Do You Trust the Lord's Promises?
Gregory T. Pouncey
Genesis 15:1-6; 16:1-3; 17:1-2,17-19
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.
Trust the Lord's Word (Gen. 15:1-6)
Read the first-hand account from Henry Blackaby
about God’s work in Canada:
As a young man, a teenager, I began to pray that God
would place on the hearts of my denomination a commitment to help bring the
Gospel to my nation, Canada. From the beginning, God assured my heart that
He had heard prayer (not only mine, but others). I continued to pray and
work and prepare my own life for God to use me. Years passed with my heart
consistently crying out to God, for His promise to be fulfilled. A good, but
partial answer came—thirty-two years later. My heart rejoiced. It was an
additional twelve years later when I sat in our national conference and
voted along with the others of my denomination when they finally “included
Canada” as part of God’s assignment for them. It had taken forty-four years
to establish 135 churches and missions. Now we have adopted a goal of
establishing 1,000 new churches and missions at the earliest possible
moment.
This is special to me, for in 1972, one other coworker
and I cried out to God for “1,000 churches in our group in Canada!” I could
have confidence in God through all these years, for the God who fulfilled
His promise to Abram after many, many years would be faithful to complete
His promise to me and to my children.
Source: Blackaby, Henry (1999).
Created to Be God’s Friend, p. 102.
Ask:
Why does God wait so long to answer some prayers?
What can we do to trust in the promises of God’s
Word, even when He seems to be taking a long time to respond to our
concerns?
Read Genesis 15:1-6 and ask:
What promises
did God give Abram?
How did Abram
know he could trust God?
What promises
are you gripping as your faith is tested?
Trust the Lord's Timing (Gen. 16:1-3)
Read the following article excerpt from Christianity Today:
Blessed Are the Barren
The kingdom of God springs forth from the empty womb.
Elizabeth and Zechariah mark the end
of an old covenant, just as they mark the beginning of Luke's gospel. Both
are righteous, walking blamelessly in all the statutes and commands of the
Lord. Elizabeth is a daughter of Aaron, Zechariah a Levite from the Abijah
clan and a priest serving his rotation in the temple. They are pious Jews
and share with many pious Jews before them the same grief: They are barren.
They were barren all their years together and now they are old, too. Age has
put an end to any lingering hope.
How familiar their story is. It was the same with Sarah
and Abraham, with Rachel and Jacob, with Manoah and his wife, with Hannah
and Elkanah, with the Shunammite woman and her husband. Each couple in their
way pleaded with the Lord. A few tried to cheat the raw deal of
childlessness. Sarah cheated with a servant girl; the result was Ishmael,
cruelty, and unabated enmity millennia later. Rachel cheated, too, with the
servant girl Bilhah, but it only exacerbated her grief and Leah's
competitiveness.
The ones after them, maybe, learned the lesson and
stopped cheating. Their reaction to the angel or the prophet bringing news
of a child at last was simple disbelief. Manoah insisted on a repeat
miracle, unwilling to accept his wife's testimony about Samson's eventual
birth. The Shunammite woman begged Elisha not to mock her with his promise.
Hannah just prayed, prayed so hard that Eli thought she was drunk and
Elkanah thought she didn't love him anymore.
Cheat or no cheat, their prayers were answered. Their
dirty tricks and their disbelief were forgiven. A boy was born—always a boy.
With Elizabeth and Zechariah, this string of miracles
ends. It is complete.
Zechariah was no better than his predecessors when faced
with an angel. He doubted like the best of them. Five precedents did nothing
to prepare him for the miracle in his own life. So the judgment on his
disbelief was a mute tongue, and more than that, a son who was not his son,
a son set apart already in the womb, with a name different from his father's
and a belly full of the Holy Spirit. Zechariah should have known better.
When an angel comes and announces the birth of a son—believe!
No one need learn from Zechariah's mistake now. Angels do
not announce impossible births anymore. These miracles are done with. God
has spoken his piece and shown the strength of his arm. John the Baptist
completes the Lord's work of bringing something from nothing in the womb of
a barren wife. God's next miracle after this boy is a greater one, so great
that he gladly permits the surprise and even the modest challenge of the
mother. She is a virgin, not a wife; she is young, not old; she has no
precedent before her. The child will take his flesh from her and yet not be
hers, for he is begotten of the Father and conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit. His name will be Jesus.
