Putting Worry in Its Place

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        November 27,2011
Lesson Focus:
Put worry in its place
Lesson Scripture:
Matthew 6:25-34

Introduction:
Faith vs. worry,Jesus gave several reasons why and what to do about worry,the sickness of mind. Jesus warns against being so preoccupied with material needs that the will of God is ignored.His response to worry is,"Don't do it!" It's directly opposite of believing in faith that God will always come through.Worry indicates a lack of trust in God or very little trust in His power.Jesus says to the worrier,"Take a look around.The birds and flowers are all taken care of by God."Instead of working and worring about material things,Jesus encourages His children to busy themselves with the activities to build up God's kingdom on earth.We must have a hunger for righteousness and close living with God.If that is the focus and desire of our daily actions,we never have to worry obsessively about such things as what we will eat and what we will wear.The heavenly Father will meet those needs.

Evidence of God's Care in Creation
Matthew 6:25-30KJV
²⁵Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
   ²⁶Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
   ²⁷Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
   ²⁸And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
   ²⁹And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
   ³⁰Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Footnotes:

The Lord had just admonished His listeners to keep their priorites straight when it came to true riches.What the world calls wealth is passing.Just as true riches are far more than worldly treasures,life is much more than simply food and clothing.Do not worry,He said;give no thought about your life.Jesus said don't worry about two things which seems to be top priority in our life. When Jesus said look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields,He let the people know that neither did absolutly anything to provide for themselves, and yet the Father in heaven took great care of them.Jesus tells us what good is it to worry ,it won't change anything,but we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, soul and might.

God's Care for His Children
Matthew 6:31-34KJV
³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
   ³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
   ³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
   ³⁴Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Footnotes:

Here is the culmination of the Lord's teaching on faith and provision for daily needs:Do not worry about what to eat,drink or wear.Now he is not saying  that we are not to work to provide for food and clothing, He is saying don't put the needs of this world before the will of God,for your Father in heaven knows we have need of these things.He said don't worry about the things in the future for those things will take care of themselves and only distract us from God's priorities in our lives.We are to cast all our cares upon Him,and trust that if we do as He commands, He will supply our every need. 

Praying As God's People

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        November 20,2011

Lesson Focus:
Sincere Prayer reveals your heart
Lesson scripture:
Matthew 6:5-15

Introduction:
A fresh look at prayer, Jesus emphasized prayer as a communion between th eperson praying and the Father.In Jewish life, prayers were usually done at a designated time in a public place.This public prayer became more about appearance than the actual prayer.Jesus also spoke against robotic,mechanical,repetitious prayers.Prayers can be repeated, but His admonishment was to be sure the heart was fully engaged in the prayer,not merely the lips.Prayer is not about changing God's mind and action,prayer changes the person praying,making him or her ready to yield to God's will.As with many aspects of worship during Jesus' earthly ministry, prayer had degraded in many cases to either pompous public piety or pagan incantations.Sadly this describes many of the religious leaders,whom Jesus called hypocrites.

How Not to Pray
Matthew 6:5-8KJV
 ⁵And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
   ⁶But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
   ⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
   ⁸Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Footnotes:

Here in Jesus teaching on prayer,Jesus addressed two specific problems with people's praying, praying like hypocrites,and praying like the pagans.Praying like the hypocrites reveals a flawed view of the reason for prayer;praying like the pagans reveals a flawed view of the recipient of prayer,God.See the hypocrites didn't pray to communicate with God, but rather to elevate themselves in the eyes of others.This practice glorified the wrong person.Praying in Jesus name is much more than just tacking that phrase at the end of the prayer.It should indicate that what and how we pray is in accord with that Holy name.So when the hypocrite prays he will receive his due reward, the praises of men.The second problem Jesus addressed is praying like the pagan,which exposes a wrong view of God.Pagans pray incessantly and repetitvely because they are not heard, there is no one to hear them.Jesus points out that our Father knows what we have need of before we ask Him,and the pagan drone on in hope of one day being heard.Now know there is a difference in vain babbling and repetitions and that of a biblical concept of persistant prayer.Jesus dosn't encourage persistant prayer because God needs to be reminded,but so that the one praying won't lose heart while awaiting God's answer.(read Luke 18:1-7)

Principles of Godly Prayer

Matthew6:9-15KJV

 ⁹After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

   ¹⁰Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
   ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.
   ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
   ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
   ¹⁴For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
   ¹⁵But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Footnotes:

Comentators have called this passage the Lords Prayer, the Disciples' prayer, and the model prayer.However, as part of God's eternal Word, this prayer has been a model to believers down through the centuries.Therefore, we will approach this passage as a model for bringing our praises, supplications,and intecessions to our heavenly Father.The Prayer begins by reminding us to whom we are to pray to,and it closes with the related topics of forgiveness and temptations.When believers truly understand just how much they have been forgiven in Christ,they will find it a small thing in comparison to forgive others.On the other hand, failure to acknowledge God's forgiveness by harboring grudges opens the door to all manner of temptations.However, those who acknowledge and confess they need God's forgiveness will receive cleansing and forgive the wrongs of others. Jesus ended the model prayer with praise,knowing that God will indeed answer our prayers.For the answers to prayers are not based on the seriousness of the words coming from a person's lips,but the petition is before the almight God who knows all things and will bring all His desires to pass.

