Sunday School Lesson: A Promise You Can Trust

Purpose: To grasp the ways that God’s covenant blesses us by replacing human presumption with divine promise.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7

How do you define promise?

The word promise has different meanings in different situations. In nearly all definitions, promise is something not yet realized. A promising young athlete is one in whom there is obvious potential. One who will become stronger or faster or more skilled in the future. A promising musician is one who shows skill but whose skill is expected to increase and grow and mature.

When we marry we promise to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward.

The promise is not yet realized. It is for the future.

When we make loans, we sign a promissory note. We promise to pay back the loan, plus interest, at some point in the future.

When I tell this class that I will teach on the second Sunday of every month, I am promising a future action. Until 10 AM on the second Sunday the promise is unfulfilled.

What ultimately determines the value of a promise?

The fulfillment of a promise is the ultimate determinant of the value of the promise. But what about during the interim? Prior to its fulfillment what determines the value of a promise?

Promises are only as good as the one who makes them. When I forgot that the second Sunday fell during my vacation and failed to secure someone to provide the lesson in my place, my promise became worthless. So what value do you place on my promise to be here to teach you on the second Sunday next month? Probably not as much as you did before last week.

There are three components to our definitions of promise:

1. Potential. A promising athlete or musician demonstrates potential success or even stardom. A signature on a loan note demonstrates a potential payback for the loan institution. An "I do" to a spouse shows a potential life of support and happiness.

2. Obligation. When a promise is made, there is a certain obligation involved in the fulfillment of the promise. How many promising athletes or musicians fail to meet their potential because they fail to meet their obligation to train and practice and study? How many marriage vows are tossed away because one or both parties fail to meet the obligations of being a good husband or wife? How many loans are defaulted because the person who signed the note failed make the obligatory payments?

3. Expectation. All promises contain an element of expectation. We expect those with a promising talent to pursue that talent. We expect our spouse to have and hold, love and cherish, even when times are hard. We expect a person who signs a loan to pay it back. Our children expect us to follow through when we say that we will do certain things. How often we hear the plaintive cry, "But you promised!"

A promise is only as good as the one who makes it. Nothing is so disheartening as a broken promise. Today’s scripture lesson contains a promise that God made to David. Our human notions and components of promise are not adequate when we speak of the promises of God.

What are the differences between a human promise and God’s promises?

God’s promises are much more than potential. God’s promises are an assurance of what will surely and certainly come to pass. God always keeps His promises.

God’s promises are not simple obligations. God’s promises are an indicator of God’s commitment.

God’s promises are far beyond our expectations. God’s promises are declarations of God’s intentions.

God’s promises to David not only blessed David and his descendants, but hold promise for all Christians. Bible scholar Walter Brueggamann has said of today’s passage, "...this is one of the most crucial texts in the Old Testament for evangelical faith." The New Interpreter’s Bible says, "This chapter is the most important theological text in the books of Samuel and perhaps in the entire Deuteronomic History."

Background to today’s lesson:

In previous lessons, we learned of Israel’s loose tribal confederation under the leadership of judges. This confederation proved inadequate in face of the superior forces and technology of the Philistines. The Philistines were ruled by kings and boasted a powerful military with advanced weapons of iron.

The Israeli conflict with the Philistines was an on-again, off-again struggle from the first days that the Israelites entered the Promised Land. The people of Israel became so discouraged at repeated conflicts and defeats at the hands of the Philistines that they demanded the last judge, Samuel, to give them a king "like other nations." Samuel did not support the people and assured them that God would not be very happy at their lack of faith. Despite Samuel’s doubts, the people were convinced that if they were to secure a defeat of the Philistines that they must be "like other nations" and have a king. The first problem was that having a king was not the only way that the people followed in the way of the other nations. The Israelites repeatedly slipped into the idolatrous beliefs of the surrounding kingdoms. The second problem was the first king, Saul, himself. Saul was chosen by God and anointed by Samuel, but was not given absolute authority to do whatever he pleased. He was to lead the people, but was still called to abide by all the laws of the covenant God had made with Moses and the people. Saul did not live up to the responsibility of making Israel into a godly kingdom. Eventually God rejected Saul. While Saul was still reigning, God had Samuel anoint a successor.

What characteristics did God see in David that qualified David to be king?

David was a courageous military leader, who was largely responsible for the defeat of the Philistines. David served in the military under Saul and was so successful that Saul became jealous. David was a talented musician. It was his musical ability that caused Saul to recruit him. David was the author of many of the Psalms.

The most important quality that God saw in David was his faith.

1Sa 13:14 ESV
(14) .......The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people............

A man that would fulfill all the desires of God’s heart, not oppose them as Saul did.

David was not perfect. David was a sinful man as was Saul. The difference between David and Saul was their response. Saul responded like most of us with arrogance, stubbornness, and rationalizing. David when confronted with his sins, came to God in humility and repentance. When convicted in his heart for his deplorable actions with Bathsheeba and Uriah, David cried out to God for forgiveness and in repentance with Psalm 51 which contains one of my favorite verses:

Psa 51:10 ESV
(10) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

What characteristics that made David a good king do we still look for in political leaders today?

Do we very often find those characteristics in today’s political leaders?

At the time of today’s scripture passage David had consolidated his kingdom to include Israel and Judah with Jerusalem as their capital. The ark of the covenant had been recovered from the Philistines and moved to Jerusalem. A fabulous cedar palace had been constructed for David.

As David considered the contrast of his palace and the tent which housed the ark, he called on Nathan the prophet to speak to God for permission to construct a temple that would permanently house the ark of God. David wanted to provide God with a royal house where the people could come and worship. The idea of building a temple sounded so good to Nathan that, without further consultation, he gave his blessing to David’s idea.

Do things sometimes feel so right that we do not feel the need to stop and pray about them?

That’s the way it was with David and Nathan. That very night God came to Nathan and offered His opinion of the proposed building project.

2Sa 7:5-7 ESV
(5) "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?
(6) I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.
(7) In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"'

David and Nathan may have thought that building a temple to house the ark was a good idea, but God had other ideas.

2Sa 7:8-9 ESV
(8) Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.
(9) And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. .....

God here reminded David of all that He had done, that David was king only because God had made him king. In fact, God had been guiding David since he was a young shepherd. God’s point was to the point: David’s success was due to God’s guidance, not to the ideas that David had dreamed up.

2Sa 7:9-17 ESV
(9) ... And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
(10) And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
(11) from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.
(12) When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
(13) He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
(14) I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,
(15) but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
(16) And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'"
(17) In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

Here God reveals His plans for David. What promises does God make to David?

What conditions are there to these promises?

How many of these promises have already become a reality?

This is one of the great examples of the Old Testament reflecting the major theme of the New Testament: unconditional grace. The free promise of the good news available to all.

Does God’s promises to David relieve him from the moral demands of God’s Law?

The passage explicitly states that when discipline is necessary, it will be given.

Does the gospel promise relieve us from the moral demands of the Law?

I previously cited quotes concerning this passage from Walter Brueggemann and from the New Interpreter’s Bible.

Why do you think Brueggemann called this text "one of the most crucial texts in the Old Testament for evangelical faith" and why did the New Interpreter’s Bible declare this passage "the most important theological text in the books of Samuel and perhaps in the entire Deuteronomic History"?

This covenant with David contains no "ifs". The Mosaic covenant contained "ifs". "If" you keep my laws you will be my people. The Davidic covenant is unconditional. This unconditional grace is the basis of Christian belief. Theologians regard this grace as the example of how God always deals with us. This text and the New Testament tell us about the amazing unconditional grace of God. This passage and the New Testament also tell us that this covenant does not in any way nullify the moral laws of the Mosaic covenant.

The Davidic covenant also played the key role in the creation of the messianic hope of the Jews and the Christian understanding that Jesus is that Messiah. Historically the Davidic dynasty ended in 586 BC when Jerusalem was conquered, the temple destroyed and the people of Judah taken away by the Babylonians. Because of the unconditional nature of this promise, the prophets encouraged the people to expect that God would restore them through a descendant of David.

