Living Generously for Jesus Sake

Transcription

1 BaptistWay Adult Bible Teaching Guide Living Generously for Jesus Sake Allen Reasons Stephen Hatfield Michael Williams Terry Ellis Robby Barrett Donovan Fredricksen Zach Frazier Gary Long Ronnie and Renate Hood Dallas, Texas

2 Living Generously for Jesus Sake Adult Bible Teaching Guide Copyright 2012 by BAPTISTWAY PRESS. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations. For information, contact BAPTISTWAY PRESS, Baptist General Convention of Texas, 333 North Washington, Dallas, TX BAPTISTWAY PRESS is registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in lessons 1 3 and are from The Holy Bible, New International Version (North American Edition), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in lessons 4 10 are taken from the 1995 update of the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, nasb refers to the New American Standard Bible. All Scripture quotations marked nrsv are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. BAPTISTWAY PRESS Leadership Team Executive Director, Baptist General Convention of Texas: David Hardage Director, Education/Discipleship Center: Chris Liebrum Director, Bible Study/Discipleship Team: Phil Miller Publisher, BAPTISTWAY PRESS : Ross West Cover and Interior Design and Production: Desktop Miracles, Inc. Printing: Data Reproductions Corporation First edition: June 2012 ISBN 13:

3 How to Make the Best Use of This Teaching Guide Leading a class in studying the Bible is a sacred trust. This Teaching Guide has been prepared to help you as you give your best to this important task. In each lesson, you will find first Bible Comments for teachers, to aid you in your study and preparation. The three sections of Bible Comments are Understanding the Context, Interpreting the Scriptures, and Focusing on the Meaning. Understanding the Context provides a summary overview of the entire background passage that also sets the passage in the context of the Bible book being studied. Interpreting the Scriptures provides verse-by-verse comments on the focal passage. Focusing on the Meaning offers help with the meaning and application of the focal text. The second main part of each lesson is Teaching Plans. You ll find two complete teaching plans in this section. The first is called Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities, and the second is called Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions. Choose the plan that best fits your class and your style of teaching. You may also use and adapt ideas from both. Each plan is intended to be practical, helpful, and immediately useful as you prepare to teach. The major headings in each teaching plan are intended to help you sequence how you teach so as to follow the flow of how people tend to learn. The first major heading, Connect with Life, provides ideas that will help you begin the class session where your class is and draw your class into the study. The second major heading, Guide Bible Study, offers suggestions for helping your class engage the Scriptures actively and develop a greater understanding of this portion of the Bible s message. The third major heading, Encourage Application, is meant to help participants focus on how to respond with their lives to this message. 3

4 4 Living Generously for Jesus Sake As you begin the study with your class, be sure to find a way to help your class know the date on which each lesson will be studied. You might use one or more of the following methods: In the first session of the study, briefly overview the study by identifying with your class the date on which each lesson will be studied. Lead your class to write the date in the table of contents in their Study Guides and on the first page of each lesson. Make and post a chart that indicates the date on which each lesson will be studied. If all of your class has , send them an with the dates the lessons will be studied. Provide a bookmark with the lesson dates. You may want to include information about your church and then use the bookmark as an outreach tool, too. A model for a bookmark can be downloaded from on the Resources for Adults page. Develop a sticker with the lesson dates, and place it on the table of contents or on the back cover. Here are some steps you can take to help you prepare well to teach each lesson and save time in doing so: 1. Start early in the week before your class meets. 2. If your church s adult Bible study teachers meet for lesson overview and preparation, plan to participate. If your church s adult Bible study teachers don t have this planning time now, look for ways to begin. You, your fellow teachers, and your church will benefit from this mutual encouragement and preparation. 3. Overview the study in the Study Guide. Look at the table of contents, and see where this lesson fits in the overall study. Then read or review the study introduction to the book that is being studied. 4. Consider carefully the suggested Main Idea, Question to Explore, and Teaching Aim. These can help you discover the main thrust of this particular lesson.

5 How to Make the Best Use of This Teaching Guide 5 5. Use your Bible to read and consider prayerfully the Scripture passages for the lesson. Using your Bible in your study and in the class session can provide a positive model to class members to use their own Bibles and give more attention to Bible study themselves. (Each writer of the Bible comments in both the Teaching Guide and the Study Guide has chosen a favorite translation. You re free to use the Bible translation you prefer and compare it with the translations chosen, of course.) 6. After reading all the Scripture passages in your Bible, then read the Bible comments in the Study Guide. The Bible comments are intended to be an aid to your study of the Bible. Read also the small articles sidebars in each lesson. They are intended to provide additional, enrichment information and inspiration and to encourage thought and application. Try to answer for yourself the questions included in each lesson. They re intended to encourage further thought and application, and you can also use them in the class session itself. Continue your Bible study with the aid of the Bible comments included in this Teaching Guide. 7. Review the Teaching Plans in this Teaching Guide. Consider how these suggestions would help you teach this Bible passage in your class to accomplish the teaching aim. 8. Consider prayerfully the needs of your class, and think about how to teach so you can help your class learn best. 9. Develop and follow a lesson plan based on the suggestions in this Teaching Guide, with alterations as needed for your class. 10. Enjoy leading your class in discovering the meaning of the Scripture passages and in applying these passages to their lives. Adult Online Bible Commentary. Plan to get the additional adult Bible study comments Adult Online Bible Commentary by Dr. Jim Denison (president, Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, and theologian-inresidence, Baptist General Convention of Texas). Call or baptistway@texasbaptists.org to order Adult Online Bible Commentary. It is available only in electronic format (PDF) from our website. The price of these comments is $6 for individuals and $25 for

6 6 Living Generously for Jesus Sake a group of five. A church or class that participates in our advance order program for free shipping can receive Adult Online Bible Commentary free. Call or see for information on participating in our free shipping program for the next study. Adult Online Teaching Plans. An additional teaching plan is also available in electronic format (PDF) by calling The price of these plans is $5 for an individual and $20 for a group of five. It is available only in electronic format (PDF) from our website. A church or class that participates in our advance order program for free shipping can receive Adult Online Teaching Plans free. Call or see for information on participating in our free shipping program for the next study. FREE! Downloadable teaching resource items for use in your class are available at Watch for them in Teaching Plans for each lesson. Then go online to and click on Teaching Resource Items for this study. These items are selected from Teaching Plans. They are provided online to make lesson preparation easier for hand-outs and similar items. Permission is granted to download these teaching resource items, print them out, copy them as needed, and use them in your class. IN ADDITION: Enrichment teaching help is provided in the internet edition of the Baptist Standard. Access the FREE internet information by checking the Baptist Standard website at Call to begin your subscription to the printed or electronic edition of the Baptist Standard.

7 Writers of This Teaching Guide Allen Reasons, writer of Bible Comments for lessons one through three, is the senior minister of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, Huntington, West Virginia. He also serves as an adjunct professor for Palmer Theological Seminary. He has previously served as pastor of churches in Texas and Missouri. Dr. Reasons holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Laurie have two children, Katherine and Preston. Robby Barrett wrote Teaching Plans for lessons one through three. Robby is minister of education at First Baptist Church, Amarillo, Texas. He has written numerous teaching plans for BAPTISTWAY PRESS. Stephen G. Hatfield, writer of Bible Comments for lessons four through seven, is pastor of the First Baptist Church, Lewisville, Texas. Dr. Hatfield is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University (B.A.) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., Ph.D.). He also serves as a teaching fellow for the B. H. Carroll Theological Institute. This is his third set of Bible Comments for BaptistWay. Zach Frazier, writer of Teaching Plans for lessons four and five, is a graduate of East Texas Baptist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion with a Minor in English. He is married and serves in bi-vocational student ministry at Port Caddo Baptist Church, Marshall, Texas. Donovan Fredricksen wrote Teaching Plans for lessons six and seven. Dr. Fredricksen is dean of the College of Professional Studies at Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, Texas. He earned a B.B.A. in accounting from Texas Wesleyan University, and an M.R.E. and Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Fredricksen is married with three young adult children, and lives in Arlington, Texas. 7

8 8 Living Generously for Jesus Sake Michael E. (Mike) Williams, Sr., wrote Bible Comments on lessons eight through ten. Dr. Williams is dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of history at Dallas Baptist University. He was the founding pastor of Trinity Hills Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and continues to serve churches as a supply preacher and interim pastor. This is his fifth set of Bible Comments for BaptistWay. Gary Long wrote Teaching Plans for lessons eight through ten and also lessons eight through ten in the Adult Bible Study Guide. Gary serves First Baptist Church, Gaithersburg, Maryland, as pastor, and formerly served Willow Meadows Baptist Church, Houston, Texas. He has also served churches in North Carolina and Virginia. This is his fourth set of Bible study curriculum materials for BaptistWay. Terry Ellis, writer of Bible Comments for lessons eleven through thirteen, is pastor of Broadmoor Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dr. Ellis earned a Doctor of Theology degree in Greek New Testament from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Leslie have two children, Lauren and Greg. Ronnie and Renate Hood wrote Teaching Plans for lessons eleven through thirteen and also lessons eleven through thirteen in the Adult Bible Study Guide. Dr. Ronnie W. Hood II is pastor of Canyon Creek Baptist Church, Temple, Texas. He is a graduate of Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Renate Viveen Hood is associate professor of Christian Studies (New Testament and Greek) at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, Texas. She earned medical science degrees in the Netherlands. The Hoods studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where Ronnie earned M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. (Church History) degrees, and Renate earned M.Div. and Ph.D. (Biblical Studies and Greek) degrees. This is their fourth set of Bible study curriculum materials for BaptistWay.

9 Living Generously for Jesus Sake How to Make the Best Use of This Teaching Guide 3 Writers for This Teaching Guide 7 Date of Study LESSON 1 UNIT ONE Beginning with Grace Our Generous God LESSON 2 God Cares for You Genesis 1:1; Psalm 100; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 8:8 9; Philippians 2:5 8; James 1: Psalms 23; 27:1 5; 116:1 9; Matthew 6: LESSON 3 Responding to Our Generous God Psalm 116:12 19; Mark 8:34 37; 2 Timothy 1: UNIT TWO Examples That Encourage LESSON 4 God s Glad-Hearted People LESSON 5 Acts 2:41 47; 4: Always Encouraging LESSON 6 Giving Themselves First Acts 4:36 37; 11:19 26; 15: Corinthians 16:1 4; 2 Corinthians 8:1 15; 9:

10 10 Living Generously for Jesus Sake LESSON 7 More Blessed to Give Acts 20: UNIT THREE Examples That Warn LESSON 8 Greedy and Insensitive Living LESSON 9 Choosing Stuff over Jesus LESSON 10 Luke 12:13 21; 16:19 31; James 5: Mark 10: Failing to Be Generous Matthew 25: UNIT FOUR You Can Live Generously LESSON 11 Be Generous in Your Relationships Colossians 3:12 14; Hebrews 13:1 8, LESSON 12 LESSON 13 Be Generous with Your Gifts 1 Corinthians 12:4 31a; Ephesians 4:11 16; 1 Peter 4: Be Generous with Your Money Luke 21:1 4; 1 Timothy 6:6 10, How to Order More Bible Study Materials 153

11 FOCAL TEXT Genesis 1:1; Psalm 100; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 8:8 9; Philippians 2:5 8; James 1:17 18 BACKGROUND Genesis 1:1; Psalm 100; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 8:8 9; Philippians 2:5 8; James 1:17 18 MAIN IDEA All the Bible reveals God s generous nature and actions in creation, redemption, and all of life. Lesson One Our Generous God QUESTION TO EXPLORE Is the God you believe in uncaring, stingy, or generous? TEACHING AIM To lead adults to acknowledge God s generous nature and actions and to state what God s generosity means for their lives UNIT ONE Beginning with Grace 11

12 12 Unit One: Beginning with Grace BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context The first lesson in this collection of studies on Living Generously for Jesus Sake begins exactly where we must start when we think of generosity. We must begin with God. These lessons explore models of generous living in Scripture, samples of biblical warnings about the consequences of failing to live generously, and finally, instructions on how we can live generous lives. Yet, no matter which avenue we pursue in considering the biblical teaching about generosity, we always end up at the source: our God is generous. Of course, we can read nearly any passage of Scripture from any of the sixty-six books in our Bible to find evidence of a generous God. Throughout the biblical account, God very freely offers his abundance at every opportunity. However, the verses in these lessons highlight the climactic texts concerning the generosity of God. They capture the essence of our intensely generous God. Since God s generosity is lavishly abundant, there is certainly no way that such bounty can be earned. The catalyst for God s extravagance is certainly not the recipient s behavior, deserving such treatment. It almost sounds silly to think of what humanity might have done to earn creation. Our theology instructs that fallen people can do nothing to earn salvation, but rather it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). 1 Why, then, is God so generous? The answer is simple, yet profound: grace. By his grace, God s children experience the kindness of the Father. There is nothing earned, nothing deserved, only received. Our generous God begins with grace. In this first lesson, God gives both through his creation and through his redemption of the fallen creation. Through it all, a generous grace provides the background to how God s people are called to live.

13 LESSON 1: Our Generous God 13 Interpreting the Scriptures Our Generous God Creates (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 100) Genesis 1:1. Our history begins with God. In no uncertain terms, Genesis declares that before anything, there was God. As the Author of all things, God created the setting for his masterpiece in humankind. The verb created translates a special Hebrew word that describes the action of God in Scripture. People do not create in the sense that God creates. We may build, form, sculpt, design, plant, manufacture, invent, or construct, as our best imitation; but only God originated or truly created as he summoned the world into existence. The uniqueness of the word is tied to the action of God. In the context of these lessons, that distinctiveness of creation includes the truth that God did not need to create the world (see Acts 17:24 25). God did not create the heavens and the earth because he was in need of something that the creation could provide him. God created because of his generous grace. Psalm 100. This psalm of thanksgiving summons worshipers to praise the Lord with joy because the good God has made his people, and he cares specifically for us. This time, the idea of God s act of creating is a broader word than the one in Genesis 1:1. This word that is translated made can describe forming something out of oneself. Since God was before anything else, then all things that God made ultimately came out of the generous spirit of God himself. The psalmist adds that not only did God make his people, but God also cares for us as a shepherd cares for his sheep. God s generosity in his creation continues into his faithfulness throughout all time. Our Generous God Redeems (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 8:8 9; Philippians 2:5 8) John 3:16. As the first verse that most young students of the Bible learn, these words describe the greatest example of God s generosity. Could it be by divine plan that one of the most memorized verses in the Bible is also one of the most descriptive of God s abundant action in redeeming

14 14 Unit One: Beginning with Grace his people? When a small child recites these words, he or she professes the greatest significance of the generous nature of God. The context of the verse further supports this contrast between simplistic faith and complex generosity. Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling body, sought answers from Jesus under the anonymity of night. When he asked Jesus to explain what Jesus meant when Jesus called for people to be born again, the Savior offered the profound words of this verse. Their meaning describes the most astoundingly generous gift in the history of the world, and yet they are spoken to answer a childlike question about the nature of being born twice. No greater example of the generosity of God exists than God s giving of his one and only Son. God could have fashioned another mountain and declared salvation to any who could climb it. He could have designed another species of fish and announced that everyone who caught one of the fish would be saved. Instead, God gave the one gift that he could not re-create. God gave what could not be replaced. God gave his only Son. He gave that of which he had only one. In God s redemption of our souls, we witness the greatest act of generous grace possible. 2 Corinthians 8:8 9. In Paul s letter to the church in Corinth, he challenged them to reveal the willingness of their giving in light of the generosity of the Macedonian churches. Even though the missionary praised the sacrificial way in which these churches supported his ministry in the first seven verses of the chapter, it is never enough to match one s giving to that of another congregation. Even if the Corinthian church had given equal or above the other churches, the ultimate standard for their sacrifice was much higher. They must measure their giving by the gracious giving of Jesus Christ. Jesus was rich, abundantly filled with everything, in need of nothing. He became poor, completely destitute and impoverished, denying what was rightly his. He generously deprived himself that we might become rich. God s generous gift of his Son leads to our becoming the beneficiaries of his abundance. Once more, everything goes back to our giving God. In this case, Paul even suggested the sincerity of your love is connected with embracing the generous grace of God through Jesus Christ.

15 LESSON 1: Our Generous God 15 Philippians 2:5 8. These verses expand on how Jesus became poor for us. He made himself nothing. Indeed he become obedient to death even death on a cross! There can be no greater gift. Our Generous God Originates Generous Giving (James 1:17 18) The Letter of James is often construed as solely a directive on the ethical behavior of believers. Certainly, this letter provides a great deal of instruction on how we ought to behave. Yet, a reading of this book should always include these two verses as the source for our expected faith and works. In this section, James describes the character of God, a nature that becomes the basis for what James wrote throughout his letter. God is the source of every good and perfect gift. Good describes the quality of the gift as being excellent and useful. Perfect denotes the ultimate nature of the gift. God s gifts never lack anything, but rather complete everything else. With all of the expectations that would follow in the Letter of James, it is important here that it clarify that God is the source of what is good. We may learn not to show favoritism (James 2:1). We may live a life where faith is complemented with action (James 2:17). We may even acquire the important ability to tame our tongue (James 3:2). Perhaps James sensed that if these behaviors were actually lived, we would boastfully start believing in our arrogance that we were the source of what was good in our lives. Not so, generous grace always comes from God. Note the reference again to God s creation. He chose to give us birth. Taking the generosity of creation one step further, James describes the creation of humankind as the firstfruits of the entire creation. When God made male and female, God formed the best of the crop. Focusing on the Meaning Of course, these six selections do not intend to exhaust the revelation of God s generous nature in Scripture. The entire Bible provides evidence of this nature of the divine. Yet, in spite of the biblical evidence, God s people have developed their own ideas about God s nature over the centuries. That practice has not ended with the current generation.

16 16 Unit One: Beginning with Grace Explore the various ways in which your students perceive the giving nature of God. When they think of the way God gives, do they envision a God who is uncaring, stingy, generous, or something else? Naturally, our perception of God is usually based on our personal experiences. We define the nature of God by our experiences with God. Perhaps a sense of loneliness when we needed a miracle resulted in the belief that God did not care. Maybe our struggles with finances and lack of monetary stability have left us with the opinion that God is rather sparing with his abundant resources. Or, it could be that we think of God as extremely generous because of the abundance of material blessings in our lives. Our individual circumstances often dictate our observation of God. What might change about our experiential thoughts of God if we took seriously the truth that the entire Bible reveals the generous grace of God? Instead of thinking that our personal experiences define the nature of God, we ought to allow the nature of God to define our personal experiences. At God s very core, God is a generous God. Without this basic nature, we would have nothing. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Prepare the following statement strips and ask each class member to select a strip as he or she enters (add your own ideas on how one might show generosity). Deliver a meal to a sick friend Give a few dollars to a needy person on a street corner Share your home with a friend who has a temporary need Drive a neighbor to the hospital Give a sacrificial mission offering through your church Serve once a month at a local food bank or clothing shelter

17 LESSON 1: Our Generous God 17 Serve in Vacation Bible School Teach a class Give Christmas gifts or provide a thanksgiving meal for someone in need (A copy of the statements is available in Teaching Resource Items for this study at Invite members to listen for a common theme as each person reads his or her statement aloud. Then point out that the overall theme suggested by the statements is generosity. 2. Comment that the three lessons in this unit will remind us that the beginning place and sustaining strength for living generously is God s grace. Enlist someone in advance to summarize the Study Guide article Introducing Living Generously for Jesus Sake, which introduces the study as a whole. Guide Bible Study 3. Call attention to the following statement (write it on a markerboard or poster): From beginning to end the Bible confirms that God is a giving God! Point out that that today s study will include six Bible passages to help us explore this statement. 4. As class size allows, form discovery teams and assign each team one or two of the focal passages. Ask them to read their passage and use material in the Study Guide to discover the following: What is the context (background) of the passage? What did God do in the passage? How did God demonstrate his generosity? How does God s generosity, as shown in this passage, impact our lives today? (A copy of the assignment is available in Teaching Resource Items for this study at 5. Allow time for discovery, and then invite teams to share their findings aloud. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation from the entire class as presentations are made:

18 18 Unit One: Beginning with Grace Genesis 1:1. What does this verse suggest to us about God s generosity? (See the Study Guide article Introducing Living Generously for Jesus Sake under the heading The God We Worship for insights.) Psalm 100. How would you describe God s nature? John 3:16. How do you define love? What is an example of love? 2 Corinthians 8:8 9. How did Jesus demonstrate the nature of God? Philippians 2:5 8. What does it mean that Jesus emptied Himself (nasb)? James 1: What is the best gift you ever received? Was it perfect? 6. Call attention again to the statement used in step 3. Ask participants whether they understand the statement better and perhaps agree with it more deeply after examining today s biblical passages. Allow time for response. 7. Direct members to John 3:16 once again, informing them that when John uses the word world it is often in contrast with the kingdom of God. Invite members to consider the many contrasts between the way the world loves and God s love. Ask a member to record responses on a markerboard (several examples are listed). World s Love Temporary Selective Takes from others Based on feelings Selfish God s Love Forever For all Gives to others Based on relationship Generous Encourage Application 8. Read the following statement from the Study Guide: It takes a bold, counter-cultural stand to resist our culture, which may be defined by its grasping nature. Share two questions (also from the Study Guide) that help us gauge how well we resist culture:

19 LESSON 1: Our Generous God 19 Do we spend all of our time on our own pursuits, ambitions, and entertainment, or do we invest our lives in ministry to others? Do we max out every ounce of income for consumption and for our own needs and desires, or do we give generously as our giving God gives? Ask, What are some truths these Scripture passages suggest for your life? 9. Conclude the lesson with the following story: A modern parable tells how ancient people would catch a monkey. They would cut a small hole in a coconut, just large enough for a monkey to get its hand in. They would then fill the coconut with sweet treats and tie it to a tree. When the monkey would discover the treat, it would reach into the coconut to grab the treat. The monkey would actually trap himself because he was not willing to relax his grip in order to get his hand out of the coconut. We laugh at the stupidity of the monkey, but we so often find ourselves in the same place. It is often easier to grasp rather than to give! 10. Close with prayer, thanking God for his example and gift of generosity. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Introduce unit one by developing and sharing a contemporary version of the story found in Matthew 18:23 35, the unforgiving slave (you may want to pre-enlist a member to help with this). Point out that while we are appalled at the slave who was unforgiving after receiving his master s generosity, we are often guilty of living the same way and failing to recognize the generosity extended to us. 2. Introduce the three-session study, Beginning with Grace, by asking these questions: When is it easy to give grace to others? When is it difficult? When is it easy to forgive someone? When is it difficult? How does God s generosity shape your ability to be generous to others?

