Freedom: Making It Personal

Transcription

1 Freedom: Making It Personal Putting Possessions in Perspective One Anothering

2 FOR ALL ADULTS KING JAMES LifeWords VERSION SUMMER 2011 BIBLE S T U D I E S F O R L IFE 8 R 16 R 24 R STUDY THEME Putting Possessions in Perspective June 5 What Do You Own? 1 Chronicles 29:10-20 June 12 Where Is Your Treasure? Matthew 6:19-34 June 19 How Much Is Enough? Philippians 4:10-20; 1 Timothy 6: How to Become a Christian Adult Strategy Meet Your Writers Study Themes Lust: A Word Study 32 S June 26 Why Be Generous? Luke 19:1-10; 2 Corinthians 8:3-4; 1 John 3:16-18 Take your personal Bible study to a deeper level. Commentary from LifeWay s Herschel Hobbs Commentary and Advanced Bible Study are available as downloadable resources. Purchase commentaries at: Hobbs is based on the KJV, although other translations sometimes are cited. Advanced is based on the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

3 STUDY THEME Freedom: Making It Personal 40 R July 3 Personal Rights Philippians 3:17-21; 2 Peter 2:10b R 56 C 64 R 72 S July 10 Personal Checklist Galatians 3:1-3, 10-14,19-26 July 17 Personal Relationship [Evangelism Lesson] Galatians 4:1-7; 1 John 1:5-9; 3:1-3 July 24 Personal Responsibility Romans 6:8-18 July 31 Personal Service Galatians 5:13-16,22-26; 6: C 88 C 96 C 104 C STUDY THEME One Anothering August 7 Love One Another John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:10b-12,16-18; 4:7-13,19 August 14 Forgive One Another Colossians 3:12-13; Philemon 8-22 August 21 Don t Criticize One Another Romans 14:1-12,19; James 4:11-12 August 28 Agree with One Another Genesis 13:1-12; Romans 12:16-18; 15:5-6 5

4 Bible Studies for Life: KING JAMES VERSION LifeWords Volume 5, Number 4 Summer 2011 Production and Ministry Team B. Nathaniel Sullivan Content Editor E. Lee Bailey Production Editor Min Xu Graphic Designer Brent Bruce Stephanie Salvatore Graphic Design Specialists for All Adults Alan Raughton Lead Adult Ministry Specialist David Apple Adult Ministry Specialist Christina Zimmerman Editorial Project Leader Send questions/ comments to: Content Editor, Life Words, KJV, for All Adults One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN Or make comments on the web at Management Personnel: Bret Robbe, Director Leadership and Adult Publishing Ken Braddy, Ron Keck Managing Directors Leadership and Adult Publishing David Francis, Director Sunday School Bill Craig, Director Leadership and Adult Ministry Gary H. Hauk, Director Publishing LifeWay Church Resources Dear readers, As you use this learner guide to engage in Bible study during the summer months, we believe you ll find these studies to be especially relevant, engaging, and practical. We ve added elements of the Adult strategy (see p. 3) Connect, Grow, Serve, Go to some of the interactive features in the lesson commentary. We hope you ll find this helpful. We are grateful for you and we pray for you as you study God s Word. Thanks for your prayers for us, as well. B. Nathaniel Sullivan MEET YOUR WRITERS Coye Still wrote the commentary and questions for the June lessons. Dr. Still is the pastor of the University Hills Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Coye and His wife, Sherra, have five children, ages fourteen to nineteen. Jere Phillips wrote the commentary and questions for the July lessons. Dr. Phillips serves as professor of practical theology at the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. Jere and his wife, Glenda, have two married daughters and six grandchildren. They are members of Germantown Baptist Church in Germantown, Tennessee. Eli Landrum wrote the commentary and questions for the August lessons. Dr. Landrum retired from LifeWay in A former editor in the Adult Sunday School area, Eli is a frequent writer for LifeWay. Eli and his wife, Barbara, have two children and three grandchildren. Eli is a member of First Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee. Life Words, KJV Learner Guide Large Print (ISSN ; ITEM ) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit call (800) , or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN For subscriptions or subscription changes subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its Author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. The 2000 statement of The Baptist Faith and Message is our doctrinal guideline. Some Internet addresses provided in this publication are outside the LifeWay Internet domain. Addresses outside the LifeWay Internet domain are given for information purposes only and should not be construed as an endorsement. Moreover, because of the changing nature of the Web, editors cannot be held responsible for content on pages outside their control. At the time of this publication s printing, the specific pages mentioned have been viewed and approved by the content editor. However, at the time of your viewing, the information on these pages may have changed. We cannot guarantee that links from the specific Web pages referenced will not link to inappropriate material. Mention of movies, television programs, or other media in this publication does not constitute endorsement of them. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (back cover is an exception). The suggestions in this resource for pronouncing Bible names are from That s Easy for You to Say: Your Quick Guide to Pronouncing Bible Names, copyright 1997 by B&H Publishing Group. Used by permission. Printed in the United States of America 6 Summer, 2011