In what ways do we connect Jesus with David?

The messianic hope of the Jewish people was that a human agent of Davidic descent would be God’s "annointed one". The messiah would not represent the end of the world but would save God’s people within the course of history. The early Christians saw the fulfillment of this divine promise in Jesus. Christ is Greek for "messiah". Jesus announced the coming kingdom of God, which would bring about a transformation of human history.

What kind of "house" did God promise He would make for David?

In a clever play on words, God says that He will not allow David to build Him a house but that He would build David a house, referring to a dynasty.

2Sa 7:11-14 ESV
(11)...the LORD will make you a house.
(12) When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
(13) He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
(14) I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. ...

Has God’s promise of an everlasting kingdom been fulfilled?

Absolutley.

Sunday School Lesson: Seeking Deliverance

Purpose: To recognize that although humankind is unfaithful to God’s covenant, God remains faithful to us.

Scripture: Judges 2:10-23

Tell me what you think:

Why do bad things happen to bad people?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

This weeks study is from the Book of Judges. During the life of Joshua, the Israelites had experienced great (although not complete) success in their takeover of the land of Canaan. In Joshua, the Israelites had a strong charismatic leader who kept the people focused on their goal and their God.

Following Joshua’s death, the Israelites suffered a 300 year period of cyclical successes and failures.

The New Interpreter’s Bible begins its introduction to the Book of Judges with this passage:
"The book of Judges is one of the most exciting, colorful, and disturbing books of the Bible. It combines stories of political intrigue and assassination, lies and deception, rape and murder, courage and fear, great faith and idolatry, power and greed, sex and suicide, love and death, military victory and civil war."

That sounds like prime time tv doesn’t it?

Judges tells of the chaotic period following the competent leadership of Moses and Joshua up to the time of the monarchs. This was a time when the Israelite tribes were just a loose confederation with no centralized leadership. The great leadership that the people had enjoyed under Moses and Joshua was replaced by relatively ineffectual localized tribal judges.

The name Judges and the title of "judge" as used in this book can be misleading. The meaning of "judge" in the Old Testament is not the same as our contemporary meaning. The judges were neither kings nor prophets nor "judges" in the judicial sense. The judges were men (and one woman) who were raised up by God to lead His people through a specific trial or time of crisis. The title of "judge" refers more to a political or military leader than to a spiritual or judicial leader.

The time of the judges is best summarized by the final verse of the Book of Judges:

Jdg 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

The 300 year period of the judges was cyclical. The cycle usually followed this pattern:

1. The Israelites would fall into sin, usually worshiping the gods of the surrounding peoples.

2. The Israelites would end up in bondage, oppression, or servitude to the surrounding peoples as punishment for and consequence of their sin.

3. The Israelites would beg God for forgiveness and deliverance.

4. God would raise up a deliverer or judge to rescue His people.

This cycle begins with today’s scripture passage and repeats throughout the Book of Judges.

Jdg 2:10 ESV
(10b) ... And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.

One of our greatest responsibilities is to pass on our faith to the next generations. This is also one of our most difficult responsibilities. Without the strong uniting leadership of a Joshua or a Moses the Israelites slipped into the belief systems of the people in the world around them.

When people get to the state of "doing what is right in their own eyes" they have taken their eyes away from the One who defines all that is right.

Can you see any parallels between this time in Israel’s history and our present?

What false gods do you see our generation chasing after?

Are we making God angry?

Is it fair to say that we are all idolaters at some level?

One of the greatest parallels is that we live in a world filled with people who would love for us to deny our faith and follow their gods. The god of this world is the god of self. "Whatever feels good, do it." "There is no absolute truth, no absolute right or wrong." "The ends justify the means." "The Bible is a nice history, but has little relevance for me." "Jesus was a great teacher of morals, but not the Son of God." The list could go on and on.

We Christians, like these early Israelites, are very prone to adapt the lifestyles and practices of the culture around us. We tend to buy into whatever is popular or whatever sounds reasonable, regardless of whether what we buy into reflects the image of Christ or that of the enemy.

Our challenge is to remain faithful regardless the temptations that face us.

How good a job of passing our faith to the next generation do you think we are doing?

What are we doing right?

What are we doing wrong?

How could we do a better job of passing our faith on to the next generation?

The more genuinely we practice our faith, the more likely our children will recognize its value and truth and adopt it as their own. If our children see in us a tendency to treat church as a social club, they will recognize that our faith does nothing to change us and will be less likely to commit themselves to it. Faith that does not change us is no different than no faith at all.

Jdg 2:16-23 ESV
(16) Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
(17) Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so.
(18) Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.
(19) But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.
(20) So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he said, "Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice,
(21) I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died,
(22) in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not."
(23) So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

What is the relationship between our moral behavior and the circumstances in which we find ourselves?

Bad behavior very often brings bad results in our lives.

Do bad things happen only to bad people?

We can all cite many examples where good things happen to bad people and dreadful things happen to faithful Christians.

From Adult Bible Studies:

"God did not so much actively punish the people of Israel, as God allowed the truth to be revealed. God did not raise a hand against them; God simply withdrew his protection" from them.

What is the difference between God actively punishing Israel and God simply withdrawing His protection?

Are there times that we use the same tactics on our children? Do we in certain circumstances actively punish wrongdoing and in other circumstances allow our children to "learn from their mistakes"?

How did God show mercy toward Israel even when the people were being unfaithful?

He gave them judges.

Does the cycle continue? Have there been examples in all times of falling into sin and bondage, followed by prayer and repentance, and concluded with rescue?

Where is our society right now in the cycle?

Repentance begins with a change in heart and attitude. Following a change in heart and attitude, what specific steps of repentance can individuals, churches, or even nations take to seek God’s mercy?

Do the steps of repentance change from generation to generations and if so how?

What can we do to help our children’s generation and following generations avoid the cycle of idolatry and repentance?

What can happen to the Body of Christ if we neglect our duty to the coming generations?

It has been said that the Church is always one generation away from extinction.

What does it take to build and maintain faith?

Jdg 2:7 ESV
(7) And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel.

Why do you think that Israel was faithful only as long as someone like Joshua was around?

What is important about the influence and responsibility that Christian leaders have in the church?

As long as there were people among them who could testify to the amazing things that God had done in liberating them from Egypt, the people kept their faith. But then came a drastic change:

Jdg 2:10-12 ESV
(10) And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.
(11) And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
(12) And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger.

What happened?

Complete the following statements:

1. If they did not know the Lord, the blame must certainly lie with.........

2. If they did not know what God had done for Israel, then __________ had not done what they needed to do.

3. Choosing false gods above the true God was a sure sign that..........

Does it take seeing "great things" to develop and maintain faith?

If so, what type of "great things" does it take?

What are the "great things" that God has done for Christians?

How well are we communicating those things to the next generation?


The Bible is an account of God’s continual pursuit of His lost children. The Bible is also an account of his children’s continual flight from Him in search of their own personal gods. Idolatry was not confined to Old Testament times. We probably witness (and practice) more idolatry than any generation in history. We worship sports and entertainment. We openly embrace all technology and materialism. We continually search for the "next great thing". The Bible tells us that such vain pursuits are all idolatry.

What are the results of idolatry?

1. God is angered.

2. God withdraws His protection.

Where do we look for help when we need deliverance from our desperate situations?

How would you describe the battle that Christians are in today?

How can a Christian’s response to bad experiences be different than that of non-Christians?

Why do you think the presence of evil in the world keeps some people from embracing Christianity?

What role did peer pressure play to Israel?

What role does peer pressure play in our lives and in the way we live our faith?

What does this story tell us about why bad things happen to believers?

What can we learn from this story about the importance of remembering the good things that God has done for us?

How can we say thank you for the compassion that God has shown us?

What can we do this week to encourage a leader in the church?

