Sabbath School Lesson for January 13-19, 2018
We’ve studied what materialism is, the steps that lead to covetousness, and this week we will look at the real choice we are making when we take those misguided steps and focus excessively on our possessions. Is it really about mammon, or money, and the things it will buy, vs. God in heaven?
There is certainly enough evidence to show that money (called “mammon” in the Bible) seems to create the material world in which we live. Most of us find our place on the economic scale, based on the amount of money we have or don’t have. But where does that money come from?
We would like to think that our own initiative and hard work leads to the accumulation of our financial holdings. But who gives us the physical and mental strength to work hard? No matter how we try to get around it, our possessions, both tangible and intangible, come from God’s hand.
But, here’s the point even many Christians disregard: God is still the owner, as well as the giver, of those possessions. We are merely entrusted with their care. Is God justified in this ownership? Just how do we accept this role of steward in a way that most glorifies God our Father. These and other questions will be addressed in this week’s study.
Remember this: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV
How we manage the things of the world largely depends on who we worship. Jesus has been exalted to the position of deity, as shown by this verse that predicts that one day we will all bow down and confess that He is Lord. But isn’t this something we should be doing here and now, before we someday in the future stand before the heavenly throne?
Sunday: Christ, the Creator
Repeatedly throughout Scripture we are told that the worlds were created by the word of God. Then John tells us that the Word was none other than Christ our Savior, who “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
Yes, the material things of this earth were made perfect in the beginning, not only for our enjoyment, but ultimately for God’s as well. We must be careful not to downplay the value of our tangible possessions. After all, we are talking about gifts from God. Instead, we should be doing all we can to maintain, preserve, and give thanks for all Christ has created for us.
Christians, who believe in the creatorship of God, should be concerned and supportive of efforts to preserve our environment. This can be done without actively joining those caught up in political and scientific battles, which sometimes lead to the fanaticism of worshiping the creature more than the Creator.
We actually may find the difference between faithful and unfaithful stewards by determining how we treat the environment, God’s special gift to mankind. This requires a relationship with our Maker. He will help us manage wisely our surroundings in a way that not only benefits us, but also glorifies Him.
Discussion Questions
Read Psalm 33:6-9, Isaiah 45:11, 12, Hebrews 11:3, and John 1:3, 14. Why is it important to believe that Christ was an active participant in creation, not just of our world, but of the whole universe?
Read Deuteronomy 14:26 and 26:11. Is this mandate giving us permission to “eat, drink, and be merry”? What kind of rejoicing does God have in mind here?
Read Psalm 95:5. Does God still own our earth, in spite of Satan‘s troublesome occupancy here? What gives God this claim of ownership?
Monday: Son of God/Son of Man
1 Timothy 3:16 speaks of the “mystery of godliness”, and indeed we find the identity of Christ a difficult thing for our finite minds to grasp. First of all, how are God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit united so much they are considered one? And also, how could Jesus be called the Son of Man and the Son of God? How could He be both God and man?
Although these mysterious unities don’t make sense to us, we can’t deny that they are true. We may not understand how a plane could fly either, but we know it does.
We do know that one reason Jesus came to our world was to show us the loving, caring nature of God. Satan has done much to make us believe that God is unfair, unloving, and unapproachable. Encouraging us to divert our love to our material possessions is one way he prevents us from getting close to God. Jesus, on the other hand, wants us to have a healthy respect for our material blessings by constantly remembering their origin and thanking God for them by giving them proper care and attention.
Discussion Questions:
Read Luke 1:35 and Matthew 8:20. How was it possible for Jesus to be both divine and human? Why is it important for us to recognize both of these identities? As family members, do we have dual identities (wife and mother, for instance)? How are these changes in identity helpful in our relationships?
Read Matthew 19:20-22. Even though the rich, young ruler claimed to be keeping God’s commandments, what was He lacking that prevented him from following Jesus? What part might his possessions have played in this lack of love?
What made the young man in this parable sad at the end? How can our possessions be a source of joy, instead of sadness?
Tuesday: Christ, the Redeemer
With Christ as Creator, we owe Him for giving us such a beautiful planet to live on. But, alas, we find ourselves not only in physical debt to our heavenly Father. When mankind sinned, it threw us into another kind of bankruptcy. Because of this debt, we must pay spiritually by forfeiting eternal life with God.
Christ, however, has come to our rescue by satisfying divine justice and taking on the penalty of death Himself. This redemptive plan, which was sealed at Calvary, has resulted in the most important transaction the universe has ever seen. We are free from bondage to death, fear, and the tormenting guilt that sin has laid on each of us.
