Sabbath School Lesson for December 2-8, 2023 Overview of Lesson 10, Mission to the Unreached: Part 1 Memory Text: ” ‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.’ ” Acts 17:24 NIV What to expect from this week’s study: Sunday: A Hebrew in Athens–a city of commerce Monday: Paul in the Areopagus–a gathering place of intellectuals Tuesday: Paul and the Unknown God–a city of idols Wednesday: Introducing a New God–a loving God who made us Thursday: Crossing a Line–a just God who will judge us Friday: Our Challenge–how we can join God’s mission It took a brave man like Paul to preach to the unreachable, like those in Athens. He still preached to Jews in synagogues, even associating with God-fearing Gentiles more passionately than many of his Jewish peers. But, God had plans for Paul to reach out even further to people groups that were thought to be unreachable. The idol-worshiping Grecians in Athens, the city where Paul fled to escape persecution, had many highly-educated elites and philosophers who would not be the easiest audience for any speaker with such a different message as Paul’s. His methods of evangelism are therefore well worth our examination. He graciously handled the challenges in Athens and surprisingly made some enthusiastic converts there. Sunday: A Hebrew in Athens The story about how Paul found himself so far away in Athens is told in Acts, chapter 17. He had some pastoral success with several Jews in Thessalonica, but there were also a number of Jews there who resented his preaching about Jesus being the Messiah. These unhappy Jews sent Paul away; but later chased him down when they discovered he was working in Berea, a place where the church members admirably searched the Scriptures to discover if Paul’s claims about Jesus were true (Acts 17:10, 11). The jealous Jewish multitude then found Paul and conducted him far away to the large metropolis of Athens, assuming he would never be able to create a following in such a sprawling, idol-worshiping city. Paul, however, was able to adapt to the population’s needs in Athens. Motivated by his compassion for the individuals there, he learned much about their culture by visiting the marketplace. Like Jesus, he mingled quietly with ordinary citizens, making some important connections there, besides forming ideas about how to introduce them to the gospel. Bible Verses: Acts 17:1-16 How did Paul find himself in Athens? How and why did God work with these unfortunate circumstances and continue to use Paul for His mission? Monday: Paul in the Areopagus We’re not sure how long Paul reasoned with people in the marketplace, but he eventually made such an impression on some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers that they persuaded him to present his ideas at the Areopagus, where such discourse officially took place. It was at the Areopagus that Paul was given a chance to have his ideas about Jesus and the resurrection heard by a wider audience. A god who did so much for his people, who didn’t have to be appeased, but who willingly forgave them for their shortcomings, who even died for them, was certainly a strange, foreign god they had never heard of. Christ was, as always, central to Paul’s given mission. We know that the oratorical skills and general knowledge Paul acquired during his education under the excellent teacher, Gamaliel, was used by the Holy Spirit to enable Paul to reach the Athenians. But it was also the informal education he gained on the streets of Athens that aided him in delivering such a difficult presentation of his beliefs. Let’s not fail to recognize the value of adapting our message to those who are hearing it. It often takes uncomfortable intermingling with people to learn about their needs and how to help them. Bible Verses: Acts 17:17-21 What were some of the various reactions to Paul’s comments about his religious beliefs? How did visiting with those in the marketplace help Paul know their needs and interests? Tuesday: Paul and the Unknown God Even though he was invited to speak about his strange religion, Paul began his discourse by complimenting his listeners for their religious devotion. The many lavish temples and idols he encountered in the city indicated they were serious about their spiritual life. People are more likely to hear our message when we sincerely treat them with respect. Paul knew exactly where he was going with his expression of admiration. This devotion, he observed, included worshiping “an unknown god”, as Paul saw inscribed on one of their idols. Paul then claimed that he would like to introduce them to this unknown god that some of them already worshiped. He had grabbed their attention, making it difficult to ignore his further comments about this unknown god. The same community-building bridges Paul used to evangelize the difficult, Athenian population are skills we can also use today to reach diverse people groups with the gospel message. Bible Verses: Acts 17:22, 23 