QTRLY Bible Study: Garments of Grace (2Q, 2011)

[blazingthru]

“Even the best of men, if left to themselves, will make grave blunders. The more responsibilities placed upon the human agent, the higher his position to dictate and control, the more mischief he is sure to do in perverting minds and hearts if he does not carefully follow the way of the Lord. At Antioch Peter failed in the principles of integrity. Paul had to withstand his subverting influence face to face. This is recorded that others may profit by it, and that the lesson may be a solemn warning to the men in high places, that they may not fail in integrity, but keep close to principle.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1108.

Discussion Questions:
l Very few people enjoy confrontation, but sometimes it is necessary. In what circumstances should a church condemn error, and discipline those who refuse to accept correction?
l As the Seventh-day Adventist Church grows around the world, it becomes more and more diverse. What steps can the church take to make sure that unity is not lost in the midst of such diversity? How can we learn to accept and even enjoy the diversity of cultures and traditions among us, while at the same time maintaining unity?
l When sharing the gospel in a different culture, what are the essential elements that should not change, and what can be changed? How do we learn to distinguish between what must remain and what we can, if necessary, let go?
Summary: The insistence by some Jewish Christians that Gentiles must be circumcised in order to become true followers of Christ posed a serious threat to the unity of the early church. Instead of letting this issue divide the church into two different movements, the apostles worked together, in spite of conflicts among themselves, to ensure that the body of Christ stayed united and faithful to the truth of the gospel.

Those Dreaded Adventists
Rudy Micelli grew up in a musical Christian family in Brazil. He’s sung praises to God since he was a child. Often he would pretend to sing along with a favorite recording, and as he grew older, singing for God became his passion.
While studying some religion classes, Rudy took a class on cults. Rudy’s teacher warned of many cults, including the Seventh-day Adventist Church. “Adventists perform blood rituals in their worship,” the teacher said. “They are dangerous and should be avoided!”
Some time later, as he browsed through radio stations, Rudy came across a station playing a beautifully orchestrated hymn. He listened to the song and several more beautiful renditions of hymns he loved. “The music thrilled me. It was so well performed and gave glory to God.” Then he heard the station identification and realized that he was listening to a Seventh-day Adventist radio station!
Quickly, he turned the radio off. But he wondered, How can such beautiful music come from a bad sect? He turned the radio back on, promising himself to listen only to the music, not the spoken messages.
Rudy continued listening to the Seventh-day Adventist station. He especially enjoyed the voice of one female vocalist. But he was careful not to tell his family that he was listening to “those dreaded Adventists.”
One day he learned that his favorite recording artist would be singing in his city. He must go hear her, he decided. But to his dismay the concert would be held in the Seventh-day Adventist church. Is this the devil’s trap to get me into a Seventh-day Adventist church? he wondered. But he rationalized that it was only a concert, and he did want to hear her sing. He decided to go. He prayed for God’s protection and approached the concert with mixed excitement and dread.
He was greeted warmly as he entered the church and was ushered to reserved seats for visitors, in the front row. He scanned the room, but saw no evidence of a sacrificial altar or any other indication that this church worshiped darkness. As he sat down and prayed, a sense of the presence of God took him by surprise. It felt so right to be there.
At the end of the concert, he found the pastor and told him, “I want to study the Bible with you. Can we start right away?” The surprised pastor agreed, and six months later, Rudy was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist family.
Today Rudy sings with an Adventist music ministry that spans the world, leading people to Christ in many countries. And it all started with a song on the radio.

Radio continues to lead thousands to Jesus every year. Our mission offerings help support the ministry of Seventh-day Adventist radio around the world

 

[blazingthru]

October 15–21
Justification by Faith Alone

Read for This Week’s Study: Gal. 2:15–21; Eph. 2:12; Phil. 3:9; Rom. 3:10–20; Gen. 15:5, 6; Rom. 3:8.

Memory Text: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, ESV).
As we saw last week, Paul publicly confronted Peter in Antioch for the lack of consistency between the faith he advocated and the behavior he displayed. Peter’s decision no longer to eat with former pagans suggested that they were second-rate Christians, at best. His actions implied that if they really wanted to be part of the family of God and enjoy the blessings of full table fellowship, they must first submit to the rite of circumcision.
What did Paul actually say to Peter on that tense occasion? In this week’s lesson, we will study what is likely a summary of what went on. This passage contains some of the most compressed wording in the New Testament, and it is extremely significant, because it introduces us for the first time to several words and phrases that are foundational both to understanding the gospel and to the rest of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. These key words include justification, righteousness, works of law, belief, and not only faith but even the faith of Jesus.

What does Paul mean by these terms, and what do they teach us about the plan of salvation?

 

[blazingthru]

October 16The Question of “Justification” (Gal. 2:15, 16)In Galatians 2:15, Paul writes, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners” (ESV). What point do you think he was making?
________________________________________________________
Paul’s words need to be understood in their context. In an attempt to win over his fellow Jewish Christians to his position, Paul starts with something with which they would agree—the traditional distinction between Jews and Gentiles. Jews were the elect of God, entrusted with His law, and they enjoyed the benefits of the covenant relationship with Him. Gentiles, however, were sinners; God’s law did not restrain their behavior, and they were outside the covenants of promise (Eph. 2:12, Rom. 2:14). While Gentiles were obviously “sinners,” in verse 16 Paul warns the Jewish Christians that their spiritual privileges do not make them any more acceptable to God, because no one is justified by “works of the law.”
Paul uses the word justified four times in Galatians 2:16, 17. What does he mean by “justification”? Consider Exod. 23:7 and Deut. 25:1.________________________________________________________
The verb to justify is a key term for Paul. Of the thirty-nine times it occurs in the New Testament, twenty-seven are in Paul’s letters. He uses it eight times in Galatians, including four references in Galatians 2:16, 17. Justification is a legal term, used in courts of law. It deals with the verdict a judge pronounces when a person is declared innocent of the charges brought against him or her. It is the opposite of condemnation. Additionally, because the words just and righteous come from the same Greek word, for a person “to be justified” means that the person also is counted as “righteous.” Thus, justification involves more than simply pardon or forgiveness; it is the positive declaration that a person is righteous.
For some of the Jewish believers, however, justification also was relational. It revolved around their relationship with God and His covenant. To be “justified” also meant that a person was counted as a faithful member of God’s covenantal community, the family of Abraham.
Read Galatians 2:15–17. What is Paul saying to you here, and how can you apply these words to your own Christian experience?

