Adult

Explore the Bible
ETB Adult EXTRA

December 30, 2007

God Offers New Opportunities
Gregory T. Pouncey

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.

Opportunities to Worship (Gen. 8:15-17,20-22)

Read the excerpt from an article published by the International Mission Board (IMB):

Lottie Moon giving opens doors in former Soviet Union

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union collapsed two years later, the world changed. Southern Baptists responded rapidly, sending hundreds of missionaries and thousands of volunteers to spread the Good News and help local Baptists.

Hundreds of millions in the former Soviet Union search for God but are ignorant of His love and mercy. Their hearts have been brutalized and corrupted, first by communism and later by the free-for-all greed that swept post-Soviet Russia and its satellite nations. Hearts literally are starving for the story of Jesus and the liberation that faith in Him can bring.

Fifteen years after its fall, many doors remain open. But they could close at any moment. Some doors already are shutting as governments in the region restrict ministries, deny visas and send foreign workers home. Yet more than 280 million people in 350 unreached people groups – more than 90 percent of all people groups in the vast region – still don’t know Jesus is Lord and Savior of all peoples, including them.

Source: Bridges, Erich (2007, October 24). Lottie Moon giving opens doors in former Soviet Union. Retrieved December 17, 2007 from www.imb.org. 

Ask:

• What challenges did people face as new opportunities for worship resulted after the fall of the Berlin Wall?
• How are Southern Baptists seizing those opportunities through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering?

Read Genesis 8:15-17,20-22 and answer the following questions:

• What new opportunities to worship did leaving the ark present to Noah and his family?
• How did God speak in Noah’s new situation?
• How was Noah’s situation similar to those who lived behind the iron curtain?
• What are some things your church can do to encourage new and seasoned Christian in areas where new opportunities for worship exist?

Opportunities to Work (Gen. 9:1-3)

Read and discuss Genesis 9:1-3.

Summarize the following article by Joy Emery:

Do You Whistle While You Work?

The old tune "Whistle While You Work" may not be such good literal advice in the workplace especially if you work in tight quarters with others. But the concept of the song is great advice. Wouldn't it be great to make work more enjoyable each day so that you actually felt like whistling while you worked?

There are things that can drain you and make your work less enjoyable. The biggest drain in the workplace is trying to work with little energy. You don't enjoy many things in life when you are physically or emotionally tired. The three things you can adjust to help you gain more energy are your sleeping habits, eating habits, and exercise habits. If you find you are constantly tired regardless of healthy adjustments in these three areas, you may need to see your doctor for his advice.

Work is also less enjoyable when you get in a rut. Ruts are fine if you are driving an old-fashioned car on a track at an amusement park, but ruts are often boring and unmotivating in the workplace. Something as easy as moving your office furniture might give you a boost in spirits. You might simply need to work in a different corner of your office for a while. If your daily routine needs a little shaking up, try varying your routine in the office. Instead of going to the coffee room and standing around for a break, get outside and walk around for a few minutes.

Finally, work is less enjoyable when you fail to see your purposefulness. You don't have to manufacture heart pacemakers to have significance in your career. Your significance doesn't have to be tied to the products or services your company provides. Your purposefulness and fulfillment in your work might be tied to your goals for your family.

Why is your employment purposeful? It provides a means of support for you and your family. It teaches your children about work and how God provides for your needs through you. It gives you a place to minister to other people's needs – to use your gifts and abilities that God has given you. The purposefulness of your employment doesn't have to be connected to your job title or to how much you make.

Think about the blessings of your job when you get up and head to the office each day. Then in your heart, you really can whistle while you work.

Source: Emery, Joy. Do You Whistle While You Work? Retrieved December 17, 2007 from www.lifeway.com.

Ask:

• How do we separate our employment from the work God has called us to do?
• How can we combine our employment with what God has called us to accomplish?
• What new opportunities to work for the Lord is He opening for you?

Opportunities to Trust (Gen. 9:8-13)

Read Genesis 9:8-13 and ask:

• What promises did God make to Noah and his descendants?
• Why do people today so often take for granted the rainbow in the sky?
• What promises of God do you trust in your own life?

Read the account of the great summer flood of Great Britain in 2007:

Floods crisis hits one million Britons

A humanitarian crisis in central and western England was deepening last night with up to one million people affected by the worst floods in modern history.

Thousands are poised to evacuate their homes with the banks of the two largest rivers in Britain, the Severn and the Thames, threatening to burst.

Up to 350,000 people in Gloucestershire could be without running water for up to two weeks, authorities said yesterday as they warned that it could be a year before some evacuated families are able to move back to their devastated homes.

The heart of England has been paralyzed, with scores of towns and villages submerged or cut off. Up to 10,000 homes are either flooded or at risk of flooding in seven counties - Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Countless more are without running water, electricity or phone lines.

