summer 16, sunday school lessons

ISBN-13: 978-1-56722-403-0

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ADULTTEACHER

W O R D A F L A M E C U R R I C U LU M • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6

S E R I E S

TransformationalRelationships

Jubilee Series • Transformational Relationships • Pentecostal Publishing H

ouse • Adult Teacher’s M

anual • Summ

er 2016

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JUBILEE SERIES

ADULT TEACHER’S MANUALSUMMER 2016

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Adult Teacher’s Manual© 2015 Pentecostal Publishing House8855 Dunn Road • Hazelwood, MO 63042-2299All rights reserved.Manufactured in USA, June 2016, 1941611.

WRITERSDorsey BurkRichard DavisJeremy Painter

Chris ParisLisa Reddy

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL STAFFEditor in Chief: Robin JohnstonAssociate Editor, Curriculum: Lee Ann AlexanderWord Aflame Adult Editor: Karen Myers

Editorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–4

UNIT 1: SERVING IN THE KINGDOM

June 5 Learning to Listen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

June 12 Mothers of the Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

June 19 The Prophet and the Plowboy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

June 26 Divine Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

UNIT 2: VALUING PEOPLE

July 3 The Merciful Mediator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

July 10 Rescuing the Runaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

July 17 Developing Disciples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

July 24 Companions for Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

UNIT 3: MAKING WISE CHOICES

July 31 Committed to the Cause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

August 7 Faithful Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

August 14 Companions in Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

August 21 Resolving Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

August 28 Back to Bethlehem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89


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EDITORIAL

IT IS NOT GOOD . . .by Robin Johnston

Readers do not get far into Genesis be-fore they encounter a cadence crafted by the writer, “And God said . . . and it

was good .” The writer uses this refrain as an organizing principle as he succinctly captures the entire Creation week into one chapter . That rhythm continues into chapter 2 until readers run into “It is not good . . .” (Genesis 2:18) . The cadence abruptly stops . The writer’s jar-ring ending to the soothing rhythm of Creation draws readers up short . He wants readers to know that something is wrong in Paradise . That something is this: it is not good for man to be alone . And what follows is the creation of Eve from Adam’s side . Without doubt this passage is fundamental to understanding the purpose and nature of marriage, but it has a wider application .

Humans were designed for relationships and not only relationships with God . Hu-mans were designed to be in relationship with each other . We need each other . We are by nature social creatures . It is one of God’s gifts to humanity . And like all gifts it has two sides .

Not all relationships are equal . In fact, some tend to be detrimental . Samson’s relationship with Delilah serves as a prototypical harmful relationship . His involvement with her led to a series of poor choices by Samson, and as a result he reaped the painful consequences of those choices . All of us have at one time or

another experienced difficult and sometimes even harmful relationships .

However, the Bible is filled with stories of re-lationships that had the opposite effect . Those relationships demonstrated how believers helped to draw each other closer to God, they showed how to encourage others to reach their full potential, and they offered comfort during difficult life situations .

This quarters’ lessons focus on transforma-tional relationships across a wide spectrum of time and situations . They speak to issues such as the proper mentoring of protégés, how to believe in and reclaim someone who has made bad choices, and how to encour-age someone to take a stand in a potentially difficult circumstance . Overall they demon-strate how much we need each other and how the investments we make in relationships yield impressive dividends .

We should never forget, however, that rela-tionships are costly . They often force us out of our comfort zones . They have a tendency to intrude into what we think of as our “private” space . They are often messy and don’t work out the way we thought they should . But we should remember that a lack of relationships has its own very real cost . In the end, life is vastly better with them than without them . For this reason we can echo those long-ago words in Genesis: “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18) .


EDITORIAL

COMMITMENTby Karen Myers

Lasting relationships require commitment . Although it may seem that commitment is waning in today’s society, it is still alive

and well, especially in the lives of Christians . Marion Gunn, father of our children’s editor, Melanie Claborn, is an exceptional example of being committed to his wife, even after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease . For approximately three years, Sister Gunn lived in the Alzheimer’s ward of a care facility near the family home . Nearly every day, Brother Gunn would go to visit her in the morning and would feed her breakfast . Then he would spend the remainder of the day with her, feed-ing her each meal . On days he was unable to go, he arranged for someone else to take care of feeding her .

Because of Brother Gunn’s faithful attention to his wife, someone notified the newspaper and a news reporter wrote about them in an article published in the local community paper . Brother Gunn could not understand why anyone would think his actions were so unusual . He thought any husband in that situ-ation would do the same .

Although as of this writing it has been more than ten years since Sister Gunn passed away, he still sometimes dreams about her . In reporting the event to his daughter, he will say, “I dreamed about my angel last night .” As the Song of Sol-omon 8:7 says, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it .”

In this quarter’s lesson “Back to Bethle-hem,” why was Ruth willing to leave her father, her mother, and her native country to accom-pany Naomi, her mother-in-law, to a strange land and an uncertain future? Ruth was com-mitted to Naomi because she loved her . And

because of Naomi’s witness, Ruth embraced Naomi’s God as her own: “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16) . When the two women arrived in Judah, Ruth willingly went to find a field in which to glean barley for their sustenance . God direct-ed her steps to the field of Boaz, where the servant in charge of the reapers allowed her to glean . While in the field that day, she met Boaz, who became her kinsman-redeemer . God rewarded Ruth’s commitment .

How was Joshua able to keep his faith that the Israelites would one day go into the Prom-ised Land, though the majority of the Israelites let fear and unbelief hold them back from God’s promise? They were right at the border and could have entered in at that time, but they refused . Instead of enjoying those co-lossal grapes, honey, milk, and other bounty of the land, they had to wander in the wilder-ness for another forty years . And Joshua had to walk along with them even though he had faith to believe they could conquer the land .

Joshua was committed to God and to his mentor, Moses . His faith, love, and commit-ment brought him back to the Promised Land forty years later, not as a spy, but as the new leader of the Israelites . The unbelievers had died in the wilderness . Those at the border this time were willing to cross over and, with God’s help, to conquer the land . Joshua’s faith and commitment were rewarded, though the reward was delayed .

In studying the biblical characters spot-lighted this quarter, we can learn valuable life lessons from their experiences . When our love for God is the foundation of our commitment, we will develop a lasting relationship with Him .

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LEARNING TO LISTEN WEEK 106.05.16

FOCUS VERSE

I Samuel 3:9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it

shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth . So Samuel went and lay down in his place .

LESSON TEXT

I Samuel 3:1–10 1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before

Eli . And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision .

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I .5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me . And he said, I called not; lie

down again . And he went and lay down .6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel . And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here

am I; for thou didst call me . And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again .7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto

him .8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time . And he arose and went to Eli, and said,

Here am I; for thou didst call me . And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child .9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt

say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth . So Samuel went and lay down in his place .10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel . Then Sam-

uel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth .

FOCUS THOUGHT

When we learn to listen to the voice of authority, it is much easier to hear the voice of God.


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OUTLINE

I. TRAINING FOR THE CALL A . Served Eli B . Served in the Tabernacle

II. GOD’S CALL A . Samuel Did Not Recognize the Voice

of God B . God Was Persistent in Calling C . Eli and Samuel Learned to Listen D . Samuel Accepted the Call E . Eli Sought to Hear the Message from

the Lord

III. GOD STILL CALLS A . The Value of Being Available B . The Value of a Spiritual Mentor C . The Value of Listening

CONTEMPLATING THE TOPIC

Samuel owed his life to the fact that God listened to his mother’s prayers . Like many barren women such as Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, Hannah desperately wanted a child .

Although loved by her husband, she faced the constant taunts of her adversary Peninnah . Hannah’s yearly visit to the house of the Lord was a time for weeping and fasting rather than a celebration of the gift of life .

Wrestling with the bitterness of her barren-ness rather than tasting the food and drink of the feast, Hannah prayed for a son, promising that the boy would serve the Lord all the days of his life . Even in the act of pouring out her soul to the Lord, she faced Eli’s rebuke when he mistook her desperate prayer for drunken-ness . However, when Eli truly understood her plight, he felt compassion for her and said, “Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him” (I Samuel 1:17) .

The Lord took note of Hannah and respond-ed to her request . When He gave her a son of promise, she honored her vow . She dedicat-ed her son Samuel to the service of the Lord . Now that the Lord had listened to Hannah, it was time for Samuel to hear the voice of the Lord at a time when prophecy was rare .

CULTURE CONNECTION

Biblical Submission to Authority

The decade of the sixties was a time of much cultural rebellion and resistance to—and often defiance of—authority . It

was a time in North American history when the clothing styles, music, and cultural mores were challenged, changed, and stretched to the limits because of a disbelief in obeying or submitting to authorities .

One essay author observed, “Historians tend to portray the 1950s as a decade of prosperity, conformity, and consensus, and the 1960s as a decade of turbulence, protest, and disillusionment” (“The ‘50s and ‘60s: Decades of Prosperity and Protest [DBQ],” www.apstudynotes.org, accessed February 24, 2015) .

Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1) . (See also I Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 5:1;

I Thessalonians 1:6; 2:14; Hebrews 6:12; I Peter 3:13 .) Interestingly, the Greek word translated in these verses as “follow” or “fol-lowers” means “to imitate” or to “be imitators .” We are to “imitate” those who lead us as they “imitate” Jesus Christ .

Now more than fifty years later, cultural problems have raised new reasons to view authority figures with suspicion—sexual mis-behavior among church and public authority figures; scandals involving the Roman Catholic Church priesthood and the hierarchy’s efforts to cover up or deflect the problem; and lack of trust in lying politicians . How are we to obey the Scriptures with respect and obedience and yet balance our obedience with reason?

The solution is straightforward: Follow au-thorities as they follow acceptable, godly principles .


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SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES

I. TRAINING FOR THE CALL

A. Served Eli

“And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision” (I Samuel 3:1).

Before Samuel could learn to hear the voice of the Lord and become a great prophet, he had to follow the instructions of Eli . At first, Samuel must have felt confused at having this new authority figure in his life . Although his mother had probably told him the story of her vow many times, he now had to fulfill the commitment she had made . But Hannah’s obedience to God set a fine example for Sam-uel . He learned to obey the voice of Eli, and ultimately to hear and obey the voice of God . Samuel’s miraculous birth made him unique, but his ability to tune into the divine frequency would further set him apart from others . At this time, the word of the Lord proved to be a rare and precious commodity . Few people saw visions or heard from God . But as Eli’s eyes began to dim spiritually and physically, God gave Samuel special insight into His plan .

B. Served in the TabernacleNot only was Samuel different from Eli and

his two wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, but also he was different from the other chil-dren in the Tabernacle . It is highly possible Samuel was not the only child dedicated to the service of the Lord . Other parents may have committed their children to godly ser-vice, and perhaps orphans had found a home in the house of God . Each of them worked for the Lord, but Samuel had a higher purpose .

Samuel’s Tabernacle service did not end when he came of age . Even though Samuel might have reasoned he could break a vow he did not make, he chose to honor his moth-er and his God . Just as the Lord opened his mother’s womb so she could conceive, God opened Samuel’s ears so he could hear the word of the Lord and be more than just another child or adult serving in the Taberna-cle . Samuel would be a prophet who heard, obeyed, and spoke the word of God .

II. GOD’S CALL

A. Samuel Did Not Recognize the Voice of God

In spite of his godly heritage and his work in the Tabernacle, Samuel did not recognize the voice of the Lord when He called to him one night . Each time the Lord spoke to Samuel, he thought Eli was summoning him . Samuel had to learn that being in the house of God and submitting to his parents and the man of God did not mean he completely understood the things of God . Yet the Lord chose to reach out to him . In obedience Samuel submitted him-self to authority and came running when he thought Eli had called . But God had a higher calling for Samuel . The eyes of Eli had begun to fade, but God wanted to open Samuel’s eyes and ears to spiritual realities .

B. God Was Persistent in CallingIn repeatedly calling Samuel, God matched

the dogged determination of Hannah’s prayer . She had implored God for a son, and now God had something important to share with the boy . God continued reaching out to Samuel even though Samuel failed to fully comprehend the message . When God has a call on our lives, He will not give up . He will continue to pursue us . God is not content for us to faithfully serve Him and spend time in His house . God wants us to get to know Him . Samuel did not know the Lord, and the Lord desired to change that . He had big plans for Samuel, and he kept call-ing until Samuel answered .

C. Eli and Samuel Learned to ListenSamuel knew to come running when he

was called, but God wanted to transform his obedience into the ability to hear and under-stand the voice of God . Somewhere along the way, Eli had lost this ability . When Samuel mistakenly thought Eli had called him, the old priest sent the boy back to bed . Although the Bible does not state that Eli was as wicked as his sons, he had fallen short of God’s plan for his life, his sons, and for the Tabernacle at Shiloh . Samuel’s arrival presented Eli with a chance to reconnect with God . Although the Lord did not speak to him, he could guide the young man God had sent to him .

Eli learned an important lesson by listen-ing to Samuel . Although Eli held prestige


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because he was God’s priest at the Taberna-cle of Shiloh, his pedigree and his lifetime of experience had not brought him as close to God as he should have been . Eli’s plight calls to mind Jesus’ words about children when His disciples questioned Him concerning who was the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven: “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven . Whosoever there-fore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven . And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me” (Matthew 18:2–5) . As a little child, Samuel had shown the humility Eli’s sons lacked . Listening to Samuel brought Eli closer to God .

Unfortunately, many have failed to respond properly to children who recognize the work of the Spirit . Jesus criticized the chief priests and the scribes for being dismissive of chil-dren . When the children saw the healing power of Jesus and cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” these religious leaders be-came upset (Matthew 21:15) . In response to their bad attitudes, Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2, “Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:16) .

Although some individuals may fear to bring children into a world filled with grief and trou-bles, perhaps it would be better to realize the power of children to perfect praise in an im-perfect world . Maybe children should be seen as restorers of visions and the prophetic voice . When Eli perceived that God was calling Sam-uel, he began to see Samuel’s potential .

Being a child, Samuel did not know who was calling or how to respond . Credit Eli with being a good mentor who recognized that God wanted to do something in the life of his young charge . For all the criticism we might level at Eli, we should remember he served as a pivotal figure in the life of Samuel . Although Eli failed his own sons, God gave him another chance to mentor a young man .

Samuel looked to Eli for guidance, and Eli told him the proper response: “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth” (I Samuel 3:9) . God not only wanted Samuel to hear Him, but He desired to have his full attention . By learning

to devote himself to the things of God and by listening to Eli, Samuel was able to focus on the special word the Lord had for him .

D. Samuel Accepted the CallGod desired that Samuel be a prophet . The

Bible describes the call narratives of several prophets in the Scriptures . Elijah called Elisha into God’s service (I Kings 19:19–21) . Isaiah envisioned a majestic scene, causing him to declare himself unworthy because of his un-clean lips (Isaiah 6) . Samuel, however, was much younger when he received his call to become a prophet of the Lord . We can only imagine Samuel’s surprise at learning the Lord was the one speaking to him . His pulse must have quickened, and he probably felt nervous when he returned to his room . Nev-ertheless he accepted his call to enter the ministry as God’s prophet . Whereas Isaiah received a splendid vision of the glory of God, Samuel received a word of judgment against the house of Eli .

E. Eli Sought to Hear the Message from the LordThe next morning when Eli called for Sam-

uel, the old priest implored the young prophet to tell him the word from the Lord . Perhaps nervous about his first prophecy being so negative, Samuel “feared to shew Eli the vi-sion” (I Samuel 3:15) . But when Eli insisted, Samuel shared the sad message of judgment God had directed toward his mentor .

Samuel need not have been fearful to tell Eli what God had revealed to him, for a man of God had previously informed Eli of the com-ing judgment upon his house . (See I Samuel 2:27–36 .) The sins of Eli’s sons are described in I Samuel 2:12–17, 22 . In I Samuel 2:23–25, Eli made a feeble attempt to reprove his sons, but they showed no remorse and did not change their ways . Yet Eli allowed them to continue in their positions .

The prophecy against the house of Eli had a dreadful finality to it . Not even sacrifice or offering could purge iniquity from the house of Eli . This fixed sentence may have resulted from the fact that Eli’s sons had no regard for the laws concerning sacrifice or the peo-ple who humbly came before the Lord . They caused the people to ahbor the offering of the Lord (I Samuel 2:17) .


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Perhaps because Eli had already heard of the coming judgment, he did not appear to be surprised when Samuel told him what God had revealed to him during the night . Eli responded, “It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good” (I Samuel 3:18) . Eli rec-ognized the word of the Lord and accepted His will, modeling obedience in the face of being rejected by the Lord . Perhaps Samuel remembered Eli’s reaction when he felt that the people rejected him in favor of a king and when Samuel’s own sons proved to be unwor-thy successors to his prophetic office . (See I Samuel 8:3–5 .)

III. GOD STILL CALLS

A. The Value of Being AvailableIn the age of cell phones, social media, and

other rapid-fire forms of communication, we can forget God still calls us . But like Samuel, we must make ourselves available to hear the voice of the Lord . Sometimes connecting with God means disconnecting ourselves from the rest of the world .

We cannot allow visions to become rare as they were in the days of Samuel . Visions and prophecies are our Apostolic birthright . Acts 2:17–18 speaks of the young seeing visions, the old dreaming dreams, and sons, daugh-ters, servants, and handmaids prophesying . Acts 2 lets us know everyone should be in a position to hear the voice of God—young, old, male, female, in the ministry, or simply a sup-porter of the work of the Lord .

How much greater the story of Samu-el would have been if it had featured both a powerful young prophet and a wise priest who could still hear the voice of God . Unfortu-nately, Eli had gradually allowed his ability to hear the voice of the Lord to erode . Living in the Tabernacle gave him the perfect location to hear from God, but his spiritual ears had grown dull . In contrast, Samuel came to the Tabernacle out of obedience to his mother, learned to listen to Eli, and ultimately heard the voice of the Lord and received his calling .

B. The Value of a Spiritual MentorEven though he heard the voice of the

Lord, Samuel still needed a mentor . Eli would not seem to be the best mentor because he had failed with his own sons . But perhaps

God wanted to give the old priest one last chance to make a lasting difference in the life of a young person . Maybe some of us feel as though we cannot offer much to young people because we have failed in the past . However, God may be asking us to look past our own shortcomings and reach out to help someone hear the voice of the Lord .

Although the Lord will, through the pow-er of the Holy Spirit, teach our children and young people many of the things they need to know, we need to keep in mind that Samuel knew how to listen, but he did not know how to respond to God . We still need to teach our children how to respond to God’s voice . Are we teaching our children lessons from the Bi-ble without teaching them how to pray? Are we teaching them to listen to rules and obey them without teaching them to listen for the voice of God? Do we just expect young peo-ple to figure out God is calling them and has a message for them?

We should consider taking a more proac-tive role in mentoring others . When children and youth come to us with questions, we must help them find answers in the Word of God and encourage them to pray and seek the face of the Lord . We need to develop a sensitivity to the Lord and a belief that our chil-dren can hear the voice of God . Eli dismissed Samuel before he finally realized what was happening . To avoid the same mistake, we should be careful not to be dismissive of chil-dren or youth when God is speaking to them . Rather, we should listen to them, encourage them, and help them recognize the voice of the Lord . We can have a great impact on fu-ture leaders in the kingdom of God .

C. The Value of ListeningWe cannot underestimate the value of lis-

tening . The first word of Deuteronomy 6:4 is “Hear .” The Jews refer to this verse as the Shema (pronounced shə-'mä), and they reg-ularly quote it . Perhaps this key word reminds us that before we can understand the oneness of God or other key doctrines, we must be will-ing to hear .

The word shema in Hebrew is significant because it means both “to listen” and “to obey .” Without hearing there can be no obedi-ence . Without obedience we cannot know the one true God .


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We may wonder why so many people in

the world have yet to come in contact with Je-sus . Many have heard the message, but few have obeyed . When we are tempted to ignore the voice of the Lord or to disobey, perhaps we should remember the words of Jesus in John 14:15: “If ye love me, keep my com-mandments .” Listening and obedience are essential parts of a strong relationship with God . In a world with so many voices demand-ing to be heard in all forms of traditional media and social media, we must place a premium on listening to the voice of the Lord .

INTERNALIZING THE MESSAGE

In an article titled, “Dangerous Distraction,” Amy Novotney pointed out that although our brains have the power to multi-task, we have “limited bandwidth” and processing too much information can lead to a bottleneck of ideas (Monitor 2009) . How much of this bandwidth are we devoting to the Lord? Is the voice of the Lord sometimes getting lost in the traffic of other voices and images? Do we need to devote more of our attention to the Lord?

Time and time again, Scripture beseeches us to listen to the voice of God . In particular, John 10 tells us we are God’s sheep, and we can hear the voice of the Good Shepherd . The sheep know the voice of their shepherd and will not follow the voice of another .

Eli’s sons listened to the wrong voice . They allowed their own greedy hearts to drown out the voice of God . We need to think about parts

of our lives that are muffling the voice of God or preventing us from hearing what the Lord has to say to us . Some of these things may be sins that need to be removed from our lives . We may also be weighted down by the cares of life . Like Martha, we are too busy serving the Lord to listen . Perhaps we need to follow the example of Mary and sit at the Lord’s feet . (See Luke 10:38–42 .)

Of course, we all wrestle with the question of how we can know God is speaking to us . First, we must realize God always speaks to us through His Word . He has also sent his servants, the prophets, to communicate the message of hope and salvation to us . Some of these prophets appear in our pulpits, speaking through the anointing of ministeri-al authority . Others speak to us one-on-one . Some provide us with a word of encourage-ment . Others exhort us to keep pressing on in the time of difficulty . We must recognize that God can speak to us through others, and we should be careful to carve out quiet times to hear the voice of God . Sometimes that means putting down our cell phones, the book we are reading, or turning off the radio when we are driving .

Sometimes God provides us with a mes-sage exclusively for us . But many times God wants us to speak into someone else’s life . Perhaps God is calling us to mentor a young person as Eli mentored Samuel . God may be waiting for us to listen to Him right now . Per-haps He has work for us to do—if we will only open our spiritual ears and listen .

REFLECTIONS

• Today’s lesson discussed things that distract us from hearing the voice of God . What dis-tractions do you need to remove from your life in order to make more time for God?

• Samuel’s mother dedicated him to the service of the Lord . How can we prepare our children to hear the voice of the Lord and accept their calling?

• How can we be mentors to young people—even if we feel unqualified?• What advice do you wish a spiritual mentor had given you when you were a young person?• Discuss some things we can learn from the life of Eli .


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FOCUS VERSE

Luke 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the

salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elis-abeth was filled with the Holy Ghost .

LESSON TEXT

Luke 1:35, 42–45, 5735 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy

Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God .

. . . . .

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Bless-ed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb .

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in

my womb for joy .45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which

were told her from the Lord . . . . . .

57 Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son .

Luke 2:77 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid

him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn .

Luke 3:15–1615 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether

he were the Christ, or not;16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier

than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire .

FOCUS THOUGHT

Great things can be accomplished for the kingdom of God when people are willing to submit themselves to His will.

MOTHERS OF THE MASTERS

WEEK 206.12.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

Our Purpose in Life

In his commentary article titled “Link Your Life to God’s Purposes,” the late J . Hampton Keathley III made the following observation

about performing the will of God in our lives: “Why are our lives often . . . lacking in pur-pose? . . . Are we caught up in the . . . pursuit of . . . prosperity derived from things, power, position, and pleasure? . . . there is a mountain to climb with a purpose that brings blessings to others and to the climber himself . It brings glory to God, and has eternal rewards; it is the purpose of serving God and others” (www. bible.org, accessed February 25, 2015) .

Our purpose in life is to fulfill God’s purposes, and doing so is the key to abun-dant living—joy, contentment, peace, and

fulfillment . Those who live in frustration, anger, or bitterness have failed to discover the key to true purpose in life . They are miserable be-cause they focus only on themselves—their hurts, their disappointments, their circum-stances . Only when we learn to shift our focus from ourselves to others and dedicate our-selves to a life of serving Christ will we realize true purpose and fulfillment .

Elizabeth and Mary fulfilled God’s purpos-es for their lives through their obedience and submission to His plan . In doing so they expe-rienced joy and contentment and advanced the kingdom of God . Obedience and submis-sion to the will of God form the only pathway to true joy and peace in life .

OUTLINE

I. EMBRACING DIVINE SUBMISSION

A . Elisabeth and Mary B . Submitted Relationship

II. THE RESULTS OF SUBMISSION A . The Prophet B . The Messiah

III. THE MISSION OF SUBMISSION A . The Prophet’s Decrease B . The Messiah’s Increase

IV. THE SUBMITTED MOTHERS A . Elisabeth Faded from the Scene B . Mary Stayed Involved


Jesus and John the Baptist proved them-selves masters of this life—no matter what it had to offer . As two masters, or rabbis, they taught the people . John challenged the world to repent and be baptized . Jesus came preaching a message of eternal life . Yet both men had to submit themselves to death . Herod ordered John to be beheaded for

telling Herod his marriage was unlawful . The Master of the wind and the waves submitted Himself to death on the cross . Both John the Baptist and Jesus took their cues for submis-sion from two seemingly ordinary women .

A study of the mothers of the masters Je-sus and John the Baptist offers a contrast of two submissive women . Jesus’ mother, Mary, was young and looking forward to a fruitful life with her betrothed, Joseph . John’s moth-er, Elisabeth, was older and had experienced a long life with her husband, Zacharias . The couple had yet to receive the blessing of a child because Elisabeth was barren . These two women show us that we can do great things for God—whether we find ourselves in the spring or the fall of our lives .


I. EMBRACING DIVINE SUBMISSION

A. Elisabeth and Mary We can place Elisabeth around the age of

fifty while Mary was about sixteen . Despite


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their age difference, they had no trouble connecting . When a pregnant Elisabeth en-countered an expectant Mary, Elisabeth’s baby leaped for joy .

Elisabeth, who had lamented her barren-ness for most of her married life, now felt the delight of the Holy Ghost . God not only grant-ed Elisabeth a child, but He also gave her a special endowment of His Spirit before the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost .

The gift of prophecy that would be her son’s birthright also manifested itself in Elisa-beth . She told Mary, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42) . Elisabeth considered herself blessed because of her soon-to-be-born child, but now she found someone even more favored of God . Through the spirit of proph-ecy, she told Mary, “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45) . However, both Mary and Elisabeth knew that belief was not enough; submission was also required .

Both belief and sub-mission played key roles in the lives of Elisabeth and Mary.

B. Submitted RelationshipBoth belief and submission played key roles

in the lives of Elisabeth and Mary . The angel Gabriel spoke to Elisabeth’s incredulous hus-band, Zacharias, telling him the wonderful news he would have a son . Because Zachari-as did not believe and willingly submit himself to the plan of God, the Lord took away his abil-ity to speak . He remained silent until his son, John, was born .

Even as God removed Zacharias’s pow-er of speech, He provided Elisabeth with the strength to carry and give birth to John the Baptist . Like her ancestor Sarah, Elisabeth had received an unexpected blessing from God in a season of life that made such a gift seem

impossible . Unlike Sarah, who had responded with derisive laughter in a spirit of unbelief, Elis-abeth recognized that God had granted her a miracle: “Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men” (Luke 1:25) .

Mary also responded with submission and belief . In fact, she and Elisabeth had better attitudes than Zacharias . Both Zacharias and Mary heard a message from the angel Gabriel, but only Mary answered in faith and humility . Both asked questions of Gabriel, wondering about the possibility of a barren older woman or a virgin giving birth . But something about the way they asked the questions was different . Zacharias spoke with a skepticism that had no room for faith, whereas Mary voiced her query as an innocent young woman ready to learn that “with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37) . Upon hearing Gabriel’s message, Mary submitted herself to the word of the Lord .

II. THE RESULTS OF SUBMISSION

A. The ProphetAlthough Zacharias had doubted the word

of the Lord, his son, John, submitted to the call of God on his life . John was a compelling preacher, and many people obeyed his mes-sage of repentance and were baptized: “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:5–6) .

Although a fiery preacher with a growing following, John obediently accepted his role as the forerunner of the Messiah by denying he was the Christ . Instead he told the people of one coming who was mightier than he . In fact, for all his greatness, John deemed him-self unworthy to unlatch the Messiah’s shoes . (See Luke 3:16 .) The man who spoke with such conviction in calling the Pharisees and Sadducees a “generation of vipers” (Matthew 3:7) submitted himself to the will of God .

B. The MessiahJohn the Baptist prepared the way for the

Messiah . When Jesus came to him seeking to be baptized, John met the request with protest . Hesitating to perform the baptism, he said, “I have need to be baptized of thee,


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and comest thou to me?” (Matthew 3:14) . Al-though many might assume Jesus’ sinless nature made His baptism unnecessary, Jesus recognized its importance . He told John, “Suf-fer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15) . Both Jesus and John had righteous missions to fulfill, and John submitted to Jesus’ request .

All who submit to the plan of God and allow the Messiah to have the preeminence in their lives can be great in the kingdom of God.

III. THE MISSION OF SUBMISSION

A. The Prophet’s DecreaseArrested for speaking against Herod’s mar-

riage to his brother’s wife, John’s faith dwindled to doubt . John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3) . The man who had recognized Jesus as the Messiah and had seen the Spirit descend on Jesus at His baptism found himself imprisoned by un-certainty and wondering if he had failed in his calling . In other words, he was human .

Jesus sent word back to John, letting him know of the miraculous events taking place in His ministry: the blind could see, the lame could walk, the deaf could hear, the lep-ers were cleansed, and even the dead were raised . Also the poor had the gospel preached to them . (See Matthew 11:5 .)

