Baptist Training Course Sponsor s Guide To be used with Junior High, Young People and Adult Words of Encouragement Quarterly Aim: To show through these lessons that the Bible is filled with words of encouragement for the child of God and greater emphasis should be proclaimed of God s love, goodness and promises. Lesson 1, June 4, 2017 Encouraged by God s Promises... 3 Lesson 2, June 11, 2017 Encouraged by God s Omniscience... 8 Lesson 3, June 18, 2017 Encouraged by God s Word....14 Lesson 4, June 25, 2017 Encouraged by God s Answers.......................... 20 Lesson 5, July 2, 2017 Encouraged by God s Praise...25 Lesson 6, July 9, 2017 Encouraged by God s Power...29 Lesson 7, July 16, 2017 Encouraged by God s Purpose...34 Lesson 8, July 23, 2017 Encouraged by God s Security...39 Lesson 9, July 30, 2017 Encouraged by God s Salvation....43 Lesson 10, August 6, 2017 Encouraged by Godly Living...48 Lesson 11, August 13, 2017 Encouraged by God s Forgiveness...52 Lesson 12, August 20, 2017 Encouraged by God s Love............................. 57 Lesson 13, August 27, 2017 Encouraged by God s Future Home...61 Vol. 63, No. 3, Summer Quarter, 2017. Outlines by Don Price Editor in Chief: Kyle W. Elkins, kyle.elkins@bogardstore.org Business Manager: Wayne Sewell, wayne.sewell@bogardstore.org 2017, Bogard Press, 4605 N. State Line Ave., Texarkana, TX 75503-2928 www.bogardpress.org; 1-800-264-2482
About the Writer Charles Richard Merritt, Sr., was born October 24, 1953, son of Charles P. and Nellie Merritt in Camden, AR. He was saved and then baptized by Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, Camden, AR, in 1960, then married Marvanna McAteer in 1975. He graduated from Camden Fairview in 1972, Southern Arkansas University-Tech in 1974 with an Associate Degree in Computer Science, in 2011 with a Bachelor in Theology, Louisiana Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary, Minden, LA and in 2012 with a Master in Theology, Louisiana Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary. He preached his first sermon on leap day 1976 and has since served churches in Oklahoma and Arkansas as assistant /youth pastor and pastor. He has been pastor of Trinity MBC, Camden, AR, since March 1, 1991 and a writer for the BTC curriculum since 1993. He loves writing, reading, piano, hunting and whittling. He has served two years as moderator for the Arkansas State Association and on the Baptist Sunday School Committee for several years. He has three children (Chuck and wife C. J., Staci, Holli and husband Chris Robertson) and five grandchildren (Bethani Sewell, Carlie Merritt, Brody Merritt, Michael Robertson and Zachary Robertson). Brother Merritt may be contacted at rmerritt@cablelynx.com.
SPONSOR S GUIDE 3 LESSON 1 June 4, 2017 Encouraged by God s Promises Lesson Text: Genesis 12:1-5. Related Scripture: Genesis 26:1-5; Numbers 30:1, 2; 1 Kings 8:56; Psalms 89:3, 4; 105:42-45; Jeremiah 33:14-16; Romans 9:8; 2 Corinthians 6:15 7:1; Acts 5:25-32; 13:26-33; Hebrews 6:13-18. Application: To show that God s promises encourage His servants to accomplish great things. DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS God s Promise to David, 2 Samuel 7:27-29. David received a promise from God that he did not expect. The Lord promised to bless David s family as the kingly line. From generation to generation, a descendant of David sat on the throne. God s promise to David has been called the Davidic Covenant. It is an unconditional covenant in which God promised I will. A conditional covenant such as the Palestinian covenant is one in which God says I will, if you will. Israel s possession of the land continued as long as they did not forsake the Lord their God. David s promise from the Lord gave great encouragement about future generations in his family. God answered David s prayer with a promise. We often expect answers to prayers to be yes, no or later. When God answers a prayer with a promise, it proves to be an outstanding blessing. God s promise to Moses enabled him to serve the Lord with the confidence that God was with him (Exodus 3:12) Joshua received several promises (Joshua 1:5). We rely on the same promise. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5). God s promises to always bring hope, peace and comfort to His servants who face difficult challenges in their labors for the Lord. David praised the Lord for His truth, goodness and faithfulness to keep His promises (Psalm 103:2-5) God s goodness and truth will never fail. EXAMINING THE TEXT Genesis 12:1-5. God commanded Abram to leave his home (verse 1). The original city where Abram lived was Ur of the Chaldees. It was an idolatrous city. This command emphasizes God s principle of separation from false worship (2 Corinthians 6:16, 17). God planned to use Abram as His servant to do great things (Genesis 12:1:-3). God expected Abram to follow Him to an unknown destination (verse 1). God s plan included Abram s descendants as a holy nation for a witness to all the nations. He planned a home for them in Canaan. Abram had to exercise faith in leaving his home and in traveling toward an unknown destination. God was training Abram