Source: Edwards, R., Beckford, M., and Helm, T. (2007, July 26). Floods crisis hits one million Britons. Retrieved December 17, 2007 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk.

Ask:

• Without minimizing the loss of life or loss of property, how is the opening of the news article an overstatement when compared with the flood in Noah's day?
• In what ways would the flood have affected people in Great Britain?
• How did the cessation of this flood confirm the words of Genesis 9:8-13?

Encourage learners to welcome and to keep their eyes open throughout the week for new opportunities to carry out God’s will. Close with prayer.

Adult

Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life EXTRA

December 30, 2007

Bowing Before the Savior
Dana Armstrong

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.

Matthew 2:1-6

Enlist a volunteer to read Matthew 2:1-6.

Read or summarize the following article:

Bible Study - An Important Component in Being a Christian

Bible study can be fun! When we go to God’s Word to learn, we ought to experience joy because we are engaged in discovering what God has revealed about Himself for us to emulate; learning how to both understand what He is saying to us and also how to apply this new-found truth in practical ways. The better we understand the Word, the better we can understand God’s will for us.

A principle goal of Bible study is to move from the text of Scripture to proclamation. Proclamation can take the form of preaching, teaching, or lifestyle. This proclamation must begin with lifestyle; for what is done speaks louder than words. The proclamation of Scripture is identified by some as the missiological aim of study – the intention of passing on to others what has been discovered. This application is also the basis of our perseverance: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt. 7:24, NIV). Though the storms come, and they will, when we live by the Word we will remain steadfast and unmovable.

Bible study is an important part of discipleship. The Bible teaches us that to truly be disciples of Jesus, we must be in the Word: “If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32, NIV). The Greek word for disciple is mathetes. It comes from the verb manthano, which means "to learn." A disciple, then, is more than just a follower, but is a pupil who is learning the teachings of the one being followed; an adherent. Christ indeed asked men to follow Him, but He also asked them to learn from Him (see Matt. 4:19; Matt. 11:29). Studying the Bible impacts our lives, and every believer can study the Bible if they are willing to learn how. Since the Bible is the believer’s guide for faith and practice, in order to grasp what that faith is and how we are to live, we must engage in Bible study. The Bible provides the historical expression for both our theological assessment and also our Christian development. The experiences we encounter in Scripture did not occur in a vacuum, but in real life. They also remind us that Jesus Christ came into the real world as a real man and addressed real issues of life. With this in mind, we are better prepared to understand the challenges and opportunities He and His early followers faced, and then, to apply what is learned to our own situation.

Consequently, Bible study will help us better understand what it means to live like Jesus lived – the goal for all believers. It is of ultimate personal significance: 1) It will make us holy (John 17:17); 2) It will transform our minds (Rom. 12:2); 3) It will train us for obedience (2 Tim. 3:16-17; see also Heb. 5:7-10); 4) It will help us appropriate the promises of God in our lives (2 Pet. 1:3-4); and 5) It will guide us in submitting to leaders and to one another (Eph. 4:12-13). The direction of our Christian development, therefore, depends upon it; both the beginning of our Christian walk and also our maturing in that walk. The truths we learn through Bible study help us avoid preconceived ideas about what it means to be a Christian as it lays out the path we are to walk; a path in the footsteps of Jesus Christ (see 1 Pet. 2:21). This objective dimension will help us avoid a spiritualization of the Christian life – an over-reliance on the internal, subjective understanding that is often attributed to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everything we do and believe must be in agreement with the Word, written and lived, which is our standard.

Bible study will help us understand what it means to fellowship with God. One of the implied results of humanity’s creation was fellowship with God (see Gen. 3:8, 9). This is further evidenced when He takes on human likeness through the incarnation. Scripture connects God’s presence with His truth. The Bible is God’s word, and the incarnation further reveals both who God is and also what His will is. As well, it tells us that Jesus died on the cross to restore that privileged fellowship with God lost through sin. The more time we spend with His Word, the more we get to know Him. In 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Paul shares two values of knowing the Scriptures: 1) we can come to know Jesus Christ and receive His salvation (v. 15); and 2) we can grow spiritually, being equipped for whatever God wants us to do (v. 17).

Yet another reason we should study the Bible is because rightly knowing the Word will keep us from error (see Matt. 22:29). With the current rise in popularity of cults, false teaching, and non-biblical philosophies, it is necessary for the Christian to be grounded in the Scriptures in order to discern error from truth (see Heb. 5:13). The need, however, is not simply gaining insight so that we can refute these different teachings and beliefs, but to increase our knowledge of the self-disclosure of God as a solution to the confusion created by these various teachings.

Bible study should be viewed as a cherished privilege for Christians. Only those who have a relationship with God can fully understand what He has said to His own. Paul writes, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, because they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). It is only when truth is discovered that it can be applied. Preachers and teachers can consistently tell us what we ought to do and even think, but until we have our own personal knowledge of the truth, we will have difficulty owning responsibility to it. May the prayer of the Psalmist be ours: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Ps. 119:18, NIV).