20 20 Unit One: Beginning with Grace 3. Refer to and summarize the Study Guide article Introducing Living Generously for Jesus Sake, which introduces the study as a whole. Comment that at the core of God s relationship with us lies a relentless and consistent generosity. We can be generous because God is generous. Guide Bible Study 4. Call attention to the following outline from the Study Guide (you may want to write it on a markerboard): Genesis 1:1. Ex Nihilo (From Nothing) Psalm 100. Shout to the Lord John 3:16. A Depth of Love 2 Corinthians 8:8 9. Role Reversal Philippians 2:5 8. Downward Mobility James 1: Every Perfect Gift 5. Invite participants to turn to Genesis 1:1. Ask members to read or say the verse aloud with you. Then ask the following questions for discussion: What does the phrase, In beginning, God imply? (God s preexistence) What is God s first act that we know about? (creation) From what did God create the world? (nothing) Why is that significant? (He is the source of all and is generous.) 6. Ask a member to read Psalm 100 aloud. Refer to the brief study of the Hebrew word, hesed, in the Study Guide. Follow up with these questions: Why can we shout joyfully and serve the Lord with gladness? What does it mean to be the sheep of his pasture? What assurance can we have from this passage? 7. Invite class members to recall John 3:16. Ask them to consider the following words as you read the passage aloud God, loved, world, gave, only, Son, whosoever, believes, perish, eternal life. After a brief discussion of the words, ask, How does this verse demonstrate God s generosity?

21 LESSON 1: Our Generous God Direct participants to 2 Corinthians 8:8 9. Ask the following questions: How was Christ rich? How did he become poor? How do we, in our poverty, benefit from Jesus willingness to become as we are? 9. Call upon a previously enlisted member to read Philippians 2:5 8. Explain these verses briefly, using information in the Study Guide. Emphasize Jesus willingness to empty himself even to the point of death. Call attention to the small article in the Study Guide titled Kenosis. Remind class members that God gave all; he held nothing back! 10. Call attention to the last passage in today s study, James 1: Read the passage aloud and ask the following discussion questions: How does James describe the giving heart of God? What kind of gifts does God give? Encourage Application 11. Ask, How has God s generosity impacted your life? Allow time for discussion, and then ask, How can you demonstrate thankfulness for God s generosity? 12. Call attention to the questions in the Study Guide. Encourage students to share responses and thoughts aloud. 13. Invite members to respond to the following statement: Generosity is not complicated, but it is difficult! 14. Close with prayer, thanking God for his generous gifts as shown throughout Scripture. NOTES 1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in lessons 1 3 and are from The Holy Bible, New International Version (North American Edition), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.

22 FOCAL TEXT Psalms 23; 27:1 5; 116:1 9; Matthew 6:25 33 BACKGROUND Psalms 23; 27; 116:1 9; Matthew 6:25 34 MAIN IDEA God s generosity is expressed in his continual, deep care for people and their needs. QUESTION TO EXPLORE How do you think God feels about you? TEACHING AIM To lead adults to list the ways in which these passages show God cares for people and their needs, and to state what God s care means for their lives Lesson Two God Cares for You UNIT ONE Beginning with Grace 22

23 LESSON 2: God Cares for You 23 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context The main emphasis of the first lesson was that the entire Bible portrays a generous God who is the source and the model for the way we should live generously. The texts of this second lesson turn the attention toward the manner in which God expresses this generosity. It would be one thing if God were extremely generous, only to use his abundance for his own enjoyment or selfish extravagance. However, God bestows his wealth of blessings on the needs of people. He cares so much for us that he is lavish for our sake. Most of the Scriptures in this lesson are psalms. The Book of Psalms contains a wide range of depictions of the faith of the Israelites. There are hymns and poems of thanksgiving and of complaint, of pilgrimages and of history, of wisdom and of inquiry, of praise and of accusation. The New Testament reference in this lesson is from Jesus Sermon on the Mount. With Jesus definitive statements about worry, he provides an intentional approach to the truth that God cares. As in the case of the first lesson, there are numerous occasions in Scripture that reflect the truth of this second lesson. Since God s continual care is of paramount importance to God s principal nature, the entire Bible reflects this value. These passages provide a collection of primary texts on the caring nature of God. They provide images of the ways God nurtures people. Interpreting the Scriptures God Cares as a Shepherd Cares for His Sheep (Psalm 23) Our Bible contains more than 1,000 chapters, but this one is quite possibly the favorite of many people. One may hear it at the birth of a child, during a wedding homily, or at a graveside. Its popularity is somewhat surprising, given that the text is rooted in a culture unfamiliar to most of us. A shepherd caring for sheep is not a normal sight in most of our

24 24 Unit One: Beginning with Grace neighborhoods. Yet, even without personal experience, we can relate to the care of a shepherd for his sheep. 23:1. Images of shepherds fill the pages of Scripture, from the Old Testament portrayals of the importance of the role (see 2 Samuel 5:2) to the New Testament depiction of Christ as the good shepherd (John 10:11). Such a recurring illustration has equipped us with at least a casual understanding of the culture. Because the Lord is the shepherd, the psalmist lacks nothing. The picture is that of a caretaker who is willing to do anything for the protection of his flock. As the psalmist expressed his lack of need as a sheep in his Lord s flock, he was careful not to say that he had all he wanted. Yet, he was sure that God would provide all that he really needed. 23:2 5. Several images illustrate those needs. The green pastures provide a soft place for rest. More importantly, they offer a plenteous place for food. Allowed to roam at their own whim, sheep would likely continue searching for greener pastures, a tendency that might result in tragic consequences. The quiet waters address the need for water, the other necessity of life. Once more, God cares for the needs of his people. The shepherd also provides rest and renewal. The restoration of one s soul is more than physical rest. The concept of soul includes the very essence of life. To restore the soul is to refresh one s entire outlook on life. God is the nourishment of life itself. The paths of righteousness reflect the image of the shepherd guiding the flock on the passageway that safely provides travel from pasture to pasture. The fact that God is the guide is certainly as important as the rightness of the path. The psalmist altered the reference to God in verse 4. Instead of talking about the shepherd, the psalmist spoke to the shepherd. The sense of the words reflects a highly personal relationship in which the care within the first three verses leads to a very close connection with the shepherd throughout the remainder of the psalm. The compassion of the shepherd is reflected even in the valley of the shadow of death. The right path to the green pastures and the still waters sometimes leads through a dark valley. Thanks to a caring

25 LESSON 2: God Cares for You 25 God, these valleys are nothing to fear. Could it be that the pronoun shift from third person to the more intimate second person in verse 4 reflects that God appears closer and more personal in the darker corners than he does in the quietness and stillness? The rod and the staff were tools of the shepherd. They were used to guide the sheep from straying off the dangerous sides of the path, as well as to confront enemy predators. Their use may cause discomfort, but they exist because the shepherd cares. In the fifth verse, the shepherd becomes a host. At night, the sheep and the shepherd were most vulnerable. For protection from human predators, emphasis was put on fellow hospitality. Food and safety were essential when one was welcomed into the home of a fellow shepherd. A traveler knew that the shepherd would receive him when he needed hospitality (see Genesis 18:1 8). God cares enough to prepare a table before me. An anointing of oil and a cup of overflowing blessings provided further care of the host for his guest. 23:6. The relationship with God as shepherd and host is not temporary, but eternal as people dwell in the house of the Lord forever. We are not passing through as a traveler for the night. We are permanent inhabitants of God s lasting care. God Cares as a Shelter Protects Its Inhabitants (Psalm 27:1 5) 27:1 3. This image is one of a stronghold, which depicts a shelter, refuge, or place of safety. With images of evil men, enemies, and an army set to attack, confidence in God s safeguard prevails. 27:4 5. The security of God comes from the presence of God. Instead of praying for the defeat of his enemies, the psalmist asked only that he may dwell in the house of the Lord. The psalmist sought to spend his time in God s refuge gazing upon the beauty of the Lord. The idea of beauty can mean God s kindness, his favor, or even his grace. Once more, the Scriptures point to the grace of God as seen through his generosity. In this case, God reveals his generosity through his protective care.

26 26 Unit One: Beginning with Grace God Cares as a Deliverer Saves the Suffering (Psalm 116:1 9) The psalmist never named the specific nature of his difficulty in Psalm 116. With references to cords of death, anguish of the grave, along with trouble and sorrow, the psalmist clearly had encountered some serious calamity. God s deliverance becomes the focal point. Through God s graciousness, God saved the psalmist from death. In summation, the Lord has dealt bountifully with you (Ps. 116:7). The full response of the psalmist will be studied in lesson three, but suffice it to note at this point that the psalmist perceived his salvation from death to be a generous gift of God s care. God Cares as the Creator Cares for the Creation (Matthew 6:25 33) One must wonder whether Jesus had the images of Psalm 23 in mind when he spoke the words in Matthew 6: Just as people ought not to worry about what they would eat, neither should the sheep worry about the next green pasture. People had no need to worry about what they would drink, just as the sheep did not need to worry about finding still waters. People need not be concerned about what they would wear, just as the traveler would have his needs met when the shepherd served as his host. The birds may get hungry, and the lilies may experience drought, of course. Even the disciples might miss food and other essentials of life. The passage is not a promise to end poverty, but rather it is an offer of peace in the truth that a very generous God deeply cares about the needs of the people. The emphasis is on the care of God. Jesus brings the challenge of faith to the discussion. Peace from worry comes to those who pursue first his kingdom and his righteousness. With this proper priority, life needs find their place in the attention of the benevolent Father. Be careful to note that all these things (Matthew 6:33) are the necessities of life, not the affluent desires of life. Focusing on the Meaning As these lessons progress toward living generously, this particular lesson focuses on the revelation that a generous God continually cares for

27 LESSON 2: God Cares for You 27 the needs of people. From the psalmist who saw himself as a sheep in God s flock, to the psalmist who found himself at death s door, to the Son of God who assures his followers that the Father cares for them, the Scripture promises that God expresses his generosity through his care. To find meaning of this promise in our own lives, we have to ask ourselves what it means that God cares about us. We have to be honest about how much we measure God s care by his response to our desires. These passages of Scripture never step beyond the basic necessities of life when referring to God s attentiveness to our needs. God addresses our needs, not necessarily our desires. Yet, Scripture calls us to go deeper. What about the times when we fall off the right path, and the shepherd s rod and staff do not catch us? What about the times when the enemy does devour us, and we don t make it to the refuge of God s protection? We have to wonder how we answer the struggle when the cords of death (Ps. 116:3) actually do entangle their prey. How do we offer this Scripture when basic needs are not met? Jesus offered the response. The generosity of God is even greater than his meeting our basic needs. The generosity of God is simply that he cares. We need not worry when we know that the One who generously created the world and then redeemed the world, also cares for the world. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Call attention to the first sentence in the Study Guide lesson introduction, In the grand scheme of things we are very small. Use Google Earth (or a similar application) on a computer (perhaps projected) or tablet device to pinpoint your location. Then slowly zoom out and ask students to identify your street, neighborhood,

28 28 Unit One: Beginning with Grace city, county, state, country, etc. If your church has been involved in mission activities or trips to places around the world, you may want to pinpoint those locations as well. If you do not have access to a computer or tablet, you may want to invite class members to share about trips they have taken where they have realized that we are a very small part of God s creation (New York or other large cities, another country, etc.). 2. Read Psalm 139:1 4, aloud, and then remind class members that even though we are such a miniscule part of God s creation, God knows us intimately, loves us deeply, and cares for us continually. Guide Bible Study 3. Pre-enlist four people, perhaps using guests from outside your class, to present a brief monologue and/or answer interview questions you have prepared in advance. Use costumes if available. Guests may want to expand some of the suggested answers. You can conduct interviews in a talk show or panel format. Write this question on the markerboard: How do I know God cares for me? Then comment that you will interview four special guests to help answer that question. (A copy of the interview questions is available in Teaching Resource Items for this study at 4. Introduce David the Shepherd, and then inform the class you are going to begin the interview by reading part of David s story. Read Psalm 23 aloud, and then ask David the following interview questions: David, why did you use the image of shepherd and sheep in your psalm? (David was an experienced shepherd.) You seem to have a firsthand knowledge of the God you are talking about. What experiences have you had to give you such a close relationship? (Various battles, loss of relationship with Saul, running for my life) What is this valley of the shadow of death, and what does it mean to us today? (We all have difficulties, and we all wonder whether God really cares.) Do you really believe God cares for you? Why?

29 LESSON 2: God Cares for You Introduce David the Warrior, and likewise tell the class you are going to read part of his story. Read Psalm 27:1 5 aloud and then ask the following interview questions: You have had quite a few battles and skirmishes. Is there one that stands above the rest? (Perhaps the encounter with Goliath) Are you saying that you really do not fear anything? If so, how can you be that confident? (God is with me.) What is the one thing you asked of the Lord, and why is it important to you? (Verse 4) Do you really believe God cares for you? How can the people in our class this morning share that same confidence? 6. Introduce Thankful David, and after reading Psalm 116:1 9 ask the following: David, why are you so thankful? (The Lord hears me, preserves me, saves me.) Have you always felt this way? (Read Psalm 13 or another song of despair.) How did you grow to be so thankful? (God never failed me, even when I didn t realize he cared for me.) What would you say to our class to help us realize God cares for us? (Remember all that God has done for you, all that God has brought you through.) 7. Introduce your final guest, Matthew (a faithful follower and former worrier). After reading Matthew 6:25 33, ask the following interview questions: So Matthew, tell us about the sermon you heard. What was so special about it? (Jesus taught as one having authority.) Was there a part of the sermon that was especially meaningful to you? Why? (God takes care of even the birds; God will care for me.) How does that realization take the worry out of your life? (No more worry about my past mistakes, or about the future) Do you really believe God cares for you? Why? 8. Thank each of your guests, and then comment to the class that our guests remind us that in all things, at all times, God cares for us!

30 30 Unit One: Beginning with Grace Encourage Application 9. Lead the class to recall what the various Scriptures say about ways in which God cares for us. Write suggestions on a markerboard. Comment that Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew asked, If God cares for the grass and birds, how much more will he care for us? Direct members to the questions in the Study Guide. Invite discussion of each. 10. Close by asking participants to share how life can be different this week when we realize God cares for us. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Invite class members to share details about a family member or friend they have helped care for (perhaps a baby or small child, or an aging adult). Encourage them to share tasks they have carried out while giving care (taking the person to the doctor, preparing meals, providing clothing, visiting, doing house chores, etc.). Remind class members that providing care for others can be a fulltime job! 2. Point out that in one of our study passages we are reminded that God is a shepherd, caring for us like we were sheep. In another passage we are reminded that God provides for the birds of the air, and we are much more important to God than they are. Read Psalm 8:3 4 aloud, and remind class members that God cares for us. Guide Bible Study 3. Call attention to the following lesson outline (you may want to write it on a markerboard):

31 LESSON 2: God Cares for You 31 God Cares for Us Our Loving Shepherd (Psalm 23) Our Refuge (Psalm 27:1 5) Our Savior (Psalm 116:1 9) Our Provider (Matthew 6:25 33) 4. Ask a pre-enlisted class member to recite (or read) Psalm 23. Explain each statement in the psalm using information in the Study Guide and Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide. During your mini-lecture be sure to describe the many needs that sheep have, and the caring role of a shepherd that no one else can fill. Also point out that while the psalm begins in the setting of a pasture, it ends at a banquet table, showing that God s care for us is continual. 5. Direct class members to Psalm 27. Enlist someone to read verses 1 5 aloud. Then ask the following discussion questions: In Psalm 23, God was seen as a shepherd. How is God seen in this passage? What do you think the last line of verse 1 means? ( of whom shall I be afraid? ) What four-letter word in verse 3 can keep us from experiencing the joy that results from God s care? (fear) How so? How could David, a man who faced difficulties just as we do, have such confidence in God s care? 6. Invite class members to read Psalm 116:1 9 silently. Then ask, What event or circumstance in your life came to mind as the psalmist acknowledged God s deliverance? After a few people share, ask the class to consider the following: How does the psalmist s experience with God parallel your personal experience with God? What is the significance of the traits of God listed in verse 5 gracious, righteous, and full of compassion? How might this passage relate to the work and ministry of Christ in the New Testament?

32 32 Unit One: Beginning with Grace 7. Call attention to the final focal passage, Matthew 6: Note that in the middle of his most famous sermon, Jesus reminded his listeners that there is no need or room for worry or anxiety. God s people are not slaves to their needs, or the worries of the world, because God cares for them more than anything else. Ask the following discussion questions: Why are we to not be anxious? What does God know? What should we focus on? Encourage Application 8. Flip a coin and let it land on the floor. Exclaim, Some people consider God s care as superficially as they might flip a coin. Heads, God cares; tails, God doesn t. Ask, When you examine the Scriptures, give deep thought to the issue, and consider your own life, do you agree that God cares for you? What are some ways in which you have seen God s care? How does it change the way you live? 9. Remind class members that God delights in caring for his people. He wants us to experience his love, compassion, provision, and freedom. When we say, I am nothing, God says, you are everything to me!

33 FOCAL TEXT Psalm 116:12 19; Mark 8:34 37; 2 Timothy 1:8 12 BACKGROUND Psalm 116; Mark 8:27 37; 2 Timothy 1:1 12 MAIN IDEA God s gracious generosity calls for the generous commitment of all of life. Lesson Three Responding to Our Generous God QUESTION TO EXPLORE How shall we respond to God s unbelievably gracious generosity? TEACHING AIM To lead adults to describe the response God s generosity calls for and to evaluate how they have responded UNIT ONE Beginning with Grace 33

34 34 Unit One: Beginning with Grace BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context This lesson calls for a response to lessons one and two. Baptists have traditionally and intentionally emphasized the call to respond. We respond to God s initiative. We respond to God s offer of salvation by accepting God s grace. We respond to God s call by accepting God s direction for our lives. We respond to God s blessings by giving back in the offering plate. Even in our worship structure, we respond to God s will while the congregation sings a hymn of response. Baptists are people of response. As we come to this study, we must decide our response to the generosity of God and to God s expression of this generosity in the way that he cares for us. The essence of these Scriptures challenges the reader to respond wholeheartedly and enthusiastically to the generous grace of God. The three climactic texts for this lesson explore the depth of response. The first passage denotes the response of the psalmist, whom God saved from the grips of death. The second text explores Christ s expectation for anyone who wants to respond to his invitation to follow him. The third Scripture is a call from the Apostle Paul to respond to God s generosity as he did. All three texts are very different in their background. From the Old Testament collection of psalms, to the calling of Jesus during his ministry, to the ongoing response of the faithful in the early church, the responses represent diverse situations. However, they are similar in that they involve unbounded love in response to the same generous God. The responses share the same depth, too, with each involving images of both suffering and sacrifice. God is generous. God reveals his generosity through his care for the needs of people. People must respond with a generous commitment.

35 LESSON 3: Responding to Our Generous God 35 Interpreting the Scriptures The Response to God s Generous Deliverance (Psalm 116:12 19) In lesson two, we considered the trauma of the psalmist s difficulty. The gripping images of cords of death and anguish of the grave (Psalm 116:3) portray a personal cry for help. The specific nature of the trouble remains a mystery, but the psalmist boldly declared the saving grace of God. The verses in this lesson examine how the psalmist responded to the generous deliverance of God. 116:12. The psalmist began by recognizing the goodness that God showed him. This divine act of grace delivered him from the emptiness of despair to the fullness of life. Based on that acknowledgement, the psalmist proposed the difficult question. After all that God had done for him, how could he return the generosity back to the Lord? Since God s act of salvation was one of grace, was there anything the psalmist could do to repay what he never deserved? 116: Certainly, the most extravagant response will never equal God s generosity, but the psalmist teaches us that an inadequate response is no excuse for not responding at all. The cup of salvation conjures images of one of the many feasts offering thanksgiving to God. One might even find parallel in the Christian communion cup, an offer of thanksgiving for God s deliverance of our souls from the cords of death. Significantly though, the psalmist would call on the name of the Lord as he lifted the cup. It is important that the psalmist called on God during the trauma (Ps. 116:1, 4); and now in deliverance, he called again. Our response to God s generosity ought to be before, during, and after the evidences of God s grace. Another response is that the psalmist would fulfill my vows. We ought simply to do what we said we would do. Whether the promise was made before the dark times or even during the foxhole of despair, God rejoices when we are true to our vows. Verse 15 invites discussion. When spoken at funeral services for a faithful child of God, the words provide great comfort. While we

36 36 Unit One: Beginning with Grace perceive death of a loved one as painful separation from all that we dreamed for our lives together, God sees death as precious, valuable, and glorious. Why did the psalmist write these words in this context? Saved from death, why would he interject a thought about the beauty of death in the eyes of God? The answer lies in the fact that since God sees death as precious, there is even more cause for responding to God s generosity. In the psalmist s case, God reversed a splendid finale as the psalmist was about to die. God delayed the celebration in response to the needs of the one who called him. The psalmist also declared that he would respond by continuing to be God s servant (116:16 19). He was bound in the chains of death. Now, he submitted to the life of servanthood. The Response to Jesus Generous Life (Mark 8:34 37) As one has come to expect, Jesus turns the table on the typical actions of people. As illustrated in the rescue of the psalmist, the cycle of deliverance usually followed a similar pattern. Humanity traps itself in a desperate circumstance; God saves; and humanity responds to God s action. In this passage, Jesus says that God will deliver, but people must first respond by submitting to a seemingly desperate condition. To live the life of the faithful, followers must deny themselves, take up crosses, and lose their lives. This seems to be the very thing the psalmist was trying to avoid. Looking ahead to the saved life of the disciple, one must respond by personal denial, putting aside one s own interests. Jesus came to offer a full, abundant, and generous life (John 10:10), but our response to Jesus invitation seems to call for just the opposite. Denial provides a life of acceptance; cross-bearing offers a life of freedom; and losing one s life results in a life enveloped by the grace of God. The only way to the generous life of Christ is to respond to Christ s call with utter abandon. The Response to God s Generous Calling (2 Timothy 1:8 12) Paul wrote these words to Timothy, presumably at the end of a life in which the missionary had responded completely to the calling of God. Paul responded to the generous grace of God and remained convinced that his response was the correct one.

