Backgroiund Passage: 1 Peter 4:7-19
Lesson Passage: 1 Peter 4:17-29
Serve with God's Strength (1 Peter 4:7-11)
Ask: What is a fan? Allow for answers
Explain that “fan” is short for fanatic. Fanatics generally
are people who have become obsessed with something, often sporting events or
teams, and can become consumed to the extreme. Read the following as an example.
Read:
Fanaticism costs diehard football fan his marriage
Trips away, lavishing cash on the object of his devotion, constant
reminders of his passion all over the house—eventually these things cost
Paul Willey his marriage. But the street-cleaning supervisor did not have
another woman. He was indulging his obsession with the Liverpool Football
Club.
Willey’s wife of six years moved out recently after he converted the
couple’s three-bedroomed flat in York into a shrine to the Premiership Reds.
Willey admits his wife “just could not compete with my love of Liverpool.”
According to news reports, his wife’s patience with Willey’s obsession
reached the breaking point when Willey arrived home at midnight one night
and awakened her to show off his newly acquired pair of new Liverpool mugs
he had purchased that night to add to his collection.
Source: “Fanaticism costs diehard football fan his marriage,” Yorkshire
Post, 5 April 2007, www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk
Read or enlist a volunteer to read 1 Peter 4:7-11.
Ask:
How do you feel when someone displays extreme fanaticism such as that
shown by Mr. Willey?
What does extreme fanaticism suggest to most observers? Why?
Did Peter encourage fanaticism from his readers? Why? How?
Explain Peter’s emphasis on a disciplined life as a follower
of Christ and how this word suggests a life of self-control. Guide learners to
discover how such discipline can lead to Christian strength and influence.
Share in Christ's Sufferings (1 Peter 4:12-14)
Read the following.
Read:
Cyclist shot with air gun
If you don’t believe that tempers and attitudes can reach unreasonable
extremes, just ask Jim Shultz, of Kingsbury Grade, NV. This avid bicyclist
was shot in the thigh recently while riding his bike one evening while
training for the upcoming competitive bicycling season.
“I heard this pop sound like you’d hear from an air rifle or pistol and
then I had this sting in my leg,” he said. “My first thought was, ‘I can’t
believe it. Someone just shot at me,’ and my next thought was to get a
license plate number but by then it was too late.”
The assault left Shultz wondering about the degeneration of rules and
ethics of the road—and a hostility among motorists. Cycling for most of his
life, he adheres to the “share the road” philosophy but has discovered
motorists have become increasingly hostile and mean-spirited over the years.
Even though he was the victim, Shultz’s demeanor is that of a forgiving
man. If the shooter were to step forward and apologize, he would accept it.
Otherwise, police have been alerted and are on the lookout for the maroon
pickup.
Source: Jeff Munson, “Cyclist shot with air gun,” Tahoe Daily Tribune,
6 April 2007, www.tahoedailytribune.com
Read or enlist a volunteer to read 1 Peter 4:12-14.
Ask:
How do you feel about such examples of open hostility toward others?
Could you be as kind and forgiving as Jim Shultz to someone who shot at
you with a BB gun?
How would you respond if someone verbally or physically attacked you for
your faith?
If Jesus suffered through extreme physical hostility, should Christians
today be willing to do the same? Why?
Could you endure extreme hostility for your faith? Why?
Continue by guiding learners to discover other instructions
Peter gave concerning suffering for Christ.
Seek God's Glory (1 Peter 4:15-19)
Ask: Have you ever been hauled into court or arrested?
Read:
DA, judge, Monitor editors ordered to appear in court
Hidalgo County’s district attorney, a state district judge, and The
Monitor’s top two editors have been ordered to appear in court as part of a
hearing determining who will hear a felony case against a local judge.
The hearing is the culmination of two years of efforts by Hidalgo County
District Attorney Rene Guerra to prevent state District Court Judge Bobby
Flores from hearing a case against state District Court Judge Rudy Delgado.
Delgado has been suspended from the bench pending the outcome of charges
that he attempted to evade arrest and misused official information stemming
from a 2002 arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
The attorneys, judges, and the newspaper editors have been hauled into
court after allegations and challenges to whether Flores should recuse
himself from the case after controversy has erupted regarding which judge is
the most appropriate to hear the case against Delgado.