Sunday School Lesson: Being Mutually Responsible

Purpose: To explore the making of the Mosaic covenant to help us understand our responsibility in God’s covenant with us.

Scripture: Exodus 19:1-6, 24:3-8

Think of some examples of limitations that certain institutions have on our lives.

There are many:

We have traffic laws that limit how fast we drive, which lanes we can drive in, where we can enter onto or exit from the road, etc. These laws place certain limitations on how we behave while driving.

We have local, state, and federal agencies that are charged with financing our governmental programs. These agencies collect taxes from our income, on our property, and on items that we buy and sell. These agencies place certain limitations on our finances.

Our jobs place limitations on our time and energies.

What effect does these limitations have on us?

The limitations set boundaries.

What are the potential problems when we ignore the boundaries?

What are some boundaries that God places on our lives? And, why?

Exo 19:1-6 ESV
(1) On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
(2) They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain,
(3) while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:
(4) You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
(5) Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
(6) and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."

On the third new moon (50 days) after the Passover, the people of Israel came to Mount Sinai. At Mt. Sinai the people received further revelation of the covenant that God had made with Abraham and promised to his descendants. The Feast of Pentecost was and is celebrated 50 days after Passover in remembrance of this great day at Mt. Sinai.

What was promised to the people of Israel by God?

What boundaries did God place on this promised covenant?

God made several promises to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai. He promised them that they would be His "treasured possession among all peoples".

Did God tell the Israelites that they alone were the people of God?

God told the Israelites that they would become "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation".

Were the promises made unconditionally?

The key word in the passage is in verse 5. That key word is "if".

IF "you obey my voice and keep my covenant". If and only if. They Israelites would not become a holy nation if they did not obey God and keep His covenant. The Israelites would not remain a holy nation if they did not continue to obey God and keep His covenant.

Scripture is filled with the conditional word "if". The major function of prophets is to warn us about the "ifs". In what ways do people sometimes bypass the "ifs" of God’s word? Why?

What are the results of ignoring the "ifs"?

The Book of Exodus relates the dramatic way in which God delivered the Israelite people from bondage. Were the people of Israel freed from Egypt so that they could go and do as they pleased?

The purpose of the deliverance from Egypt was not simply so that the people of Israel could be freed from a dire situation. The people of Israel were freed for a purpose. God did not simply say to Pharoah, "Let my people go." God said, "Let my people go so that they may worship me..." Once safely out of Egypt, the Hebrew people were never free to do as they pleased. Both the purpose and the goal of their freedom was so that they may worship God.

What does it mean to be God’s chosen people?

This lesson and the lesson from last Sunday are clear in their statements that God chose the Hebrews out of all the people of the earth. God’s choice of the Hebrew people was a foundational part of their self-understanding as a people. For the Hebrews it was important to understand what they had been chosen for, not why they as a people had been chosen. They knew that they had not been selected because of any particular piety. The law was not given to them until after they were chosen. They were no better than any other people. There is no indication that God did not love other peoples also. Just because the Israelites were considered a "treasured possession" does not make other peoples any less a possession of God. Verse 5 could be restated: "Because all the earth is mine, you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Were they called to the priesthood only to minister to the other priests(i.e. the nation of Israel)?

The world was the congregation of the Hebrew people. The Hebrews were called to show God to all the world.

God does not love only the priest who serves a congregation. God loves the entire congregation and demonstrates that love by providing a priest for them. God did not and does not love only his kingdom of priests but through them is showing faithful love to all of creation.

All the earth and all its peoples belong to God. God elected a nation of people to serve as His instrument in the world. Israel was not chosen for its own benefit and blessing, but in order to bring the benefit and blessing of salvation to all people. Through Israel God reached out to all humankind. Israel would be the bridge between God and all other peoples.

What was the Hebrews responsibility to the covenant?

To obey and keep the covenant, to remain holy.

What parallel to this covenant relates to us as Christians?

1Pe 2:9 ESV
(9) But you (all Christians) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We as Christians are also freed for the same purposes that the Hebrews were. We are the next royal priesthood. It is now our responsibility to reach out to all humankind. We are now the bridge.

In what ways do you exercise your role as priest?

This lesson from the story of the Hebrews tells of a covenant that is filled with grace. We tend to think of the Old Testament covenants as legalistic and the New Testament covenants as examples of grace. In my opinion, this is a misconception. We tend to believe that if people in Old Testament times wanted to be acceptable before God, they had to obey the Law.

Is this the belief of the modern church, that people in the Old Testament were saved by observing the Law but that we are saved by grace?

In "Adult Bible Studies" the author makes a statement: "We (Christians) do not live holy lives in order to be saved. Rather, having already been saved by God’s grace through faith, it finally becomes possible for us to live holy lives." What does this statement say about Christian’s relationship with God through our covenant?

What does it say about the Hebrews relationship with God?

Did God save the Israelites because they obeyed the law?

We can never be good enough to earn our salvation. We do, however cooperate with God in our salvation. Salvation is entirely (and always has been) a matter of grace, but we still must receive God’s grace. We must respond to God’s grace. Thus, we say we are saved by grace through faith. Sanctification (being a holy person of God) follows justification. It does not precede it and never has. Holiness is not something that we can accomplish. Holiness is a work of God.

What do you think it means that the Israelites were called to be a "priestly kingdom and a holy nation?

What do you think it means that Peter calls all Christians to be a "royal priesthood, a holy nation"?

The passage from 1 Peter is the basis for the theological principal known as the "Priesthood of all believers."

When you hear the phrase "Priesthood of all believers" what do you think?

Do you think that it applies to you?

This "Priesthood of All Believers" asserts that God calls every Christian into ministry. Our ministry is the same as that of the people of Moses. We are to make God visible in the world to folks that would otherwise never see Him.

The covenant given at Mt. Sinai spells out laws of behavior that Israel must keep in order to be God’s cherished people, the kingdom of priests. We as Christians are also called to behave in ways that often set us apart and make us seem strange or different. The New Covenant requires that we die to our old way of life and live in a way that honors Christ.

Do you think that there are many people who want the benefits of the covenant, but do not desire to fulfill their covenantal obligations?

Exo 24:3-8 ESV
(3) Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do."
(4) And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
(5) And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD.
(6) And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar.
(7) Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient."
(8) And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."

What was the people's response to the covenant offered them by God?

"All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do."

What do you think would be the result if the people had not obeyed and kept the covenant?

What are the similarities between the covenant God made with the Hebrew people at Mt. Sinai and the baptismal vows we take in the United Methodist Church?

"Will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church and uphold it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service?"

Just as Moses told the people what God expected of them and the people responded with pledges of obedience, so our baptismal and membership vows clarify expectations and the entire faith community is expected to respond with pledges of obedience.

What will be the result if we do not obey our vows and keep the covenant?

Sunday School Lesson: Trusting Promises

Purpose: To use Abraham’s experience to explore the covenantal relationship between God’s promises and our faithfulness.

Scripture: Genesis 17:1-22

When you think of covenant, what comes to mind?

Do you think of covenant as a type of contract or agreement where two parties agree to certain stipulations?

What happens if one party of the covenant agreement does not fulfill his part of the agreement?

Covenant in the Bible comes from the Hebrew word b’rith, which when translated into Latin was testamentum and became the English word testament. The two major divisions of our Bible, the
Old Testament and the New Testament could also be called the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. What are the major differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant?

The Old Testament is commonly portrayed as a legalistic approach to religion and faith. The New Testament is thought to teach that through Jesus the world is offered a new theology portrayed by grace and mercy. But are the two covenants really that different?

Did Jesus eliminate the moral laws of the Old Covenant?

Did Jesus’ offer of grace eliminate obedience and discipleship?

Was God’s covenant with Abraham offered without conditions?

Is Jesus’ offer of grace offered without conditions?

What are the conditions of the two Covenants?

The condition is faith.

Let’s read:

Gen 17:1-8 ESV
(1) When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
(2) that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly."
(3) Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,
(4) "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
(5) No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
(6) I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
(7) And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
(8) And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."

