God's Purposes Trump Human Pride
Gregory T. Pouncey
Genesis 11:1-9,27-32
Before the Session
For teaching plans and full explanations of all the verses in today’s lessons,
consult the Explore the Bible leader guide or commentary.
Make sure each learner has his or her own Explore the Bible learner
guide.
Pride Resists God's Purposes (Gen. 11:1-4)
Read Genesis 11:1-4 and answer the following questions:
According to
these verses, why did the people of Shinar build the Tower of Babel?
How was this
tower an example of the absurdity of human pride?
How were the
fears of the people being scattered realized through their own pride?
Read the following article about the Russian cosmonaut who supposedly
mocked God as he entered outer space:
Russian cosmonaut Gagarin never mocked faith, friend says
Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut who was the first man
in space, never made a comment that was attributed to him, mocking religious
belief, according to an old friend.
InApril 12, 1961, after making
the first manned flight outside the earth's atmosphere, Gagarin was quoted
as saying that he "flew into space, but I did not see God there." But
Colonel Valentin Petrov has told the Interfax news agency that the quote
actually came from the Russian President Nikita Khrushchev.
At the time Khrushchev was leading a propaganda campaign
to discourage religious faith. He exploited Gagarin's enormous popularity to
further that campaign, Petrov says.
"Yuri, just like every Russian, was baptized," his friend
said. "He just could not say that."
Gagarin died in March 1968 in an airplane crash during a
routine test flight.
How were
Krushchev’s actions similar to those of the people who built the tower
of Babel?
Why did
Gagarin’s friend mention that he was baptized, and how could that also
have been a prideful remark?
God Trumps Resistance (Gen. 11:5-9)
Read Genesis 11:5-9 and ask:
What was God’s purpose in scattering the people?
How did God trump their resistance with the thing
they feared most?
How might things have been different if the people
had not persisted in their stubborn pride?
Read the excerpt from the following article:
Speaking for God in the New Global Language
The explosive growth of Christian publishing during the
last three decades has brought commensurate growth in the number of Bible
translations on the market. Many people regard the development of these
Bibles as opportunism on the part of those creating new translations, but to
do so disregards the valid reasons for generating new English translations
of the Bible as a way of furthering the Gospel.
It is axiomatic that we live in a rapidly changing world,
with technological growth cited as the foremost example. Yet one of the most
significant changes – while amplified by technology – is not technological
but linguistic: Namely, the development of the world’s first truly global
language.
When the original edition of the King James Bible was
published in 1611, roughly 6 million people spoke English as their first
language. By the mid-nineteenth century, there were 60 million English
speakers, and now, some 350 million people speak primarily English. Add to
that those who use English secondarily in business or information
processing, and the figure tops 2 billion. Not since the Tower of Babel has
any one language commanded such worldwide usage, and most of this growth has
taken place since 1950.
Source: Gantt, S. and Webster, G.
Speaking for God in the New Global Language. Retrieved December 22,
2007 from www.lifeway.com.
Ask:
Why did the
writer refer to English as the new global language?
Why are modern
English versions of the Bible needed to communicate with the nations?
Why are English
versions alone inadequate to reach the world?
Read the
following statement: Not since the Tower of Babel has any one language
commanded such worldwide usage, and most of this growth has taken place
since 1950. What is your reaction to this statement?
Faith Cooperates with God's Purposes (Gen. 11:27-32)
Read the following excerpt from Experiencing
God by Henry Blackaby:
We are a “doing” people. We always
want to be doing something. The idea of doing God’s will sounds fairly
exciting. Once in a while someone will say, “Don’t just stand there; do
something.” Sometimes individuals and churches are so busy doing things they
think will help God accomplish His purpose, that He can’t get their
attention long enough to use them as servants to accomplish what He wants.
We often wear ourselves out and accomplish very little of value to the
kingdom.
I think God is crying out and shouting to us, “Don’t just
do something. Stand there! Enter into a love relationship with Me. Get to
know Me. Adjust your life to Me. Let Me love you and reveal Myself to you as
I work through you.” A time will come when the doing will be called for, but
we cannot skip the relationship. The relationship with God must come first.
Source: Blackaby, Henry.
Experiencing God, 1994, p. 19.
Read Genesis 11:27-32 in light of this excerpt and
ask these questions:
How was God at work in Abram’s life at this point?
In what ways did God introduce Himself to Abram
before Abram journeyed the entire way to Canaan?
What adjustments to God’s will did Abram have to
make?
What adjustments to God’s will are you currently
making in your life?
Encourage learners to examine their own
lives and make adjustments by eliminating pride and cooperating with God’s
purposes in their lives.
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EXTRA! Weekly Supplemental Teaching Plans
Adult
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life EXTRA
January 6, 2008
Breakthrough in Focus
Dana Armstrong
Genesis 145:1-21
Before the Session
For teaching plans and full explanations of all the verses in today’s lesson,
consult any of the Bible Studies for Life leader guides or
commentaries.
Make sure each learner has his or her own learner guide.
Psalm 145:1-7
Enlist a volunteer to read Psalm 145:1-7 while praise music plays softly
in the background.
Say: David expressed praise to God because of His power. He
described His power as mighty, wonderful, and awe-inspiring. We all have a
testimony of God’s goodness in our lives. God’s power is greater than any
problem or situation in which we find ourselves. We should take opportunities to
declare the works of God so others will know the greatness of our God.
Ask volunteers to to share their testimonies of God’s goodness in their
lives.
Psalm 145:8-13
Read Psalm 145:8-13. Invite classmembers to call out the
characteristics of God, as you write them on the board or on chart paper.
Say: Because we have
experienced these aspects of God's character, we can share them with others
through testimony and through praising God.