Jesus had one last important message for John . Some have called it the “forgotten be-atitude .” Jesus’ final words to John were “and blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me” (Matthew 11:6) . When John heard this response, he must have been reminded of a

prophet who spoke of the coming Messiah, say-ing, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30) . John himself was that prophet, and perhaps he had thought to take on a lesser role right by Jesus’ side as a best man stands by the bridegroom . (See John 3:29 .) But as he faced imminent death, John must have realized the plan of God was different from what he had thought . Yet John responded with submission .

Perhaps realizing the difficulties John faced, Jesus did not respond to him with praise . In-stead He lauded John before the people, calling him “more than a prophet” (Matthew 11:9) . He even referred to him as the prophet Elijah (Matthew 11:14) . Even when He spoke of John’s greatness, He let the people know about their great potential: “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstand-ing he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11) . All who submit to the plan of God and allow the Mes-siah to have the preeminence in their lives can be great in the kingdom of God .

B. The Messiah’s IncreaseAs John’s star faded, Jesus’ star rose bright-

ly . He gathered disciples and began to teach the people . In spite of His growing following and the miracles that were taking place, Jesus knew what ultimately awaited Him .

As He contemplated the cup of death passing from Him in Gethsemane, perhaps He remembered the words John the Baptist spoke when he saw Jesus coming to him: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) . Jesus re-alized that for His message to truly increase throughout the world, He would have to sub-mit Himself to death on the cross .

Although He knew what He must do, He still wrestled with the issue . Praying in Geth-semane, perhaps He remembered His mother Mary telling Him the story of the angel Gabriel . No doubt she had quoted the angel’s words, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37) . Jesus said something similar in His prayer, “Abba, Father, all things are pos-sible unto thee; take away this cup from me”; however, He made His request with a sub-missive heart, adding, “nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:36) . Like


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John, Jesus had to submit Himself to death . Both of these masters could credit their moth-ers with being great examples of submission to the plan of God .

IV. THE SUBMITTED MOTHERS

A. Elisabeth Faded from the SceneAfter the birth and circumcision of her

son, John, Elisabeth did not appear again in Scripture . Her neighbors shared her joy at the miraculous birth of her child . Even before he began preaching, John was a testimony of the greatness of God: Elisabeth’s “neigh-bours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her” (Luke 1:58) . She and Zach-arias reminded the people of Abraham and Sarah . Later, when the people heard her son preach, they thought of Elijah .

After Zacharias confirmed Elisabeth’s dec-laration that their son would be named John, God returned Zacharias’s ability to speak . When Zacharias praised God, the people spread the word about this miraculous child: “And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Ju-daea” (Luke 1:65) . Sometime later, John’s message spread exactly the same way . Many of the people who saw the boy grow up and start preaching must have remembered the reaction they had at his birth: “And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him” (Luke 1:66) . Even though Scripture does not tell of Elisabeth’s later years, we can imagine she smiled when she heard about her son preach-ing a message of repentance and baptizing people .

B. Mary Stayed InvolvedPerhaps because she was younger than

Elisabeth, Mary remained involved in her son’s life . As she watched Jesus grow up, begin to fulfill His calling, and finally suffer cru-cifixion, she must have thought about the first words the angel spoke to her . When the angel Gabriel met her, he told her, “Fear not” (Luke 1:30) . Although Gabriel spoke those words to Mary because she was no doubt startled by

his appearance, perhaps she held onto them from her journey to Bethlehem to give birth to her son until His journey to Golgotha .

Soon after the birth of Jesus, Mary heard about another angelic visitation . Shepherds came to visit Jesus, telling Mary, Joseph, and anyone who would hear about the heavenly choir of angels who interrupted their night in the field . The angels brought a message of salvation and peace . When Mary heard their story, she “kept all these things, and pon-dered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19) .

Some have suggested that our knowledge of Mary’s inner thoughts point to the fact that Luke interviewed her when he was writing his gospel . He also told of Mary’s reaction to Jesus’ staying behind at the Temple to con-verse with the doctors of the Law . Although Jesus submitted Himself to His mother and His earthly father, He said, “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) . Luke said that Mary “kept all these sayings in her heart” (Luke 2:51) .

Although Mary experienced the wonder of her child’s birth and longed to see Him fulfill His destiny, she also may have faced rejec-tion when she heard some seemingly cruel words from her son . When Jesus was told that His mother and His brothers were waiting to speak with Him, Jesus responded by saying, “Who is my mother? and who are my breth-ren?” (Matthew 12:48) . Even though Jesus was trying to expand His “family” to include anyone who wanted to be His disciple, the sting of Jesus’ words may have hurt .

Like John the Baptist, Mary may have felt confusion about the plan of God if she heard her son make another unflattering comment about her . When people told Jesus how bless-ed His mother was, He seemed to downplay her importance in His response, “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:28) . Although Jesus wanted to show people the importance of fol-lowing Him, listening to Him, and obeying His commands, Mary probably still would have felt distressed because of her son’s words .

Mary’s greatest moment of heartbreak came at Golgotha when she saw her son cru-cified . Seeing the tragedy take place through tear-filled eyes, she must have questioned


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the reality of the situation . She must have wondered if she misunderstood the angel’s words . But Jesus offered her some mea-sure of comfort . Even though His words may sometimes have left her dejected, she knew He loved her when He entrusted her care to John, the beloved disciple, by telling him, “Behold thy mother!” (John 19:27) . From that time on, John took Mary to his own home to care for her .

On the Day of Pentecost, Mary was among the 120 tarrying in prayer for the Holy Ghost . “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14) . The same mother and brethren who may have felt rejected by Je-sus’ words felt the power of the Holy Ghost as they spoke with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance . Mary began her journey of submission by making room for Jesus in her womb, loving Jesus, and pondering His life and words in her heart . At Pentecost she made room for Jesus to live in her heart in a different way by submitting to the power of the Holy Ghost .


All of us have an image in our minds of how we see the plan of God for our lives . We have had dreams, received a word from the Lord, felt a calling to a particular ministry, or have seen the hand of God moving us in a specific direction . We have responded to the plan of God with humility and submission .

But what happens when things do not quite go as planned? What happens when life shat-ters the images we have created in our minds? Perhaps all is not lost . Perhaps we need to remember the “forgotten beatitude” Jesus conveyed to John the Baptist: “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me” (Matthew 11:6) .

In times of distress, we can become offend-ed at the Lord . Like John the Baptist, and even Mary the mother of Jesus, we may begin to doubt the word of the Lord . Did we hear what we thought we heard, or did we totally miss it? Maybe we heard correctly, but in hearing we created the wrong image in our minds .

When John thought about decreasing to make way for Jesus, he may have envisioned himself as Jesus’ right-hand man, serving as the “press secretary” for the King of kings . But when King Herod put John in prison, John’s vision was shattered .

Perhaps God allows our own visions to be destroyed so we can truly see what the Lord has in store for us; we can become the people God wants us to be instead of who we think we should be . The process can be extremely humbling . For one thing, we have to admit we were wrong .

When our dreams are shattered and we feel justified in being offended at Jesus, we need to see these difficult situations as opportunities for God to bless us.Nevertheless we should not be afraid to

ask God questions at these moments in our lives . When John doubted himself and sent his disciples to question Jesus, the Master did not berate him . Instead He told John’s messengers to relate to John the wonder-ful miracles that were taking place and the blessing of not being offended . When our dreams are shattered and we feel justified in being offended at Jesus, we need to see these difficult situations as opportunities for God to bless us .

Furthermore, we may need to remember a statement that sounds like a beatitude even though it cannot be found anywhere in the Bible: “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape .” Walking with God requires flexibility . Even when we hear a word from the Lord or receive a calling, we do not always know how everything is going to work


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out . We need to be flexible enough to let God work in our lives .

Even though this particular “beatitude” about flexibility is not in the Scriptures, per-haps the idea behind it is . We are supposed to be like clay in the hands of the potter, able to be shaped and molded so we can be “a ves-sel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (II Timothy 2:21) .

In today’s lesson, we have learned about the mothers of the masters, but we must al-low ourselves to be the children of the Master Potter . We must show submission whether we are young and full of life like Mary or feel-ing old and barren like Elisabeth . We must not allow the words we have spoken with faith and conviction to be lost just because we feel imprisoned like John the Baptist . And we must not become offended at Jesus just because His plan for our lives seems to have changed .

Sometimes the real problem is we want to be the masters of our own destiny . We want to work hard to achieve our goals . Although a strong work ethic is important because “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20), we must recognize our need to put our trust in God .

Submission to God is not merely sit-ting back and allowing God to do the work . Sometimes we can mistake trust in God for inaction . However, words like submit, trust, and pray are action verbs . They require action on our part, but they also faithfully anticipate action on the part of God . When we submit to the Lord, we can accomplish wonders . We can do greater things than the masters in this study, John the Baptist and Jesus . Jesus declared that the least in the kingdom was greater than John (Matthew 11:11), and He promised we would do greater works than He did (John 14:12) . We just need to follow the submissive example of the masters—and their mothers .

REFLECTIONS

• Today’s lesson talked about submitting to God . Think about a time when you submitted to the will of God even when you found it difficult . What do you need to do in order to be more submissive now?

• Although in different phases of life, Mary and Elisabeth both submitted themselves to the plan of God . How can we make ourselves ready to do the will of God—no matter what season of life we are experiencing?

• What lessons do you think Jesus and John the Baptist learned from their mothers?• John the Baptist may have felt as if his vision of God’s plan was shattered when he was cast

into prison . What are some difficulties you have faced that made you question God’s will for your life? How did you make it through these tough times?

• Jesus told John of the blessing that comes from not being offended in Him . How can we avoid being offended at Jesus when things are not going our way?

• What do you think it means to be “great” in the kingdom of God?


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FOCUS VERSE

II Kings 2:9And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that

Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, be-fore I be taken away from thee . And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me .

LESSON TEXT

I Kings 19:19–2119 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son

of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him .

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee . And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat . Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him .

II Kings 2:8, 10–148 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were

divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground .

. . . . .

10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so .

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven .

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof . And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces .

13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over .

FOCUS THOUGHT

God has given us the gift of life, and it is a wonderful experience. In Jesus Christ we learn to appreciate life’s challenge, purpose, and potential.

THE PROPHET AND THE PLOWBOY

WEEK 306.19.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

A True Servant’s Attitude

A servant thinks of others more than himself . He is humble, self-effacing, and focused on the needs of oth-

ers more than on his own needs . He finds true joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment through helping others and meeting their needs whenever he can . A true servant is selfless, not selfish .

In his book titled The Preacher’s Portrait, Some New Testament Word Studies, John R . W . Stott offered some insights into human nature and the attitude necessary for one to serve oth-ers . To mention only a few of them, he wrote:

“People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered . Love them anyway .

“If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives . Do good anyway . . . .

“The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow . Do good anyway . . . .

“What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight . Build anyway .”

Elisha was devoted to dedicating his life to serving Elijah even though it meant following a difficult and challenging path . Elijah tried to dissuade Elisha from pursuing “a double portion” and from following him, telling Elisha he had asked “a hard thing .” However, Elisha persisted with determination and a willing-ness to serve .

Even though the idea of servanthood often runs counter to our contemporary culture in North America, our nations and the church would be well served if more individuals were willing and ready servants .

OUTLINE

I. DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEADERS CALLED

A . The Prophet B . The Plowboy

II. THE MASTER AND THE SERVANT

A . Elisha Followed Elijah B . Elisha Served Elijah C . Elisha Succeeded Elijah

III. THE SUCCESSOR’S ROLE A . A Continuing Leadership B . A Greater Ministry C . God’s Kingdom Blessed

CONTEMPLATING THE TOPICWe live in a world where many people balk

at the idea of climbing the ladder to success . They want to take the elevator directly to the top . These individuals could learn a lot from the prophet Elisha . His servant’s heart and willingness to be a follower rather than a lead-er paved the way for him to receive a double portion of God’s Spirit .

When thinking about Elisha, his miracles im-mediately come to mind . His accolades often

overshadow his service, but his humility should not be forgotten . He began by answering the call of the prophet Elijah . He left behind his plowboy status to become Elijah’s apprentice . Many would see his choice as a demotion .

Elisha, however, viewed his calling as one of the greatest opportunities in his life . While others observed a figure in the background waiting on Elijah, Elisha envisioned something far greater for himself . Many may have viewed him as a nobody, but Elisha possessed a spiri-tual ambition that only a few have ever known . Elisha’s drive was born out of humility, service, and a belief that God had a plan for him to do greater things than he had ever done . Elisha allowed the Master to shape him into a vessel that could receive a double portion .


I. DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEADERS CALLED

A. The ProphetElisha had an outstanding example in the

prophet Elijah . Elijah had a résumé that put him in elite company . His confidence and


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list of accomplishments ranked him right up there with Moses . Like Moses, he battled a wicked king . Like Moses, he would see the majesty of God on a mountain and wrestle with depression in the wilderness of despair . And just as the Lord was with Moses at the end of his days, so He was with Elijah, re-serving a special calling up into glory for this faithful man of God .

Life was not easy for Elijah because he worked in the northern kingdom of Israel where wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezeb-el reigned . Ahab had evil inclinations, but Jezebel incited him to go even further in crossing lines . Additionally, Baal worship was widespread and growing . Elijah found him-self in a setting where his very name spelled trouble . In Hebrew, Elijah means “My God is Jehovah .” Elijah did not oppose Baal in name only . He took the fight directly to Baal, showing that Baal’s supposed power was non-existent .

Mountain of triumph. Elijah proved himself to be a true prophet when he declared the land would be without rain . The prophecy was a slap in the face of the Canaanite deity Baal and his worshipers . Anyone who lived in the area knew Baal was considered a storm god . But God sent Elijah to show that Baal had no control over the weather . Not one drop of rain or dew fell for three years and six months (James 5:17) . During this time, the prophet Elijah lived in hiding . God sustained him with food until this man of the one true God chal-lenged the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel . The one who answered by fire would be God .

During the contest, Elijah took the oppor-tunity to mock Baal and his prophets at every turn . Although the prophets of Baal spent all day calling on him, there was no answer . When it came Elijah’s turn to offer a sacrifice, he even raised the stakes of the competition by pouring water all over the sacrifice . And Eli-jah’s God did not let him down . Whereas the false deity Baal remained silent, the one true God who had withheld the rain answered by fire when the righteous man prayed fervently .

After Elijah had slain all the prophets of Baal, he prophesied to Ahab that the rain would come . The rain came just as Elijah had prophesied .

Wilderness of despair. Sadly, Elijah’s victo-ry was short-lived . Jezebel put out a contract on his life . Elijah fled . No doubt sick of all the hiding he had experienced during the years of drought, Elijah once again found himself on the run . He began to question not only his calling, but his very reason for existence . He felt alone in the world and wished to die .

Angelic visitation. But God was not finished with Elijah . In spite of his great victory on the mountain, Elijah still had some unfinished business to complete for the Lord . God sent an angel to provide the prophet with food to strengthen him . Then God led him to another mountaintop experience . Elijah journeyed to Mount Horeb . Horeb is another name for Si-nai, and God wanted to speak with Elijah there just as He had spoken to His servant Moses .

God’s direction. God let Elijah know he was not alone and was still part of the master plan . The Lord instructed Elijah to anoint two kings and also to anoint a prophet to replace him . He let Elijah know he was not the only one who served the one true God . God had reserved seven thousand men who had re-fused to worship the image of Baal . No matter how many altars are torn down or how strong the opposition of the enemy seems, God will always reserve a remnant . And God soon added to this remnant a new prophet .

Although God had chosen Elisha to be this new prophet, perhaps He had an addition-al job for Elisha . Elijah’s despair may have shown that the prophet needed a friend—someone who would stand beside him no matter what . Elijah had walked the path alone for so long and had shown exemplary faithful-ness in the face of evil and despair . Now he needed someone who would be faithful to him and serve him just as he served the Lord .

B. The PlowboyElisha seemed to have no designs on be-

ing God’s next great prophet . As a farmer, he had crops to plant, and the recent return of the rains made it possible for him to till the soil . No longer would he journey to the fields and see the hard, thirsty, unforgiving earth refuse to budge . Elisha saw his opportunity for a more abundant life for his family, and he was go-ing to seize the day . He was not looking for a career change or peering any further into the


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future than harvest season where he would reap the rewards of his labor .

A humble situation. Elisha appeared to be in a humble situation as he began to plow his fields . Some scholars believe Elisha was the son of a wealthy landowner, but even the well-to-do would have faced difficulties during the extended drought . The location of the family’s lands may have mitigated the situation some-what because they lived near a stream that fed into the Jordan . The family also had access to springs in the area . But God had not preserved Elisha during the drought so he could go back to business as usual and succeed his father . In spite of his personal plans and his family’s vi-sion for his life, Elisha had a brush with destiny .

Effect of the mantle. Elisha felt the call of God when the mantle of Elijah touched him . In one extraordinary moment, Elisha’s life changed dramatically . Immediately he wanted to leave his life on the farm to enter the service of Elijah and the Lord . The old prophet tested his new protégé’s commitment, acting as if he had done nothing to merit Elisha’s response . But Elisha was not deterred . No one needed to tell Elisha what to do . God had spoken to the plowboy through the mantle .

The plowboy’s response. Elisha showed his resolve to trade his old way of life for his new calling . He took his yoke of oxen, slaughtered them, boiled their flesh, and fed the people . The pull of the mantle was so strong he could not resist . He spent no time discussing what his responsibilities would be, his future com-pensation, or opportunities for advancement . Elisha followed Elijah, hoping that someday his faithful service would allow him to seize a chance to receive a blessing from the prophet and his God .

II. THE MASTER AND THE SERVANT

A. Elisha Followed ElijahDue to changes in the workforce, many of

us in today’s world do not truly understand the importance of being an apprentice . Although we have education and job training, we are usually paid from day one when we begin a job . In days gone by, individuals wanting to learn a trade did so by becoming apprentic-es . They had to faithfully serve the master of a craft, performing many menial tasks . Their

wages consisted of the knowledge and expe-rience they gained .

Some prophets in the Bible had a sort of apprenticeship or internship arrangement . While many prophets received their calling directly from the Lord, others, like Elisha, re-ceived a call from a mentor . We can identify these prophetic apprentices in the Bible when we see the phrase “son(s) of the prophets .” An account of one of the sons of the prophets on a special mission from the Lord is given in I Kings 20:35–43 . Elisha was often around other sons of the prophets (II Kings 2; 4; 6), but he surpassed them in spite of his humble beginnings .

B. Elisha Served ElijahElisha began his apprenticeship by serving

Elijah . In addition to learning more about the Lord, he had a front-row seat to the ministry of Elijah . Elisha embraced the opportunity to gain knowledge from his mentor through both service and observation .

Elisha’s ministry shows the need to follow the advice of II Corinthians 10:12 and not compare ourselves with others . Elisha’s minis-try was different from Isaiah’s . Isaiah received a grand vision of the glory of God, seeing the Lord “high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6) . He also served in the royal court, advising kings about international affairs in the southern capital of Judah at Jerusalem .

In contrast, Elisha knew that Elijah often op-posed the royal court of the corrupt northern kingdom of Israel . Elijah challenged the evil King Ahab and his wicked Queen Jezebel . Elijah’s example created a difficult road for Elisha to follow . Nevertheless Elisha did not question his calling just because he did not serve the king who reigned in Jerusalem . Rather he accepted God’s will for his life, re-fusing to be overwhelmed by the difficulties as he kept his eyes on the prize set before him .

Faithful and committed. Elisha did not find instant gratification in his calling . He left the hard work of the plow to take on the new task of serving his mentor, Elijah, not to immediately perform miracles or hear from the Lord . Elisha never disdained his calling or went to Elijah to proclaim it was his time to shine . Instead he respected his mentor . He understood the wis-dom of Proverbs 27:18: “Whoso keepeth the


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fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured .”

Loyal and unselfish. Elisha remained loyal to his mentor . He did not seek wealth or pres-tige . One day Elisha would have a servant named Gehazi whose self-centeredness led to his ruin . When Elisha refused gifts for help-ing Naaman, Gehazi’s greed got the best of him . He surreptitiously left Elisha and attempt-ed to acquire gifts for himself . The one who had seen Elisha involved in raising the Shu-namite’s son from the dead (II Kings 4) and had seen that Naaman’s leprosy had been cleansed (II Kings 5) failed to recognize the incredible opportunity of serving the man of God . As a result of his greed and the lies he told Naaman, Gehazi was cursed to live the rest of his life with Naaman’s leprosy (II Kings 5:27) . In contrast, there is no hint in Scripture that Elisha resented his role as servant or at-tempted to enrich himself for his sacrifice .

C. Elisha Succeeded ElijahElisha understood the importance of having

spiritual goals . When Elijah struck the water of the Jordan with his mantle so he and Elisha could cross over the Jordan on dry ground, Elisha knew the great prophet would soon go on his heavenly journey . Before a whirlwind caught up Elijah into Heaven, the man of God said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for thee, be-fore I be taken away from thee” (II Kings 2:9) .

Most likely, Elijah had never asked Elisha what he wanted because Elijah was the mas-ter and Elisha was the servant . But because of his devotion to Elijah and his unselfishness, Elisha was given the opportunity to make a request of Elijah: “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (II Kings 2:9) . Elijah recognized Elisha’s hunger for the things of God, and he said, “Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so” (II Kings 2:10) . Just as he had done throughout his en-tire ministry, Elisha kept his eyes on Elijah .

III. THE SUCCESSOR’S ROLE

A. A Continuing LeadershipOnce Elijah disappeared into Heaven, El-

isha immediately put God’s promises to the

test . Taking up the mantle of his mentor, he smote the waters of the Jordan and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” (II Kings 2:14) . All the years of service and faith paid off as the God of Elijah answered, and Elisha crossed back over on dry ground .

Elisha continued the leadership of Elijah by making himself available to other sons of the prophets, helping their widows, and being a godly example in an age where the worship of Baal still attempted to ensnare the people . Elisha’s bold request for a double portion was amazing, considering the circumstances in which he lived . But perhaps such a great prophetic voice was needed in such a dark time . Elisha’s leadership brought hope to the people of Israel . Although some of them might have felt concerned because Elijah was gone, they had no reason to doubt the power of God as Elisha continually demonstrated there was still a God in Israel .

B. A Greater MinistryGod’s power stands strong from generation

to generation . If we count both the miracles and the prophecies of Elijah, the prophet’s ministry consisted of fourteen mighty deeds . Elisha’s request for a double portion meant that he needed to perform twenty-eight super-natural feats . Some of his mighty acts include cursing the disobedient (II Kings 2:24; 5:27) as well as using his prophetic gifts to see hid-den things and future events (II Kings 5:26; 6:9; 7:1–2, 8:1, 10, 12; 9:7; 13:17, 19) .

Many of his miracles were associated with water, including parting the Jordan (II Kings 2:14), healing the waters (II Kings 2:21), and strategically filling ditches with water (II Kings 3:16–17) . He prophetically knew the wa-ter-filled trenches would lead to the defeat of the Moabites (II Kings 3:18, 21–27) .

His most famous miracles include the con-tinual replenishment of oil until all the vessels had been filled (II Kings 4:4), the prophecy of the birth of the Shunammite’s son (II Kings 4:16) and his later resurrection (II Kings 4:33–35), the healing of Naaman (II Kings 5:14), and the floating axe head (II Kings 6:6) . Two of his miracles were related to food: the healing of the poisoned pottage (II Kings 4:40–41) and the increase of the bread (II Kings 4:42–44)—a miracle Jesus duplicated in Matthew 14 .


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Elisha even took on the entire Syrian army, praying for his servant to see the heavenly host that was backing him up (II Kings 6:17) before causing the army to lose its sight (II Kings 6:18) and restoring it (II Kings 6:20) . Later the Syrians were deceived by the sound of chariots (II Kings 7:6) . Elisha died without having received his double portion, but God was not finished yet . In II Kings 13:21, a dead man who was thrown into Elisha’s sepulcher came back to life . If we are truly faithful to God, our ministry does not end at death . God’s promises are more powerful than the grave .

C. God’s Kingdom BlessedGod’s kingdom was doubly blessed

through the ministry of Elisha . Elisha stood in stark contrast to Ahab and Jezebel . Their self-serving and vengeful attitudes had led to the slaughter of the righteous Naboth (I Kings 21), the theft of his land, and the proliferation of sin and Baal worship throughout the north-ern kingdom of Israel . Elisha was truly a man of God and a man of the people . He served God, obeying His commands and being a willing vessel . He served the people, but not in an attempt to win a popularity contest and appease them . Rather he provided for their needs, performing miracles, prophesying, and training other prophets .


Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman’s song “Burn the Ships” tells a story similar to Elisha’s life . The song relates the historical event of Hernando Cortez sailing to what is now Mexico and, upon arrival, burning his ships so his men would be committed to fight

for the cause of Spain . According to the New World Encyclopedia, Cortez actually sank his ships instead of burning them, and the differ-ence between the song and history is likely due to an error in translation . Nevertheless the principle is the same: sometimes we have to get rid of the escapes back to our old lives in order to fully serve the Lord .

Elisha understood this principle . He was willing to give up the potential wealth and lands his father would have offered him in or-der to be a servant to the Lord and to Elijah . Elisha’s example and Cortez’s military strat-egy challenge us to make sure we are fully committed to the Lord .

Serving the Lord can be difficult sometimes because it demands humility . It can some-times require what seems like a demotion . But the wise among us know we often have to take a step back in order to move forward in life and in our walk with God .

In Chris Gardner’s autobiography The Pursuit of Happyness, the author tells about taking a demotion from being a salesman to interning as a stockbroker . Gardner lived for six months with no salary and without the guarantee of a job . Ultimately, he earned a spot in a great company and went on to be-come a multimillionaire .

If someone like Gardner can take such a huge risk in the natural world, what is prevent-ing us from stepping out by faith and doing something for God? We may approach the sit-uation with uncertainty, but we have two good examples to follow . We can see the persever-ance of Elijah both in triumph and test, and we can see the godly example of faithful service in the man with enough spiritual ambition to ask for a double portion .

REFLECTIONS

• Today’s lesson speaks of being a faithful servant and being an apprentice to be successful in Christ . How is this mindset different from the world’s definitions of success?

• Elijah felt both victorious and depressed while serving the Lord . How can we handle the ups and downs that can come with working for the Lord?

• What is something in your life you need to get rid of in order to fully commit to serving the Lord?

• The Bible says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6) . How do you define spiritual ambition in your own life? What opportunities for serving the Lord are you pursuing now?


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FOCUS VERSE

Esther 4:14For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time,

then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

LESSON TEXT

Esther 2:15–2015 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail

the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed . And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her .

16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign .

17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti .

18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king .

19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate .

20 Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him .

Esther 4:1313 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape

in the king’s house, more than all the Jews .

Esther 5:22 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained

favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand . So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre .

FOCUS THOUGHT

In finding our place with God, the kingdom is always greater than the individual.

DIVINE DESTINATION

WEEK 406.26.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

Seek First His Kingdom

In his devotion for Thursday, November 11, 2010, titled “First Things First,” Greg Laurie asked, “Have you, as a Christian, surren-

dered your life to Christ? Have you said, ‘Lord, I want Your will more than I want my own will . I am willing to surrender to You now’? Because you cannot pray, ‘Your kingdom come’ until you first pray, ‘My kingdom go .’ Have you done that yet?” (www.harvest.org, accessed February 25, 2015) .

Esther is a great biblical example of one who let go of her own kingdom in order to pursue God’s kingdom . She put His kingdom over her own welfare .

When the Jews’ very existence was be-ing threatened by developing events in the Medo-Persian-Babylonian empire of the day

under King Ahasuerus, Mordecai saw the danger and sent word to his cousin, Esther, who although she was Jewish, had been ele-vated to the position of queen and was living in the palace . Upon receiving communica-tion from Mordecai alerting her to the danger and urging her to go before the king, she ex-pressed great reluctance, knowing it could cost her life .

Mordecai then challenged Esther with the immortal words, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) .

In our living we also must recognize the su-premacy of Christ’s kingdom . The good of His kingdom must always be our first and preem-inent concern .

OUTLINE

I. TWO COUSINS AND A KINGDOM

A . Divine Destination B . Mordecai as Parent C . Esther’s Decision D . Our Place in the Kingdom

II. DILEMMA IN THE KING’S HOUSE

A . Esther’s Favor B . Haman’s Plan C . Mordecai’s Plan D . Esther’s Dilemma E . The Church’s Dilemma

III. THE BIG PICTURE A . About the Jews B . About the Kingdom of God

IV. COURAGE A . Esther’s Courage B . The Church’s Courage

CONTEMPLATING THE TOPICThe Book of Esther could be a rags-to-

riches story of a girl down on her luck whose fortune changed when she became a queen . We could place Esther among the ranks of

those chosen few young ladies who have a fairy-tale dream of becoming a princess or queen and ultimately see their wishes fulfilled . Although the Book of Esther has elements of these plots, the story has nothing to do with luck, fairy tales, fairy godmothers, or wishes . Esther had a divine destiny God had planned for her, and she embraced her role in saving her people .

Even though God had designed Esther’s future, the new queen still had to accept the will of God for her life . She could have accepted the blessings of God and ignored the fact that God had tactically placed her in the position of queen in order to save her people .

However, her cousin Mordecai pressed her to do the right thing . Since Esther was queen, Mordecai was one of her subjects . She could have balked at following his or-ders . She could have chosen to ignore his authority . Instead she maintained her beauti-ful spirit of humility and made herself subject to Mordecai’s commands . Her obedience and faith show that an individual whose heart is set on serving the kingdom of God will put others first .


