"New Family in Christ" Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending May 3, 2009

Purpose: To celebrate all that God has done to make us God's own adopted children

Scripture Text: Ephesians 1:3-14 (NRSV)

Ephesians 1:3-14
(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,(4) just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. (5)He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6)to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (7)In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (8)that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight (9)he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, (10)as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (11)In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, (12)so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. (13)In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; (14)this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

This week's lesson is from the Book of Ephesians, written by Paul, while a prisoner in Rome. In today's bibles the letter is addressed to the church at Ephesus, but the oldest manuscripts are not addressed to anyone in particular, and the book of Ephesians is considered a circuit letter meant to be read by several churches in that area.

The dilemma for Paul is he has two congregations, one is the newly converted Gentiles, and the other is the established Jewish congregations. Paul does not want to see two different churches; he wants one church, one in Christ. He wants the Jews to accept that the Gentiles can become Christians without becoming Jews, and he did not want the Gentiles to be prejudiced against the Jews. This epistle is addressed to the Gentile Christians; Paul had earlier appeased the Jewish element by taking them a generous offering.

Paul sees God as a Great Big Something, in whom there is room for all races, viewpoints and prejudices, and God is able to solve and resolve all of the differences, and bring us all into a relationship with Him. In 3:10 he even hints at other unseen universes. Regardless of what we think, God had an eternal purpose, which was accomplished through Jesus Christ.

Paul had spent three years in Ephesus, but the letter contains no personal greeting as in some of his other letters. In today's text Paul states God's purpose and plan, that includes redemption, adoption, forgiveness, and sealing of a people for God's own possession. This plan had been determined in eternity and was now being brought to completion by the effective exercise of God's will.

The text opens with praise, much as the Lord's Prayer, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The emphasis remains on Jesus through out the book. It is in Christ that God's plan has been revealed and accomplished. In verse four we are told “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love”. It would be a mistake to think God has embarked on some plan to create superhuman beings without flaw or defect. The perfection God has in mind is a perfection of love. When we choose God, through Christ, we fulfill a destiny that was established before the foundations of the world. God chose to redeem mankind, now it is our chance to choose God through Jesus Christ.

In verse five, it says, “He destined us for adoption as his children”, the Greek word rendered “destined” here literally means “foresaw”. God becomes both the granter and guarantor for his plan of redemption. Clearly in God's plan his willing and caring come first, but that does not mean our own actions and willing are irrelevant. Note in verse 12, “we who were first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of His glory”. And later it says, “when you had heard the word of truth,.... and believed in him were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit”. Then the Holy Spirit becomes our “pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people”.

God has gone to great lengths, to provide a means whereby we can become part of His family. God's work is done, now it is up to us to accept our new heavenly Father and His plan which includes the work of Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness that is available through His blood.

I think it is important to remember this letter was written to the redeemed, to the church of Asia, to encourage them to enjoy now, through the person of the Holy Spirit, what they would receive later in eternity, to live blameless before Him in Love. Have you responded to God's love? How? If our adoption is offered but declined, where does that leave us?

"Bringing New Life to Those in Need" Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending April 26, 2009

Purpose: To offer assurance that through the life and witness of the church, we can extend Christ's power and presence in times of need.

Scripture Text: Acts 9:32-43 (NRSV)

Acts 9:32-43
(32) Now as Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda. (33)There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralysed. (34)Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!’ And immediately he got up. (35)And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

(36) Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. (37)At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. (38)Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ (39)So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. (40)Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. (41)He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. (42)This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. (43)Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

As I look at this text from Acts, I am struck by a couple of things, first, God's will is not always done on earth, second, that is why it is so important they we communicate with God about our needs and desires. It appears to me, God responds to our prayers when His response is in agreement with His will.

Last week we talked about the writings of Luke (The Gospel of Luke and the Act's of the Apostles). The Gospel of Luke points us towards Jerusalem and the Book of Acts points us outward from Jerusalem. We can further divide the Book of Acts into those things that went on in Judea and Samaria and then all the way to Rome. It can also be divided into the ministry of Peter (1-12) and the ministry of Paul (13-28).

Our text takes place in the Judean and Samaritan time frame, as Peter was visiting the early Christians in the area away from Jerusalem. The healing of Aeneas is very similar to the healing of the paralytic found in Luke 5:17-26. It is easy to make the case that this miracle was an important part of spreading the good news in this area outside of Jerusalem, and we know it is God's will “that all should be saved”. However we may miss the importance of Peter's prayer, “Jesus Christ heals you”. I do not think it was because of God’s will that Aeneas was paralyzed, and because of that fact God was willing to answer Peter's prayer for Aeneas's healing. It would serve to glorify God in several ways, the obvious way and in the strengthening of Peter's faith, for even greater acts. It is important to note Peter did not heal, Jesus Christ was the healer.

