L E A R N E R G U I D E FALL 2010 Bible Studies for Life LifeVENTURES Fo r R e t i r e d Ad u l t s
C O N T E N T S This periodical is designed for vocationally retired adults ages 65 and up using the Bible Studies for Life series. 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. FEATURES 8 10 2 How to Become a Christian 3 Make a Note 6 Meet the Writers 8 What Is Apologetics? 56 Comparisons of New Religious Movements 57 Comparisons of World Religions 115 Emeritus missionaries leave lasting legacy in Japan 163 Coming Next Quarter LESSONS 10 STUDY THEME: The Case for Hope 12 September 5 Making Your Case ( Acts 21:40 22:10; 1 Peter 3:15-17) 23 September 12 The Case for God s Existence ( Psalm 19:1-6; Acts 17:22-29; Hebrews 1:1-2) 34 September 19 The Case for God s Love ( Job 40:1-9; Romans 8:18-21, 28-30) 45 September 26 The Case for God s Involvement ( Deuteronomy 8:2-5; Psalm 139:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11) These symbols designate interactive items for your response. You may want to use a separate notebook journal to register your responses.
F ALL 2010 VOL. 5, N O. 1 58 STUDY THEME: The Case for Jesus 60 October 3 Sin IS a Big Deal ( Genesis 3:1-6,16-19,24; Romans 5:12-14) 71 October 10 Why Good Isn t Good Enough ( Isaiah 5:20-23; 6:1-5; Romans 3:21-26) 82 October 17 What s So Different About Jesus? ( John 6:66-69; 9:17,24-25, 31-33,35-38; 20:27-29) 93 October 24 Jesus the One and Only (John 3:16-18; 14:6-11; 1 Timothy 2:3-6) 104 October 31 Making Sense of Faith ( Romans 4:1-3,23-25; 10:9-13; Hebrews 12:1-2) 58 116 STUDY THEME: The Case for the Christian Life 118 November 7 Why the Christian Life Is Better [Evangelism Lesson] (John 14:15-18,27-31a; 15:11-16) 129 November 14 Life in Light of Eternity (Luke 12:13-21; Philippians 1:21-26) 140 November 21 Life Together (Acts 2:41-47; Hebrews 10:23-25) 151 November 28 Life Worth Sharing ( Romans 1:14-17; 9:1-3; 10:1,14-15; 15:17-20) 116 Life Ventures Learner Guide (ISSN 1557-4776; Item 005075046) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@ lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. Printed in the United States of America. Photo Credits: CP1: Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc. / Jupiterimages; CP2: Comstock Images / Jupiterimages Unlimited
Learning and Living the Bible Lesson August 30 September 5 Monday: Read the lesson introduction, What This Lesson Is About, and How This Lesson Can Impact Your Life (pp. 13-14). Think about what you read in the background passages. Can you explain what you believe and why you believe it? Tuesday: Read the article What Is Apologetics? (pp. 8-9). Write in your own words the definition and goal of apologetics. Study Be Prepared (pp. 14-17). Discuss with a friend the place of apologetics in a maturing spiritual life. Wednesday: Study Know to Whom You Are Talking (pp. 17-19). Think about how you feel when you discover that you have a connection with someone you just met. How would you try to connect with an unbeliever so he or she would hear your witness? Thursday: Study Share What You Know (pp. 19-21). Identify evidence in your daily life that is a strong defense for the positive impact Jesus has on you. Is there anything that would weaken your witness? If so, pray for strength to overcome. Friday: Read Reflection (pp. 21-22). Note statement six and read Acts 22:22. How does the possibility of rejection by people affect your willingness to share your faith? Pray for the will and the strength to share Christ no matter the response. Saturday: Read the focal passages again. Write at least three truths that have spoken to your heart in a special way as you have studied this lesson. Why do you think those particular truths spoke to you? Thank the Lord for speaking to you. Sunday: Join your class for Bible study. Share your definition and description of apologetics. If your concept of defending your faith has changed because of this study, describe that change. Pray that all who attend will renew their strength in witnessing. 12 Life Ventures
W E E K O F S E P T E M B E R 5 Making Your Case BACKGROUND PASSAGES Acts 21:26 22:21; 1 Peter 3:13-17 FOCAL PASSAGES Acts 21:40 22:10; 1 Peter 3:15-17 WHAT THIS LESSON IS ABOUT This lesson helps adults understand the value of knowing what they believe and being able to explain it with confidence in any circumstance. HOW THIS LESSON CAN IMPACT YOUR LIFE Discover the importance of defending your faith and beliefs in Christ and that defending your faith does not mean defensiveness but sharing with love and gentleness. Dick Luria / Gettyimages When I was growing up, my mother frequently said to me, Now be nice and mind your manners. Since most of you are of my generation, I expect you heard similar words. (Girls probably heard it more often than boys. Right?) One thing those words meant to me was Don t disagree with other people. Don t argue. So when I read the title of this lesson, Making Your Case, I began to get tense. How do I make my case and still be nice? Week of September 5 13