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I. TWO COUSINS AND A KINGDOMIn the Book of Esther, the Jews lived in a for-

eign land and served the reigning superpower of the day, the Persians . The Babylonians had destroyed the Temple at Jerusalem and carried many of the Jews into captivity . The Persians had defeated the Babylonians and resurrected hope for the Jews . The Persian King Cyrus had allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild the Temple . With godly leaders like Nehemiah and Ezra in charge of reconstruction and recommitting to the Lord, the future looked bright for the Jews . Even though many Jews returned to their home-land, some continued to live in other parts of the Persian Empire .

Mordecai and his cousin Esther were part of the Jewish contingent at Shushan . No doubt they rejoiced in the peace and restoration the Persians had brought to their people . Ever wary since the Babylon conquest and cap-tivity, they might have started to breathe a bit easier . Nevertheless trouble loomed on the horizon, and these two cousins found them-selves strategically placed in the kingdom of Persia .

A. Divine DestinationGod has a divine destiny for all of us . Many

times God’s plans differ from the vision we have for ourselves . Mordecai and Esther must have wrestled with their situation . Perhaps Mordecai and Esther wondered why God had not allowed them to return to Jerusalem and worship at the Temple of the one true God . As they looked around at the diverse groups of people who were their neighbors, they felt like outsiders .

Although Mordecai had risen to prominence in the kingdom, he had created a new enemy because of his obedience to God . When Mor-decai refused to bow to Haman, the evil man took notice and began plotting against him . However, as unlikely as it may have seemed at the time, God had put them in the right place at the right time .

B. Mordecai as ParentEven though God had put Esther right

where He wanted her, Esther was doubly

displaced by life . Not only did she live as a Jew outside of Jerusalem, but she was an orphan . She was without a country and seem-ingly without a family . Out of compassion, her cousin Mordecai stepped in to fulfill the role of parent . Esther listened to Mordecai and obeyed his instructions . He warned her about revealing her Jewish heritage to others . Although he probably taught her the stories of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Leah, Rachel, David, and Ruth, Mordecai tried to keep Esther’s identity a secret .

C. Esther’s DecisionEsther had been named “Hadassah” at

birth, but she chose a more culturally appro-priate name in order to cover up her ties to the Jews . Esther heeded Mordecai’s command not to share her background with anyone . And yet there would come a day when the revelation of this secret would be the most powerful weapon against a wicked enemy . Esther would be faced with the decision to re-veal her status and save her people or remain quiet and let her people suffer and die . Esther would struggle with this dilemma . If she made it known she was a Jew, she might face death . If she kept silent, her people could perish at the hands of their enemies .

D. Our Place in the KingdomWe need to think about our place in the

kingdom of God . Just as Esther was or-phaned, we were spiritual orphans . Without the Spirit of God in our lives, we found our-selves abandoned and alone in this world . But when God filled us with His Spirit, we not only became the children of God but also heirs, joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16–17) .

Being joint-heirs with Christ means we will be glorified with Him, but it also means we will suffer . Many times we want the glory but not the suffering . Like Esther, we are faced with a difficult decision . We can choose to keep our spiritual identity hidden to avoid ridicule and pain, or we can recognize we have an import-ant place in the kingdom of God . We would do well to remember Paul’s assessment of this situation: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be com-pared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18) . We should realize the


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glorious gift of the Holy Ghost was given to us so we can help others .

II. DILEMMA IN THE KING’S HOUSE

A. Esther’s FavorDivine destiny can draw near without warn-

ing . One day Esther was just an ordinary girl, and the next day she was presented with the possibility of becoming queen after King Ahasuerus banished Queen Vashti . Esther approached the opportunity to be queen with humility . Just as she had listened to Morde-cai’s advice, she submitted herself to Hegai, the king’s chamberlain . Although other beau-ties were vying to become the new queen, Esther had something they lacked—a humble spirit . Esther was rewarded for her meekness . “Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her” (Esther 2:15) . Ultimate-ly, she found favor in the eyes of the king and became the new queen .

B. Haman’s PlanLife had brought Esther to a place beyond

her wildest imagination, and yet a conniv-ing viper lurked in her palace paradise . The wicked Haman threatened all that Esther held dear . Because Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, Haman hatched a plot to annihilate all the Jews who lived in the Persian Empire . He cast “pur,” or the lot, to determine when to attack the Jews . He obtained the king’s approval, making the decree unchangeable due to the iron-clad law of the Medes and Per-sians . With the day of destruction set, Haman began preparing a special place in his home to kill Mordecai .

C. Mordecai’s PlanMordecai learned of Haman’s sinister plot,

but he did not immediately contact Esther for help . Instead he tore his clothes and mourn-ed in sackcloth and ashes . Like many of the Jews, he must have bemoaned the fact that the peace brought by the Persians had so quickly passed away . With a new Temple and many Jews returning to Jerusalem, the Persian Empire should have meant safety and prosperity for the Jews . Instead Haman had given the Jews an unretractable death sentence .

Esther sought to comfort her cousin Morde-cai . He had done so much by taking her in as a child . Now their roles were reversed . When Esther sent someone to provide Mordecai with a new change of clothes, he refused . In-stead he sent word to Esther, letting her know that she might be the solution to the dilemma . He asked Esther to appear before the king and do the unthinkable . She was to reveal her secret in order to preserve the lives of every Jew in all the provinces of Persia .

D. Esther’s DilemmaAll of her life Esther had obeyed Mordecai

without question, but she had nagging doubts about this plan . Since the king had not sum-moned Esther to appear before him for many days, Esther feared he might not hold out the royal scepter to welcome her into his presence . The king’s refusal to see her would mean in-stant death . The safer plan of action for Esther would be to remain silent . And yet she could not get Mordecai’s words out of her mind .

Mordecai had warned her she would not escape just because she lived in the palace and was the wife of the king . He also informed her that God could bring deliverance from another source . Most important, he told her, “And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) . Esther may have thought her royal posi-tion was a dream beyond her wildest wishes, but she came to realize God had intended for her to be an integral part of His plan . Haman had engaged in a wicked game of chess, but the Lord held the most powerful piece on the board—the queen .

E. The Church’s DilemmaGod has also strategically placed the

church in the world . We are the bride of Christ, but our privileged status does not mean we can sit idly when we see wickedness in the world . The church faces a dilemma similar to the one Esther confronted . We live in a world that may speak of freedom of religion while expressing disdain for our beliefs . The same Persian Empire that allowed the Jews the liberty to rebuild the Temple also sanctioned Haman’s plot against the Jews .

The world not only creates problems for the church, but sometimes we create problems


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for ourselves by thinking that the first task of the church is to serve its members’ needs . Churches often speak of a personal relation-ship with God and having one-on-one time with the Lord . While we should maintain an individual walk with God, we must not forget we are part of a community of believers . As part of the family of God, we must stand up for what is right . If we are kingdom-minded, we will get rid of our selfishness and look for ways to serve the kingdom of God .

III. THE BIG PICTURE

A. About the Jews The Jews throughout the Persian Empire

saw the big picture . Enemies had threatened their survival many times during their long his-tory as a people . Jacob had faced the threat of Esau . The Egyptians had followed the fleeing Israelites with the intention of killing them . The Canaanites had fought against Joshua and the Israelites . The Babylonians had almost de-stroyed the Jews . As a result, the Jews in the Persian Empire were probably not surprised by this latest turn of events . They may have felt disappointed because the Persian rule had seemed to hold such promise for them . Many of them battled fear, but they were counting on God to send deliverance .

Not about Mordecai . In the grand scheme of things, Mordecai was only a small part of this deliverance . He was the voice of faith and hope . He recognized that Esther could play a bigger role in averting this planned genocide than he had thought . Previous to Haman’s evil plan, God had allowed Mordecai to thwart a plot against the king . One night when the king could not sleep, he called for the book of the chronicles of Persia to be read to him . During the reading, he was reminded of Mordecai’s deed (Esther 6:1–2) . As a result, he made Ha-man honor Mordecai . But the situation was not a Haman-versus-Mordecai battle . The stakes were much higher . Many other enemies of the Jews began to salivate when they heard the decree against the Jews, bloodlust filling their hearts as they sharpened their weapons in preparation for slaughter .

In spite of Mordecai’s being honored by the king, he found himself virtually powerless to stop the enemies of the Jews . Whether he

found himself sitting in sackcloth and ashes or adorned in royal robes, he knew he lacked the power to change the situation . Nevertheless he recognized God had a master plan, and he encouraged Esther to fulfill the will of God .

Not about Esther. God’s master plan pivot-ed on Esther, but it went far beyond Esther . Esther could have lost sight of the big picture . With servants continually waiting on her and anticipating her needs before she even made a request, Esther could easily have forgotten what it was like to be submissive . After all, ev-eryone obeyed her, and she had to obey only the king . The girl whose parents had been taken from her could have reasoned she de-served her place on the throne as queen . She had suffered enough in life, and she need not risk everything . But the girl Mordecai raised also knew that obedience to her cousin had brought her farther than she could have ever dreamed . The humility that brought her to the palace still existed within her .

B. About the Kingdom of God We can spend our lives trying to get ahead

by building our own personal kingdoms . We can appreciate the blessings of God and feel as if we are deserving of reward because of all our hard work and faithfulness . Some of us may even feel as if we do not need to step out by faith and a take a godly risk because we have already suffered so much as faithful servants of the Lord . But the kingdom of God is not about us . The kingdom of God extends far beyond our reach . And yet God can use us to powerfully impact situations just as He used Esther . When we get rid of our “me-first” mindset and become kingdom-minded, we can truly see the plan God has for us .

IV. COURAGE

A. Esther’s CourageMany who have heard the story of Esther

multiple times may not fully recognize the suspense of the story . Esther felt intense fear as she came before the king . Her heart beat rapidly and time stood still until Ahasuerus ex-tended the royal scepter to her . One difficult act of obedience had brought her to the place where she needed to be in order to counteract Haman’s plan .


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The king’s acceptance . The king not only extended a welcome to Esther, but he offered her much more . He promised he would grant her request—even to the point of giving her half the kingdom (Esther 5:3) . Esther’s relieved heart must have leapt for joy as she realized she still had the king’s favor . The humility that had won her the goodwill of everyone she encountered in her path to becoming queen had given her an audience with the king and potential victory for her people .

Esther set the plan in motion . She invited the king and Haman to a banquet she had pre-pared . At the banquet, the king again asked Esther what her request was . She invited the king and Haman to a banquet the following day, promising she would let the king know her request at that time . At the second ban-quet, Esther informed the king of Haman’s evil plot, and soon Haman was groveling for his life in front of Esther . The king immediately had Haman executed by hanging on the gal-lows Haman had built for Mordecai .

Deliverance of the Jews. Deliverance for the Jews did not come easily . The king could not revoke his decree because the law could not be changed . Esther may have feared she had come to the kingdom for such a time as this only to fall short of her goal of saving her people .

After Esther revealed to the king how she and Mordecai were related, the king called for Mordecai . The king gave Mordecai the ring Haman had worn . Then Esther requested that the king would “let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman . . . which he wrote to destroy the Jews” (Esther 8:5) . The king allowed Mordecai to dictate a letter to the scribes in the king’s name declaring that the Jews could defend themselves from attack by any who came against them on the appoint-ed day . Mordecai sealed the letters with the king’s ring, and a letter was delivered to every province in the kingdom .

Upon hearing of the new edict, the Jews celebrated with a feast . Today Jews com-memorate Esther’s victory over Haman in a holiday called Purim . The holiday refers to pur, a word meaning “lot .” Haman had cast the lot to destroy the Jews (Esther 3:7; 9:24, 26) . Jews celebrate Purim by eating a des-sert called hamantaschen (‘hä-mən-tä-shən),

which means “Haman’s ears .” They retell the story of Esther, and they boo whenever the wicked Haman is mentioned .

B. The Church’s CourageLike Esther, the church has a divine destiny .

Many in the kingdom of God may be look-ing for alternatives when they face hardships and temptations . When confronted by these difficulties, the Bible has the same answer—rejoice! I Peter 4:12–13 tells us not to think the fiery trial we are experiencing is some “strange thing” that has happened to us . Instead we are to rejoice because we are partakers of Christ’s suffering . Similarly, James 1:2–3 encourages us to “count it all joy” when we fall into many kinds of temptations . Esther faced a serious test of faith, and she was tempted to do noth-ing . Thankfully she heeded Mordecai’s advice and the Jews were saved .

God will deliver. One thing, however, we should learn from this story is that God would have delivered the Jews even if Esther had not come through for her people . Mordecai told her if she did not act, then enlargement (relief) and deliverance would come from another place (Esther 4:14) . We must be confident in God’s ability to save us, but we must also be willing participants in God’s rescue plan .

The gates of Hell cannot destroy. We know the gates of Hell cannot prevail against the church, but the key word is prevail, which means there will be a battle . However, no mat-ter how fierce the battle is, we can overcome the enemy . We are not alone in the fight . We have the Lord, and even now the Lord is pre-paring an army . Psalm 127 tells of the children of the youth being like arrows in the hands of a mighty man . We are happy to have our quiver full of arrows because they will rebuke the en-emy at the gates of Hell . Mordecai may have had only the one arrow he received when he took in the orphan Esther, but his training al-lowed her to hit the mark of her high calling (Philippians 3:14) . We must ensure we are keeping our quivers full of young people and readying them for the mission God has for them .

The church is to rescue the lost. The main mission of the church is to win the lost . Many times the battle is not easy . In fact, Jude tells us that sometimes it takes compassion to


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make a difference, but at other times we must snatch the lost out of the fire (Jude 22–23) . Whenever we feel the Spirit urging us to wit-ness, we should act . Who knows whether God has chosen us to meet individuals at that very moment and bring them into the king-dom of God?


Every generation is known by a moniker . World War II gave us The Greatest Genera-tion . The Baby Boomers were the children of these WWII vets . They were followed by Generations X and Y . Entire decades can be characterized by shifts in society . Collectively, those living in the 1980s were known as the “Me Generation .” Many individuals were ac-quiring vast amounts of wealth, and parents were splurging on cars and homes for them-selves while equipping their children with the latest video games and music .

Fast-forward to the present, and it seems as if we are living in a similar time . Now, however, we might call it the “I” generation because so many people have i-Phones and i-Pads and are taking selfies . Although we may not char-acterize ourselves as rich, many of us have far more resources and disposable income than the rest of the world . Whether or not we fully appreciate the blessings God has given us, we are living like kings and queens .

But such a lifestyle comes with a price . Part of the price may be related to financial stew-ardship, but the real cost is the depletion of our devotion to the kingdom of God . We may have become too comfortable to work for the good of the Kingdom . We might prefer to en-joy our success rather than put everything on the line to help someone else .

The times we live in may prevent us from being discerning of God’s timing . Ephesians 5:15–16 tells us it is wise to redeem the time because “the days are evil .” As did Esther, we live in both prosperity and peril; but we must not be “unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17) .

Even when Esther was confronted with the fact that she was the obvious choice to deliver her people, she hesitated . We may also have cold feet when it comes to stepping out by faith and rescuing a lost world . But we have an assurance Esther did not have . She did not know for certain the king would receive her if she approached him . In contrast, we know our King is always ready to hear our pleas . Hebrews 4:16 states, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need .” We must not only approach the throne with our own needs, but we must also come before our King with the needs of a lost and dying world .

REFLECTIONS

• Today’s lesson talked about the importance of placing the church’s needs over our in-dividual needs . How do we make sure we have time for our own spiritual growth while being committed to working in the kingdom of God?

• Like Esther, the early church had favor with God and with people (Acts 2:47) . How do we gain and maintain this favor?

• Esther had come into her royal position by divine appointment . Tell about a time when you found yourself in the right place at the right time to do something to advance the kingdom of God .

• In order to make this lesson more personal, think about what God is asking you to do right now . Share God’s plan with others, and make a commitment to respond with obedience and courage as Esther did .


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FOCUS VERSE

Acts 9:27But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apos-

tles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus .

LESSON TEXT

Acts 9:26–3126 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed

to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple .

27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus .

28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem .29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians:

but they went about to slay him .30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth

to Tarsus .31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were

edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied .

Acts 11:25–2625 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch . And it came to pass, that a

whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people . And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch .

Acts 13:1–2, 42–431 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as

Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul .

2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them .

. . . . .

42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath .

43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God .

FOCUS THOUGHT

Many people have risen to productive lives and leadership roles as the result of someone daring to believe in them.

THE MERCIFUL MEDIATOR

WEEK 507.03.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

A Chance for Acceptance

“Bruce Pearl is a forgiving sort . It comes with the territory, of course . It’s just that Pearl is more intimately

attuned to this emotion than most .” So wrote Ryan Black in the December 16, 2014, edition of the Ledger-Enquirer newspaper of Colum-bus, Georgia .

Black went on to write, “After all, Pearl need-ed someone to take a chance on him after his tenure at Tennessee ended in disgrace . Slapped with a three-year show-cause penal-ty from the NCAA . . . Pearl left coaching . . . . Yet he always wanted to pick up a whistle and get back to teaching the sport he loves . Auburn gave him that opportunity” (www.ledger-enquir-er.com, “Bruce Pearl a firm believer in second chances,” accessed February 25, 2015) .

What would have become of apostle Paul without someone like Barnabas to believe in him and give him a chance for acceptance in the fledgling church? Barnabas dared to be-lieve in Paul’s conversion experience, and he took him and introduced him to the apostles . Little did any of them know at that time that this former persecutor of Christians would one day become an apostle to the Gentiles . But it only became a reality because of a man who dared to believe in Paul and fill the role of a merciful mediator, ensuring Paul’s opportu-nity to be given a chance as a new believer in Christ Jesus .

Second chances are good; we all some-times need the opportunity of a second chance .

OUTLINE

I. PAUL’S BACKGROUND A . Was Born a Roman Citizen B . Was Raised as a Devout Pharisee C . Persecuted the Church D . Encountered Jesus on the

Damascus Road E . Was Visited by Ananias

II. BARNABAS’S BACKGROUND A . His Name Means “Son of

Consolation” B . He Had a Commanding Presence C . He Demonstrated Humility D . He Was a Lifelong Encourager

III. TAKING A CHANCE A . Mediators Are Discerning and

Selfless B . Mediators Correct Misconceptions C . Mediators See Results of Mercy


The first Pentecost uniquely equipped Christians for evangelism . When the first Christians received the Spirit, they spoke in languages they had not learned . Jews who had come from other nations to Jerusalem

for the Feast of Pentecost heard God being glorified in their own diverse languages . And the rest of the Book of Acts became the stage upon which this phenomenon was made man-ifest . By the end of Acts, the Christians had penetrated with stunning success to the very heart of Rome—the hub of the ancient world .

In general, religious beliefs in antiquity were confined to local boundaries, dialects, and ethnicities . Religions only occasionally gained adherents from outside their native habitations . Pockets of Eastern mysticism, Zoroastrianism, and the cults of Osiris and Dionysus sometimes appeared in the West . The people of Rome did indeed consider themselves devotees of the gods of Hellas (though they changed their names from Zeus to Jupiter, Ares to Mars, and so forth) . And an occasional Gentile who was sympathetic to Judaism could be found among the citizens of Rome . The nature of most ancient religions, outside of Judaism, tended not to make universal claims . Where imported religions ex-isted, they settled down comfortably side by side with the local religions .

However, the world had never before seen anything like Christianity . Not only did Chris-tianity make universal claims about the God


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it worshiped, but the gospel exploded out-side the confines of its Palestinian cradle and became an international, multilingual, multi-ethnic thorn in the side of imperial Rome .

One man in particular embodied everything the Book of Acts is about: the apostle Paul . Paul was not merely “Pentecostal”; he was, in a sense, Pentecost itself . He was “all things to all men”; he left behind his deep-seated ha-tred and learned to love the kind of people he had despised .

He could command the attention of Athe-nian philosophers on Mars’ Hill and bewilder the Jewish Sanhedrin with his subtle under-standing of the Mosaic law . He could win the affection of soldiers and tentmakers (Priscilla and Aquila) as well as earn the admiration of kings and governors . He used metaphors from both the Olympian games and the Torah with equal insight . He was instant “in season” and “out of season” (II Timothy 4:2) . There may never have been nor may there ever be again a man so versatile an evangelist and useful for the worldwide mission of the church .

The same intellectual and organization-al abilities that had made him perhaps the church’s single greatest threat before his con-version also made him the greatest Christian evangelist after his conversion .

A man’s potential for good is in direct pro-portion to his potential for evil; the greater the man’s potential to do great things, the great-er his potential to destroy . We can see how dangerous Paul was to the early Christian movement by observing how indispensable he later became to the Christian cause . Imag-ine the damage he could have done to Christianity had the Lord not confronted him on the road to Damascus .

Who would trust such a man? If trust has to be earned, then who could trust the man who, though he had reportedly been converted, was in recent times “breathing out threaten-ings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1)? Perhaps his “conversion” was merely a ploy to ascertain the where-abouts of its key members . No doubt Saul (whom we know by his Greek name, Paul) was personally responsible for the imprison-ment and death of many Christians’ friends and family members (Acts 22:4) . It is like-ly he would have to face some to whom he

had personally administered beatings (Acts 22:19) . How could they face him—much less trust him? There are, however, people who have accepted the ministry of mediation and encouragement . Barnabas was one of those people . He trusted Saul on the slimmest evidence .

The fate of the Gentile nations hung in the balance; the fate of Christianity depended on the ability of someone to offer unmerited trust to Saul . And Barnabas, having no guarantees except whatever promptings arose in his soul, extended the hand of friendship and brother-hood to him .


I. PAUL’S BACKGROUND

A. Was Born a Roman CitizenThe term person meant something different

in the Roman Empire than it means today . To-day it refers to a rational being—specifically a human being considered in his or her own right . But in the Roman Empire, person re-ferred specifically to one’s legal status . Only a free male could be considered a person and given legal status . Much as today a business attains legal status by being incorporated (that is, “to be given a legal body”) and therefore is granted by a government certain protections before the law, freeborn males were given legal privileges and guaranteed legal rights by Rome . Such men were called Romaios, a Roman . Freeborn males in Italy were automat-ically Romans; and a family from one of the Roman provinces could attain, but only in spe-cial cases, Roman status (usually by having done a Roman governor or magistrate a favor) .

Paul’s family hailed from Tarsus, a Roman province on the coast of modern-day Turkey . Because Paul was a Roman, he was able to use his legal status on three occasions to se-cure rights given only to Romans: He used his status to strike fear into the magistrates of Philippi (Acts 16:38) and the chief captain in Jerusalem (Acts 22:29); and he used his status to attain a hearing from Caesar (Acts 25:10) . In fact, Paul called attention to the distinction between his acquisition of Roman citizenship by birth and the captain’s having had to pay for citizenship (Acts 22:28) .


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It seems that Paul’s family was a highly re-spected clan in Tarsus—perhaps dear to the Roman officials there (in Philippians 4:22, Paul indicated he was on friendly terms with “Caesar’s household”) . His connections al-lowed him to move about the Mediterranean with ease . The two relatives he named—An-dronicus and Junia (Romans 16:7)—had Roman names; and his sister seemed to have had access to privileged information in Jeru-salem and was able to dispatch her son to send Paul a warning (Acts 23:16) . His status and connections made him a dangerous man to trifle with .

B. Was Raised as a Devout PhariseeIn spite of Paul’s Roman background, his

words to the Philippians leave little doubt to where his true sympathies lay . He was an ethnic Jew who freely described himself as having been zealous for the Jewish cause—even to the point of persecuting those who appeared to threaten Jewish stability (Philip-pians 3:6) .

He was born “Saul”; and like King Saul more than a millennium before, he was born of the tribe of Benjamin . Perhaps he was named after a close relative, or perhaps he was named after Israel’s first king . Ironically, whereas King Saul was described as head and shoulders taller than anyone, Saul of Tar-sus was apparently so slight that somewhere along the way Greek-speaking associates nicknamed him Paul, which means “small” or “tiny .” He was described as a man who did not possess an imposing appearance (II Corinthi-ans 10:10) . One late-second-century Christian document (The Acts of Paul and Thecla 1:7) says of his appearance: “a man little of stat-ure, thin-haired upon the head, crooked in the legs, of good state of body, with eyebrows joining, and nose somewhat hooked, full of grace: for sometimes he appeared like a man, and sometimes he had the face of an angel .”

Whatever his physical appearance, he pos-sessed a keen and powerful mind . Paul was a formidable enemy . And though he had many enemies—some of them eventually as power-ful as Rome itself—Paul usually came out on top . He was inclined to the Pharisees’ interpre-tation of Jewish theology and eschatology, and he went to great lengths to enforce these views .

The Pharisees were theologically orthodox, but they adapted a policy of tolerance toward Roman rule . Rome was hypersensitive about any rival claims for the imperial throne . The idea of an invincible, heavenly Messiah-king would only encourage Rome to lay down more oppressive measures and dispatch more brutal troops to Jerusalem . For the sake of the peace of Jerusalem and the sanctity of the Temple, Pharisees attempted to suppress any radical Jewish movement that threatened the fragile status quo . The Christians, who at first were believed merely to be the latest it-eration of yet another radical sect of Judaism with its claims of a risen and soon-returning Messiah, seemed to threaten this stability . As a Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus shared this appre-hension and joined in the attempt to suppress and even eradicate these Christ followers .

C. Persecuted the ChurchBeing a persecutor and later a recipient of

so much crowd violence, it is appropriate (and disorienting at the same time) that the first men-tion of Saul in the Bible showed him at the mob execution of Stephen . (See Acts 7:58–8:1 .) It appears he stood among the executioners but did not personally participate in the stoning .

After being called before the council for questioning, Stephen, a Christian deacon, preached to them, beginning with God’s call to Abraham (Acts 7:2) . When Stephen ac-cused the council members of not keeping the Law and of being betrayers and murder-ers (Acts 7:51–53), the council members were “cut to the heart” (Acts 7:54) . Then Stephen claimed to be having a vision of the Son of Man standing in the heavens (Acts 7:56) . This constituted three strikes against Stephen .

In Mark 14:63, the high priest had ripped his garments in protest against blasphemy upon hearing Jesus identify Himself with the coming Son of Man . (See Mark 14:62–64 .) When Stephen lifted his eyes and said he saw the Son of Man in the heavens, the hearers covered their ears to spare themselves from hearing “blasphemy .” Then they took Stephen out of the city and stoned him . So overcome with anger were they, that they found their cloaks hindering them from throwing stones as hard as they possibly could . They thus en-trusted their cloaks to Saul .


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This is a fascinating and telling—if unflatter-ing—first impression of Saul . He was zealous, but he wasn’t one of those so overcome with anger he would take the law into his own hands and stone a man without a proper tri-al . He appeared to be calm and collected . He consented to Stephen’s death, but he did not stoop to the level of crowd vigilantism and become an executioner without a legal war-rant . Thus our first portrait of Saul is that of a legalistic stickler for law and order . He did not throw stones himself, but he watched the mob’s cloaks so the men could throw stones harder and with better aim .

However in Acts 8:3, it seems Saul me-thodically hunted Christians, chasing them as far north as Damascus in order to arraign them in Jerusalem . With the sweeping powers granted to him, he personally administered beatings; and there is even a hint that, much to his later shame, he put men and women of the Christian community to death (Acts 22:4) .

D. Encountered Jesus on the Damascus Road

Saul was indomitable . The early Christians opposed him; then the unbelieving Jews opposed him . The Nabataean King Aretus opposed him; sorcerers opposed him; magis-trates, governors, philosophers, silversmiths, and whole cities opposed him . He even found that his own flesh constantly fought against him . Satan buffeted him, his own brethren deserted him, the sea tossed him, snakes bit him, jailers beat him, Christian leaders from Jerusalem undermined him, friends forgot him, and Rome prepared to behead him . No one, though, was able to overcome Saul’s will . Except one . While Saul journeyed to Damas-cus, Jesus met him . Saul walked away from that encounter blind . When he was finally able to see again, he saw the world with new eyes .

E. Was Visited by AnaniasBlind Saul was led to the house of Judas

in Damascus . There he had a vision of a Christian, Ananias, perhaps one of the very men Saul was on his way to find and incar-cerate . As Saul’s vision foretold, Ananias came to Judas’s house . Laying hands on Saul, Ananias said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus . . . hath sent me, that thou might

receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:17) . Saul’s sight returned, and Ananias baptized him .

The Christians in Damascus accepted Saul, but when he came to Jerusalem, he was met with deep suspicion . If, however, he was going to fulfill his calling as the apostle to the Gentiles, he was, at some point, going to have to receive the blessing of the moth-er church—the church at Jerusalem . But this had been the scene of Saul’s evil deeds . Cit-izens of Jerusalem had a good memory, and it was no different with Saul . Not only had he now turned his back on the high priest and the anti-Christian mission, but he somehow had to befriend the people he had recently tried to ruin . He was truly a man without a home . The church with which he needed to establish goodwill was the very church he had deeply offended .

II. BARNABAS’S BACKGROUND

A. His Name Means “Son of Consolation”

The disciples in Jerusalem were rightly skit-tish about Saul . As mentioned earlier, there were likely Christian men and women in Jeru-salem whom Saul had beaten and imprisoned or those who had a relative or friend whom Saul had put to death . Only a man of the high-est reputation among them would have been able to assure the Christians that Saul had good intentions . Such was Barnabas .

A man from Cyprus, born of the tribe of Levi, given the name Joseph at birth, the apostles gave him the nickname Barnabas, which Luke tells us means “Son of Encouragement” (some translations use the synonymous “Son of Consolation”) . The first mention of Joseph “Barnabas” was his going beyond his fellow Christians in their giving by taking the un-precedented step of selling land and laying the proceeds at the apostles’ feet . (See Acts 4:36–37 .)