What were the bridges Paul used to reach his Athenian audience? How can we use these tools as we witness to others, even in unplanned, chance encounters we have with ordinary people? Wednesday: Introducing a New God It must have been energizing for Paul to have the opportunity to share his Lord and Savior with people who had no concept of a Creator God like his. Starting literally from the beginning, he pointed out that the “unknown” god they already worshiped loved them enough to create all the beautiful scenes of nature around them, without expecting anything in return. He also created ALL of humanity. Those of every nation on earth could claim Him as their God. Furthermore, this Creator God did not live in temples made by human hands, because He needs nothing from mankind or any of His created beings. Instead of a needy god, He is a giving God. He is not far The Teacher’s Notes–Mission to the Unreached: Part 1, Lesson 10 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2023 4Q, “God’s Mission, My Mission”“>Read more…

Sabbath School Lesson for November 25-December 1, 2023 Overview of Lesson 9, Mission to the Powerful Memory Text: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26 NKJV What to expect from this week’s study: Sunday: Nebuchadnezzar–how did God and Daniel work with this king Monday: Naaman–how did God and Elisha work with this captain Tuesday: Witnessing to the Learned–Nicodemus–how did Jesus treat Nicodemus Wednesday: Mission to the Rich–how did a rich, young ruler and Zacchaeus react to Jesus’ message Thursday: Mission to the Powerful–how did Joseph of Arimathea help fulfill prophecy Friday: Our Challenge–how can we join God’s mission Last week our eyes were opened to the many kinds of needs and groups of people Jesus worked with in His public ministry. Often we fail to recognize that these same needs, whether they be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, are many times left unmet for rich and powerful people in society. God, whether it be in the Old or New Testament, did not believe the upper class were unreachable, however. He made every effort to reveal Himself to this smaller segment of the population through His appointed prophets and witnesses. It’s helpful to study ways we can minister to wealthy, powerful individuals, who are often isolated and hurting. Without expecting anything in return from them, we can serve them a measure of God’s love. We’ve seen that being attuned to witnessing opportunities to reach the elite have sometimes resulted in great blessings for many people. These powerful people have influence and resources that can benefit God’s mission in ways only available to them. That, on the other hand, should be secondary to our goal of saving them personally, by simply allowing them to feel the love of God through our efforts. Sunday: Nebuchadnezzar 1 Timothy 2:4 and 1 John 2:2 tell us that God “desires all men to be saved”, and He sacrificed Himself for the sins of “the whole world”. But, surely, that wouldn’t include a pagan, ruthless leader like Nebuchadnezzar, would it? Daniel and his Jewish friends may not have thought so at the beginning of their forced service in the king’s court. But events would prove otherwise when the king began receiving dreams from the Lord, and the Lord showed Daniel their meaning. Chapter four of Daniel revealed an unusual story of how God brought down the haughty, proud monarch. After Daniel interpreted the meaning of the king’s strange, new dream, all were astonished at how the prediction actually came to pass. For seven years, Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind and wandered about as an animal, before the Lord brought him to his senses, causing him to praise His Creator anew, instead of himself. God is often willing to use unusual ways to humble us, too, when we begin to feel boastful and proud and forget to give God the glory for our accomplishments. God cares about all of us enough to bring us down a notch or two, as the saying goes, when we need it. Let’s remember to thank Him for it by sharing our experience with others who struggle with similar problems. Bible Verses: Daniel 4:19-37 Why did Nebuchadnezzar need this humbling experience? What might have been the purpose of God in giving him a dream about it beforehand? 