Sabbath School Lesson for August 31-September 6, 2019
Overview
Questions still pertaining to the gospel, as lived out in the lives of Christians, might be…
- What does it mean when the Bible says, “For God so loved the WORLD…”? Is justification more than just getting our sins forgiven? (Sunday)
- What did Jesus see when He walked the earth? How does He see ME? (Monday)
- Exactly what were we created to do? How do we respond to the cross and how does the cross change us? (Tuesday)
- Why is understanding that God’s love is all-inclusive so important to our salvaation? What does it take for us to be unified in Him? (Wednesday)
- How does the everlasting gospel survive amidst all the evil, poverty, and oppression in the world today? How are the saints to spread that gospel right up to the end of time? (Thursday)
Introduction
There’s always a temptation to use good works–yes, even ministering to “the least of these”–to somehow feel that these efforts make us more salvation-worthy to God. It’s human nature to feel we have contributed something in return for the marvelous gift of His Son.
But, the Son, being who He is, makes that an impossible task. God sacrificing Himself on our behalf is a gift that can never be matched by any of God’s created beings, let alone someone on such a rebellious planet as ours.
Memory Text: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV
This verse makes clear that our salvation does not come from anything we have done. We were created to live the gospel, purposefully working and caring for each other. To claim that we have done anything worthy of the gift of salvation might even be seen as treason by the angels in heaven. They would certainly reject such boastful arrogance. [See Ellen G. White, Faith and Works, p. 24.]
So, we must remember to simply pass on the love that’s been given to us. Our service to God does not provide us with a link to heaven; it just indicates that a link has been established.
Sunday: “For God So Loved…”
The thought of God loving the world has wide implications, because the whole universe is affected by what happens on our planet. God truly loves all of His creation; both the righteous and unrighteous are touched by His goodness.
As Jesus pointed out, after admonishing us to love our enemies: “He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). If God has mercy on those who have become His enemies, we certainly can provide service and care to all, regardless of their moral standing in God’s kingdom.
Everyone, indeed ALL the world, has been offered the gift of salvation. And our attitude toward those we serve must be just as inclusive and unreserved as we have seen of God’s.
Our ministry to others then is an extension of our being forgiven. Tangible love, shown by our good deeds, is just an outgrowth of our justification before God. His loving grace remains the only reason we are saved and able to minister to “the least of these”.
Discussion Questions:
Read John 3:16, John 1:12, and Galatians 3:26. What does it mean to “believe” in Christ, as it says in John 3:16? Why is it more than just believing He exists (James 2:19)?
Read John 3:17 and Romans 5:8. To what lengths did God love us, and why?
Read Matthew 5:44, 45. What makes it easier for us to love our enemies?
Monday: Compassion and Repentance
Jesus made an intentional effort, while on earth, to become familiar with suffering, oppressed people. Seeing their plight firsthand, at times, brought Him to tears. The compassion He felt was no doubt overwhelming, but it did not cripple Him with inaction. Instead it drove Him to untiring ministry, as He sought to relieve as many as He could in the short time alloted Him.
We, too, have our hearts softened when we have a chance to witness poverty and suffering in the lives of those around us. When repentance has led us to confession, our natural impulse should then be to look at those around us, as Jesus did, and seek ways to comfort and uplift them, in whatever ways are available to us.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NKJV
The kind of ministry this forgiveness leads us to has a way of purifying us as no other way could. It not only benefits those on the receiving end of our care, but those who give receive the satisfaction of reflecting their Master, making us feel some of His purity and love in return.
Discussion Questions:
Read Matthew 9:36 and 14:14. Why was Jesus filled with compassion for the multitude and what did it cause Him to do about it?
Read Luke 19:41, 42 and John 11:32-35. In what way do these verses show us that Jesus was human, and was touched with suffering like all of us? What is the significance of Him crying over masses of people living in Jerusalem and the loss of a personal friend?
Read 1 John 1:9. How does ministry and care of others help us be cleansed from unrighteousness? Why must there first be confession of our sins, in order for our ministry to be effective in spreading the gospel?
Tuesday: Grace and Good Works
Ephesians 2:10 tells us we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Since we were created in His image (Genesis 1:27), it is in our DNA to do good works for those around us. His grace gives us the ability to perform the very kind of ministries He was able to perform while on earth. The disciples were so filled with His spirit that they were even able to perform some of the same miraculous feats as their Lord.
Any time we sacrificially give of ourselves, we are merely reflecting what Jesus has already done for us on the cross. We aren’t adding to what He did there. Instead, we are acting in response to the loving act already completed on Mount Calvary.
The love that emanated from Christ’s sacrifice motivates us to reach out to others as well. We can’t help ourselves from engaging in ministry, if we truly have felt the grace that has been extended to us.