What did God promise Abraham?

God promised that the descendants of Abraham would not become a nation, but would become a "multitude of nations". Abraham would not be the ancestor of a king, but the ancestor of kings.

What were the conditions of God’s promise to Abraham?

Many Christians are of the opinion that God’s covenant with Abraham is unconditional. Some also understand God’s covenant of grace through Jesus Christ in this way. Yet, read carefully and see that God’s covenants come with some requirements.

The first condition is in verse 1: to walk before God and be blameless (perfect).

The second condition is that all the males of Abraham’s family were to be circumcised.

Gen 17:9-10 ESV
(9) And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
(10) This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

There were requirements of the covenant from Abraham’s side and certain responses that God expected Abraham to make. God’s offer to Abraham was a great act of grace on God’s part. God approached Abraham with the offer of covenant. The covenant and it’s promises were God’s idea, not Abraham’s.

Do you think Abraham’s faith was a response to God’s covenant of grace, or was God’s covenant a response to Abraham’s faithfulness?

Or, did God "know" before offering to covenant with Abraham that Abraham would respond in faith?

Abraham had demonstrated great faith long before God’s offer of covenant. God told Abraham to go and Abraham went. Throughout the story of Abraham, over and over, the faithfulness of Abraham is emphasized. Abraham many times responded to God’s initiative with obedience.

Is grace only offered to those persons whom God "knows" will accept it?

If that were true, then can’t we conclude that we are able to somehow earn or merit grace by what we do?

Eph 2:8 ESV
(8) For by grace you have been saved through faith...

Which comes first: God’s grace or our faith?
The rest of the verse:

Eph 2:8 ESV
(8) ..... And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Salvation is always a matter of God’s initiative and our response. For those of us who base our beliefs on Wesleyan teachings, God’s grace is always "prevenient"(prior) to our faith. God’s grace makes possible our faith. Our faith takes the form of recognition of our sinful state, confession of our sin, and repentance. Faith does not end at that point. Faith goes on to result in our growth in grace: sanctification. In other words, like Abraham, we walk before God and progress to the point of being blameless (perfect).

What is the relationship between God’s grace and our faith in Ephesians 2:8?

God’s grace, always prevenient, and always a gift offers us our only possibility of reconciliation. Faith is our acceptance of God’s offer. If God’s grace saved us - whether or not we wanted to be saved, whether or not we were faithful - it would be a great expression of God’s power, but not of God’s love. If grace were only offered in response to faith, then our salvation is contingent on our merit, not God’s mercy. Grace is always prevenient to faith.

God’s grace is offered to us freely. Does God have expectations of us, like He did with Abraham?

What are those expectations?

Like Abraham, we must respond with faith. Our justification requires repentance, commonly called the "new birth." Our sanctification requires "being blameless" and moving on toward perfection in love.

What is the relationship between baptism for Christians and circumcision for the children of Abraham?

Circumcision for the Hebrews stood as an act of initiation into a community of people who were in special relationship with God. Circumcision symbolized the removal of impurity. It signified entrance into the covenant relationship and served as an identifying mark of that identity.

In the New Testament circumcision is spoken of as a spiritual change of heart more than a physical procedure.

Rom 2:28-29 ESV
(28) For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.
(29) But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

John Wesley’s Commentary:
But he is a Jew - That is, one of God's people. Who is one inwardly - In the secret recesses of his soul. And the acceptable circumcision is that of the heart - ......; the putting away all inward impurity. This is seated in the spirit, the inmost soul, renewed by the Spirit of God. And not in the letter - Not in the external ceremony. Whose praise is not from men, but from God - The only searcher of the heart.

This "circumcision of the heart" is also spoken of in the Old Testament.

Deu 30:6 ESV
(6) And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

The early Christians quickly divided on the issue of circumcision, but there is a very clear relationship between the Hebrew practice of circumcision as a symbol of relationship with God and Christian baptism.

Col 2:11-12 ESV
(11) In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
(12) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

We can view baptism as "the circumcision of Christ". The function of baptism is the same as the function of circumcision for the Jews. It is a ritual that signifies the entrance into a covenant community and is a symbol or sign that we have aligned ourselves in the New Covenant of Christ.

The community of the old covenant was the Hebrew people and the people were initiated into that covenant by circumcision. The community of the new covenant is the Christian Church and we are initiated into this covenant by baptism.

Baptism is not something that a person does himself. Baptism is something a person receives.

Baptism bestows upon us an identity, a hope, and a mission. Baptism marks us as belonging to Christ and to Christ’s Church.

Just as infants eight days old are initiated into the covenant community of the Jews, so we, even as infants, are welcome to receive the sign of our covenant and become a part of the Christian community.

One quick word about names before we move on:

In verse one God says, "I am God Almighty" (El Shaddai or God of the Mountain). This is the name of God as known by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job. God was not known as Yahweh until Moses’ time.

Also notice that in this passage Abraham’s name was changed. The name Abram means "exalted father", ironic for a man who was not a father at all until very late in life. His new name, Abraham, means "father of a multitude". This name change signified that Abraham was entering into a new phase of life, that he was in a new relationship, not only with God, but with history.

In our next passage Sarah’s name is also changed. This change is more subtle, but says much about the new status of Abraham and Sarah. Sarai means "princess". Sarah means "Princess".

Moving on.......

Gen 17:15-22 ESV
(15) And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
(16) I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her."
(17) Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"
(18) And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"
(19) God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
(20) As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.
(21) But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."
(22) When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

Here we have further clarification of God’s covenant with Abraham. God had told Abraham many years before that he would have a male heir. With what amounts almost to a lack of faith, Sarah and Abraham attempted to help God’s promise of a son by arranging for Abraham to father a child with Sarah’s servant Hagar.

Now Abraham learns that Ishmael is not the promised son. The son that God had promised will be mothered by Sarah. Sarah was well past childbearing years thirteen years earlier when Ishmael was born, yet God again declares that Sarah will give birth to the child of promise.

Let’s read verse 17 again:

Gen 17:17 ESV
(17) Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

Why did Abraham laugh?

How would you describe Abraham’s level of faith at this point?

How often do we see that both faith and lack of faith can reside in a human being at the same time?

Abraham displayed true piety by falling on his face, adopting the posture of prayer and worship. At the same time he laughed at the thought of a 99 year old man and an 89 year old woman conceiving and giving birth to a son. Abraham had a good enough understanding of biology to realize the practical impossibility of such a thing.

Wouldn’t it have been much easier for God to have given Abraham and Sarah a son much earlier, while still in the prime years for childbearing?

Why did God wait so long in fulfilling His promise?

It is sometimes very difficult for us to have patience even with God. We live in an instant, drive-through, microwaveable, just-add-water world. We want what we want and we want it now. We may even pray for patience. Our prayers may go like this: "God, please give me patience and give it to me right now!" When our expectations experience a delay, our faith may suffer.

Abraham at once displays faith and lack of faith. There is a story in the ninth chapter of Mark where a similar faith/lack of faith is displayed. In that passage a man brought his convulsing child to the disciples so that they could cast out whatever spirit was causing the seizures. Jesus shows up and asks what is going on and is told by the man that the boy has suffered in this way all his life. Then an interesting exchange takes place:

Mar 9:22-24 ESV
(22) ......But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
(23) And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes."
(24) Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

Doesn’t this man sound somewhat like Abraham?

Don’t we often find ourselves with these same types of feelings?

The Bible is loaded with stories of people who find themselves believing and unbelieving at the same time. Over and over God did great things for the Israelites. Over and over their faith was shown. Over and over, sometimes very quickly, they forgot the great things that God had done.

The same is true for us. God does wonderful things in our lives. We respond in faith. Our faith may even grow and grow. Then something happens. Temptation may enter our life, or tragedy, or pain or sickness or boredom and our faith suffers.

Many times in Abraham’s life, he demonstrated great faith. Yet we also read that he laughed at God’s promise of a son for he and Sarah.

