Matthew 19:18-19. Consider Jesus' list of commandments. What is odd about them? (Jesus
only lists our obligations to others. He does not list any of our obligations to God.)
 
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