Discussion Questions:
Read Ephesians 2:8, 9 and 2 Timothy 1:9. How long has Christ’s grace been with us? Why don’t our works contribute or add to our salvation?
Read Ephesians 2:10. Why are good works good for us?
Read 1 John 3:16, 17 and Psalm 51:16, 17. What does it mean to “lay down our lives for the brethren”? What kind of sacrifice is acceptable to God? What does a truly repentant heart feel compelled to do?
Wednesday: Our Common Humanity
Think for a moment of all the people Jesus associated with during His life on earth. He grew up in poverty, the son of a carpenter (His parents were compelled to offer a dove at His birth, the sacrifice of the poor). And then, as an adult, His ministry brought Him in contact with prostitutes, dishonest tax collectors, lepers, Roman soldiers, pompous religious leaders, and children.
Jesus’ contact with these various individuals was not casual. As a result, those who accepted Him were forgiven, healed, blessed, and uplifted. Jesus not only preached the gospel, He lived it, and His good works did not go unnoticed by those around Him. All of humanity has been affected in some way by the life of this one Man from Galilee.
But, even shortly after His death, the disciples stumbled in their efforts to reach all the world with the gospel. There were disagreements between Jewish believers and newly-baptized Gentile Christians in how they should keep the law and relate to each other in general. Failing to see their common humanity, they almost overlooked one of the most important lessons Jesus came to share with them…that they were all one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
They should have remembered that…
- We are all of one blood.
- We have all sinned.
- We are all one in Christ.
Discussion Questions:
Read Malachi 2:10 and Acts 17:26. How should the fact that we are all of one blood affect our relationship with each other?
Read Romans 3:23 and Galatians 3:22. How does the realization that we have all sinned influence how we treat each other and how far our ministry should reach?
Read Galatians 3:28, 29 and John 17:20, 21. Why did Jesus pray that His followers would be united?
Thursday: The Everlasting Gospel
The first angel’s message in Revelation 14:6, 7 points us to the key elements of the “everlasting gospel” we are to preach in the end times. It should include:
- judgment–not a scary item for God’s followers, because it represents the justice that has been missing in the world for so many generations
- worship–always linking praise and good deeds; both God and man are blessed
- creation–we must recognize our Creator God as the One responsible for our birth and re-birth
Despite all the world’s turmoil in the last days, these themes must survive and be trumpeted by the saints of God. Cherishing all ten of the commandments of God is paramount to fulfilling this gospel commission. So much is lost when the fourth commandment, requiring Sabbath observance (worship) and pointing to the Creator, is ignored.
Let’s remember also that our loving service to mankind must be present also, in order for God to be blessed by our worship. That is the only way we will be able to keep the commandments AND the faith of Jesus–both earmarks of God’s saints (Revelation 14:12). Loving others like Jesus did is a way to love God. It demonstrates the justice that is coming for those who are oppressed.
Discussion Questions:
Read Revelation 14:7 and 11:18. Why is it important to include both reward and punishment when we preach about the final judgment? How can God’s people show both God’s mercy and justice, in our actions, as well as our words?
Read Isaiah 58:6, 7. Why must acts of kindness accompany our worship to God? Why is God pleased with our sacrificial service to others? How does it demonstrate who God is?
Read Revelation 14:8-12, 1 Peter 5:8, and John 3:16. Why is there so much false worship and persecution going on in the last days? How can a proper understanding of God’s love, through tangible gifts of kindness, help in spreading the true gospel to all the world?
Final Thoughts
The song “Jesus Loves Me” has been very popular since it was written in the 1800s. When John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 was rammed and sunk in the Solomon Islands in 1943, the islanders who found them sang the song with the Marines as they were being rescued by other PT boats. They had learned the song from Seventh-day Adventist missionaries.
Seventh-day Adventists have kept missionary outreach a priority, as a way to spread the gospel to all the world. No matter where we are, however, we are to live the gospel in a way that others will see Jesus and know that He loves them too.
Wholistic medicine is now being seen as a valuable tool in healing people. In order for health to be restored, the medical world is now looking at the whole person–their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Some churches, including Seventh-day Adventists, have embraced the same wholistic approach as we minister to people spiritually. This is why SDAs operate so many hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and colleges across the globe.
We may not be able to serve in foreign countries, but almost all church members have the opportunity to contribute monitarily to foreign missionary projects, no matter where they live. In addition, volunteer opportunities abound and invite us to serve in various ways on the local level.
Sacrificial giving is not just an option for Christians. It’s a requirement that must be met before Jesus comes again to complete our redemption. We’ve seen His mercy; it’s almost time to see His justice.
Next Week’s Lesson: Living the Advent Hope
To read the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly or see more resources for its study, go to https://www.absg.adventist.org/
Other Outlook blogposts by Teresa Thompson, are at http://outlookmag.org/author/teresathompson/