Monday October 17
Works of the Law
Paul says three times in Galatians 2:16 that a person is not justified by “works of the law.” What does he mean by the expression “works of the law”? How do these texts (Gal. 2:16, 17; 3:2, 5, 10; Rom. 3:20, 28) help us understand his meaning?
Before we can understand the phrase “the works of the law,” we first need to understand what Paul means by the word law. The word law (nomos in Greek) is found 121 times in Paul’s letters. It can refer to a number of different things, including God’s will for His people, the first five books of Moses, the entire Old Testament, or even just a general principle. However, the primary way Paul uses it is to refer to the entire collection of God’s commandments as given to His people through Moses.
Therefore, the phrase “the works of the law” likely involves all the requirements found in the commandments given by God through Moses, whether moral or ceremonial. Paul’s point is that no matter how hard we try to follow and obey God’s law, our obedience never will be good enough for God to justify us, to have us declared righteous before God. That’s because His law requires absolute faithfulness in thought and action—not just some of the time but all of the time, and not just for some of His commandments but for all of them.
Although the phrase “works of the law” does not occur in the Old Testament and is not found in the New Testament outside of Paul, stunning confirmation of its meaning emerged in 1947 with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of writings copied by a group of Jews, called Essenes, who lived at the time of Jesus. Although written in Hebrew, one of the scrolls contains this exact phrase. The scroll’s title is Miqsat Ma’as Ha-Torah, which can be translated, “Important Works of the Law.” The scroll describes a number of issues based on biblical law concerned with preventing holy things from being made impure, including several that marked the Jews out as separate from the Gentiles. At the end the author writes that if these “works of the law” are followed, “you will be reckoned righteous” before God. Unlike Paul, the author does not offer his reader righteousness on the basis of faith but on the basis of behavior.
In your experience, how well do you keep God’s law? Do you really sense that you keep it so well that you can be justified before God on the basis of your law-keeping? See Rom. 3:10–20. If not, why not—and how does your answer help you understand Paul’s point here?


Tuesday
October 18
The Basis of Our Justification
“And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Phil. 3:9, NKJV).
We should not assume Jewish Christians were suggesting that faith in Christ was not important; after all, they were all believers in Jesus. They all had faith in Him. Their behavior showed, however, that they felt faith was not sufficient by itself; it must be supplemented with obedience, as if our obedience adds something to the act of justification itself. Justification, they would have argued, was by both faith and works. The way that Paul repeatedly contrasts faith in Christ with the works of the law indicates his strong opposition to this kind of “both/and” approach. Faith, and faith alone, is the basis of justification.
For Paul, too, faith is not just an abstract concept; it is inseparably connected to Jesus. In fact, the phrase translated twice as “faith in Christ” in Galatians 2:16 is far richer than any translation can really encompass. The phrase in Greek is translated literally as “the faith” or “the faithfulness” of Jesus. This literal translation reveals the powerful contrast Paul is making between the works of the law that we do and the work of Christ accomplished in our behalf, the works that He, through His faithfulness (hence, the “faithfulness of Jesus”), has done for us.
It’s important to remember that faith itself doesn’t add to justification, as if faith were meritorious in and of itself. Faith is, instead, the means by which we take hold of Christ and His works in our behalf. We are not justified on the basis of our faith but on the basis of Christ’s faithfulness for us, which we claim for ourselves through faith.
Christ did what every individual has failed to do: He alone was faithful to God in everything He did. Our hope is in Christ’s faithfulness, not our own. As one author puts it, “We believe in Christ, not that we might be justified by that belief, but that we might be justified by his faith (fulness) to God.”—John McRay, Paul: His Life and Teaching (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2003), p. 355.
An early Syriac translation of Galatians 2:16 conveys Paul’s meaning well: “Therefore we know that a man is not justified from the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus the Messiah, and we believe in him, in Jesus the Messiah, that from his faith, that of the Messiah, we might be justified, and not from the works of the law.”

Read Romans 3:22, 26; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 3:12; and Philippians 3:9. How do these texts, and what we read above, help us to understand the amazing truth that Christ’s faithfulness for us, His perfect obedience to God, is the only basis of our salvation?

 

[Jenibo]

Bumping this to see how you ladies are doing this year in your studies. I'll admit, this year I fell off but these past couple of weeks, I've been more faithful in doing a study every day. Happy sabbath!!!

 

[blazingthru]

HAPPY SABBATH, its good to see the thread come up again. I mostly listen to the studies each week on TV. But now I am getting more and more busy at Church and will be staying for Sabbath School as much as possible. We have two services TWO.. I just got home from service about an hour ago. its 8pm.. I couldn't believe I was there that long in meetings but it was good and then I met with the Pastor about my cafe. He is all for it and gave me more direction on it. So listen Jenbo if you want to start the lessons up. I am so in it with you. I just don't want to run it by myself if no one wants to comment. The other thread exhaust me.

I was so glad to see this come up. I am taking on a new role at Church which I am excited about. My heart is really seeking ways to make visitors feel truly welcome and one of my dreams for that is coming through and I am really looking forward to the training. I really love my church and I am so so excited about the new changes.

Also this week I get to say Happy Sabbath in Gaelic. So oh gosh that is going to be interesting too. My girls are going to have front seats so they can laugh at me, but I am cool about it I just hope I sound right.

 

[JinaRicci]

Hi Ladies, How are you all doing? This qtr I find that if I put off my lesson study on any day, it turns out to be something that I really needed to get through the day.

One point in yesterday's study stuck with me: If you believe the world started by chance vs purposeful design, then you are more likely to believe that it will end that way.