This first lesson will help us see the value and importance of defending our faith and beliefs in Christ. It will help us overcome any reluctance we may have about explaining what we believe and why we believe it. And perhaps the most helpful thing for me, it will emphasize that defending my faith does not mean defensiveness but rather sharing with love, gentleness, and respect. (Being nice.) Are you ready for that kind of study? I am. Be Prepared KJV 1 Peter 3:15-17 HCSB 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evildoing. 15 but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 16 However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God s will, than for doing evil. Through the pen of Peter, God clearly tells us that we are to be prepared to defend our faith: always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (v. 15). The believers to whom Peter wrote lived in a pagan environment in five Roman provinces of Asia Minor (see 1:1) most likely in the northern half of modern-day Turkey. Some of Peter s readers may have been Jewish converts, but most were probably Gentiles who had rejected their pagan practices when they came to Christ. Because of their new life in Christ, the believers were under intense pressure from their pagan neighbors (see 4:3-4). They likely had to endure social and economic discrimination, 14 Life Ventures
ridicule, and possibly physical violence. The pressure was on, and Peter encouraged them to always be ready to defend their faith. Our studies through November will focus on apologetics. The Greek word Just a little Theology First Peter emphasizes hope for suffering believers. Hope (Greek, elpis) means future certainty rather than a vague expectation of some future occurrence. 1 apologia, from which apologetics is derived, was used by both Peter and Paul as they spoke and wrote about defending the faith ( defense ; see 1 Pet. 3:15; Acts 22:1). The ability to defend our faith in Christ is a part of being spiritually mature. Regardless of our circumstances, we should seek to be able to give a clear and respectful answer about our hope in the Lord (see Digging Deeper below). I know a senior adult who is experiencing very difficult circumstances; yet through his life and his words, he gives a consistent and respectful witness for Christ. He has recently had a foot amputated because of uncontrollable diabetes. His life is limited because of his disease and disability, but despite his suffering, he unfailingly expresses gratitude to God for his life. That puzzles some of those around him. While this situation is not the same kind of suffering faced by the first readers of Peter s letter, it does represent a kind of suffering you and I may face as we grow older. Whatever trials we D I G G I N G D E E P E R defense (1 Pet. 3:15; answer, KJV) The Greek word for defense is apologia, from which we derive the English words apology and apologetics. To make an apology means not only to express remorse but also to present an explanation, the key meaning of apologetics. Christian apologetics means to present a coherent defense for our beliefs and commitment. While we certainly need a group of highly trained and skilled apologists to confront challenges to Christianity, the greater need is for typical Christians to explain their beliefs to people they know. All Christians should be apologists. Week of September 5 15
encounter, it is important that our witness for the Lord remains strong and faithful.!!!"#$%&!'(!"#)*+,# In what ways can being in the midst of a difficult situation affect a person s witness? What does this reveal about a person s preparedness to defend what he or she believes and why he or she believes it? In verse 16, Peter addressed my fear about not being nice as I share my faith: However, do this with gentleness and respect. The goal of defending our faith is not in the end to win arguments. It is to lovingly persuade people to put their lives in the hands of the Savior who lived, died, and rose from the dead so they may have eternal life. In the years when I was a working licensed psychologist, I attended many professional meetings and seminars where I sometimes felt that my faith was criticized or attacked. Often my first internal response was defensiveness, which made it difficult to respond with gentleness and respect. Sometimes I took the easy route and just let it pass; I was unprepared or perhaps unwilling to give a defense with the gentleness and respect the Bible requires. My goal now is to learn to do that well. Peter provided the key to doing it well: but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts keeping your conscience clear (vv. 15-16). Our witness will probably fall on deaf ears if our lives do not match up with our words. The world may unjustly denounce your Christian life, but we should not be surprised. Jesus said, understand that [the world] hated Me before it hated you (John 15:18). However, let us not by our own hypocrisy give our accusers legitimate cause for their attacks. We must submit to the lordship of Jesus, and then ultimately, those who oppose the gospel will be put to shame (1 Pet. 3:16). As we follow our 16 Life Ventures