B. He Had a Commanding Presence In the Roman year 761 (our ad 8), Ovid, the

great Latin-speaking storyteller and author of the stunningly successful Metamorphoses, di-rected the imaginations of his readers to the distant East .


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The old tales he told spread as fast as rumor . He was so deft at his craft that people on both sides of the Mediterranean knew his stories, and to some extent they believed the historicity of his tales . One of his stories tells of a visit the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes (the Romans called them Jupiter and Mercury) made to Phrygia (a territory in southwestern Anatolia, that is, modern Turkey) . They came down in the guise of mortal men and beggars . When they knocked on the inhabitants’ doors, they were met with a unanimous sentiment: cold indifference . Unable to find shelter in the nic-er homes, they came at last to the home of Baucis and Philemon, a poor, middle-aged couple, whom Ovid called “pia” or “pious” (faithful, god-fearing) .

Baucis and Philemon, said Ovid, welcomed the beggars . Baucis threw a rough coat over their cold, wet bodies; she cooked the bit of sow that was hang-drying from the rafters; and she seated the visitors at the couple’s humble table . When the wine did not run out, the couple learned they were entertaining not mere beggars but gods . The gods blessed them for their kindness to strangers, made them priest of a temple, and flooded the town for its inhospitality . The couple had treated the beggars like gods; therefore the gods treated the lowly couple like exalted priests .

We can’t say for certain whether Ovid’s story actually generated an expectation of a divine visitation in southwestern Asia Mi-nor or his story merely reflected an already widespread tradition among the backward and superstitious Phrygians . Whatever the case, when Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra (Acts 14), the inhabitants, who had just seen Paul heal a cripple, went into a frenzy . They decked Paul and Barnabas with garlands and lit the sacrificial altars; priests of Zeus scurried out of their temple, shouting, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

According to legend, winged Hermes was the swift messenger and interpreter of his father Zeus, the mighty “cloud-gathering,” “thunder-wielding” son of Chronos . Believing Paul to be Barnabas’s subordinate, the peo-ple called Paul “Hermes”; Barnabas, being an impressive and charismatic figure, they as-sumed was Zeus in human disguise .

C. He Demonstrated HumilityAt first, whenever Luke mentioned Barnabas

and Saul (Paul) together as missionary part-ners, he listed Barnabas first: “Barnabas and Saul .” (See Acts 11:30; 12:25; 13:2, 7 .) Barn-abas was the clear leader (the first name in ancient lists usually spoke to its order of prom-inence) . But suddenly everything changed when the two arrived in Paphos, where the country’s deputy, Sergius Paulus, witnessed Paul rebuking a magician . As a result, the dep-uty became a believer . After Sergius Paulus’s conversion and Paul’s subsequent sermon in Pisidian Antioch, Luke began to invert the or-der of names to reflect this new reality: “Paul and Barnabas” (Acts 13:43) .

However, in the letter the elders of Je-rusalem sent with Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15:23–29, the elders still referred to the two in the former way: “It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul . . . .” In Jerusalem, Barnabas was still consid-ered the authority, but everywhere else, the two were referred to as Paul and Barnabas .

The episode in Lystra is suggestive of the kind of charisma and stature Barnabas seemed to possess . True, Lystrians assumed Paul was Hermes because he was the one who did the speaking . But their legends just as often depicted Zeus as the one who would speak . In fact, in Ovid’s tale of Baucis and Philemon only Zeus spoke; Hermes was the silent partner . Even though Paul had spoken the word of power, something told Lystrian eyes that Barnabas was the more likely of the two to be the “cloud-gatherer .” They used their mythology to try to interpret and make sense of the present . But not only had they mischaracterized the nature of the two men (they were not Greek gods), but also they had misjudged Paul and Barnabas’s relationship .

D. He Was a Lifelong EncouragerSaul was not the only person Barnabas

encouraged . He believed in John Mark even when the now not-so-young Paul no longer did . Although John Mark had left Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, Barnabas chose Mark to accompany him when he sailed to Cyprus . Barnabas’s instinct


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for encouraging young men for the minis-try was impeccable . At least fourteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament were written by either Paul or Mark—both of whom received the gift of Barnabas’s support and encouragement . This makes Barnabas indirectly responsible for more than half of the New Testament books .

III. TAKING A CHANCE

A. Mediators Are Discerning and Selfless

Mediators take risks . They have no guaran-tee the person they are taking a chance on will not hurt them in the end . However, Barnabas discerned that Saul’s conversion was real and the zeal and focus he used in persecuting the church could be used in a positive way to fur-ther the kingdom of God . When the church at Jerusalem did not believe Saul’s story, Barnabas took up for him and convinced the apostles that Saul had indeed been converted . Barnabas told them how Saul “had preached boldly in Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27) . Because the apostles trusted Barnabas, they had faith in what he told them and then were willing to accept Saul .

It has been said that of all the musical in-struments there are to master, second fiddle is the most difficult.

On their missionary journey, Barnabas re-alized Paul would soon take the leading role in their endeavors . Human nature, being what it is, does not often take kindly to going from first to second place . It has been said that of all the musical instruments there are to mas-ter, second fiddle is the most difficult . The man who was once mistaken for Zeus in compari-son to Paul found himself in the backseat, but he never allowed this development to become a source of contention between them .

Given that Barnabas’s nature was to be an encourager, he was likely happy to see the prominence Paul had achieved in the ministry in such a short time . And Barnabas may have felt a sense of satisfaction in knowing he had played a part in helping Paul to become ac-cepted in his early ministry .

In a similar manner, Barnabas discerned that in spite of John Mark’s leaving before their missionary journey was completed, the young man had great potential . Barnabas was willing to mentor him and help him develop his ministry .

B. Mediators Correct MisconceptionsYoung men and women need hours of

training for the Christian life . But the value of simple encouragement cannot be overstated . Among the more prominent and public minis-tries, the ministry of encouragement is often an overlooked and undervalued ministry . In fact, it is often not viewed as an official ministry at all . We all need correction and instruction . But we also need encouragment, that is, to be inspired to take courage and believe that, with God’s help, we are fully capable of exceeding even our own life’s expectations . Mediators not only correct others’ misconceptions about the one they are encouraging, but they also correct young men’s and women’s miscon-ceptions about themselves .

C. Mediators See Results of Mercy Over the course of years, Barnabas’s “proj-

ects” appear together in II Timothy 4:11: “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is prof-itable to me for the ministry .” Paul, having learned well from Barnabas, was in the mid-dle of encouraging young Timothy when he instructed him to bring Mark along on the jour-ney to visit Paul . We cannot know if Barnabas was still alive at this point, but how proud he would have been to see both generations of his protégés working together for the Christian cause . Paul’s ministry vindicated Barnabas’s early trust in him . And Paul even had to admit Barnabas had been right about Mark .

While we may have those who let us down and take advantage of our trust, the one or two who blossom in response to our faith in them will be well worth the risks we took . A mediator’s trust will eventually be


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rewarded, and the reward will far outweigh the disappointments .


In his search for wisdom, Job used the idea of a miner in search of precious jewels and metals .

“Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. . . . The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. . . . He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth ev-ery precious thing. He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light” (Job 28:1–2, 6, 10–11).

The miner in search of treasure sees “ev-ery precious thing” and brings that which is hidden to light . His keen sense for the hidden gem guides him . He says to himself, “Surely there is a vein for the silver .” He goes beyond what human eyes can see . He tunnels deep, treading dangerous paths, hoping to emerge from the darkness with something precious to hold up to the light of day and admire .

And so did Barnabas . He put his reputation on the line when he stood up for Paul; he put his friendship with Paul on the line when he stood up for Mark . Beneath the fierce rep-utation of Saul and the frightened timidity of Mark, Barnabas saw great-spirited men—men who, if given a measure of trust, would pro-mote and die for the Christian cause .

Perhaps there are individuals in our lives who need someone to see beneath the sur-face and declare: “Surely there is a vein for the silver!”

REFLECTIONS

• Has someone been a “Barnabas” to you? Discuss your experience .• Have you been a “Barnabas” to someone? • Is there anyone the Holy Spirit is prompting you to take under your wing and mentor?• In light of the fact that being able to persuade members of the community to trust someone

like a Saul of Tarsus or a Mark requires the community to trust you first, how important is build-ing and maintaining a solid reputation within the community?

• Jesus is our great mediator . He died for us while we were yet sinners . How does our role as mediators echo Christ’s mediatorial ministry?


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FOCUS VERSE

II Timothy 4:11Only Luke is with me . Take Mark, and bring him with

thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry .

LESSON TEXT

Acts 12:12, 2512 And when he had considered the thing, he came to

the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying .

. . . . .

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark .

Acts 13:5, 135 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the

Jews: and they had also John to their minister .

. . . . .

13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem .

Acts 15:36-4036 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in

every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do .37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark .38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia,

and went not with them to the work .39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the

other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace

of God .

II Timothy 4:1111 Only Luke is with me . Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the

ministry .

FOCUS THOUGHT

It is refreshing when someone steps forward and demonstrates the godly principle of patience to rescue those who fail.

RESCUING THE RUNAWAY

WEEK 6 07.10.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

Patience for Those Who Fall Short of Our Expectations

When John Mark left Paul and Barna-bas’s first missionary journey, Paul was disappointed in him . For that

reason Paul did not want to take Mark on the proposed second journey (Acts 15:38) . It became a point of contention between Paul and Barnabas, who insisted that Mark go along (Acts 15:39) . Consequently, Paul and Barnabas agreed to disagree and went separate ways with Barnabas taking Mark with him .

Barnabas demonstrated a strong sense of spiritual maturity, patience, and godliness in his effort to mentor John Mark . He defended him, expressed confidence in him, and took him along for ministry . What a vitally important role for mature believers in the church—car-ing for the weaker brethren and rescuing them from failures!

One writer observed the following: “God is not only the God of second chances; He is the God of another chance . This is good news because most of us mess up the sec-ond chance fairly quickly . One of the amazing facets of God’s character is His incredible pa-tience with us” (www.gotquestions.org, “What Does the Bible Say about Second Chances?” accessed February 25, 2015) .

It is interesting that Paul so quickly gave up on John Mark after being patiently cared for himself by Barnabas upon first coming into the church . We all need to be a little more patient with those who fail to meet our ex-pectations . Even Paul ultimately recognized Mark’s value to the kingdom of God and re-quested of Timothy: “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (II Timothy 4:11) .

OUTLINE

I. PATIENCE NECESSARY A . John Mark’s Background B . Early Immaturity

II. PATIENCE TESTED A . Paul Focused on the Past B . Barnabas Had Patience

III. PATIENCE REWARDED A . John Mark Matured B . John Mark Wrote the Gospel of Mark C . Patience Is Priceless


As creatures of time, we are in the process of “becoming .” Time is the method God has chosen to unveil His purposes, and time is the potter’s wheel upon which we are shaped ac-cording to those purposes . When we demand results now, we are often rejecting God’s mode of operation . When we demand that God intervene and change someone’s mind immediately, we often fail to reckon with the

fact that God typically does not impose His will upon anyone . Instead, He uses time—the instrument of His will—to stimulate and inspire change . Dealing with disappointments, com-ing to grips with our mortality, and suffering hardships, but also experiencing joys, mer-cies, unmerited kindnesses, and unexpected pleasures are all God’s agents of change .

Therefore it is important to learn the value of patience, for patience demonstrates wisdom and understanding . Having patience shows that an individual trusts not only what God is going to do but also how He is going to do it .

This brings us to the subject of Mark—a somewhat shadowy figure in the New Testa-ment . We are given four solid facts from which to infer and reconstruct his role in early church history: (1) As a younger man, he abandoned an early Christian missions effort with Paul and Barnabas . (2) When considering a sec-ond missionary journey, Barnabas believed in Mark enough to risk an important friendship with Paul . When choosing between continu-ing a successful missionary endeavor with


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Paul or embarking upon a mission with the previously unreliable Mark, Barnabas coun-terintuitively chose the latter . (3) Mark’s later years revealed a marked change: he won the respect of Paul, vindicated Barnabas’s earli-er belief in him (II Timothy 4:11), and earned the affection and trust of Peter, who called him “son” (I Peter 5:13) . (4) Mark is credited with having recorded the Gospel that now bears his name .

The patience of Barnabas, it seems, played a key role in Mark’s successful minis-try development . Barnabas believed a man’s failure is not final and God is time’s master, shaping and revealing the man He intended Mark to be .


I. PATIENCE NECESSARY

A. John Mark’s BackgroundOur first explicit information regarding Mark

comes in Acts 12:12 . Here, after being mirac-ulously released from prison, Peter “came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gath-ered together praying .” Tradition has it that this house was the site of the Last Supper, the place where the apostles prayed after Christ’s ascension, the place where the Holy Spirit fell on the Day of Pentecost, and where Mathias was elected as a disciple in place of Judas . If tradition is correct, then what a home Mark must have grown up in!

But even if tradition is unreliable on this point, it is significant that Peter’s first instinct af-ter being released from prison was to go to this house . Mark’s mother’s house was a house of prayer . The connection that would later lead to Mark’s recording of his Gospel through the eyewitness teaching and preaching of Peter was established here, and the home had wit-nessed strange and miraculous events .

Luke, in accord with Paul’s effort to see the church as a Jewish and Gentile hybrid people of God, often stressed in Acts the Jewish- Gentile nature of the church . We can see this emphasis in the way Luke introduced us to Mark: He was called first by his Jewish name, John (Yohanan), and then by his Greek-Latin name, Mark (Marcus) . We can be fairly certain

Mark was a Jew, probably of the tribe of Levi, because his mother owned a home in Jerusa-lem, and he was a near relative of Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus (Acts 4:36) .

B. Early ImmaturityAfter Barnabas and Saul, who later was re-

ferred to as Paul, had fulfilled their calling in Jerusalem, they took John Mark and set off for Antioch . In Antioch “the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them” (Acts 13:2) . The Spirit did not mention Mark . Mark, it would seem, went along as an apprentice and a servant to his elders . (See Acts 13:5 .)

The three set off for Antioch’s port city, Selu-cia, and sailed to Cyprus—Barnabas’s native country . From there they went to Salamis . Up to this point, little of note seems to have happened . (See Acts 13:4–5 .) However, when they arrived at Paphos, their mission took an eerie turn . A certain Bar-Jesus (Son of Jesus), serving perhaps as a personal adviser to the territory’s deputy, Sergius Paulus, felt threat-ened by the teachings of Saul and Barnabas . (See Acts 13:6–8 .)

Bar-Jesus was also called Elymas, which Luke translates as “sorcerer .” As Elymas at-tempted to poison the budding relationship between the missionaries and Sergius Paulus, Saul “filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season” (Acts 13:9–11) . Indeed, the man who claimed to have insight into spiritual matters became, like Saul after his Damascus en-counter, blind and needing someone to take him by the hand .

This may be where Mark changed his mind about being an evangelist . Perhaps this en-counter with Elymas was all Mark could take, for afterward he headed home to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13) . Mark’s departure at this point is probably not coincidental . Perhaps he saw what real demonic opposition was like and faltered .

Time went by and Paul and Barnabas found themselves in Jerusalem again (Acts 15:36–40) .


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After deciding to go on another missions trip, Barnabas proposed that they take Mark along again . In fact, the language is much stronger than that: Barnabas was “determined” to take Mark . Paul, however, was equally determined not to take him because Mark had left them on the previous missionary journey . “The conten-tion was so sharp between them” (Acts 15:39) that Barnabas and Paul never went on a mis-sions trip together again .

It seems as if Luke forgot about Mark; the last mention of Mark and Barnabas in Acts was when Barnabas took him to Cyprus .

II. PATIENCE TESTED

A. Paul Focused on the PastIt is common for people to try to gain some

measure of predictability of the future by pay-ing heed to what has happened in the past . Life teaches us a person’s past is often a snapshot of that person’s future . A man may seem to have changed, and he may believe he has changed; he may even promise that his mistakes belong in the past and he has learned from them . But our experiences warn us that when the euphoria of the moment dies down and old temptations haunt him again, he may return to his old ways and become what he once was .

Paul knew better than anyone that people can change . He was the one who urged the Philippian church to forget “those things which are behind” and to reach forward to “those things which are before” (Philippians 3:13) . But he also knew people are frail and once a man put his hands to the plow only to look back, that man was bound to follow the direction in which he was looking . Paul set high standards for himself, and he expected nothing less from the people with whom he worked . Missions was for the committed, not the indecisive . But Paul, in all of his wisdom and experience, was blind to something Barnabas saw .

Though Barnabas probably had no notion of the almost unparalleled service Mark would ultimately render to the kingdom of Heaven, Barnabas evidently saw potential in Mark that he felt was worth developing . The Christian faith insists people can indeed change, and in this instance, Barnabas applied this tenet to Mark’s life .

B. Barnabas Had Patience

“The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God perad-venture will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (II Timothy 2:24–26).

Ironically, it was Paul, not Barnabas, who wrote these words . But they characterize Barnabas’s attitude toward Mark . Barnabas’s patience demonstrated trust in God’s sover-eign oversight and care . He could have given up on Mark and decided to remain with the blossoming Paul—in whom Barnabas had a personal stake . (See previous lesson 5 .) But Barnabas believed in Mark and wanted to give him a second chance . Traveling with Mark would give Barnabas an opportunity to encourage him and help restore his faith and confidence in God and in his calling to the ministry .

III. PATIENCE REWARDED

A. John Mark MaturedIn time, Barnabas’s patience was vindicat-

ed . We do not know what happened to bring Mark to maturity, but evidently he changed completely . It is possible the missionary trip with Barnabas played a large part in that change . While writing from prison, Paul called upon the services of Mark . In fact, immediate-ly after mentioning that another young man, Demas, had abandoned him and become apostate, Paul wrote to Timothy: “Only Luke is with me . Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (II Timothy 4:11) .

It is ironic how life sometimes brings us full circle! Here in one verse we have a reunion: Luke, the only one to record Mark’s failure; Paul, who believed Mark’s failure was crip-pling; and Mark, the runaway himself . At a time when Paul was looking for strong Chris-tian support and fellowship in his last days on earth, he called for, of all people, Mark .


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B. John Mark Wrote the Gospel of Mark

According to Papias, a Christian presbyter in early second century ad, at some point later in life Mark compiled the teachings and mem-ories of Peter into what became known as the Gospel of Mark . This early witness to Mark’s contribution to the canon of Scripture does fit with what little we know of Mark . Despite be-ing an ethnic Jew, Mark had a Latin surname (Marcus), and the last record we have of him in the Bible is in II Timothy 4:11 where Paul called for him to come to Rome . Peter stat-ed that Mark was in “Babylon” (a metaphor for Rome derived from the Old Testament) in I Peter 5:13 .

Mark’s Gospel seems to have been written for a Roman audience; only his Gospel uses terms translated from Latin into Greek, such as “legion,” “tribute,” “scourged” (Mark 5:9; 12:14; 15:15) . And only Mark records the sto-ry of the Roman centurion declaring that it was the Son of God who had just been crucified (Mark 15:39) .

The tradition that Peter was the primary source for the content of Mark’s Gospel is also corroborated by the Gospel’s internal evidence . The internal evidence strongly sug-gests it was written from a close eyewitness’s viewpoint . For instance, it describes Jesus as asking the father of a demon-possessed child a question unrecorded in the parallel Gospels: “How long is it ago since this came unto him?” The reason for the diagnostic question is still somewhat unclear; it does not seem directly related to the action that followed . The ques-tion is one a doctor in search of a treatment might ask; but Jesus, who is described in oth-er places as being privy to the inner thoughts of those around Him, in no way needed this information in order to heal the child .

Whatever theological and historical reasons Mark had for recording a question the other writers felt did not suit the purposes of their particular narratives, Jesus’ question, though it played no role in the story’s plot, did answer the question a concerned reader might have . We want to know about this child’s back-ground; we might want to know how long he had suffered . But most telling is the fact it is a question a close eyewitness would have been likely to remember .

A secondhand witness tends to remember only the details that relate directly to a story’s point; a close eyewitness, however, remem-bers even secondary details . For example, children who were not yet born when the ter-rorists attacked on 9/11 will “recall” what they learned from their history textbooks: the hi-jacked planes, the religion of the terrorists, the towers that were destroyed; but the children’s parents who were alive on that day will re-member what street they were driving on, the song on the radio that was interrupted when the news was announced, and a host of other unrelated but emotionally intertwined details .

Mark’s record of Jesus’ question to the boy’s father revealed a similar intimate knowl-edge of details otherwise lost . Matthew was one of the disciples but he was not a part of the inner circle, so he was not privy to some details . Luke gathered his account from var-ious eyewitness sources . Jesus’ only words to this grieving father in Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts (John did not record the story) are the terse: “Bring him hither to me .” (See Mat-thew 17:17; Luke 9:41 .) Only Mark mentioned that the possessed boy “wallowed foaming” (Mark 9:20) and the crowd collectively pro-nounced the child dead (Mark 9:26) .

Mark’s Gospel gives us the most intimate portraits of Jesus, often disclosing His inner feelings: His anger at the unbelieving crowd (3:5); His compassion for the hungry and sheep-without-a-shepherd multitude (6:34–42); His sigh before commanding the deaf man’s ears to be opened (7:34); His refusal to allow anyone to “carry any vessel through the temple” (11:16) . And only Mark gives the mar-itime detail that there were “other little ships” accompanying Jesus and the disciples when they were caught in a storm (4:36) .

Also, only Mark tells us about a young man who ran away naked when Jesus was ar-rested at Gethsemane (Mark 14:51–52) . It is another stray detail that plays no direct role in the overall plot, yet bears all the marks of a close eyewitness’s memory of a highly emo-tional and tragic night .

In sum, Barnabas’s patience paid off; Mark left us an indispensable record of the life of Jesus . And Barnabas’s patience is still pay-ing off today . Where modern critics doubt the historicity of the Gospels’ account of Jesus’


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life, arguing that we know of Jesus only through secondhand and thirdhand informa-tion, Mark’s Gospel strongly contradicts this argument . An honest study of the Gospel of Mark will suggest a close personal view of our Lord’s life . Mark not only recorded the content of the stories Peter related, but just as import-ant, he also preserved the way in which Peter related his account . The way in which a story is told is important to give insight into the writ-er or storyteller .

C. Patience Is PricelessFailings are forgotten because of someone’s

patience . Mark’s failure at Pamphylia is great-ly overshadowed by the fact that his name is listed at the head of one of the four Gospels in the Bible . In fact, his youthful indiscretion is overwhelmed by his later reputation; we draw attention to his immaturity today only because it is ironic in light of the giant he became .

This is the testimony of patience! It gives young people who fail, the opportunity to build trust again .

Backsliders have returned to God be-cause of someone’s patience . Many of us know mothers and fathers who have believed their sons and daughters would return to the Lord—in spite of everything everyone else knew about those sons and daughters . One pastor prayed for twenty years that his son would come back to the house of God . Most people who knew the situation saw no hope of this ever happening, and they marveled at the pastor’s stubborn love and trust . Today, just as his father predicted, he is back; and seeing the man he has become turns disbelief on its

head . Although most people could not believe he would ever recover from his fall, now they have a hard time believing he ever fell in the first place .


As mentioned earlier, only Mark records the story of a young man who fled naked from Je-sus’ arrest at Gethsemane (Mark 14:51–52) . Again, we cannot know for certain, but a few questions haunt this passage: who was this young man? And what is the significance of this detail? Some of the men in the crowd who had come to arrest Jesus grabbed the young man by his garment . Apparently fearing what might happen to him, he ran away, leaving his garment behind .

It has long been believed that this is Mark’s “self-portrait .” The young man who was later known in Acts as having run away from the mission may have had a shameful record of running away at the wrong time . And by in-cluding himself in the story of Christ’s Passion, Mark demonstrated the grace and patience of the Lord in allowing him to be the one to re-cord Jesus’ definitive story .

Whatever the case, Barnabas waited . He waited for time, God’s instrument for creating change, to make Mark the man with whom history is now familiar .

Patience is one of the gifts of the Spirit . Patience is an attribute of love (I Corinthians 13:4), and God is love (I John 4:8) . One of the most convincing ways we can demonstrate trust and faith in God is by being patient .

REFLECTIONS

• Can you remember someone having been patient with you? Reflect upon how that person’s patience made a difference in who you are today .

• Think of someone you would describe as patient . What do you think is the reason he or she is patient? Would you also describe this person as a person who trusts God? Trust and patience almost always go together .

• Do you know of anyone around you who has not earned a second chance but needs a second chance?

• We have record of three letters Paul wrote later in his life to young men whom he was men-toring (Timothy and Titus) . Is there anything in these letters (besides II Timothy 4:11) that would suggest Paul had learned from his experience with Mark?


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FOCUS VERSE

I Corinthians 4:17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is

my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church .

LESSON TEXT

Acts 16:1–31 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a

certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium .

3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek .

Philippians 2:19–2319 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good

comfort, when I know your state .20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state .21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s .22 But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the

gospel .23 Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me .

II Timothy 1:5–75 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy

grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also .6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by

the putting on of my hands .7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind .

FOCUS THOUGHT

Developing disciples requires someone with knowledge who is willing to share it, and others who are willing to receive it.

DEVELOPING DISCIPLES

WEEK 707.17.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

The Blessing of Having a Mentor in One’s Life

In the small business open forum section of www.americanexpress.com, Brian Moran wrote an excellent article on mentoring ti-

tled “7 Traits of a Great Mentor .” Moran wrote, “Winston Churchill once said, ‘We make a liv-ing by what we get; we make a life by what we give .’ That statement should resonate with anyone who is a mentor, or aspires to be one .”

Moran goes on to cite seven traits he con-siders vital for one who desires to be a great mentor:

1 . Listen .2 . Be there when people need you .3 . Teach .4 . Let them fall .5 . Pick people up .6 . Keep them grounded .7 . Leave a legacy .

Every believer needs someone in his life to serve him as a mentor . We all need to grow spiritually, and to grow spiritually we all need someone to listen to our questions, teach us, and help us when we fail . Further, both the mentor and the mentee are blessed through mentors sharing from their knowledge, wis-dom, and empathy .

Timothy had Paul as a mentor in his de-velopment, and it undoubtedly made a profound impact upon his success in the kingdom . Timothy had a strong foundation of a godly heritage through his mother and grandmother, but he still needed the guid-ance and strength of Paul in his continued spiritual development . We do not have Paul to mentor us, but we all need spiritual guid-ance and assistance .

OUTLINE

I. IDENTIFYING GIFTS AND POTENTIAL

A . Paul Chose Timothy B . Paul Discipled Timothy

II. DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION

A . Knowing and Understanding the Generation

B . Teaching Biblical Principles

III. PRESERVING A GODLY HERITAGE

A . Timothy Had Unfeigned Faith B . Timothy Had a Godly Mother and

Grandmother C . Timothy Was Charged to Use the Gift

of God D . Christians Have a Responsibility to

Make Disciples


Some ideas, while instructive for a short pe-riod of time, are not worth being passed on to the next generation . Tips on how to rearrange

the keys on a typewriter, the best methods of cleaning and storing an eight-track tape, or the How to Survive in 2005 self-help book are a few examples of ideas that were developed in the context of unique and temporal circum-stances and are no longer helpful . But other ideas are developed in the context of realities that persist regardless of the environment .

The calendar may change, but human na-ture is what it has been since the fall of Adam . Kingdoms and empires may come and go, but moral principles and theological truths are what they were before Tutankhamen ruled the ancient Nile . Not only are these truths worth learning, but once acquired they should be passed down for the sake of gen-erations to come .

The Christian faith—its distinctive doc-trines, sacred narratives, ethics, principles, and histories—reveals truths about God, the universe, and the predicament and destiny of human beings . Should it be lost, altered, di-minished, or corrupted, the effect would deal a death blow to the human race . But should it be successful in transmission from genera-tion to generation, it will continue to provide


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the world with its only source of hope, an agent of peace, and a comprehensive and comprehensible revelation of God . Without Christianity, the true identity of God, which Jesus revealed during His earthly life, would remain hidden .

Christianity is a “revealed” faith; that is, it is a faith that comes by revelation and not merely by mankind’s natural reasoning . A few theological truths are innate and do not necessarily need to be taught for someone to know them . Paul told the Roman Chris-tians: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20) .

The intricate design of the human body, the sheer sublimity of a starry sky, the maj-esty of a sunrise, the solemnity of the setting sun, the mysterious marriage between the moon and the seas, the exact precision of animal migrations, the reliability of the seasons should cause us to join David in exultant praise: “O Lord our Lord, how excel-lent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9) . How could a person view all these things and still not believe in the great Creator? “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1) .

On the other hand, that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin, is God manifest in the flesh, was crucified under the administration of a Judeo-Roman conspiracy, resurrected from a guarded tomb, ascended into Heaven, and will soon return is not something some-one can know without the aid of revelation .

Through Jesus, God more fully revealed Himself to the apostles, and the apostles passed their eyewitness reports on to the next generation . They committed themselves to ensuring that this revelation of God would not pass from the earth . This commitment is expressed in the form of discipleship; the apostles discipled the next generation of believers . Among the apostles, Paul in-tentionally and closely discipled younger believers, and he expected these disciples to learn every tenet of the gospel and to pass it on, in the exact form it was received, to younger believers .


I. IDENTIFYING GIFTS AND POTENTIAL

A. Paul Chose TimothyNot long after being disappointed by Mark,

Paul found himself impressed by another promising young man . In Acts 16:1–3, Paul and Silas, after strengthening the churches in Syria and Cicilia (Acts 15:41), came a second time to Lycaonia, a province of Galatia . The last time Paul had been here, he had healed a cripple, had been mistakenly worshiped as the Roman god Mercury (Greek: Hermes), and had been stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:6–19) . This time the journey was somewhat less adventurous; but on this trip he experi-enced an event that would forever strengthen the Christian movement as a whole .

“Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium” (Acts 16:1–2) . It does not seem a coincidence that we learn the young man was a disciple before we learn his name . It may be that Tim-othy’s mother and grandmother converted to Christianity during Paul’s earlier visit and sub-sequently taught young Timothy the tenets of this faith . If so, we can understand why Luke referred to Timothy as a disciple when Paul met him .

Whatever the case, Timothy already had an impeccable reputation among the brethren at Lystra and Iconium . Perhaps Paul’s sufferings on his first journey to Lycaonia made such an impression on Timothy’s family that the family raised him to worship the God of this fearless apostle . Paul’s second letter to Timothy sug-gests Timothy was aware of the stoning: “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, pa-tience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me” (II Timothy 3:10–11) .

Paul chose to bring Timothy along on his mission trip . Paul could see his potential and wanted the opportunity to mentor him .


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B. Paul Discipled TimothyWe are blessed to have two of the letters

Paul wrote to Timothy (and one to another young minister, Titus) . In them, we have a fair-ly comprehensive record of the kind of efforts Paul put toward transmitting the lifesaving gos-pel to the next generation . In his second letter alone, he gave a good indication of his daily intentionality in discipling Timothy . From this we can extract the qualities of a good mentor .

1 . A mentor develops affection toward a disciple .

“To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. . . . without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day” (II Tim-othy 1:2–3).

2 . Good discipleship involves reminding the disciple of the investment that has been put into him or her .

“I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remem-brance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (II Timothy 1:5–6).

“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us” (II Timothy 1:13–14).

“Thou hast fully known my doctrine, man-ner of life, purpose, faith” (II Timothy 3:10).

“Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned” (II Timothy 3:14).

3 . A mentor commands the disciple to be faithful to Christ in his own private thoughts and actions .

“Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Timothy 2:3).

“Shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodli-ness” (II Timothy 2:16).

“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (II Timothy 2:22).

“Foolish and unlearned questions avoid” (II Timothy 2:23).

“Watch thou in all things, endure afflic-tions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (II Timothy 4:5).

4 . A mentor commands that the disciple’s teaching be faithful to Christ; the disciple is to teach exactly what he himself has been taught .

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the af-flictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (II Timothy 1:8).

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witness-es, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (II Timothy 2:1–2).

“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Remem-ber that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel” (II Timothy 2:7–8).

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his ap-pearing and his kingdom; preach the word” (II Timothy 4:1–2).

5 . A mentor teaches the disciple certain methods with which he is to approach all situ-ations, no matter how complex .

“The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (II Timothy 2:24).

6 . A mentor informs the disciple what kind of work ethic and attitude he needs to apply to his knowledge and application of Scripture .

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).


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“All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (II Timothy 3:16).

II. DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION

A. Knowing and Understanding the Generation

Knowing and understanding the next gen-eration has little or nothing to do with knowing and understanding its new gadgets, slogans, and fashions . We do not become acquainted with young people by knowing their “Top Ten” playlists or knowing our way around an iPad . Attempts to “relate” to any people group is likely doomed to failure—and this is especially true of young people . The younger generation is likely only to be amused by the elder gener-ation’s attempt at being on “the cutting edge”; these attempts will usually be interpreted as over-compensating, contrived, artificial, anxi-ety-driven attempts to be relative .

The salesman often tries to use our interest in sports, the weather, or a hobby as a transi-tion into his sales pitch . When he manages to bring the conversation to where he wants it, we often find ourselves resenting the fact that he was not trying to relate to us as a friend or even an acquaintance . He was only trying to sell us something and had little or no interest in us as people . So it is when we try to relate to a particular “generation” instead of trying to relate to individuals—who just happen to be a part of that generation .

If we are to become acquainted with a young person, we would be best advised to find out on an individual basis what he or she loves, hates, fears, and hopes . We are likely to discover that he or she is just like us in all the points that really matter . She fears death, be-ing alone, wasting her life; he is afraid of being overlooked, being unappreciated, and failing . So are we . From generation to generation, this does not change . If we want to know and understand the generation, we should simply know and understand the person .

B. Teaching Biblical PrinciplesTimothy taught what Paul taught. The re-

sponsibility for reaching across a generational divide is not solely the responsibility of the older generation . In fact, both generations

have to be completely committed to the proj-ect . The older generation needs first to have something to pass down; second, it needs to persuade the younger generation the cause is worth carrying on . However, the younger gen-eration needs to have a healthy appreciation and respect for its elders’ hard-won ideals .

In science, younger scientists do not ignore the discoveries and theories of the previous generation of scientists; they engage in and build upon them . Yet younger generations often act as if knowledge is flawed simply by virtue of having been acquired by the previ-ous generation; they are like Shakespeare’s Cicero, of whom it was said, “He will not follow anything that other men begin” (Julius Caesar, Act 2, scene 1) . Science advances because of its healthy attitude toward the work of previous generations . Unfortunately, social, religious, and political ideals often stagnate and die be-cause of an unhealthy view of the past .

The gospel, however, is a mutual trust be-tween generations . What came as “good news” to one generation should be good news for the next .

Timothy went where Paul sent . Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians when he was impris-oned (Philippians 1:7)—perhaps in Rome, Caesarea, or Ephesus . In order to allay any fears of disunity or doctrinal discord and to ensure that the Philippian church continued to thrive, Paul wanted to send Timothy to Philippi immediately . However, for reasons that are not entirely clear, Paul reluctantly told the Philippians he needed to keep Timothy for a short time while Paul sorted out what-ever difficulty he was presently experiencing (Philippians 2:19) . Perhaps contentious brethren troubled him when he wrote the let-ter (Philippians 1:16) .

Whatever the reason, Paul’s willingness (1) to wait to send Timothy until Paul’s is-sues were resolved and (2) once resolved, to send Timothy to ensure the stability of the Philippian church is telling . Whatever doubts Paul may have had with respect to the faith-fulness of the church at Philippi, he had no doubts about the faithfulness of Timothy . Paul taught Timothy eternal truths, and Paul found in Timothy one who was willing to pass down precisely what was given to him . In fact, Paul found Timothy’s fidelity to the gospel and love


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for the church unparalleled: “For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state” (Philippians 2:20) .

Timothy was not self-serving . Paul’s expe-rience had taught him that people tend to be selfish . He even found that people could teach the true gospel but do so for selfish ends (Phi-lippians 1:16; 2:21) . However, he found in Timothy one who cared for Paul’s congrega-tions the way a son cares for his father’s name, business, and reputation (Philippians 2:22) . It is not enough to be theologically sound; the disciple has to show trustworthiness .

Timothy was a student of the gospel . It is essential that we set our clocks to eterni-ty . Because Scripture is eternal, it always answers the questions every generation considers important . While ancient archi-tects were building the seven wonders of the world, Jehoiakim, king of Jerusalem, burned the prophecies of Jeremiah in his fireplace . (See Jeremiah 36 .) The seven wonders were built of sturdy stone; Jeremiah’s words were committed to fragile and flammable paper . But today the seven wonders are mostly a distant memory (except for the crumbling pyramid at Giza), and yet the prophecies of Jeremiah are alive and well and studied every day by millions of people .

Timothy learned Scripture from a young age, and Paul emphasized the importance of Scripture: “All scripture is given by inspi-ration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16–17) .

Once Timothy understood the nature of Scripture, he was to know the Scriptures like a shipbuilder knows ships . The ship-builder knows not only what kind of wood to use, what length individual boards should be, and how many bolts are needed, but he also knows how each individual part fits into the whole plan of the ship . He knows how each board relates to the other boards . So should the Christian know not only indi-vidual texts and books but also how each part works in unity with the rest of Scripture . This kind of knowledge takes a great deal of study along with a serious devotion to the Scriptures .

III. PRESERVING A GODLY HERITAGE

A. Timothy Had Unfeigned FaithPaul called attention to the sincerity of Tim-

othy’s faith . In contrast to those who used their faith to achieve faithless personal goals, Timothy’s motives for holding the faith were easy to interpret (II Timothy 1:5) .

B. Timothy Had a Godly Mother and Grandmother

Timothy’s training came at an early age; when Paul met him, Timothy already pos-sessed a solid spiritual foundation . Paul told Timothy to “continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 3:14–15) . Paul’s comment, “knowing of whom thou hast learned them” most likely refers to Timothy’s mother (Eu-nice) and grandmother (Lois) (II Timothy 1:5) . Parents and grandparents play a key role in molding their children and grandchildren into great disciples .

C. Timothy Was Charged to Use the Gift of God

Timothy had to function in a leadership role in an environment rife with heresy, divi-sion, and ambition . In this atmosphere, one could easily question one’s own calling . Paul, however, reminded Timothy of the official charge he had been given when the apostle laid his hands on Timothy as a symbol of his ordination . While the laying on of hands did not provide Timothy with a ministry he did not already have, the symbolic act did take Timothy’s calling out of the realm of personal subjectivity and gave him an objective re-minder of the fact that others had confirmed Timothy’s calling . Timothy was no longer to doubt his high calling; instead, Paul reminded him to build upon this confirmation instead of allowing personal doubts and fears to detract from his spiritual gifts .

The rest of II Timothy provided Timothy with a blueprint for how to “stir up the gift” that was in the young disciple .


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D. Christians Have a Responsibility to Make Disciples

It has been said that information becomes knowledge when it is shared with others . We cannot be said to truly “know” anything until we are able to communicate and teach it . We can hear information, but it remains mere in-formation until we put our minds to the work of teaching it to others . Ironically, knowledge becomes our own personal possession only when it is given away .

The same can be said of our relationship with the gospel of Jesus Christ . It is mere infor-mation until we pass it on; and once we pass it on to someone else, it becomes knowledge and we begin to understand it for ourselves . Do not wait until you have “learned” the Bible before you begin to give a Bible study . It will be in the act of teaching a Bible study that you will learn the most about the Bible .

Our Lord commanded His disciples to “teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19) . We are His disciples . Disciples do not just receive the gospel—disciples teach the gospel .


In the late summer or early fall, as Paul awaited an order of execution, Paul implored Timothy to bring Paul’s cloak, books, and parchments before winter (II Timothy 4:13, 21) . He needed the coat he had left in Troas, probably due to a hasty flight, to stave off the damp cold of the prison he was already feel-ing during the milder season . He wanted to read his scrolls, and he desired greatly his

parchments—probably so he could write a few more letters before he was executed .

Most of all, he wanted Timothy to come during the limited sailing season . If Timothy had waited until winter to see Paul, he would have been unable to take the faster route by ship; he would have had to journey by road, which probably would have meant never see-ing the soon-to-be-executed apostle .

It is significant that he asked Timothy, his son in the gospel, for these final, humble comforts . The request is symbolic of the re-lationship between a mentor and a disciple . Before it is too late, the mentor first brings the warmth of the gospel, the knowledge of Scrip-ture, and the means to communicate it . In turn, the good disciple becomes the comfort of the mentor’s old age, the memory’s warm glow amidst many cold disappointments, and the legacy of his devotion .

Timothy remembered Paul’s ways . (See I Corinthians 4:17 .) The obvious meaning of this statement is that Timothy taught church-es what Paul taught . But it should also be understood that, as a son reminds others of his father, when Timothy visited the churches where Paul had preached, Timothy literally re-minded the churches of Paul . When they saw and heard Timothy, they thought of Paul . Tim-othy’s gospel had distinctly Pauline traits .

It is a truism that there is no success without a successor; it ought to be a truism that the successor is the measure of one’s success . What would Timothy have been without Paul? And what would Paul have been without a Timothy to carry on?

REFLECTIONS

• Have you discipled anyone? • Timothy’s gospel reflected the traits of Paul’s distinct gospel . Does the disciple you have

made reflect the traits of the gospel of Christ?• What compels a young man or woman to choose one mentor over other potential mentors?


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FOCUS VERSE

Acts 18:26And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue:

whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly .

LESSON TEXT

Acts 18:1–3, 24–261 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and

came to Corinth;2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus,

lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them .

3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers .

. . . . .

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus .

25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John .

26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly .

Romans 16:33 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus .

I Corinthians 3:99 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building .

FOCUS THOUGHT

Maintaining a position of respect can be instrumental in leading hungry people to God.

COMPANIONS FOR CHRIST

WEEK 807.24.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

The Role of Respect and Having an Effective Witness for Christ

Fundamental respect is possibly the first step toward effectiveness in reaching out to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with

others . It is easy for believers to disregard and disrespect the beliefs of others whose beliefs fail to align with those of the believ-er . However, before we can lead a person to embrace the truths of Scripture, we first have to understand where he or she is presently in their biblical understanding . Before we can understand where a person is with regard to his or her present beliefs, we have to respect that person as an individual, which includes respecting their current beliefs or lack of beliefs .

Everyone is on a personal journey through life, and God desires to lead each one to a

redemptive relationship—beginning where he or she is presently . To fail to extend basic re-spect and courtesy to others is a sure formula for failing to have influence in their lives .

Ron Moore wrote, “Respect comes from the realization that God is at work in people’s lives . Not one of us is a finished product . Re-spect allows a person to grow . Respect gives an individual room to grow and places them in a situation where they can grow . But the bot-tom line is this: We respect and value people because God values people” (www.ronmoore.org, “Respect: The Foundation of an Effective Team,” accessed February 26, 2015) .

Aquila and Priscilla were able to effectively witness to Apollos because of their respect for him .

OUTLINE

I. COMPANIONS IN THE GOSPEL A . Aquila, Priscilla, and Paul Were

Tentmakers B . Aquila and Priscilla Showed Hospital-

ity to Paul C . Aquila and Priscilla Helped Paul

II. POSSESSED GREAT ABILITIES A . Apollos Was Talented B . Apollos Was Mighty in the Scriptures

III. TAUGHT THE WAYS OF THE LORD

A . Apollos Was Fervent in Spirit B . Apollos Had Limited Knowledge C . Apollos Preached What He Knew

IV. JOINED GODLY COMPANIONS A . Aquila and Priscilla Were Respectful B . Aquila and Priscilla Taught Apollos

V. RESPECTING OTHERS IN MINISTRY

A . Be Teachable B . Be Respectful C . Be a Partner

CONTEMPLATING THE TOPICThe greatest friendships we will ever de-

velop will be the friendships we make while working for Christ . These friendships can de-velop either as a result of working together for a common cause in the kingdom of God, or as the result of one individual leading an-other to Christ . Because of the shared goal, these friendships often last a lifetime . The at-tachment between companions of Christ may transcend even the attachments between members of one’s extended family .

But these relationships do not develop automatically and without great care . They are rather characterized by mutual respect, hospitality, and a common commitment to remaining faithful to the cause that was the original basis of the relationship .


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I. COMPANIONS IN THE GOSPEL

A. Aquila, Priscilla, and Paul Were Tentmakers

After leaving Athens, Paul went to Corinth where he met Aquila and Priscilla, refugees fleeing Rome after Emperor Claudius’s edict expelling Jews . (See Acts 18:1–2 .) Suetonius, an ancient Roman historian also mentioned this edict, but Suetonius added the detail that Claudius had expelled the Jews because they were constantly being instigated by someone named “Chrestus” (a Latin spelling of Christ) (Claudius 25 .4) . The Roman historian did not know enough about Christians to distinguish them from Jews . To outside observers, in the earliest years of the Christian movement, Jews and Christians were often regarded as one group . Thus if Suetonius’s account is accurate, then Aquila and Priscilla may have been Christians who had already suffered per-secution before Paul met them . Whatever the case, they came to Corinth and began to work at their trade—tentmaking .

The city of Corinth hosted the Isthmian Games in honor of the sea god Poseidon every two years . Travelers from all over the civilized world would come to Corinth either to witness or to participate in the games . Since they would need a place to stay once there, tents would have been in high demand at such times . Aquila and Priscilla may have come to Corinth at this time and set up shop in the marketplace because of a known de-mand for tents .

Paul was also a tentmaker by trade (Acts 18:3), and he used this business as a way of ensuring he was not overburdening a struggling congregation with further financial burdens . (See I Thessalonians 2:9; II Thes-salonians 3:8 .) Paul may have also set up a booth in the same marketplace at this time, and it seems likely it was in the marketplace—perhaps in neighboring booths—that the couple from Rome first met Paul .

B. Aquila and Priscilla Showed Hospitality to Paul

According to Acts 18:3, having already settled in Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla hosted

Paul when he traveled there . Having found Paul prepared to declare to the Jewish syna-gogue that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 18:5), the couple could have, in the interest of per-sonal safety, decided to distance themselves from Paul . After all, they had just escaped Rome and its citizens’ hatred and distrust for Christians . It would have been easy for them to settle down in anonymity, working quietly at a profitable trade in a new country far from the troubles that had threatened their lives . But they did not choose the quiet life; they chose to take up Paul’s cause . His powerful enemies became their enemies; his few friends be-came their friends .

C. Aquila and Priscilla Helped PaulThe relationship between Paul, Priscil-

la, and Aquila grew over the years, and the next time we hear of them, they had moved from Corinth back to Rome (Romans 16:3) . As they had opened their home to Paul in Corinth, so had they opened their home to host the congregation in Rome . Paul asked the Roman congregation to greet Aquila and Priscilla who, Paul said, “have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles” (Romans 16:4) . Paul affectionate-ly called them “my helpers in Christ Jesus” (Romans 16:3) . It can be difficult at this distance in time to appreciate how much affection and devotion these few words ex-press . What memories must be behind them! Perhaps there was a particular moment when Aquila and Priscilla saved Paul’s life while exposing themselves to great danger, or perhaps Paul’s words refer to the day-to-day dangers of hosting him in their home .

II. POSSESSED GREAT ABILITIES

A. Apollos Was TalentedOnce Luke finished discussing Peter’s

escape from prison and the death of Herod Agrippa in Acts 12, the Book of Acts rarely turned its attention away from Paul, who in spite of the many other great developments among other apostles and evangelists at the time, was quite central to Luke’s narrative purposes . Luke did, however, take a few mo-ments to turn from Paul’s journeys to give us


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a momentary, but telling, glimpse of Priscilla and Aquila’s evangelistic success . In Acts 18:24–28, while Paul was visiting the church-es of Galatia and Phrygia, Luke turned his attention to Ephesus, where Aquila and Priscilla met and instructed a certain man named Apollos .

Luke said Apollos “mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:28) . This statement, in spite of its brevity, gives us a wealth of information about Apollos and the role he played in the early church .

Apollos was uniquely gifted as a public orator; he “mightily convinced” his Jewish hearers.

Once converted to Christ, he helped lay the foundation for the early church’s use of the Old Testament in its defense of the claim that Jesus of Nazareth was the long hoped-for Messiah . His Jewish background and the Jewish context in which Apollos encountered Christ compelled Apollos to read the Old Tes-tament in a new way . He developed a defense of Jesus as the Messiah not just from eyewit-ness and experiential proofs, but also from the proof of the Old Testament prophecies .

It appears that Apollos was able to convince the Jews of Jesus’ messianic nature in ways Aquila and Priscilla could not . Apollos’s meth-od was so groundbreaking that Luke drew attention to the fact his evangelism “mightily convinced” his Jewish hearers . Furthermore, Luke wanted his readers to understand that Apollos’s defense was a public defense . In other words, unlike Aquila and Priscilla, who had drawn Apollos aside privately to intro-duce him to Jesus (Acts 18:26), Apollos was uniquely gifted as a public orator .

In fact, he was such a forceful and convinc-ing speaker that later it appears the Corinthian church had tried to form a faction that claimed

to follow and prefer the ministry of Apollos to that of Paul (I Corinthians 3:4) . Paul may have been responding to this faction when he told the Corinthians he came preaching not “with excellency of speech” (I Corinthians 2:1) .

This division speaks to the rapidity with which Apollos’s charisma became a lightning rod for those looking for a more impressive leader than Paul . It seems Apollos did not in-cite these divisions himself; Paul never blamed him in any way . In fact, Apollos’s knowledge of this situation may have been the reason he was unwilling to go back to Corinth at Paul’s bidding (I Corinthians 16:12) . He knew his presence would only aggravate an already factious atmosphere .

B. Apollos Was Mighty in the Scriptures

A Jew from Alexandria, Apollos was already familiar with the Scripture . He was actively looking for the Messiah and believing that He may well have been a present, and not merely a future, hope in the world . Apollos knew the “baptism of John” (Acts 18:25), and the baptism of John entailed a confession that the Messiah was about to come and baptize “with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11) . As John the Baptist instructed people to prepare “the way of the Lord” (Matthew 3:3), so was Apollos “instructed in the way of the Lord” (Acts 18:25) .

III. TAUGHT THE WAYS OF THE LORD

A. Apollos Was Fervent in SpiritApollos came to Ephesus, where he spoke

in the synagogue (Acts 18:26) . Whatever other business may have brought him this great distance from Alexandria to Ephesus, he went quickly to the synagogue and taught what he knew .

B. Apollos Had Limited KnowledgeIt is often said John the Baptist was the last

prophet of the Old Testament . He was the capstone of the prophets, bringing to an end the period of the prophets and ushering in the age of the Messiah . Indeed, he was the pivot-al figure between the two Testaments; all four evangelists open their narratives with a discus-sion of John the Baptist, who often quoted the


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ancient prophets in his sermons and taught his followers to look for the Christ in their own day .

By following the teachings of John, Apol-los’s knowledge of God was fully informed by the prophets; however, his knowledge was limited . His knowledge at this point amounted to the same knowledge that someone would have if he or she read and believed the entire Old Testament, but then came to Matthew’s Gospel, skipped the first two chapters, started reading Matthew 3, and then stopped reading at the end of John the Baptist’s message in Matthew 3:12 . In other words, Apollos’s heart was prepared by John’s message for the Christ, but he had yet to learn that Jesus of Nazareth was this Messiah .

C. Apollos Preached What He Knew Apollos taught what he knew in the syna-

gogues . As Paul made a habit of visiting and speaking in synagogues, Aquila and Priscilla attended the synagogue, looking for evange-listic opportunities (Acts 18:26) . On one visit, they heard Apollos speak mightily and boldly in the synagogue . Impressed by his conscien-tious preaching, they concluded that he was a preacher in search of the fullness of truth .

IV. JOINED GODLY COMPANIONS

A. Aquila and Priscilla Were Respectful

Something about Apollos’s speech told the couple he was near a true and complete faith . In the safety of a private conversation, they in-troduced Apollos to Christ—the very hope his training under the tutelage of John the Bap-tist had taught Apollos to seek . It is significant that Aquila and Priscilla talked to Apollos in private; they did not interrupt his speech be-fore the synagogue . They were respectful and prudently sought a more opportune time and place to explain further truth to him .

Their willingness to wait, and the respect they showed in spite of the limitations of his knowledge, may have made a difference in determining whether Apollos received the full gospel message .

B. Aquila and Priscilla Taught ApollosThe couple recognized that God’s Spirit had

already been at work laying the foundation of

Christianity in Apollos’s heart . They did not reject everything he believed and start their explanation from the ground up; they looked for the truths he already possessed and built upon them . They took what he already knew and “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26) . In other words, they recognized that his beliefs were almost complete . Thus their mission was merely to explain more completely what John the Bap-tist had already taught .

If we are going to have lifelong friend-ships in Christ, we need to be aware that others may be able to teach us things we do not know.

V. RESPECTING OTHERS IN MINISTRY

A. Be Teachable Apollos, in spite of his knowledge of the

Scriptures and his obvious talent, listened to the teachings of Aquila and Priscilla . This tal-ented man could have easily done what many talented people tend to do: mistake their tal-ent for wisdom . However, having talent does not necessarily mean that one has wisdom and full knowledge . Talent should be an op-portunity for greater learning and usefulness, not an obstacle to it .

If we are going to have lifelong friendships in Christ, we need to be aware that others, even people who do not seem to be fountains of knowledge, may be able to teach us things we do not know . How easy it would have been for Apollos to be proud of his skills . And how easy it would have been for him to go through the rest of his life with incomplete knowl-edge—knowledge that, but for the efforts of


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Aquila and Priscilla, would have been tragical-ly just shy of the full truth .

B. Be RespectfulHow we handle situations in which we have

knowledge of which others may be ignorant often becomes the standard by which those we inform teach others . In our teaching, we should always be respectful of those whom we teach . If people are living for God in the limited knowledge they have of the Scriptures, we should not begin our discussion by tearing down what they have learned so far . Rather, we should acknowledge the limited truth they do have and build on that .

For example, if a person has been baptized but not according to the Scriptures, we can af-firm the person’s decision to be baptized and then go on to explain “the way of God more perfectly” by showing what the Scriptures say about baptism . In all of our conversations, we need to be respectful of other people’s feel-ings . Our respect for the human beings we teach is more likely to result in their ability to make strong, healthy connections inside and outside the church .

In our teaching, we should always be respectful of those whom we teach.

C. Be a PartnerWhen Paul mentioned Priscilla (Prisca) and

Aquila, he always mentioned the two together, with Priscilla’s name often coming before her husband’s (Acts 18:18; Romans 16:3; II Timo-thy 4:19) . Perhaps she was more prominent in early Christian circles . But Paul could hardly think of one without thinking of the other . In fact, in Scripture one name is not found with-out the other .

Not only were Priscilla and Aquila marriage partners, but it appears they were partners in every aspect of life, including evangelism and witnessing . Their example shows that

partnerships in the gospel can be highly ef-fective . Partners can pool their resources to assist and host a Paul or evangelize and in-struct an Apollos .

Do not allow the bonds of friendship formed while working for God to cool by being indif-ferent . Strengthen these bonds . Be humble and put aside any obstacles that may arise in the friendship . These friendships will be among one’s greatest treasures throughout life . Paul implored the divided Corinthians to value one another in the church and to unify: “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building” (I Corinthians 3:9) .


The prophets of Israel could be quite direct, straightforward, and sometimes seemingly harsh . Their epic denunciations of fellow Isra-elites still carry a sting, undiminished by the passing of many centuries . Isaiah said: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Go-morrah” (Isaiah 1:10) . Amos called the people of Samaria “kine of Bashan” (Amos 4:1), which was a way of calling the Samaritans fat, overfed cows .

It is sometimes easy to assume the proph-ets’ manner of addressing wayward Israel is the model Christians should use today when evangelizing the world . In some ways, the situation of the prophet and the situation of the modern Christian are parallel . However, the apostles’ approach to evangelism should be our model for evangelism because there are also significant differences between the ancient prophets’ situations and the one the apostles encountered . The world the apostles evangelized, in many ways, mirrors our own . Though there is a familiarity with the basic te-nets of the Christian faith in our culture today, we, like the apostles, often deal with people who have not been raised with a devout Chris-tian background .

Where the apostles—especially when evangelizing pagans or God-fearers who were ignorant of who Jesus of Nazareth was—sought to build upon what little knowl-edge of God their hearers had, the ancient Hebrew prophets were primarily addressing


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apostate, backslidden communities of Is-raelites who had once followed, but now rejected, their covenant with God . The apos-tles were never shy in denouncing sin, but they worked from the assumption that igno-rance of God had played a dominant role in bringing their hearers into their current sinful state . They generally reserved their harsher words for those who, after having received the fullness of the gospel’s message, had re-jected Christ .

We should therefore, like the apostles, be respectful in our tone toward the unsaved and assume that God’s grace, in some form, has manifested itself in the morals and hon-orable ideals they do possess . Once we recognize the presence of God’s present

grace in their lives, we should seek to build upon that grace and bring them kindly to the fullness of truth .

Above all, the apostles and saints of the New Testament constantly worked in concert with one another, developing and cultivating friendships throughout their lives . Paul had Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, and Titus; James had John; Peter had Andrew and Mark; and Aquila had Priscilla . We must likewise do the hard, patient work of sustaining friendships within the church and cultivating a culture of respect to all with whom we come in contact . As Paul told the congregation in Galatia: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10) .

REFLECTIONS

• Have you ever had a friendship in the church that you considered a partnership? If so, have you done all you can do to maintain this partnership?

• In your evangelism, have you found yourself looking first to tear down false notions, or have you attempted to listen for what common truths you could build upon?

• This lesson has discussed the need to build upon the knowledge someone may already possess when bringing him or her to the full truth of the gospel . It would be helpful to consider Paul’s speech to the Athenians in this context (Acts 17:15–34) . Notice that he quotes their poets (Acts 17:28) . Paul always carefully calculated what he had to say . Why do you suppose he quot-ed pagan poets when trying to identify the pagan Athenians’ “unknown God”?


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FOCUS VERSE

Judges 2:7And the people served the Lord all the days of Josh-

ua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel .

LESSON TEXT

Numbers 14:6–96 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of

Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land .

8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey .

9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not .

Numbers 27:18, 2318 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the

spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; . . . . .

23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses .

Deuteronomy 31:7–87 And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of

a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it .

8 And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed .

Deuteronomy 34:99 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands

upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses .

FOCUS THOUGHT

The committed leader will always keep the cause in focus and remain true to those who share the vision.

COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE

WEEK 907.31.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

Jim Elliot

As a teen seeking the will of God for my life, I was greatly influenced by the life of Jim Elliot, one of the five

missionaries martyred trying to take the message of Christ to the Auca Indians of Ecuador . He said,

• “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose .”

• “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God .”

• “Forgive me for being so ordinary while claiming to know so extraordinary a God .”

• “Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living .”

• “God always gives his best to those who leave the choice with him .” (http://www.

goodreads.com/author/quotes/2125255 Jim_Elliot, accessed February 15, 2015) .