Most of us can relate to both Abraham and the father of the convulsing son in Mark. We believe. We really want to believe. Yet our faith falls short. Many times it is easier to speak of faith than to act in faith. Faith in God’s promises calls for faithfulness. Faith in the New Covenant requires us to respond in faith. We are told that faith that does not lead to acts of righteousness is not real faith.

How does our faithfulness relate to God’s promises?

Did God choose Abraham because he demonstrated his faith by his acts of obedience?

Or was Abraham faithful because he had already been chosen?

The covenants that God made with Abraham were meant to be transformational.

The covenant that God has made with us is meant to be transformational.

But....

How much must we be transformed before we can enter into the covenant?

What was required of Abraham before God chose him?

What is required of us before we take our place in God’s kingdom?

By the way, the man’s faith in the story from Mark was enough. Jesus healed his son.

What do these stories tell us about God’s grace and the relationship between God’s promises and our faithfulness?

God accepts our limited faith and nurtures it and makes it grow. God’s faithfulness to His covenant never fails. When we act on our limited faith, we find that God never fails us. Our covenant with God depends on the unwavering faithfulness of Gd. We can stray from our covenant with God, live in defiance of it, even reject the identity that the covenant offers us, yet the covenant still stands. God is ever faithful. We are all sinners, yet we can never be so sinful that God expels us from the covenant. God waits patiently for our conviction and repentance, to return and reaffirm our place in the covenant.

Living in covenant relationship with God demands our faithfulness. We may, like Abraham, think that our idea of how to live our life is better than God’s idea. We find it hard to imagine the marvelous things that God has in store if only we remain faithful. Faithfulness means believing in things that are as yet unseen, trusting God and responding to God’s call when all the evidence in our practical minds tells us that the promised results are not possible.

Let’s summarize this lesson:

1. When God enters into covenant with us, He forever changes who we are and who we will be.

God entered into covenant with Abram. Abram, exalted father, became Abraham, father of multitudes. Sarai, a princess, became Sarah, a Princess. Two elderly people challenged scientific beliefs and became parents.

The same things are offered to us in the New Covenant. In Christ, we are offered new identity. Through "new birth" (1 Peter 1:3) we become a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17) with a "new self" (Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10).

2. When God enters into covenant with us, He gives much more than He receives.

Abraham was offered kings for descendants until the end of time. All He asked in return was faithfulness symbolized by a minor surgical procedure. Jews do not consider circumcision to be minor. They see their symbol as a mighty work. How could such a minor thing ever earn the blessings that God has given?

3. When God enters into covenant with us His focus is on His grace, not on our worthiness.

The basis of Abraham’s relationship with God was grace through faith, not his own doing, but God’s.

The basis of our relationship with God is grace through faith, not our own doing, but God’s.

Sunday School Lesson: Reasons For Giving, Giving is a Witness

Purpose: To recognize that our giving bears witness to our experience of grace as we share God’s blessings.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

Today’s lesson may seem like a repeat of last week’s lesson, but is really a continuation. Both passages deal with Paul’s effort to raise a collection from the Gentile churches in order to present a gift to the Jerusalem church when he returned there at the end of his third missionary journey. There was a real need in the Jerusalem church. The descriptions of the Jerusalem church in Acts tell of a church that lived almost communally. All the resources of the members was pooled for the welfare of all, but especially to care for the poor and the widows. The Jerusalem church had a large proportion of widows due to a custom among the Jews of the time to travel to Jerusalem to die. There is also some indication that the area surrounding Jerusalem was experiencing a famine at the time which would have stretched the resources of the church even further. Paul likely deliberately repeated his plea to the Corinthians to reinforce the need and also because the Corinthians seemed to be quite stubborn at times.

What does our giving say about the transformation of our hearts and the genuineness of our faith?

Which is easier: to make a pledge or to fulfill a pledge?

Do you think God is more concerned with our attitude in giving or with our actual giving?

In Chapter 8, Paul told the Corinthians about the wealth of generosity of the Macedonian church, a church described as suffering a severe ordeal of affliction and extreme poverty. He almost seemed to be attempting to shame the wealthy but miserly Corinthians with the example of poor but generous Macedonians. Let’s read and see how he turns it on the Corinthians yet again.

2Co 9:1-2 ESV
(1) Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints,
(2) for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them.

As we learned in last week’s lesson the Corinthians had made a pledge to give a large donation the year before. Paul writes to them a year later asking where the offering is. Poor Macedonia has already given generously. What’s the problem Corinth?

Now we read that one of the Macedonian’s reasons for giving was that Paul had told them of the Corinthians pledge. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to be generous by telling about the Macedonians and at the same time encouraged the Macedonians by quoting the Corinthians.

2Co 9:3-5 ESV
(3) But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be.
(4) Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated--to say nothing of you--for being so confident.
(5) So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

Ok, I’ve told the Macedonians about your generous pledge to help. They responded by giving much more than it would seem they could afford. How embarrassing it would be if some of those poor Macedonians just happened to drop by at the church in Corinth and learn that you haven’t done what you said you were going to do. I certainly don’t want my boasting about you to be as empty as your offering.

How would you feel if these tactics were used on us in our stewardship campaigns?

Would these tactics work on us?

What was Paul’s ultimate motivation in making his plea in this way?

Paul’s ultimate motivation was the welfare of the Corinthians and other Gentile churches. He truly did not wish to see them embarrassed and their standing in the Body of the Church suffer. If the Corinthians ignored the needs of the saints in Jerusalem, especially after public promises had been made, it could harm or devastate the effectiveness of future Christian missions and the unity of the church.

What are some methods that churches use to raise money?

What are some reasons that people give money?

Some wrong reasons:
People may give out of a sense of duty. There is no generosity in giving from a sense of duty. Giving from a sense of duty is no different than paying a bill that we owe.

People give as a way of finding self-satisfaction. These people are more concerned with the pleasant feeling that giving provides than with the feelings of the recipient of the gift. There are people who will give money to a beggar because of the satisfaction they get rather than from any real desire to help. These people are giving to themselves rather that to the needy.

People give with motives of prestige. The gift is given not to help but to glorify the giver. This gift probably would not be given at all if there was no chance of it being seen and praised. The source of this type of gift is not love but pride.

Are these examples wholly bad? At least the gift is given. If a gift is given with the wrong motives, is it better to not be given at all?

What is the one good way to give?

To give with love. To give because we can’t help giving. To give because the knowledge of a person or group in need wakens a desire that cannot be ignored. This is God’s way. It was because God so loved the world that he gave the greatest gift of all.

Another characteristic of the finest gifts is that they are made before they are asked for.

How do we match the methods of the church with the motives of the givers?

Why did it take the Corinthians such a long time to collect their gift? Why didn’t they just pass the plate one day and be done with it?

Apparently their pledge was for a very large amount. Most of us can only give a substantial amount if it is given over time. Paul had instructed the Corinthians in this matter:

1Co 16:1-2 ESV
(1) Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.
(2) On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.



Is Paul trying to get them to give as much as he can get them to give?

Read verse 5 again. He is only asking that they give what they had already promised to give.
Paul is teaching a lesson on consistency. Christians must practice what they preach. If we make a pledge, we need to follow through with that pledge. Repetition is a method that all teachers use to get their students to learn concepts. Actions become habits through repetition. If we give regularly and consistently, we become givers who don’t need reminders and manipulative tactics.

2Co 9:6-10 ESV
(6) The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
(7) Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
(8) And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
(9) As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
(10) He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

The law of Sowing and Reaping comes up throughout scripture.

Do you agree with the following statements:
You reap what you sow.
You reap in proportion to what you sow.
You reap the same kind of stuff that you sow.
Give me some examples of each.

How does this law apply to our giving?

How literally can we take this? Do generous people get money back?

Do any of you have any experience of giving as a form of investment?

Is giving to God a good investment?

Will God give back with interest, what we give to him?

