LEARNER GUIDE S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 Bible Studies for Life LifeLESSONS Fo r A l l Ad u l t s
Life LESSONS Learner Guide Spring 2010 Volume 4, Number 3 CONTENTS CHURCH GONE WRONG March 7 When Members Won t Get Along 10 1 Corinthians 1:10-15,26-29; 3:1-4 March 14 When Immorality Comes to Church 18 1 Corinthians 5:1-2,9-13; 6:15-20 March 21 When Members Insist on Their Way 26 1 Corinthians 8:1-4,7-13; 10:31-33 March 28 When Worship Dishonors God 34 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 April 4 When Easter Becomes Just Another Holiday 42 1 Corinthians 15:1-4,12-19,54b-58 [Easter Coordinated Evangelism Lesson] MINISTRY DONE RIGHT April 11 The Right Stuff 50 2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 3:4-5,18; 4:1-2,5-6,16-18 April 18 The Right Motivation 58 2 Corinthians 5:9-21 April 25 The Right Support 66 2 Corinthians 8:8-15; 9:6-11 I (STILL) DO May 2 In the Presence of God 74 Genesis 1:26-28a; 2:7,15-22 May 9 I Take You 82 Genesis 2:23-25; Malachi 2:13-15; Matthew 19:3-12 May 16 To Love and to Cherish 90 Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Peter 3:7 May 23 I Pledge You My Faithfulness 98 Matthew 5:27-30; Proverbs 5:15-21; 6:25-32 May 30 From This Day Forward 106 Psalm 51:6-10; Song of Songs 2:15; Acts 18:24-26; Romans 16:3-5a FEATURES 4 Meet Your Writers 5 Study Theme Descriptions 6 Philadelphia Churches Sweep City with GPS 9 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions 114 Coming Next Quarter COVER PHOTO JUPITERIMAGES
Life LESSONS Learner Guide Production and Ministry Team John E. Dent, Jr. Content Editor Ashley M. Linne Production Editor Min Xu Graphic Designer Alan Raughton Lead Adult Ministry Specialist David Apple Adult Ministry Specialist Christina Zimmerman Editorial Project Leader Send questions/ comments to: Content Editor, Life Lessons Learner Guide One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234-0175; or make comments on the Web at: www.lifeway.com Meet Your Writers Warren McWilliams wrote the commentary and questions for the March lessons and the first lesson in April. An experienced writer for LifeWay, Dr. McWilliams is Professor, Auguie Henry Chair of Bible, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Oklahoma. Warren and his wife, Patty, are members of University Baptist Church and have two adult children. Billie Friel wrote the commentary and questions for the other three lessons in April. An experienced writer for LifeWay, Dr. Friel is pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, where Billie and his wife, Marilynn, remain as members. They have three adult children. David Packer wrote the commentary and questions for the five May lessons. An experienced writer for LifeWay, David and his wife, Lana, served for over 20 years as missionaries in Singapore and the Philippines. Dr. Packer is pastor of the International Baptist Church in Stuttgart, Germany. Management Personnel Bret Robbe, Director Leadership and Adult Publishing Ron Brown, 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 4 Life Lessons Learner Guide (ISSN 1557-4741; Item 005074969) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2009 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. This periodical is designed for adult classes without segmented age groups. 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. All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. 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 by W. Murray Severance. Copyright 1997 by Broadman & Holman Publishers. Used by permission. Printed in the United States of America. Page 50, 74, 106 photos by Angle Guay
Study Themes March 7 April 4: This study, based on selected passages from 1 Corinthians, examines problems in the Corinthian church and how Paul addressed those problems. This study is important because it addresses problems many churches face today and provides biblical answers to fixing what s wrong in the church. April 11-25: This study, based on selected passages from 2 Corinthians, examines the nature of Christian ministry, qualities required of all who do ministry, and the motivations for doing ministry. This study also looks at financial giving as a means of doing and supporting ministry. This study will help equip believers to minister effectively in their churches. May 2-30: Using selected Old and New Testament passages, this study explores the biblical perspective of marriage and society s effort to redefine marriage. This study is important because of the weakening of marriage in our society. The evidences of society s effort to redefine marriage can be seen on the nightly news. Statistics show that marriages in the church are as troubled as marriages outside the church. Believers need to understand and uphold God s standards for marriage. 5
Philadelphia Churches Sweep City with GPS By Adam Miller The rustle of plastic door hanger bags was a telltale sound of a windy Philadelphia day and evidence that members of Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church visited neighbors along Chelten Avenue with the good news of Jesus Christ. They have it in their hands, said Christian Cesar, pastor of the church. If they have it in their hands they are closer to having it in their hearts. That s why we re here. As part of God s Plan for Sharing (GPS), the new Southern Baptist evangelism initiative, a number of Philadelphia-area churches hosted evangelistic outreach efforts April 4 as a means of reaching their communities and exhibiting the effectiveness of certain outreach media on their communities. Our church recently did a church development survey. And our profile showed that we needed to be more intentional about evangelism, said Brian King, who pastors Ezekiel Baptist Church and serves as moderator for the Baptist Resource Network of Philadelphia. More than 80 members from the African American church participated Saturday. GPS is piggybacking perfectly with what our church is trying to do, King said. It has actually invigorated the church. Many of them asked if we could go out next Saturday. Using materials printed by the North American 6