 

[Jenibo]

HAPPY SABBATH, its good to see the thread come up again. I mostly listen to the studies each week on TV. But now I am getting more and more busy at Church and will be staying for Sabbath School as much as possible. We have two services TWO.. I just got home from service about an hour ago. its 8pm.. I couldn't believe I was there that long in meetings but it was good and then I met with the Pastor about my cafe. He is all for it and gave me more direction on it. So listen Jenbo if you want to start the lessons up. I am so in it with you. I just don't want to run it by myself if no one wants to comment. The other thread exhaust me.

I was so glad to see this come up. I am taking on a new role at Church which I am excited about. My heart is really seeking ways to make visitors feel truly welcome and one of my dreams for that is coming through and I am really looking forward to the training. I really love my church and I am so so excited about the new changes.

Also this week I get to say Happy Sabbath in Gaelic. So oh gosh that is going to be interesting too. My girls are going to have front seats so they can laugh at me, but I am cool about it I just hope I sound right.

I'm in! The added accountability would help me do them on a daily basis.

Hi Ladies, How are you all doing? This qtr I find that if I put off my lesson study on any day, it turns out to be something that I really needed to get through the day.

One point in yesterday's study stuck with me: If you believe the world started by chance vs purposeful design, then you are more likely to believe that it will end that way.

This is awesome! So glad that you are being ministered unto.

 

[blazingthru]

ok JinaRicci, you ask the best questions. we waiting! Oh by the way I am pretty sick, everything I plan to do this weekend is on hold waiting for me to get better. I can't believe it. Can't breath, coughing head cold all of it. I got sick Monday night. I got one more day to get better enough to do what I have to do.

I have to work in the kitchen, you think they will throw me out if i come in with a mask???? Would you eat if you saw someone with a mask on in the kitchen? I feel so bad about all of this.

 

[JinaRicci]

blazingthru Hope you're feeling better. I understand how you feel about not letting them down cause I've been there but do take care. They can get others to help but there's only one and you'll heal much better if you're rested and not stressed. Have a Happy Sabbath.

 

[blazingthru]

Thanks Jinaricci, I know.....I really need to get some rest and just get better. But the boss just called and said she was sick. So this Sabbath is going to be something to remember. I have to get better and get my butt at Church. I'll be there. Happy Sabbath everyone.

 

[blazingthru]

Ok guys, I am ready to start the lessons again. I need to get more scriptures in. I can feel myself slipping when I don't read the bible every single day and for a longer period of time. I have to be honest I am feeling a little discouraged, but at the same time I am super excited. I got shot down regarding my cafe; I have so much to go through, and it set me back, but I learned that since I have been having so much trouble getting this thing together its going to be a real breakthrough it has to be something special coming around the bend. So I am keeping it in prayer. Here are Sunday's lessons. I didn't review it yet so I didn't prepare any questions. I will see what I can find. I need some accountability myself. So I hope these lessons are a blessing. I was asked to give my testimony, of how I became a Seventh-Day Adventist, and I am looking forward to it. I never get tired of telling that story. LHCF was such a key figure in that as well, the good and the bad.

 

[blazingthru]

Sunday April 8

Every Member Ministry
Too often we hear Christians lament that they are not talented enough to do anything significant for God. While the devil would certainly like us to think this way, the Bible tells us that all Christians have a God-given ministry. We need to know what it is and then determine by God’s grace how to use it for His glory.

Examine Ephesians 4:12 and 2 Corinthians 5:15–20. What do these verses say about each believer’s ministry?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Paul clearly says that the saints are to be equipped for a ministry. Everyone who has been reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus is given the ministry of reconciliation and is an ambassador for Christ. An ambassador is one who personally represents a sovereign or head of state. This concept emphasizes the personal relationship between Christ and all who have been reconciled as they carry the message of His love and grace into the world.

There is much confusion over the word ministry. Today ministry is seen to be something that the pastor does; after all, he or she is “in the ministry.” Although some engaged in pastoral ministry do have certain special areas of work and expertise, Scripture is adamant that part of the work of the pastor is to equip the members for a personal ministry.

The New Testament gives evidence that the early believers understood the concept of every member ministry. Wherever they went and in whatever circumstances they found themselves, they all preached about the Lord Jesus (see Acts 8:1–4).

There is another way in which Jesus shows that we all have a special ministry to perform. He clearly stated that He did not come to be served but to serve (see Matt. 20:28, Luke 22:27). He also clearly said that His followers are to be servants also (see Matt. 23:11; 20:26, 27). If that’s not ministry, true ministry, then what is?
Jesus is not simply ordering us to be servants; He is leading us to understand that a servant ministry is a result of our connectedness with Him. These verses describe the life of the person who has fellowship with the Suffering Servant Jesus Christ. They also affirm that to be in Christ is to continue His ministry.

How willing are you to serve others? Is it your natural inclination, or do you tend to try to get from others rather than to give? How can you further acquire the attitude of service?

 

[blazingthru]

I know what my talents are its not what I want for myself. I want to be a great person of prayer; I want to pray for anyone at any time any place and have the words to meet the need, but I cannot it is not a gift of mines. Everyone can pray. However, praying for me is the worst. The very worst and it grieves me. It truly does.

My gift is my compassion and my deep concern for others. I am also a very warm and kind person. I don't see myself as these things, but these are my talents. It is my strongest desire to welcome our visitors to make sure they are being fed, which means if there are any questions or concerns, I am able to answer them or find someone that can. I want them to be relaxed and comfortable and want to come again.

I have been training as a hairdresser and as a nurse, yet I practice neither but as a hairdresser and a nurse, you learn to keep your feelings whatever they are at home. You can't take out your frustrations nor your anger on your client. I believe that no matter your personal feelings that we push them aside when we come into the house of the Lord. I believe if it is that serious, then you have someone pray with you. It breaks my heart when I hear people being rude and nasty on the Sabbath in Church. Not to mention that they gave their life to Christ and should not be behaving in this manner anyway, but to be like this on the Sabbath really is disturbing to me.
I am always ready to serve. However, I do have moments when I am just tired and
really want to come to service and go home, and I do those things but not at the benefit of someone else. I am always prepared to serve when needed. So I will serve even if I am trying to get out of there. I genuinely love my Christian Brothers and sisters and want their experience to be a good one if I can make it so.
Furthermore, you know I share my faith often. I love to, not that i am trying to convert anyone. I just feel that there is so much truth that we can share it makes me excited. I learned yesterday that it's never ever me, they are rejecting its Christ. That makes it easy to do.