37 LESSON 3: Responding to Our Generous God 37 1:8 9. Paul challenged Timothy to join him in a full commitment of life in Christ. However, the calling may not lead to a life of abundance and affluence in a physical sense. Rather, the response to Christ s calling may lead to suffering for the sake of the gospel. The word testify provides the basis for our English word martyr. Paul made no attempt to soften the demands of this holy life. The confidence of Paul came from his conviction that he was called because of God s own purpose and grace. Paul merely responded to the outpouring of grace by God. The chains of his prison were irrelevant, because he responded well. 1:10. God s generous grace was present even before the creation of the world (see comments on Genesis 1:1 in lesson one). However, the generosity was brought to light for the world to see through the presence of Jesus Christ. 1: Paul s response to this story of Christ had resulted in his suffering and imprisonment. He was placed in God s time in history to be a herald (one who proclaims God s story) and an apostle (sent to tell God s story). Paul concluded this section of instruction for Timothy with a word of praise. He proclaimed why he was still celebrating God s generous grace in his life. From the days of trying to annihilate Christianity to the days of being its strongest champion, Paul was a witness to the generosity of God. Still, even though bound by chains, Paul remained convinced of the validity of his commitment because of the personal relationship with the One in whom he had believed and because of his trust in that One s power. Ultimately, Paul s commitment to the Lord was a result of his response to the gracious generosity of God in his own life. Focusing on the Meaning Trying to determine the best response to God may be a difficult, and even frustrating, venture. After all, the Scriptures in lessons one and two clearly describe a divine generosity that is far beyond human comparison and equal. How does one possibly respond to a generosity that offers

38 38 Unit One: Beginning with Grace eternal life, purely on the basis of grace? Can such attempts do anything but lead to frustration? The only appropriate response to God s grace is a life of complete commitment to God s Son. That having been said, it is important for each person to explore and come to terms with what a complete commitment of his or her life means. That begins with calling. First and foremost, complete commitment begins with a calling to salvation. The most important response to God s generosity is to accept God s most generous gift, the gift of God s Son for the salvation of our souls. Next, each believer must consider how God s calling is leading to a life of total devotion. To take up one s cross and to lose one s life have specific application to every life. What part of my life is still in need of responding to God s calling? What specifically does my cross look like? What aspect of my life must be lost before I can be found? These are questions of calling. God is calling each of us to live a life of complete surrender to his plan. Remember always that the cross-bearing life is a continual and full response to the generous grace of our God. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Before the session, write the following statements on a piece of paper, and then wrap each statement in a gift box. Identify each box on the outside with only the letter. a. Worship Psalm 116:12 14 b. A life of service to God Psalm 116:16 c. Self-denial Mark 8:34

39 LESSON 3: Responding to Our Generous God 39 d. A willingness to lose our lives for God s sake Mark 8:35 e. Boldness in testimony 2 Timothy 1:8 f. Willingness to suffer for the gospel 2 Timothy 1:8 A copy of the statements is available in Teaching Resource Items for this study at 2. Write the capital letters G,I,F,T on a markerboard to make an acrostic. Invite class members to brainstorm words that describe God s generosity. Words might include: G giving all, greatest gift, good I infinite, immeasurable, interested in me F forever, forgiveness, for me, far above T total sacrifice Then call attention to the small gifts you brought to class (step 1). Comment that in the previous two weeks class members have explored God s generosity (expound or share previous lesson outlines), and that today we will discover some gifts we can give to God in response. Guide Bible Study 3. To explore each of the gifts, invite class members to open the gift boxes in order, reading the statements and corresponding Scripture passages aloud. Enlist a class member to jot each statement on a markerboard as it is presented. Pause between each gift to allow for the following learning activities. 4. Gift 1 (Worship Psalm 116:12 14) a. Re-read Psalm 116:12, and point out that this verse is the question we need to consider today. b. Ask the following reflection questions: (1) How can our worship be a gift to God? (2) How can I prepare myself to give the gift of worship? c. Present additional passages that describe worship (you may want to include Genesis 35:14; Exodus 29:38 41; Leviticus 23:13; and Numbers 15:5 as suggested in the Study Guide).

40 40 Unit One: Beginning with Grace 5. Gift 2 (A life of service to God Psalm 116:16) a. Point out that the word servant in verse 16 literally means bond-slave or personal servant. b. Call attention to the statement, You have loosed my bonds (Ps. 116:16, nasb), and note the irony that God has actually freed (loosed) his servants from the things that would keep them from serving him completely. c. Remind class members that our basic motive for service is love, not obligation. 6. Gift 3 (Self-denial Mark 8:34) a. Share that this gift is a radical response to God, one that is totally contrary to our human nature. b. Ask the following: (1) Is it difficult for you to deny yourself? (2) If so, why? (3) How does denying oneself and taking up a cross please God? (4) How does taking up our cross compare to what Christ did on the cross? 7. Gift 4 (A willingness to lose our lives for God s sake Mark 8:35) a. Comment that this verse is one of the great paradoxes of Scripture (similar to the first being last, and so on). b. Ask, Has there been a time in your life when you were really willing to give up your life for the sake of the gospel? Do you know of others who have been willing to do that? Encourage comments. 8. Gift 5 (Boldness in testimony 2 Timothy 1:8) a. Ask these questions for discussion: (1) What does it mean to not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord? (2) How can our bold testimonies further God s work? (3) Can a bold testimony hurt God s work? How?

41 LESSON 3: Responding to Our Generous God 41 b. Invite class members to brainstorm ways and situations in which they can boldly share a testimony. Then invite a class member to share a brief testimony as an example for others in the class. 9. Gift 6 (Willingness to suffer for the gospel 2 Timothy 1:8) a. Point out that when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord we accept all of him, including his sufferings. b. Call attention to Philippians 3:8 11. Invite comments about what Paul was saying about his suffering. Encourage Application 10. Remind members that this study gives us the opportunity to present our gifts to God as a love response to his generosity toward us. Comment that we have glimpses throughout Scripture of men and women who responded to God in just that way. 11. Share the example of Abraham from Genesis 12:1 9 by reading the passage and pointing out that Abraham actually gave each gift we discussed today to God. 12. Close with prayer, asking members to consider what gift they might give to God today. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Display and describe a special gift you have received. Then ask, What is the best gift you ever received? Allow time for responses. 2. Suggest that the gifts we receive call us to respond somehow. Sometimes we exchange gifts with others, sometimes we send a thank-you note, and sometimes we share our appreciation through our words. Point out that in this lesson we will discover how we can respond to God s great gift to us.

42 42 Unit One: Beginning with Grace Guide Bible Study 3. Give a brief overview of the past two lessons, pointing out that God has, in fact, been generous to us. Use John 3:16 to call attention to God s very best gift. 4. Invite class members to follow along as you read Psalm 116:12 19 aloud. Ask the following discussion questions: What is the question of the day found in verse 12? How is worship (lifting up the cup of salvation) an appropriate response to God s generosity? What elements of worship are noted in this passage? What elements of worship do we observe to show our thankful response to God? Does our worship too often reflect a spectator mentality rather than heartfelt thankfulness? If yes, how so? 5. Call attention to Psalm 116:16. Point out that the verse uses three images for our service to God (servant, son, free person). Use information from the Study Guide to explain the meaning of these images. Suggest how the images can relate to our response to verse Direct participants to Mark 8: Read the verses aloud and comment that these verses help us understand that another appropriate response to God s gift is our discipleship journey God gives, God calls, we follow. Ask the following questions and allow time for discussion: What did Jesus say one must do to follow him? What does it mean to deny yourself? to take up your cross? Why was the cross such a difficult means of death? (Use material from the Study Guide to help with this discussion question.) What is the great paradox that Jesus describes in verse 35? Did Jesus seem to think that people have a tendency to focus on gaining the world rather than being a disciple? Is that true in our culture? How? 7. Follow-up on the questions in step 6 by asking members to read Matthew 4: List words from these verses that indicate how

43 LESSON 3: Responding to Our Generous God 43 the disciples answered Jesus initial call to discipleship. Words might include at once, left, followed. 8. Invite class members to turn to 2 Timothy 1:8 12. Enlist someone to read these verses aloud. Then point out that Paul called Timothy to a response of boldness and sacrifice in response to God s gift of Jesus sacrifice. Lead participants to answer and then discuss the following true/false statements: a. While we should generally be bold in our Christian walk, it is okay occasionally to remain silent rather than be thought to be radical or different from those around us. b. If we have enough faith, following Christ will end our suffering. c. If we are truly living in God s will, we will not have to face major difficulties. d. We can have confidence that the God who gave to us so generously will care for us forevermore. 9. Read 2 Timothy 1:8 12 aloud once again, this time using The Message version if possible. 1 Encourage Application 10. Invite a class member to read aloud the small article, Thomas Helwys and Religious Liberty, in the Study Guide. Then invite class members to respond to the Questions in the Study Guide. 11. Hand out a blank slip of paper and encourage members to ponder silently a gift they can give God in response to God s generosity. Invite them to write their gift on the paper and carry it with them this week as a reminder of their commitment. 12. Close with prayer, thanking God for his generous and ultimate gift! NOTES 1. See for The Message. Accessed 1/17/12.

44 FOCAL TEXT Acts 2:41 47; 4:32 35 BACKGROUND Acts 2:1 47; 4:32 35 MAIN IDEA The Jerusalem church models the joyous unity in Christ that leads to generous sharing of life and possessions. QUESTION TO EXPLORE What would it take for your church to be more like the glad-hearted Jerusalem church? TEACHING AIM To lead the class to describe the Jerusalem church s experience of generous Christian community and to identify how their own church could grow in such generosity Lesson Four God s Glad- Hearted People UNIT TWO Examples That Encourage 44

45 LESSON 4: God s Glad-Hearted People 45 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context The Book of Acts is the companion volume to the Gospel of Luke. Although Luke s name does not appear in either book, overwhelming evidence points to this Gentile physician who traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys as the author of this two-volume work. The Gospel of Luke recounts the events in the life of Jesus the Messiah, while Acts continues the story after Jesus ascended into heaven. The Book of Acts tells the story of the first-century church and how its humble beginnings gained a foothold in a godless world to become a community of believers spread all across that world. The Holy Spirit of God empowered these first believers, who took seriously Jesus words to be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8). 1 This unit, titled Examples That Encourage, contains four lessons that show how committed believers in the early days of Christianity came to express their faith by courageously living generously and freely. Luke s emphasis is on the church as community. Although individual personalities have their place in Acts, this book is not a biography of any one spiritual hero. The true hero of Acts is the Holy Spirit, enlivening and driving the young church. This summary of the activity of the church focuses our attention away from preoccupation with individual actors toward the true concern of the story the community. 2 This lesson focuses on two strategically placed summaries: Acts 2:41 47 and Acts 4: These summaries do much more than simply describe what the church was doing. They describe how the church was doing during those first days. They describe the miraculous way the believers responded to one another as well as to the circumstances around them.

46 46 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage Interpreting the Scriptures Miraculous Growth (2:41) Prior to Peter s sermon (Acts 2:14 36), the community s membership stood at 120 people (1:15). On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 people were added. Jesus had told his disciples that when he ascended to heaven and when the Holy Spirit came to dwell within them, they would experience even greater works than they had seen him do (John 14:12). Marks of a Healthy Church: Summary One (2:42 47) 2: The first church committed itself to four things: (1) the apostles teaching ; (2) fellowship ; (3) the breaking of bread ; and (4) prayer. Some Bible commentators view these commitments as priorities that build on one another, while other interpreters see them in no particular order. The phrase, breaking of bread, describes an ordinary meal here. In other passages, this phrase could refer to the celebration of the Lord s Supper (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16). The word awe (Acts 2:43) translates the Greek word for fear. God was clearly at work in the lives of these first believers, and they responded to him with a profound sense of wonder. 2: The power of the Holy Spirit enabled these followers to live generously. This sharing of goods and property was made available to those who needed assistance. Modern communism is altogether different from what is described here in Acts. Individuals continued to own private property. This sharing was intended to meet immediate needs, not to redistribute the ownership of possessions among the people. For example, Barnabas sold land and donated the money to the church (4:36 37) but likely owned other things. Mary, the mother of John, still owned and lived in her home (12:12). So while individuals still maintained ownership of land and goods, they gave generously to those who needed help in meeting the basic needs of life. What made this radical behavior possible? And all those who had believed (2:44) were unified in purpose and gladly gave up what they owned for the benefit of others. Those who believed were those who responded to the challenge of Peter s sermon to follow Jesus. English

47 LESSON 4: God s Glad-Hearted People 47 Bibles weaken the meaning of the Greek word translated believed. The verse literally says, And all those who faithed gladly gave generously. The language of the New Testament allows for faith to function as a verb, an action. Since the English language does not allow for this use, translators substitute the word believe to convey its meaning. Whereas belief can be interpreted as agreeing that something happened, the idea of faithing carries with it a total commitment of one s life. Those who responded to Peter s challenge did more than simply agree that a man named Jesus lived. They even did more than simply believe Jesus died on a cross for their sins. These first-century disciples stepped across a line of commitment, staking their very lives on the power of the life, death, and resurrection of God s Son. This faithing resulted in a willingness to give up possessions and share with those in need. 2: This unity among the first followers of Jesus was not something practiced once a week. This Spirit-led community stayed in touch with one another day by day (2:46). They lived out their commitment to God and to one another every day, not just once-a-week. A search of the term daily reveals that the church not only met daily, but added new converts daily (2:47), cared for one another daily (6:1; 16:5), and studied the Scriptures daily (17:11). Their faith influenced every day of their lives. Marks of a Healthy Church: Summary Two (4:32 35) This second description of the first-century church follows the account of the healing of a blind beggar by Peter and John (3:1 10), the preaching of Peter s second sermon (3:11 26), the arrest and release of Peter and John (4:1 22), and the gathering of the community to pray after the release of Peter and John (4:23 31). After experiencing all the trauma and threats against these disciples, the congregation responded with thankfulness to God and generosity toward one another. 4:32. Once again, those who experienced this unity and shared generously with others were those who believed (faithed) in Jesus. (See discussion on 2:44 45 concerning the translation of believed ). This willingness to share possessions was not the foundation of their faith.

48 48 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage Rather, it was a fruit of their commitment. Their love for Christ led them to be of one heart and soul (4:32). 4:33. This willingness to hold possessions loosely was the result, not of demanding apostles, but of the effect of the resurrection of Jesus on their very lives. Baptist scholar Frank Stagg asserted: The disposition to deny self and to relate oneself to another for his good is the basic message of the Cross. 3 Another motivation to give generously was the abundant grace... upon them all. Grace is defined as unmerited favor. When people have an awareness of God s blessings in their lives, the natural response is to share these blessings with others. 4: For there was not a needy person among them (4:34). In the first century as well as today, possessions were a symbol of power and influence. Luke s account implies that many of these followers were prosperous, and any poverty among them was spiritual, not economic. The manner in which these first believers handled their wealth reflected on their love for one another. In later times, the church fell on hard times and most of the biblical passages give encouragement and instruction concerning poverty and powerlessness. 4:35. These generous believers recognized the power of a faithful example. Who better to set this example than the leaders? They knew where the needs were the greatest, and so the proceeds from the sale of lands and houses were laid at their feet. Focusing on the Meaning Our culture is saturated with the concept of giving. Thousands of nonprofit organizations compete to get their share of charitable gifts. During the holiday season we have many opportunities to donate food and holiday gifts for families in need. Many churches have benevolence funds built into their budgets. And although we do not bring proceeds from land sales and lay them at the feet of the deacons, these biblical servants strive to meet the needs of those in their congregations who have fallen on hard times.

49 LESSON 4: God s Glad-Hearted People 49 But this was not the case during the first years of the church. The culture of that day knew little about giving. The world of that time was dominated by a selfish perspective toward those who were poor. To remove any doubts concerning these people who practiced such astonishing things, Luke named names (4:36 37). No doubt, the reaction to one like Barnabas selling a valuable piece of land and donating the proceeds to help anyone who struggled would have been one of disbelief. One should not underestimate the power of this generosity. Although we will never know how many people were brought to Jesus by these acts of love, kindness, and generosity, surely these acts led many people to trust in Jesus. In most churches, a small percentage of the members give most of the money to fund the mission and ministry of the congregation. Luke plainly states that in that first congregation no one was in need. The church of our day cannot make such a statement. We need more committed followers of Jesus who live generously. In this way, we can change lives one at a time and nurture a community that can change the world. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Before class time, prepare note cards (3 x 5 index cards will work great) with the following words on them, one to a card: capitalism; property; fellowship; and charity. (Consult a dictionary prior to class to be prepared to help with definitions; or provide one or more dictionaries for groups to consult.) When class starts, divide your class into even groups, giving each group one of the cards and something to write with. Do not assume they will have their own writing instruments! Instruct each group to work together to define the term they have been given. If you do not have enough

50 50 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage people in your class, then feel free to define one yourself or give a class member or members more than one card. Once everyone is done, then have each group present their conclusion. Tell the class that these are various terms dealing with economics and possessions. Tell them that now you are going to look at how the early Christians dealt with such things. Guide Bible Study 2. Before the session, ask one member of your group to read Leviticus 25:8 31; have that person research and summarize briefly the Old Testament practice of Jubilee. (Look it up yourself so you can help him or her fill in any blanks.) The basic idea is that after every forty-nine years, God s people were to return to their family lands so no one was left in generational poverty. Point out how different this is from the economic system we are used to. 3. Invite a volunteer to read Acts 2: Then have the class list attributes of the early church as another volunteer writes them on a board. If the class seems stuck, have the volunteer read the passage again, focusing on verse 42. Be sure to add apostle s teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer. Then take some time to discuss what these terms mean. Use the Study Guide section entitled A Common Life to direct the conversation. 4. Give your class members slips of paper and something to write with (have extra note cards from the activity in step 1). Have them write down their most valuable possession (physical not spiritual). Tell them not to consider items that have only sentimental value. Collect the slips and read them out loud. Then ask the class to consider these things ours instead of mine. Ask, What would you think if we actually did that? Would you be willing? What would have to happen for you to feel comfortable doing it? 5. On a board make a column for each of the following categories: exercise, entertainment, work, sleep, time with family, eating, driving, church, Bible study, prayer. Alternately you can give each class member paper on which to write their responses and then share with the class. Have them list the four categories they spend most of

51 LESSON 4: God s Glad-Hearted People 51 their time in. Talk about what the results show about your group s priorities. (Be realistic. You will obviously spend a lot of time doing your responsibilities, and entertainment is not necessarily bad.) 6. Have someone read Acts 4: Enlist two class members to demonstrate the patron-client system discussed in the Study Guide under the heading A Common Heart. Call one the patron, and the other the client. Point to the patron and describe how this person relates to the client, and vice versa. Ask, How is the way the early church lived different from the patron-client system? Encourage Application 7. Before the session assign one of your more outgoing class members the small article from the Study Guide titled, Case Study. Ask the person to dramatically present the teenager s plea for help to your class. He or she should feel free to alter the case study to make it more personal or connect better with your group. After the person has made the plea, lead the class to discuss what might be done to help in the situation. 8. Guide the class to summarize the meaning and application of this lesson. Refer to the Question to Explore in the Study Guide, and invite comments. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Begin the class by asking, What are God s people supposed to be like? List responses to be used later in the lesson. Guide Bible Study 2. Present your class with the following outline on a poster, screen, chalkboard, or markerboard.

52 52 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage (1) A Common Life (2:41 47) (2) A Common Heart (4:32 35) 3. Ask someone in your class who is comfortable reading out loud to read Acts 2: Before class time, give one class member a copy of the small article from the Study Guide titled Fellowship in the New Testament and have the person present it to the class. Encourage the person to read, or ask someone else to read, the passages referenced in the article. Write the word, koinonia on the board with the word participation next to it. 5. Read Deuteronomy 15:4 and Galatians 3:28. Then lead the group to discuss the following question, making note of specific points by writing them on the board, How does our church fulfill the purposes of discipleship and teaching, worship, fellowship, and prayer? For example, if someone says that taking the Lord s Supper is an example of how your church practices fellowship, then write Lord s Supper on the board. 6. Discuss with the class what things can be shared among believers besides just possessions. If they need assistance, mention such things as time and friendship. 7. Invite someone in your class who is comfortable reading out loud to read Acts 4: With assistance from information under A Common Heart in the Study Guide, explain the patron-client system and compare it to the approach of the early church. Ask, Which are we more like today? 9. Refer to the characteristics of God s people from step 1. Invite the class to comment on how they feel about the list after the study of these Scriptures and what they would alter or add. Encourage Application 10. Discuss with the class how your church is involved in meeting needs. If there is not a satisfactory answer to this question, consider brainstorming ideas on how your church or Bible study class could

53 LESSON 4: God s Glad-Hearted People 53 start meeting needs better. Refer to the Question to Explore in the Study Guide, and invite comments. NOTES 1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in lessons 4 10 are from the New American Standard Bible (1995 edition). 2. William. H. Willimon, Acts, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988), Frank Stagg, The Book of Acts (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1955), 81.

54 FOCAL TEXT Acts 4:36 37; 11:19 26; 15:36 40 BACKGROUND Acts 4:32 37; 9:26 27; 11:19 26; 13:2 3; 14:8 12; 15:1 40 MAIN IDEA Barnabas models the generosity of life that brings encouragement to others and is to characterize followers of Jesus. QUESTION TO EXPLORE Who are the people you recall or most hope to see when you need encouragement? TEACHING AIM To lead the class to identify ways in which Barnabas modeled encouragement and to measure their lives by these qualities Lesson Five Always Encouraging UNIT TWO Examples That Encourage 54

55 LESSON 5: Always Encouraging 55 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context The Book of Acts describes the growth and influence of the first-century church. The previous lesson focused on the generosity of these first believers. They willingly shared their possessions with one another so that there was not a needy person among them (Acts 4:34). The two summary statements found in Acts 2:41 47 and 4:32 35 recount this miraculous outpouring of support in general terms. References to the congregation and to all who shared their possessions appear throughout these passages. Following these summaries, Luke described the commitment of an individual named Barnabas (4:36 37). This brief account introduces one of the most compelling figures in the expansion of the early church. Barnabas was an encourager, a faithful traveling companion alongside Paul, and a leader who brought people together. This lesson focuses on three of the Barnabas passages in the Book of Acts. The first mention of him in Scripture describes his generosity (4:36 37). This willingness to give freely, to put others first, was the foundation that gave Barnabas the courage to follow God s will without reservation. The second passage describes his place of leadership within the Jerusalem church and his search for Saul/Paul in the city of Tarsus (11:19 26). Barnabas was a trusted leader who was held in high regard among those in the Jerusalem church. The third passage describes a disagreement Barnabas had with Paul. This parting of the ways was not the end of the story, for Barnabas eventually was able to bring about reconciliation with Paul. Barnabas appears in only twenty-seven verses of the New Testament. They are found in Acts, 1 Corinthians, and Galatians. These brief references reveal a man whose life is best described as a generous giver and a motivating encourager.

56 56 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage Interpreting the Scriptures Setting a Generous Example (Acts 4:36 37) His name was Joseph. He was a Levite, a descendant of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Levites owned no land (Numbers 18:23 24), for they were considered as those dedicated to God and the services of the temple. How did he come to possess land? Perhaps this denial of ownership was not practiced by the Levites who came from other countries. Another possible answer involves his homeland, the island of Cyprus. This island nation was located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The land in question may have been located in Cyprus, not Israel. If Joseph/Barnabas was married, land could have belonged to his wife. Regardless of the circumstance, he sold a valuable asset and donated the proceeds to those in need. Joseph experienced a name change at the hands of the apostles. He was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement) (Acts 4:36). Jesus changed Peter s name to underscore the importance of Peter s confession that Jesus was the Messiah (see Matthew 16:17 19). In this case, Joseph s generosity prompted the apostles to give him this name. His actions encouraged everyone and set an example for all to follow. Generosity Encourages Others (Acts 11:19 26) 11: A great movement of the Holy Spirit followed the persecution surrounding the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7). As believers fled Israel and took refuge in surrounding areas, they did not leave their commitment to Jesus and to one another behind. As a result, many people were brought into the community of faith. This growth of the church did not happen only among the Jews. Gentiles who heard preaching concerning Jesus became followers of the Lord as well. These amazing developments caught the attention of the leaders of the Jerusalem church, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Most likely, he was sent to support and assist in these exciting developments, not to seek control. In a similar situation (8:14 25), Peter and John traveled to Samaria to pray with new converts in that region.