2 Chronicles 32:24-26 and 1 Kings 14:21-31 How did God try to reach these kings, and what message was He trying to bring them? Monday: Naaman The popular narrative of an unnamed captive girl being responsible for healing her master’s leprosy is told in 2 Kings 5:1-19. Captain Naaman served in the Syrian army that had taken the girl  far away from Israel, where she became a servant of Naaman’s wife. Through her shy witness, Naaman’s leprosy was thus healed, and so much more. Just mentioning that there was a prophet in Israel who could heal him led to events that ultimately saved Naaman and many of his household. There are some lessons in this story that might get missed, however. At the end of the passage, when Elisha refused the gifts Naaman offered, the captain made two requests of the prophet that revealed his limited understanding of God. Naaman asked that he be allowed to take back with him two mule-loads of Israel soil, indicating that he would offer sacrifices on it, rather than to the gods in his own land. Of course, Elisha knew this action was unnecessary, but he didn’t question it at the time. The second request was for God to forgive him for bowing down in the pagan temple of Rimmon, because it was required for all those in the Syrian army. Once again, Elisha didn’t try to set him straight on the exact kind of worship God would or wouldn’t accept. He knew that Naaman would grow in his walk with the Lord, if his heart remained sincere in his gratitude to the One who had healed him. Bible Verses: 2 Kings 5:1-19 What can we learn from both the captive girl and Elisha in how to witness and later how to treat new converts? Tuesday: Witnessing to the Learned–Nicodemus Nicodemus was a highly-educated leader of the Jews. He, therefore, had a good understanding of the Scriptures, and the fact that he came looking for Jesus one night shows that he also had a spiritual hunger for God. All his power and wealth in such a respected position, however, was just surface evidence of his true desire to know God on an intimate level. Jesus instantly recognized the pride that also existed in the heart of Nicodemus. Coming to see the reputed Teacher alone, under the cover of night, told Him so. Nicodemus, like most Jews of the time, wanted to believe that his lineage, combined with his knowledge and obedience of God’s teachings and commandments, would surely be enough to save him. The eye-opening dialogue that The Teacher’s Notes–Mission to the Powerful, Lesson 9 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2023 4Q, “God’s Mission, My Mission”“>Read more…

This year has been hard. Since 2020, when we all collectively experienced the hardest year we could’ve imagined, we’ve waited for the shoe to drop. This year, it dropped like a heavy-soled leather boot–the kind of boot my daddy used to wear before their heaviness caused such pain in his feet and back he retired them. This year, we sat in hospital waiting rooms for surgeries. We waited at home for phone calls from doctors and pathologists. We waited in car lines for funerals. It was a hard year for my family. Maybe it’s been a hard year for you. Here Are Five Tips for Finding Thanksgiving Shine the light of Jesus on the dark days. When we know Jesus and shine the light of truth on our dark days, we can find thankfulness in the shadows. The key is to take apart the feelings and events that feel bad and fight them with truth. It’s not faking it, but ‘faithing’ it! Instead of believing you’re being punished, remember that God thinks the best of us, wants the best for us and loves us no matter what. Sing praises together and alone. When we sing praises to our God and Creator, it stirs thanksgiving in our hearts. When we sing with others, it brings us together in a different and sometimes new way. If you’re having trouble feeling thankful this Thanksgiving, you can find solace in God. Also, my favorite song on the topic is ‘Gratitude’ by Brandon Lake. Spend time in nature. If you believe in God and that He created the universe, go outside and spend time in nature. Walking in the beauty of autumn, kicking red, brown, and purple leaves along the path, and watching for little animals scurrying up tree trunks, you can’t help but feel grateful for all He has created. Try standing under a sunny sky and find pictures in the puffy clouds. Spend time with people you love. We have to admit that some people are harmful to our mental health, and spending too much time with these people when we’re already feeling very negative will only make the feeling worse. If you plan to spend the holidays with these kinds of people, invite someone who makes you laugh and feel valued. Serve others as much as possible.  It can be easy to feel victimized and fall deeper into negative self-talk when someone expects us to help with a holiday meal. Still, when we go into the experience expecting to–even planning to–serve others, it turns those negative thoughts on their head. You can prepare yourself even further by letting others know beforehand how you’d like to help. These five generic tips may help you make the best of your holiday and find gratefulness in the occasion, but there are other factors to remember. For instance, if one person or circumstance has hurt you this year, make a special effort in that area. If your dad is sick, spend extra time with him during the holiday. If you aren’t feeling well, plan self-care before or after family gatherings. Remember, it’s never so desperate that you cannot pray, it’s never too late to change a plan, and it’s never a bad time for a free or cheap experience in the place of a pricey tradition.