 

[blazingthru]

Monday April 9

The Need for Laborers

Sometimes we are sent to reap where others have turned the soil, sown the seed, and watered the crop. Although there may be the rare occasion when one person digs, sows, waters, and reaps all in one field, this is certainly not the rule. In our fast-paced modern world, people move into and out of our sphere of influence, and we must be ready to build upon the evangelistic work that others have begun.

Read John 4:35–41. While we often get excited at the reaping stage of a person’s Christian growth, what do these verses tell us about rejoicing with others who have contributed along the way?
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Usually when we refer to reaping, we are specifying a certain time of year when the crops are ready to be harvested. For most crops there is a specific reaping season. In the spiritual realm, however, there is no set time for reaping. Jesus makes this point strongly in John 4:35. In agricultural terms, the harvest may well have been four months away, but in regard to those who are ready to accept Jesus, some part of the field is ever ripe for harvest.

At Jacob’s well, Jesus sowed the gospel seed in the heart of the Samaritan woman. She, in turn, sowed the seed among the people of Sychar, and now the Samaritans walk toward Jesus past unripe grain fields. As it was with the disciples, the Lord encourages us to be ready to reap from the continually ripening field of the world.

Consider 2 Peter 3:9. Why is God so keen for laborers to go out into the harvest?
________________________________________________________
It is because of God’s great love and compassion for humankind that He desires laborers to go into the harvest (see Matt. 9:36–38). As we consider the world field today, the harvest still seems great and the laborers few. The disciples were told to pray that reapers would be sent out into the harvest. As we modern-day disciples pray for laborers, the Holy Spirit will open the way for us to do that which He has called us to do.

Think over the past few days. How many chances did you have to witness for your faith, to plant a few seeds that could one day reap a harvest? How many of those times did you do it? How many opportunities did you pass up?

 

[blazingthru]

Monday

Witnessing Is . . . ?

Mark 5:1-19 (NKJV)

1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”

And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”


Mark 5:18-20 (NKJV)

18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.


Acts 22:15-16 (NKJV)

15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’


1 John 1:3 (NKJV)

3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

 

[blazingthru]

The local church is not simply a number of disconnected people who sit in the same building for a couple of hours once a week. According to Scripture, the church is a group of people who are as closely joined as are the parts of a human body. The possibility does exist, however, that people can meet together regularly without being a part of the body in a biblical sense. Although this unfortunate fact can be true in many areas of church life, we are focusing on the need to be united in the areas of evangelism and witnessing.

1 Consider Ephesians 4:16. What would happen to the growth and effectiveness of a body if it lost its elbow, wrist, or knee joints? And what does Paul’s analogy say about the church as a body of believers who has been given an evangelistic mission?

The apostle Paul says that a church body grows when all of the members do their share. What does this say about churches that are not growing? Our first reaction might be to blame those who we consider to not be doing their share. That might be true, but think about this: how often do churches deprive members of an opportunity to contribute to the body? If church leaders don’t understand the ministry of all believers principle, they will not intentionally work for maximum involvement of the membership in church life and ministries.

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:5–8. What did the Thessalonian church do with the gospel that they had received from Paul?

The church at Thessalonica is an example of a church that received the gospel and passed it on. It is still God’s will that His church function in this manner.

The blessings that are received when each individual member works within a planned church evangelistic strategy are many. We will focus here on the important areas of encouragement and accountability. Working as a team enables us to consider these areas seriously. The lack of team encouragement has been the death of many a worthwhile lay ministry. While individuals may possess special talents and gifts, working toward common goals through corporate strategies is still the ideal. Likewise, the group dynamic encourages accountability, not in the sense of judgment but in the sense of review and evaluation.

In what ways could you work more closely with church members in the effort of reaching out to others? Why is it so easy to get complacent, sleepy, and inward focused?

 

[blazingthru]

Yesterday we noted the importance of working together evangelistically as a church. We must also understand that we are working together to accomplish a divine objective. Therefore, when a church considers witnessing and evangelistic strategies, members must feel strongly that they are working together with God who motivates, directs, empowers, and gives the increase.1

Read Acts 2:47 and 1 Corinthians 3:5–9. What is the result of God’s influence in the church’s attempts to share the gospel?

Read 2 Peter 3:9 and Titus 2:11. What motivates and empowers believers to work together with God?

The Scriptures abound with evidence of God’s love for the crowning act of His creation, human beings. It is not surprising, therefore, that He has taken the initiative in the salvation of humankind. In truth, the Cross alone provides all the proof we would ever need regarding how much God loves us and about how much He wants us to be in His eternal kingdom. The Lord has, indeed, reached out and blessed us through His grace; and this amazing grace, as revealed through the Cross, creates in us a desire to share that which we have freely received (see Matt. 10:8).

Although sometimes the disciples tried to work alone (see Matt. 17:14–21), for the most part their experience was one in which the divine and human worked together.

Jesus called the first disciples and promised to make them fishers of men. He taught and equipped them, and through their ministry many others became believers. However, there was still another divine aspect that they would need after Jesus had returned to heaven. That was, of course, the Holy Spirit, who would empower the early church in its witnessing and evangelism mission.

Those who become involved in evangelism today are still co-laborers with God for the salvation of others. We must pray that the Holy Spirit will teach us how to present God’s love and provision in ways that will reach the hearts of those in need of the Savior. We need to be aware that we cannot do anything apart from the Lord and that only by an attitude of faith, submission, humility, and willingness to die to self and to serve others can we be the most effective witnesses in God’s hands. Self must be put aside in order for the Lord to use us as effectively as possible.

 

[blazingthru]

What do you think of when I say the word ‘evangelism’ or the word ‘witnessing?’ Do they mean the same thing or are they different from one another? And, just who’s supposed to be doing them anyway?1

Many of us like to believe that, they’re someone else’s job, right? Evangelism is something preacher’s do in rented auditoriums. That’s not something I can do. And witnessing, well, that’s really more about how we behave in front of non-Christians, so as long as I look and act like a Christian in public, I’m good, don’t you think?

