For teaching plans and full explanations of all the verses
in today’s lessons, consult the Explore the Bible leader guide.
Make sure each learner has his or her own Explore the Bible learner
guide.
Focus on Christ's Identity (Matt. 16:13-16)
Ask learners to read Matthew 16:13-16 and
circle the various explanations people had for Jesus’ identity. Encourage class
members to suggest how people might answer Jesus question in verse 13 today.
Ask:
How do we
acknowledge Jesus as God’s Son? (Answers might include placing our trust
in Him, being baptized, and obeying His commands.)
Why is it
important that Jesus focused on His identity prior to the first mention
of the church in the New Testament?
What happens
when churches lose their focus on Christ and begin to focus on programs,
trends, and even culture?
In
Leonard Sweet’s book, Aqua Church, the author covered the topic of
leadership, especially as it related to the church. Read this excerpt
from the first chapter:
The first essential of navigation, and the place to start
in map making, is establishing any position at any place that can be located
at any time. We need a reference point that enables us to plot any position
on the earth’s surface in relation to the stars.
In the art of sailsmanship, that reference point is
magnetic north, the “pole star” or North Star. Fixed in the firmament like
no other star, the North Star gives sailors a sense of direction and becomes
their sure and constant guide.
But notice two things about this reference
point known as Polaris.
First, what is fixed is not the point of reference
itself, but one’s orientation toward that North Star. Wherever you are in
the universe, that North Star may appear differently, but it’s the same
guiding star. The pole star never changes. What changes is one’s personal
coordinates and orientation toward the North Star.
Second, the earth’s axis of rotation points differently
toward Polaris at different points in history. First described by Newton,
the “wobble” in the earth’s orbit fractionally alters the alignment of the
poles. Sometimes the earth’s axis of rotation points within one degree of
the star Polaris. Other times it is farther apart. What this all means is
simple: Sometimes the North Star appears brighter in the heavens than at
other times.
What is our North Star, our fixing orientation?
Jesus of Nazareth is our North Star. The personal
coordinates of Jesus, our “Morning Star,” our “Day Star” (2 Peter 1:19) are
what keep us on course. Jesus’ last words to us were these: “I am…the
Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16). You can find them on the last page of
every Bible.
Source: Sweet, Leonard. Aqua Church.
Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, pp. 35-36
Ask:
Why is it
important to have Jesus as our “North Star” in our churches?
Why is it
important to have Him as our “North Star” in our lives?
How are you
doing at orienting your life around the “North Star?”
What
adjustments would you need to make to be completely Christ-centered?
What adjustments would your church need to make?
Focus on Christ's Church (Matt. 16:17-20)
Ask learners to read Matthew 16:17-20 and list the things Jesus
would do and the things He asked Peter to do. Emphasize that the rock the church
was built upon was Jesus as Peter confessed that He was the Messiah and the Son
of God (16:16).
Ask:
How do you know
when a church is centered on Christ?
What kind of
things threaten to divert our attention away from Christ in our
churches? In our personal lives?
Read the following excerpt from Timothy George’s article about the
church:
Is Christ Divided?And two more
apostolic questions today's church must answer.
When Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," did he intend
that the people called to bear his name in the world would eventually be
divided into 37,000 competing denominations? That is the number of separate
Christian bodies worldwide, according to missions statistician Todd Johnson
of the World Christian Database. Some argue that this number is inflated due
to the database's definition of denomination. But even if we were to suppose
he is high by one-fourth (not likely), we're still looking at 27,000
separate Christian groups.
Sometimes church division is a tragic necessity, and
the call to Christian unity does not mean that we must blend all believers
into a single homogenous unit. But neither does it allow us to relax and
accept the status quo as God's perfect will. Evangelicals believe in the
spiritual oneness of all true Christians-what Augustine of Hippo called the
invisible church-but does this mean that we should have no concern for
visible church unity?
Our visible disunity causes many unbelievers to
stumble. The problem is not only division, but divisiveness, within
congregations as well as between (and within) denominations. To jar the
Corinthians-a divided church if ever there was one-out of complacency, Paul
asked three pointed questions in 1 Corinthians 1:13, questions we need to
reconsider today.
Source: George, Timothy. Is
Christ Divided? And two more apostolic questions the church must answer.
Retrieved October 16, 2007 from
www.christianitytoday.com.
Ask:
Why does
Christ’s church appear to be so divided in our world today?
How does a
Christ-centered church solve issues of division?