5 June 5, 2011 What Do You Own? R Background Passage 1 Chronicles 29:1-20 Focal Verses 1 Chronicles 29:10-20 What This Lesson Is About This lesson is about the importance of and the need for recognizing God s rightful ownership of everything we have. Why This Lesson Is Important A right perspective of wealth and possessions begins when we recognize everything we have belongs to God and comes from God. We are accountable to Him for how we use whatever He entrusts to us. Such an attitude contrasts sharply to the world s prideful illusion of self-sufficiency. How This Lesson Can Impact Your Life This lesson can help you to put possessions in perspective by helping you recognize that God is the Owner and Giver of everything you have. 8 Week of June 5, 2011

6 After his birthday meal, my young son, Coye, taped a note to the container that held the leftover cake. The note read: Coye s cake. Ask first! He was within our house rules. From birthday cakes to shirts, dresses, and bank accounts, our children know certain things belong to them. And not surprisingly, they value some of their possessions especially highly. My wife and I do some refereeing and offer encouragement for them to share when we feel the need to do so, but in the end the decision is theirs. God also leaves these kinds of decisions up to us, even as He encourages us and even as He directs us regarding what we are to do. All of us have certain things that belong to us, right? In a sense, yes we do. And in another sense we don t. The decision to give or not to give is ours, right? Most certainly it is, but we are accountable to the Lord, who has given us freedom to decide but who also wants us to exercise good stewardship over all He s entrusted to us. Hoarding isn t God s way, even though He will allow us to make that kind of mistake if we insist. As you study this lesson, you will be reminded that God owns and has given us everything we have. You also will be challenged to manage well what He has entrusted to you, and to do so with attitudes that please Him. God Owns Everything 1 Chronicles 29: Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. As King David s reign over Israel ( B.C.) neared its end, the king began to make preparations to build the temple. The responsibility of overseeing the actual construction would fall to his son and successor, Solomon. David, however, prepared 9

7 with all [his] might for the house of God. All the leaders of Israel offered willingly, and gave gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, precious stones, and marble for the project. Moreover, with great generosity David gave of his own gold and silver (1 Chron. 29:1-9). David invited the people to consecrate their service unto the Lord (v. 5). In another place in the Old Testament the word translated consecrate refers to setting apart priests to serve the Lord (see Ex. 28:41). True giving involves consecrating setting apart ourselves as well as our possessions to God. David dedicated the gifts with a prayer of praise. David blessed or praised the LORD because of, among other things, the greatness, and the power and the majesty that are His. David confessed that thine is the kingdom, O Lord. God had redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt to be His own kingdom of priests, and an holy nation (Ex. 19:6). Israel both as a whole as well as all the individuals within the nation belonged to God. That s not to say the other nations weren t His (see Ps. 50:12), but Israel belonged to God in a way other nations did not, for God had revealed Himself to Israel in a direct and personal way. Likewise, Christ has revealed Himself on a personal level (see John 1:1,14), and He has redeemed believers for God by His blood (see Rev. 5:9). Though everyone in all the earth belongs to God (see Ps. 24:1), we who are believers in Christ belong to Him in a special sense (see 1 Cor. 6:19-20). r What are some practical implications of God s owning not only your possessions, but you? David confessed to God all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. This was not just pious talk. David meant what he said quite practically: the gold, silver, and all things he possessed ultimately were God s. David was a manager a steward of what God owned. Realizing this helped him to give freely and willingly. r An ongoing awareness of what spiritual truths will help us become better stewards of all God has placed in our charge? 10 Week of June 5, 2011

8 As God s managers, we are to please Him with our use of what belongs to Him. This is a huge responsibility! Though we aren t equally wealthy in terms of material goods, we are all equally accountable before God for how we use whatever resources He has placed at our disposal (see Matt. 25:14-30). God Gives Us What We Have 1 Chronicles 29: Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. 14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. 16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. David humbly confessed to God that riches and honor come of thee and in thine hand it is to make great. David once was merely a shepherd boy (see 1 Sam. 16:10-13) who became a fugitive from King Saul (see 21 30) before ascending to the throne of Israel. Though he fought hard and devoted himself to governing the nation, he knew he could not take credit for his achievements. Thus, he gave thanks and praise to God s glorious name. The entire nation of Israel had gone from being slaves in Egypt to occupying the rich and fertile promised land. Could they take credit for this? No. God brought them out of Egypt, and God gave them the land and the possessions they were donating for the temple. David rightly asked, Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly and generously? 11