Those who give more will be greatly blessed for their giving. This does not mean that we should give more simply to get more from God. The blessings we receive from giving may not be material blessings at all. To give for the purpose of getting reveals selfish motives.

What is the greatest blessing of giving?

The greatest blessing of all could be the knowledge that we have helped others in their need and that maybe, just maybe they have seen the Gospel through our giving.


What are the rules that Paul gives us for giving?

Each person must decide for themself what to give. Giving should never be a matter of doing what is expected or what provides the least embarrassment for the giver. Giving is a personal decision between the giver and God.

If I feel reluctant to give or compelled to give, should I give or not?

Are my only alternatives to either give reluctantly and with a bad attitude or not to give and have a good attitude?

How can we apply the law of sowing and reaping to a bad attitude about giving?

Describe a cheerful giver.

Who here has everything they need?

Verse 8 says that God is able to provide for every need and that in our abundance we can share. What would be your response if I were to tell you that I have been giving and in fact had given so much that some of my needs had gone unmet?

This passage may teach us as much about what our true needs are as it does about anything else. How much do we truly need?

Most of what we say we need we could really live without. If I truly needed some of the things that I want, wouldn’t God have already supplied it?

2Co 9:10-15 ESV
(10) He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
(11) You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
(12) For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.
(13) By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,
(14) while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.
(15) Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!



Paul gives us an outline of the principles of generous giving. Paul insists that there is no loser in generous giving. Giving is like planting a crop. The more seed per acre, the more plants to produce a healthy harvest.

Paul insists that it is the happy, cheerful giver that God loves. An ancient Rabbinic saying says that to meet a friend with a cheerful attitude and give him nothing is better than to give him everything you have grudgingly.

Paul insists that God can give us both the substance to give and the spirit in which to give.

When you think of witnessing for Christ what comes to mind?

We generally think of sharing the Scriptures or personal testimony. Another great method of witness is by doing what we have been taught. Meeting the needs of others and giving generously is a very effective witness. Both the giver and the recipient will receive many blessing through gifts given in the name of the Lord.

How does giving glorify God?

Giving promotes thanksgiving. Givers and recipients are reminded of and overwhelmed by the magnitude of God’s indescribable gift to them. By trusting the Lord to provide and minister to others, we are a witness to both believers and unbelievers. Christians who see us actively involved in God’s work will be encouraged to do so as well. Non-Christians will see an example of God’s love that might help them to believe.

The word translated as "glorify" in verse 13 is the same word we use for "doxology", an act of praise that glorifies God which we normally sing at our offering.

One Methodist form of giving is called "apportionments". The apportionment system and purpose is not always understood, so I would like to briefly touch on this subject. The apportionment system makes a remarkable statement about our connection as a community of believers, much the same statement that Paul was making with the gifts from the Gentile churches to the church at Jerusalem. The United Methodist Church is not just an organization that unites together many individual churches. Rather we as a local church are part of a larger whole. The apportionment system emphasizes our responsibility to worship and proclaim Christ throughout the world, not just in our own backyard and for our own self-interest.

I have here as a handout a document published by the United Methodist General Council on Finance and Administration titled "Why We Apportion: A Theology of Giving." (Available on the web at www.gcfa.org)

I invite you to take these home and read them and examine how the apportionment system is based on Scripture.

I’d like to close with a challenge.

I’d like to challenge this class to pledge an offering like the Corinthians did. Our challenge is to name the recipient, set a timeline, and follow through. This offering is not to replace our normal Sunday School offering, but to be in addition to it. Our regular weekly offering goes to various missions as selected by the Missions Committee of the church.

Everyone think about a group of Christians that need help and let’s decide next week on who to give to, how much to give, and when we will give.

I will offer the first suggestion. Last year our church made a "Barnabas" offering. There are many churches that are unable to make their apportionment payments. Barnabas Churches make extra apportionment payments in order to help and encourage less affluent churches to give. Our class could be a "Barnabas" class. Our class has more members than some churches. Even here in our own county there are churches with fewer members than our Sunday School class. We could probably raise enough money here to pay the apportionments for one of these very small membership churches.

Think about it and give cheerfully.

Sunday School Lesson: Giving Generously

Purpose: To inspire generosity as a response to God’s grace.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

How many of you think you have enough money?

Today we will study how the answer to that question relates to Christian stewardship: what we do with what we have.

How much is enough?

When I consider my own personal wants and needs, how much is enough?

When I think of the Church and it’s mission in the world, how much is enough?

When I think of my Lord and what He has given me and contrast that with what He desires of me, how much is enough?

In Acts 20:35 Paul offers an otherwise forgotten quote of Jesus:

Act 20:35 ESV
(35) In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

It is a great and wonderful thing when Christians enter into the grace of giving, when they really believe that it is more blessed to give than to receive. This is a very foreign concept in our materialistic society. This will never be the slogan for the "Me" generation. In today’s scripture passage, Paul gently scolds the Corinthian church for their lack of interest in taking part in giving to a special offering for the impoverished church in Jerusalem. There was a real need in the Jerusalem church. The area surrounding Jerusalem was experiencing a famine. The Jerusalem church also had a large proportion of widows in its care.

How can we tell when we are practicing "grace" giving?

Paul gives us several examples in today’s scripture:

1. We practice "grace giving" when we give in spite of our circumstances.

2Co 8:1-2 ESV
(1) We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,
(2) for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

The Macedonian churches that Paul used as an example had suffered great difficulties, yet they had given generously. They had not merely suffered affliction but had suffered a "severe test" of affliction. They did not merely live in poverty but "extreme" poverty. The word that Paul used to describe their poverty literally translates as beggar or indigent. This word describes a person who not only has nothing but also has no hope of getting anything.

We don’t know why the Macedonian Christian suffered so, but we do know that their situation did not hinder them from giving. They did not merely give but gave a "wealth of generosity" joyfully and liberally.

Does this formula compute in your mind: severe affliction + extreme poverty = abundant joy + wealth of generosity.

Something is missing from that equation. Do you know what it is?

Grace.

Severe affliction + extreme poverty + grace = abundant joy and wealth of generosity.

Do we use difficult circumstances as an excuse for not giving?

I think we often use not so difficult circumstances as an excuse for not giving.

I think we often use very ordinary, everyday circumstances as an excuse for not giving.

Yet with the addition of grace into our everyday or ordinary or even difficult circumstances we will not use our circumstances as an excuse for not giving.

Can our circumstances become an encouragement to giving?

"Grace giving" means giving in spite of our circumstances.


2. We practice "grace giving" when we give enthusiastically.

2Co 8:3-4 ESV
(3) For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will,
(4) begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints--

Do we ever give generously but not enthusiastically?

"The preacher says I should give till it hurts," said a miserly church member, "but for me it hurts just to think about giving."

The Macedonian churches did not need a reminder to give although by the evidence of this passage the Corinthians needed much reminding. The Macedonians gave "of their own free will." They even "begged earnestly" for the opportunity to give. Who is going to beg for us to take up the offering this morning in our worship service?

Their giving was voluntary and spontaneous. It was full of grace. They gave because they wanted to give and because they had experienced grace. Grace not only frees us from our sins, but it frees us from our former selves. The grace of God will not only open your heart, but according to Paul will open your wallet.

3. We practice "grace giving" when we give as Jesus gave.

2Co 8:5-9 ESV
(5) and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
(6) Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace.
(7) But as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you--see that you excel in this act of grace also.
(8) I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.
(9) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Jesus is always the example for us to follow.

Some versions use the words "generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ." What is the "generous act" that Paul is speaking of?

What is the greatest example of giving in the Bible?

For Paul the sacrifice of Jesus did not begin at the cross, although taking on the sins of the world and dying like a common criminal was a sacrifice beyond our comprehension.

For Paul the sacrifice of Jesus did not begin at his birth, although being born in a stable is far from the best circumstances for the birth of the King.

For Paul, the sacrifice of Jesus began in Heaven, when the Son of God laid aside His glory to come to earth as a lowly human. He gave up His throne to become a servant. Can you imagine any man agreeing to become a monkey to bring salvation to all monkeys? Can you imagine any man agreeing to become an earthworm?