What promises
did Jesus make in Matthew 16:17-20 that you would like to claim for your
church?
Focus on Christ's Cross (Matt. 16:21-23)
Ask learners to read Matthew 16:21-23 and ask the following questions:
Why did Jesus
warn His disciples of His impending death?
Why did Peter
rebuke Jesus?
How was Satan
using Peter to tempt Jesus?
Read the excerpt from John R.W. Stott’s book and try
and imagine the painting he describes:
Do you know the painting by Holman Hunt, the leader of
the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, entitled ‘Shadow of Death’? It depicts the
inside of the carpenter’s shop in Nazareth. Stripped to the waist, Jesus
stands by a wooden trestle on which he has put down his saw. He lifts his
eyes toward heaven, and the look on his face is one of either pain or
ecstasy or both. He also stretches, raising both arms above his head. As he
does so, the evening sunlight streaming through the open door casts a dark
shadow in the form of a cross on the wall behind him, where is tool-rack
looks like a horizontal bar on which his hands have been crucified. The
tools themselves remind us of the fateful hammer and nails.
In the left foreground a woman kneels among the wood
chippings, her hands resting on the chest in which the rich gifts of the
Magi are kept. We cannot see her face because she has averted it. But we
know that she is Mary. She looks startled (or so it seems) at her son’s
cross-like shadow on the wall.
The Pre-Raphaelites have a reputation for sentimentality.
Yet they were serious and sincere artists, and Holman Hunt himself was
determined, as he put it, to ‘do battle with the frivolous art of the day’,
its superficial treatment of trite themes. So he spent 1870-73 in the Holy
Land, and painted ‘The Shadow of Death’ in Jerusalem, as he sat on the roof
of his house. Though the idea is historically fictitious, it is also
theologically true. From Jesus’ youth, indeed even from his birth, the cross
cast its shadow ahead of him. His death was central to his mission.
Moreover, the church has always recognized this.
Source: Stott, John R.W. The Cross
of Christ. InterVarsity Press, pp. 17-18.
Ask:
Why might some
theologians be critical of Hunt’s painting, ‘The Shadow of Death’?
How does the
painting promote the centrality of the cross?
How does
focusing on the cross benefit the church?
Focus on Christian's Cross (Matt.16:24-28)
Encourage learners to read Matthew 16:24-28. Write the words
take up your cross on the board. Ask learners to list how
they currently are bearing their own crosses.
Ask:
How does
carrying our own cross benefit our church?
How does a
church suffer when members do not carry their own crosses?
As you conclude, ask learners how they would rate their
church on the scale of being a Christ-centered church—with 10 being the most
Christ-centered and 1 being the least Christ-centered.
Ask: What will you do to make our church
more Christ-centered?
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
October 28, 2007
RESPECT--Find Out What It Means
Dana Armstrong
Matthew 5:33-48
Before the Session
For teaching plans and full explanations of all the verses in today’s lessons,
consult any of the Bible Studies for Life leader
guides.
Matthew 5:33-37
Say: In this lesson, Jesus helps us understand how we can
relate to others respectfully. Respect is treating another person as a person of
value, and it is something everyone needs to receive and give. We demonstrate
respect for others, God, and ourselves when we practice straightforward honesty
in a loving manner. God calls us to give and live respect, not to pick and chose
when it seems appropriate or deserved.
Enlist a volunteer to read Matthew 5:33-37. (See any of the
Bible Studies for Life leader guides for a full explanation of these and
all other verses).
Say: Although Jesus did not prohibit taking oaths, especially
when required to do so for legal proceedings, He did expand the teaching on
oaths to highlight the need for honesty, which required no oath in order to be
believed. If we truly are people of integrity, then oaths need not be added to
our statements. Honesty begins in our hearts and is reflected in our actions.
Read or paraphrase the following article:
The Cost of Honesty: A Brief Lesson on Everyday Integrity
When I was a child, I thought as a child. Sometimes I
took things from another child's hand when I wanted it. Once or twice, I
took candy from a store. That ended the first time my mother caught me and
sent me back to confess and apologize.
It wasn't much, about a penny's worth of thievery.
But is there such a thing as a "little dishonesty"?
Recently, I left the
post office with a handful of stamps. Once I had stamped all my manuscripts,
I found that I'd been given eight more stamps than I paid for. When I
returned to the employee who had sold me the stamps, it took a lot of
explaining to make him understand why I was returning them. "Why did you
bring them back? No one would've known."