Despite agreements among most of the legal folk regarding court
appearances, the newspaper’s attorneys are fighting the subpoena to appear
in court, claiming that even editorials advocating specific positions
regarding this judicial case should be considered legal under First
Amendment rights for newspapers. Attorneys representing Flores say that the
paper should not have published the editorial because it was intended to
sway public opinion.
Arguments continue in the case.
Source: “DA, judge, Monitor editors ordered to appear in court,” The
Monitor, 4 April 2007, www.themonitor.com
Read or enlist a volunteer to read 1 Peter 4:15-19.
Ask:
Should people and media have the right to sway public opinion? Why?
Is expression of religious views and beliefs covered under First
Amendment rights?
Point out that Peter warned Christians in the church in Asia
that they should expect persecution, even to being hauled into court on what may
appear unjustified grounds. Compare the newspaper and its editors with
Christians who might face persecution for their faith.
Ask:
How should Christians today prepare for persecution?
Why do people of other—or those without—religious beliefs attempt to
silence those who profess faith in Christ?
How should Christians respond when their faith is challenged in court or
public arenas?
Continue by leading learners to wrestle with the
possibilities of suffering persecution for our faith today.
EXTRA! is a supplement designed
to enhance and expand the effectiveness of printed curriculum provided by
LifeWay Church Resources.
EXTRA! is produced by Publishing
Services and Multimedia, LifeWay Church Resources, Copyright 2007, LifeWay
Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
SPECIAL NOTE: Some Internet
addresses given in EXTRA! are outside the LifeWay Internet domain. Because of
the changing nature of the Web, EXTRA! editors cannot be held responsible for
content on pages outside their control. At the time of this posting, the
specific pages mentioned have been viewed and approved by the EXTRA! editorial
staff. However, at the time of your viewing, the information on these pages may
have changed. Links from the specific page addresses referenced in this material
possibly could link to inappropriate material.
EXTRA! Weekly Supplemental Teaching Plans
Adult
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life EXTRA
April 22, 2007
Loving Obedience
Ashley Linne
Background Passage: John 13:31-15:17
Focal Verses: John 13:34-35; 14:15,21-24; 15:9-16
Before the Session
Download the
Loving Obedience handout and make enough copies for each group member.
Note: Take care throughout the lesson not to imply that we have
to earn God’s love. These portions of Scripture are referring to obedience that
flows from love that is already there.
John 13:34-35
Read John 13:34-35.
Say: The disciples are at the Passover meal with Jesus, and He
had just turned their world upside down by washing their feet. Recall that this
was a very humble act of service that surprised the disciples. Here Jesus is
giving the motivation behind humble service: love. Jesus tells the disciples
that it is love that will show the world who they are as His followers.
Read the following news excerpt:
On March 22, 2007, the Burlington Township High School conducted a mock
terror drill using Right Wing Christian Fundamentalists as the terrorists.
The scenario revolved around a family attacking the school after their
daughter was expelled for praying before class. Disturbed by the fictional
scenario, many Christian students went home and complained to their parents.
In the mock terror drill, the gunmen, portrayed by two Burlington Township
police detectives, were members of a right wing fundamentalist group called
the "New Crusaders." This group supposedly didn't support the separation of
church and state and had entered the school, shot some students and took
over the school's media center because one of their daughters had been
expelled for praying before class.
The school Superintendent, Chris Manno, worked with Burlington Township
Police Department to come up with the strange scenario for the mock terror
drill. "You perform as you practice," Superintendent Chris Manno said prior
to the exercise. "We need to practice under conditions as real as possible
in order to evaluate our procedures and plans so that they're as effective
as possible." Considering the fact that prayer before class is protected by
the Constitution, the basis of the scenario was completely unrealistic.
Taken from “Mock Terrorist Drill uses right wing Christian fundamentalists
as terrorists,” Associated Content, April 5, 2007. Available at
www.associatedcontent.com.
Say: Obviously there are people that believe that
Christians could be capable of doing very un-Christlike things.
Ask:
How well do you think Christians do at showing the world our love for
each other? For others?
How does loving one another present the gospel to a lost world?
What are some ways that loving others glorifies God?
