A Life Of Integrity

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                         January 1,2012
Lesson Focus:
Live a life of Integrity
Lesson Scripture:
Genesis 39:7-21

Introduction:

A life of integrity,"Lord make me more like Joseph in this upcoming year",is an excellent request to bring before God at the beginning of this new year.Joseph was a biblical character who exemplified a life of integrity.He was sold into slavery by his brothers,and Pharaoh's captain of the guard, bought Joseph in Egypt, and from age 17 when he was sold,to age 30,Joseph was an Egyptian slave and imprisoned. God gave him favor with Potiphar,who made Joseph overseer of his household.But there was one problem,Potiphar's lustful wife,who was set on seducing Joseph.She asked Joseph to lie with her and he refused.He said this would be a sin against God.Her final trick was to grab him in the house when they were alone,but Joseph ran away from her.She then lied to her husband and Joseph was imprisoned.But even in prison God was still with Joseph and gave him favor with the head jail keeper.Because Joseph was a man who lived his life in the light of God,God continued to bless him and use him for His glory.

Joseph's Integrity Is Tested

Genesis 39:7-12KJV

 ⁷And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

   ⁸But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
   ⁹There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
   ¹⁰And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
   ¹¹And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
   ¹²And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
Footnotes:
Joseph's brothers had originally planned to kill him,but sold him instead to a caravan of Ishmaelites specifically Midianite merchants, who happened to pass by on their way to Egypt.The merchants then sold him to Potiph,the commanding officer of the royal bodyguard for Pharaoh.Scripture says Joseph prospered and Potiphar experienced the Lord's blessing on everything he possessed.After a while  Potiphar wife asked Joseph to have a sexual relations wih her.Joseph said no to her advances and saidsuch an action would be a sin against God.Nevertheless she continued day after day badgering him to go to bed with her,and onday when Joseph came to do his daily duties and they were alone,she grabbed him and he fled  leaving behind his cloak.
     The enemy's tacks are consistant as was Potiphar's wifes advances on Joseph and like Joseph we must continue to say no to the advances of sin,even when it tells us we are all alone and no one will know.God sees everything.

Joseph's Character Shines in Prison
Genesis 39:13-21KJV
¹³And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
   ¹⁴That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
   ¹⁵And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
   ¹⁶And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
   ¹⁷And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
   ¹⁸And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
   ¹⁹And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
   ²⁰And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
   ²¹But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Footnotes:

After Joseph fled from Potiphar's house and his wife's aggressive hand-on demand for a sexual liaison, she used th eclock Joseph left in her hand to full advantage. This was not the first time an article of Joseph's clothing was used to support a lie about him.When Potiphar returned home and heard his wife's charge against Joseph he burned with anger and had Joseph imprisoned where the king's prisoners were confined.In prison like in Potiphar's house,Joseph was also successful in everything he did because God was with him.In this instance,Joseph had oversight of the entire prison operation and all of the other prisoners.In every circumstances of his life,Joeph conducted himself with integrity as a faithful obedient servant of the Lord,and his faithfulness brought rewards for himself and glory to God.

Our outward actions are the eveidence that the spirit of God is or is not dwelling within us.The ultimate test of Joseph  character was his moral resistance to temptation.To give in to temptation would have been a sin against God.Intergity flourishes when God's spirit is working in our lives.The person's integrity in consistent,not on way in this circustance and another way in another circumstance.We should be the same rather it is Sunday at church or Monday at the ballgame.Jesus said without the indwelling of the Holy spirit,godly integrity can never grow(John 15:5).

 

Celebrating Promises Fulfilled

                                                               Sunday School Lesson
                                                                  December 25,2011
Lesson Focus:
God's promises are
fulfilled in Jesus
Lesson Scripture:
Luke 1:46-55

Introduction:

Mary's magnificat is one of three major hymm-like pieces found in Luke.Mary's song spilled out of her heart when she visited her cousin Elizabeth.The angel Gabriel announced that she,a humble, obscure peasant girl,had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah.When she walked in the door of  Elezabeth's house,the child in Elizabeth's womb (John The Baptist) leaped.Mary continued her praise by shining the spotlight on God's goodness.Her desire was to lift God up as someone greater than great.She was a servantand God was her Master.Although she was carrying the Savior of the wold,yet she acknowledged her own need for a Savior.

Mary Glorifies God

Luke 1:46-49KJV

 ⁴⁶And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

   ⁴⁷And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
   ⁴⁸For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
   ⁴⁹For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
Footnotes:
Gabrie told Mary she would give birth to the Savior,the Son of God,the Holy One of Israel.Her reply was "I am the Lord's servant".Mary then went to visit her cousin who was also pregnant.Unable to contain her joy,Mary offered up a song of praise unto God.Her gratitude over God's willingness to choose her almost overwhelmed her.Her soul glorified God, and her spirit rejoiced.We too have been chosen to give birth to Jesus in our lives,we to should glorify God in our lives,by walking worthy of that to which we have been called.