4 SPONSOR S GUIDE to live by faith. Although Abram did not know where or why, he had to understand and accept the truths by faith that God knows best and He never makes a mistake. Abram had never seen Canaan. He had to believe it is always best to follow God s leadership (Hebrews 11:8). Abram had the choice of obeying the Lord by faith or refusing to trust and follow the Lord. God said, I will make of thee a great nation (Genesis 12:2). From Abram, God formed the nation Israel. The plan involved several generations. Abraham s son Isaac received the same promise. Isaac s son Jacob received the promise. Jacob s family of about seventy moved into Egypt in a time of great famine. This placed the descendants of Abraham in a place of protection while they were weak and small in number. When they came out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, conservative estimates set the population at about two million people. After several generations and hundreds of years, God s nation Israel was ready to move toward the home in Canaan He had planned for it. Under King David and King Solomon, Israel became a great nation. God s promise was literally fulfilled over the process of time. The rest of the Old Testament from Genesis 12 reveals how God formed, developed and led the nation Israel as His chosen people. The Lord promised, I will bless thee (verse 2). The word bless means abundantly or greatly. God s blessings are benefits that are unearned and undeserved (Psalm 68:19). God s blessings cannot be over emphasized. (Psalm 116:12-14). The blessings of salvation, prayer and obedient service remind us when God blesses, we are truly blessed. Genesis 12:2 is the first mention of the word bless in the Bible. There are about one hundred seventy-five references to the word bless. A blessing is God s goodness and compassion at work to provide benefits for His people. One of God s greatest blessings is His faithfulness to forgive sins. God said, I will make thy name great (verse 2). Abram received a name change that reflected the hand of God on his life. His name became Abraham. The addition of the fifth Hebrew letter reveals the grace of God operating in the life of Abraham (James 2:23). Abraham s name became so great that succeeding generations of his family and of his nation relied on it as a name that was associated with God s blessings. The name Abraham means father of a multitude. Several nations trace their lineage back to Abraham. These include the Israelites, the Ishmaelites, the Edomites and the children of Keturah, the nations of the east. The name Abraham is important to several religions in the Middle East. Abraham is an example of living by faith in God (Galatians 3:9). The Lord promised, And thou shalt be a blessing (Genesis 12:2). Abraham s life, example, influence and witness pointed others to the one true God. From His descendants God called out and chose the nation Israel as His chosen people for the work of spreading the gospel to all nations. The word blessing means prosperity. All nations would benefit from their association with Abraham and His God. Abraham s witness reached the Chaldees, the Canaanite nations and Egypt. The greatest blessings are spiritual blessings. Abraham, the son of God by faith, was a witness to
others to know, obey and follow His God (Romans 4:20, 21). Abraham believed God s promise. He believed God had the power to bring its fulfillment to reality. Abram received the promise, I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee (Genesis 12:3). The Abrahamic covenant included every promise in this text. As God s servant, Abram deserved God s protection. The nations would learn that God was on Abram s side and would continue to bless Him. No idol god could do anything. The one true God of Abram blessed Abram with so much wealth that he was known by many as one that God loved. God promised to fight on Abram s side. This promise included fighting against those who opposed Abram. God fought against Egypt, the nations led by Sihon and Og, the Canaanite nations and others (2 Chronicles 32:7, 8). God is still on Israel s side. God promised, In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:3). In thee refers to Abram being the means or instrument of blessing. The word blessed gives reference to the act of kneeling, especially in the sense of worship as in praising God. Those who truly bow the knee before God do so through the Messiah who fulfilled this promise (Philippians 2:9-11). Jesus the Messiah is the desire of all nations (Haggai 2:7). Abram was a witness of the power, glory and wisdom of the one true God. Through his lineage, Christ was born. Jesus is the Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1). God chose Abraham s family to be the earthly family of Jesus. Abram s obedience to God was a great example (Genesis 12:4). He SPONSOR S GUIDE 5 did according to the words of God. God blesses all acts of obedience that are according to His Word. The Bible reveals and specifies God s will and way. Abram departed from his hometown of Ur of the Chaldees. God intended for Abram to separate himself from that idolatrous city. The Lord demanded Abram make decisions to follow God s commands by faith. The word departed means to walk away or go forth. God s spoken words were a command to which Abram was to submit himself and to execute. Abram followed God s command. This meant he walked in the path God laid out for him. Another time Abraham also went forth at God s command to an unknown destination to worship on the mountain (Genesis 22:2). His life reveals a faith that obeys God s commands. Faith follows wherever God leads. Faith worships the Lord in truth. Abram became Abraham the man that built an altar to worship his God. God s new home for Abram was known to God but not to Abram (Genesis 12:5). (See Hebrews 11:8.) This land was Canaan. When Moses wrote Genesis, it was many years later. God s plan was to make a place for the family of Abram in the land of Canaan. It was a choice land inhabited by several strong Canaanite nations (Exodus 3:8). Canaan s land was a place to serve the Lord by obeying His commands, a place of battles, a place of temptations and a place of blessings. RELATED SCRIPTURE Genesis 26:1-5. God affirmed the promise He gave to Abraham and passed it to his son Isaac. Seven promises listed include, I will be with thee; I will bless thee; I will