Mission Board (NAMB) alongside literature in other languages inviting people to church on Easter, church members went door-todoor hanging bags and striking up conversations. Paired with a citywide ad campaign that included more than 70 bus ads, mobile truck signs, radio commercials, and television spots sending people to and a gospel presentation, the outreach is bearing fruit and church leaders are noticing a response. Two women in south Philly accepted Christ and filled out information at NAMB s Evangelism Response Center Web site. Two additional people saw a mobile ad, walked into New Beginnings Church in Philadelphia and accepted Christ. Our churches have, in the last several years, made the weeks leading up to Easter a great opportunity to share the gospel and invite people to church for special Easter celebrations, said Bob Hylton, director of missions for the Baptist Resource Network of Philadelphia. What GPS and offered us is a broader sweeping appeal. In a town an hour north of Philly, Riverside Community Church was reaching a mostly Anglo suburban area. In northeast Philly, Lifeway Baptist Church reached the Russianspeaking population at a Russian marketplace. Only a few miles away, members of Vietnamese Baptist Church of Philadelphia stationed themselves at local markets. This is only a smattering of the dozens of projects happening in connection with the GPS pilot project in the City of Brotherly Love. We just want people to have God in their hearts because God is the way we have joy and peace, said Michelle Nguyen, 9, a member of Vietnamese Baptist, who distributed a brochure and some materials in Vietnamese to a shopper outside the market. Pastor Phillip Pham said a prayerwalking excursion two weeks earlier and the literature distribution on April 4 will put 7
an invitation to the gospel in the hands of more than 1,000 individuals and households through members of the church. Benjamin Mishin, pastor of Lifeway Baptist Church, a Russianspeaking congregation, said their literature tables caught the eyes of hundreds of Russian-speakers including many Jews, atheists, and nominal Orthodox people of former Soviet-bloc countries. Many of these people do not even know what the Bible says about anything, Mishin said. For me to present them with an alternate view of human existence, to suggest that God created the world in seven days, is to introduce a completely foreign concept. But the lack of knowledge [among those from former communist-bloc countries] gives us an opportunity to teach them about the God who made them and loves them. The folks I went with distributed materials to about 700 homes, had six conversations and prayer with two, said Hylton, who joined Paoli Baptist Church in its efforts. Several people met us at the door and enjoyed the conversation and gladly received the invitation to the church s Easter services. My group had one really in-depth prayer with one person and I truly believe the Lord was present in that conversation in a special way. While Philadelphia Baptists made their way from neighbor to neighbor, similar outreach efforts were taking place in Lubbock, Texas, Riverside, California, and on the outskirts of Atlanta in Stone Mountain. We re so pleased about these partnerships and to see Southern Baptists out in their neighborhoods meeting people and sharing the good news, said Ken Weathersby, NAMB s senior strategist for evangelization. We will learn much from these efforts so we can adjust and improve the GPS effort. But mainly, these efforts are about inviting people to church and sharing the gospel. What is God calling you to do in sharing the gospel? For more information about God s Plan for Sharing (GPS) and call 770-410-6217 or go to Adam Miller is associate editor of magazine at the North American Mission Board. Adam is a member of Roswell street Baptist Church, Marietta, Georgia. Reprinted with permission from Baptist Press, Southern Baptist Convention, Copyright 2009. 8
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Life LESSONS Learner Guide When Members Won t Get Along Focal Verses 1 Corinthians 1:10-15,26-29; 3:1-4 How This Lesson Can Impact Your Life This lesson can help you understand causes of disunity in the church and decide on actions you will take to prevent or to correct divisions in your church. What This Lesson Is About This lesson is about the things that divide a church. Why This Lesson Is Important No group of people completely agrees on every issue. In some cases, differences of opinion result in hard feelings and strained relationships. When this happens in a church and it often does the church s ministry in the community is threatened. 10
recently noticed a highway sign for a church: Unity I Baptist Church. I wondered if unity really characterized that church, or is unity an ideal they strive for? What reputation does your church have in your community? Would it be known for its unity or its disunity? Q¹ As you study this lesson, you will learn about some of the causes for disunity in a church. You will be challenged to do what you can to prevent disunity in your church or to overcome divisions in your church. Q² Misplaced Loyalties (1 Cor. 1:10-15) Week of March 7 10 Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all say the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. 11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by members of Chloe s household, that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I am saying is this: each of you says, I m with Paul, or I m with Apollos, or I m with Cephas, or I m with Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul s name? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say you had been baptized in my name. The church at Corinth definitely would not qualify for the title Unity Church! Having founded this church about A.D. 50, Paul knew the church well. He quickly addressed the problem of disunity in the church. Q³ If you made a list of issues that have caused friction in a church, you might include the color of the carpet, the style of music, or the choice of a Bible translation for Sunday School or public worship. A key issue at Corinth, however, was misplaced loyalties. Q⁴ Q¹ What are the major causes for disunity in churches today? What are major causes for disunity in your church? Q² What could your church accomplish if it were unified? Q³ What has caused disunity in your church lately? What actions should you take to help correct this problem? Q⁴ Why are misplaced priorities such a difficult problem? 11
Life LESSONS Learner Guide Q¹ What happens in your church when there are fragmented groups? What happens in your church when people follow different spiritual leaders? Paul s first rebuke of the Corinthian church focused on the formation of divisions in the church. The Greek word translated divisions gives us our word schism. The word is used literally of a piece of cloth torn (separated) from a garment in Matthew 9:16. This word refers most frequently to disagreements among people resulting in separation. In 1 Corinthians 1:10 the word describes the fragmented, immature groups in the Corinthian church who followed different spiritual leaders. Q¹ Q² What is the main evidence of Christ s being Lord of your church? Q³ What is the difference between unity and uniformity? Q⁴ How can church staff members and other leaders avoid being leaders of fan clubs? One ideal for all Christians is unity. The Corinthian believers should have been unified in their loyalty to Jesus. Paul did not expect total uniformity, but he knew that their loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ should be the primary unifying factor in their relations. The word translated united is used in Mark 1:19 for mending nets. Paul hoped for a strong interrelationship among the Corinthian Christians. They should share the same basic perspective about the key issues facing the church. Q² Paul also stressed the balance between unity and diversity in the church when he described the church as the body of Christ. A human body has many parts with different purposes, but they all work together for the good of the body (1 Cor. 12:12-31). Paul s understanding of unity and diversity reminds me of a sign in a former pastor s office: We can be brothers without being twins. Q³ Members of Chloe s household informed Paul of the disunity at Corinth. The heart of the conflict was that some Christians had placed loyalty to human leaders over loyalty to Christ. Q⁴ Four factions had developed in Corinth. One group followed Paul. A second group identified with Apollos. This Christian leader ministered in Ephesus (Acts 18:24 19:1); he was an eloquent 12
Week of March 7 speaker and student of Scripture. A third group followed Cephas (Simon Peter), who may have visited Corinth earlier (1 Cor. 9:5). The fourth group, perhaps considering themselves the most spiritual, followed Christ but their loyalty to Christ was divisive rather than unifying. Q¹ Paul argued against loyalties to human leaders by stressing that no human provided their salvation. Paul did not die for their sins; they were not baptized in Paul s name. Paul even stressed his forgetfulness about the number or names of the people he had baptized! Paul s criticism of the divisions at Corinth does not mean he rejected the authority of human leaders. Q² Paul s main concern here was that the supreme loyalty to Jesus was compromised at Corinth by too high an allegiance to human leaders such as Apollos and Simon Peter. The unity of any church is tied to its members understanding that Jesus is Lord. Once a church agrees on the big issue, the Lordship of Christ, other issues can be resolved more easily. Q³ Human Pride (1 Cor. 1:26-29) Q¹ How can loyalty to Christ be divisive rather than unifying? Q² How can we honor our leaders without exalting them too highly? Q³ When has the Lordship of Christ helped resolve a minor issue in your church? 26 Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen the world s foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world s weak things to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen the world s insignificant and despised things the things viewed as nothing so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, 29 so that no one can boast in His presence. A second cause of the disunity at Corinth was the pride or arrogance of some of its members. Q⁴ Like many churches today, the church at Corinth probably Q⁴ How do you define pride and arrogance? 13
Life LESSONS Learner Guide Q¹ How can having people from many different backgrounds lead to unity in a church? Q² What is a biblically based way to evaluate fellow Christians? Q³ Should churches have members from different or similar backgrounds? Why? Q⁴ What are appropriate ways of highlighting good achievements? Q⁵ What characteristic of your church is highlighted in the local newspaper, your church s newsletter, or Web site? Why? had members from many different backgrounds. Q¹ In human terms some were superior to others. Some made more money, had a higher position in society, or achieved more than others. Paul addressed the problem of human pride by stressing that all Christians had come to know God in the same way. Paul was concerned that the Corinthian Christians tended to evaluate others from a human perspective. Centuries earlier God had told Samuel not to judge people. Humans judge by external appearance, but God judges by