Every Generation
Luke 1:50-53KJV
 ⁵⁰And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
   ⁵¹He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
   ⁵²He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
   ⁵³He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away
Footnotes:

Mary then focused on the mercy and great deeds of the God of Israel,for his mercy extends to those who fear Him.The fear of God does carry an element of healthy alarm.God is holy,and we are sinful. The fear of God also entails a deep respect and reverence for God's sovereignty,and it is out of the fear of God that we allow Him to take us wherever He leads.God extends mercy to those who fear Him,but scatters those whose inner thoughts rarely focus on God.He gives and takes away authority at will.Those who hunger after God, He fills them up.But those who are rich and indifferent to the plight of the poor will themselves be emptied of their riches.At His birth Jesus was announced first to the poor shepherd then to the humble servants in the temple.Later he would tell His disciples "you cannot serve both God and money".We must first realize that we need Him then humble ourselves to receive Him into ourt lives.

God's Promise Fulfilled

Luke 1:54-55KJV

⁵⁴He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

   ⁵⁵As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Footnotes:

Mary ended her praise by remembering God's promise to Abraham,that all nations would be blessed through him.Mary understood that Jesus would  fulfill God's promise to Abraham.No wonder she was full of praise and thankgiving.Today ,more than two thousand years after Mary's angelic visit and Christ advent,we see how the fulfillment of God's promise touches our lives through salvation in Christ.Jesus is indeed God's promise fulfilled.

Passing the Test

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        December 18,2011

Lesson Focus:
Faithfully obey God
through your trials
Lesson Scripture:
Genesis 22:1-2,6-14

Introduction:

God told Abraham,"Take your only son,Issac,whom you love and go to the region of Moriah and sacrifice him there".God tested Abraham,not to watch him fall and sit back laugh.God's test was to help develop Abraham's character,faith and obedience.The next morning Abraham, without hesitation,started off with Issac on a two or three day journey to the place of sacrifice.Surely, Abraham had plenty of time to change his mind, disobey God,and return home.Or he could have spent the trip pleading with God to stop this nonsense.However,Scripture gives no indication of any such conversation with God.Abraham's response boiled down to two words, trust and obey.He believed this tragedy could only result in good.God will provide; On the third day,Abraham told his servants to stay behind,and he and Issac started the climb up Mt. Moriah.When Issac questioned, "My father,where is the sacrificial?" Abraham spoke  faith language: God will provide." Abraham had come to the place in his life where he would say,"God knows, I don't. It's on Him, God is in charge". Abraham placed Issac on the altar and held up the knife to slay him.Abraham apparently believed somehow God would raise Issac back up to carry out His promise about Abraham's seed producing a great nation(Heb.11:19).In a simlar way, people are under "God's knife", His wrath. But God so loved the world,that he desires to put no man to death.So like the Ram in the bush that saved Issac, He sent His precious Son,our sacrificial lamb to die on a cross to save us.

Abraham Is Tested

Genesis22:1-2KJV

 ¹And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

   ²And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Footnotes:

God's command to Abraham to sacrifice Issac has perplexed readers of the bible for many years.We are told many times in the old testiment how much God disdained human sacrifice.This passage begins, however, with the notion that God was testing Abraham, and not simply making an abrupt and inexliable request.In this command,God acknowledged Abraham's love for Issac.More than the promise of God is at stake here.This is a father who deeply loved a son who was given as a miraculous gift to him and his barren wife in their old age.God told Abraham to take Issac to the region of Moriah,Abraham must have wrestled with his thoughts a wondered what would happen there.

God Will Provide

Genesis 22:6-8KJV

 ⁶And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

   ⁷And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
   ⁸And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Footnotes:

In a foreshadowing of Christ carrying His own cross,Abraham had Issac carry the heavy wood up the hill.But the implements of the sacrifice,the fire and the blade,he carried himself.Issac asked his father about the location of the actual sacrifice.Abraham answered his son's question with an expression of faith in God's provisions.Abraham did tell the servants that the two of them would return.Ours is a walk of faith with the roads paved only with the word and promises of God, and we must just trust and believe and walk by faith in the truths of God's word and the strength of His promises.