"It's the right thing to
do," I explained, suddenly not even sure why I'd made the effort.
But my 12-year-old
daughter nodded and smiled at me.
Should we go out of our
way to be honest? After all, with the post office situation, I didn't steal
the stamps; it was the postal worker who made the mistake. But does my
honesty depend on the actions of another?
I can be dishonest. But
I choose to be honest. When it's all said and done, how much is my dignity
and self-respect worth? The cost of an outdated coupon or rebate on an item
I didn't purchase?
It's easy to be honest
when we're afraid of getting caught or into trouble. But, if it seems like a
"sure thing," it's easy to convince ourselves that we're not being
dishonest, someone else just wasn't being careful enough.
Is a lie always a lie?
The best lesson I had on honesty came several years
back while on vacation in Wimberley, a charming town in southern Texas. The
small square was filled with antique and craft shops. After an hour of
shopping, my husband and I stopped for lunch in a café near the square. I
was surprised when a woman entered the restaurant and walked over to our
table.
"I'm sorry, but I shorted you on your change," she
explained. Then she held out a $1 bill.
I recognized her from a candle shop we'd visited
earlier. "But how did you know I'd be here?" I was flabbergasted. She had
actually searched the shops to return a dollar. Honesty was very important
to her.
On the other hand, a man I know returned a large
television set to a department store and was given cash for his return. A
month later, he noticed this amount had also been deleted from his credit
card bill. He didn't bother contacting his credit card company.
Does God want me to be just a little honest? Or honest
only in certain situations? Or only when someone is looking? How much
dishonesty is too much? Sometimes I am the only person who knows whether I
am being honest in a situation or not.
Do I keep extra change I'm given, cheat on my taxes,
ignore the double credit on a credit card statement? Do I tell my daughter
that a white lie is still a lie, but a few minutes later tell the police
officer that my accelerator got stuck?
When did honesty become an endangered value?
Somewhere that man is proud of the $700 he cheated the
department store out of and laughs about it with everyone he knows, even his
daughter. Somewhere in Wimberley, Texas, there is a truly honest woman. I
rejoice in sharing that story with my daughter.
If given a choice, I hope I'm the latter.
And that's the honest truth.
Source: Lay, Kathryn. The Cost of
Honesty. Retrieved October 16, 2007 from
www.christianitytoday.com.
Ask:
Has honesty become an
endangered value? Explain your answer.
Does God want you to be
just a little honest? Or honest only in certain situations? Or only when
someone is looking?
How much dishonesty is
too much?
How will you allow
these verses to impact your life?
Say: Honesty isn’t just necessary when we
know others are watching. As followers of Jesus, we must put into practice
behaviors that will honor God because God sees us even if no one else does.
Matthew 5:38-42
Enlist a volunteer to read Matthew 5:38-42.
Say: Jesus was not calling His followers to be content with the
presence of evil or to passively take whatever abuse someone may instigate
against us. Jesus was teaching appropriate and godly reactions to evil actions.
His point was to challenge His followers to exemplify grace and mercy toward
those that may unjustly strike out at us rather than exercise personal revenge.
Romans 12:19-21 sums up how Christians should go beyond the call of duty:
“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is
written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. But if your enemy
is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so
doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil,
but conquer evil with good” (HCSB).
Read or paraphrase the following article:
Overcoming Evil
As I was driving and talking with a friend one day, a car in the right
lane swerved in front of us to make a left turn. As a result, I came
dangerously close to becoming intimate with his rear bumper. I had an
immediate choice: share my exasperation out loud or shake my head in quiet
disappointment.
I knew that whatever I said next would reflect my character and could
change or enhance my friend’s perception of me. I chose to shake my head in
quiet disappointment, and my friend offered, “Tom, it’s not about who they
are; it’s about who we are.”
Show Christ in You
To be honest, I did not fully understand what he was talking about, but I
knew he had spoken sage words. I soon realized he was paraphrasing Paul’s
writings in Romans. And I had been given the opportunity to demonstrate that
“the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John
4:4, HCSB). Revenge may seem sweet, but it also:
destroys relationships
ruins careers
takes matters into your hands and out of God’s
lowers you to the level of another’s evil
can prevent God from using you.
Paul wrote about how believers should respond to treatment by others.
These admonitions are concerned with our individual, personal relationships
to others, not courts and laws. They have the power to bring justice, give
punishment, and demand restitution. We do not.