Jesus leaving the glory of heaven to be one of us must have been just as great a sacrifice as those examples.

Paul told the Corinthians of the great generosity of the Macedonians. In this passage he gives an even greater example of generosity. He seems to be saying: "With such great examples of giving in front of you, why are you holding back?"

Like Jesus Christ and the Macedonians, Paul calls on the Corinthian church and all Christians to give themselves to God and to others.

If we give ourselves to God we will have no problem giving our offerings to God.

If we give ourselves to God we will have no problem giving ourselves for our neighbors. It is impossible to love God and ignore the needs of our neighbors.

Jesus gave Himself for us. Should we not give ourselves to Him? His sacrifices were not made so that we could live for ourselves, but that we could live for Him and for others.

The Macedonians giving was, like Christ’s, motivated by love. We have spent several weeks learning of the great spiritual gifts and blessings of the Corinthian church. It seems that they may have been to concerned with the gifts of the Spirit and not nearly concerned enough with the graces of the Spirit, in this instance the grace of giving. The Macedonians gave even though impoverished. The Corinthians, although wealthy in spiritual gifts, lacked the love of neighbor which would have led them to give what they had promised to give the year before (see verse 10).

Do we ever use our gifts as a substitute for generous giving?

Do we ever fall into the habit of thinking that if we give our time and energies to the church that we don’t have to give our money?

4. We practice "grace giving" when we give willingly.

2Co 8:10-12 ESV
(10) And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it.
(11) So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.
(12) For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.


There is a great difference between intentions and actions, between promise and performance.

The Corinthians had boasted to Titus a year before that they would provide their share of this special offering. Paul emphasizes here willingness, desire, and eagerness to give. Grace giving must come from a willing heart. It cannot be coerced or forced.

What good is willingness if it is not followed through with doing?

If the willingness is sincere, it must be followed by some action. Willingness is not a substitute for doing. The great tragedy of the human condition is not that we lack an eagerness to do good. It is that we lack the actions to do good.

An eagerness that remains an eagerness, an observed need that remains only observed, a desire to do good that never turns into a good deed is unfinished, uncompleted, worthless.

We have a popular saying: "It’s the thought that counts." I have to disagree. A good thought without following through with good action is no-account. It doesn’t count for anything. The gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. If the gift is thought of but not given then it is not acceptable.

Who is it acceptable or not acceptable to?

God sees what we give willingly. If we see a need and our heart tells us to give, but are unable to give because we truly can’t then God will see what was in our heart. If we could have given more but did not, then God sees that also.

Early Christian writers often called for action as a "proof" of the genuineness of a believers faith.

James is famous for his demand that the genuineness of a person’s faith manifest itself in deeds of kindness and mercy.

Jam 2:14-17 ESV
(14) What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
(15) If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
(16) and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
(17) So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

John also calls for love, if it is genuine, to show itself in acts of kindness and generosity.

1Jo 3:16-18 ESV
(16) By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
(17) But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
(18) Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.


Paul seems to agree with these other early Christian writers.

When we give willingly, according to what we have, we are practicing the grace of giving.

5. We practice "grace giving" when we give by faith.

2Co 8:13-15 ESV
(13) I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness
(14) your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.
(15) As it is written, "Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack."

Paul did not suggest that the rich become poor so that the poor might become rich. He was reminding the Corinthians that life has a strange but natural tendency to even things up. Far more often than not, we find that it is measured to us with the same measure as we measure to others. Life has a way of repaying generosity with generosity and miserliness with miserliness.
Our motive for giving is God’s spiritual blessing (grace) in our lives. Our measure for giving is God’s material blessing in our lives.

How much are we supposed to give?

Paul never mentions a tithe. Paul never gives any mathematical formula as a guideline to giving. Grace giving is not limited by any formula. Grace giving is not interested in only giving the minimum acceptable amount.

Paul speaks here of fair balance. This "fair balance" principal is Paul’s concept of stewardship within the Christian community. All we have, spiritual or physical, is by grace. We own nothing because God owns us. No system is acceptable that allows any person to take advantage of another person. If one prospers more than another, the "fair balance" principal must be applied. The "haves" must share with the "have-nots".

In verse 15 Paul is quoting from Exodus 16:18. The manna is an excellent example of the "fair balance" principal. The manna was a gift to the whole community, yet those who tried to hoard more than a daily share found that it spoiled. Those who could not gather enough for a day found that they had plenty. Lack of generosity destroys both the individual and the community. God’s grace, on the other hand, is inexhaustible. The more we share, the more we receive. Those who hoard do not find their lives overflowing with abundance. Many seemingly very wealthy people still feel the pressures of being in debt because their standard of living grows faster than their income.

Are we supposed to tithe?

What is the point of our giving?

What temptations do we face when we decide how much to give based on the guideline of "according to our means"?

Is obedience in giving any more or less important than other spiritual disciplines?

Stewardship has nothing to do with what we owe God, but about how we use the resources that God has blessed us with. All of our resources, physical and spiritual are gifts of God’s grace. Just like spiritual gifts our physical gifts are given to us for the benefit of the whole Christian community. We must not use our gifts for our own pleasure and enrichment at the expense of those in need.

Many of us may feel that we cannot afford to give much because of our own pressing needs. We all must pay for housing, food, clothing, transportation and other necessities. But I am afraid that an honest examination of our checkbook register or credit card statements will reveal that much money is spent on luxuries by some of us who claim that we have little or nothing to give toward God’s work.

If we wait until we have all we want before we give to God, we will never give much. We should not see giving as a financial decision but as a spiritual decision. Financially, it makes no sense to give away money in any circumstances. But if we believe as Jesus did that "it is more blessed to give than to receive", we will give generously.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Help us to overcome our greed. Lead us to recognize selfishness and not rationalize our financial behavior. Fill us with hearts of compassion, and give us the stewardship to manage the resources you have given us in a way that You will find pleasing and acceptable.
In everything we do, help us to imitate the example of Christ,
In His name,
Amen

Sunday School Lesson: Forgiving and Reconciling

Purpose: To teach us that forgiveness is the key to transforming broken relationships.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 and 7:2-15

There is evidence that Paul wrote to and visited Corinth more than what is recorded in Acts and in the two letters to the Corinthians as we have them. There is a possibility that (especially in 2 Corinthians) what we have recorded in the New Testament is actually a composite of portions of several letters. We know from our recent studies of 1 Corinthians that there was some conflicts in the young church at Corinth and that Paul’s purpose for the first letter was to correct the church. We can also read between the lines and conclude that sometime between the letters that we have that Paul visited Corinth, called the "painful" visit based on the language used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:1. We also conclude that Paul wrote again to the church a letter known as the "tearful" or "severe" letter. This letter is mentioned by Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:4.

Paul began all his letters with a prayer of thanksgiving. Let’s begin this study of 2 Corinthians by reading Paul’s thanksgiving:

2Co 1:3-7 ESV
(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
(4) who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
(5) For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
(6) If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.
(7) Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

What word is repeated most often in that prayer?

Depending on the translation the word is comfort, console, or help. These words are key to the entire letter of 2 Corinthians. Paul’s key words and ideas in this letter are comfort and consolation, trust and mistrust, and reconciliation and forgiveness. The main theme of 2 Corinthians is the healing of relationships and the restoration of community through forgiveness.

2Co 2:5-11 ESV
(5) Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure--not to put it too severely--to all of you.
(6) For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough,
(7) so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
(8) So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.
(9) For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.
(10) Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,
(11) so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

2Co 2:5-11 MSG
(5) Now, regarding the one who started all this--the person in question who caused all this pain--I want you to know that I am not the one injured in this as much as, with a few exceptions, all of you. So I don't want to come down too hard.
(6) What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough.
(7) Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it.
(8) My counsel now is to pour on the love.
(9) The focus of my letter wasn't on punishing the offender but on getting you to take responsibility for the health of the church.
(10) So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don't think I'm carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I'm joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us.
(11) After all, we don't want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief--we're not oblivious to his sly ways!