the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Q² In some churches today, some evaluate people by their profession, educational level, financial status, or physical appearance. Such human standards often lead to the problem of pride. Paul stressed that many at Corinth were not wise or powerful or of noble birth according to human standards. Q³ Ideally the unity at Corinth would be based on their memory of God s gracious gift of salvation through Jesus. God turned the world s standards of greatness upside down when He chose foolish things and weak things to accomplish His purpose. If God offered salvation only to the rich, powerful, and famous, they might never realize salvation is based on His grace, not human achievement. Churches today boast about many things. Q⁴ A church might feel superior to other churches if it had a bigger building, a bigger budget, a more famous choir, or a superior softball team. If a church realizes it owes its existence to God, there would be no boasting in His presence. A church that excels in missionary work, evangelism, education, and other God-honoring activities can praise God rather than exalting human achievements. Paul concluded this section of his letter by quoting Jeremiah 9:24, where the prophet encouraged boasting about our relation to God (1 Cor. 1:31). Q⁵ 14
Week of March 7 Spiritual Immaturity (1 Cor. 3:1-4) Q¹ 1 Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. 2 I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet able to receive it. In fact, you are still not able, 3 because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like ordinary people? 4 For whenever someone says, I m with Paul, and another, I m with Apollos, are you not typical men? The Christians at Corinth acted like babies. Q² Paul wanted to address the Corinthians as spiritual people, suggesting they had achieved a level of spiritual maturity. Instead, he realized their disunity was a reflection of their spiritual immaturity. They acted like babies in Christ. At some point we were all spiritual infants. Ideally, however, we have matured in our Christian faith over the years. Paul had known the Corinthian Christians long enough to expect them to be more mature. Our diets change as we mature. Babies start with milk and then move on to solid food. Paul had given the Corinthians milk earlier. He started with the basics of Christian beliefs and behavior when they were new Christians. By now, however, he was ready to give them solid food. Q³ But they were not ready! Paul described his readers as still fleshly. The word is not limited to physical aspects of our nature. Paul often uses to refer to our disobedience of God, including our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. For example, the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) include physical and non-physical actions and attitudes. Q⁴ Paul s readers were also ordinary people in the sense that they were not living according to the Spirit of Christ. They had not grown into mature Christians. Q¹ Would those who know you best say that you have spiritual maturity? Why or why not? Q² What are the top 3 marks of spiritual immaturity? 1. 2. 3. Q³ What is an example of spiritual solid food? A doctrinal belief? Q⁴ How would you explain fleshly to a non-christian? 15
Life LESSONS Learner Guide Q¹ What happens when churches follow human leaders rather than Christ? Church unity thrives only when Christ is the center of the church, not human leaders. Q¹ Q² What has your church done to help you grow spiritually? What have you done to help your church grow spiritually? Q³ Using this criteria, how would you assess your biblical literacy? Q⁴ Using this criteria, how would you evaluate your spiritual maturity? As long as the Corinthian Christians stressed their loyalty to human leaders such as Paul or Apollos, they were acting as typical men, not strong Christians. Spiritual maturity can be measured in many ways. Q² As a college teacher I often stress biblical literacy as a mark of spiritual maturity. Biblical literacy includes knowing the major events, personalities, and themes in the Bible. Q³ Systematic Bible study characterizes mature Christians. Mature Christians also pray regularly, worship with other Christians, and find ways to minister to those who need the good news about Jesus. Q⁴ I Grow in Spiritual Maturity When I Q⁵ How would you complete this chart? Q⁵ 16
Week of March 7 THE LIFE LESSON isunity characterizes many churches today. Q¹ Paul s letter to the church at Corinth highlighted several of the causes of disunity: putting loyalty to human leaders above loyalty to Jesus, human pride, and spiritual immaturity. Church unity thrives only when Christ is the center of the church, not human leaders. What can you learn about getting along in your church from Paul s advice? pastor, your Sunday School teacher, or your deacon than you are to Christ? Q² issues that are minor issues? human accomplishment can be OK, but an arrogant attitude often leads to conflicts in the church. churches are stronger in crucial areas, such as evangelism and missions, but too often some church members brag about buildings and nonessentials. your biblical literacy need improvement? Many years ago I mentioned that the church I attended then seemed kind of dull. I told a friend, We need a good debate. My friend quickly corrected me, since he knew the church had survived a split several years before I joined. Church disunity is not a subject churches are so notorious for their squabbles that no one visits or joins them. Q³ Q¹ What is your church known for in your community? Q² What issues have caused disagreement in your church? How has your church dealt with these issues? Did your church settle these issues and achieve unity? Q³ If Paul wrote a letter to your church, what causes for your disunity would he highlight? 17