To me, Elliot epitomizes commitment . He was totally focused on doing the will of God, knowing that doing so might cost him his life—which it did . I still weep when I watch Be-yond the Gates of Splendor, a documentary of the five men and their families . Conviction grips me as I ask myself if my dedication with the Holy Ghost is as great as theirs was . Somehow they were able to transfer their commitment to their wives and children, who continued to minister to the same Indians who speared their husbands and fathers to death .

Elliot’s commitment kept his life focused on his call and helped him impart that vision to the next generation . What about yours?

OUTLINE

I. JOSHUA’S COMMITMENT A . Dissatisfied with the Negative Report B . Stayed Focused on God’s Provision

II. FAITH IN THE LORD A . Joshua’s Commitment Was Tested B . Joshua Was Called to the Cause

III. COMMITMENT WHEN PROMISE WAS DEFERRED

A . Courage to Believe Again B . Commitment Brings Victory

IV. JOSHUA’S LASTING COMMITMENT

A . Committed to Moses B . Called Israel to Commit C . Left a Legacy for Future Generations


Fear is one of the most common human experiences . Fear of consequences, fear of the unknown, or fear of the future can have paralyzing effects . It may seem shocking that some would choose to remain in a misera-ble situation that is predictable rather than

step out into new, uncharted waters for fear of the unknown . Many times Christians live beneath their privileges because they lack faith to trust God for the new path . For too many believers, obstacles overwhelm them, causing them to turn away from their commit-ments to Christ .

William Ward once said, “Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present and distrust of the future . It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, in-difference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow .” (Used by permission . ©Today in the Word, April 1989, a ministry of Moody Global Minis-tries .) When one’s focus is on obstacles rather than God’s provision, it becomes easy for faith to waver .

After four hundred years of bitter slavery, God delivered the Israelites by a miraculous exodus from Egypt, walking safely on dry ground through the Red Sea . Yet within days of their deliverance, they began murmuring because the water at Marah was bitter . The people of Israel had already lost their faith in God and His ability to intervene . They had


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been delivered from the place of their captivity but not from the spirit that had them bound . Unfortunately, that spirit was still with them when they came near Canaan .


In Numbers 13:1–2, God commanded Moses to send twelve spies into the land of Canaan, declaring that He was giving that land to the children of Israel . Their mission was to discover more about the land and the people who inhabited it . Specifically, they were charged with reporting on the qual-ity and goods of the land, the strength and numbers of the people, and any barriers that would impede them in overtaking the land . Their responsibility was to conduct re-connaissance on behalf of their people and report back to Moses and to Israel .

Nothing kills enthu-siasm and faith like a negative attitude.

The remainder of the chapter describes their forty-day journey and their ensuing report . The Promised Land was as amazing as they might have imagined: grapes, pomegranates, milk, and honey . Yet, despite all the land had to offer, ten of the spies allowed fear to get the best of them, stating that the challenges re-quired to possess the land were too great for them . They feared the people (some of whom they called giants) and their large, fortified cit-ies . Comparing themselves to the giants, the spies declared that they themselves were as grasshoppers in their own eyes and also in the eyes of the giants (Numbers 13:33) .

The opinion of ten spies was that their en-emies were too powerful, too numerous, and too overwhelming . Sadly, these men focused on their circumstances rather than focusing on God . It is an easy thing to do . The ten spies saw a fight they could not win . Instead of trust-ing God to accomplish what they could not do on their own, they gave up . This attitude quickly spread through the Israelite camp .

Nothing kills enthusiasm and faith like a neg-ative attitude .

I. JOSHUA’S COMMITMENT

A. Dissatisfied with the Negative Report

If the report of the ten spies squelched the faith of the people, it had the opposite effect upon Joshua and Caleb, the other two spies . Passionately, Joshua stood boldly to repudi-ate the report of his counterparts . While the people bemoaned their situation, called for new leadership, and grumbled concerning their desire to have died in Egypt rather than be faced with this challenge, Joshua pro-claimed a positive message of faith in God . With bold faith, Joshua declared:

“If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not” (Numbers 14:8–9).

Joshua’s rallying cry did little to change the hearts of the people . In fact, the response of the congregation was to call for stoning him to death . (See Numbers 14:10 .) God was so displeased with the congregation’s response that had it not been for the intervention of Moses’ intercessory prayer, God would have destroyed the whole nation and raised up a new nation from Moses . Instead, the people of Israel were compelled to wander in the wilderness for forty years before returning to the border of the Promised Land . During this time the people of Israel twenty years old and up who had murmured against the Lord died in the wilderness . Joshua and Caleb were spared because of their faith in God and their good report of the Promised Land .

B. Stayed Focused on God’s ProvisionJoshua and Caleb refused the negative

report of the other spies . What made them dif-ferent from the congregation of Israel? They were driven by faith, not by fear . Joshua gave no space for doubt . Doubt had overtaken the


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Israelites because their focus was wrong . Their lack of faith in God was a disease that plagued their souls .

The majority of the Israelites focused on their circumstances rather than remembering who was in control, who had delivered them, and what He had promised them . Instead of focusing on the blessings of God and the victories He had already won on their behalf, they focused on the difficulties they encoun-tered . As a result they were filled with despair . The surest way to be overcome by fear and discouragement is to focus on challenging circumstances and imagined negative results instead of focusing on God’s promises and His ability to provide for our needs and to in-tervene in our circumstances .

However, Joshua’s commitment and faith-ful service to God enabled him to continue believing in God’s promises instead of being swayed by the fear and doubt of the majority of the Israelites .

II. FAITH IN THE LORD

A. Joshua’s Commitment Was TestedIt seems difficult to reconcile how the same

people who had marched victoriously through the Red Sea could not trust God’s promise for Canaan . They had seen how the mighty hand of God had protected them from the plagues that destroyed Egypt and had brought them safely through the Red Sea on dry land, while their oppressors, who had pursued them, were drowned in the rushing waters as the Red Sea came together again . Nevertheless, the fearful report of the ten spies solidified the doubt and dread that gripped the people, and they refused to claim God’s promise .

In such a faithless environment, what could be more shocking than the resolve of Joshua and Caleb in the face of such utter unbelief? Joshua knew that if God called Israel to this new challenge, He would make the way for them to overcome . His faith was bolstered by the testimony of what God had already ac-complished for them .

Joshua’s faith, however, was tested . In di-rect opposition to Joshua’s plea not to fear the Canaanites or rebel against the Lord, the people rebelled against God and refused to take possession of the blessings awaiting

them . Because they refused to trust Him, they would not follow Him . The decision to disobey is always costly, but in this instance the Isra-elites paid an exorbitant price . Not only did they lose relationship with God, but they also lost His promise . The people of Israel stopped short of receiving the promise because of fear . Failure to take God at His Word will always result in a price far more costly than surren-dering to His call .

Israel missed out on God’s best for them and instead spent the next forty years wan-dering in the wilderness rather than enjoying the land God had prepared for them—one year for each day the spies were in Canaan . As a result, the older generation died without receiving God’s promise . The only two spies to enter the Promised Land were Joshua and Caleb . Because of Israel’s sin, Joshua had to wander through the wilderness along with the others, testing his resolve to remain commit-ted to God’s call in the face of opposition .

Failure to take God at His Word will always result in a price far more costly than surrendering to His call.

B. Joshua Was Called to the CauseThe bold passion Joshua demonstrated at

the initial scouting of Canaan had developed into a mature, unshakable faith forty years later . The faith he proclaimed before the con-gregation was not in vain, and God honored that faith by allowing Him to lead Israel into the promise, albeit deferred . Joshua’s commit-ment to God’s purpose led to his selection as Moses’ successor, hand-picked by God . “And Moses did as the Lord commanded him . . . and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded” (Numbers 27:22–23) . Possession of the land would not


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come without battles, but God would bring them victory .

“And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fa-thers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteron-omy 31:7–8).

Following Moses’ death, God commis-sioned Joshua to boldly take possession of Israel’s inheritance . God had prepared Joshua for the task of leading Israel to take Canaan . He foretold of Joshua’s crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 1:2) .

As the new leader of God’s people, this nation with a history of grumbling complaints and rebellious disobedience, Joshua likely needed reassurance God would guide him through such a difficult task . The weight of responsibility was heavier now that the man-tle of leadership rested upon him . It is one thing to follow God’s voice for oneself, but when a person is responsible for the well- being of an entire faith community, the stakes are much higher .

When God called Joshua, He did so with rich promises of guidance, authority, and pro-tection . God assured Joshua: “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses” (Joshua 1:3) . Since Moses had already com-missioned Joshua, why did God go to such great lengths to assure him? Perhaps God knew that Joshua had faith but he needed more courage to lead the people of Israel . God commanded Joshua three times (in verses 6, 7, and 9) to be courageous; because God had promised His protection, Joshua had the cour-age to face whatever situations arose and to see the Lord’s deliverance of His people .

III. COMMITMENT WHEN PROMISE WAS DEFERRED

God promised victory, and He promised His favor upon Joshua . God’s promises, however,

came with a charge to remain committed to his calling .

“Only be thou strong and very coura-geous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is writ-ten therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:7–8).

A. Courage to Believe AgainGod commanded Joshua to be faithful to

His Word because the promises hinged upon that . The key to Joshua’s success was what he had demonstrated forty years earlier: com-plete reliance upon God and His Word . He was ready to walk by faith at the first sight of Canaan, and a generation later, Joshua stood prepared to cross the Jordan River through the Lord’s leading .

The key to Joshua’s success was what he had demonstrated forty years earlier: complete reliance upon God and His Word.

After a long, difficult journey, a new gen-eration of Israelites had come near to the Promised Land . The Lord had provided all they needed in the wilderness and had proven faithful . But there was one more barrier—the Jordan . They had to cross that river .

The fathers and grandfathers of the previous generation had the experience of crossing the


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Red Sea . Now their children would experience God’s power for themselves . God had chosen Joshua to lead them to this crowning victory because he had served faithfully, committed to God’s cause . Joshua’s faith and courage were as strong as, or perhaps even stronger than, they had been the first time the Israelites stood at the border of Canaan .

Joshua marched Israel to the banks of the Jordan . He had prepared, had heard God’s promises, and had stepped out in faith . He did not know the manner in which their pas-sage would come, but Joshua knew a miracle was in store . He proclaimed to the people: “Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5) . Joshua implored the Israelites to purify their hearts and release anything that was unlike God . The previous generation of unbelievers had died, with only Joshua and Caleb remain-ing, and Joshua desired a positive outcome this time .

The journey is just as important as the destination because transformation and equipping for God’s purpose take place on the journey.

B. Commitment Brings VictoryAccording to God’s plan, Joshua instructed

the priests to take the Ark of the Covenant and go before the people (Joshua 3:6) . After fur-ther instructions, the priests carrying the Ark led the way to the river . According to verse 15, the Jordan River overflowed its banks during “all the time of harvest .” At the time of their crossing, the river was at flood stage! But the faith of the priests was met with miraculous favor, for as soon as their feet “dipped in the edge of the water . . . the waters which came

down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away” (Joshua 3:15–16, NKJV) .

The priests with the Ark stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan Riv-er (verse 17) . Despite the river having been in flood stage, there was no trace of mud . Meanwhile, all the people (approximately two million) crossed over the Jordan . For years this younger generation had heard about the Red Sea crossing of their grandparents and parents . But on that day, they experienced the miraculous intervention of God for themselves .

We can glean a crucial life principle from this story, one applicable to all generations: There will always be obstacles on the road to our Promised Land, and we must fight to overcome them . Red Seas look different and giants will come in all forms, but they al-ways come . Make no mistake—obeying the will of God does not come without a strug-gle . However, these challenges can become stepping-stones in our walk with God . In overcoming the challenges, we experience God’s power and develop a deeper faith . The journey is just as important as the destination because transformation and equipping for God’s purpose take place on the journey .

IV. JOSHUA’S LASTING COMMITMENT

A. Committed to MosesBefore Joshua was chosen to succeed

Moses as Israel’s leader, he spent a number of years in preparation for that role . The first mention of Joshua is in Exodus 17:9 . Early in Israel’s wilderness wanderings, when Ama-lek came to fight against Israel, Moses called Joshua to get an army together to fight against Amalek . Israel was victorious in the battle .

We do not know what qualities Moses had previously seen in Joshua, but Moses had determined Joshua was capable of being a leader . In Exodus 24:13, Joshua was referred to as Moses’ minister (servant or assistant) . As such, Joshua would have spent much time with Moses during which he would have ob-served Moses’ decisions and actions . Moses became Joshua’s mentor when Joshua was a young man . (See Exodus 33:11 .) Moses’ mentoring by exhortation and by example no doubt had an enormous impact on Joshua .


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What better training could Joshua have had for his role in leading the people of Israel? Per-haps Joshua’s commitment to Moses as his servant was foundational to his commitment to God and to the people of Israel .

B. Called Israel to CommitJoshua’s faith and commitment through the

years ultimately brought him and the people of Israel into the Promised Land . God’s will was for them to conquer the land, taking it for their possession as God had promised Abraham .

Their first military victory was conquering the city of Jericho . Although Joshua had led an army against Amalek early in the journey to the Promised Land, he did not depend on his own wisdom and experience to determine how to defeat Jericho . The Lord gave him specific instructions, which Joshua relayed to the people, and they followed them to the letter . As a result, God gave Israel victory over Jericho .

The Lord gave them victory in other battles as well, using other means of conquering the enemy . The one constant was that God gave Joshua instructions, Joshua relayed them to the people, and the people carried them out . In one instance, the Lord assisted by sending large hailstones to fall on the enemy soldiers as they fled from the Israelite army . (See Josh-ua 10:8–11 .)

Time went by, and after the land had been divided among the tribes of Israel, Joshua called the people together . He was now one hundred ten years old and knew his death was imminent . Before he died, he wanted to remind the people of the great things God had done for them and to encourage them to stay committed to God . There were still nations to be conquered (Joshua 23:4–5), and Joshua encouraged the people with words similar to those with which the Lord had encouraged him after the death of Moses: “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left” (Joshua 23:6) . (See Joshua 1:7 .)

Joshua also warned the people of the dire consequences if, instead of driving out the heathen nations, they became friendly with them, began to intermarry, and started served their gods . The people promised they would

serve the Lord: “And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey” (Joshua 24:24) .

Joshua’s commitment was an excellent example to the people of Israel . Because of his leadership, “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel” (Joshua 24:31) .

C. Left a Legacy for Future Generations

The bold, decisive manner in which Josh-ua obeyed God in all things large and small left a legacy for future generations to follow . As a servant and as a leader, Joshua followed God’s leading and depended on Him for di-rection . Joshua’s wisdom did not come from attempting to appease the people . His wis-dom came from God . (See Joshua 3:9 .) His giftedness came from knowing the source of his strength and following the only voice that could bring deliverance .

One such example took place just after the people of Israel had crossed the Jordan River . God commanded Joshua to choose one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to go back to the middle of the river, to the place where the priests’ feet stood firm . Each man was to take a stone from that spot to serve as a sign of God’s miraculous deliverance . (See Joshua 4:1–9 .)

Those stones were carried with them until they reached Gilgal, where Joshua set them up as a memorial . When future generations passed by, the children would ask what the large stones meant . Parents were instructed to testify of how “the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord” (Joshua 4:7) . Those stones would for-ever serve as a memorial to the children of Israel and their descendants . They would be tangible reminders of the supernatural hand of God who moved on their behalf when they obeyed His call . From that time forward, those rocks would remind the nation that God al-ways keeps His promises .

Because of the Israelites’ rebellion, they endured the wilderness journey . But during that journey, they learned to trust God’s voice . For Israel, the wilderness journey became a


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necessity in getting to the Promised Land . For Joshua, the wilderness journey prepared him to become a pivotal leader in the history of Is-rael, leaving a legacy for all believers to follow .


Many kinds of obstacles may be encoun-tered on the road of life . If looking at an obstacle from the wrong perspective, believ-ers can get discouraged and may decide to turn back from following God’s path . Today’s barriers to our promise may not be giants or a river . Maybe the barrier is a bad habit, an addiction, an attitude, or a difficulty at work or with family . Whatever the obstacle, the end result is the same: barriers that are not over-come keep Christians from being where God wants them and keep them from being the people He has called them to be .

Through the story of Joshua leading Isra-el across the Jordan River into Canaan, the Bible provides another testimony of God’s faithfulness to bring His people through any circumstance . Joshua trusted God rather than relying on his own wisdom or strength, and he inspired a fearful nation to become a faithful nation . The good news is that if God did it for them, He will do it today! If it is God’s will, He will grant us the resources to overcome all ob-stacles and reach our destination . Regardless of Satan’s opposition, God will prepare, equip,

and encourage His children to be strong and courageous .

Just as Joshua called the children of Is-rael to make a commitment to God, people today are challenged by God’s Word to take a stand for Jesus Christ . The Christian walk must never become one of stagnancy, nor should a Christian be fearful of following God’s voice . Crossing the rivers of life may not be easy . Obedience to God’s commands requires faith . In fact, it is often easier not to do anything; it may seem easier to remain wandering in the wilderness . That path may seem safer, but that view is dangerous be-cause it places one’s security in self rather than in God . Regardless of the obstacles, life is more blessed when moving forward toward God’s promises .

On the other side of the challenge is the promise God has given . If we fight obstacles with His strength, He is faithful to keep His promises even if we have failed Him . Why does God keep His Word, even when hu-manity falls short? Joshua 4:24 provides key insight regarding God’s faithfulness despite our failures . He does the spectacular in us and through us in order to bring Himself glory! God’s purpose for His people is that through them, the world might know Him . His mighty acts through us are for a testimony of His glory to the world, and our commitment to His cause will yield eternal results in God’s kingdom .

REFLECTIONS

• What characteristics enable a believer to remain committed to the cause of Christ regard-less of circumstances or opposition?

• In today’s lesson, in what ways did Joshua and Caleb model commitment? • What is the most difficult aspect for you in attempting to be committed to God’s cause?• Why does it sometimes seem easier to let fear rule in our hearts than to walk in faith?• How can believers remain committed to their calling in a culture that does not value the

gospel message?


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FOCUS VERSE

Proverbs 18:24A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:

and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother .

LESSON TEXT

I Samuel 18:1–41 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of

speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul .

2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house .

3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul .4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his

garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle .

I Samuel 20:16–17, 30–32, 41–4216 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require

it at the hand of David’s enemies .17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as

he loved his own soul . . . . . .

30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?

31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom . Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die .

32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

. . . . .

41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded .

42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever . And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city .

FOCUS THOUGHT

True friendship is a shared adventure where no one is seeking an advantage.

FAITHFUL FRIENDS WEEK 1008.07.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

My Arm-Pit Buddy and the Doctor

I have been blessed with many friends—genuine friends . They aren’t just my friends when we bask under the golden sun on a

blue, cloudless day . They are also there when the wind is howling and I’m seeking refuge from one of life’s tornadoes . I also like the fact that my friends are not high maintenance; I don’t have to constantly stroke their egos or be in constant contact .

Two friends I’m thinking about now are from my Bible school days . We all married and became missionaries . We all are state-side now and geographically are separated by hundreds of miles . However, a phone call erases the distance and time as we pick up our friendship where we left off .

One friend calls me his “arm-pit buddy .” He towers over me and when he extends his arm, I can walk under it . I have great memories of an evangelistic trip he and I and other stu-dents made while we were in school .

The other friend is the one my wife refers to as my arguing buddy . She mistakenly thinks that all we did in Bible school was argue and debate . I can’t help it if he wouldn’t listen to the voice of reason—mine . With his EdD in education, he has far exceeded my accom-plishments, and I esteem him for it . I also think he’s mellowed . I still enjoy hearing his voice on the phone .

Faithful friends are worth their weight in gold, and I’m a very rich man .

OUTLINE

I. JONATHAN AND DAVID A . Jonathan Was Not Influenced

by Others B . Jonathan Gave Up the Throne

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE FRIEND

A . Models Trustworthiness B . Loves Unconditionally C . Sacrifices Self If Necessary

III. VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP A . Two Are Better Than One B . We Can Choose Our Friends C . We Have Someone to Lean On and

Confide In

IV. JESUS—OUR COVENANT FRIEND

A . Jesus Stressed Friendship B . Jesus Was a Friend of Sinners C . Calvary Sealed the Covenant


A loner may say he or she does not need friends but is complete living life alone . How-ever, the end result of living in isolation is not

only solitude but emptiness . Human beings were created for community . God longed for fellowship, so He created Adam . But God’s assessment of Adam’s solitude was, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18) . Seeing Adam’s need for companion-ship, God created Eve .

A recent study cited in the March 23, 2013, issue of ScienceNow confirmed the dangers of social isolation . In her article “The Dangers of Social Isolation,” Traci Watson reported that in data from 6,500 Britons age fifty and older, research showed that over a seven-year period the most socially isolated subjects had a 26 percent greater risk of dying than other subjects . In addition to extreme loneli-ness, other factors included health problems and a lack of proper care and support . While difficult to pinpoint the cause versus the out-come, the take-away from this study was a resounding endorsement of humanity’s need for community .

Friendship is one of God’s greatest blessings and also one of our greatest re-sponsibilities as Christians . Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loveth at all times, and a broth-er is born for adversity .” A true friend will be


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there through the difficult times of life, when there is nothing for that person to gain . It has been stated that if at the end of one’s life, a person has five true friends, that person is tru-ly rich . That is a sobering thought, yet truth is represented in that saying .

People in today’s society lead fast-paced lives filled with countless social interactions and acquaintances . They are connected in more ways than ever, but these points of con-tact often result in shallow relationships . While they may be “people rich,” they remain “friend poor” due to the lack of authentic, meaningful friendships . They may hide behind overex-tended schedules and social media facades, envying the seemingly perfect lives of others . The lives of such people become hollow and devoid of genuine significance when they shun real community .

John O’Donohue described this phenome-non in his book Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom: “Most people are enduring a mar-ginalized isolation . One of the great obstacles to modern friendships is the ‘religion of rush .’ People are rushing all the time through time . Friendship takes time .”

It stands to reason that the fewer authentic relationships one develops, the more difficult it becomes to develop such a relationship . Fear of the unknown, in this case fear of not knowing what an authentic relationship requires, freezes a person in isolation . As individuals become more isolated, their pre-suppositions become increasingly cynical . They assume people will hurt them, so it becomes easier to build walls around their hearts . An encounter with a new person is clouded with questions of that person’s mo-tives for being friendly .

True friendship, however, requires trust . In such a friendship, neither party is trying to gain an advantage . Kahlil Gibran, in his book Sand and Foam, offered this perspective: “Friend-ship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity .” True friendship requires an hon-est, authentic investment in another person, yet that investment yields a lifetime of benefits for both individuals . In the end, a real friend is someone who will honor, serve, encourage, and protect you, and that relationship will bring joy to your life . This is the kind of friend-ship Jonathan and David had .


I. JONATHAN AND DAVIDAs the son of King Saul, Jonathan had

every material thing he desired . His father’s throne guaranteed him wealth and status, and certainly there was no shortage of people surrounding him . However, Jonathan experi-enced a unique bond with David . “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David” (I Samuel 18:1) . Jonathan made a covenant with David (I Samuel 18:3–4), which was re-newed in I Samuel 20:11–17 .

A. Jonathan Was Not Influenced by Others

Even in the face of extreme opposition, Jon-athan’s commitment to David was not swayed . King Saul, infuriated with Jonathan’s forging such a bond with David, called for David’s ex-ecution . (See I Samuel 20:30–33 .) Jonathan, ever loyal, defended David still, questioning what David had done to deserve death .

B. Jonathan Gave Up the ThroneWhy would Saul be so enraged by Jona-

than’s friendship with David? Saul knew that David had been anointed to be the next king of Israel, and as long as David was alive, Jon-athan would never inherit the throne . (See I Samuel 20:31 .) Saul’s displeasing ways meant not only the end of his reign, but that his would-be royal line had lost the chance to rule . Saul’s response to God’s decree was re-flective of his spiritual state . He decided to take matters into his own hands and attempt to de-feat the plan of God with his own military force .

Saul felt that Jonathan’s acceptance of God’s plan was absurd . Yet Jonathan main-tained his integrity, and he refused to protect his interests at the expense of David’s life . Not even the throne of Israel was worth Jonathan’s betraying his dearest friend . Nothing was more important to him than being a friend to David, regardless of the personal cost to himself .

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE FRIEND

A. Models Trustworthiness Jonathan’s life demonstrated many char-

acteristics of a real friend . Above all else,


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Jonathan was a person of integrity who proved he could be trusted . When it would have been simpler to align with his father’s ill will for David, Jonathan remained honest and true to his covenant with David . Transparency is a hallmark of authentic friendships . In the face of struggles or tough times, a true friend will honestly address the challenges but will commit to persevere through those setbacks . Shrouds of secrecy and facades of false promises are enemies to relationships be-cause they erode trust and commitment .

B. Loves UnconditionallyUnconditional love is hard to fathom and

equally difficult to find in human relation-ships . As Saul’s anger raged, he became consumed with the notion of self-preserva-tion through the destruction of David and the prophets . In the face of such hatred, Jonathan remained steadfast in his love for his friend . Jonathan would not be corrupted, nor would he forsake the covenant he had pledged and reaffirmed to David . God forged their bond, and Jonathan’s love for David was a picture of God’s love for us . God’s love for us is not swayed based on circumstances or thoughts of personal gain, nor was Jona-than’s love for David .

C. Sacrifices Self If NecessaryThere was truth in Saul’s pronouncement

to Jonathan that he would never be king as long as David lived . From that perspective, it would have seemed to be in Jonathan’s best interest to follow his father’s plan and ensure the death of David . But when Da-vid was anointed to be king, the destinies of these two men became intertwined on a deeper level . One friend was pedigreed, but the other was called . One would rise, and one would fall .

Saul understood the implications of his pronouncement; however, he failed miserably in his response . Saul’s response was carnal; he arrogantly thought he could thwart the plan of God by killing God’s chosen servant . Jonathan, on the other hand, was willing to sacrifice himself rather than destroy his friend . Jonathan did not pursue his own interests but remained a man of integrity, even in his death . Being a true friend is not about doing what is

expedient for one’s self . A real friend is a ser-vant who sacrifices for another .

III. VALUE OF FRIENDSHIPIn a society that celebrates quantified out-

comes and results, it is difficult to describe the value of friendship . As previously stated, sci-entific research confirms the benefits of strong relationships; however, such data falls short of conveying their value . In fact, as with most things in life, one usually does not realize the value of a friend until faced with a situation that reveals the desperate need for one .

In his book Out of Solitude: Three Medi-tations on the Christian Life, Henri Nouwen poignantly described the significance of true friendship and what the friend looks like: “When we honestly ask ourselves which per-son in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving ad-vice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand . The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing, and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares .”

Friends are those who walk with us through the midnight and serve as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ here on earth .

A. Two Are Better Than One Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 declares, “Two are

better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour . For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not anoth-er to help him up .” When two are faced with a challenge, there is strength in the fortitude gained from working together . The end result is not based solely on “me,” but rather on “we .” That does not negate the contributions and value of an individual . It does, however, empower the individual to realize he or she is part of something larger than one person, and it provides momentum to move forward .

There is much to be said in today’s con-text regarding accountability partners . An accountability partner is someone who helps another person keep a commitment . First


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used in connection with weight loss programs, the concept has been extended to other areas of life, including moral purity, addictive behav-iors, and even financial decision-making . For Christians, this concept bears true throughout Scripture . God received much glory through partnerships such as Moses and Aaron, Es-ther and Mordecai, Peter and John, Paul and Silas, and many more .

B. We Can Choose Our Friends“Friends are the family you choose for

yourself .” This popular anonymous quote highlights one of the greatest aspects of friendship—the power of choice . There are many relationships in life over which we have little input . We cannot choose our parents, our siblings, or other family members . While most of us may choose our place of employment, there is little input regarding coworkers or su-pervisors . Friendship is unique in that it offers a window into the values and priorities of the individual . In whom do we confide? Whom do we allow to speak into our lives? For whom do we make time? The answers to these ques-tions can reveal our personal goals . “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17) . From that perspective, we should carefully choose friends who will build us up, not tear us down or hold us back .

There is a delicate balance in developing relationships . Believers should not avoid be-friending people who do not share their values or spiritual goals . A true friend is not in pursuit of a self-serving relationship but endeavors to strengthen the other person . A better way to think about relationships is to understand the various types and purposes of friendships . Christians are called to love others as they follow the example of Jesus Christ . Genuine love yields friendship, community, encourage-ment, and support . This is the benchmark for which believers should strive with all people .

There is a difference, however, between reaching out to others with the love of Christ, and allowing someone to have influence over our inner thoughts and desires . When our souls are in need of encouragement, spiri-tual nourishment, and uplifting community, we need friends who will steady us in the love of Christ . The key distinction is the level

of influence friends have in our lives . Solo-mon admonished, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23) . For that reason, we must choose our closest friends carefully .

C. We Have Someone to Lean On and Confide In

When we have real friends, we do not walk through life alone . One of the most beautiful aspects of friendship is that we can trust and lean on someone who wants what is best for us . Our hopes and dreams, and even our fears and suffering, can be shared with anoth-er . Depending on the circumstances, we can celebrate together or weep with each other .

There is power in journeying through life with someone we can trust, not only from an emotional perspective but also from a spiri-tual aspect . Just as we have an innate need for fellowship and community, the Bible also reveals the spiritual power gained when two walk together for the cause of Jesus Christ . “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16) . How does this work? When we are authentic and open with a trusted confidant, we can unite in prayer to overcome temptation or sin . By joining to-gether in prayer, we multiply our faith and God moves on our behalf .

