Sabbath School Lesson for June 20-26, 2020
Overview
First, we are able to live the Word by…
- asking for the Holy Spirit (Sunday)
- following the life of Jesus (Monday)
- relying on Scripture (Tuesday)
And this is helped by…
- spending quiet time with God (Wednesday)
- memorizing portions of Scripture and singing spiritual songs (Thursday)
Introduction
All of our studies so far about interpreting Scripture will be of no lasting value to us or anyone, if we don’t apply these messages from God to our personal life experience. In other words, if we don’t practice our faith, it will not grow and it will not remain strong.
The Bible is a tremendous aid in knowing how to live a life of faith, but only if we are doers of the word and not hearers only, as our Memory Text this week reminds us.
Memory Text: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 NKJV
Remember also the last part of the verse. It describes the state we are in, if we don’t actually follow the directions given to us in the Bible. It says we are deceiving ourselves. In other words, we think we are following God by reading His map to heaven, but in actuality, we are heading out on our own in a direction that will not get us to our desired, final destination.
This result is sad enough, but in addition to our own faith being blunted, we are impairing our witness to others by not being faithful to what we know to be true in the Bible. We actually become the misinterpretation of Scripture that we have been striving to avoid. We become a stumblingblock to others, who need our example to help them understand God’s word.
Hymn for the Week: “More About Jesus”, p. 245
Sunday: The Living Word of God and the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Bible writers in the first place, is the best teacher when it comes to interpreting the Bible. He alone can lead us to a greater, more joyful appreciation and understanding of God’s word.
The Holy Spirit motivates us to hope, trust, and love, in response to what we read in the Scriptures. By submitting to His guidance and direction, we can fight the battles of life with the full protection of God, described in intimate detail in His word.
We must be humble, teachable students, willing to submit to Bible truths that are revealed to us. Instead of striving to master the Word of God, our goal should be to have the Word of God master us. It must change our lives and our way of thinking, if we want to let our light shine out to others. Others will get a glimpse of God’s Word by our example.
Therefore, never open the pages of the Bible without prayer for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. He is a powerful Teacher of truth, and we won’t be led astray by following His promptings and guidance through God’s word.
Bible Verses to Ponder and Share:
Philippians 2:13 and Hebrews 13:20, 21
- How are we able to do God’s pleasure (His will)?
1 Corinthians 2:13, 14
- Why is the Holy Spirit needed to teach us about God?
Isaiah 50:4, 5
- What is God’s part in helping us understand the Bible?
- How important is it that we open our hearts to Him and are not rebellious?
Monday: Learning from Jesus
Jesus only lived on this earth as a human for a few, short years. Therefore, most of what we learn about Him is through the Holy Scriptures. They testify of Him (John 5:39).
Jesus Himself, while on earth, depended on Scriptures to draw Him closer to His Father, bringing Him comfort and assurance. It was a treasured avenue of communication that benefited even our Lord.
Not only were the Scriptures a tool for Him to defeat Satan during those trying temptations in the wilderness, but He used them to teach others God’s will, to show them a better way to love others and God, in addition to finding comfort for His own soul.
Jesus also taught us by example that quoting Scripture is not enough. The devil quoted God’s word, as part of his attempt to tempt Jesus in the wilderness–Luke 4:10. (Just as he had through the serpent in the Garden of Eden–Genesis 3:1.)
We, too, must strive to know the meaning behind the words in the Bible. It may not be apparent to us at first, but the Holy Spirit, and studying Jesus’ example, will make it clear to us, when we need it most.
Bible Verses to Ponder and Share:
John 5:39
- What should we be looking for in the Bible, besides a way to eternal life?
Luke 4:9-12
- How did Jesus show us here that we need to understand the words in the Bible–not just be able to quote them?
Tuesday: Jesus Versus Scripture?
Many feel that the words and teachings of Jesus while He dwelt among us are of more value, more elevated, than other portions of the Bible, especially the Old Testament. However, Jesus’ own testimony and preaching of the Word refutes that idea.