When Paul had made his "painful" visit there had been a ringleader to his opposition. This person had caused Paul and the church great pain. It is possible that this was the same man who Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 5, the man who was living in sin. This man had clearly personally insulted Paul. Paul had insisted that the man be disciplined by the church and disciplinary action had been taken, but some in the church felt that the punishment had not been severe enough.

The greatness of Paul can be seen in how he handles the situation. Paul never even calls the person's name in his letter. Paul essentially tells the church that enough is enough. The man has been chastised. Further discipline would only cause more harm. It might drive the man to despair, as the Message says: "you could drown him in his guilt." To do that would not be serving Christ and the Church, but would be offering an opportunity for Satan to take further hold of the man. The man needed forgiveness, acceptance, and comfort. Who would gain the most if this man were permanently separated from the Church?

What examples can we take from Paul of Christian conduct in the face of injury and insult?

1. Paul didn’t take the matter personally. It was the personal injuries that Paul had suffered that were of the most importance. Paul was more concerned with the peace of the church and the welfare of the troublemaker.

2. Paul’s motive in taking disciplinary action was not vengeance but correction. Paul didn’t wish to knock the man down, but to lift him up. Paul did not judge by the worldly standards of justice, but by the Christian standard of love. The purpose of church discipline is to restore a person to fellowship, not to banish them from the fellowship. The Christian duty is not to render sinners harmless by battering them into submission, but to inspire them to goodness.

3. Paul insisted that punishment must never drive a person to despair and never take the heart out of someone. The wrong kind of treatment is often the last straw that finally pushes a person into the waiting arms of Satan.

Have any of you ever witnessed a conflict in a church that caused deep rupture?

Did that situation find its way to forgiveness and reconciliation? If so, how?

One issue in most conflicts is that of personality. We find it difficult to focus on the issues of the situation and instead focus on the persons involved. Most conflict situations are either win/lose situations or lose/lose situations. How can a conflict be managed so as to make it a win/win situation?

When Paul wrote to forgive the offender, what seemed to be foremost in his mind?

Paul was not concerned with his own vindication, but was genuinely concerned with the welfare of the antagonist and did not want that person ostracized by the community. The welfare of the community was first in Paul’s mind.

Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd'st me come to thee,

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind
Yea, all I need, in thee to find,

Just as I am: thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because thy promise I believe,

Just as I am, thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be thine, yea, thine alone,

O Lamb of God, I come.


What effect would these words have on an argument if in the middle of the argument those arguing were to stop and read or sing them before carrying on?

The context of this passage is church discipline, the church calling a person to task for some action. What situations might call for church discipline? We all sin every day. What sins are worthy of church discipline?

What is the ultimate purpose of church discipline?

Reconciliation.

Which would be more difficult, the discipline or the forgiveness?

What should be the guiding force in correcting a fellow believer?

Counselors say that unresolved guilt is one of the great destroyers of relationships. When we feel guilty, we have a spiritual malaise that can incapacitate us. Yet guilt is caused by recognition of sin, and we all have sin in our lives. How, then do we escape the debilitating effects of guilt.
The effects of guilt can only be released through forgiveness. God desires that we be people of forgiveness.

In the early days of the Methodist movement church discipline was at the center of every society or band meeting. In order to join a Methodist society, persons were required to demonstrate only one condition: "a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins." Those who desired to continue in a society however, were expected "to evidence their desire of salvation, first, by doing no harm...secondly, by doing good... thirdly, by attending upon all the ordinances of God."

Society members submitted themselves to "examination" at every society meeting as to how well they were upholding these standards. If found lacking, they were removed from the society or placed in special bands for penitents.

Charles Wesley was especially adept at exposing those who lacked the discipline necessary to be included in the more experienced Methodist bands. In one instance, Wesley found it necessary to "put away" sixty-four members who did not "walk according to the gospel."

Here is their list of offences:

2 for cursing and swearing
2 for habitual Sabbath-breaking
17 for drunkenness
2 for retailing spirituous liquors
3 for quarrelling and brawling
1 for beating his wife
3 for habitual, willful lying
4 for railing and evil-speaking
1 for idleness and laziness
29 for lightness and carelessness

2Co 7:2-11 ESV
(2) Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.
(3) I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.
(4) I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
(5) For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn--fighting without and fear within.
(6) But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
(7) and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.
(8) For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it--though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while.
(9) As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
(10) For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
(11) For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

2Co 7:2-11 MSG
(2) Trust us. We've never hurt a soul, never exploited or taken advantage of anyone.
(3) Don't think I'm finding fault with you. I told you earlier that I'm with you all the way, no matter what.
(4) I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! I am overwhelmed with joy despite all our troubles.
(5) When we arrived in Macedonia province, we couldn't settle down. The fights in the church and the fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles. We couldn't relax because we didn't know how it would turn out.
(6) Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads and our hearts with the arrival of Titus.
(7) We were glad just to see him, but the true reassurance came in what he told us about you: how much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you were for me. I went from worry to tranquility in no time!
(8) I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don't feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while.
(9) Now I'm glad--not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.
(10) Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.
(11) And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart.

This section of 2 Corinthians picks up where Chapter 2 leaves off. In the chapters in between Paul deals with the nature of the gospel and how it affects the way we relate to people. This "interlude" lays the theological foundation for the practical advice concerning reconciliation that Paul discusses in Chapter 7.

In verses 4-7 one word (depending on translation) occurs five times. Did you notice?

It is the same word that we noted in Paul’s thanksgiving prayer from chapter 1. The word is comfort or console. Why do you think Paul used that word here?

What can we learn from Paul in this passage that could aid us in our own church and personal conflicts?

How would you define repentance?

Is repentance a sincere "I’m sorry"? Or is it more than that?

Repentance literally means to turn around, to go in a new direction. Repentance involves a changed heart and the resolve to change one’s behavior and to live differently.

Is repentance essential for forgiveness?

Why is it necessary for the offended party to forgive?

Christians cannot afford to write off offenders. Although reconciliation takes two parties, forgiveness can be practiced by the offended with or without repentance on the part of the offender. This will result in spiritual growth by the offended and make it more likely that the offender will repent and be restored. One of Satan’s devices is to accuse believers who have sinned so that they feel their case is hopeless. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so that we will confess it and turn to Christ for cleansing. Satan accuses us of sin so that we will despair and give up.

When an offending brother or sister is made aware of their offence and disciplined according to Biblical standards, then the church family must forgive and restore the member and if the member repents the matter must be forgotten and never brought up again. If the church family - or any person in the family - carries an unforgiving spirit, then Satan will use that attitude as a beachhead for new assaults against the church.

Paul spoke about "godly grief" and "worldly grief". What is the distinction between "godly grief" and "worldly grief"?

Godly grief results in a change of attitude and heart and changed behavior. Worldly grief is simple regret. Many people are regretful only for the effects of their sins or that they got caught. Worldly grief is self-centered and does not result in changed behavior.

Where is God in the process of forgiveness?

Forgiveness is only possible when we draw on a love greater than our own. We cannot truly forgive until we have accepted God’s forgiveness.

I would like for everyone present to take a sheet of paper. On that paper I want you to write a hurt that still wounds you. Write the name of the offender or the situation. Below that I want you to the words:
Forgiven. Forgotten. Forever.

Now join me in the prayer on page 75 in our Adult Bible Studies book:

Dear God,
Help us to be a people of grace who forgive and forget.
Give us strength and courage truly to repent when we sin against you and other people in thought, word, or deed.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen

Now one at a time let’s take these papers that we have written on and prayed over an place them in the paper shredder that I have placed in the center of the room.

Everyone experiences the pain of a broken relationship at some point. How can these relationships be healed and restored? Paul indicates that forgiveness is the key, and he rejoiced in his own reconciliation with the Corinthian church.