We know there is power in prayer, but when we join together with another for prayer, something exponential happens in the spirit world . Deuteronomy 32:30 proclaims, “How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?” Agreeing with someone else in prayer can make our prayers more effective than praying alone . The prayer of agreement with a friend, according to God’s will, can yield mighty re-sults in God’s kingdom because it follows the scriptural principle of bearing each other’s burdens and casting our cares on Christ .

IV. JESUS—OUR COVENANT FRIENDAn anonymous story about a frightened lit-

tle boy has been used in countless sermons over the years . The story goes that during a powerful storm one night, a frightened little


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boy could not sleep . He got out of bed and knocked on the door of his parents’ room, de-claring, “I can’t sleep!” His mother got up to soothe him and took him back to his room . After he was back in bed, she offered some words of comfort . “Son, you know that we love you, and we are right here, close by .” He nod-ded his agreement . “And you know God loves you and He is with you all the time . He is in the same room with you, right?” The boy nodded affirmatively . “So you are going to be just fine here in your room now, right?” Her son’s re-sponse was not what she had hoped to hear . “No, Mommy! I know God is with me all night long, but I still want to sleep with you . I need someone with skin on!”

While the circumstances may be different in each scenario, at some point in life, each of us has likely felt like the frightened boy . We find strength in God’s Word, and we experience hope from the power of His Spirit . Yet we long for a tangible, physical presence to help carry us through our dark days . That is the beauty of friendship, for it is a wonderful gift from God to remind us we are not walking alone . Godly friendships model His love and faithfulness, and they encourage us to remain steadfast as we love God and love others .

Proverbs 18:24 states, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother .” Jesus Christ is the dearest friend we could have . He is our covenant friend because He purchased our ransom with His own life . We have the privilege of serving a God who came to earth “with skin on .” Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, lived among His cre-ation and made a way of escape from sin for all of us .

A. Jesus Stressed FriendshipNo greater example of friendship can be

found than in the life of Jesus . His entire pur-pose on earth was to serve others . Philippians 2:7 declares that Jesus “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men .” This path required shame, scorn, and agony . He willingly sacrificed His life to recon-cile humanity with its Creator and to redeem us for eternity . Truer words have never been penned than these: “Greater love hath no man

than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) .

Through His example, He taught us how to be true friends . In the same passage in which He proclaimed His sacrificial love for us, He commanded us to have that kind of love for each other: “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12) . In fact, He connected our re-lationship with Him to our response to this command: “Ye are my friends, if ye do what-soever I command you” (John 15:14) . To be friends of God, we must be friends of others and follow the selfless example of our Savior .

B. Jesus Was a Friend of Sinners When a lawyer attempted to trip up Jesus,

he asked Him one of the most famous ques-tions in Scripture: “Who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29) . In the parable of the Good Sa-maritan, Jesus described a scenario in which the person least expected to help was the one who demonstrated God’s love . Jesus wanted us to know that Christians are called to love all . In fact, Jesus continually pushed the limits on what it meant to be a loving friend . One of the most compelling narratives in Scripture is when, at the point of His capture under the cloak of secrecy and betrayal, Jesus called Judas “friend” (Matthew 26:50) . What a model of love and forgiveness!

Jesus’ love was not reserved for those who deserved it . How refreshing to know that His love was extended to everyone . In fact, His friendship with sinners was particularly offen-sive to some religious leaders . (See Matthew 11:19 .) External markers of holiness did not grant friendship with Jesus, nor did the lack thereof disqualify a person from His love . The ministry of Jesus demonstrated that man sees the outward appearance, but God knows the heart . (See I Samuel 16:7 .) Everyone sins . While sin separates us from God, it does not have the power to alienate us from Him . The love of Jesus was so rich and free that it tore through the harsh exteriors of the least likely candidates for His friendship . It still does . No matter the sin, the love of Jesus can reconcile us to Him . The redemptive power of His love can call us His friends .

Make no mistake; Jesus did not condone sin when He walked upon earth, nor does He


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do so today . He always called sinners out of darkness into truth . Jesus declared, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32) . We can know the truth only through relationship with Him, for Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) .

Jesus’ ministry was based on the truth that all have sinned and come short of God’s glo-ry (Romans 3:23) . There is a false view that an individual must “get right to get God .” But the truth is that we must get God to get right . There is no other way to be redeemed or rec-onciled apart from the grace of God that we all desperately need . His love penetrates the bonds of our sin because His love is stronger than the force of sin . The description “a friend of publicans and sinners” (Matthew 11:19), meant to shame Him, gave insight into the purpose and passion of Jesus Christ .

C. Calvary Sealed the CovenantBecause of sin, human beings needed a

spotless, pure sacrifice to stand in the gap for them . The most incredible act of God’s love took place on Calvary . When Jesus Christ gave His life as the atoning sacrifice for sin, He did so for the sins of the world: “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:2) . As Jesus ministered among the people, He drew them to Him . When He died on the cross and rose from the grave, He secured an eternal victory that would forever deem them friends of God . How was this possible?

Calvary sealed the covenant between God and humanity . We can be eternally reconciled with Him, receiving the greatest friendship of all time, because His love did what our efforts could not do .


Jesus unequivocally settled which com-mandments are the greatest: Love God and love people . Friendships provide the oppor-tunity to do both because through loving, godly relationships, we demonstrate our love for God . Friendships allow us to experience the love of God in a tangible way . True friends will encourage us, strengthen us, and sacri-fice for our good .

In today’s society, the frenetic pace of life often makes it extremely challenging to devel-op and sustain friendships, but believers must find ways to commit to community and take time for others . Robert Brault shared, “I value the friend who for me finds time on his calen-dar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar .”

Transcending power and position, the friendship of Jonathan and David modeled the faithfulness of God to us . The example of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice is the greatest demon-stration of love ever known . As we seek to live out unconditional love for others, we must empty ourselves of our own motives and pray that we will decrease so He can increase . (See John 3:30 .)

REFLECTIONS

• What characteristics of a friend do you consider most vital to a healthy relationship?• In today’s lesson, in what ways is true friendship modeled through the lives of David and

Jonathan as well as through the life of Jesus?• In looking to their examples, what is the most difficult aspect for you in attempting to be a

good friend?• What are obstacles to developing healthy relationships today?• How can believers overcome those obstacles?


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FOCUS VERSE

Acts 16:25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang

praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them .

LESSON TEXT

Acts 15:22, 4022 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the

whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

. . . . .

40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God .

Acts 16:19–2619 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and

Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly

trouble our city,21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being

Romans .22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes,

and commanded to beat them .23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the

jailor to keep them safely:24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet

fast in the stocks .25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners

heard them .26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were

shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed .

Ecclesiastes 4:9–109 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour .10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for

he hath not another to help him up .

FOCUS THOUGHT

In the midst of a crisis, God-inspired self-control can save the day.

COMPANIONS IN CRISIS

WEEK 1108.14.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

Turn Down the Noise

My wife had a discipline technique that worked well as she taught ele-mentary students . When the noise

level in the classroom started increasing, she lowered her voice . Soon the students quieted down . I thought of that when I recently read an article on self-control from Kids Health from Nemours . The author stated, “Reacting to kids’ meltdowns with yelling and outbursts of your own will only teach them to do the same (and actually is associated with an increase in children’s negative behaviors) . But keep-ing your cool and calmly working through a frustrating situation lets you show—and teach—appropriate ways to handle anger and frustration” (http://kidshealth.org/parent/

emotions/behavior/temper.html?tracking=P_RelatedArticle, accessed February 15, 2015) .

I have lived long enough to discover I can help manage the crises in my own life by self-control . When a crisis arises, I can increase my frustrations by listening to the clamor in my head of all the bad things that could happen . That is a sure way to raise my blood pressure and lead to depression . On the other hand, I can turn down the volume by listening to the soft, still voice that says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) . Remembering what He has done for me in the past is one way I have learned to relax and control my fears .

OUTLINE

I. TRAVELING COMPANIONS A . Silas Was Respected B . Paul Chose Silas C . Paul and Silas Were Companions

on the Journey

II. CONFRONTATION WITH THE ENEMY

A . Damsel with the Spirit of Divination B . God’s Timing C . The Arrest

III. SELF-CONTROL IN CRISIS A . Did Not Panic B . Maintained Self-Control C . Worshiped God in Prison

CONTEMPLATING THE TOPICAt some point, each of us probably has

come face-to-face with a personal crisis . The crisis may have taken an extended peri-od of time to develop, or perhaps the onset was sudden and unexpected . The manner in which we respond to a crisis is often just as important as the crisis itself .

Some people seem to lose control during a crisis . To the onlooker, their behavior may

seem haphazard, with no rhyme or reason . Under duress, they make split-second deci-sions without a clear vision of the end goal . Other people handle a crisis like an ostrich with its head stuck in the sand, unwilling to do anything for fear of making the situation worse . But sometimes lack of action is the worst course one can take . Inaction can trans-form a minor crisis into a major crisis . In many instances, damage control can be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve .

The appropriate crisis response does not come naturally . People who excel during a crisis keep a cool head and make logical re-sponses to crisis stimuli . Through their careful response, they minimize the effects of a crisis and may even reverse the pending results . Professional crisis interventionists, those who make a living handling crisis situations, are known for keeping their composure . However, this trait alone is not enough to be effective . They also have to study and stay abreast of any procedural changes . They have to be knowledgeable of human characteristics, tendencies, and interactions . They must be prepared in advance for any scenario and any changes that might occur during a crisis .


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Like the trained crisis interventionist, we need to be prepared in advance to handle problems life throws our way . With God’s help, we can face any crisis with the confidence that we are trained and equipped to handle it . In periods of trials and tribulations, we can be prepared if we are diligent in prayer, fasting, and studying God’s Word . If we truly trust in God, we will be quick to turn every situation over to Him . He will give us the right things to say and provide us with the right course of ac-tion to take . The Bible encourages this type of trust in Psalm 23:4: “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me .” This is the kind of trust Paul and Silas had in God .


I. TRAVELING COMPANIONSIn planning a trip, a person who had the

opportunity to choose a traveling companion would probably look for a thoughtful, insightful individual who could engage in conversation effortlessly . This companion would allow the other person equal access to the conversation and value that person’s input and opinions . If the two shared many common interests and had a similar outlook on life, the trip would be even more enjoyable .

Paul and Silas would have been com-panionable travelers . They had common interests, they shared the same convictions, their lifestyles were similar, and they held the same outlook on life . Most of all, they loved Jesus, and their desire to spread the gospel was the basis of their existence .

A. Silas Was RespectedSome men from Judea had come to An-

tioch teaching that the Gentiles had to obey the law of Moses in order to be saved . Be-cause their teaching caused great dissention among the Gentile believers, Paul and Barnabas were chosen to travel to Jerusa-lem to meet with the apostles and elders to consider the matter . After much discussion, James suggested writing letters to the Gen-tile churches letting the people know they were not required to follow the law of Moses and giving them direction as to what they were to do . The apostles and elders were

pleased with James’s suggestion . They sent two of their own men to accompany Paul and Barnabas to deliver the letter to the church in Antioch: “Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren” (Acts 15:22) . Choosing Silas to go with Paul and Barnabas indicated the respect the brethren in Jerusalem had for him .

After the letter was read to the Antioch church, the Gentile believers rejoiced . Then Judas and Silas spoke to them: “And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them” (Acts 15:32) . From this verse we know that Silas was a prophet and a min-ister . That he would be asked to speak to the congregation showed the respect the breth-ren in Antioch had for him .

After spending some time in Antioch, Judas and Silas were allowed to return to Jerusalem . However, Silas decided to stay .

B. Paul Chose SilasAs mentioned in the lesson for week 6,

when Paul and Barnabas could not agree on whether to take John Mark with them on a second missionary journey, they chose to go their separate ways . Barnabas chose to take Mark with him, and Paul chose to take Silas with him on his second missionary journey . Silas was willing to go .

Silas had probably been in the congre-gation when Paul and Barnabas told the Jerusalem church of their experiences during their previous missionary journey . He heard of the far-reaching effects of Paul’s contro-versial proclamation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Savior . Paul’s message had infuriated the non-believing Jews in various locations where they traveled, and perhaps Silas was expecting the same on this journey . However, that knowledge did not deter his zeal for the ministry .

Like Paul, Silas was a Roman citizen, a fact that would serve them both well later when they were put in prison in Philippi . Silas pos-sessed a maturity of faith that empowered him to see the harvest .

Apparently the leaders in the Antioch church approved of Paul’s choosing Silas to travel with him: “And Paul chose Silas, and de-parted, being recommended by the brethren


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unto the grace of God” (Acts 15:40) . Silas’s commitment proved to be an invaluable asset to Paul’s ministry .

C. Paul and Silas Were Companions on the Journey

Paul is hailed as the most prolific writer in the New Testament and as a pioneer to the Gentile nations . Like all great leaders, Paul needed a good “right-hand man .” Moses had Aaron, Elijah had Elisha, and Paul had Silas . Paul and Silas were traveling companions on one of the greatest missionary journeys in history .

Throughout their journey, they experienced joy when non-believers were converted . They faced hardship and persecution when their bold message of salvation in Jesus’ name angered the Jewish religious establishment . Through the highs and lows of their ministry, they achieved incredible results . God blessed their efforts and rewarded them with fruits of their labor . Ecclesiastes 4:9 states, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour .”

Their common bond was their unwaver-ing faith in God . If they had food to eat and a place to sleep, they praised God . If they felt the pangs of hunger and slept in a prison cell, they praised God . Uncertainty was their constant companion, for they were never sure how they would be received, who would be-come friends, or who would become enemies . But of one thing they were certain: God was in control . Whatever the situation, the circum-stances, or the risks, they gave God all the honor and glory and continually lifted up His name in praise .

II. CONFRONTATION WITH THE ENEMY

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are ac-complished in your brethren that are in the world” (I Peter 5:8–9).

The enemy may seek to attack us when we are down, but he may also come against us

when things seem to be going well . His sin-gle-minded task is to destroy our relationship with God, and he will stop at nothing to try to accomplish his goal . However, believers do not need to cower in fear, nor should they be afraid to enjoy the good days, free from ap-prehension that something bad may be about to happen . Living a Christ-centered life means we can have peace to praise God in the good days as well as the bad days . Paul and Silas demonstrated such an attitude during their journeys .

God called Paul and Silas to an extraordi-nary task: to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and establish the believers in the faith . The challenge and complexities of their calling cannot be overstated . They were charged with bringing a new faith with a Jew-ish foundation to a pagan world and also with peacefully assimilating Gentile believers into congregations made up of Jewish believers who did not understand that Christ’s message was for all people .

They faced significant opposition from some within the fledgling Christian church; however, that was not their greatest chal-lenge . Just as it is with believers today, the true enemy of Paul and Silas was the prince of darkness, Satan, and his various plans for thwarting their purpose . One such example was their confrontation with a young woman possessed with an evil spirit .

A. Damsel with the Spirit of Divination

Paul and Silas were going to a place of prayer when a young woman with an evil spir-it met them . She was considered a valuable commodity to her masters because her for-tune-telling earned much profit for them . She began followed Paul and Silas, crying out, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17) . Her cry was similar to those of the demoniacs who encountered Jesus, even using the same phrase “most high God .” She continued to do this for many days, and Paul, annoyed by her behavior, finally drove out that spirit with the strongest weapon on earth: “I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her . And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:18) .


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Why was Paul so greatly annoyed with this young woman if she appeared to be speaking the truth? The biblical text does not answer this question, which has left biblical schol-ars to speculate on the reasons . Some have speculated he felt great sympathy that she was bound by this evil spirit and was frustrat-ed with her plight, while others suggest he was angered because she was portraying Je-sus as a way to God, rather than the exclusive way to salvation . In Acts 16:17, the word the in “the way of salvation” is not in the original Greek and was supplied by translators . The word a could also work grammatically (a way of salvation) . Also, some may have confused “the most high God” with Zeus, with whom the Philippians were more familiar .

Paul and the other apostles had already established that their message of Christ’s sacrifice was the only way to God, because Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah . The early church faithfully proclaimed, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) . Per-haps Paul was annoyed because the damsel continually drew attention away from their cause with her ongoing, disruptive shouting . Whatever the reason, he cast the demon out of the girl .

B. God’s TimingEcclesiastes 3:1 proclaims, “To every thing

there is a season, and a time to every pur-pose under the heaven .” The believer can be assured that in every season, God has complete control . Everything revolves around His timing . He neither needs nor seeks the approval of human beings when setting His schedule . He knows what will happen before it happens . To be sensitive not only to His will but also to His timing, we must stay con-nected to God through prayer, fasting, and studying His Word .

The Holy Spirit empowered Paul to cast out the demon from the young woman; however, he waited until he felt the time had come for her deliverance . Perhaps Paul needed time to discern by the Spirit what was actually trans-piring and how the onlookers perceived the actions of the damsel . Whatever the reason for the delay, when Paul was led to move

forward, he commanded the spirit to leave the damsel . The timing was right for deliverance . Paul knew that God was in control and God’s timing mattered above all else .

C. The ArrestAs a result of the young woman’s being set

free from demonic possession, her masters were divested of the steady stream of income they had been earning at her expense . En-raged, they took Paul and Silas before the magistrates, accusing them of troubling the city by teaching customs that were unlawful for Romans to observe . (See Acts 16:19–21 .)

Paul and Silas were beaten mercilessly and thrown into a dark prison . The jailer was charged with making sure they did not es-cape, so he put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in stocks . Yet in that cold, dark prison, Paul and Silas were not dis-couraged . They ushered in God’s presence by praying and singing praises to Him in spite of their circumstances .

When God is in control, we do not have to spiral out of control.

III. SELF-CONTROL IN CRISISIn a crisis, we must choose to maintain

self-control or give in to the spirit of the flesh . Situations in the Bible demonstrate the perils of acting without self-control . Samson died blind because he told Delilah the secret of his strength . Moses did not enter into the Prom-ised Land because he smote the rock instead of speaking to it as God had commanded . Da-vid endured the guilt of sacrificing the life of a loyal, innocent man and suffered the loss of his own baby because he looked upon Bathshe-ba with lust in his heart and committed moral sin . These men all accomplished incredible things for God: Samson slew thousands, Mo-ses led the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage, and David was a man after God’s own heart .


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Yet each of them experienced major crises in their walk with God because they lacked self-control at crucial junctures in their lives .

Self-control, called “temperance” in the King James version of the Bible, is vital to our Christian walk and is listed as one of the nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23 . We exercise self-control when we reject feelings, impulses, or desires of a sinful nature . Paul and Silas could exercise self-control when faced with a crisis because they understood that God was in control . When God is in con-trol, we do not have to spiral out of control . When we allow God to be on the throne of our hearts, we can trust He will lead, guide, and protect us in every way .

Paul and Silas were committed to a com-mon goal and exhibited self-control . Paul said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27) . To the Romans he wrote, “Present your bodies a living sacri-fice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1) . If we lack self-control, it will be impossible to be living sacrifices pleasing to God .

A. Did Not PanicFew of us would be free from panic if we

found ourselves in Paul and Silas’s situation . But though they had been beaten severe-ly and thrust into prison, they chose to pray and sing praises to God . When an earthquake came later that night, they remained calm . How could they have had unfailing peace in the face of such a crisis? Paul and Silas knew the totality of God’s delivering power . They knew God controlled the sun, the moon, and the stars . Even if they found themselves di-rectly above the epicenter of the quake, they knew that God had the power to keep them through it .

In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren said: “You’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got .” God was, in fact, all Paul and Silas had, but not simply because they had suffered great calamities . God was everything to them because they freely gave of themselves and desired to be like Him . They lived what Paul proclaimed—to be content when they had abundance or

when they lacked . (See Philippians 4:11–12 .) This spirit of contentment empowered them to face persecution, imprisonment, and an earth-quake without the slightest trepidation or fear .

B. Maintained Self-ControlPaul was well aware of the need for

self-control . He admonished Timothy: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come . For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, un-thankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, trai-tors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (II Timothy 3:1–5) .

Paul and Silas could draw strength from their personal relationship with God . For them, self-control was more than simply steely resolve or intestinal fortitude . There were no self-help gurus or support groups to motivate them to respond in the right way . Their rela-tionship with God trumped everything else in their lives . Their commitment to God yielded self-control in the face of crisis because they knew that God was the only One who could change their situation .

We can shine forth God’s power and hope when we praise God in our darkest situations.

C. Worshiped God in PrisonAt the midnight hour when there seemed to

be no hope, Paul and Silas turned their prison cell into a pulpit through prayer and praise . Prayer and praise were to them, as they should be to us, the most potent weapons against the forces of Satan . Prayer and praise resulted in their deliverance from prison .


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When an earthquake came, they did not run for cover or leap at the chance to escape . The prison guard was ready to commit suicide for fear that the prisoners had escaped, but Paul and Silas assured him they were all still there . Their presence had a calming effect on the rest of the prisoners, and not one prisoner tried to escape .

What was the end result? The jailer brought Paul and Silas out of prison and asked them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) . The prison cell became the pathway to freedom for him and for his entire family . Af-ter Paul and Silas “spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house,” the jailer “was baptized, he and all his, straight-way” (Acts 16:32–33) . We too can shine forth God’s power and hope when we praise God in our darkest situations . What a powerful les-son for us today!


Paul and Silas took Jesus’ words in John 14:27 to heart: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you . Let not your heart be trou-bled, neither let it be afraid .” Paul and Silas were companions in crisis, but they never walked a single step of their journey alone . Like the three Hebrew men in the fiery fur-nace, there was another person with them all along the way .

We too can have the peace of God . In fact, peace is listed along with temperance in

Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit . To the Romans, Paul said, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13) .

Paul offered a strong admonition for be-lievers that may seem difficult to apply: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6, NKJV) . Although it may be difficult not to be anxious, if we take every-thing to God in prayer, with thanksgiving, peace is available: “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phi-lippians 4:7, NKJV) . This is how Paul and Silas lived their lives . If we could grasp only a portion of the type of faith in God that Paul and Silas had, we would not fear in times of crisis .

We should follow the example of Paul and Silas by praying and praising God during the bad times as well as the good times . Even in the bad times, we can find something good for which to praise God . If thinking of some-thing good in such times is difficult, we can praise God for who He is and for past bless-ings . God inhabits the praises of His people . (See Psalm 22:3 .)

Perhaps if believers who feel bound by cir-cumstances focused their hearts on God’s sovereignty in their lives, they could endure the “prison cells” with the cool calm exhibited by Paul and Silas .

REFLECTIONS

• What characteristics do you find most valuable in a traveling companion during tough times?

• What separates Paul and Silas from the average Christian?• What do you find most difficult in following a “Paul and Silas lifestyle”?• What can believers do to drive out fear from their Christian walk?• How can our praise lead others to salvation?


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FOCUS VERSE

Genesis 13:8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray

thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren .

LESSON TEXT

Genesis 13:1, 5–121 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and

all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south .

. . . . .

5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents .

6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together .

7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land .

8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren .

9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left .

10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar .

11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other .

12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom .

FOCUS THOUGHT

Anyone can see the problem; however, the world in general and the church in particular need problem solvers.

WEEK 1208.21.16

RESOLVING CONFLICT


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CULTURE CONNECTION

Preferring One Another

As one planning to go to Ukraine to teach in the Bible school, I have been follow-ing the news regarding the progress of

the peace talks with the rebels . A report by Reuters published February 15, 2015, states: “Ukraine’s rebels disavowed a new truce on Sunday hours after it took effect, saying it did not apply to the town where most fighting has taken place in recent weeks . Guns fell abrupt-ly silent at midnight across much of eastern Ukraine in line with the ceasefire agreement, reached after a week of diplomacy led by France and Germany . But pro-Russian rebels announced they would not observe the truce at Debaltseve, where Ukrainian army forces were encircled and Kiev military said rebel

attacks on the town steadily increased from mid-afternoon on Sunday .”

The report illustrates a basic principle of conflict resolution: The opposing sides have to be willing to compromise and reconcile . No matter how many intermediaries try to cobble together a working agreement, their attempts will be futile if one side is unwilling to negoti-ate in good faith .

Perhaps that is why Paul wrote to the Ro-mans, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another” (Romans 12:10) . It is impossible to demand my own way when I am preferring my brother .

OUTLINE

I. RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM A . Finding the Source B . Dealing with the Problem C . Solving the Problem

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROBLEM SOLVER

A . Peace Seeking B . Not Jealous C . Humble

III. MASTER PROBLEM SOLVER A . For the Believer B . For the Unbeliever C . An Example for All

IV. THE BLESSING OF UNITY


Conflict was present before the begin-ning of human existence . According to the Bible, Heaven was not immune to struggle . Although we know little of the details of the conflict, God and His archangel Lucifer be-came embroiled in a struggle for control

that ended with Lucifer (Satan) being cast out of Heaven .

In the Garden of Eden, conflict entered the world, resulting from the serpent’s de-ception of Adam and Eve and their ensuing disobedience . Today one need look no further than the morning headlines for evi-dence of abounding conflict in society . As families struggle to find peace, and divorce rates escalate, relationships shatter due to unresolved conflict . The church is not im-mune to disagreements, from differences of opinion regarding personal preferences, to deeply wounding interpersonal strife . It is the Christian’s responsibility to find peaceful resolutions to daily challenges encountered in all areas of life .

The Book of Genesis describes how one individual was willing to courageously ad-dress conflict, choosing to face issues with wisdom and grace rather than insensitivity and selfishness . When dealing with his neph-ew Lot, Abram humbly sought to find peace . Instead of ignoring the issue, he was willing to work toward a solution to avoid greater


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future conflict . As the elder, Abram possessed the position of power in the relationship . Yet he refused to show an attitude of superiority and instead made personal sacrifices for the peace of everyone involved . There is much to be learned from this story, particularly related to dealing with conflict .


I. RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM

“And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together” (Genesis 13:6).

A. Finding the SourceThroughout the Bible, the reader sees the

full gamut of problems and solutions . For every righteous example of handling conflict the correct way, there is a depiction of con-flict that ended in destruction . Conflicts can be big or small, and the size of the conflict usually has little to do with the size of the problem . The degree to which a conflict es-calates is often based upon the manner in which both parties respond to the situation . In fact, sometimes a conflict arises out of a situation that should not even be considered problematic .

Interestingly, the conflict between Abram and Lot was related to their blessings . Both possessed so many cattle that tension arose between their herdsmen because they were in each other’s way: “And there was a strife be-tween the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle” (Genesis 13:7) . As each man’s herdsmen sought water and the best pasture for the animals belonging to their masters, competition inevitably led to conflict .

In this case, the true issue had less to do with their abundance than with the selfishness of the herdsmen . Jockeying for the better po-sition, the herdsmen thought only about their own herds . They could have devised a plan to enable them to live peaceably, but instead they chose a path of conflict . Discovering the root issue is an essential step in finding a solution to a problem . In essence, to resolve conflict in a relationship, one must look back-ward prior to moving forward .

B. Dealing with the ProblemAbram could have chosen to ignore the

problem or to command his nephew’s herds-men to leave his workers alone . It would have been within his rights to demand that Lot move to some other location since Abram held the more powerful position of the elder in the relationship . Instead, Abram dealt with the problem with wisdom and meekness, desiring a peaceful resolution to the matter . His lead-ership created liberty to live peaceably and reduce conflict .

True leadership tackles the tough conversa-tions rather than ignoring the difficulty . While some may allow conflict to fester and become steadily worse, the Bible is clear that when there is an issue, believers should take the initiative to address it . (See Matthew 5:23–24; 18:15 .) The life of faith involves learning to live with each other in a manner that respects the other person as one who is created in the im-age of God . Ephesians 4:26 reminds us of the necessity of swiftly dealing with conflict: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath .”

True leadership tackles the tough conversations rather than ignoring the difficulty.

C. Solving the ProblemConflicts occur in all relationships, includ-

ing family relationships, relationships in the workplace, and relationships in church . Unfor-tunately, attempting to resolve these conflicts often creates even greater tension . In order for one to find honest resolution to relation-ship conflicts, it is vital to determine the root of the problem .

In any interpersonal interaction, disunity oc-curs when individuals insist on their way and refuse to yield ground . William James shared, “Whenever you’re in conflict with someone,


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there is one factor that can make the differ-ence between damaging your relationship and deepening it . That factor is attitude .” An individual with the right attitude will seek to find common ground and a means to a solu-tion . When a person focuses on the most important things, being right with one’s broth-er or sister will take precedence over simply being right .

It may sometimes seem easier to allow a predicament to remain than to take active steps to eradicate the dilemma . For that rea-son, many people never seek to resolve the issue at hand . Consequently, the problem may escalate while the chances of the rela-tionship’s survival diminish . Christians are tasked with the responsibility of addressing situations in a manner that pleases the Lord and brings glory to His kingdom .

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROBLEM SOLVER

“And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren” (Genesis 13:8).

What are the characteristics of coura-geous problem solvers? They seek ways to promote harmony and cultivate unity in rela-tionships . Problem solvers are not afraid of having difficult conversations because such conversations are necessary to strengthen the relationship . Rather than avoid conflict, or worse, unnecessarily escalate the conflict in an already tense situation, problem solvers become peacemakers . The word peacemaker is not synonymous with pushover . Peacemak-ers put the needs and betterment of others above their own personal desires . Peace-makers seek to understand the viewpoint of the other person as a means of finding a resolution .

The path to peace does not require prob-lem solvers to give in regardless of principle . Neither do they demand validation of their own views and desires . Peacemakers en-gage others in order to find common ground and cultivate shared vision for a resolu-tion . Problem solvers take responsibility for

relationships, regardless of culpability, cor-rectness, or convenience . Recognizing one’s role in the conflict can result in a resolution that brings peace and order to chaos .