57 LESSON 5: Always Encouraging 57 Why send Barnabas? He was a native of Cyprus, where some of these emerging leaders were from as well. He was known as a generous, encouraging leader. No doubt, the leaders of the Jerusalem church dispatched Barnabas without reservation, for he had already proven his willingness to put others first. His submission to the community s leadership in bringing the proceeds from the sale of the land became the stamp of his authority. They could trust Barnabas to do the right thing. 11: Living up to his name, Barnabas reacted to the situation he found in Antioch by rejoicing and encouraging them to be faithful. Acts expands on the character of this man: He was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith (11:24). Acts uses similar words to describe another generous man, Stephen (6:5), who was martyred at the hands of a mob that included a young man, named Saul (7:58). 11: Barnabas set out to find Saul in the city of Tarsus, but this was not the first time. Shortly after Saul/Paul s conversion, Barnabas was the one who sought out and found Paul and defended him when the disciples would not associate with him because of his past reputation (9:26 27). Most likely, Paul retreated to Tarsus to determine his next steps, if any were to be taken at all. Once again, the open-hearted, generous spirit that characterized Barnabas paved the way for Paul to be accepted by those he once persecuted. Later, Barnabas traveled to Tarsus to find Paul and then accompanied him to Antioch, where they spent an entire year teaching and encouraging the community of faith. A movement that began with just a handful of followers in Jerusalem had spread across the land and warranted a title for these followers: The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (11:26). Was this part of a plan to help Paul strengthen his faith so he would be prepared for a future of challenges and opportunities? If so, then this generous man of faith, Barnabas, played a major role in Paul s training and discipleship. Barnabas was found again to be living up to his name as he always encouraged those around him. Generosity Keeps the Main Thing the Main Thing (Acts 15:36 40) This passage follows the account of Paul s first missionary journey (Acts 13 14) and the meeting in Jerusalem concerning the requirements

58 58 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage placed on Gentile converts to Christianity (15:1 35). After these things, Paul and Barnabas desired to retrace their steps and visit the places they had preached and taught. 15: A sharp disagreement centered on whether they would allow one of their young companions, John Mark (a cousin of Barnabas), to make this journey with them. According to Acts 13:13, John Mark had turned back, but Acts gives no explanation for the young man s decision. Possible reasons include the following: (1) his youthful inexperience; (2) homesickness; (3) an unwillingness to travel the rugged road leading to Pisidian Antioch; and (4) a change of heart concerning this mission to take the gospel to Gentiles. Whatever the reason, Paul regarded it as desertion and forbade his going on the upcoming journey. 15: This disagreement was so severe the two parted ways. Barnabas took John Mark and sailed for his homeland of Cyprus, while Paul partnered with a leader within the Jerusalem church named Silas and set out to visit the churches of the first journey. Most likely, Barnabas revisited the churches of the first journey, retracing their steps in order. Paul headed overland and was able to touch base with other churches as he visited the cities of the first journey in reverse order (Acts 16). Acts 15:39 is the last reference to Barnabas in the Book of Acts. Even so, his influence continued. Ten years later, Paul found himself in a Roman prison. One of his faithful companions and helpers during this time was John Mark (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 23 24). In later years, Paul wrote Timothy and asked a favor: Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service (2 Timothy 4:11). These two men completely reconciled their differences and formed a strong relationship grounded in love, trust, and generosity. They both saw this generosity modeled and practiced by Barnabas. Focusing on the Meaning When one understands and experiences the power of the Cross, one of the natural results is the ability to live a life of generosity and gratitude. Scripture clearly states the first followers of Jesus were not changed or saved by their generosity. Rather their commitment to the cause of

59 LESSON 5: Always Encouraging 59 Christ gave them a newfound freedom to live their lives in an openhanded manner before God. Since they could trust God to provide, they could give freely of themselves and their possessions to help others. No other example of this generosity empowered by the Holy Spirit stands taller than Barnabas, the encourager. Present-day followers of Jesus can learn much from this humble servant s life. Give encouragement a try. You do not have to have a certain spiritual gift in order to give support to others. Think of one person in your sphere of influence who could use some genuine, sincere encouragement and give it. Rejoice with someone who has succeeded. Pray for someone who is struggling. Thank someone who has done something kind for you. Give giving a try. Barnabas gave a generous gift of money, which encouraged and motivated many people. If you are a consistent giver who supports the work of your church, then look for opportunities where you can share God s blessings in your life. This sharing is not bragging. Simply letting others know that since God owns it all, to freely and generously give is showing obedience to his will. If you do not give consistently, then try it. This discipline will change your life. Give service a try. Living generously includes serving others. Volunteer in one of the many areas of service in your church. Do not wait to be asked. Approach your leaders and see what opportunities are available. The few faithful ones who shoulder most of the work will be encouraged by your willingness to share the load. Consider a name change. How do people view you? How do they describe you? Are you known as someone who is dependable, or are you known as someone who never follows through? Would your friends say you see the glass half-full or half-empty? Would people describe you as consistent or inconsistent? To give attention and effort to the example of a man named Barnabas will not change the name on your birth certificate, but it can change your reputation. That is encouraging.

60 60 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. In advance, enlist a volunteer to tell or read expressively the story about the Lions and the Tornadoes from the Study Guide. Have the person present the story to begin the lesson. Guide Bible Study 2. Invite a volunteer to read Acts 4:36 37; 11:22 23; and 13:1 while the class listens for descriptive words about Barnabas. After the reading, invite suggestions, and make a list of the words. If you have a board to write them on, that is a plus. 3. Call for a volunteer to tell the class about a time they needed encouragement and someone met that need. If no one in the class wants to speak up, think of an example ahead of time to share about yourself, or ask a friend or family member to share one with you so you can share it with the class. 4. Enlist a volunteer to read Acts 7:54 8:1 ahead of time and summarize it for the class at this point. 5. Enlist another volunteer ahead of time to tell the story of Saul/Paul in his or her own words from Acts 8:1; 9:1 2; 9:15 16, Form the class into small groups of no more than six people each. The groups should have at least three people each; otherwise just have one group. Each group (or the one group) should imagine they are the apostles and are just now hearing about the new believers in Antioch. After a brief period of discussion, have each group present how they would handle the situation and discuss pros and cons. 7. Read Acts 11:19 24, and then have each class member think of a person, groups of people, or type of person whom he or she thinks

61 LESSON 5: Always Encouraging 61 of as most unchristian. Then have each person write a brief imaginary welcome letter as if that person or group had converted and joined your church. Lead the group to discuss how they might react to these people converting and joining their church. 8. Point out that up until this point the Christians had only been seen as a sect of Judaism. When outsiders saw that Jews and Gentiles were fellowshipping together at Antioch, they knew this was something different. There Jesus followers began to be called Christians (11:26). Lead the class to discuss whether your church is well-known for being encouraging and welcoming. 9. Read Acts 13:5, 13; 15: Lead the class to try to come to grips with the perspectives of Paul and Barnabas. Invite the class to reflect on someone who has wronged them or betrayed them in the past. Encourage the class to think how hard it often is to give that person a second chance. Discuss with the class some practical reasons to give or not give second chances. 10. Assign each of the following verses to a different class member if possible and have them read out loud: Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11. Discuss with the class how things might have been different if Barnabas had not provided encouragement and a second chance to John Mark. Encourage Application 11. If possible, bring pictures of representative people who might be viewed negatively by your class. If you cannot bring pictures, then just present a description of a person. Consider using a raggedlydressed homeless person, a coworker who frequently uses foul language and gossips, a ruthless boss, or a rebellious teenager. Ask the class what they see in that person. If they see only the negative, encourage them to look deeper and see the good that God could have created the person for. The ruthless employer could be a compassionate but firm leader. The homeless man could escape his straits and help others do the same. The teenager could have the potential to revolutionize the church for a new day. The possibilities are endless if we see people as God sees them.

62 62 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage 12. Lead the group to recall the various ways in which Barnabas encouraged others. Then ask the group to consider silently how well they are following his example. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Ask the class to discuss what they think encouragement means. If you think it will help, give the class the dictionary definition that you think is most suitable. Guide Bible Study 2. Present the class with the following outline (from the Study Guide) on a board or a poster: a. Generous in Giving (Acts 4:36 37) b. A Generous Welcome (Acts 11:19 26) c. Generous in Giving Second Chances (Acts 15:36 40) 3. Have a class member read Acts 4: Tell the class about Barnabas s name, using the information from the Study Guide. Lead the class to list the characteristics given here of Joseph/Barnabas. Make sure to add generosity and encouragement if the class doesn t mention them. 4. Discuss the first question provided in the Study Guide, Think of someone who has been an encouragement to you. How did that encouragement impact you? 5. Summarize the persecution of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 7:54 8:1) and then have a class member read Acts 11: Point out to the class the odd fact that the apostles themselves were not driven from Jerusalem. Suggest to them that either the apostles were braver than the others and stayed behind or maybe there were some Christians who were not distinguishable from the other Jews.

63 LESSON 5: Always Encouraging 63 Or maybe the apostles were not as ready to accept new Gentile converts as other Christians might have been. After discussion, ask what might have changed the apostles minds. 7. Discuss question 2 provided in the Study Guide, How can we learn to look at people and see their potential rather than their past? 8. Discuss question 3 provided in the Study Guide, What group in your community might need the encouragement of a generous welcome into the family of faith? How could you reach out to them? 9. Have a class member read Acts 15: Summarize for the class the story of John Mark, Paul, and Barnabas found in Acts 13:5, 13; 15:38. Lead the class to discuss what these events say about John Mark s character. 11. Discuss question 4 provided in the Study Guide, What group in your community might need the encouragement of a generous welcome into the family of faith? How could you reach out to them? Then lead the group to discuss the next question, When have you needed a second chance? How could you extend that same opportunity to others? Encourage Application 12. Lecture on R.C. Buckner from the information in the small article in the Study Guide. Then ask the class, In light of what we have discovered in our lesson today in Acts and this example, how can we apply these truths?

64 FOCAL TEXT 1 Corinthians 16:1 4; 2 Corinthians 8:1 15; 9:6 15 BACKGROUND Acts 24:17; Romans 15:25 29; 1 Corinthians 16:1 4; 2 Corinthians 8 9; Galatians 2:10 MAIN IDEA The collection for the saints models generosity in the giving of material possessions in response to the example of Christ and the needs of others. QUESTION TO EXPLORE Why give? TEACHING AIM To lead the class to identify motivations for giving material possessions and to decide how they will respond to these motivations Lesson Six Giving Themselves First UNIT TWO Examples That Encourage 64

65 LESSON 6: Giving Themselves First 65 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context People who live generously give generously. Believers are able to live and give in this way because they have a healthy relationship with God. They understand the power that comes with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. They live out their faith in gratitude to God for God s blessings. This lesson focuses on the believers in several churches who gave generously, not only of their possessions, but of themselves. Their example sets the pattern for believers of every generation to follow. Paul appealed to the churches he founded on his missionary journeys to give to a most worthy cause. The land of Israel suffered a severe drought during the first century. As a result, many Jewish Christians were literally starving. The situation was critical, and help was sorely needed. Paul proposed collecting a relief offering to help these Jewish believers. This offering became so important to Paul that it became a rallying point in several of his letters. The Book of Acts (see Acts 20 28, especially 24:17) also mentions the importance of this offering to Paul. This worthy project changed Paul s life. He was determined to see the funds delivered to the church in Jerusalem. His friends warned him not to return to Israel, for they feared he would be arrested. Their fears were warranted. When Paul did return to deliver the offering to Jerusalem, he was arrested and imprisoned. He stood before Roman officials on more than one occasion and finally appealed his case to Caesar, as was his right as a Roman citizen. He was taken by ship to Rome, where he was imprisoned while waiting to appear before the Roman emperor. Why was this offering so important to Paul? His mission was to the Gentiles. Yet many of his own Jewish brothers resented his work to bring the gospel to Gentiles. He desired to break down the barriers between Jewish and Gentile believers. What better way for the predominantly Gentile congregations outside Israel to show the love of Jesus than to help the Jewish Christians who were suffering? This was a bridge, a connection that would foster cooperation and support for all Christians.

66 66 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage Interpreting the Scriptures Paul s determination to deliver this relief offering caused this dramatic and life-changing turn of events in his life. Selected passages in 1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans describe his feelings and advice concerning this offering. A Worthy Project (1 Corinthians 16:1 4) 16:1. Paul reminded the Corinthians concerning the relief offering. He had mentioned it to other churches and used their example to motivate the Corinthians to join the effort. 16:2 4. Paul was specific and direct about this project. He told them to set aside money for this offering on the first day of the week. He outlined the process by which they would deliver the offering. They would send representatives, along with a letter from Paul, explaining the reason for the offering. Paul s detractors had accused him of doing ministry only for the money that might come his way. In response, Paul carefully separated himself from the money, offering to accompany these representatives if they desired him to do so. The Example of the Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:1 7) Second Corinthians 8 9 contains Paul s continued discussion with the Corinthian believers concerning the relief offering. A careful reading of these chapters reveals that although they agreed to participate in this effort, they had lost interest in seeing the project completed. These verses outline the proper spirit and motivation of generous giving for all generations of believers. 8:1 4. This offering was not the product or effort of an individual; it was a team effort. Paul s desire was for all the churches to participate. He appealed to the example of the churches spread across Macedonia, hoping to rekindle the fires of commitment among the believers in Corinth. The generosity of the Macedonian churches was abundant in the midst of their own suffering and poverty. Paul recounted the commitment of

67 LESSON 6: Giving Themselves First 67 these congregations. They gave above and beyond what could reasonably be expected, and they gave this way without being forced. 8:5 7. Here one finds the key to generosity. They first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. These faithful believers viewed life from God s perspective. Generous giving came naturally for them because they loved and served the God who created and owned all things. Jesus: The Ultimate Giver (2 Corinthians 8:8 9) The most generous giver of all is Jesus. Paul wanted to make sure the Corinthians recognized Jesus as the supreme example to follow. Jesus possessed all the powers and attributes of God, but Jesus willingly gave up those privileges when he came to earth (see Philippians 2:5 11). Jesus, who was rich in godliness, became poor when he suffered the agony of the cross. He did this so we might become rich. This richness is not a reference to material wealth, but to spiritual blessings. The cross was the ultimate act of generosity. The Macedonian churches gave sacrificially. They understood that authentic giving involved moving toward poverty so that others could be blessed. The Corinthians apparently had never grasped this truth. A Plea to Finish Well (2 Corinthians 8:10 11) 8:10. Saying the right words is one thing. Following through with action and commitment is what really matters. The Corinthians agreed to participate in the collection of this relief offering when Paul presented it to them. In fact, they were the first congregation to give. A year later, enthusiasm gave way to apathy, and the offering was all but forgotten. 8:11. Paul s advice was simple and straightforward: Finish what you began. Paul reminded one of the largest and most prosperous churches that it was not enough to talk about giving. They needed to see this project through to its completion.

68 68 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage A Balance Between Abundance and Need (2 Corinthians 8:12 15) 8: Many congregations have used the phrase not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice in seeking to motivate members to meet financial goals. Paul employed the same principle when he discussed the relief offering with the Corinthian believers. These verses address the issue of some churches giving more to this effort than others. Was this fair? Did one congregation have the right to call into question the amount another church contributed? Paul asserted this was a matter of equality. 8:15. Paul referred to the gathering of manna during the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16:18). In the daily collecting of the food, older people could not collect as much as those who were younger and stronger. Those with plenty shared with those who had little. The result was that everyone had enough food. The abundance of some provided for the scarcity of others. The Blessings of Giving (2 Corinthians 9:6 11) 9:6. The amount of blessing is in direct proportion to the level of one s generosity. In this verse, Paul recounted a well-known saying: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. The farmer chooses to either hold tightly to the seed and refuse to let it go or with an open hand release it generously over the ground. The Corinthians had a choice to make. Would they continue to withhold their gifts or would they rekindle the embers of generosity by finishing what they started the year before? Blessings were in the balance. 9:7. The Corinthians had agreed to participate in the offering for famine relief in Israel. Their commitment was based on prayerful consideration. Their commitment lined up with priorities that would direct the funds to help meet the needs of Jewish Christians who were suffering. They made these decisions freely. Paul encouraged them to pick up where they left off and to give with a sense of cheer and delight. Their gifts would make a difference in the lives of people in need. This alone should have made them smile.

69 LESSON 6: Giving Themselves First 69 9:11. Generous giving brings with it a wonderful promise: You will be enriched in everything. Some have perverted this promise and claim God will grant wealth and prosperity to those who give. Paul referred not to material wealth, but to the many blessings God offered to those who gave generously. Sacrificial giving results in thanksgiving to God, who deserves all praise from those who give as well as those who receive. Giving Gratitude to God (2 Corinthians 9:12 15) God was the first to give when he gave us the gift of His Son, Jesus. All giving stems from our loving response to God s gift, one that is beyond human description. Focusing on the Meaning Jesus taught and spoke much about money. Yet many Christians ignore the clear mandate of Scripture concerning generous giving. Consider the following biblical principles as you evaluate your own level of generosity. God owns it all. God entrusts us with possessions and wealth. He intends for us to hold them loosely, for they belong to him, not us. When we understand that we are simply caretakers of whatever God has given to us, then we have taken the first step toward living a life of generosity. Set up a giving plan. The Bible has a starting point for our giving: ten percent. The tithe may seem out of reach for those who do not give at all or who give only on occasion. So start with a percentage that is reachable and that at the same time will stretch your faith. Live life with open hands. Stinginess produces immature, selfish believers. Stingy people view giving like a vending machine. They put in a certain amount of money and expect a product or blessing in return. When they are not rewarded according to their expectations, they hold their possessions with a tighter grip. Generous givers expect nothing in return. Their open-handed way of living enables them to give cheerfully so that others might be blessed. And in return, they are blessed as well. Finish what you commit to do. At times, we have to adjust our giving when unforeseen circumstances come our way. However, at other times, for no good reason we turn away from commitments we made. Good

70 70 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage intentions can give way to apathy. Be a finisher, not a quitter. Remember, Jesus did not give up on us. He gave to the point of giving his life that we might live. May our thankful response to Christ be to live generously, starting now. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Before the session, locate five fairly large pictures (from magazine articles, the newspaper, the internet, etc.) of people from different walks of life. The pictures can include men, women, and older boys and girls who by their attire or surroundings are obviously of a particular socioeconomic group. Select individuals from a wide range of backgrounds (very poor to very wealthy, perhaps even royalty). Prominently number the pictures 1 through Tell the class that you are going to show them pictures of five people we are going to approach about contributing towards a $1,000 financial need. Ask them to number a piece of paper from 1 to 5. Then, as you show pictures of the five individuals, they are to write down next to the corresponding number how much of the money each person should be expected to contribute. Point out to the class that the dollar amounts they ve written down should total exactly $1,000. After showing all five pictures, allowing time for members to look at the photos and record their amounts for each, ask which person should probably give the most money. Ask which should probably give the least. Point out that we are basing each person s ability to give on his or her apparent financial resources. Use this activity to make the transition into the Bible study by explaining that this study session deals with giving, regardless of our means,

71 LESSON 6: Giving Themselves First 71 and that Paul compared two groups as he provided instruction to the Corinthian church on giving. Guide Bible Study 3. Using information in Understanding the Context in this Teaching Guide, explain briefly the background for the collection Paul was encouraging. 4. Enlist a member in advance who will read aloud 1 Corinthians 16:1 4. Select someone who can add a dramatic element to the reading. Ask the person to be loud and distinct, as a town crier might be when reading a decree from a parchment. Before the passage is read aloud, ask the class to pay close attention to Paul s complete instructions on giving. Afterwards, have each person write down a question about giving that remains unanswered after hearing these verses. One by one, have members tell the questions that arose in their minds after hearing Paul s instruction (for example, How much should I give? For how long should I do this? Is this in addition to my tithe?). Point out how simple Paul s instructions actually were. Summarize the plan using information in the Study Guide in the last paragraph under the heading Complete What You Have Begun. 5. Invite someone to read 2 Corinthians 8:1 15 aloud while the class listens for Paul s next set of instructions to the believers at Corinth. Then divide the class into two groups. (If attendance is larger than twelve, form additional groups with duplicate assignments.) Have Group One look through verses 1 5 and make a list of giving attributes of the Macedonian church. These would be words and phrases that demonstrated the Macedonian situation and mindset (for example, through affliction, abundant joy, extreme poverty, wealth of generosity, voluntarily gave, according to their means, beyond their means, privilege of sharing, gave themselves first to the Lord, generous). Have Group Two read verses 8 10 and write down words or phrases that demonstrate the way Jesus gave (for example, generous act, was rich, became poor, for your sakes). (A copy of the group instructions is available in Teaching Resource Items for this study at

72 72 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage After about five minutes, write Macedonians and Jesus next to each other on the board, and have each group send a representative to write on the board the group s list of attributes. Allow groups to help you in leading a discussion on how each of these gives us a model from which to draw how we should ourselves be giving. 6. Lead class members to review 2 Corinthians 8:1 15 and write down as many reasons as come to mind for a Christian to give generously. After allowing several minutes for people to make their lists, have a volunteer come to the board and write out one master list as class members share aloud what they have identified. 7. Explain that the next section of verses describes some reasons Paul suggested for being generous givers. Have everyone read 2 Corinthians 9:6 15. Ask whether they see any additional things from these verses that the volunteer needs to add to the master list on the board. Be sure that the three reasons from the Study Guide on these verses are mentioned: getting to see God s provision for us, bringing glory to God, producing unity in the church. Invite volunteers to share any stories of how God has been faithful to provide for them during times when they were giving sacrificially. Encourage Application 8. Divide the class into two groups, giving each group a slip of paper with one of the following assignments. Be sure to have the identified supplies available. Groups should not be larger than six people. If you have a large class, you might choose to duplicate these assignments and have multiple groups doing the same tasks. a. Using the magazines provided, cut out pictures of things that depict needs that your sacrificial giving could meet. Glue these items on the provided poster board to form a Collage of Need. Select someone in your group to explain your creation to the rest of the class. (Needed supplies: magazines, scissors, glue, poster board.) b. Write a brief case study of a person or group who has some significant need, and describe how a particular Christian gives sacrificially to meet that need. Be sure to include the

73 LESSON 6: Giving Themselves First 73 specific need, the sacrifice the Christian would be making, and the outcome of the situation. Select a person in your group to read your case study to the rest of the class. (Needed supplies: paper, pen or pencil) (A copy of these instructions is available in Teaching Resource Items for this study at 9. After all the groups have shared their creative insights into the Christian s requirement to give joyfully and generously, ask them to think silently about how they would answer two questions: a. Do you think that our church is actively, sacrificially meeting the needs of those in our community and around the world? b. To what extent are you a Christian who focuses on the needs of others and who gladly gives to meet those needs, often having to sacrifice other things in order to do so? 10. Point out that Paul used the Macedonians generosity as an example for the more affluent Corinthians to follow. Encourage class members to spend two or three minutes of silence, asking the Lord to place in their hearts a strong desire to be an example of generosity to others. During this time of silence, have members ask God for an appropriate motivation for giving. After providing some time of silence, close with prayer. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Remind class members of the introductory story in the Study Guide of George W. Truett s experience with the ranch owner. Ask: a. Why do you think the ranch owner became so emotional when talking to Truett? b. Have you ever become so convicted by a new understanding of Scripture that you became overwhelmed with emotion? Would you like to share your experience?