Loving as God's People

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                       November 13, 2011

Lesson Focus:
Love when love is not expected
Lesson Scripture:
Matthew 5:43-48 kjv

Introduction:

Love your enemies,the Jews of Jesus' day understood loving their neighbors, but they did not understand loving their enemies.It was fine to hate your enemies.Jesus taught just the opposite.If someone is being mistreated,how can the hurting party show love? First of all,the love spoken of here is not ordinary fleshly love,but agape love,the kind of unconditional love that defines who God is.Once a person receives and understands that kind of love, it overflows into a love for others.Jesus gave us practical ways to love an enemy, bless them, pray for them, and do them good.This kind of attitude and these actions can win over a person in opposition.Jesus summarized His teaching on love with an exhortation to be perfect,by showing God's complete love to our enemy.God's love goes out to all people,therefore all who represents him here on earth,should also love all people and nations inspite of how they treat us.

Divine Love Identifies the Child of God

Matthew 5:43-45,KJV

⁴³Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

   ⁴⁴But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
   ⁴⁵That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Footnotes:

Here Jesus addresses the proper attitude His followers should have towards others,whether neighbors or enemies.Jesus contrasted the misguided interpretation of the Law by the Jewish religious leaders with the true intent and fulfillment of the Law of God.The Pharisees taught that Israelites should "love their neighbor, meaning other Israelites and those who were their friends, but they should hate their enemy.However Jesus completely reversed this teaching,telling His disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute you.Just as God blesses the evil and the good with the sun and the rain, we are to love our enemies and our friends.We also don't know who is our friend and who is our enemy,so by loving all people we can't go wrong, after all Jesus loved us while we was his enemy.

Divine Love Reflects the Character of God

Matthew 5:46-48,KJV

⁴⁶For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

   ⁴⁷And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
   ⁴⁸Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect

Footnotes:

Here Jesus told the people that loving only those who love you is practiced by the tax collectors,and this is the not action worthy of a reward.We must love those who despise us,who say all matter of evil about us, who persecute us, this is the love of God.Jesus concludes His teaching by calling on His followers to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.We are to emulate the righteous standard set by God, who extends love toward everyone.It is a call to a conduct in this life that truly reflects the character of our Father which art in heaven.

Why was Jesus so willing to lay down His life even for those who hated Him?His motive had nothing to do with the character or conduct of those he died for.A mob rejected him,His followers betrayed him,and denied knowing him,he was spit on, sworn at, slapped,and beaten, and all of this was before they nailed Him to the cross.But while we were without power Christ died for the ungodly.He gave His life for His friends and His enemies, and offered to all who will accept it, salvation.If we are going to be Christ like ,we too must be willing to lay down our life for friends and enemies alike and become a living sacrifice, that the lost might be saved.

Forgiving as God's People

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                         November 6,2011

Lesson Focus:
Practice and teach the laws of the kingdom
Lesson Scripture:
Matthew 5:17-26

Introduction:

Jesus completes God's law; At this point in Jesus' ministry some of the jewish leaders accused Him of being a destructive force against the Old Testament laws.Jesus set the record straight,His ministry and teaching was a continuation of God's revelation(Romans 10:4).God had provided the law so the Jewish nation would run to Jesus,realizing they could not keep all the law and needed God's grace.Instead they criticized Jesus and missed God's point entirely.Jesus is God's free gift of Salvation and the way into the Kingdom.

      

 The Jewish people were used to quoting the law and then rigidly following it.But Jesus brought out the compassion and the heart of the law.We should not brag or feel smug and say,"I never murdered anyone".If you are angry with people or hold grudges against others,it's just as bad as murder. Murdering an innocent bystander or slandering your neighbor are both sins.Jesus wants people to see that their negative relationships with each other hinder their relationship with God.Being at peace with all people is essential to being at peace with God.Jesus emphasizes that reconcilliation in a small or large matter needs to be done quickly.If a person drags his or her feet in taking care of conflicts it could end up in a big mess.

Jesus Fulfills the Law of the Kingdom

Matthew 5:17-20KJV

¹⁷Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

   ¹⁸For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
   ¹⁹Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
   ²⁰For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

footnotes:

In this section of the sermon on the mount, Jesus explains His relationship to the law of Moses.He first asserts that He did not come to destroy or replace the law or the prophets,but to fulfill them. During His earthly ministry,Jesus often encountered and condemned hypocrisy.There were some  whose public displays of piety was done  to gain the praises of men rather than a sincere desire to do the will of God.They played the part of godliness,but were in reality blind to devine truth, including the true nature of the righteous God requires to be a citizen in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told them that their righteousness,their conduct of life required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus Explains the Laws of the Kingdom

Matthew 5:21-26KJV

   ²¹Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
   ²²But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
   ²³Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
   ²⁴Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
   ²⁵Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
   ²⁶Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

footnotes:

Here Jesus begin to explain how genuine Kingdom righteousness and true fulfillment of the Law contrasted with the false righteousness and self serving legalistics practices of the scribes and pharisees.He showed His disciples how the righteousness of the Jewish leaders fell short of the righteousness God requires.The first example was "do not murder",here Jesus teaches that just being angry with a brother is equal to committing murder in the Kingdom.The kind of sinful attitudes Jesus described clearly required repentance on the part of the offending person. Jesus addresses the need for reconcilliation,as before we can present a offering at God's altar that will be acceptable to Him,we should first seek reconcilliation with our brother before hand.Forgiveness is a huge act of Kingdom living.Unforgiveness can hover over your life like a dark cloud.So can unresolved anger toward another person.We are called to practice the KIngdom life and show that our righteousness is not self centered and self serving.