9 Discover Deeper Meaning A sojourner is a temporary resident, one who dwells among a foreign people in contrast to a citizen. The term sojourners often referred to persons who did not own property in the land where they lived. Thus, they had no personal security; they relied instead on the employ or generosity of local citizens. They likewise were in need of protection. After possessing the promised land, the people of Israel were to have the attitudes of temporary residents, aware that the land belonged to the Lord and that they were dependent on His generosity and protection. Likewise, as God s people on earth, we also are temporary residents. We are on a spiritual pilgrimage from this world to the next. Earth is neither our home nor our source of security. Therefore, we must guard against growing too fond of this present world, or too attached to it. M In what ways does even the hardest working person depend on God for any success he has? David and his people could not and would not take credit for their giving, for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. Through Moses, God had exhorted Israel to remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth (Deut. 8:18). We fight against the current of today s self-sufficient atmosphere when we remember this reality and live according to it. This awareness goes hand-in-hand with an understanding that we are strangers before thee, and sojourners. Whatever we give to God has come from Him in the first place, for everything is already His. Consider that our capacity to give is very much like our call to salvation and our call to serve Christ in the sense that all of these come to us as gifts from God. The result is that we have nothing to boast about (see Eph. 2:8-9). He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31). You see, God is the source of both spiritual and material wealth. 12 Week of June 5, 2011

10 God Examines Our Hearts 1 Chronicles 29: I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee. 18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: 19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision. 20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshiped the LORD, and the king. David had known for many years that the LORD looketh on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). He rejoiced that in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things and that thy people also had given willingly unto thee. David prayed God would keep this joyful and willing attitude forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people. He longed for the people to give to God of themselves and their possessions with lasting sincerity of heart. And He prayed for Solomon his son to have a perfect, obedient, and devoted heart. How we use the resources entrusted to us reveals the true nature of our hearts. A tight grip on possessions may show that we claim them as our own and intend to enjoy them in selfish ways. If we truly believe all we have belongs to God and we want to please Him, we will loosen our grip. Jesus said, No man can serve two masters: Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24). Next week we will examine these and several other powerful statements Jesus made about material wealth. 13

11 Don t Let Your Possessions Possess You An old story tells of a businessman who started out making $50 a week. He asked God to bless his work and joyfully promised God he would tithe all of his life. Two years later the man was making $5,000 per week and tithing $500. He started to complain about the burden of giving so much. A friend heard his complaint and suggested, Why don t we ask God to decrease your income back to $50 per week? You didn t seem to have any trouble tithing then. Why is it often true that the more we have, the more we want? r What kinds of things may cause our attitudes about giving to change for the worse? What actions can we take to guard against such changes? Having given willingly, the king and people praised or blessed the LORD God. Their praise surely could not have been more appropriate, given that the temple would become a place where they worshiped the LORD (see 1 Chron. 23:4-5; 2 Chron. 7:3). Like ancient Israel, you as a believer are to show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). As we give generously, our gratitude, humility, and willingness to give will increase, and our giving will express praise to the God who owns us and all that we have. c What might cause a person who has held on too tightly to material things to begin to loosen his or her grip? We often sing about focusing our attention and our affections on Jesus. When we focus on Him, earthly things will loosen their grip on us or grow strangely dim ( Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus [No. 320, The Baptist Hymnal, 1991; No. 413, Baptist Hymnal, 2008]). But all too often it seems we do just the opposite: we focus 14 Week of June 5, 2011

12 our attention and affections on material things, and our love and affection for Jesus grows cold. Block off time to consider carefully what your Savior has done for you. Tell Him how grateful you are for all He has done, and remind yourself of how unfulfilling earthly things really are. Fall in love with Jesus all over again. The Life Word David and his people recognized that everything they had belonged to God and had come from God. Knowing these truths, they gave willingly and joyfully. Do believers today have any less reason to do so? Right attitudes about possessions matter! The name William Borden ( ) may be familiar to you; we ve considered him before in Life Words materials. When this Christian young man and heir to the Borden Dairy fortune committed his life to missions after high school, he wrote in his Bible No reserves. As a millionaire graduate of Yale University in 1909, he wrote in his Bible No retreats and left all to begin serving God in Egypt. There he contracted fatal meningitis and left this world for heaven. When his mother looked in his Bible she saw not just two but three entries: No reserves, No retreats, and, added at the end of his life, No regrets. Borden poured out wealth and life to serve Christ. Wherever we serve, we can give from what He has given to us without reserve, without retreat, and without regrets. 15