Check this out.


“Atheist Penn Jillette is one half of Penn and Teller, a duo that has been headlining Vegas shows for years with comedy and the art of illusion. Penn has never been shy about his disbelief in God, often writing about his conviction in articles and best-selling books. Yet in an on-line video blog that can be found on YouTube, Penn shares a story about the time a gracious Christian businessman gave him a Bible as a gift. Penn goes on to use the story as an opportunity to point out that Christians who don’t evangelize must really hate people. Here’s the direct quote from his video blog:

‘I’ve always said, you know, that I don’t respect people who do not proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that, uh, well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think that people shouldn’t proselytize, [saying] “Just leave me alone and keep your religion to yourself”—uh, how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize them? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed beyond the shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming to hit you, and you didn’t believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there’s a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.’”2

Wow! That’s pretty strong language, isn’t it? Keeping life-saving information to myself isn’t very ‘Christian’ behavior. So I’ve blown it on both counts, haven’t I? I didn’t evangelize or witness.

In her book, Evangelism, Ellen White defines evangelism as“opening the Scriptures to others, warning men and women of what is coming upon the world,”3

Is there anything in that definition that you and I couldn’t do? She doesn’t say that evangelism takes any kind of specialized degree; it’s just “opening the Scriptures” to people. As Penn would say, yanking people out from in front of that truck that we know is coming and they don’t.

Witnessing, on the other hand, is sharing our individual experience with Jesus with whom the individuals we come in contact.


“All who are on the Lord’s side are to confess Christ. ‘Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord.’ The faith of the genuine believer will be made manifest in purity and holiness of character. Faith works by love and purifies the soul, and with faith there will be corresponding obedience, a faithful doing of the words of Christ. Christianity is always intensely practical, adapting itself to all the circumstances of actual life. ‘Ye are My witnesses.’ To whom?—To the world; for you are to bear about with you a holy influence. Christ is to abide in your soul, and you are to talk of Him and make manifest the charms of His character.”4

We, as Christians, have a real problem though. A few folks who have called themselves Christians, have failed to “make manifest the charms of His character.” And that’s really sad because without positive witnessing, no evangelism can happen.

I ran into that brick wall just recently. A good friend of mine and I were talking about some trivia of the day when a third friend walked up and started kidding about some areas in which his and my Christian community have some internal disagreement. The first friend then went on to remember a negative experience she had had many years ago that led to her rejecting my belief because “those people are crazy; they don’t follow the Bible.”

I have to admit that I was crushed. I have been praying for almost a year that my witness would help the Holy Spirit to soften her heart once more.

What a set back! Just because my friend’s earlier relationship with my Christian family was unpleasant, my ability to witness to her is more difficult.


“In an interview with World magazine, author and speaker Mike Bechtle questioned the church’s use of what he would call spam evangelism. He believes that when the gospel is shared outside of relationship, unbelievers often put up thicker emotional walls. He shared a personal story from his past to emphasize his point:
‘A college classmate decided to walk down Central Avenue in Phoenix at lunchtime and ask women to kiss him. He wanted to see how many people he would have to ask before someone took him up on it. After being repeatedly cursed, ignored, and slapped a couple of times, the 98th woman gave him a kiss. Using the logic of spam evangelism, he might say, ‘It was worth it, because I actually got one person to kiss me.’ I wondered about the other 97 women who might be more hardened than ever, more suspicious, and more wary of men approaching them on the street. In the same way, I think a lot of unbelievers have been hardened by aggressive witnessing techniques.”5

Are you and I making it harder for the believers who come after us to witness or evangelize the folks around us because we are not portraying our Savior in a positive and endearing way? Are we leaving all of the sharing to the preachers?


“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-19

Jesus didn’t say that some of His disciples needed more school; He didn’t say that some had to stand on the sidelines because they didn’t have the right credentials. Jesus just said, “Go.” And they went.

 

[pet]

Hi Everyone! I usually don't respond to posts in this forum, but seeing that I am a Seventh-Day Adventist, why not! I see that you have asked some questions blazingthru, so I will respond.

Sunday April 8

How willing are you to serve others? Is it your natural inclination, or do you tend to try to get from others rather than to give? How can you further acquire the attitude of service?

I don't mind serving in my church at all. I am a pianist, and seeing that music is required for Sabbath school, I am in church every Sabbath at 9:15 because I am committed. I find that many members want to be in position, without actually being committed to it. It is very sad when you realize that it requires the entire church to cooperate, and only a few members are contributing.

Monday April 9

Think over the past few days. How many chances did you have to witness for your faith, to plant a few seeds that could one day reap a harvest? How many of those times did you do it? How many opportunities did you pass up?

Last week, the topic of Easter came up in a conversation with one of my coworkers. He claimed that he is a Catholic, but has visited many churches because he is interested in how others worship. So, he went on to state that we all worship the same God. So, my response was that, we may all be worshiping the same God, but it seems like we all want to worship Him using our own rules. The Bible clearly states to remember the seventh-day. So he went on to ask me why I believe Saturday is the true Sabbath. So I asked him, "do you agree that Jesus rose on Sunday?" He agreed. So then I said, "didn't it say in the Bible that Jesus rose on the first day of the week?" He was quite stunned...because if everyone believes that Jesus rose on a Sunday, and the Bible states that he rose on the first day, then Saturday must be the seventh day. I went on to tell him that the Catholic church has indicated that they changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.

This was not a heated discussion (we get along quite well), and even though I might not see a change right now, at least I got a chance to share my belief. What's funny is that, his very next door neighbor is Seventh-Day Adventist as well...so hopefully he will start to study for himself.

As for evangelizing and witnessing, I find many people stay away from evangelizing because of the lack of knowledge of the bible. You can't evangelize if you don't know the word really well. People are more comfortable with witnessing because it is a personal story that they have experienced. I also find that people are still in the "old days" where people go out and witness....there are so many ways to witness in this technological age, that other options need to be discussed.

The question for Tuesdays lesson wasn't put up, so here it is:

In what ways could you work more closely with church members in the effort of reaching out to others? Why is it so easy to get complacent, sleepy, and inward focused?