What we do with our newly bought freedom is seen in our day-to-day activities of life. There are many ways to recognize this sacrifice, when our motives are consecrated to God’s glory. We can never pay Him back for giving up His only Son, but we can, with humble gratitude, show Him our allegiance by sacrificially giving in ways that support His will.
Discussion Questions:
Read Revelation 1:5 and Colossians 1:15. In what way is Jesus the “firstborn over all creation” and the “firstborn from the dead”?
Read Ephesians 5:2 and 2 Corinthians 2:14, 15. How do we become the fragrance of Christ? What does this fragrance do for those around us?
Read Job 42:5, 6 and 26:14. Can we expect that others can also hear and see God through us?
Wednesday: A Jealous God
Does God have a right to be jealous? He claims to be unique from all the other gods of the earth. Is He truly better than winning the lottery and becoming a multi-millionaire? It’s hard to top that image of wealth in most of our minds. But, in fact, knowing God is of more value than all the money in the world.
The reason God has a right to be jealous is because…
- His character is holy (1 Samuel 2:2)
- His works are different from Satan (Psalm 86:6)
- His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8, 9)
- His power and wrath is unmatched (Jeremiah 10:10)
1 Kings 8:60 tells us that when it comes to God, “there is no other.” Therefore, when we worship our money (mammon), we are wasting our time. God alone is worthy of our affection.
Just as God made every effort to win Pharaoh’s heart, He also wants us to know that “there is none like Me in all the earth” (Exodus 9:14). The sooner we recognize the folly of allowing anything at all to compete with God, the sooner we will experience the peace and joy that comes from worshiping Him.
Discussion Questions:
Read Exodus 34:14 and Isaiah 57:15. Can one be jealous and holy at the same time? What about spouses? Can an innocent husband or wife be jealous of someone’s affections? Describe what that jealousy would look like and how might it be like God’s?
Read 1 Kings 8:60 and Exodus 9:14. Why were the plagues an appropriate way for God to get Pharaoh to turn from his other gods?
Read Isaiah 55:8, 9 and Psalm 103:11. How does mercy describe God’s ways, and how is it higher than anyone else’s on earth?
Thursday: True Ownership
Worldliness might be defined as a belief that we own all the things we possess. In fact, the only thing we humans own is our choice of who to worship. The one we worship ultimately owns our possessions, in addition to owning us. We must ask ourselves to whom we want to belong. As Jesus put it, we either serve God or mammon/money (Matthew 6:24).
When we consider Jesus’ part in our creation and redemption, He does seem to have the right to claim us as belonging to Him. His love for us, however, demands that we still have a choice in serving Him. Even though we owe Him our very breath (Acts 17:25), Christ does not force our loyalty and service.
Our choice in who to worship is ultimately revealed by how we manage the things of the world. Can others tell from our lifestyle and possessions that we recognize God’s ownership? Although we must never judge others by their outward attempts at proper stewardship, we must constantly assess our own surroundings and possessions and determine whether God is glorified, or whether we are merely using these tools to satisfy our own agenda.
Discussion Questions:
Read Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 50:10, 11, and 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. What does God’s ownership encompass?
Read Haggai 2:8. Does money ever belong to us, even when we’ve earned it by our own hard labor?
Why is having a relationship with God essential in being a faithful steward?
Summary
When Jesus offers us to worship either God or mammon, He is really presenting Himself as worthy of our worship. As we saw this week, …
- Jesus is the Creator (Sunday)
- He has the ability to identify with God and with man (Monday)
- He is our Redeemer from the penalty of sin (Tuesday)
- Like God the Father, He has no equal and deserves our devotion (Wednesday)
- His ownership calls for us to know our true place as stewards of all we posses (Thursday)
Final Words
One does not have to be overly materialistic or even self-centered to mismanage God’s blessings. Simply not recognizing Jesus as the supreme giver and owner of all creation puts us at risk for letting something or someone else take God’s rightful place of authority in our lives.
Jesus came to this earth partly so we can identify with Him more easily. He desires a friendship with each and every being He has created. Only by seeking to build a relationship with God can we know how to manage the blessings He has so freely given us. Only then can we understand His will enough to properly cultivate and distribute our possessions.
Knowing Jesus in the fullest sense is therefore the greatest safeguard against unfaithful stewardship.
- Jesus will be forced to say of some of His disciples, “…I do not know you…Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:27 NKJV)
- Let’s instead be of that group of disciples which hears Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21 NKJV)
Next Week’s Lesson: Escape From the World’s Ways
To read the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly or see more resources for its study, go to https://www.absg.adventist.org/
All Outlook blogposts by Teresa Thompson, are at http://outlookmag.org/author/teresathompson/