Read and discuss the following
article:
Teaching Youth to
Share Their Story
Ask volunteers
to to share their testimonies of God’s goodness in their lives.The most powerful evangelism tool that we have is the
story of how we came to know God. Yet, many youth and youth leaders are
timid about sharing their testimonies. Learning to share their living
pictures of what Jesus has done in their lives can help ease that fear. Here
are some hints from EC (Essential Connection) to teach
your students and leadership to testify.
T - Transformed Behavior
People see your testimony in your actions as well as
in your words. You may give a glowing testimony, but it won't mean much if
you turn around and gossip or cheat. St. Francis of Assisi is credited with
saying that Christians should preach the gospel at all times and use words
if necessary.
E - Enthusiasm
Your love for God shows in the way you talk about Him.
Think about how people talk about their passions. wing testimony, but it
won't mean much if you turn around and gossip or cheat. St. Francis of
Assisi is credited with saying that Christians should preach the gospel at
all times and use words if necessary.
S - Scripture
It doesn't matter how firmly you believe something if
it's untrue. Let the Bible teach you truth, so you won't deceive yourself or
others.
T - Turning the Spotlight
It's all about Jesus - not you. Stress what He has done
since you became a Christian and not the gory details about your life
without Jesus.
I - Including People
Your testimony should help people connect with you, not
compare themselves to you. With all your differences, we all have one thing
in common - a need for Jesus. Your testimony should help others see their
own need as you explain your need.
F - For Real
Be authentic because nobody likes a fake. Let your
sincerity reveal God's real love.
Y - You and Me
Occasionally you'll give your testimony before a group,
but testimonies also are powerful in one-on-one conversations.
Ideas for Using This Information
Plan a theme fellowship. Plan your activities around the
theme of testifying. Set up a courtroom setting. Write a skit to
support your theme. In addition to setting up a courtroom setting in
which one testifies before a crowd, you can also have a time of
confession (sharing the person's testimony) with an investigator
interviewing the person in a police office with only a few people
present. Show how a person's faith testimony is the same in front of
both crowds and individuals. Prior to the time, enlist several youth
or youth leaders to be prepared to lead small groups in
strengthening their confidence in sharing their testimonies.
Schedule testimony training. As a new school year
approaches, train students to return to the classroom armed with the
confidence they need to share their personal testimonies. Offer
training to all youth or just to those who want to strengthen their
skill.
Source: Dockrey, Karen. Teaching Youth to
Share Their Story. Retrieved December 22 from
www.lifeway.com. This article was
adapted from an article in EC: Essential connection, a student
devotional guide.
Psalm 145:14-21
Read Psalm 145:14-21.
Read or paraphrase the following article:
God’s Miraculous Provision
God doesn’t have to have a lot to work with in order
to do great things in our lives, or the lives of our children. As a matter
of fact, Jesus told the disciples, “If you have faith the size of a mustard
seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the
sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6). In Matthew 14, and again in
Matthew 15, we find Jesus feeding thousands with what began as a paltry
number of small loaves and fish.
But I think my favorite story in the Bible about God
providing for the needs of His children is found in II Kings 4:1-7.
One day the widow of one of Elisha's fellow prophets came
to Elisha and cried out to him, "My husband who served you is dead, and you
know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to
take my two sons as slaves."
"What can I do
to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?"
"Nothing at all,
except a flask of olive oil," she replied.
And Elisha said,
"Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then
go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive
oil from your flask into the jars, setting the jars aside as they are
filled."
So she did as
she was told. Her sons brought many jars to her, and she filled one after
another. Soon every container was full to the brim! "Bring me another jar,"
she said to one of her sons.
"There aren't
any more!" he told her.
And then the
olive oil stopped flowing. When she told the man of God what had happened,
he said to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and there will
be enough money left over to support you and your sons."
What a
remarkable story. What a remarkable God! God is so full of loving kindness
to answer this woman so graciously in her time of need. How desperate this
woman must have felt, to know that her sons were about to be taken into
slavery to pay off her debt.
That same God
who met the widow’s needs has not changed. He is here today to meet our
needs. We can learn valuable lessons from this woman:
1. God hears
our cries, just as Elisha heard the widow’s cry.
2.
Oftentimes, He asks us to take inventory of our resources. Elisha asked
the widow, “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” In Matthew 15:34,
Jesus asks the disciples, when confronted with the hungry multitude,
“How many loaves do you have?”
God isn’t
asking the widow or the disciples what they have because He needs to
know—He asks because they need to know. They need to understand the
depth of their need, and they need to articulate it to God.
3. Then, God
often uses the very meager resources we offer Him as the springboard for
providing abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think. God
multiplied the widow’s oil to such an extent that the widow was able to
sell it, pay her debts, keep her sons, and support them. Jesus
multiplied the bread and fish, fed thousands, and had baskets left over.
Take stock of
what you have and don’t have. Then take your needs to God. Cry out to Him.
Offer Him the cup of oil or loaf of bread you do have. Then watch as He
miraculously takes your very inadequate resources and multiplies them to
meet your needs, allowing you to minister to those around you. God is
faithful and able. You can count on it!
Source: Tyler, Zan. God's
Miraculous Provision. Retrieved December 22, 2007 from
www.lifeway.com.
Ask:
Which do you tend to focus on—your needs or God's
provision? Explain your answer.
What Bible verses can you memorize to remind you of
God's promises and ability to provide for us?
Say:
Psalm 145 teaches us the following:
Because God is
powerful, we know He has the ability to exercise His compassion, love,
and goodness on our behalf.
Conversely,
because God is a gracious and compassionate God, we can trust that He
will always use His power for our greatest benefit and provide what we
truly need.