 

[blazingthru]

Hi Everyone! I usually don't respond to posts in this forum, but seeing that I am a Seventh-Day Adventist, why not! I see that you have asked some questions @blazingthru, so I will respond.



I don't mind serving in my church at all. I am a pianist, and seeing that music is required for Sabbath school, I am in church every Sabbath at 9:15 because I am committed. I find that many members want to be in position, without actually being committed to it. It is very sad when you realize that it requires the entire church to cooperate, and only a few members are contributing.



Last week, the topic of Easter came up in a conversation with one of my coworkers. He claimed that he is a Catholic, but has visited many churches because he is interested in how others worship. So, he went on to state that we all worship the same God. So, my response was that, we may all be worshiping the same God, but it seems like we all want to worship Him using our own rules. The Bible clearly states to remember the seventh-day. So he went on to ask me why I believe Saturday is the true Sabbath. So I asked him, "do you agree that Jesus rose on Sunday?" He agreed. So then I said, "didn't it say in the Bible that Jesus rose on the first day of the week?" He was quite stunned...because if everyone believes that Jesus rose on a Sunday, and the Bible states that he rose on the first day, then Saturday must be the seventh day. I went on to tell him that the Catholic church has indicated that they changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.

This was not a heated discussion (we get along quite well), and even though I might not see a change right now, at least I got a chance to share my belief. What's funny is that, his very next door neighbor is Seventh-Day Adventist as well...so hopefully he will start to study for himself.

As for evangelizing and witnessing, I find many people stay away from evangelizing because of the lack of knowledge of the bible. You can't evangelize if you don't know the word really well. People are more comfortable with witnessing because it is a personal story that they have experienced. I also find that people are still in the "old days" where people go out and witness....there are so many ways to witness in this technological age, that other options need to be discussed.

The question for Tuesdays lesson wasn't put up, so here it is:

In what ways could you work more closely with church members in the effort of reaching out to others? Why is it so easy to get complacent, sleepy, and inward focused?

Thank you Pet, for responding. I really appreciate it and love what you had to say, and I agree 100% about knowing the word and not feeling confident to evangelizing.

I love to Evangelize, but at the same time I am not always very strong at it, especially around my family. I get all mixed up because you can't tell it, without telling the entire story. I have been trying to figure out how to condense it so that they want to study, but they end up laughing because they find it so odd. I can't get further with them. Then I get frustrated and angry with them. But more at myself for giving up. My dad walks away my mother runs away and says I never heard that before but won't let me show her. But then they start it. I don't share my faith with them anymore. I leave it alone, but they will say something scriptural thinking that I didn't know anything about it, and I can't let it slide at all. Because in the same passage, they are speaking of is the true meaning. I only wish they would open the bible up. However, in doing this study I realize there is so much more I can do.

I am heavily involved at church. I have so much on my plate it never occurred to me to warm the pew. Although, that is what I have been doing my entire life, prior to become SDA, but this place is my home. I don't feel like warming the seats its something I want to be a part of.

I do not do personal studies at home anymore with my children. We use to, and we fell away from it. I had been trying to start it up again, but to no avail. I said we will start again if it's only myself and one young adult living here. All my children or grown but two are still home with me. One is 18 and rebellious she is the one I worry about the most. So it is really for her benefit, we do the studies together. I do my studies in the morning and night, and now I will have one study everyday with my girls. My oldest daughter has bible studies and group studies, but I think it's important to study together as a family. I think they will make it easier to have studies with strangers. More for my benefit then my youngest daughter but so that she knows there is a God honestly I don't even know anymore if she does or not. But I am hoping she gets convicted by the word. she used to be so excited about bible study. Coming downstairs and turning the lights on and the TV off and everything and bring her bible, and it was great but we got so busy at church we didn't have time anymore for over a month and we just never got back to it after that, and I have so many regrets.

 

[JinaRicci]

@blazingthru I'm glad my family made me get up for worship when I was half-sleep and would have rather stayed in bed because it made it a habit that I value as a single adult no matter where I am. So keep reaching out to your kids and be encouraged that they will benefit from it even years to come.

I agree trying to witness can sometimes get frustrating because of your emotions and the enthusiasm you may have that spills over. I like this week's study that spoke about God is the one who gives the increase. We may plant a seed, someone else waters but everything else comes from God: the conviction from the Holy Spirit and the growth and harvest from God.

When I find myself getting too worked up, I try very hard to take myself out of the equation and remember my role. I don't always succeed. The other thing to take comfort in is that how you live your life is a powerful witness even when words may seem to fall on deaf ears. People are ultimately looking to see if your actions are consistent with your preaching. Some of my own family members joined the church because of those reasons.

My ministry is hospitality because I like to feed people good food. I feel that I witness more about my diet. People often ask why I don't eat certain things because they are just curious. I only eat fish so when they hear 'only fish with fins and scales' it sounds so different that they remember and sometimes look it up for themselves.

New goal from this lesson: I want to learn how to give a focused Bible study.

 

[Jenibo]

APRIL 8
How willing are you to serve others? Is it your natural inclination, or do you tend to try to get from others rather than to give? How can you further acquire the attitude of service?

Naturally I've always preferred to serve others rather than to be served, but there are areas of serving that I fall short in. In my church I see different areas where I would love to serve, but my busy schedule and timid personality are in the way right now. I feel I can further aquire an attitude of service by getting closer to God and striving to be more like Christ, who was the great example of Christian service.

APRIL 9
Think over the past few days. How many chances did you have to witness for your faith, to plant a few seeds that could one day reap a harvest? How many of those times did you do it? How many opportunities did you pass up?

Lord knows I struggle with this! I have had many unsiezed chances to witness at work because the thought of getting into a debate keeps me silent. I once tried to share with my boss why I don't eat pork and worship on Sat and he shot me down- told me I was holding myself back unneccessarily, so I recoiled after that. The easiest way for me to minister to others is through the health message, as I'm going to school for nutrition. I shared with a guy some things about the flood and meat, and God's original diet and he seemed interested. Now if only I could be a better witness with my eating habits lol then id be in business lol.