Peacemakers seek to understand the view-point of the other person as a means of finding a resolution.

Abram was a problem solver because he was a peacemaker who took responsibility for relationships . He utilized wisdom to boldly face a problem, bringing stability to a situation that affected the possessions he owned, the people under his care, and his own family .

A. Peace Seeking Abram demonstrated the value of being a

peacemaker when dealing with conflict . Gen-esis 13:9 states, “Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left .” Looking to his example, it is apparent that Abram was not self-serving in his relationship with Lot . It would have been within Abram’s rights to demand that Lot settle in a different area, allowing for Abram’s herds-men the best of the land for the animals to find sustenance .

Not only was Abram the patriarch of the family, but the land they shared was a gift from God to Abram, ordained by God for his own use . Rather than taking advantage of his po-sition of power, Abram humbly allowed Lot to choose which piece of land to settle, demon-strating Abram’s generosity and commitment to peace . Matthew 5:9 declares, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God .” This was especially true in Abram’s situation . By taking the path of a peacemaker, he kept his heart pure and was protected from the temptations and struggles that plagued Lot .


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B. Not Jealous To be a problem solver, one cannot be

given to jealousy . Abram’s dealing with Lot revealed key insight into his character . Partic-ularly striking is that he did not allow his status or a personal agenda for wealth or power to deter him from making the right decision to resolve the conflict .

Abram could have felt justified to be jealous of Lot’s success, which likely came as a result of his relationship with Abram . He could have feared that his nephew’s success would over-shadow his own . Abram could have made his decisions based upon insecurity rather than generosity . But because Abram was secure in his identity as a child of God, he was com-fortable with Lot’s success . Abram’s solution went above and beyond to give Lot the best opportunity .

God rewards those who honor Him in their relationships by seeking godly means of conflict resolution.

Jealousy was not a factor in Abram’s deci-sion-making because he understood that his heavenly Father owned the cattle on a thou-sand hills . When one truly grasps the concept of stewardship—that all blessings come from the Lord—it is easier to prefer others and trust God to meet personal needs . People who rest in God’s promises of provision can be gener-ous with their possessions because blessing others does not mean they will “lose .” God rewards those who honor Him in their rela-tionships by seeking godly means of conflict resolution .

C. HumbleA problem solver must be willing to ap-

proach a difficult situation with a humble spirit . In his book When God Whispers Your Name, Max Lucado echoed this perspective: “Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional .”

Abram demonstrated humility and preferred his nephew by giving him the first choice of land . Rather than fight for what was rightfully his, Abram worked toward a solution with a meek spirit .

It is important to realize that meekness is not weakness; rather, meekness is controlled strength . Meekness is the willingness to give up perceived personal rights, preferences, and privileges in the interest of something better . Abram demonstrated this mindset as he addressed the conflict with Lot . Abram de-sired to solve the problem rather than demand to be right . A New Testament example is rem-iniscent of Abram’s humility: Jesus refused divine prerogatives, humbling Himself to bring reconciliation with all humanity .

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5–8).

Just as Jesus chose to forego the benefits due Him because His love was greater than our sin, Abram’s integrity yielded a decision that placed the betterment of his nephew above his own advancement . Abram had the strength of the Lord to uphold him, and his faith in God provided the courage he needed to face conflict in a way that honored God .

III. MASTER PROBLEM SOLVER

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:7).

To fully embrace one’s role and responsibil-ity in resolving conflicts, a believer must rely on the Lord’s strength and leading in times of uncertainty . The Holy Spirit will guide, provid-ing wisdom and clarity to the situation, and offer a means for resolution . God understands human desires and shortcomings, and He can provide a supernatural solution to even the worst situation . He can provide the words,


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thoughts, direction, and course of action needed to resolve, or even prevent, conflict . We can trust God with our greatest worries and doubts because He always has the best interests of His children at heart .

A. For the BelieverBecause God cares for His children, the

Bible commands them to cast their cares upon Him . Christians were never intended to bear heavy loads; rather, they are to allow God to carry that weight . “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28) . God is a refuge and guide along life’s frequently curvy path . When solutions are elusive, Christians can turn to the One full of wisdom and truth for guidance with concerns and dilemmas . Because the Lord cares for His children, believers can give Him the difficult, stressful situations, knowing He will sustain and em-power them in the process .

One of the greatest benefits of our being Christians is having the Holy Spirit to empow-er us to overcome obstacles and accomplish things we could never attain in our own strength . Paul’s declaration “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phi-lippians 4:13) is one of the greatest promises Scripture offers believers .

We can trust God with our greatest worries and doubts because He always has the best interests of His children at heart.

B. For the UnbelieverAn amazing truth related to Scripture is

that the principles of God’s Word are true re-gardless of who reads them, believes them,

or endeavors to apply them in daily life . God loved His children so much that He made a way for all humanity . It is humbling to know that a person does not earn God’s grace or favor, and His mercy extends to the unbeliever as well as to the believer . Yet in order to re-ceive the full benefits of God’s grace, a person must have faith in God and live a life submit-ted to the principles of God’s Word .

For the unbeliever, God’s love is strong and unwavering . The unbeliever can turn to God for direction in times of storm . This does re-quire faith—faith that God will hear and answer . Hebrews 11:6 declares, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him .” The first step is to have faith in God and trust that He rewards those who pursue Him .

In times of conflict, the unbeliever can be encouraged and strengthened through re-lationships with believers who demonstrate godly love and exemplify a better way to resolve conflict . When a believer models a righteous quest for resolving issues in a manner that honors God, that example offers the unbeliever a path to appropriate conflict resolution .

C. An Example for AllThough disagreements are an un-

avoidable part of life, both believers and unbelievers can rely on God in the midst of conflict . Through His guidance and abil-ity, conflict can be addressed with integrity, and the poison of lack of forgiveness can be avoided . The world’s way of getting ahead is to look out for number one . However, God’s way is to look up to the One who truly is number one, and to follow His example of blessing others, even those who disappoint or are hurtful . There is no greater example of reconciliation in all of human history than the cross of Calvary .

At Calvary, God destroyed the power of sin and redeemed humanity through the sacri-fice of Jesus Christ . Through this ultimate act of selfless compassion, Jesus’ shed blood made supernatural transformation available to the entire human race . He demonstrated the unequaled value He placed upon relationship with His children . Romans 8:3 proclaims, “For


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what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, con-demned sin in the flesh .”

Through the atoning power of Jesus Christ’s shed blood, believers are no longer estranged from Him but are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17) . His love transcends all offenses, as Romans 5:8 declares: “God com-mendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us .”

When a believer chooses sacrifice for rec-onciliation with another, the power of Jesus’ shed blood can be applied, and they can be restored to an edifying, godly relationship .

IV. THE BLESSING OF UNITY

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in uni-ty! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Psalm 133:1–3).

People can serve their own interests, or they can serve God . If they choose to serve God, part of that commitment means serving others . Conflict is inevitable in this fallen world . The concept of unity does not mean living without conflict; rather, it means to forge for-ward, deeper in relationship despite conflict . A relationship is only as deep as the conflict it has weathered and survived . To develop strong, meaningful, long-term relationships, one must seek unity when responding to strife . The biblical account of how Abram addressed the conflict with Lot provides a powerful example of how to trust the Lord in the midst of disagreement . Abram’s decision to work toward unity brought a solution that provided an opportunity for both parties to co-exist without conflict .

When working to resolve conflict through promoting unity, there are some key princi-ples to consider:

Choose to glorify God. Working toward the goal of unity provides an opportunity to glorify

the Lord . Psalm 133:1 speaks of the impor-tance of unity and the blessing found in this pursuit . Not only does unity bless the rela-tionship, but walking together in peace also blesses others by showing them a better way, the way of Christ . Jesus prayed for unity as a means of spreading the gospel message: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21) .

Choose to look within oneself first. In most situations, it is better to look within and re-move the beam from one’s own eye before worrying about the speck in an offender’s eye . That does not excuse someone else’s bad be-havior, but it does offer a better perspective of hurts, offenses, and sin . No human is exempt from these struggles, and even seemingly pure motives can result in a hurtful interaction with another person . Issues of pride, jeal-ousy, envy, and sin make it easier to focus on the other person’s fault than to seek out one’s own responsibility and culpability in the conflict . Shining a light into our own souls illu-minates areas that need to be transformed by the Holy Spirit . Being aware of our own faults and failures can prevent a wrong reaction to another person .

Shining a light into our own souls illumi-nates areas that need to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Choose to reconcile and forgive. If an in-dividual wants forgiveness from God, that person must be willing to extend forgiveness to others: “For if ye forgive men their trespass-es, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, nei-ther will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15) . From that perspective, forgiveness is the responsibility and expec-tation of every believer . One of the greatest


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freedoms a person can experience is to grant another person forgiveness .

Many regard forgiveness as an act of gra-ciousness and kindness extended to the offender, and it certainly is . Forgiving, how-ever, does more for the granter than for the recipient because it unlocks the shackles of the painful situation and provides a way to move forward in peace . The words of this anonymous quote ring true: “The first to apol-ogize is the bravest . The first to forgive is the strongest . The first to forget is the happiest .” When a person forgives, God’s mercy and grace are extended, and this act becomes an extension of the love of Christ to the person who has committed the offense . God honors a humble spirit, and when an individual per-ceives unity as being more important than personal gain, God will exalt the meek person in due time .


There will always be issues and struggles that lead to conflict within families, churches, and the workplace . Some of these conflicts may even threaten people’s security or what they rightfully own . The temptation to pursue self-serving interests in relationships is ram-pant, but the church must strive to overcome division and disunity . The key is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide through difficult situations, to place the outcome in God’s hands, and to trust that He will provide wis-dom to find a solution that honors Him . In a sense, the manner in which individuals re-spond to conflict reflects their commitment to unity and their desire to please the Lord .

Some conflicts can seem so overwhelming that doing the right thing feels like an impossi-ble task . People often view struggles through human limitations rather than trusting the Lord to help them find a path to peace . God can bring about supernatural provision and deliv-erance, working in the forefront or behind the scenes . He will do the work when His children pursue the way of unity that honors Him .

Abram could not have known the vast dif-ference between Canaan and Sodom, or the colossal implications of Lot’s decision . At first glance, the land toward Sodom seemed more attractive, so Lot chose that land to protect his own interests rather than preferring his el-der . However, sometimes what appears to be the fairest land is not so fair after all . In the end, Abram was honored and his family was spared the wickedness of Sodom because he humbly preferred his nephew . God will pros-per those who put others first .

The way of the world is “me first .” Countless people have missed opportunities for tremen-dous blessings because self-preservation won out over obeying God’s Word . In many cases, the blessings of God were squan-dered for what ultimately turned out to be the “scraps” of the world .

The true path to greatness is “God first .” Christians can put God first by serving others and working toward unity . Christians are called to courageously face conflict with faith and love and to allow God to work on their behalf . He will guide His children to a godly resolution to their conflict and will receive glory through human struggles and weakness when believ-ers allow God’s strength and His principles to make a way for conflict resolution .

REFLECTIONS

• Conflict occurs in many different settings, related to a multitude of things . How have you found this to be true?

• What have you learned from Abram’s example in handling conflict?• How do you find methods to resolve conflict? What action steps should we take in this

process?• What personal characteristics should we demonstrate when endeavoring to find solutions

to difficult situations? • Discuss the biblical principle that God blesses the meek and prospers those who honor

Him by respecting others .


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FOCUS VERSE

Ruth 1:16And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to re-

turn from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God .

LESSON TEXT

Ruth 1:8–10, 14–188 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go,

return each to her mother’s house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me .

9 The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband . Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept .

10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people .

. . . . .

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her .

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law .

16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me .

18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her .

Ruth 2:15–1615 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her

glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may

glean them, and rebuke her not .

FOCUS THOUGHT

God’s blessings are often found where we experience our worst defeat. It is important to take advantage of divine opportunity.

BACK TO BETHLEHEM

WEEK 1308.28.16


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CULTURE CONNECTION

Storm Collapses Cliff, Reveals Statue

Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called

according to his purpose .” This verse rolls so easily off the tongue when life is wonder-ful—when everyone is healthy, the retirement account is increasing, all bills are paid, the crops are growing, the children’s marriages are solid, and the grandkids are doing well in college . It’s another matter when pacing the floor of the ER, waiting for the doctor’s report, receiving a foreclosure notice, or discover-ing one’s fourteen-year-old granddaughter is expecting . But even then, all things do work together for good—to those who love the Lord and “are the called according to his purpose .”

A December 15, 2010, article from CNN.com stated, “A huge storm that collapsed part of a cliff on Israel’s central coast led to the discovery of a statue dating back to the Roman period, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Tuesday .

“The white marble statue of a woman wearing a toga and sandals is estimated to be 2,000 years old . It stands 1 .2 meters tall, weighs about 200 kilograms and was found with no head or arms, according to a news release by the authority .”

Who knows what treasures will be uncov-ered if we allow God to work for our good during our life storms?

OUTLINE

I. ATTEMPTED TO AVOID PROBLEMS

A . Journeyed to Moab B . Suffered Heartaches in Moab C . Cannot Run from Problems

II. EMBRACED OPPORTUNITIES A . Naomi’s Empty Return B . Ruth’s Determination

III. RECEIVED REWARD A . Ruth’s Devotion Rewarded B . Naomi’s Instructions C . Ruth’s Redeemer D . Redeemer’s Willingness to Redeem


There may be times when we are called upon to do the right thing and follow through with commitments even when things are difficult . In fact, our response to difficulties often reveals our true character . In the face of adversity, it is important to understand that by following the Lord’s plan and purpose for

our lives, unfathomable blessings are avail-able to us .

The Book of Ruth contains a fascinat-ing story about a Moabite woman who was redeemed by a relative of her deceased hus-band . In the face of great loss, Ruth made a commitment to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and chose to follow her to Bethlehem . Ruth’s devotion to Naomi exemplified embracing an opportunity to make the best choice in a hard situation . Ruth chose to cling to Naomi in her greatest time of difficulty and uncertain-ty . Leaving the land of Moab and following Naomi to a foreign land to serve the God of Abraham changed the course of Ruth’s life . Boaz becoming Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer beautifully illustrates the grace of God toward fallen humanity through Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer .


I. ATTEMPTED TO AVOID PROBLEMSThe Book of Ruth is filled with instruction for

the believing heart, poignantly portraying the


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romance of redemption . To survive a famine in the land of Judah, an Israelite family chose to move to the country of Moab . Set during the times of the judges, there is speculation the famine was a sign of God’s chastening .

Believers should seek the mind of the Lord instead of relying on their own reasoning and abilities.

Our own lives often reveal the desire to avoid problems and provide human solutions rather than trusting the true source of our strength . In the midst of life’s most difficult sit-uations, believers should seek the mind of the Lord instead of relying on their own reasoning and abilities . When this family took matters into their own hands, they failed to rely upon the Lord or trust His provision in the middle of the famine .

A. Journeyed to MoabNot only did Elimelech take his family from

Judah, the land God had promised to the Jews, but he took them to Moab, a place with an environment that could be considered toxic to the children of the one true God . The people of Moab were pagans, steeped in hea-then practices, who had made it clear over the centuries that they had little love for the people of Israel . The Moabites were a cursed people with whom the Israelites were forbid-den to seek a treaty of friendship . The Book of Deuteronomy declared, “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever” (Deuteronomy 23:3) .

Based on this information, it did not seem wise for Elimelech to take his wife and sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to Moab, even with a fam-ine in Judah . The boys grew to become men there and eventually married two Moabite

women . Elimelech’s name means “My God is King .” However, he did not live up to his name, fleeing Bethlehem when he should have been faithful . Things may have been bad in Judah at the time, but for this family, things became far worse . The Book of Ruth describes the di-sastrous results of his choice .

B. Suffered Heartaches in Moab

“Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband” (Ruth 1:5, NKJV).

Life in Moab proved to be filled with heart-ache and despair for the family . After living in Moab for some time, Elimelech died, leaving his wife and two sons to fend for themselves in a foreign land . The two sons each married a Moabite woman and before long both sons also died . The passage does not provide the circumstances surrounding their deaths, but this loss left Naomi with her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, alone after this tragedy .

The moment we run from our problems or circumstances is the moment we lack trust in God and begin to place our faith in our own ingenuity or ability.When Naomi heard that the land of Canaan

had food once more, she determined to leave Moab and return home . The emotional pain and loss she experienced during her time in Moab caused Naomi to believe that the Lord was punishing her by removing His favor from her . She knew she had to get back to the land of her ancestors, to seek God and His ways


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again . There was nothing more important than the blessing of the Lord . Even though a num-ber of years had passed since her husband brought her to Moab, she hoped to regain God’s favor by returning to her native land and to His people .

C. Cannot Run from ProblemsOne may wonder why people think they

can outrun problems . The Bible is filled with people who attempted to outrun their prob-lems: Jacob, Moses, and Jonah are some notable examples . A key lesson from the Book of Ruth is that problems cannot be avoided but should be faced through the guidance and power of the Spirit of God . With a fam-ine in Bethlehem, Elimelech took matters into his own hands, running from the problem and leading his family away from the Promised Land into a foreign, pagan land .

In our own lives, we may sometimes have to choose whether to face the difficult issues or to attempt to run away from them . The moment we run from our problems or circumstances is the moment we lack trust in God and begin to place our faith in our own ingenuity or ability to solve the problem . In times of trouble, we are called to turn to the source of our strength rather than our own ability .

In some cases, God ordains an opportuni-ty for change and the move is for our good . In other cases, however, we make changes because we would rather trust our own re-sources and skills to avoid the problem than to seek God’s will in order to endure and sur-vive . For example, suppose a person who is struggling financially were to be offered a new job that paid a substantial salary . Taking the job, however, would require the family to re-locate, leaving the church in which they are actively involved, to move to an area where there is no church .

Such a dilemma should be faced with prayer and fasting to ascertain the will of God . On one hand, the job opportunity could be from God . He could be calling the family to relocate to that area to start a church, and the job would provide the financial means to support the family and the fledgling church . On the other hand, if God has not placed a burden on the heart of the individual to start a

church in that area, it would seem less likely that He would be calling the family to leave a place of spiritual safety for the sole purpose of having financial security .

This potential opportunity could simply be a test of faithfulness to the things of God . Scripture warns that there is no benefit if a man were to “gain the whole world, and lose his own soul” (Mark 8:36) . Financial struggles could be providing a platform from which to evaluate the family’s priori-ties through reviewing their stewardship and finding a way to live within their means . If the lack of finances is caused by poor bud-geting and spending habits, no pay increase will resolve that, and relocating would only make the situation worse . When faced with a crisis, it is imperative to seek the will of God and move only when He says to move . Oth-erwise, an individual may be running from a problem, creating more struggles and heart-aches in the process .

Decisions should be Spirit-led and based on the commands, promises, and power of God’s Word.

II. EMBRACED OPPORTUNITIESWhen her husband and sons died, Naomi

was left with a choice: to continue living in a foreign, pagan land with her daughters-in-law or to return to the land of her birth . At a point of desperation, Naomi heard that the land of Canaan had food again, and she decided to embrace the opportunity to return home .

Had Elimelech waited out the famine in Beth-lehem rather than journeying across the Jordan valley to the land of Moab, would he have lived longer? Would his faithfulness and trust in the Lord have been rewarded with a different end to his story and the stories of his sons? One can only speculate, but there is an element of bitter


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irony in Naomi’s return to Judah . The results of the famine must not have had long-lasting, devastating effects on their homeland . Upon Naomi’s return to Bethlehem, she found rela-tives who were quite wealthy tending to land near the property Elimelech owned .

We can see only the temporary circum-stances, but God sees the eternal.

We can learn a powerful lesson from this story . Believers should never make a decision based solely on the circumstances surround-ing a dilemma . Decisions should be Spirit-led and based on the commands, promises, and power of God’s Word . We can see only the temporary circumstances, but God sees the eternal . To Elimelech, maybe living in Judah during the famine looked like a lost cause . But to God, Judah was the land of promise for His people, and He would not forsake it . Believers must take God at His word and be willing to forsake the path of their own limit-ed perspective to follow His voice in times of darkness .

A. Naomi’s Empty ReturnWith her dire circumstances, returning

home was the best choice possible for Nao-mi . Since her husband and two sons had died, she had no means to provide for her-self or her daughters-in-law . She decided to return home to Bethlehem to recapture some semblance of stability in her life . How-ever, she did not expect her return to be a joyful homecoming . In fact, as she arrived in Bethlehem, people were happy to see her . “Is this Naomi?” they asked . “And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bit-terly with me . I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty” (Ruth 1:19–21) . Naomi returned home with empty hands and a barren, desperate spirit . She

had nothing left and faced the shame of her tragic losses .

A heartbreaking story of a family devastated by grief and suffering seemingly culminated in a widow’s life filled with regrets and questions . While the residents of Bethlehem were glad for Naomi’s return to her homeland, she ex-perienced a deep sense of sorrow from losing her husband and sons, whom she had held so dear . Though she had overcome the famine, she may have felt that she could never over-come the loss she experienced in Moab .

B. Ruth’s DeterminationNaomi experienced feelings of desolation,

for the loss of her husband and sons felt like the end of her dreams . But she did not want the same fate for her daughters-in-law . They had lost their husbands, but as young widows they had opportunities to remarry and have a full life . When Naomi announced to Orpah and Ruth her decision to return to Judah, she gave them permission to be freed from any responsibility they felt to care for her, and she encouraged them to seek a happier ending to their own lives .

It appears that both daughters-in-law cared deeply for Naomi and had a strong sense of loyalty to her, because they both protested her suggestion . Naomi would not entertain their wishes to go with her, and she insisted they return to their families, released to their care and free to remarry . After much weeping and sadness, Orpah eventually relented and kissed her mother-in-law goodbye . But the passage conveys one of the most beautiful expressions of devotion in all of Scripture, with Ruth clinging to Naomi and refusing to leave her . With no promise of provision or hope for a future, Ruth determined to stay by the side of her mother-in-law .

“Intreat me not to leave thee, or to re-turn from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me” (Ruth 1:16–17).


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In uttering these words, Ruth forsook her past—her friends, her family, and all that was familiar and comfortable to her . She cast herself on the mercy of a strange people, a people who did not possess a good track re-cord of welcoming outsiders with open arms .

Ruth determined in her heart to loyally remain by Naomi’s side, regardless of the direness of her situation . In her time of need, Ruth did not abandon Naomi . She desired for the God that Naomi served to be her God, and she was will-ing to leave her own homeland to journey with her . What is beautiful in this story is the love this Moabite woman had for her mother-in-law in the face of such tragedy . She not only pledged to follow after her and to be buried in the place Naomi would be buried, but Ruth also declared her devotion to the God that Naomi served .

Determination leads one to action that can ultimately change the course of one’s life.

It is remarkable that the bond of love shared between these ladies was ultimately responsi-ble for Ruth’s salvation and her unique place in our salvation history as an ancestor to Je-sus Christ . Naomi’s love and kindness was strong enough to win Ruth’s unwavering loy-alty without regard for her own interests . Such determination is noble and stands as a testi-mony of the attitude this young lady had in the midst of uncertainty . This typifies how determi-nation leads one to action that can ultimately change the course of one’s life . In our journey with the Lord, such commitment is necessary to fulfill His plan for our lives .

III. RECEIVED REWARD

“And Boaz answered and said to her, ‘It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and

the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know be-fore. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge’” (Ruth 2:11–12, NKJV).

The story of Ruth’s being rewarded for faithfulness exemplifies how we also may experience demonstrations of grace and prov-idence in the face of difficult situations . Ruth made the decision to forsake her own family in Moab, foregoing any possibility of securi-ty, and followed Naomi back to Bethlehem to care for her . As there were no provisions from the household of Elimelech, Ruth was faced with the loss of all comforts of living . How-ever, she resolved to serve the Lord God of Israel, whom she had learned to trust through Naomi’s faithful witness . She discovered that Jehovah was a gracious, faithful, cove-nant-keeping God . Boaz had heard of Ruth’s kindness to Naomi and that she had put her trust in the one true living God .

A. Ruth’s Devotion Rewarded

“And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: and let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not” (Ruth 2:15–16).

While gleaning in the field in order to pro-vide for Naomi and herself, Ruth met Boaz, a rich landowner and a relative, or kinsman, of Elimelech . Clearly Boaz was drawn to Ruth from the moment he saw her . It is likely Ruth was beautiful, but her reputation of loyal, faithful love for her mother-in-law had preced-ed her, and those characteristics were what Boaz mentioned . He ordered his workers to treat her kindly, as if she were one of his own female workers, and to leave enough for her that she would have plenty at the end of the day . At the end of the workday, Ruth returned home with over a bushel of barley . When Nao-mi learned it was Boaz who had been so kind to Ruth, Naomi told her that Boaz was a near


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kinsman . Naomi was grateful for the kindness Boaz extended to Ruth, and she encouraged Ruth to continue working in his fields .

Like Ruth, we also may experience demonstrations of grace and providence in the face of difficult situations.

B. Naomi’s Instructions Naomi realized Boaz was extending kind-

ness beyond that which would be bestowed upon a family member, and she hoped there was the potential for Ruth to experience mar-riage again with Boaz . Naomi developed a plan to determine whether Boaz had feelings for Ruth that would compel him to take on the familial responsibility of a kinsman-redeemer .

The word kinsman meant the individu-al was a relative, and redeemer meant he would buy the land and marry the widow of the deceased relative . Naomi was familiar with Boaz’s schedule and knew of a time that would be convenient for Ruth to meet him in private . Naomi instructed Ruth to bathe, put on perfume and her finest dress, and pres-ent herself to Boaz at the end of the day, after he had eaten and drank and lain down to sleep . When Boaz was comfortably asleep, Ruth was to uncover his feet and lie down at his feet . (See Ruth 3:1–7 .) The full signif-icance of Naomi’s instructions is difficult to ascertain in today’s context, as her actions reflect an ancient custom now foreign to us . What is clear is that Boaz understood Ruth to be requesting him to take on the role of a kinsman-redeemer .

C. Ruth’s RedeemerWhen Boaz awoke at midnight, he was

taken aback by Ruth’s unexpected presence .

But upon hearing her request, he blessed her and expressed that he was indeed will-ing to fulfill that role . However, he knew of a closer relative who should have first choice to become her kinsman-redeemer, and Boaz promised Ruth he would talk with him the next morning . Boaz sent Ruth back to Naomi with provisions for them .

Boaz wanted to marry Ruth, but it was customary for the closest kinsman to have the first right to purchase the land of the deceased relative and to marry his widow in order to perpetuate the lineage of the de-ceased man . The following morning, as Boaz promised, he met the nearest kinsman at the gate of the city . Gathering ten elders of the city together as witnesses, Boaz explained Ruth’s situation to the relative in the hearing of the elders . Not wanting to lose his own in-heritance, the nearest kinsman was willing for Boaz to purchase the land and to marry Ruth . Boaz bought the land immediately and took Ruth to be his wife . The sorrow Naomi and Ruth had experienced turned to joy . Ruth’s faithfulness had been rewarded by the faith-fulness of a kinsman-redeemer . The son born to Ruth and Boaz was named Obed, who be-came the father of Jesse, who became the father of David, king of Israel and the ancestor of Jesus Christ .

D. Redeemer’s Willingness to RedeemIn Hebrew culture, only a relative could buy

the land, and he had to be willing to purchase the land and marry the relative’s widow as well as being able to pay the appropriate price .

In our lives, Jesus Christ is our Kinsman- Redeemer . Having been born in sin, we are held captive as Satan’s prisoner, powerless to defeat his forces on our own . However, Je-sus Christ was born, died, and resurrected to redeem us with His own precious blood, the ultimate price . In order to redeem sinners, God manifested Himself in flesh but lived a life without sin . At Calvary, He willingly took our place and paid the price for our sin with His own blood, thus redeeming us from the wages of sin . Just as Boaz’s decision assured Ruth of hope for her future, we can rest in the knowledge that our eternity has been secured by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ .


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The Book of Ruth tells of two women whose lives appeared to be at a desolate place, one through circumstances and the other by choice . Losing her husband and sons, Naomi was left without hope . Ruth chose to forsake any chance for personal security by remaining by the side of her mother-in-law and traveling with her to a foreign land . Their stories became an amazing testimony to what God can do when we reach bottom but place our trust in Him .

Boaz paid the price as the kinsman- redeemer for Ruth, providing for her a loving, lasting relationship with a noble man . Most significant, Boaz’s decision to redeem Ruth allowed this faithful Moabite woman to be

grafted into the most precious family tree of all time, the lineage of our Savior, Jesus Christ . Relationship with the Lord always brings blessings and rewards we cannot anticipate or even fathom .

When we are faithful to what the Lord calls us to do through the good and the bad times, in the end, He will reward us . By following Naomi back to Bethlehem to care for her, Ruth provided God a pathway to orchestrate favor and blessings in her life . Today, we are called to live in full commitment to the Lord regardless of our circumstances, and in due time we will reap if we persevere . Just as Ruth’s faithfulness was rewarded, Jesus Christ has earned and purchased a full re-ward, freely giving it to each individual who follows His voice .

REFLECTIONS

• Why do people find it easier to run from problems than to surrender them to Jesus and trust His provision in their lives?

• What characteristics did Ruth possess that enabled her to demonstrate such faithful loyalty to Naomi, regardless of personal sacrifice?

• What obstacles do we experience today that prevent us from being faithful in our relation-ships and making decisions that benefit others?

• What does Boaz teach us about grace?• How should we respond to the love we freely experience from our Kinsman-Redeemer,

Jesus Christ, specifically as we relate to others?


summer 16, sunday school lessons

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