74 74 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage c. What are your thoughts about actually having a time of dedicating some possession to the Lord, as this rancher did? Have you done this? 2. Use responses to these questions to explain that in this lesson Paul shared what our mindset needs to be with regards to our possessions. Guide Bible Study 3. Display a poster with the following outline of the lesson: a. A Collection for the Saints (1 Corinthians 16:1 4) b. Complete What You Have Begun (2 Corinthians 8:1 15) c. God Loves a Cheerful Giver (2 Corinthians 9:6 15) 4. Enlist a volunteer to read 1 Corinthians 16:1 4. Explain that Paul was providing the Corinthians some brief, specific guidelines about when and to what extent they should give of their possessions. Ask: a. In these verses what did Paul suggest as a frequency for giving? b. Does that mean that we should only give at the first of the week? If not, what does it mean? c. What amount did Paul specify that they should give? d. What do you think that means? Do you think it means the tithe? e. To what kinds of things at our church could we be contributing our financial resources, beyond the tithe? 5. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1 15. Point out the following important aspects of these verses, and call for responses to thought questions. a. In these verses Paul was using the generosity of the poor Macedonians as an example for the more affluent Corinthians to follow. b. What does this suggest about our own giving? c. What people or situations have challenged you in your giving?

75 LESSON 6: Giving Themselves First 75 d. What words or phrases in verses 1 5 demonstrate how the Macedonians gave and how, likewise, we should give? e. In addition to using the Macedonians as an example, Paul also used Christ himself as the ultimate example of sacrificial giving. f. How can we reflect to others the generosity Christ showed us? 6. Have a volunteer read 2 Corinthians 9:6 15. Point out that the most important aspect of our giving, according to these verses, is the motivation behind it. Explain that God blesses us when we give gratefully, with a cheerful heart. Lead class members to identify the three specific ways God blesses our giving, according to the Study Guide. Invite additional thoughts. Encourage Application 7. Ask, When have you seen God provide an abundance so that his work could be completed? Invite volunteers to share their experiences. 8. After this time of sharing, explain that we are called to give generously, with a glad heart, sometimes beyond what would seem to be our financial means. Encourage class members to think quietly for a moment about any needs of which they might be aware. After a few moments, encourage members to spend two or three minutes of silence, asking themselves this question: To what extent am I giving generously to help meet needs? During this time of silence, have members talk with God about their attitude toward giving. After providing some time for individual personal confession, close with prayer.

76 FOCAL TEXT Acts 20:17 35 BACKGROUND Acts 20:1 35 MAIN IDEA Paul s life and ministry model the importance of generosity in the Christian life. QUESTION TO EXPLORE How is it more blessed to give than to receive? TEACHING AIM To lead the class to describe the ways in which Paul put into practice Jesus teaching about giving being more blessed than receiving and to describe how they themselves could live out this statement Lesson Seven More Blessed to Give UNIT TWO Examples That Encourage 76

77 LESSON 7: More Blessed to Give 77 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context Paul s third missionary journey (Acts 18:23 23:16) differed from the first two journeys. On the first two, Paul and his companions journeyed to new areas, where he preached the gospel and founded churches. On the third venture, Paul did not travel to any new destinations, but he revisited the churches in order to strengthen and encourage them. Paul intended to travel back to Jerusalem before the day of Pentecost (20:16). The year was about a.d. 57, nearly twenty-five years since Peter s sermon when the power of the Holy Spirit was manifested on that significant Pentecost (Acts 2). The reason for this visit was to deliver the offering for famine relief that Paul had promoted among the Gentile congregations (see lesson six). In 1 Corinthians 16:1 4, Paul coached the church members on the collecting of this relief offering. A few months later in 2 Corinthians 8 9, the apostle sought to motivate them to finish what they had begun. Apparently some had lost their enthusiasm and willingness to give. Toward the end of the third missionary journey, Paul informed the Roman believers that his plan to see them face-to-face would have to wait until after he made his way to Jerusalem serving the saints (Romans 15:25). Considering Paul wrote the Roman letter most likely from Corinth, a journey to Jerusalem would be a considerable distance in the opposite direction from Rome. Paul desired to deliver this offering personally to the believers in Jerusalem so he could interpret and explain its significance. The apostle saw this offering not just as money given for a worthy cause, but as an important symbol that would promote unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. This decision, discouraged by those who served alongside him, changed the course of the rest of his life. Underneath this decision lies an important character trait of Paul, his generosity.

78 78 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage Interpreting the Scriptures The Past (20:17 21) 20:17. Paul was in a race to arrive in Jerusalem before the Feast of Pentecost. So he asked the leaders of the church at Ephesus to meet him in the city of Miletus. This harbor city was located approximately thirty miles due south of Ephesus, allowing Paul to see his friends and still give him the best chance of keeping his schedule to be in Jerusalem to deliver the relief offering. Paul called these Ephesian leaders, elders. Much has been made of the use of this term, along with overseers and pastors. Interpreters differ on their interpretation. The overall context of Paul s letters (see Philippians 1:1; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 20:28; see comments that follow on Acts 20:28) supports the idea that he used these terms interchangeably. Only later did they become titles for specific church officials. These official titles are even more evident in our day as elder is from the Greek word presbyter and overseer is from episcopos in the Greek language. Above all, these church leaders were to be capable shepherds of God s people. 20: In Paul s words to the Ephesian leaders one will find many themes in common with those found in Paul s letters. Paul s past ministry with the Ephesians was sincere and genuine. Behind the words of 20:21 was the underlying concern Paul had for both Jews and Gentiles to be united around the cross. He saw the relief offering as a means by which Gentile congregations could express care and concern for their Jewish counterparts and as a means by which Jewish believers could graciously accept their gift and embrace these Gentile converts as brothers and sisters. The Present (20:22 24) 20: Paul s present situation was filled with both certainty and uncertainty. His plans were not of his own making. He was certain that they came from God, for he felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to make this journey to Jerusalem. At the same time, he was uncertain of its ultimate outcome, except he knew he would face persecution and hardship.

79 LESSON 7: More Blessed to Give 79 20:24. Paul expressed similar thoughts to the believers in Philippi (Philippians 4:7 8). Since his experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1 19), his life testified concerning the gospel of the grace of God (20:24). This grace or unmerited favor enabled Paul to give of himself so that others could experience salvation. The Future (20:25 31) 20: Paul echoed the words of Ezekiel, who was appointed as a watchman to warn the people of God s judgment (Ezekiel 33:2 5). Paul had faithfully delivered God s word to the cities he visited. He was faithful to his calling and now was determined to remain faithful regarding the next steps in his journey, to take the collection to Jerusalem. He did so with a clear conscience. 20: The future for both Paul and the Ephesians was bleak. Paul rightly prophesied that false teachers would arrive in the future. Their goal would be to draw the people away from the gospel. The danger was not just from outsiders. Some of their own men, with immoral and dishonest intentions, would exert their influence over the Ephesian disciples. Paul appealed to the elders of the church (now addressed as overseers ) to guard the integrity of the church and to stand up against false teaching and false teachers. Paul s prophecy here came true. In Revelation 2:1 7, Jesus addressed the church at Ephesus, making mention of the heresies the congregation battled. The Ultimate Example (20:32 35) 20: Although financial gifts were sent to him from time to time and although he could have asserted his right to be compensated, Paul did not take advantage of the people he served. He was a bi-vocational pastor, earning his own income as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Paul used the income he generated, not to enrich himself, but to help others. This is the only reference in Scripture where we learn Paul financially supported those who worked with him. He mentioned this, not to draw attention to himself, but to contrast his lifestyle with that of others

80 80 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage who used ministry as a means of acquiring wealth, many times at the expense of those they were supposed to serve. 20:35. The goal of working hard was to be able to help those in need. In Paul s mind, the congregation s health and vitality were only as strong as its commitment to those among them who were the most needful of help and support. The quotation from Jesus, It is more blessed to give than to receive (20:35) does not appear in any of the four Gospel accounts. The Bible does not contain every word Jesus uttered. John 20:30 states: Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. Until the Gospels were penned, the sayings of Jesus were passed along orally. Paul drew from a well-known saying of the Lord, one that was preserved apart from any of the written accounts. Many of the statements Jesus made concerning life, work, and wealth support the belief that generous giving would bring blessings and joy. Focusing on the Meaning Present-day followers of Jesus should pay close attention to Paul s words and actions. His life and ministry model the importance of generosity in the Christian life. We face the same issues in our day that Paul faced in his. In light of his parting words to his friends in Ephesus, consider your answer to three questions. What are your priorities? Paul considered sound teaching and the careful shepherding of God s people as primary tasks. He was willing to give generously and risk everything because he believed the cause of Christ was worth his best effort. The generosity of God s people has the greatest impact when such giving supports worthy causes. People mattered to Paul, and he gave in hopes that he might see the lives of people changed by the word of God. People should matter to us as well. How do you handle possessions? Money can corrupt anyone. Generosity can heal such corruption. All the sermons found in the Book of Acts reflect the importance of the spoken word in providing an authentic witness for Christ. Today, people far from God may listen to powerful preaching, but they test the spoken words by the actions that

81 LESSON 7: More Blessed to Give 81 follow. If Christians say one thing and then live another way, then our witness is lost. When we speak of God s grace, do we handle our possessions in a gracious way or with stinginess and greed? The sermons in Acts brought many people to Jesus, but it was the generosity of the first believers that brought who knows how many more into God s family. Their lifestyle of generosity cut against the grain of their society, where ownership and personal wealth were pursued and coveted. Does their society seem much different from our present day? How do you handle power? Too often, we read of a Christian leader who fails. When Christians lose perspective and begin to look out only for themselves, such behavior usually includes a misuse of power. Paul described authentic and genuine Christian leaders as those who shepherded the Lord s flock. The effective and good shepherd was willing to give his life for the sheep. His task was to protect and nurture the flock. When one in a place of authority uses his position to force and to coerce others, then failure soon follows. Jesus, the ultimate Leader, led by giving his life for the sins of the world. His power, truly perfected in weakness and generosity, gives us everlasting life. We should live in such a way that people see in us the words of Jesus: It is more blessed to give than to receive. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Before the session, find several newspaper, magazine, or online news articles of people living locally or around the world who have endured some type of hardship, perhaps even losing their lives, as a result of doing the right thing. Clip or print these out. As participants arrive, distribute the articles, and encourage members to be prepared to share briefly about the article s content.

82 82 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage 2. Begin the session by calling for a volunteer to share about a situation that he or she went into knowing full well that the outcome could be bad, but knowing also that it was the right thing to do. Depending on the individuals in your class, and perhaps situations about which you are already aware, it may be better to pre-enlist the volunteer. If time allows, you may choose to call on multiple individuals to share. 3. Call on pre-enlisted members (see step 1) to share with the entire group about the articles they have read. Use this opportunity to point out that we do sometimes see individuals who sacrifice even their lives in order to do what they know to be right. Explain that today we are going to look at Paul s ministry and explore his faithful compulsion to finish what he started the sharing of the gospel regardless of the persecution that most certainly awaited him. Guide Bible Study 4. Have a volunteer read aloud Acts 20:17 24 as class members make a list of negative words and phrases in the passage. Afterwards, have participants call out all of the negative words and phrases they have found as another volunteer lists them on the board. Use the list to explain that Paul was in a difficult, sensitive, emotional situation. It was a situation that he knew could ultimately end in his own death. Lead the class to share how they might respond if they found themselves in Paul s position. Point out that Paul s life was less important to him than faithfully finishing the task God had given him. 5. Distribute sheets of paper and pens or pencils to any class members who do not have them. Ask everyone to consider what they would want to tell their Christian friends if they knew they were getting ready to go into a possibly life-threatening situation. Have members write one brief paragraph of instruction or encouragement to their fellow Christians. After allowing adequate time for the paragraphs to be completed, call for a volunteer to share what he or she wrote. If time allows, have others report as well. Point out that in verses this was exactly what the Apostle Paul was doing. He was

83 LESSON 7: More Blessed to Give 83 aware that he was headed into a bad situation from which he did not think he would return. 6. Enlist a volunteer read Acts 20: On the reverse side of the sheet from the previous exercise (step 5), have class members list the different pieces of advice or instruction Paul was giving to his Christian friends. Then ask everyone to compare this list to the instructions they themselves wrote. Invite volunteers to share what differences they see in the lists and to suggest why those differences might exist. As time allows, use the information from the Study Guide to lead a discussion on these pieces of advice from Paul. Encourage Application 7. Divide the class into teams of no more than six people each, with the number of teams depending on the size of the class, and have each team send one member to the board. Point out that Paul s life and ministry modeled the importance of generosity in the Christian life. Instruct teams that they are to identify examples from today s Scripture text of how Paul put into practice Jesus teaching about giving being more blessed than receiving. Explain that much of Paul s generosity came in the form of his selfless ministry. As teams find examples in the text, have them call them out to their team member whose job it is to make a list on the board. Instruct the scribe to list only those items his or her own team shares. Allow time for all teams to simultaneously communicate the examples they have found with their chosen scribe. Once teams have completed their lists, have each read aloud and briefly explain one of their examples. Ask what, if any, difficulties they encountered in this exercise. If it is not mentioned, ask whether focusing only on the voices of their own team was a challenge. Use this exercise to point out several important matters from this lesson: a. Just as it was difficult for the scribe to focus only on the input of his or her own team, it is important that we pay close attention to listening for the direction and encouragement of our fellow Christians instead of being distracted by other influences.

84 84 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage b. Out of gratitude for all Christ has done for us, we need our lives to reflect a thankful commitment to generosity. c. Just as important as generously giving financially, as described in lesson six about the collection for the saints (1 Corinthians 16:1), it is also critical to generously give up our lives for the sake of Christ. 8. Encourage class members to spend two or three minutes of silence, thinking about question 4 from Questions in the Study Guide: Paul s service to the Ephesians was motivated by his love for God and his love for them. What message do we send in the way we serve? Ask members to make the question more personal, asking, What message do I send in the way I serve? During this time of silence, have members talk with God about how they can live a more generous life. After providing some time for individual personal confession, close with prayer. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Begin the session by calling for a volunteer to share about a difficult situation the person has gone through as a result of following his or her commitment to Christ. If time allows, you may choose to call on multiple individuals to share. Be prepared with your own example in case no other members volunteer. 2. Use the response(s) to point out that one way we can live generously for Jesus sake is to give of ourselves, willingly sacrificing our own desires in order to remain committed to furthering the message of the gospel. Explain that in this lesson we are going to study about Paul s selfless ministry in the face of death. Guide Bible Study 3. Display a poster with the following outline of the lesson: a. Finishing the Course (Acts 20:17 24)

85 LESSON 7: More Blessed to Give 85 b. More Blessed to Give than to Receive (Acts 20:25 35) 4. Enlist a volunteer to read Acts 20: Point out that this first section is entitled, Finishing the Course. Explain that in these initial verses Paul was reminding the elders from Ephesus of his selfless ministry. Use the following questions to guide discussion: a. Why do you think Paul was making such a point of describing his selfless ministry? b. What does Paul mean by being bound by the Spirit (20:22)? c. What would it look like today for a person to truly live a selfless life whose only value was in faithfully sharing the gospel of Christ? How difficult would that life be to live in today s society? How would it be received by society? Use the materials outlined in the Study Guide and in Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide to lead a more detailed discussion of these verses. 5. Invite someone to read Acts 20: Use information from the Study Guide and Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide to explain these verses. Be certain to pay particular attention to the following ideas or thought questions. a. Ask: How did Paul know this would be the last time he would see the Ephesian elders? b. Ask: What did Paul mean in his reference to having declared to them the whole purpose of God? What sometimes holds us back from declaring the whole purpose of God? c. Have members identify all of the things Paul warned his fellow Christians against in verses 28 30, and write each of the responses on the board. d. Point out that Paul spoke of financial generosity demonstrated through the collection for the saints in lesson six, but here he spoke of generosity in the way he gave of his own life. e. Ask: What are some ways Paul served as an example of generosity to the Ephesian church? How can we follow his example?

86 86 Unit Two: Examples That Encourage f. Ask: How important to you is having a strong work ethic? Have members look again at verses Explain that Paul set himself up as an example of the Christian work ethic we are all to have. We should not sit around and desire what other people have, but instead must work hard to support ourselves and those around us. Point out that Paul specifically mentioned the need to provide not only for ourselves, but also to help support the weak and needy. g. Point out that Paul ended this section by sharing with the Ephesians a saying of Jesus, that, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Ask, Why do you think this is so? Encourage Application 6. Refer to and summarize Implications and Actions in the Study Guide. Invite comments, especially on the matter of leaving a legacy. 7. Encourage class members to spend two or three minutes of silence, asking themselves this question: Is my life marked by generous giving of myself to others and to the Lord? During this time of silence, have members talk with God about what specific things they need to do in order to commit themselves to a life of generosity and to be an example for others to follow. That may involve becoming active in certain areas or giving up some things that have become distractions to life s most important purposes. After providing some time for individual personal confession, close with prayer.

87 FOCAL TEXT Luke 12:13 21; 16:19 31; James 5:1 6 BACKGROUND Luke 12:13 21; 16:14 31; James 5:1 6 MAIN IDEA Being unresponsive to others needs while selfishly accumulating earthly treasures for ourselves results ultimately in disaster. QUESTION TO EXPLORE What do you mean I can t use what I have any way I want to when I got it honestly? Lesson Eight Greedy and Insensitive Living TEACHING AIM To lead adults to decide on ways they will respond to the message that being unresponsive to others needs while selfishly accumulating earthly treasures for ourselves results ultimately in disaster UNIT THREE Examples That Warn 87

88 88 Unit Three: Examples That Warn BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context Luke 12:13 21 is sometimes called The Parable of the Rich Fool. Jesus told the parable in response to a family dispute that had arisen. As he spoke to a crowd, someone from that crowd interrupted and asked him to settle this dispute. In Jewish culture, especially under the Roman occupation, individuals would often turn to a noted teacher to settle a legal dispute. Apparently, a younger brother appealed to Jesus to settle a dispute with his older brother regarding the dispersal of the family inheritance. According to Jewish law and custom, the elder brother in a family controlled the family assets upon the death of the father. Later in Western life, this became known as the law of primogeniture. We do not know what prompted this request for intervention on Jesus behalf. Perhaps the father had made arrangements or promised something that the elder brother refused the younger brother. Or perhaps, the elder brother behaved unfairly or the younger brother who asked for Jesus help was simply greedy. Jesus story suggests that the latter may have been the case. In answer to this request, Jesus told this parable. 1 In Luke 16:19 31, Jesus warned again of the danger of riches and a lack of sensitivity to the needs of others. As he did often, Jesus told a parable to illustrate his point. In the immediate context, Jesus responded to the Pharisees, who were lovers of money and who were scoffing at him and his teaching (Luke 16:14). The warning Jesus gave is similar to the warning James gave in James 5:1 6. Human beings have to be on constant guard against greed. Interpreting the Scriptures A Request for Intervention (Luke 12:13 15) 12:13. It is clear from the language this man used that he did not seek an arbitrator or a fair hearing. He wanted Jesus to rule in his favor. The man wanted Jesus to perform a typical rabbinic function to settle a dispute.

89 LESSON 8: Greedy and Insensitive Living 89 There is no indication that his brother was present or had agreed for Jesus to serve in this function. It may also be that the man hoped to gain allies in his dispute from others who were in the crowd. 12:14. Jesus quickly dealt with the issue. In forceful fashion, he answered that he would not serve to settle this dispute. Jesus recognized that to do so would be to open him up to a multiplicity of these types of requests and therefore deter him from his true mission. He was not a normal Jewish rabbi, and neither would he serve as Moses had served as he led the ancient Hebrews. 2 12:15. Jesus, however, used the moment to teach about greed. He said to those around them, Beware. We might say, Watch out! The comment was a caution to take what he was saying seriously. Jesus added the key danger that we must avoid. That is, a person s true worth is not found in what he or she possesses. The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16 21) 12:16. Unlike some of the parables Jesus told, this parable appears only here in the Gospels. Luke included it most likely because helping the poor is one of the repeated themes of his Gospel. The parable is about a rich farmer who had such a good crop that his barns were full. 12:17. This parable has only one character. Jesus used the device of an internal monologue or soliloquy. The man considered his dilemma. He asked himself, What will I do with this great abundance? Note this man s arrogance. He did not ask the advice of others. He did not seek an answer from God. 12: The wasteful extravagance of verse 18 would be shocking if it were not true of so many people. The self-centeredness of this man is apparent in the language he utilized in this conversation with himself. Note how many times the words I or my appear in verses Jesus did not condemn wealth in this parable. He condemned what the man did with his wealth. The man never considered how he might use his wealth to serve God or to help people in need. He even planned to destroy what barns he had and build newer, bigger barns rather than

90 90 Unit Three: Examples That Warn be satisfied with what he already accumulated and give away the rest to help others. So self-satisfied was he that he planned to live the good life. After all his work, he planned to indulge in hedonistic pleasure to eat, drink, and be merry. This combination of activities had already become a traditional trio long before this parable. 3 Thus Jesus used a description in the parable that his listeners would have known. 12:20. Literally, God called the man a fool, but God also stated the man s wasteful life of conspicuous consumption would end this very night. The problem also suggested here in the context of the preceding verses is that the man believed he was the source of his good fortune rather than acknowledging that God had blessed him. The verse also suggests that due to the man s failure to be a good steward of his possessions, his life was wasted. 12:21. This quotation calls to mind the concept Jesus advanced in the Sermon on the Mount to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal (Matthew 6:20). This man s greed demonstrated that he had stored up treasure and was attempting to store up his possessions on earth, rather than in heaven. If he had responded in generosity rather than greed, the outcome of the parable would have been completely different. The Story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19 31) The immediate context of the parable in Luke 16:19 31 is that Jesus had been teaching his disciples and prefaced this parable with one that is usually called The Unrighteous Steward (Luke 16:1 13). Jesus concluded that parable with a teaching principle that is also recorded in the Sermon on the Mount, No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (16:13; see also Matt. 6:24). The following verse states that the Pharisees were scoffing because they were lovers of money (Luke 16:14). It may also be that the Pharisees viewed wealth and prosperity as God s favor and poverty as God s punishment. It is against that background that Jesus tells this story.