6 SPONSOR S GUIDE give all these countries; I will perform the covenant God gave Abraham; I will make thy seed to multiply and I will bless all the nations of the earth in thy seed. God considered the Abrahamic covenant an unbreakable promise given to the nation Israel, which is Abraham s seed. Numbers 30:1, 2. A vow is considered a man giving his word. He is bound to keep the vow. The word vow means a promise to do or give something to God. Failing to fulfill the vow is breaking a promise. Break his word means to bore, to wound, to dissolve or to profane. It is a wicked thing to give one s word and not perform the doing of it. 1 Kings 8:56. God s faithfulness has been proved on many occasions in which He kept His promises. There is no record in the Bible of God failing to fulfill any promise. The nation of Israel s experience of God s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises is the same as ours today. The same God has the same power and the same faithfulness in keeping His promises. Psalm 89:3, 4. God made a promise to David to always have a son on the throne. As generations passed, the family of David continued to be the royal family according to God s promise. When one part of the family proved themselves unworthy to be the royal line, then the kingship was transferred to another part of David s family. God s promise will ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus Christ the King. Psalm 105:42-45. God remembered His promise to Abraham. He fulfilled the promises in the Abrahamic Covenant by protecting the nation, bringing it out of Egypt and by providing for it s needs during the wilderness wandering. Succeeding generations of Israelites also were eye witnesses of God keeping these same promises. Jeremiah 33:14-16. God explained the fulfillment of the promise given to David to have a son or descendant on the throne of Israel or Judah. Jesus the Son of God, the Son of Abraham and the Son of David will reign in Jerusalem. Although this promise is yet to be fulfilled, the time element is during the Millennium. Jesus the Branch of righteousness will rule in peace and provide safety for Israel. Acts 5:25-32. As servants of the Lord in the church at Jerusalem, Peter and the other apostles had made promises to God. They considered their promises to serve God by proclaiming Jesus as the only Savior made it a higher authority than the Sanhedrin Council. They continued to keep their promises to God regardless of the cost. Acts 13:26-33. Paul preached in the synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul always made it a priority to share the gospel with the Jews first as the children of Abraham. When many of them rejected it, he turned to the Gentiles. Paul considered the promises God made to Israel still in effect and cited the resurrection of Christ as proof. Romans 9:8. The Jews are the children of the promise. This refers to the Abrahamic Covenant, the Palestinian Covenant and the Davidic Covenant. God promised a nation, a land and a king. The nation Israel was placed by God in the land of Canaan. Although the Israelites had various other kings
throughout the history of the Bible, God will provide Himself the king of Israel to fulfill His promise. 2 Corinthians 6:15 7:1. The reference to God s promises to Israel as the people of God cannot be transferred to God s people in His churches in this age is false. Even in the church age, God s promises to Israel remain unbreakable. This agrees with God s expectation for His servants to be clean and holy vessels as His witnesses before the world and separated from all false worship. Hebrews 6:13-18. God s promises made to Abraham in the covenant were kept at the appropriate time. After waiting approximately twenty-five years, God gave Abraham Isaac, the son of promise. God considered His promises to Abraham so important he confirmed it with His oath. Two things to remember are God cannot break a promise and God cannot lie. RELEVANCE OF THE TEXT The word promise used as a noun in the Greek language is a law term meaning a proclamation or an announcement to do something or to give something. There are many promises in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. The word promise used as a verb in the Greek language means a declaration of assurance that something specific will be done. This Old Testament text agrees with these definitions and usages. God made the promises of the covenant with Abraham. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the Lord that cannot lie and is faithful to keep all of His promises. The existence of the nation Israel stands as certain proof that God has SPONSOR S GUIDE 7 kept the promises made to benefit Abraham s descendants. As a nation holding special promises, benefits and blessings from the Lord, Israel should be befriended by any nation that wants to be on the Lord s side. It is still true that to fight against Israel is to fight against its God. The text proves God s ability and faithfulness to keep His promises. He has never failed to execute any promise. Some of His promises made to Israel have future fulfillments that will occur just as surely as all the others. The ultimate fulfillment of the promises God made in the Palestinian Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant will occur in the one thousand year reign of Christ upon the earth. CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION God has made certain and sure promises to His children. He made promises to Joshua to enable him to serve effectively (Joshua 1:5-9). He made promises to believers assuring us that His salvation is everlasting life (John 3:16). He has made promises that have brought comfort, peace and strength to His people in every generation since the Bible has been completed (Philippians 4:13). God promised power to do the things necessary to obey Him. God also promised the provisions necessary to meet our needs as servants who are engaged in doing His work (Philippians 4:19). God promised to be our refuge so that we will not be overwhelmed by fear or circumstances (Hebrews 13:5, 6). God s promises are thrilling and powerful.