Jesus' cousin, John, the last son born to the childless,
prepares the way. He is the prophet of the Most High. But John, whose praise
his father sings, is a son to break your heart. He goes to the desert, eats
locusts and wild honey, wears camel hair, never comes home, angers everyone,
points to the Messiah, decreases, and loses his head to the wicked king.
Elizabeth and Zechariah deliver their long-awaited son to the world, and are
never heard from again. They begin the gospel, and in so doing they end the
old covenant of sons for the barren.
What stigma
resulted from barrenness in Old Testament times?
What stigma do
people place upon those who are barren today?
Why might
God have used so many barren mothers?
Read Genesis 16:1-3 and ask:
What shortcuts
to God’s timing have you been tempted to take in your lifetime?
How have you
made mistakes by taking matters into your own hands?
Why is waiting
on God a better solution than taking matters into your own hands?
Trust the Lord's Wisdom (Gen. 17:1-2,17-19)
Read Genesis 17:1-2,17-19 and ask:
Why did God
reassure Abram of His promises?
What has caused
you to “laugh” at God’s promises?
Read the following article excerpt:
More U.S. women over 40 giving birth, study
finds
EVANSVILLE, Indiana -- At 63, many of Judith Cates'
peers are contemplating retiring to Florida. She's busy attending pizza
parties with her 5-year-old twin daughters and picking up toys. Cates is one
of a growing number of women over 40 to give birth.
A new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention found the number of such women in the United States exceeded
100,000 for the first time in 2003. It also found there were 1,512
first-time mothers between the ages of 45 and 54 last year.
Cates gave birth when she was 57. That's even older
than a New York woman with newborn twins. A 59-year-old Georgia woman is
pregnant with twins and due in December.
As medicine has advanced, so has the ability of older
women to conceive.
Cates and her husband, Carl, 53, concede they have
endured some awkward moments, such as when people have assumed the girls are
their grandchildren. But they wouldn't trade it for the world.
"They keep us laughing with everything they do and
say," Judith Cates said. "If I wasn't so old, we'd try for two more."
Researchers say older parents have some advantages. A
U.S. study of 30,000 households showed that people who had children in their
40s were better off financially, spent more time with their children and had
a closer connection to the children's friends than younger parents, said
Brian Powell, a sociology professor at Indiana University.
"The older you were as a parent, the better off the
child," Powell said.
But others question what happens when older parents
suffer health problems or die. Even some family members have questioned the
Cateses' decision.
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EXTRA! is produced by Publishing
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Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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EXTRA! Weekly Supplemental Teaching Plans
Adult
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life EXTRA
January 27, 2008
Breakthrough in Confidence
Dana Armstrong
Psalm 23:1-6
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 23:1-3
Enlist a volunteer to read Psalm 23:1-3.
Ask:
According to
these verses, what does God promise?
What needs will
God meet according to these verses?
Is it
comforting to know that God is aware of your needs and will meet those
needs? Why?
Say: We experience the love of God and the comfort of knowing
He is our constant companion when we realize He alone restores us to where we
ought to be and guides us so we stay where we ought to be.
Psalm 23:4-5
After reading Psalm 23:4-5, read the following
article:
Prayer Sustained Hamill in Iraq
MACON, Miss. (BP)--Weeks after his escape from enemy hands in Iraq,
Thomas Hamill's memory of God's faithfulness remains vivid: God sustained
him and removed the pain and fear that otherwise had the potential to
overcome him.
Hamill was taken hostage by Iraqi militants when his fuel
convoy was ambushed April 9. He spent 23 days in captivity, enduring surgery
by Iraqis with only local anesthesia on his wounded arm. The truck driver
from Macon, Miss., then escaped May 2 and was rescued by U.S. troops.
"I prayed to Him [God] daily. I never did have any pain with my arm. That
was one thing that amazed me because I prayed He'd ease up as much pain as
He could," Hamill said. "I could stand a lot if I needed to, but I prayed
He'd just do what He could to ease up the pain. The whole time I was there I
never did have any pain with it."
While being held in a confined space, sometimes with shackles on his
hands, Hamill asked God to be a shield around him and to send some angels to
watch over him.
"And that's exactly what He did," Hamill said. "I never was afraid the
whole time I was there. I asked for Him to keep my faith, keep me from being
afraid and just get me through this."