APRIL 10
In what ways could you work more closely with church mem-bers in the effort of reaching out to others? Why is it so easy to get complacent, sleepy, and inward focused?

well maybe there are many out there who have a comfort zone, and ministering to others puts them outside that zone so focus more on themselves and are complacent where they are. One way I could work with my church members in an effort to reach out to thers is to hold bible studies together. I could invite ppl to them and the studies would help me to answer questions others may have.

APPRIL 12
If you were to report to the church your most recent evange-listic efforts, what would you say? What does your answer say about yourself, and what about it, perhaps, might need some changing?

I'm not sure but there are surely some things that need to change.

 

[blazingthru]

HAPPY SABBATH EVERYONE, I don't feel like going to service today. I just want to stay home and stare at the wall. However, I am going. They want me to give my testimony, and I don't want to. I love to tell it, but we have such a short time, and mine is long, and I am uncomfortable trying to shorten it. I really do not know why they want me to its about witnessing and no one witness to me. Except the television and so I guess that is what I will say.

 

[divya]

HAPPY SABBATH EVERYONE, I don't feel like going to service today. I just want to stay home and stare at the wall. However, I am going. They want me to give my testimony, and I don't want to. I love to tell it, but we have such a short time, and mine is long, and I am uncomfortable trying to shorten it. I really do not know why they want me to its about witnessing and no one witness to me. Except the television and so I guess that is what I will say.

Bless your heart. This is how I feel today too and decided to stay home. Praise God that you chose to go and share your story. You are an inspiration to others!

 

[bajandoc86]

Just found this thread.....saying Hi! Hope you guys had a great sabbath.

 

[divachyk]

Hello, just found this thread. I will subscribe and lurk periodically. My desire is to learn the word better and know how to go to scripture directly when I or someone I know is going through.

 

[blazingthru]

Hello, just found this thread. I will subscribe and lurk periodically. My desire is to learn the word better and know how to go to scripture directly when I or someone I know is going through.

Hi Divachyk, Welcome excited to have you. looking forward to some great discussions.

 

[blazingthru]

The heart must receive the divine current, and let it flow out in rich streams of mercy and grace to other hearts. All who would win souls to Christ must be winsome.”1

“Winsome,” that’s an old fashioned word, isn’t it?2

It’s certainly not one we use very often. Here are some synonyms for the word,


“‘winsome:’ absorbing, alluring, appealing, attractive, captivating, charismatic, delightful, desirable, enamoring, engaging, enthralling, fascinating, inviting, irresistible, lovable, pleasant, pleasing, sweet, tantalizing, winning.”3

When was the last time you heard someone refer to his or her contact with a Christian in any of those terms?

Lee Eclov, a pastor in Lake Forest, Illinois, uses a bag of potato chips to illustrate an effective way to make contact with people so that they will begin to want to get to know Jesus better.

Eclov opens a bag of potato chips then steps out into the congregation. He turns to one person in the congregation and offers the bag. “Chip? Help yourself!” He explains that one of the easiest ways for any of us to show God’s grace to the people we meet is to show them that we’re personally interested in them.

As Eclov moves around the sanctuary, he offers chips to people in the congregation. As he offers chips, he asks questions:


“Is that a good book? Would you like a chip?”

“How are things going with your job? Want one?”

“Did you grow up around here? Chip?”

Once you’ve ‘shared a few chips’ with an individual, maybe you can begin to ask about less superficial things.


“You seem to have a lot going on in your life right now; how are you able to stay positive? Would you like another chip?”

“You look like you could use some encouragement. How can I help? Chip?”

“Let me tell you about a Father who has been waiting all your life to call you His child. Another chip?”

“I’m praying for you. Have a chip.”

When Eclov returns to the podium, he offers this conclusion:


“Grace-accented conversations give people more than they deserve or expect. They are conversations rich in love and sincere interest, in unexpected sympathy and empathy, in undeserved hope and forgiveness. They are conversations which, by the Holy Spirit’s miraculous help, touch something soul-deep—words that go where no one else has. Words like that are salty, tasty. They make a person want more. Though people may not realize it, you’re grace-accented words are giving them a thirst for Jesus.”4

Paul said something very similar in his letter to the Colossians.


“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Colossians 4:6

Remember the old potato chip ad: “Nobody can eat just one?” How often in our everyday lives do we come in contact with a person who doesn’t have an active, positive relationship with God, and, through our interaction with him or her, cause that person to want to know more about Jesus? Or does our contact cause the opposite reaction – leaving him with less interest than before in getting to know Jesus better?

A long time ago I worked as a waitress in a Mexican food restaurant in San Antonio. The restaurant was close to several churches and so on Sundays, what we called the “church crowd” would fill up the restaurant for their Sunday dinner. Unfortunately, this was not a group that the other waiters and waitresses looked forward to, in fact, it was usually a focal point of dread and did little to increase anyone’s desire to become more involved in Christianity. So many people at one time, plus their desire to stay and chat made things difficult enough for waiters. But were lots situations that could have been handled with either ire or grace and for some reason, and these people who had just come from a Christian worship service seemed quite often to choose ire. When there was an opportunity to make the waiter’s job easier, they chose to make it more difficult. I wonder if the church crowd had known that this mostly unchurched wait staff was a field ready for planting if they would have behaved any differently. On a person-by-person basis, some of the Christian customers were very nice, but the overall impression left by the church crowd was overwhelmingly negative.

Isn’t that sad? Most of my fellow waiters and waitresses were not church goers and the church crowd didn’t inspire them to become more involved in any church. As a Christian myself, I was often embarrassed by the behavior of these fellow Christians.

I haven’t heard the phrase in the last couple of years, but there used to be this image of American tourists that some folks called the ugly American. Do you remember that? It was portrayed with absolute cringe inducing accuracy by Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s European Vacation. Chevy Chase’s character in that movie left a bad taste for Americans, so that the next American that came along had a much more difficult time.

In the Christian world, the same thing can happen. If, in our dealings with people we are rude, abrasive, demanding, vindictive, or pushy, we are going to leave a bad taste for Christians after us. How can we show people how much Jesus loves them if they dread seeing us coming?