With the spreading of the news about Aeneas throughout the area it is no wonder help was sought when in the neighboring town of Joppa the Christian community was going through a trial of its own. It had lost a disciple named Dorcas,(in Greek) or Tabitha (in Aramaic or Hebrew). Dorcas is the only woman identified as a “disciple” in the Book of Acts. Dorcas seemed to have been a very diligent and gifted disciple and was especially loved by the widows of Joppa. We do not know the circumstance of her death. It did not have to be God's will that she die, but it was certainly His will that she be called back from the dead by Peter, but without Peter's prayer it would not have happened.

Where does prayer stand, in your witness? In your church's witness? Prayer is a powerful tool that we have been given; our responsibility is to use it wisely. It is not to be used like a magic wand, but it is to be used to communicate to the Father our concerns and our needs and the needs of others. We are taught to pray “thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”. I believe God's will is done in heaven, I pray that it will also be done on earth, but I need to ask Him to do that, and if I don't ask, I will never know what His will is.

"Witnesses to New Life" Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending April 19, 2009

Purpose: To demonstrate that despite our fears, the risen Christ empowers us to worship and witness.

Scripture Text: Luke 24:44-53 (NRSV)

Background: Luke 24:36-53

Luke 24:44-53
(44) Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ (45)Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, (46)and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, (47)and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.(48)You are witnesses of these things. (49)And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’

(50) Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. (51)While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. (52)And they worshiped him, an returned to Jerusalem with great joy; (53)and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

The Gospel of Luke, written by the “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14) is also the only Gospel written by a gentile. The fact that Luke was a physician might play a part in his fascination with Jesus eating broiled fish and honey after the resurrection. (Vs 42-43)

The overall theme of Luke is “Christ, the Son of Man” and many of the events in this book demonstrate Christ's humanity. Luke's writings also include the Book of Acts of the Apostles, so the Gospel of Luke, is the first part of a continuing story. The Gospel of Luke is constantly pointing us to Jerusalem and the cross, while the Book of Acts, starts in Jerusalem and extends to “the ends of the earth”, which Christ commands in Acts 1:8:“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. Today's lesson is simply preparing the disciples to do the work of witnessing to “the ends of the earth”.

Jesus is going to teach in just a short period of time, some 40 days, everything He had tried to teach them the three years prior, but they were unwilling to learn.

When I was younger I took flying lessons, and as long as the instructor was with me, in the right hand seat, I was very comfortable, no matter what the circumstance, because I knew he did not want to die prematurely, but when the day came and he climbed out and he told me to go do three “solo landings” and “take offs”, I suddenly wished I would have paid more attention to what he was telling me for the previous six weeks or so. The same was true with the disciples; they all of a sudden realized they were going to have to fly solo. It was them that would be responsible for spreading the good news around the world.

After I had achieved the ability to fly by myself, then I was certified to carry passengers with me, and some forty hours of flying time later, I began working on an instrument rating. I can relate that to what the disciples went through, the intense learning, and learning to trust someone else, a higher force, than what I was able to do with my own vision. Eventually I became able to not only fly solo, I was able to do it when I could not see the ground or other aircraft, I had learned to depend on someone who had the big picture, someone that knew where every airport was and who also knew where every airplane was in the sky. Of course I had to check in with them every time I wanted to fly, and they would give me the clearance to proceed to my destination.

Like the disciples, I had to learn a lot and I had to have my mind opened to understanding the Instrument Flight Rules. It was an intense learning time and I studied harder than I had ever studied and the final exam was the hardest I had ever taken, but the whole world was opened to me, I could literally fly anywhere i wanted to go and just about anytime I wanted to go, as long as I was in touch with the “controller”.

I think that is exactly where these eleven or so disciples were, they were told to wait until they received their clearance from on high, and then they were to go into the entire world preaching the gospel, but always staying in touch with the “controller”.

I must confess there were times when I would start out on my own, trusting my own sight, but if I found myself unable to see the way, I could immediately call the controller and tell him my situation and where I wanted to go, if the air traffic and weather were no problem, he would then direct me to my destination, if I obeyed his commands and did exactly as he said.

Who do you trust, are you flying by sight? Or are you willing to trust the Controller? God does not want to be our co-pilot; He wants to be the Controller

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"Resurrected Unto New Life" Easter Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending April 12, 2009

Purpose: To celebrate Christ's resurrection and the new life it makes possible.

Scripture Text: Luke 24:1-12 (NRSV)

Luke 24:1-12
(1)But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. (2)They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in, they did not find the body. (4)While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. (5)The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. (6)Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, (7)that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ (8)Then they remembered his words, (9)and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. (10)Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. (11)But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. (12)But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

The events of Friday came to sudden end, after Jesus groaned His last breath, and gave up the ghost. His body was given to Joseph of Arimathea for burial in Joseph's tomb. Because of the Sabbath beginning at sunset there was not sufficient time to prepare the body of Jesus properly, for burial. I think it was evidence of God's grace that the suffering was over so soon and that the body was removed from the cross. Under normal conditions the body would have been left to hang, while the wild animals and birds of prey would feast on the remains. God provided Joseph of Arimathea to claim the body and remove it from the cross.