Lord, we will be able to endure no matter what unjust treatment may come our way and respond lovingly to people who question our hope and faith. We must be prepared and willing to do it.!!!"#$%!&'()%!*+, When was the last time you had an opportunity to talk about your faith with a non-christian? How did you feel about it? If you feel unprepared to explain your faith, what do you think would help you be more prepared? What are you willing to do to prepare yourself? Know to Whom You Are Talking KJV Acts 21:40 22:3 HCSB 40 And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, 22:1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 40 After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language: 22:1 Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you. 2 When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter. 3 He continued, I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and educated according to the strict view of our patriarchal law. Being zealous for God, just as all of you are today, When we have opportunities to defend our faith, it is important to consider to whom we are speaking. People are more likely to Week of September 5 17
listen if they have a point of reference in their own experience. We should look for that connection and build on it. Our focal passage highlights Paul s defense before a mob in Jerusalem who accused him of teaching against Judaism and profaning the temple by bringing Gentiles into the temple complex. Illustrator photo / Bob Schatz Antonia Fortress (Tower of Antonia) in the model of first-century Jerusalem (Holyland Hotel, Jerusalem). This may have been the location to which Paul was brought when his life was threatened in Jerusalem. The mob was trying to beat Paul to death when the Roman authorities intervened and saved Paul s life by taking him into custody. As he was about to be brought into their barracks, Paul received permission to speak to the mob. Then he began addressing them in Hebrew, their own language. Calling those in the mob his brothers and fathers, he cried out listen to my defense (22:1), the same word apologia that Peter used in his letter (1 Pet. 3:15). In addition to speaking to his Jewish listeners in their language, Paul connected with them further by talking about his own Jewish background and heritage. He spoke of his upbringing in Jerusalem, his education by an outstanding Jewish teacher, and stressed that he was zealous for God, just as all of you are (Acts 22:3). We can see Paul s wisdom in his attempt to gain a hearing by emphasizing the things he and the people had in common. In one sense, his plan worked; the crowd quit rioting and listened to him. However, in the end, they were not convinced and still called for Paul s death (see v. 22), evidence that we have no guarantee that the gospel we share will be embraced by those who hear it. Still, the connection Paul made with the crowd at least gave him an opportunity to present his case. It is interesting to me that the people in the crowd were religious people. Most of the people I know are religious people. Is that true for you? Prior to moving to my new home, I lived in a gated retire- 18 Life Ventures
ment community where the census told us that 85 percent of the people there had some church affiliation at some point in their lives. As we left the parking lot of my church, a sign reminded us: You are now entering the mission field of Balboa Baptist Church. Although 85 percent of the people who lived there were religious, not all of them understood faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. That was our mission field. That church is the only church of which I have been a member where I regularly saw senior adults baptized because they had accepted Jesus as Savior. Maybe the people to whom you will make a defense of your faith will be people who are already members of a church. When you have that opportunity, it is important that you be able to share your faith confidently yet in a gentle and respectful manner. You might choose to connect with them by letting them know that you also are a person of faith who, perhaps like them, has been a member of a church a long time.!!!"#$%!&'()%!*+, Think of some things you have in common with the people you relate to on a regular basis. How could you make a connection with them that would allow you to explain your faith? Share What You Know KJV Acts 22:4-10 HCSB 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women in jail, 5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. Having received letters from them to the brothers, I was traveling to Damascus to bring those who were prisoners there to be punished in Jerusalem. Week of September 5 19