Source: Waid, David. Bible Study-An Important Component in Being a Christian. Retrieved December 17, 2007 from www.logos.com.

Ask:

• Describe your Bible study time. Is it a "cherished privilege" or a dreaded duty?
• What can Christians do to enhance the time we spend reading and studying God's Word? 

Say: Let us read and study God’s Word diligently so we will be convinced of Jesus’ authority and will worship and serve Him as Lord.

Matthew 2:7-8

Read Matthew 2:7-8.

Read the following article to your class:

Federal government tells 85-year-old grandmother not to put an angel on Christmas tree

The Plant City Living Center has told Mrs. Arnold, an 85-year-old grandmother in Florida, that federal law prohibits her from displaying any religious words or items associated with Christmas in the common area of her apartment building. According to the Center, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a directive banning "any religious symbols or religious words associated with Christmas." Under the guidelines issued by HUD, the elderly grandmother cannot place a small Christmas tree outside her door (because that area is a "commons area") if it contains any religious symbols or religious words, even an angel!

If the residents want to have a Christmas party in their Community room, they cannot call it a Christmas party. The Center says HUD directs residents not to use the word "Christmas" but to use the word "Holiday."

A Sunday School class from a church near Mrs. Arnold's apartment comes every year to host a Hanging of the Greens and Christmas Party for all the residents. She said the highlight of their Christmas Party comes at the very end of The Hanging of the Greens when someone places the angel on top of their Christmas tree. Their tradition is now banned by the federal government.

The federal government is becoming increasingly active in banning Christianity from the public square. Earlier, the National Park Service removed the wording "Laus Deo" (Latin for "Praise be to God") from a replica of the cap of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. and the Veterans Administration banned the script of the flag-folding ceremony mentioning "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" at over 100 national cemeteries. Both of these were rescinded after AFA supporters sent emails to proper authorities.

Source: Retrieved December 17, 2007 from www.afa.net. 

Say: We must be willing to take action when we hear of unjust circumstances that occur. American Family Association (AFA) keeps us aware of attacks on religious freedom and gives us opportunities to make our voices heard. Remember, Christians are to mix boldness with godly wisdom as they respond to those who oppose Jesus, the gospel message, or the true focus of the Christmas season.

Ask: What other ways can we be bold and wise when it comes to protecting religious freedom or just taking a stand for the Lord?

Matthew 2:9-12

Read Matthew 2:9-12. 

Ask: How did the wise men worship Jesus?

Read the following sermon excerpt:  

Sharing Christ in All Places, Acts 1

Every Christian who has come to know the forgiveness of sins, who has experienced the grace of God, who has the Holy Spirit living inside of them, should be, can be and is commanded by Christ to be a witness.

The word evangelism is ev-angel-ism, the prefix ev meaning good, and the word angel meaning messenger. So the word literally means good-message-izing.

The word Gospel comes down to us from the Anglo-Saxon godspell, which signifies God’s spell, or God’s Story.

The word witness is a translation of the Greek word MARTUS from which we get our English word martyr—one who witnesses with his or her life. (Robert J. Morgan. Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000.)

This is what it means to be a witness, to simply tell with our lips and with our lives what Jesus has done for you and what He will do for anyone who will put their trust in Him. But many Christians never share; they never tell anyone else about Jesus, many of them cannot.

According to nationwide surveys conducted by the Barna Research Group regarding evangelism:

• 9 out of 10 American adults (86%) cannot accurately define the meaning of the “Great Commission.”
• 7 out of 10 adults have no clue what “John 3:16” means.
• Barely one third of all adults (31%) know the meaning of the expression “the gospel.”

If you were to break it down generationally,

Busters (those between 18–33 years of age) are more likely than any other generation to share their faith with others. Barna’s data show that 66% of Busters shared their faith in the last year, compared to 58% of Boomers (those 34–52 years of age), 52% of Builders (those 53–71), and 41% of Seniors (those 72 years plus) (1999).

Fact of the matter is, according to Barna,

Only about half (53%) of born again Christians feel a sense of responsibility to tell others about their faith. In other words, nearly half of born again Christians do not think that it is their personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs with those who do not know Christ. (1999) (Robert J. Morgan. Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000).

What does the scripture have to say? What did Jesus have to say about our responsibility to evangelize, to witness?

Source: Whitman, Calvin. Sharing Christ in All Places, Acts 1. Retrieved December 17, 2007 from www.lifeway.com.

Say: We live in a world that is quite different from the world in which our grandparents grew up. We operate in fast forward and thrive on materialism. We must decide to make a conscious effort to commit and give our lives and our possessions in ways that benefit the Savior and advance the good news of His salvation both where we live and around the world.

Close with prayer.

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