91 LESSON 8: Greedy and Insensitive Living 91 16:19. This verse is filled with information about the protagonist in the story. Jesus chose not to give the man s name while later naming the poor man. Might this be an indication that Jesus had in mind a real person? We do not know. Regardless, Jesus said that this rich man had a habit of dressing himself in the finest of clothing. Merchants created purple dye from the purple fish, a type of shellfish. Royalty utilized purple to distinguish themselves from people not royalty. The upper classes in Palestine liked to imitate the Roman upper classes by wearing this color and this type of finery to distinguish themselves as the elite. The purple garment would have been the outer garment while the fine linen would have been the inner garment, most likely imported from Egypt. To wear such clothing indicated ostentatious display and extravagance. Jesus further confirmed this by stating that the man was joyously living in splendor every day. As far as Jesus mentioned, this man had committed no terrible sin but apparently focused solely on his own pleasures. 4 16: Jesus contrasted the beggar Lazarus against this splendor. Lazarus was a common name in Palestine like John or Joe in North America, and so the fact that Jesus named him is no verification that he was a real person rather than a figure in a parable. These verses are also filled with hints about the story. The verb translated was laid indicates a particular kind of roughness, as if the poor man had simply been flung there. New Testament Greek scholar A. T. Robertson also suggested that the rich man s gate indicates a main gate like an entrance to an estate. Regardless, the rich man would have had to pass Lazarus each day. Jesus also indicated that the man was covered with sores and that his misery was so complete that dogs made his misery even worse. It is possible that these same dogs were competing with Lazarus for the food scraps that may have been thrown to him that he longed to eat. 5 16:22. This verse reminds the reader that ultimately the end of all, rich and poor, strong and weak, male and female, Jew and Gentile, is death. Jesus did not say whether Lazarus was buried, which leads us to wonder what became of the body. The rich man, though, was buried, probably with all the fanfare befitting the rich. The Jewish people viewed Abraham as the greatest of the all the patriarchs. The fact that Lazarus was reclining at Abraham s bosom reminds us of the scene at the Last Supper with John and Jesus. For the Jew, Lazarus s location may be

92 92 Unit Three: Examples That Warn understood as being translated or carried to Paradise where the patriarchs welcomed the faithful. Despite Lazarus s relative insignificance, he now rested in an envied place. In this case, Jesus stated that angels had transported Lazarus to this place of eternal bliss. 6 By telling this story Jesus also identified with those who believed in eternal life, contrary to the priestly Sadducees who did not. 16:23. By contrast, the rich man benefitted from no such similar outcome. Instead, Jesus utilized a dramatic word, torment, to describe the rich man s condition. A. T. Robertson says that the word used here means the touchstone by which gold and other metals are tested, then the rack for torturing people. 7 For the Jews of that day, most understood Hades simply as the place where the dead went, but it had increasingly become understood as a place the dead went for punishment as an intermediate location before a final judgment. 8 16:24. In his dismal state, the rich man pled to Abraham for even a momentary form of relief. However, even as he begged for help, there was a lack of understanding on his part as well as a bit of arrogance and condescension. He still expected Lazarus to be under his command for Lazarus to serve him in death as he had been served by others in his life of extravagance and waste. 16: Abraham s response, while polite, was certain. The rich man enjoyed the good life in his earthly existence. On the other hand, Lazarus suffered great misery. Now the roles were reversed. Abraham further explained that a great gulf separated them. God placed this chasm there so that there might be no communication between the two locations. How terrible, though, it must be for those in torment to be able to see others in comfort and joy. Might it be that the torment experienced by the rich man was further deepened by consciousness of the fact that this one who was ignored or looked down was now in comfort while he suffered? 16:27 28 Perhaps the torment the man experienced had opened his eyes in some way to his selfishness. He at least moved beyond his own torment to ask Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers. Unfortunately, he still did not indicate any concern for the poor, only for his family members. He at least recognized that these men also needed to repent of their

93 LESSON 8: Greedy and Insensitive Living 93 sinful actions. Perhaps he was admitting that he had sinned and was being justly punished. He recognized that they would suffer the same fate. 16: Abraham s response was clear. The warnings of Scripture should have been sufficient. While the rich man begged for a supernatural type of intervention a dead person appearing to them Abraham understood that if their hearts were too hard for the Scripture to soften, then even a supernatural event would not make a difference. A Judgment on the Rich (James 5:1 6) One of the concepts with which the Epistle of James is most concerned is that those who profess to be Christians truly live as followers of Jesus. This is not the only place a warning appears to the church about the abuses of wealth and neglect of the poor. James earlier had expressed concern about preferential treatment given to the wealthy over the poor (James 2:1 6; see also 1:10 11). 5:1. This verse has an especially harsh tone to it. There is no call to repent in this passage. James simply pronounced judgment. The language James utilized here is similar to that of Old Testament prophets. To howl was a response to disaster and indicated a terrible punishment. It is unclear, however, whether James expected this punishment to be in this world, in the next as with the rich man in Luke 16:19 31, or both. 5:2 3. These verses clearly delineate the transitory nature of earthly wealth. These two verses are especially reminiscent of Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:19 21). As Jesus had cautioned, James now reminded his readers that insects can destroy and even precious metals become tarnished. Earthly wealth is ultimately worthless. Additionally, James suggested that ultimately riches destroy those who seek to accumulate them. How often have we seen that to be the case? 5:4 6. Here James explained their sin. It was not just that they accumulated wealth and lived extravagantly. Judgment was certainly coming because of how they had acquired their wealth. They had profited off the labor of others without fairly compensating those whose sweat made

94 94 Unit Three: Examples That Warn those riches possible. The reference is to agricultural workers. But the principle applies to anyone who served (or serves) as an employer. The language also suggests that the withholding of a just wage is a form of fraud. James further criticized these wealthy individuals in how they used their wealth. Their abuse of these workers resulted in the wealthy living a life of ease and waste. Essentially James accused these wealthy of not only living lives of leisure but also of partying while others suffered. Their self-indulgence and abuse of poor workers were the terrible sins. Verse 6 reminded them that they had avoided earthly punishment because they controlled the courts of justice. 9 Focusing on the Meaning All three of these passages of Scripture serve as dire warnings. In each case, the problem is not with wealth. The problem comes from the arrogance and self-indulgence of the rich and their neglect of and even abuse of the poor. In all three instances the rich fool, the rich man of the Lazarus story, and the rich people James prophesied against language used suggests that they lived extravagantly and ignored the needs of those around them. In each case, those Jesus and James criticized placed more value on things than on people. They made idols of possessions, and they engaged in extravagant living rather than worshiping God. Likewise, rather than recognizing God as the source of their blessings and utilizing those gifts to serve others, they exhibited pride and arrogance in some fashion, if not in words like the rich fool in the first story, then certainly in the attitudes they demonstrated. For us we must consider several things. Are American Christians, who are wealthy in comparison with most of the world, lovers of money like the Pharisees (Luke 16:14)? Are we guilty of over-indulgence while ignoring the needs of others? Do we work to ensure that workers receive just wages for their efforts? In recent years many Americans have been appalled by golden parachutes given out to top management of large companies upon their retirement or departure even if the corporation was failing and people were being laid off. This much we should acknowledge. Scripture is clear that if Christian faith is truly real then placing priority on things is utterly foolish.

95 LESSON 8: Greedy and Insensitive Living 95 TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Before students arrive, make sure you have a markerboard or easel with large blank paper. As students are gathering give them 3 x 5 note cards for later use, and also ask them how much they know about barns. Discuss the architectural features of barns they ve seen or otherwise know about. 2. When your class has mostly arrived, enlist two people to make large, simple, line drawings of barns, leaving room to draw things inside the barn, the bigger the better. As students are drawing, summarize the story found in Luke 12:13 21, using the lesson comments in the Study Guide and Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide. Guide Bible Study 3. After summarizing the story of the barns, read Luke 12:21, and ask students to use the 3 x 5 cards to jot down two or three things people are tempted to store up to the point of distraction from God. Ask them to tape them inside the drawing of the first barn. Name this the Stingy Barn. 4. As students are completing this task, encourage them to reflect on the things they themselves have stored up. If your group is open to sharing, ask them to name aloud those things and explain why they feel the need to store things up. If the group might not be open to sharing so intimately, ask them to contemplate this matter quietly. 5. Then say, Jesus was talking to some Pharisees in Luke 16. They were known to be lovers of money (Luke 16:14). Read Luke 16:19, and state, The rich man loved money and the comforts it provided. What

96 96 Unit Three: Examples That Warn things identify lovers of money in our culture and time? Allow plenty of time for them to think about their answer and you likely will hear answers that are more substantive. 6. Enlist two or three volunteers to take turns reading Luke 16:20 31, verse by verse. At the end of the reading, state, This story is, in part, about how those with wealth should treat those with little or nothing. Ideally, how should the rich man have treated Lazarus when he was on the ground outside the gate? 7. Read this paragraph from the Study Guide (next to last paragraph under Caring for the Poor ): One might be tempted to read this passage to mean that the rich go to hell and the poor go to heaven. But that reading falls short of the story s rich capacity to help us see how important care for the poor is to God. Showing generosity to the poor and marginalized indicates not just our understanding of this theological truth, but also verifies the reality and the quality of our relationship to God. 8. Ask the group to use the reverse side of the 3 x 5 cards to jot down acts of charity that can truly help the poor in our world today. Receive reports, and fill up the other barn with their ideas. Label this the Generous Barn. Encourage Application 9. Enlist someone to read James 5:1 6 aloud while the class listens for which barn Stingy or Generous the verses remind them of. Move students into groups of two to four, and ask them to make comparisons between the two barns. What do the contents of each barn have in common? What are the main differences between the two barns? Which barn does our church most resemble? Which barn does your life most resemble? According to the James 5 passage, where should our priority be? 10. Point out that the treasures in James are especially condemned because the laborers went unpaid. What s more James 5:6 says that

97 LESSON 8: Greedy and Insensitive Living 97 the rich have committed murder of the righteous in order to produce a profit. 11. Ask: a. What is wrong with abusing others in order to produce a profit? b. What can Christians do to avoid abusing others in our society? 12. Lead each group to pray for one another. After a few moments, close the time together by praying something like this: Dear God, forgive us for all the times we have been unresponsive to the people in our lives who are in need. We confess that accumulating treasures for ourselves ultimately leads to disaster. Thank you that the generosity of Jesus death for our sin can bring us forgiveness. In Jesus name, Amen. 13. Encourage students to read the small article in the Study Guide titled, Ideas for Living Simply, after class, and challenge them to reflect on and work on at least one of the areas in the bulleted list. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Before class display the three Scripture references and the simple drawings mentioned, but with plenty of blank space around them to write. Around the heading Luke 12:13 21, draw a simple barn. Around the heading Luke 16:19 31, draw two stick figures, one smiling contentedly as Lazarus, one sad and woeful as the rich man in Hades. Around the heading James 5:1 6, draw stick figures wailing to heaven and small coins at their feet. Perhaps add in a drawing of a moth.

98 98 Unit Three: Examples That Warn 2. Begin with some questions to engage your students. What do you know about barns? What is the biggest barn you ever saw? Where was it? What was in the barn? Guide Bible Study 3. Introduce and read the story of the barn builder in Luke 12: Then ask students to call out words or short phrases to describe the man who tore down his barns to build bigger ones. Write down answers in and around the barn you drew before class. 4. Next, enlist volunteers to read Luke 16: After the reading, explain Jesus use of the word Hades, using information in the small article in the Study Guide. 5. Ask students to call out words or phrases to describe the rich man before his death. Record their answers under the stick figure you already drew. Then lead students to call out words or phrases to describe how they imagine Lazarus on the ground outside the rich man s gate. Then say, In death their joys were reversed. Lazarus found joy in Abraham s bosom and the rich man found misery in the torment of Hades. 6. Ask: While this story doesn t mean that the rich go to hell and the poor go to heaven, what can this story tell us about how God views wealth and poverty? Allow plenty of time for students to think about their answers to this challenging question before moving on. A bit of silence is okay! 7. Enlist someone to read James 5:1 6. Ask, What are the modern treasures we store up that will be destroyed like those in this passage? Record their answers around the third drawing you ve prepared. 8. Point out that the treasures in James are especially condemned because the laborers went unpaid. State that what s more James 5:6 says that the rich had committed murder of the righteous in order to produce a profit.

99 LESSON 8: Greedy and Insensitive Living 99 Encourage Application 9. Ask: What is wrong with abusing others in order to produce a profit? What can Christians do to avoid abusing others in our society? 10. Refer to and lead the group to review the small article, Ideas for Living Simply, in the Study Guide. Challenge them to reflect on and work on at least one of the areas in the bulleted list. 11. Close in prayer, asking God s forgiveness for times we have been unresponsive to others needs while selfishly accumulating treasures for ourselves. NOTES 1. Peter Rhea Jones, The Teaching of the Parables (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1982), Jones, John Nolland, Word Biblical Commentary, Luke 9:21 18:34 (Waco, Texas: Word Books: 1993), Leon Morris, Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988), 276; Nolland, ; A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. II (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1930), Robertson, Morris, ; Nolland, 829; Robertson, Robertson, Nolland, Ralph P. Martin, Word Biblical Commentary: James (Waco, Texas: Word, 1988), ; Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. VI (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1930),

100 FOCAL TEXT Mark 10:17 31 BACKGROUND Mark 10:17 31 MAIN IDEA Putting possessions ahead of following Jesus leads to a tragic result. QUESTION TO EXPLORE Your money or your life which will it be? TEACHING AIM To lead the class to evaluate what their actions show to be the relative importance of Jesus and possessions in their lives Lesson Nine Choosing Stuff over Jesus UNIT THREE Examples That Warn 100

101 LESSON 9: Choosing Stuff over Jesus 101 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context This story took place during the last days of Jesus earthly life as he made his final journey to Jerusalem. The preceding verses tell us that Jesus was in a house answering questions from both Pharisees and then later from his disciples. Children visited him, and he held them and blessed them. Jesus then left to continue on his journey to Jerusalem. As he left, a man ran up to him. Matthew and Luke in their accounts of this story (Matthew 19:16 30; Luke 18:18 30) tell us that in addition to being rich he was young and a ruler. As he questioned Jesus, Jesus used the encounter as an opportunity to teach his disciples. In the context of this passage one senses an urgency in Jesus teaching. He recognized that his time was short, and he made the most of every opportunity to teach them. Interpreting the Scriptures A Wealthy Man Questions Jesus (10:17 22) 10:17. Jesus left the house where he had been and renewed his journey. As he was leaving, a rich man ran up to Jesus. We can only speculate what motivated him. Perhaps he had been following reports of Jesus ministry for some time but only now took the opportunity to find Jesus and question him. The fact that he ran after Jesus demonstrated the level of his interest. Since he was wealthy, to run after Jesus showed how serious he held this encounter as did the fact that he knelt and then applied a special label to Jesus. Rather than simply call Jesus Rabbi or Teacher as others did, he added the adjective good. The man s question has motivated people from all walks of life throughout the centuries. He asked, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? Bible commentator William Lane offers that this question implies a piety of achievement which stands in contrast to Jesus teaching that a man must receive the Kingdom (or life) as a gift from God in his helplessness. 1 On this side of the cross, we understand that eternal

102 102 Unit Three: Examples That Warn life is a result of God s grace that is offered to us as a result of Jesus atoning work. Yet we know that typically people have sought to earn salvation and eternal life through following laws or engaging in certain activities. 10: Jesus steered the question away from himself and toward God by asking the man to define good. The man responded as many of that day would have. Jesus listed a number of commandments, and the man responded that he had kept them throughout his life. This statement indicated that the man followed Pharisaical legalism. It was just this type of legalism that Jesus encountered so often in his ministry. One reading of verse 20 might be that the man had great pride in his spiritual achievement. Yet, there appears to have been nothing ostentatious or pretentious about his response. His humility in approaching Jesus as he did suggests that he was completely sincere. Note Jesus listing of these commandments. All these commandments relate to the second table of the commandments those that relate to other people or as Jesus said on other occasions, relate to loving your neighbor. However, Jesus mentioned one that is not a commandment not to defraud. Missing was the commandment not to covet. One commentator suggests that since the man was rich, covetousness was not a problem for him, but as a wealthy person he may have well been guilty of defrauding the poor. 2 Or perhaps covetousness remained a problem for him, and Jesus tested him to see how he would respond with this commandment absent. We cannot be certain. Nevertheless we can see how the man regarded his own spiritual condition. He testified to Jesus that in these matters of the law, his condition was flawless. Is this response an indication of spiritual arrogance on his part? From what the next verse tells us about how Jesus responded, this is doubtful. 10:21. The New American Standard Bible translates the first phrase of verse 21 as looking at him. The original language may suggest that Jesus studied him for a moment. Mark recorded that Jesus felt love for him. Greek scholar A. T. Robertson calls it a glance of affection, and Evans adds that this phrase may have intended to convey a hug or that Jesus took the man by both shoulders to show his affection. However, Jesus recognized that this man, while keeping the law diligently, still lacked true compassion for the poor. Indeed, his statement seems to

103 LESSON 9: Choosing Stuff over Jesus 103 suggest that Jesus perceived that rather than possessing things, things possessed this rich man. To truly be assured of eternal life, he must change this condition. Another consideration might be that in listing the commandments, Jesus had not listed those that came from the first table, those that deal with people s worship of and relationship to God. Is it possible that Jesus told him this because he recognized that the man had made his riches into his God? Jesus told him he must sell it all and give it to the poor. For this man, Jesus understood that he had put his possessions ahead of his worship of God. 10:22. When the man heard this request from Jesus, it was as if a gloomy, somber cloud descended over his face. This is the first point in which Mark tells us that the man was rich. The man s heart was broken because he could not imagine himself living in poverty. The contrast of this man with Jesus disciples is stark. They had left all to follow Jesus. But this man held too tightly to his great wealth to give it away. His response is the exact opposite of the generosity that followers of Jesus should have. 3 Jesus Teaches His Disciples (10:23 31) 10:23. For the second time Mark records Jesus as looking around. One commentator suggests that perhaps Jesus was looking around to see the disciples reaction. 4 Undoubtedly, the disciples would have been impressed with the man s position and wealth, especially if he was of the ruling class or some form of Jewish royalty. As another commentator suggests, the disciples may have considered the young man a promising recruit. 5 The New American Standard Bible translates this passage as, How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! Bible commentator Alan Cole states that a more accurate sense of this verbiage would be, How hard it is for those who have things to enter the kingdom of God. 6 In this case it may be applied more readily to all of us who are Americans. 10: Robertson describes the response of the disciples as a look of blank astonishment on their faces. Like some people in our time, some Jewish people believed that God especially smiled on the wealthy. Jesus further clarified what he had just said by stressing that entrance to God s kingdom is not an easy thing. Jesus called the disciples children, not

104 104 Unit Three: Examples That Warn in a derogatory fashion but as a term of tenderness brought on by their growing perplexity. When Jesus talked about a camel passing through the eye of the needle, he did not intend to compare this to a gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of the needle. That gate did not exist in Jesus time. Instead, Robertson believes that Mark s usage indicated that Jesus was referring to a hole or perforation in sewing. Jesus used this extreme example to get the disciples attention in this instance. 7 10: By the time Jesus made the statement in verse 25, the disciples had uncontrolled astonishment. They essentially believed that God s kingdom had become unattainable. Lane uses the verbs bewildered and frightened to describe how they felt. Cole says they were thunderstruck. But Jesus clarified it. Indeed, it is impossible for anyone to enter the kingdom of God. However, but with God anything is possible. God who created the world from nothing can also save those who come to God in faith. 8 10:28. As so often was the case, Peter acted as the spokesman for the group. Perhaps motivated by the attention the man had attracted or the obvious love Jesus felt for him, Peter reminded Jesus that they had already done what Jesus asked this man to do. Lane notices a spark of self-congratulation in his statement to Jesus. 9 Is it possible that Peter and the others felt pride in what they had done when this rich man had been unable to do it? Or did the disciples, led by Peter, seek the assurance that the man sought that Jesus guaranteed their eternal life by their sacrifice? 10: Jesus assured his disciples in this statement that, in fact, those who follow him will receive a hundred-fold of what they have sacrificed. But he cautioned them also that along with that they would experience persecution. Indeed, Bible commentator William Lane stresses that Jesus predicted the entire history of the Christian church in this statement. Verse 31 may be understood as a summation statement reminding the disciples that humility and service should be the marks of his disciples. 10

105 LESSON 9: Choosing Stuff over Jesus 105 Focusing on the Meaning Most people have heard the line on a movie or a television show, Your money or your life. The comedian Jack Benny, who brought many laughs due to his reputed cheapskate nature, was one who appeared to always hesitate in that type of a situation. While the decision in a robbery may seem to be clear-cut to us, we also recognize that in the materialistic culture in which we live, people daily make the choice of money. Christians are as guilty of this choice as non-christians unfortunately. We should also understand that wealth can be a barrier to discipleship. An obsession with wealth and with the things that wealth can buy can keep our focus on things of the earth rather than on things that are eternal. A desire to possess can eclipse a desire to share with others. Greed can stunt generosity. In the case of this man, his wealth possessed him more than he possessed it. We need to also recognize that while Jesus promised that investing our lives in laying up treasures in heaven does bring rewards, material rewards are not what Jesus promised. Indeed, laying up treasures in heaven by sharing generously with others, helping to support the mission and ministries of Christ s church, and eschewing lives of indulgent pleasure, may often mean a lack of material rewards. To serve Jesus means to place service and humility as the goals of our lives rather than accumulation of wealth and earthly treasures. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Open class discussion by asking students to list websites, outlet malls, specialty stores, warehouse stores, etc., where people can get a great deal. Record answers on a markerboard or poster.

106 106 Unit Three: Examples That Warn 2. State that technology makes it easier for us to find the best prices on things. We have listed lots of places to get great deals on purchases. Ask, Do you think all this ease of purchasing is good? What might be some downfalls? Lead students to consider how ease of purchasing might lead to overspending and cultivating an obsession with possessions. Guide Bible Study 3. Suggest that this lesson s Bible passage begins with a story about a man who had a possession obsession. Since this story is rich in dialogue, appoint a narrator for the narrative text, and someone to read for Jesus, the rich man, and Peter. Encourage your thespians to really dramatize their parts. Then have them read the story aloud using the Scripture printed in the Study Guide so all will have the same translation. 4. Move students into two groups. (If attendance is larger than twelve, create additional groups so group size will not be larger than six in a group.) One group represents the point of view of the rich man. (We don t want to give up our stuff.) The other group will represent Peter. (We ve already given everything up. What more can you ask?) a. Ask the rich man group to brainstorm reasons for hanging on to possessions. b. Ask the Peter group to brainstorm reasons giving up possessions can be a good idea. Allow 3 5 minutes. Each group should report what they discussed. As one group presents, ask the listening group to counter with ideas from their camp. 5. Ask students to tell you about the most impossible thing they ever saw or experienced. After a few responses, say, In today s Bible story Jesus talked about something that is utterly impossible, passing a camel through the eye of a needle. Some have argued through the years that this illustration refers to a special gate in the city wall of Jerusalem, but this is simply not true. The gate

107 LESSON 9: Choosing Stuff over Jesus 107 referred to did not exist in Jesus era, and so the idea of kneeling down and removing baggage to get into the kingdom doesn t hold up. It is likely that Jesus was speaking figuratively, as he did in Matthew 23:24 in reference to the Pharisees straining out a gnat but swallowing a camel. Continue, We must consider seriously this tough saying of Jesus and understand that as surely as Jesus was talking about wealth being a barrier to discipleship and kingdom living, so are other things like power, prestige, and influence. Even if we could be as devout as the rich man who kept all the other commandments, there will always be something that disqualifies us from a completely holy life, something that prevents us from earning our way into God s grace. Encourage Application 6. Use the case study in the Study Guide about the family with the boat. Read it aloud and discuss the questions found there. 7. Close by asking the students to privately list things in their life that are barriers to their discipleship. After a few moments of reflection, challenge them to a radical act of generosity by giving away some of their possessions that are between them and God. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Display the outline of the three sections of the Bible passage on a markerboard or flip chart, leaving space to write under each heading: (1) Mark 10:17 22 The Possession Obsession (2) Mark 10:23 27 God s Possibilities or Our Possessions (3) Mark 10:28 31 Give It Up Now, Live it Up Later

108 108 Unit Three: Examples That Warn 2. Ask class members to assume they had a good reason to give something up. Ask them to decide how easily they might: Give up dinner out Give away a favorite shirt/blouse Give away a diamond ring that was a family heirloom Give a ride for a friend with a broken-down car Give your car to a friend for the day Give up your bed for a houseguest Lead students to explain why some things are easier to give up than others. Then ask, Would you be willing to give up everything you own if your salvation depended on it? Guide Bible Study 3. Read, or solicit volunteers to read, Mark 10: Ask, Was the rich man unable or unwilling to give up his possessions? Explore why they answered as they did. 5. Ask the students to imagine reasons the rich man was unwilling or unable to give up his possessions. Have them call out their answers and record them on the markerboard under part (1) of the outline. 6. Read or have a volunteer read Mark 10: Using information in the Study Guide and Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide, explain Jesus statement about the camel and the eye of the needle. Then ask, Why is wealth a barrier to discipleship? 7. State, Wealth can be a barrier to discipleship. What are some other barriers to discipleship you can name? Record answers on a markerboard or flip chart as they are given. 8. Read or have a volunteer read Mark 10: Say, There are many barriers to discipleship, but there are also many benefits of being Jesus disciple. Jesus lists a few of the things we ll gain in Mark 10: Let s read that again and name some. After a few minutes, ask for other benefits of discipleship not mentioned in this passage.