Our lesson begins with the women returning to the grave sight to better prepare the body of Jesus for internment. These women were an important part of Jesus ministry, Mary Magdalene was not the prostitute everyone believes her to be but rather a business women whom Jesus had cast out demons. In Luke 8:3 it says “they provided for Him out of their resources”. In Luke 8:1-3 we learn of two other women Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Sussana. These Three women plus Mary the mother of James and others went to the tomb on Sunday morning to give a proper burial for Jesus.

As we have noted in earlier lessons Luke uses the women to discover the empty tomb and to share this news with the eleven. Because a woman's testimony had no legal standing, what they said they saw was treated rather indifferently (idle tale) by the eleven, with the exception of Peter. The greatest event in the history of the world was ignored because of the sexist small-mindedness of eleven men.

Even now, the United Nations Development Fund for Women recently released a report that accuses Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai of fast-tracking an anti-woman's rights law. The “Shia Family Law,” while not available for public review yet, is reported to forbid wives from leaving their home without permission from their husbands, to grant custody of children only to fathers and grandfathers, and to require women to meet their husband's sexual demands. How far have we come in the last 2000 years?

The women of Luke received a special blessing because they knew what they saw, after Peter makes his own inspection he too is “amazed at what had happened”.

The Gospels tell the story of the resurrection from differing view points, but the story remains the same, Christ is risen. In modern day events, it is like the Kennedy assassination, Kennedy is dead, but there are those who still dispute how it happened and who was responsible. The women knew the truth, and Peter believed when he saw the empty tomb, the others only believed when Jesus appears to them. Still others only believed when they see the nail scars in the hands and the sword wound in the side. What does it take for you to believe? Do you believe the witness of five or six women? What evidence do you need? Does a changed life make it believable?

"Suffering Unto Death" Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending April 5, 2009

Purpose: To discover through Jesus' suffering and death what true victory is.

Scripture Text: Luke 23:32-46(NRSV)

Luke 23:32-46
(32) Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. (33)When they came to the place that is called The Skull,they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. (34)Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’And they cast lots to divide his clothing.(35)And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’

(36)The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, (37)and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ (38)There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’(39)One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ (40)But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? (41)And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ (42)Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ (43)He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

(44) It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, (45)while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. (46)Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

Our lesson from Luke describes the events that took place on that Good Friday almost 2000 years ago. The prophet Isaiah had written about 600 years earlier (Isaiah 53:8-9) “By a perversion of justice He was taken away. Who could imagine his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living...... They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich”.

It is important to point out that Jesus was not murdered; he was a willing participant in this charade. Jesus had on several occasions escaped from those that would do Him harm, and if He would have chosen to so, He could have escaped again. He knew the reason God had sent Him to earth and decided by His own will, that this would be the time for God's plan to be executed, not the execution of Jesus. Imagine the jubilation in the devils camp, for they knew who Jesus was. Jesus would be executed by the Roman government, at the request of the Jewish leadership.Those that were crucified with Christ are often referred to as thieves, but Rome did not execute thieves, more likely they were followers of Barabbas, the criminal that was released, or other Zealots that were threatening to overthrow the Roman rule in Palestine.

It appears from Luke's account that everybody knew this whole trial and execution was a sham, even Pilate could find no fault. The very thing that Jesus was accused of by the mob, and the plaque placed over His head, and meant to mock Him, was in fact true, Jesus was the “King of the Jews”. And He was the Son of God.

Jesus continued to rule even from the cross, when he said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”. He showed His power to forgive, and became the victor not the victim. Jesus died willingly, and He also granted one of the others, that were also being crucified, salvation, Jesus was in control of heaven and earth even as the mob of Jewish leaders and Satan thought they had won.

The power of the resurrection is an awesome power that we can tap into in our own lives. Saturday Satan thinks he has finally defeated God, and I can imagine he gathered his entire band of fallen angels and declared he had won the victory. He had been thrown out of heaven, and Jesus says in Luke 10:18 “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lighting”. Satan wanted to be God or at least His Son. Now he thought he had won the greatest of all battles he had seen the Son of God die. All of Satan's strength would focus on one thing, keeping Jesus dead and buried.

What a difference a day makes, come Sunday morning and an empty tomb and Satan victory turns into defeat. Because Christ lives we know Satan can be defeated, we too have the power of the resurrection in us through Jesus. What wonderful power is available to all of us, the power of the resurrection.

How can we use the power of the resurrection in our own lives? Why is it important that Jesus went willingly to the cross? What three things did Jesus do while on the cross that proves His sovereignty?