KJV 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. HCSB 6 As I was traveling and near Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? 8 I answered, Who are You, Lord? He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting! 9 Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10 Then I said, What should I do, Lord? And the Lord told me, Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that is assigned for you to do. A maturing Christian needs to be growing in the knowledge of his or her faith, but a theological degree is not necessary. If you are a believer, start from what you know right now your experience with Jesus. What has the Lord done in your life? In this passage, Paul shared with the Jerusalem mob the difference Jesus had made in his life. Paul spoke plainly about his life before he met Jesus. He had been zealous in the persecution of Christians. Next, he described how he met the Savior on the road to Damascus where he was going to arrest Christians. Then Paul described his initial response to the Lord and what Jesus told him to do. The change in Paul s life since that day gave him a powerful defense. If you had known Saul the persecutor, there would be no denying that Paul was a changed man. 20 Life Ventures
Any believer can share what Christ has done in his or her life. Think about your life before you came to know Christ. Remember when He came into your life. Consider the impact Jesus has made and continues to make in your life. Be prepared to share your experience in a respectful and gentle manner with anyone who asks about your hope in Him. Many of us came to know Christ a long time ago yet we still have a clear memory of what our lives were like before we met Him and of the moment He came into our lives. Even if the Lord did not raise us up from the gutter, His impact on our lives remains a strong defense for our faith.!!!"#$%!&'()%!*+, List some words that describe your life before you came to know Jesus, even if you were very young. Recall the time, place, and circumstances when you accepted Christ as your Savior. Make notes about that experience. What effect has Jesus had on your life since you submitted to him as Savior and Lord? What does He mean to you today? Remember, despite Paul s personal testimony, the crowd still wanted nothing to do with him. When you share what the Lord means to you, some will say, That s not for me. Does that mean that your story of faith in the Lord Jesus is weak? Not at all. Each person is accountable for his or her response to the gospel. As believers, we are called to make Jesus known, making our case with gentleness and respect. Let s trust God for the results. -+./+0%1(23 This lesson has shown us the value of knowing what we believe and of being able to explain it with confidence. The Scriptures have provided some principles to guide us as we defend and explain our faith. Consider these: Week of September 5 21
!" We must always be prepared to give a defense of our faith and beliefs in Christ. #" Defending our faith does not mean winning an argument. It does mean explaining the truth in a gentle and respectful way. $" A common point of contact will increase the likelihood that our defense will be heard and considered by those who hear. %" Any believer can share his or her experience with Jesus as a part of the explanation of his or her faith. &" A changed life is a strong defense of our faith. '" Not everyone will accept our witness. Nevertheless, we must faithfully present the gospel and leave the results to God. 1. Introduction to 1 Peter The Holman Illustrated Study Bible (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2006), 1803. Speak Your servant is listening. 1 Samuel 3:10 Prayerfully consider what God is saying to you through this lesson, and write it here. APPLYING THE WORD This week, practice explaining what you believe and why you believe it by sharing with a friend. Include a description of how you came to know Jesus and the difference He continues to make in your life. Be ready to share your faith with gentleness and respect. 22 Life Ventures