John 14:15,21-24
Read John 14:15,21-24.
Say: Jesus’ statement seems simple: if you love Me, you’ll do what I
ask you to do. But His words have deep implications. If we say that we love
Jesus, we must follow through on that love by obeying Him. We can’t truly say we
love Him if we do not follow Him in obedience.
Ask:
What are some of the commands that Jesus has given us? (If conversation
lulls, consider passages from Matthew chapters 5 and 6.)
What are some ways that the Holy Spirit reminds you personally of these
commands?
You may want to point out that truly loving others is something that comes to
us through the power of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus offers grace to cover the
times when we fall short of obedience to His commands.
John 15:9-16
Read John 15:9-16.
Say: Jesus makes His love for us very clear in these passages. He hints
at what is to come in verse 13 (in the next chapters Jesus is crucified and
raises from the dead), and even says that He chose us to be His friends. In
Jewish culture, to be chosen as a disciple by a Rabbi (teacher) meant that you
had something that the Rabbi was looking for—something that told him you would
carry on his teaching and way of life. He had expectations that you would become
like him.
Ask:
What are some ways that Jesus demonstrated His love for the world? Note
that Jesus always was acting out of loving obedience for the Father, which
overflowed in love to others.
Jesus says that we are no longer slaves but His friends when we do what
He commands us to. What are your thoughts on this?
How does it feel to know that you were chosen to be Jesus’ disciple?
Read the following news excerpt:
It doesn’t always take heroic or extraordinary deeds to serve as a
disciple of Jesus Christ, Philip Stizza said this morning.
We have plenty of opportunities to serve Christ in our everyday life, he
said.
Stizza served as the featured speaker for today’s Holy Week Breakfast,
attended by approximately 180 men and a few boys at the All Saints Episcopal
Church.
Representing St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Stizza spoke on
discipleship.
He spoke of the example of Mother Teresa, the nun from Macedonia who cared
for the poor and outcast in Calcutta and who won the Nobel Peace Prize.
“She devoted her life to Christ by serving the forgotten and caring for
others whose lives were in despair,” Stizza said.
“Most of us will not be called to follow Jesus in such a phenomenal way.”
He noted that the first Christians were called “Members of the Way” — those
who learned a way of life from Jesus that is filled with love, compassion,
charity and forgiveness.
It’s not easy to be a disciple, Stizza said.
“Consider what you might see in any given day’s news: War, senseless
violence, child abuse, dishonesty, sexual abuse, scandalized politics,
immoral behavior of every sort and the list goes on and on.”
Despite the state of the world, Stizza said Christians can do small things
that are pleasing in God’s eyes.
“So whenever you remain silent when you’d like to criticize, let someone go
ahead when they want to cut you off in traffic, visit a relative or friends
in the hospital or nursing home, go out of your way to be cordial to that
difficult neighbor, be patient with a child, exercise restraint instead of
lashing out in anger, give that contribution to a charity, or do any other
infinite number of Christ-like actions of love for another, know that you
are already a disciple of the Lord Jesus.”
Taken from “Serving Christ means doing right all the time,” by James Beaty,
McAlister News-Capital, April 4, 2007. Available at
www.mcalesternews.com.
Say: Jesus called us to be disciple-makers and to
bear fruit. The fruit of the Spirit should be continually growing in us and be
ripe for others to benefit from.
Distribute the “Loving Obedience” handout. Give participants
time to complete it. You may want to take some time to discuss their answers.
Consider breaking into smaller groups to discuss how God might want them to
respond to today’s lesson.
EXTRA! is a supplement designed
to enhance and expand the effectiveness of printed curriculum provided by
LifeWay Church Resources.
EXTRA! is produced by Publishing
Services and Multimedia, LifeWay Church Resources, Copyright 2007, LifeWay
Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
SPECIAL NOTE: Some Internet
addresses given in EXTRA! are outside the LifeWay Internet domain. Because of
the changing nature of the Web, EXTRA! editors cannot be held responsible for
content on pages outside their control. At the time of this posting, the
specific pages mentioned have been viewed and approved by the EXTRA! editorial
staff. However, at the time of your viewing, the information on these pages may
have changed. Links from the specific page addresses referenced in this material
possibly could link to inappropriate material.