There is no place for retaliation in the Christian life. We are not to
lower ourselves to the standards of those who act without conscience or
remorse. Paul charged us to act in a manner befitting a child of God, one in
whom Christ resides.
Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, on your part, live at peace with
everyone” (HCSB). This verse provides a couple of disclaimers: “if” and “on
your part.” There will be times when it is not possible to be at peace.
People are not always rational or reasonable. Sometimes we act out of
emotion or misguided duty without considering the impact on those around
us.
Hatred and fear blind people to the truth. When people refuse to release
their grip on prejudice, unforgiveness, or hatred, it may be impossible to
live at peace with them. But do what you can to live in peace “on your
part.”
When Christians cause dissension or division, or when we act out of
bitterness, jealousy, or anger, we are acting out our old nature that would
choose “sin that so easily ensnares us,” (Hebrews 12:1, HCSB).
But Christ died to free us from our bondage to sin, so we can choose to
live according to our new identity in Christ.
Let Your Light Blaze
Why does God want us to love and pray for those who harm us? It’s
because:
we are to be different from the world.
we are to act Christ-like in all we do.
we have a higher purpose in view, more than just getting even; we
want to make brothers and sisters in Christ, not mortal enemies.
Christ was the perfect example of how to overcome evil with good. Even
though He experienced the most ferocious evil imaginable, He did not defend
Himself. He did not attack His accusers. He did not repay evil for evil. He
allowed His Father to provide vindication by raising Him from the dead and
seating Him at the right hand of God the Father.
Like a true physician, Christ was not content to deal with symptoms of
evil; he wanted to go to the root cause and defeat the powers of darkness.
Those who live in darkness will act like darkness. We who have the light are
to “let [it] so shine that they may see our good works and glorify God.” Not
an easy task, but well worth the end result.
How can we apply “walk an extra mile” today? When someone harms you, bake
her a cake. When your boss is too demanding, work overtime for free! When
your neighbor yells at you, sweep off his sidewalk after a windy day. Do the
unexpected! Let wrong-doers be ashamed of their actions. Direct them to
Christ by causing them to wonder how you can be kind in the midst of
adversity.
Remember, we are not of this world and do not have to act according to
its standards. Even though we are affected by others’ evil actions, we can
rise above to live a life pleasing to the Lord — who not only set an example
for us, but who lives in us, and helps us to face every challenge with grace
and peace.
Source: Blackaby, Tom. Overcoming Evil. Retrieved October
16, 2007 from www.lifeway.com.
Ask:
How can revenge
destroy relationships?
How can revenge
prevent God from using you?
Is it possible
to live at peace with everyone? If not, why? If so, explain how.
Say: The next time you are treated unjustly or unkindly,
retaliate by doing the unexpected. Do something kind for the offender, showing
them the love of Christ.
Matthew 5:43-48
Enlist a volunteer to read Matthew 5:43-48.
Say: How can we to love people who do hurtful things to us,
attack us, or slander us? If we wait until we have warm feelings for them, we
will probably never show love for them.
Ask: According to these verses, what specific actions are we
to take to show love to our enemies?
Say: It is easy to love those who love us. Our challenge is to
establish a plan to exhibit these actions toward those who are our enemies.
However, we must begin with our own hearts. We need to learn to be Christlike
from the inside out.
Ask: What can you do when your “enemy” takes action against
you? Some answers may include:
Pray for the
other person’s needs.
Pray that God
will help you forgive.
Pray that God
will help you love him or her.
Read the following verses:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does
not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, HCSB).
Say: Let us test ourselves to see how well we measure up to
this definition of what love looks like. Ask learners to give themselves a score
from 1-10 on each of the following statements. A score of 0 means “I need
drastic improvement,” and a score of 10 means “I’m succeeding in this area.”
____ I am patient.
____ I am kind.
____ I do not envy.
____ I do not boast.
____ I am not proud.
____ I am not rude.
____ I am not self-seeking.
____ I am not easily angered.
____ I keep no record of wrongs.
____ I do not delight in evil.
____ I rejoice with the truth.
____ I always protect.
____ I always trust.
____ I always hope.
____ I always persevere.
____ My love never fails.
Allow time for learners to discuss their answers in pairs or in small groups.
Say: Don’t be too hard on yourself. We all are God's works in
progress. The real test is what we do with what God has revealed to us through
this lesson.
Remind learners that God fully expects us to live what we have learned today by
respecting others, being honest, going the extra mile, and loving even our
enemies. Close with a prayer of commitment.
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.