109 LESSON 9: Choosing Stuff over Jesus 109 Encourage Application 9. Use the case study about the family with the boat in the Study Guide. Read it aloud and lead the group to discuss the questions found there. 10. Close by referring to and asking question 4 in the Study Guide ( Inherent in this story is the idea that being generous for Jesus sake with our possessions eliminates one barrier to our entering the kingdom of God. In what ways does this make us free? What possessions in your life are distracting you from God? What should you do? ) After a few moments of reflection, challenge them to a radical act of generosity by giving away some of their possessions that are between them and God. NOTES 1. William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974), 365, italics in original). 2. Craig A. Evans, Word Biblical Commentary: Mark 8:27 16:20 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Co, 2001), A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament: Luke (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1930), 352; Evans, Robertson, Evans, R. Alan Cole, Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988), Robertson, Lane, 370; Cole, Lane, Lane,

110 FOCAL TEXT Matthew 25:31 46 BACKGROUND Matthew 25:31 46 MAIN IDEA Failing to extend generous care to even the lowliest and neediest of people indicates that we really do not care for Jesus. QUESTION TO EXPLORE Why should we stoop to serve the lowliest and neediest of people? TEACHING AIM To lead adults to identify ways God is calling them to extend generous care to all people, even those they may consider the lowliest and neediest Lesson Ten Failing to Be Generous UNIT THREE Examples That Warn 110

111 LESSON 10: Failing to Be Generous 111 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context One way of grasping the approach of the Gospel of Matthew is to see that it is divided into sections based on major summaries of Jesus teachings. Thus, Matthew is the fifth of five major sections of Jesus teachings in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 5 7; 10; 13; 18; 23 25). Matthew includes Jesus teachings on final judgment that he delivered after his arrival in Jerusalem for the Passover (the triumphal entry in Matt. 21). Matthew 25:31 46 concludes Jesus teaching on the end times and is the conclusion of his teachings in the Gospel of Matthew. These verses are not a parable but are a statement on the final judgment. They are immediately followed by a narrative of the last days of Jesus earthly life before his execution and resurrection. Jesus description of the final judgment focuses on his followers service to others. Specifically he described a contrast between those who pretend to be his followers and those who actually follow him. Matthew 25:31 46 serves as a strong conclusion to the other passages in this unit, Examples That Warn. Ultimately, Jesus is telling us that if we are his disciples we will not behave like the rich fool who arrogantly ignored how he might have used his wealth to help others, or like the rich man who disregarded the poor man who sat at his gate, or like the rich man who obviously was rigorously obedient to Jewish religious law but could not release control of his possessions to follow after Jesus. Jesus told his disciples then and tells us now what the ultimate result of greed is. Interpreting the Scriptures 25:31. The introduction of this passage refers back to the question about the end times that Jesus disciples asked in 24:3. Jesus disciples sought the answer to the question, When? Jesus showed that he was more concerned about why and what the importance of his return is. Matthew s description shows a high view of Christ. The emphasis on the words glory and glorious are dramatic here. 1 The statement that the Son of Man... will sit on His glorious throne reinforces this high view.

112 112 Unit Three: Examples That Warn 25: All the nations does not refer to political entities. The word translated nations is the root word of the English word ethnic. Jesus was saying that all peoples or ethnic groups will be gathered in front of Jesus throne at the final judgment, including the Jews and all Gentiles. It also indicates the comprehensive nature of the final judgment. This gathering will include both the righteous and unrighteous. In this case, the sheep represent the righteous while the goats represent the unrighteous. Jesus stated that the righteous would be on his right side with the unrighteous on the left. Greek scholar A. T. Robertson suggests that this illustration was common in Palestine because sheep were usually white, while goats were often black. People of Palestine also regarded goats as being destructive of vegetation. 2 25:34. Bible commentator R. T. France indicates that this verse carried an amazing promise for disciples who would experience the extreme hardness of persecution. The promise of inheritance suggests a sharing of authority in the kingdom of God with Christ the King. This promise is eternal. 3 From the foundation of the world indicates that God s eternal purpose for this inheritance pre-dates even the fall of humankind. 25: These two verses and verses describe six different conditions of great need. These conditions are similar to the words of Isaiah 58:7 and also bring to mind the experiences of Paul listed in 2 Corinthians 11: France calls Matthew 25:35 36 a guide to practical discipleship. 4 The word stranger can also be translated as foreigner. 25: The language used indicates a great level of shock in the response of the righteous at the final judgment. They are incredulous in Jesus statement of their response. They cannot imagine when they have seen Jesus in such a terrible condition as any of these situations, much less all of them. This incredulity would be magnified by the glorious condition in which they would be observing Christ at the judgment throne. There could be no greater contrast. 25:40. The astonishment of the disciples will be answered by Jesus at that moment when he states his complete identification with the weak and oppressed. The statement Truly I say to you adds weight to the statement that follows in the original language. As France writes, It is

113 LESSON 10: Failing to Be Generous 113 any brother of Jesus, however insignificant, that Jesus himself is served, and it is that service which is therefore the criterion of judgment, as it indicates how one responds to Jesus himself. 5 We need to recall that it is not works that bring salvation but the attitude of love for Jesus that is behind the works. As we love Jesus, we will serve others, even those who are most unlike us or most in need. 25: The same sequence of conversation now is repeated in relationship to the unrighteous. The unrighteous are sentenced to separation from Jesus. This separation from the divine love of Jesus is to be permanent and is completed by the banishment into eternal fire, the terrible picture of hell. It brings to mind the torment experienced by the rich man in Luke 16:19 31 that we studied in lesson eight. The scene worsens when the hearer recognizes that this eternal fire is to be the residence of evil itself, as indicated by the presence of the devil and his angels. In one sentence, the unrighteous have been removed from the presence of eternal love to the absence of love and the presence of eternal evil. Robertson notes, Some sheep will think they are goats and some goats will think they are sheep. This adds to the astonishment that each will experience at the final judgment. 6 25:44. In the same way that surprise permeated the response of the righteous to what Jesus would say at the judgment, panic filled the response of the unrighteous goats. They will recognize that judgment awaits but will not understand where they have failed to respond to Jesus. 25: Once again, Jesus verified the truth of his statement with, Truly I say to you. The conclusion of the story points to the eternal outcome for those who have failed to respond to the weak and oppressed. By failing to respond to these, they have failed to respond to Jesus himself. The word used for punishment translates the Greek word that means to mutilate or prune. This punishment was not to be temporary but to be eternal in the same way that the righteous would experience eternal reward. 7

114 114 Unit Three: Examples That Warn Focusing on the Meaning Mother Teresa worked among the untouchables of Calcutta, India. Michael Christensen in his book, City Streets, City People, tells of his visit to see Mother Teresa and his work with her. Within a few weeks he had seen enough blood and ooze to last a lifetime. One day he was with Mother Teresa when she picked up a dying baby out of the gutter. The baby s hands and feet had been eaten off by rats. Christensen was almost destroyed with despair. The next day as Christensen struggled with the misery of the human existence that he had seen, Mother Teresa asked him, Did you see Jesus today? Christensen said that he had to honestly answer that he had not. He wrote that Mother Teresa then took his hand in hers and opened and closed the five fingers of his hand. As she spoke to him regarding the life of Christ, she spoke five words over and over again as she touched his fingers. You-did-it-to-me. 8 When we minister to others, especially those who are suffering, we minister to Jesus himself. We must be careful to understand that the response of generosity does not guarantee salvation any more than the failure to extend generosity guarantees judgment. The correct understanding is that true followers of Christ are going to identify with the oppressed and downtrodden by seeing the face of Jesus on the hungry, thirsty, naked, foreigner, sick, or prisoner. If we truly love Jesus, then we are going to love all others and seek opportunities to share with them. Good works do not bring about salvation any more than simple intellectual agreement is faith. However, for believers, doing good works is not optional. The Epistle of James tells us, Faith, if it has no works, is dead. (James 2:17). Throughout Jesus earthly ministry, Jesus identified with the weak, poor, outcast, and sick. He loved all people, not just those who were like him or who loved him. He identified with those who suffered, and he empathized with those who grieved. Much of his ministry was to go about the countryside doing good. The Baptist Christian ethicist T. B. Maston wrote: An authentic Christian is one who permits the resurrected Christ to live in and through him or her. This would mean... that an authentic Christian will go about doing good. To the degree that he does this, he will reveal Christ and hence reveal God. He will

115 LESSON 10: Failing to Be Generous 115 be concerned about people all colors, cultures, and classes but he will have a particular interest in and concern for the poor, the hungry, the handicapped, the underprivileged in general. 9 TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. As students enter, assign them in alternating fashion to a goats side of the room or a sheep side of the room. They may be seated, but the sheep and the goats must remain separated. (Arrange the room to accommodate this activity, if possible.) Ask the goats what they know about goats. Ask the sheep what they know about sheep. 2. After a few minutes of conversation, introduce the lesson by saying, We are going to study a Bible passage that tells a story about a future separation of people into groups by Jesus. You might be surprised by the basis on which Jesus separates people. Guide Bible Study 3. Say, We are about to read one section of our Bible passage for today. As we read this passage, visualize the scene. After we read the passage, we will consider some questions. Read Matthew 25: Then ask: Who is gathered around the throne? ( all the nations ) Who is meant by all the nations? Do the sheep and goats yet know why they re separated? 4. Next, read Matthew 25: When the time comes for the sheep to speak to the Lord, have the sheep on one side of the room read

116 116 Unit Three: Examples That Warn their part in unison (Matt. 25:37 39). If you feel your group is up to it, have them say baaaah at the end of their reading. 5. Ask, The sheep in this story perform the good deeds almost unaware they re doing good. What does it take in the life of Christians for our good deeds to be done on autopilot? (Possible answers include practice, spiritual discipline, prayer, attentiveness. You can also suggest other spiritual practices that shape disciples to look outward: fasting, silence, retreats, prayer, Bible study, service projects.) Record their answers on the markerboard as students say them. 6. Next, read Matthew 25: When the time comes for the goats to speak to the Lord, have the goats read their part in unison (25:44). Again, if you feel your group can be playful, have them say nnaaah at the end of their reading. 7. State, The goats in this story asked, When did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison? Ask, Why do you think people fail to see the needs of others around them? Brainstorm answers, and write them on a markerboard as students share their ideas. Encourage Application 8. Ask, Is it possible for goats to become sheep? or for sheep to become goats? 9. Bring the sheep and goats back together, no longer as sheep and goats. Then say, Jesus tells this story of separation with high hopes that we will take the initiative and put ourselves in the sheep group by our own motivation and action. Because we have this biblical story, we will not be surprised at the day of judgment. We carry within us an understanding of what we should do because of this story. Disciples of Jesus who would be generous must do so without regard for the status of the people in need who are before us daily. Because disciples are the way in which the people of this world encounter the living Christ, our intentionality to care for the least matters. 10. Close with a prayer that is structured like this: With everyone silent, ask them to remember:

117 LESSON 10: Failing to Be Generous 117 A time when they themselves were the least and someone aided them. Encourage them to thank God for the person or group who aided them. A time when they aided someone in the least of these category. Encourage them to ask God for strength and courage to do this more frequently in the future. A time when they saw a need but failed to address it, for whatever reason. Encourage them to ask God s forgiveness and make a commitment to open their spiritual eyes in the coming week to see the face of Jesus in the people around them. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Display the outline of the three sections of the Bible passage on a marker board or flip chart: Matthew 25:31 34 As We Gather Around the Throne Matthew 25:35 40 Sheep and Their Good Deeds Matthew 25:41 46 Goats and Their Sins of Omission 2. As students arrive, ask them what they know about sheep and goats. Then ask, Based on the week you ve had this week, do you feel more like a sheep or a goat? Why? Listen to their answers for potential prayer needs and care concerns. Guide Bible Study 3. Read, or solicit volunteers to read, Matthew 25: Explain the term Son of Man using information in the small article in the Study Guide.

118 118 Unit Three: Examples That Warn 4. Ask, Who is present around this throne on which the Son of Man is seated? ( all the nations ) Explain all the nations, using information in Interpreting the Scriptures in this Teaching Guide. 5. Read or have a volunteer read Matthew 25: Summarize the actions that the sheep had engaged in to care for the least of these. Ask, These sheep seem unaware they d done anything for Jesus. Do you think they did this automatically or intentionally? Does it make a difference? 6. Read Matthew 25: Ask: What are the key differences between the sheep and goats? What is the outcome for the sheep? for the goats? What does the outcome suggest for us? Encourage Application 7. Say, Jesus tells this story of separation with high hopes that we will take the initiative and put ourselves in the sheep group by our own motivation and action. Because we have this biblical story, we need not be surprised at the day of judgment. We carry within us an understanding of what we should do because of this story. 8. Ask, Is it possible for a goat to become a sheep? or a sheep to become a goat? 9. Ask, What does this story have to tell us about being generous for Jesus sake? 10. Close with prayer and then challenge your class to look for Jesus in the face of people this week, and choose to be a sheep who cares! NOTES 1. Donald A. Hagner, Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Co, 1995), A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament: Matthew (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1930), R. T. France, Matthew (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1985), 357; Hagner, 743; Robertson, 201.

119 LESSON 10: Failing to Be Generous France, France, 357, italics in original. 6. France, 358; Robertson, Robertson, R. Wayne Stacy, Look Again, in W. Hulitt Gloer, ed., Following Jesus: Sermons on Discipleship (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys, 1994), 134, citing Michael Christensen, City Streets, City People (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1988). 9. T. B. Maston, To Walk as He Walked (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985), 167.

120 FOCAL TEXT Colossians 3:12 14; Hebrews 13:1 8, BACKGROUND Colossians 3:12 14; Hebrews 13:1 16 MAIN IDEA Christians are to demonstrate kindness and love generously in all the relationships of their lives. QUESTION TO EXPLORE How are you showing kindness and love in the relationships of your life? TEACHING AIM To lead adults to decide how they will demonstrate kindness and love generously in the relationships of their lives Lesson Eleven Be Generous in Your Relationships UNIT FOUR You Can Live Generously 120

121 LESSON 11: Be Generous in Your Relationships 121 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context The reigning command throughout the New Testament is for Christians to love one another. We find this command expressly, or implied, on virtually every page. Whatever the early church faced in terms of personal, doctrinal, or organizational disputes, Scripture is united on this point: we are to love one another. Both Colossians and Hebrews, the two books from which we draw our texts this week, illustrate clearly this broad exhortation for kindness and love. Paul wrote Colossians in response to many doctrinal concerns in the church. Approximately the first half of his letter addresses matters of belief and theology. The last two chapters tend to be more practical in nature, as Paul encouraged the Colossian Christians to seek the things that are above (Colossians 3:1 4). Along with prohibitions against pagan practices (Col. 3:5 11), he added the positive commands for believers to adopt certain practices that include kindness and love. Likewise the Book of Hebrews, whose author is uncertain, reflects a time of doctrinal dispute. Hebrews seeks to dispel any notion of the superiority of angels, the law, or the former sacrificial system. Hebrews insists on the superiority of Jesus and the necessity of enduring faith. In the closing chapter the themes of kindness and love among Christians rise to the top. Both books underscore a vital theological connection between belief and practice. Theological content is important, but the other side of this coin is our practical conduct and relationships with other believers. Faith and practice are inseparable. We are what we believe, and we believe what we are. Living generously in relationships can be challenging. The texts for study this week illustrate the constant challenge all people face. The firstcentury church was not immune to interpersonal conflict any more than the twenty-first century church is. But the solution is clear. We are to live generously by demonstrating kindness and love in all relationships.

122 122 Unit four: You Can Live Generously Interpreting the Scriptures A Life of Virtue (Col. 3:12 14) 3:12. Living generously first requires a change in our identity. Paul underscored this transformation with three descriptions. First, being God s people literally means Christians are the elect or especially chosen people of God. We become elect by faith in Christ. Second, the word holy refers to separation. A Christian s conduct is to be a unique light in the world. Finally, the fact that we are dearly loved is a reminder of God s motive in saving us and continuing to bless and guide us. 1 This new identity in Christ enables us to clothe ourselves with the virtues Paul listed. Virtue lists are common in the New Testament (the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 23 is a prominent example) and often contrast with a list of vices (as in Colossians 3:8 9 and Galatians 5:19 21). The virtues are not optional. Paul actually began this sentence in the Greek with the imperative clothe yourselves, stressing the behavior that Christians must embrace. We can embrace this behavior because of our inner transformation as God s people. The emphasis in the word compassion is on a deeply felt mercy and concern. The Greek word actually refers to the bowels, which ancient writers viewed as the origin of tender and passionate feelings. The word kindness refers to something that is entirely fitting and appropriate, and identifies the goal of our service to others. We seek simply to meet their needs. Humility was not a typical virtue in Greek philosophy but describes perfectly the selfless attitude we should manifest in our relationships. Gentleness, often regrettably translated as meekness, actually refers to power under control. Of the two typical Greek words for patience, the one used here usually refers to a patience with people. 3: The emphasis in these verses is on the priority of forgiveness and love. Thus, we are to bear with each other, which stresses the need for acceptance rather than censure when we have disagreements. The inevitable offenses we encounter become the occasion for us to forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Paul, as is

123 LESSON 11: Be Generous in Your Relationships 123 typical in the New Testament, connected our forgiving others to the fact that the Lord forgave you (see Matt. 6:12). The chief virtue is love, a word that refers to a type of love that expects nothing in return. Love describes God s nature (1 John 4:16), and infers that Christians will reflect more of God s nature as we grow in love. This willingness to love sacrificially, especially in the midst of difficult relationships, reflects God s nature and binds them all together in perfect unity (Col. 3:14). Virtue without love creates the kind of person who is good in the very worst sense of the word. The Pharisees could be good. Paul, prior to his conversion, could be good. Genuine Christian goodness, though, arises from the same kind of love God has for us and ensures that we can live in all relationships with rich kindness and tender grace. Kindness and Love in All Relationships (Heb. 13:1 8) 13:1. The command to keep on loving each other is common in the New Testament. The struggles and failures of the early church or the present-day church have many causes, some of which are beyond our ability to control. We never fail, however, when we keep on loving one another no matter the challenges. In the following verses, Hebrews illustrates particular relationships in which we are to keep on loving. 13:2. The writer begins a list of relationships in which Christians are to practice the virtues of love and kindness. Traveling strangers relied on Christian hospitality, and the exhortation that they should be entertained is a reminder that our love and kindness should never be limited only to people who are familiar to us. The fact that some have entertained angels without knowing it is probably a reference to Abraham s experience (Gen. 18). The intent was to remind the readers that strangers, or even rough-looking people, deserve kindness and love. 13:3. The exhortation to visit those in prison comes with the counsel that Christians regard themselves as fellow prisoners. The emphasis here is on empathy so that we consider the plight, deserved or undeserved, of other people. The previous lesson in this study, lesson ten, focused on the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:31 46), in which visiting

124 124 Unit four: You Can Live Generously prisoners is mentioned. Visiting prisoners was one ministry Jesus specifically commended. 13:4. The sanctity of marriage means that it should be held in honor among all. One obvious way to maintain love and kindness in the marriage relationship is fidelity to one another. Violation of vows, either by adulterers (who break their own vows) or the sexually immoral (one who leads another to break those vows) brings God s judgment because of the tremendous pain it causes. Even more basically, any marriage would be strengthened by a basic commitment to be kind and loving to one another. Marital problems can be complex and often require patient assistance by a counselor or pastor, but kindness and love create an environment in which problems can be lessened and more easily solved. 13:5 6. Money is neutral but possesses a powerful energy for good or evil. The love of money represents a fundamental breakdown of priorities and misdirected trust. The antidote first involves contentment, a peaceful balance that eliminates jealousy, greed, and covetousness. Second, in verse 5 the writer quotes Deuteronomy 31:6 as a reminder that God will never leave or forsake his children. Financial concerns come and go. God is consistent in his love and compassion, and thus deserves our deepest devotion. God s consistent presence and promise elicits our trust and confidence. Neither circumstances nor people will shake that confidence. This certainty enables us to be loving and kind in any situation without fear. As agents of God s grace our task is simply to love without judgment and to show kindness without conditions. Lesson two of Living Generously for Jesus Sake focused on the question of how God feels about you. The emphasis was on the fact that God s generosity evokes our trust. Once we trust God fully we can live generously toward others. 13:7. The final relationship that falls under the command to keep loving concerns leaders. To remember implies recalling and applying the word of God they taught. Additionally, their way of life should provide a model of Christian conduct. The responsibility certainly runs both ways. Followers best imitate kindness and love when it is modeled for them.