Hamill said he didn't know how long he was going to be held captive, but
he was confident God had a day in the future set aside to let him go free,
whether it was a day, month, or year away.
One day Hamill heard U.S. helicopters flying over the
shack where he was being held, and he believed that might be the day the
Lord had chosen to set him free. He pried open the door and ran out to the
field, waving his shirt. The troops did not see him, and he turned to go
back to the makeshift prison, thinking that must not be how God planned the
escape.
"I kind of felt like when I escaped that first time and had to go put
myself back in the building, I told myself the Lord doesn't want the
soldiers or anyone else to break in and find me," he said. "He wants me and
Him to do this together and me to get out and go to them, and that's exactly
what happened."
Hamill's captors moved him several times after that
incident, and he ended up inside a hut in a remote village about 40 miles
from where he was captured. Soon, he heard the rumble of diesel engines, the
kind driven by U.S. troops. He looked out and saw the humvees moving along
with soldiers on foot. After breaking free, he ran to meet them and was safe
at last.
Psalm 23:4, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I shall fear no evil," is the verse Hamill clung to while captive,
and it calmed his fears.
"I prayed that every day," he said. "I knew I was in a situation where
anyone could be afraid, and for some reason I never was afraid. I knew He
was there with me and I knew He was going to be there to protect me. I
looked back on the Book of Job. He told Satan he could do whatever he wanted
to with [Job] to try to change his faith, but He said he couldn't kill him.
I think that's kind of what my situation was. The devil had me, but He
wasn't going to let him kill me. He got me through this situation and
brought me home."
And though much attention has been given to his story,
Hamill emphasized the importance of continued prayer for those who are still
in harm's way in Iraq.
"We need to be praying. Two of my friends are still missing – Timothy
Bell and William Bradley. And the soldier, Matt Maupin, is still over there.
We haven't heard a thing from them," Hamill said of those who are believed
to be captives. "There are still soldiers dying over there every day and are
being wounded. Pray for all of them."
Hamill also urged prayer for the Iraqi people, that they would come to
understand that Americans are there to make life better for them, not to
harm them.
And maybe one day Hamill will return to Iraq to finish
the work he set out to do. He has said repeatedly he would be willing
to go back because he believes in the calling and stands behind President
Bush's vision for the country. But the decision will be made after
discussions with his family and after he fully recovers.
For now, Hamill is grateful for the lessons he has learned.
"I guess when something like this happens, you have to put it completely
in the Lord's hands. I had no one else. I couldn't plead with these people
that had me because I knew they weren't going to do anything, and I knew
that I couldn't do anything. I knew that it had to be the Lord's will, and
His will was done."
Source: Curry, Erin. Prayer Sustained Hamill in Iraq. Retrieved January 15, 2008 from
www.lifeway.com.
Ask:
How do you
think Hamill felt when his convoy was ambushed and he was taken captive?
What sustained
him in his darkest hour?
If you feel
comfortable, share a time when you found yourself in a dark and painful
time but knew God was with you. What sustained you during your difficult
time?
Say:The dark valley described in verse 4 can sometimes be the
right path God leads us to go down. It is comforting to know God’s hand and His
presence never leave us.
Pslam 23:6
Read Psalm 23:6 and the following sermon excerpt:
Of all the places where radaph appears in the
psalms, perhaps the most ironic and most compelling is in Psalm 23:6. In
this famous passage, the psalmist used the word radaph in an
entirely positive sense, only "goodness and faithful love will pursue me all
the days of my life". Instead of being chased down by his enemies, here
David felt wonderfully hounded by God's love and goodness.
Source: Anderson, Jeff.
Understanding David's Enemies. This is an excerpt from an article that
appears in the winter 2008 issue of
Biblical Illustrator. This article
supports the January 20
Bible Studies for Life lesson,
"Breakthrough in Justice". Biblical Illustrator offers in-depth articles,
vivid images, maps and charts each quarter that create an indispensable
tool for Sunday School teachers.
Say: Regardless of our condition or circumstance, God is with
us. No matter how dark the valley may seem, God is with us. No matter how
hopeless we may think our situation may be, God is with us. Our security is in
the promise that He will never let us go and that His goodness and mercy will
pursue us all the days of our lives.
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.