I love this story about these two rice farmers. One was a Christian and one was a communist. The Christian man irrigated his rice everyday by pedaling a bicycle type pump. After he had filled his rice field, the communist would come and let the water out of the Christian farmer’s field into his own so that he didn’t have to do any pedaling.

This happened everyday and the Christian’s rice was dying while the communist’s rice flourished. In desperation, the Christian asked God what he should do to save his field and livelihood.

God answered the Christian farmer’s prayer by giving him a plan. The Christian got up much, much early than before, before the sun came up. He pumped and pumped and pumped until he had filled not just his own field, but the communist farmer’s field as well. Pretty soon, both fields were healthy and both farmers were Christians.5

So, let’s all be be potato chip Christians! Always leave folks wanting to know more about Jesus.

 

[blazingthru]

Spiritual Gifts for Evangelism and Witnessing
SABBATH AFTERNOON


Read for This Week's Study:

1 Pet. 4:10; John 16:8, 13; 1 Cor. 12:28–31; Acts 2:40–47; 13:4-5.


Memory Text:

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12, NKJV).


Key Thought:


Spiritual gifts are special attributes given to each member to be used for God’s glory and for the saving of souls.


As a church we have rightly emphasized the spiritual gift of prophecy, but we have not always stressed the importance of other spiritual gifts for ministry. Yet, it’s important that we do so. It’s a clear biblical doctrine; thus, as a church, we need to take these gifts seriously in order that members can become comfortable with receiving and exercising those gifts.

It is unfortunate that many church members do not take advantage of the gifts they have been given. There are many reasons for this lack. Sometimes the fault lies with the members themselves. Sometimes, perhaps, more could be done to encourage members to discover their gifts and then use them in ministry and outreach under the direction of the Holy Spirit. What a waste to have a gift and never use it for that which it was intended.

*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 21.

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SUNDAY

April 15


Gifted Believers

If you asked the members of your church, many of them would have to think long and hard before they could conclude that they had any spiritual gift that the Bible lists, even though many of these people have probably already been exercising a spiritual gift. They have just not consciously recognized it as such. A number of people who have not formally sought to discover their giftedness do expert ministry in areas to which they feel called, and their church affirms them. Very often a spiritual gifts discovery seminar simply confirms the gifts already manifested in a ministry. It is clearly possible, therefore, that people can exercise a spiritual gift under the leadership of the Holy Spirit without formally discovering and naming that gift. At the other end of the spectrum there are those who find it difficult to become involved anywhere in the church because they don’t consider themselves gifted in any way. It is important to encourage them to discover their giftedness and intentionally seek to work within it.

Read 1 Peter 4:10. What does this verse say about everyone who is committed to the Lord having some gift?


We have already seen that every believer has a ministry, so it should come as no surprise that God will equip us to perform it. Therefore, everyone who takes the great gospel commission as a personal evangelistic mandate from God will be equipped by the Spirit to become involved. Regarding the church’s soul-saving work, God knows what is needed in what place and at what time.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:11. It reveals that the bestowal of spiritual gifts to believers is a part of the Holy Spirit’s work of equipping the saints for every good work (see Eph. 2:10). Not only does the Holy Spirit distribute spiritual gifts among believers but, also, as Acts 1:8 reveals, He empowers us to use our gifts.

None of the Bible passages that list spiritual gifts are identical. This suggests that the lists of gifts given are not complete; that is, there might be other gifts as well that could be added to the list.


Think about the word gift or gifts. What does the word imply? What does it tell you about your responsibility to use what has been freely given you for the work of the Lord (as opposed to only for some other purpose)?

 

[blazingthru]

SABBATH AFTERNOON


Read for This Week's Study:


2 Cor. 3:2, 3; Matt. 9:36–38; 1 Cor. 9:20–22; Mark 5:1–19; John 17:11–19.

Memory Text:


“At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did” (Acts 9:36, NKJV).

Key Thought:

Whether we acknowledge it or not, all believers preach a message by the example of their lives.


It has often been said that Christianity is not just an adherence to a set of beliefs; it is also a way of life, a lifestyle. After all, what we believe will, ultimately, impact the choices we make and the kind of lives we live.

It is also true that those who claim to be Christians are keenly observed by others who are looking to see if their lives match their professed beliefs. Even if we don’t intend it, those who watch us do learn from us. So, the important question is not, “Are we influencing other people and passing things on to them?” but rather, “How are we influencing other people, and what are we passing on to them?”

While we should always remember the importance of our unintentional influence on those around us, we must also intentionally plan to help people make a connection between faith and lifestyle. This week we will study how the Christian’s lifestyle can demonstrate the relevance of faith in everyday existence.

*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 28.

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SUNDAY

April 22


Silent Sermons

How would you have recognized the followers of Jesus back in the first century? You could recognize the priests and the Pharisees by the way they dressed. Likewise, you would recognize a fisherman, a peasant, or a Roman soldier by their clothes. But, again, how would you recognize a Christian?

Read John 13:35. According to Jesus, what is one special way His followers are identified? What does that mean in practical terms?


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Jesus said that if we love one another, others will know that we are His disciples. How will they know? Because love in action will convince them. The love we have for Jesus and for fellow believers will determine how we respond to God’s will and, in turn, how we treat one another. Furthermore, the love and concern that we have for those outside of God’s fold will determine how we treat them too. This is the sermon that they will see and observe, and it speaks louder than anything you could ever say. Many parents have noticed that very early in life their children develop an internal “hypocrisy detector” that becomes enhanced and fine-tuned as they grow older. We must be aware, therefore, that many of the people we associate with, and witness to, also have a highly developed ability to recognize the difference between a genuine spiritual experience and a mere profession of spirituality.

Read 2 Corinthians 3:2-3. What is Paul saying about the way in which God wants to use His people to influence the lives of others?


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We must not underestimate both our intentional and unintentional influences on those around us. The Christian’s life is to be like a letter sent from Jesus Christ to the world. From a heart that is renewed by divine grace, this letter will demonstrate the power of the gospel to transform lives and thereby will witness for the Lord.



How have you been affected by those whose actions matched their profession? How have you been affected by those whose actions didn’t match their profession? How can you always remember that your actions will influence others, one way or another?