Sabbath School Lesson for November 18-24, 2023 Overview of Lesson 8, Mission to the Needy Memory Text: “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ ” Matthew 25:40 NKJV What to expect from this week’s study: Sunday: The Faith of Friends–bringing someone to Jesus through the roof Monday: Christ’s Method Alone–how did Jesus minister to the needy Tuesday: Refugees and Immigrants–even Jesus was a refugee in Egypt Wednesday: To Help the Hurting–there are many ways to hurt Thursday: Greater Love–how do we lay down our lives for others Friday: Our challenge–how we can join God’s mission We’ve seen how vital God’s mission is and how we can and should make it our own by partnering with Him. The focus now shifts to the recipients of our missionary work. The groups of people we saw Jesus helping the most in His earthly ministry were the multitudes of poor, needy people that flocked the streets and countryside of Judea, in and around Jerusalem. In reality, there were many kinds of needs that were addressed by the Messiah in the short time He was with us in the flesh. This would include the poor and destitute of this world’s goods, but also those who were afflicted with physical ailments and disabilities. At times, it also included those with social and spiritual needs that were not being met. All these were conditions that marginalized people from society and kept them from feeling God’s love. Jesus reminded His disciples, and us today, that whenever we help a struggling soul, we are actually helping Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:40). He identifies sympathetically with the needy so much that when we minister to them, it’s the same as loving our Savior, who also suffered much while on earth. Indeed, He was “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He was needy to the core. Sunday: The Faith of Friends The story of the paralytic being lowered from the roof of a house by his friends must have been a popular story for it to be found in three of the four gospels. The news of this phenomenal healing was noted for many reasons. The paralyzed man was in great need and he had caring friends who worked together to come up with an innovative way to get him in front of the Healer. Jesus took note of their great faith (Luke 5:20). It was surely faith that their friend could be healed by this itinerant preacher that inspired them to come up with such a bold plan. It took extra effort to go to all the trouble of helping their friend, but it ended up being worth all their trouble when Jesus not only healed the man, but forgave his sins, providing an opportunity to reveal the Messiah’s true identity to those who questioned His actions. When we become friends with people around us, we are likely to discover that they have unmet needs that we can supply. As their trust in us builds, we may also be able to bring them to Jesus, just as the four friends in this delightful story. After all, having Jesus in our heart is the real need of the entire world, the only way to be healed, both in body and soul. Bible Verses: Luke 5:17-26 What kind of faith did it take for these four friends to carry out their plan? What else did it take for their plan to work? Monday: Christ’s Method Alone Two other healings of Jesus bring to light the methods He used to accomplish His mission. In John 5:1-9, we find Jesus at the pool of Bethesda. There were many sick, needy people gathered this particular Sabbath, waiting to be first in the pool when the waters stirred. It was only then that they believed they might be healed. Jesus’ eyes were able to find perhaps the one who had been waiting the longest to be healed. For 38 years, this man had been sick, to the point that he needed someone else to put him in the pool. He was unable to get there on his own. Sensing his great need and desire to be healed, Jesus had such compassion for the man that He  proceeded to heal Him, once again by just speak the words, “Rise, take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8). The other healing, also on Sabbath, found in Mark 1:23-28 involved a man with an unclean spirit. The dramatic healing of this man revealed the caring nature of our Lord for a spiritual disorder that was plaguing him. In both these cases, Jesus was found mingling with the people, felt and showed compassion on someone there, won that person’s trust enough to take action to address his specific need, and finally, invited him to follow their Lord. Bible Verses: John 5:1-9 Why is it important not to lose hope when things are the darkest for us? Mark 1:23-28 What does this kind of mingling accomplish for us and those with whom we gather? What should be the ultimate purpose of our mingling with others in whatever community setting we find ourselves? Tuesday: Refugees and Immigrants So much has been happening in our world today that we find many countries flooded with massive numbers of immigrants and refugees, fleeing tragic crises in their homelands. We sometimes wonder whether we should allow them to cross our borders, let alone how we should treat those who do make it here and are trying to rebuild their lives. Perhaps it would be well to remember that Jesus was once a refugee. His parents were compelled to travel to Egypt to escape the genocide of baby boys in Bethlehem that Herod demanded. Jesus and His parents knew firsthand the challenges of being so far away from their home and family back in Judea. Not knowing how The Teacher’s Notes–Mission to the Needy, Lesson 8 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2023 4Q, “God’s Mission, My Mission”“>Read more…