His object was not to abolish previous Scripture, but to magnify its meaning for us. His Sermon on the Mount, for instance, gave many illustrations that clarified the meaning of His Ten Commandment Law. The Law itself was perfect (Psalm 19:7). It was only their interpretation of the Law that needed correction.
We saw this from the beginning of His ministry, when Jesus used the Old Testament writings to counter Satan’s temptations in the wilderness, to the very end when He referred His discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus to Old Testament Messianic prophecies.
The Old Testament, with all its prophetic utterances and allusions to the Messiah, in addition to guidance on how to practice our faith, are needed along with the rest of the New Testament, to support our faith in the Savior of the world and show us how to serve Him better.
Bible Verses to Ponder and Share:
John 5:45-47
- Moses wrote much of the Old Testament, including the Creation story in Genesis 1. Why is it still important to believe this account of the Creation of the world?
Matthew 5:17-19
- How did Jesus “fulfill” the Law and the Prophets?
Matthew 5:20 and Romans 10:1-3
- What was wrong with the “righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees”?
Wednesday: Quiet Times With the Word of God
If we are really serious about practicing what we find in the Bible, we must do like Jesus did and spend quiet time with God every day (Mark 1:35). There, in a solitary place, we speak to God in prayer, and He speaks to us through the written Word, the Bible.
It’s hard to imagine anyone growing spiritually without this vital connection, created intentionally by putting aside the busyness of life and spending actual, quality time with God. Even Jesus, who had the divine nature of God to begin with, was dependent on this form of intimate connection that is available to all of us, if we so desire.
Just as our human relationships grow through regular time spent together, so will our relationship with God grow through deliberate efforts to connect with our Creator on a daily basis.
It is only through this relationship with God that we can live out our faith in any meaningful way. Without it, Bible study is a waste of time. The end result will benefit no one.
Bible Verses to Ponder and Share:
Mark 1:35 and Luke 6:12
- Does it seem to matter if our quiet time with God is in the morning or at night? What are the benefits or disadvantages of both?
Psalm 46:10 and 62:1, 2, 5
- What is the benefit from being still or quiet when approaching God?
- How does our silence show reverence for God?
Thursday: Memory and Song
Not everyone feels comfortable in memorizing Scriptures, or even singing praises to God. But there are many who do find these avenues of worship enjoyable. Both activities have been around a long time, and have certainly proven capable of drawing us closer to God.
Most people are familiar with singing spiritual songs, and there are many styles of music to choose from that appeal to people of various backgrounds and personalities.
Not as familiar are we with memorizing Bible passages, however. Regrettably, recent generations have fallen away from the practice. But, it is definitely something we should all consider doing and here are some reasons why. Committing portions of the Bible to memory…
- helps us see the meaning of the words in different ways than we may have had by a simple reading of them
- enables us to fix our minds on God’s word rather than our problems
- safeguards us against deceptions and temptations
Yes, memorizing Scripture blesses us in a unique way by impacting our thinking and decisions in life. It allows us to worship God and feel a close connection with Him, no matter where we are or when we need His presence.
Bible Verses to Ponder and Share:
Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16
- What does it mean to sing “in your heart”?
Psalm 119:11
- How is memorizing Scripture like “hiding it in your heart”?
- How do we know Jesus had memorized portions of the Bible?
Friday: What We Have Learned This Week
Living our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, for our love of Jesus, and by relying on the Scriptures for direction is recognized by most of us as a worthy goal.
Actually implementing these things through daily quiet times with God, which include singing praises to Him and even committing parts of the Bible to memory, is often neglected, however. These daily devotional periods are evidence that having a deep relationship with God is our highest priority.
To live the Word becomes simply reading the Word, when we fail to connect with God every day, throughout the day. This constant communication with God can make us fertile ground for His word to change us more fully into His image. The Bible comes alive for us, because we are living its message purposefully, lovingly, joyfully.
So, let’s not just believe the Bible, let’s live it.
Next Week’s Lesson: Why Witness?
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/
Also, Teresa is livestreaming daily about the lesson on her Facebook page