125 LESSON 11: Be Generous in Your Relationships :8. We can all be kind and loving when it is convenient and people act the way we want. The consistency of Jesus Christ challenges us to demonstrate these virtues even when it is inconvenient and people are difficult. Jesus anticipated our objections and explicitly said that we are to love our enemies and those who do not return our kindness (Matt. 5:43 47). The Most Pleasing Sacrifice (Heb. 13:14 16) 13:14. One consistent theme in Hebrews is the supremacy of Christ over the old sacrificial system. The old passes away, and the new has arrived. Thus we have a new altar (Heb. 13:10) and the sacrificial example of Jesus (rather than of bulls and goats) that calls for our sacrifice through suffering (13:12 13). The impermanent old sacrificial system could not provide an eternal destination or an enduring city. The limitless grace of Christ means that we are still looking for the city that is to come. A Christian always longs for clearer vision and a closer walk with God. In Christ we have a new way to love and a clearer example of how to serve God and one another. 13: The Christian life requires a certain set of convictions. We confess what we believe, the fruit of lips that confess his name, and this becomes a sacrifice of praise to God. However, the words we say must align with the commitment to do good and to share with others. Belief combined with action defines a Christian. Good works arising from a sincere heart for Christ are sacrifices with which God is pleased. Focusing on the Meaning All Christians are called to demonstrate kindness and love in all their relationships. The Bible puts no limits on the relationships covered by this exhortation. Although we might prefer to pick and choose the objects of our service, we simply have no option here. Jesus life and ministry demonstrate his willingness to bring grace to the graceless. His example also demonstrates the uncomfortable truth that showing kindness and love is not only difficult, but that doing so will sometimes lead to a cross. We cannot expect an easy road in a

126 126 Unit four: You Can Live Generously broken world. By following Jesus, however, we can develop a virtuous life that seeks opportunities for kindness and love instead of looking for limits and exceptions. Encourage the members of your class to consider how they will show kindness and love unconditionally in all their relationships. Help them understand that this commitment is a battle that likely will not stay won. They will keep fighting it, and they daily will have to make a commitment to putting on the virtues and practicing the commitments described in the passages for this lesson. Some people require extra measures of grace and patience. Encourage your class to honestly identify the relationships in which kindness and love prove especially difficult and to explore ways in which they can be kind and loving in those relationships. I was blessed to have good Christian role models in my family and church growing up. When I was in my late teens, I made a fundamental decision based on what I had heard and seen. I knew that I could not be the strongest, coolest, most brilliant, or best-looking person in the crowd, but I could strive to be kind. That early insight has proved to be a distilling vision for my life. Although often challenging, striving to live generously in kindness and love is also very straightforward, and a truly fulfilling way to live. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Direct the participants attention to the board (or poster board) on which you have written the following questions: What makes a house truly feel like home? and Can you think of a practical way to increase mutual love within a home environment? Allow time for responses. Steer the discussion to the nature of relationships in the home.

127 LESSON 11: Be Generous in Your Relationships Lead the group to think of activities of your church that indicate sharing and kindness. Jot down responses on another portion of the board or another piece of poster paper. Guide Bible Study 3. Enlist someone to read Colossians 3:12 14 while the class listens for the positive virtues mentioned. After the reading, lead the group to name them. Jot them down on the board (compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with each other, forgiving, love). Form the class into groups of two or three and assign each of these positive virtues to them. They are to suggest a definition, consulting the Study Guide as needed, and to identify an example. After about four minutes, receive reports. 4. Enlist a person to read Hebrews 13:1 2. After the person has finished reading, point out that believers are called to exercise mutual love in everyday life. Say, Love is not always comfortable, and requires consideration and sacrifice. Explain entertain strangers, using information in the Study Guide and in Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide. 5. Invite someone to read Hebrews 13:3 8 while the class listens for the various areas of instruction. Comment on each of them using information in Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide. 6. Have someone read Hebrews 13: Focus on verse 16, which speaks of generosity in relationships. Encourage Application 7. Lead the group to name the positive teachings about relationships in these passages. Guide them to develop a set of Top Five (or More) Instructions for Generous Relationships from these verses. Do this with the class as a whole or form groups. Encourage participants to choose one or more of these instructions that they will put into practice this week.

128 128 Unit four: You Can Live Generously 8. Depending on the time, choose one or both of the following activities: a. A week prior to the session, seek out a ministry in or outside your church that requests canned food items. During the week prior to the session contact class members and request that they bring canned foods to the coming week s session. Make a special request to each member or couple to collect two different kinds of canned goods from their cabinets one type of canned food that is not greatly desired and another type that is a personal favorite. Ask for them to bring the canned foods to the coming class session. During class instruct the class members to place the cans in front of them. Briefly explain to any visitors what the purpose was of this exercise and invite them to participate in the discussion based on what cans they think they would have brought if they had known about today s activity. Next ask tongue in cheek, Are any of you willing to admit that you brought a can because it is not a personal favorite? (No responses needed.) Also ask, Did anyone bring a personal favorite? Allow for humor and fellowship, and perhaps a personal story about the cans brought. Point out that because of the feeling of sacrifice, giving away a cherished item sometimes is difficult even if its monetary value is small. Point out that sacrifice is simply required in order to exercise generosity and hospitality. b. Prior to the session, acquire notecards for the entire class. Say, Each of us has our own spheres of influence (work, games, home, shopping, exercise groups, etc.) in which we encounter strangers to whom we can witness. Hand a notecard to each person. Ask the participants to write on the notecard their top two spheres of influence in which to share Christ and the name of a person related to that sphere. Invite participants to take the cards home and pray for the person on their card and for their Christian influence in those spheres. 9. Close the session by asking each class member to spend some moments meditating on his or her attitudes and actions toward others. Say, Take these final moments to make personal commitments to be more generous and hospitable to those around you. Close with prayer.

129 LESSON 11: Be Generous in Your Relationships 129 Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Assist the class in focusing on love in their lives by asking members the following questions: What makes a house truly feel like home? Can you think of a practical way to increase mutual love within a home environment? Allow time for responses. Guide Bible Study 2. Point out that Paul in Colossians 3:5 17 encouraged believers to reject their old and worldly ways of life. He said that they should clothe themselves with love. Ask, In your opinion, what aspects of our culture today are outgrowths of old and worldly ways of living? Allow time for responses. (Examples might include constantly seeking consumption, success defined by bodily appearances, and focus on material possessions. Refer also to Colossians 3:8 9.) 3. Enlist someone to read Colossians 3: Ask, What are some positive practices mentioned in this passage? (Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiving, love) How are these positive practices different from the old and worldly way of living in our culture? Allow time for responses. (Examples might include: kindness that looks out for other s needs instead of consumption, humility that refuses to allow appearances to define success but allows only God s approval to define success, and patience that waits for God s supply of needs rather than pushes instant gratification by many material possessions.) 4. Point out that in Colossians 3:13 generosity among believers extends to bearing with one another and even being patient when faced with one another s faults. Say, Think of situations at home, work, or church in which our generosity should include bearing with one another. Have you had any situations like this in the last week or so? Allow time for responses. 5. Read Hebrews 13:1. State that in this verse believers are exhorted to nurture a church fellowship characterized by mutual love.

130 130 Unit four: You Can Live Generously 6. Enlist someone to read Hebrews 13:2 7. Point out that these verses provides practical ideas for deepening fellowship. Ask, What do these verses suggest are some practical ways a church can ensure that its fellowship is a deep, family-like experience of mutual love? Have the class call out ideas from these verses. (Examples: hospitality, care for people, healthy marriages, avoidance of greed, trust, appreciation for leaders.) For further discussion on Hebrews 13:2, enlist a participant to read or summarize the Study Guide article titled Hospitality in Bible Times. Point out that ancient families tended to house strangers whereas today we tend to house only those we know intimately. Ask, How does this difference in customs affect our image of generosity as Christians? Allow time for responses. Lead the discussion toward answering the question (and if so needed, ask the question), What can Christians do today that shows greater hospitality? Can Christians still open up their homes? (Some suggested answers include housing missionaries when in the area, housing an international exchange student, etc.) Encourage Application 7. Lead the participants in contemplating the questions at the end of the lesson in the Study Guide. Ask, Would you say that the church truly resembles a healthy family? Why? Why not? How can you contribute or make a difference? As you encourage responses, lead the class in avoiding negative conversation and focus the discussion on constructive ideas. 8. Close the session with a moment of silent prayer during which class members praise the Lord Jesus for his consistent love. Encourage members to make commitments to the Lord to be the continuing presence of the Lord in their relationships. Close with prayer. NOTES 1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in lessons 1 3 and are from The Holy Bible, New International Version (North American Edition), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.

131 FOCAL TEXT 1 Corinthians 12:4 31a; Ephesians 4:11 16; 1 Peter 4:10 11 BACKGROUND Romans 12:1 8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:1 16; 1 Peter 4:10 11 MAIN IDEA Christians are to use generously each gift God has given them, so as to provide for unity and effectiveness in the body of Christ and bring glory to God. QUESTION TO EXPLORE To what extent do you use generously the gifts God has given you? Lesson Twelve Be Generous with Your Gifts TEACHING AIM To lead the class to decide how they will use their gifts generously for the unity and effectiveness of the body of Christ and so bring glory to God UNIT FOUR You Can Live Generously 131

132 132 Unit four: You Can Live Generously BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context The coming of Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection, is God s ultimate attempt to restore all that we have broken by sin. God seeks complete communion with us and desires deeply that we love and enjoy rich fellowship with one another. The three passages for study this week highlight the shared theme of unity of love in the diversity of gifts. The varied gifts that should unify us can become the occasion for discord. The church has struggled with this problem since its inception, and the root cause is our devastating tendency to focus on ourselves. The Corinthians have the well-deserved reputation for being particularly fractious. 1 Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in part to correct their distorted view of gifts. Ephesians reflects Paul s genuine fondness for the church in Ephesus. Yet even this letter contains a clear call to unity and maturity. Paul knew enough about people to realize the temptation for disunity always exists. First Peter reflects many of the same themes of affirmation and encouragement we find in Ephesians, but it also contains the clear exhortation to use various gifts as a means of service and bringing glory to God. The problem of disunity lurks among any group of people, and ironically the very gifts granted by the Holy Spirit can become the occasion for comparison, ranking, and arguments. Although the challenge is clear, the solution is even more compelling. We can use our gifts generously for the unity and effectiveness of the body of Christ and thus bring glory to God. Interpreting the Scriptures Gifts from the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4 31a) 12:4 6. This section of 1 Corinthians is part of Paul s answer to a question the Corinthians had about gifts. Each verse has a structure of different in contrast to same. Among any group of Christians there will be different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and

133 LESSON 12: Be Generous with Your Gifts 133 different kinds of working. Paul acknowledged the differences but repeatedly stressed they were the product of the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God. The Corinthians tended to think of gifts as possessions and marks of honor or achievement. Paul s point was that each gift is from God, thus eliminating any occasion for individual pride or boasting. The Greek word for gift is a form of the word for grace. Each gift is a grace. No one should boast about what they have been given. 12:7 11. In this list of gifts (and in 1 Corinthians 12:27 30) the emphasis is on the fact that each one has a manifestation of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is typically associated with activity. The Spirit is the wind that blows through our lives and grants gifts we can share with the church and world. The related theme of this section is that the Spirit grants gifts for the common good. I am not to sit around admiring my gift, or warming myself beside it. While the gift is a personal possession for which I can be grateful, the Spirit gave it so that God can work through me to show grace to other people. The personal gift was never intended to be private. Paul did not intend any list to be exhaustive, and many of the gifts resist a hard and fast definition. From a practical point of view, an individual Christian might have strengths in one or more areas and perhaps limited abilities in others. Paul listed nine gifts in this section. The order reflects a hierarchy of importance that will become clearer later in the chapter (1 Cor. 12:28). The message of wisdom is hard to distinguish from the message of knowledge, but both words were important in the Corinthians debates. While wisdom may underscore maturity, Paul s emphasis is clearly on the source of the gifts: the same Spirit. Faith is available to all people as a fundamental spiritual muscle, but like all gifts, we can develop, pray for, and manifest deeper faith. The gifts of healing almost certainly went beyond the sphere of traditional medical treatment, and they should have a place in our prayers and practice. Likewise, miraculous powers were a feature of Jesus ministry and that of some of his followers. Our best approach here would be to admit God s ability to work in this way, but never make miracles either a condition or focus of our faith and practice.

134 134 Unit four: You Can Live Generously Speaking in different kinds of tongues as well as the interpretation of tongues was without question a particularly troublesome gift among the Corinthians, but that is not a reflection on the gift itself. Christians make a mistake by dismissing it or demanding it. Either contentious attitude violates the principle of one and the same Spirit. 12: The extended comparison of the church and its gifts with a body and its parts is a practical application of the fact that all gifts come from the same Spirit. Paul s tone is one of exasperation. The church is one body and each part is necessary for the effective working of the body. This unity in diversity means that there should be no division in the body (12:25), the precise opposite of the Corinthians situation. 12:27 31a. The simple, unadorned affirmation, Now you are the body of Christ, is Paul s direct challenge to the Corinthians. They must become what they are! Rancorous divisions are a sign of spiritual immaturity. Paul listed eight different kinds of members in the body of the church. The fact they are listed as first, second, third, and then the remainder, reflects an emphasis on the clear proclamation of the gospel. Thus, apostles, as those who saw the risen Christ, were the most important witnesses to God s work. The prophets were not exactly like those in the Old Testament, but rather those members of the body who proclaimed the gospel. The teachers apparently instructed fellow members in the faith. These first three gifts are not mutually exclusive, and all Christians certainly have the opportunity to prophetically proclaim the gospel and instruct fellow Christians. The only other gifts listed here but not represented in the previous list in verses 8 10 are those able to help others, and those with gifts of administration. These terms are used only here in the New Testament, and Paul probably was referring to those who helped with the poor and needy, and those who guided the church like a ship s pilot through the rocks. The hierarchy of gifts again is reflected in eagerly desire the greater gifts, but Paul nowhere allows that those who possess the higher gifts are more important than other members of the body. In fact, the emphasis is precisely the opposite. Rather than ranking ourselves, we should trust God to provide all necessary gifts to the church, and seek gratefully to use the individual manifestation of God s Spirit that God has granted.

135 LESSON 12: Be Generous with Your Gifts 135 Not surprisingly, Paul next wrote an entire chapter describing a kind of love that dispels all quarrels and enables each Christian to fully appreciate, without envy or resentment, the gifts in other members of the body. Equipping the Church (Eph. 4:11 16) 4:11. The variation of this list from the two lists in 1 Corinthians 12 (and Romans 12:6 8), again indicates that no list is exhaustive, but each list illustrates the wonderful variety of God s gifts. The unique contributions here are evangelists and pastors, which may be two functions of the same individual. Or the former may specifically refer to one who proclaims the good news, and the latter may refer to those who provide special care for church members. 4: The purpose of all gifts is expressly to prepare God s people for works of service. The gifts have a social purpose more than an individual application. We take our gifts into the church and world. The goal is for the church to reach unity in the faith and to become mature. More precisely this unity and maturity is concretely expressed as the fullness of Christ. We are to become like Christ in all ways, and that certainly rules out divisive behavior and attitudes. Pride always leads us to take virtuous gifts and use them for mischievous and selfish goals. Paul s antidote to this behavior is to use the image of the whole body and emphasize that the body grows and builds up itself in love (Ephesians 4:16). An individualistic emphasis on our personal gifts misses the point of the shared life God wants us to have. Our gifts should help create a community in which all members benefit. Glorifying God Through Our Gifts (1 Pet. 4:10 11) Peter echoed the same themes as Paul with his emphasis on using whatever gift he has received to serve others. He employed an interesting word play that we have noted before. The Greek word for gift is built on the same root as the word for grace. Thus, our gifts become means of administering God s grace in its various forms. We are truly agents of grace. The unique feature Peter adds to our discussion is that our faithful use of gifts has the result that in all things God may be praised through

136 136 Unit four: You Can Live Generously Jesus Christ. He then punctuated this truth with his own doxology: To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. The Greek words for praise and glory come from the same root, and we actually derive the English word doxology directly from that same Greek root. The point is that praise and glory are closely aligned. Glory indicates splendor, power, radiance. So our faithful use of gifts is a way of extolling or acknowledging God. However, there may be an additional important meaning here. The word for glory originally had the meaning of reputation or opinion. If Peter had this meaning in mind, then our faithful use of God s graces manifests God s character and reputation in our community. By using your gifts generously you reflect God. People can see and understand God through your gifts. Focusing on the Meaning Every church is conceived and nurtured in grace (gifts). Your church is a physical manifestation of God s original gift of love and grace. Its unity, growth, and effectiveness in reflecting the presence of God depends directly on each member using his or her gifts in the church. The passages we have studied stress emphatically that the Holy Spirit gives every individual an expression of grace. No one is left out. No one should criticize another Christian s gifts. And no one should complain that his or her own gift is too meager or unimportant. Without question, there will be times in every church when one gift gets on another gift s nerves! The very unity of God, three yet one, should compel us to find ways to use our gifts to serve one another. The key is always service, selfless service. When we look to the needs of other people, and find ways to use our gifts, everyone benefits, and the church grows. In a former church, a woman walked every Sunday about a half mile from her home to the church to make coffee for all the Sunday School classes. For decades she performed this vital ministry! That was her gift, a combination of administration and simple service. To my knowledge she never spoke before the whole church, and perhaps not even in her class. The members of that church, however, will always remember her service and example of using her unique gifts to build up the fellowship, unify Christians around a warm cup, and bring God s glory among us all.

137 LESSON 12: Be Generous with Your Gifts 137 TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. Say, Let s think about spiritual gifts and cooperation by planning and playing the game Birthday Line-Up (for groups of fewer than six people, an alternate is to acquire a Pictionary game ahead of time and play two rounds). The challenge in this game is to seat everyone around a table or in a circle according to their birthday from earliest in the year to latest. But here is the twist: we must do this without talking. Designate a certain chair the earliest birthday chair, and say, Everyone please stand up and, starting with this chair, line up in order of when your birthday occurs during the calendar year, but please do so without using words. Allow for sufficient time to complete the activity. Following the game, ask, How difficult was it to work as a team when people were not communicating well or when certain people had differing ideas? Point out that in the church we find ourselves facing such challenges every week. When people are not communicating well or when people have various ideas about how to complete a task at hand, problems may arise. It is difficult to work alongside those people with other gifts and ideas. Share that the church in Corinth had just such problems. Guide Bible Study 2. On the markerboard (or poster board), draw three boxes related to three categories. The following categories are suggestions: music, sports, and entertainment. When the session begins, ask participants In each category on the board, whom do you believe to be the most talented person for the last fifty years? Every time a response is offered, record it and say to all, Do you agree or disagree? After recording sufficient responses, ask, Why did we have similarities and differences in opinion on these greatest-ever people? Allow time

138 138 Unit four: You Can Live Generously for responses. Say, Imagine if the categories were the greatest sorts of church members and we had this exercise every Sunday. Point out that the church members at Corinth apparently had just such discussions in the church. These members were concerned with who had greater gifts and thus were due greater honor than others. 3. Ask the group to scan silently 1 Corinthians 12:1 31 in this way. One third of the group is to review verses 1 7, looking especially for the source of the gifts and the purpose of the gifts. One third of the group is to review verses 7 11, 27 31, looking for the gifts that are named. One third of the group is to review verses 12 26, looking for the image Paul used to make clear that all gifts, and thus all members, are needed. After about four minutes, receive reports. 4. Prior to the class session, enlist a participant to study the following list and present the following exercise: Be prepared to have class members provide answers to the following question: What is the importance of the following body parts? Tonsils (play a secondary role in immunity) Epiglottis (closes the windpipe when swallowing something) Spleen (plays a role in blood filtration) Appendix (plays a role in immunity) Sinuses (functions as a sound box) (A copy of this assignment is available in Teaching Resource Items for this study at Thank the group member for preparing and leading the exercise, and say, Some of the body parts mentioned just now may seem small and insignificant, but they have a role in the functioning of the human body. Paul likewise said that members of the body that seem unimportant are critical for the functioning of the body (1 Cor. 12:22). 5. Enlist a participant to read Ephesians 4:11 12 while the class listens for the purpose of the gifts named in verse 11. After the reading, point out that it is to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12, nrsv). (Optional: Ask participants whether anyone recalls the movie The Blind Side, especially the scene in which the mother walks onto the practice field to instruct her adopted son about how to play his position on the football team. Suggest that this is an example of equipping.)

139 LESSON 12: Be Generous with Your Gifts 139 If participants were or are now active in athletics, invite comments about the preparation that was or is made for athletic contests. Point out that coaches are to equip players so they are ready to play the game and that the gifts named in Ephesians 4:11 are for recipients of these gifts to equip church members for ministry. Ask, If you were a coach, what would be your top three priorities in equipping your athletes for successful competition? Allow time for responses (answers may include discipline, repetition, leadership, etc.). Reinforce the concept that in Ephesians 4:11 12 ministry leaders in the local church likewise are to equip the congregants for the work of ministry. 6. Enlist someone to read 1 Peter 4: Encourage participants to listen especially for the purpose of gifts ( to serve others, faithfully administering God s grace ). Encourage Application 7. Open up a brief dialogue during which participants encourage one another regarding gifts they recognize in the other. Encourage the class members to contemplate their own giftedness and to seek a way to use their gifts to serve generously in some way this week. Invite individual class members to share personal testimony about using gifts to serve others and for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7). Close with prayer. Teaching Plan Lecture and Questions Connect with Life 1. Ask, Can you remember a time in your life when, in home life or on the job, you found a task almost impossible to complete because various people had totally different ideas about how to complete the task? Be prepared with you own experience of such a situation if class members have no examples. Allow time for responses. Point out that teamwork often is difficult. Ask why this is so. (People have differing ideas or do not communicate openly and clearly.)

140 140 Unit four: You Can Live Generously Point out that in the church we find ourselves facing such challenges every week. It is sometimes difficult to work alongside those with other gifts and ideas. Point out that the church in Corinth had just such problems. Guide Bible Study 2. Suggest that spiritual gifts were given by the Spirit, to each of us, for the good of all in the church. State, too, that a part of living generously is becoming willing to use our gifts to benefit others. Refer to the Main Idea and the Study Aim for this lesson in the Study Guide. 3. State that the three focal passages provide many insights about being gifted. Prior to class, obtain a poster board and marker or make sure that you have the use of a markerboard and erasable markers in your meeting room. Lead the group to review these passages and to identify the gifts named. Write the gifts on the board or paper. Begin with 1 Corinthians 12:7 11, Use information in the Study Guide to explain each gift as seems helpful. Then move to Ephesians 4:11 12 and finally to 1 Peter 4: When a gift seems to be named a second time, put a check mark by that gift. Add gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 12 and 1 Peter 4:10 11, explaining the additions as seems helpful. 4. Lead the group to review 1 Corinthians 12:4 7, and then again Ephesians 4:11 12; 1 Peter 4: Emphasize especially the source of the gifts (God), the purpose of the gifts ( the common good, 1 Cor. 12:7; works of service, building up the body of Christ, Eph. 4:11 12; serving others, glorifying God, 1 Pet. 4: Ask, How does our use of the gifts we have been given relate to generosity? Allow time for responses. Conclude that indeed each gift is an opportunity to serve with generosity. This places generosity at the center of the church as a key to its proper functioning. Encourage Application 6. Refer to and summarize Implications and Actions in the Study Guide.

141 LESSON 12: Be Generous with Your Gifts Invite comments about gifts they recognize in one another, including thanking people for using their gifts. 8. Encourage each member to spend a few moments meditating on his or her attitudes and actions within the body of Christ, especially in using his or her gifts. Close with prayer. NOTES 1. This problem in the Corinthian church persisted long after Paul s time. See 1 Clement 47, written to the Corinthians about A. D. 96, at Accessed 1/25/12.

142 FOCAL TEXT Luke 21:1 4; 1 Timothy 6:6 10, BACKGROUND Luke 21:1 4; 1 Timothy 6 MAIN IDEA Since God richly provides for us, Christians are to be generous with their money and ready to share it, rather than loving it, hoarding it for themselves, and trusting in it. QUESTION TO EXPLORE How can we determine when we value money and material possessions too much? TEACHING AIM To lead adults to decide to give of their material resources more generously Lesson Thirteen Be Generous with Your Money UNIT FOUR You Can Live Generously 142