God Stops Abraham

Genesis 22:9-14KJV

  ⁹And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

   ¹⁰And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
   ¹¹And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
   ¹²And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
   ¹³And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
   ¹⁴And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Footnotes:

The test ended when God called out to Abraham through the angel of the Lord.At this point,God revealed the nature of the test.He could see,or more importantly perhaps,Abraham could see,that the patriarch was willing to obey God unconditionally,regardless of the cost.He would not even withhold his own son. We like wise must be willing to obey the word of God without doubt regardless of the cost knowing God will provide.We also should rejoice in God's provision of atoning sacrifice on our behalf. Unlike Abraham, God gave His only Son that we might live.We were under the knife of God's judgment when Jesu s,our ram in the bush took our place and lai down his life for the sins of the world.

Believing The Impossible

                                                                        Sunday School Lesson
                                                                           December 11,2011
Lesson Focus:
Faith sees beyond
what seems possible
Lesson Scripture
Genesis 15:1-6 &12-18

Introduction:

Abram's maturing faith,Abram is included in Hebrews 12, a listing of men and women who believed God for the impossible and exercised faith.However, Abram grew and matured in his faith as a result of personal struggles,not just easy living.God took Abram out and showed him the sky full of billions of stars and said to him "So shall your offspring be".God planned for Abram and Sarai to have children through their bodies even though both were past childbearing years,a miracle.Abram believed the Lord,"and it was credited to him as righteousness".To further convience Abram of this promise,God made a personal covenant with him and sealed it with a cultural ritual.Abram continued to walk confidently,believing God for the impossible.faith comes by hearing,and with an ear of obedience such as Abram had.

God Is Abram's Reward
Genesis15:1-3KJV
  ¹After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
   ²And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
   ³And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Footnotes:

God promised Abram a biological heir,the only problem was that Abram and Sarai had been married for decades,and had no children.Abram wonders out loud how his decendants will become a nation if he is childless.And so Abram offers a solution,he will simply make hisservant his heir.So many times we make suggestions outside of God's will because we can't physically see any other way of accomplishing that which God has called us to to or to be.But we must realize that His ways are not our ways,with man it might be impossible ,but with God all things are possible.

Abram's Biological Heir
Genesis 15:4-6KJV
  ⁴And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
   ⁵And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
   ⁶And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Footnote:

God graciously responded to Abram's doubts and proposed solutions,making it crystal clear that the patriarch's heir would be his biological child,not a servant.Perhaps Abram's fear came from the apparent impossibility of this ever happening because of his age.Abram's responce to God was simple beief.At that moment, he believed that somehow he would have a son,and that son would produce offspring that would produce a great nation.For simply believing what God said was true, righteousness was attributed to Abram.In the same way righteousness was credited to Abram,so Christ's righteousness is credited to us the moment we first believed.

Abram's Dark Vision
Genesis 15:12-18KJV
 ¹²And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
   ¹³And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
   ¹⁴And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
   ¹⁵And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
   ¹⁶But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
   ¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
   ¹⁸In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Footnotes:

Despite the darkness of the vision,Abram was still assured he would live out his long years in peace. God was waiting to give the land to Abram's descendants until the sins of the inhabitants of Canaan has "reached its full measure."The implication here is that a nation that ignores God and His guidelines for living may eventually be expelled from what ever land they are currently inhabiting and taking for granted.

    Seeing others' faith in action is a powerful help and inspiration to encourage us in our own experience.But we still must choose for ourselves,when we cannot see,when we cannot understand, when the situation seems hopeless or impossible,to trust in God and act in faith.

Choosing to Follow

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        December 4,2011

Lesson Focus:
God will lead and bless those
who follow Him.

Lesson Scripture:

Genesis: 12:1-9

Introduction:

Abram's call,how closely are we following God's lead?When life gets tough,do we abandon the Christian journey and go back to old ways, or do we keep pushing forward,confident God will reward our faithfulness? Here's what Abram(Abraham) did.God instructed Abram to leave his father's idol worshiping city ,Ur and follow Him.God promised to make Abram a great nation,give him blessings,make his name great,enable him to be a blessing to others,protect him from enemies, and the final and most important promise,Abram's family would be the ancestors of the Messiah.God invited Abram on a faith journey,paved only with His words and promises.Abram accepted the invitation.Abram packed up his family with all their possessions and headed for God's appointed land,Canaan.When Abram arrived in Canaan,he observed on obstacle he would have to overcome, the canaanites who inhabited the land.Abram is an excellent example of a man who heard God, followed His lead,and drew closer to God each step of the way.He is a good example to follow on your faith journey.

God Calls Abram
Genesis 12:1-3KJV
¹Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
   ²And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
   ³And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Footnotes:
Here we have the call of Abram,and the promise of God to make a great nation of his descendants. The promise of God to Abram is powerful and far-reaching,and was perhaps even overwhelming. God made it clear that his descendants would help change the course of history.In order for this to happen Abram would have to leave everything that was dear to him and follow God.This journey God has called us on is one of that can change the course of history.But like Abram we to must be willing to leave all that we might find dear to us to follow the path which God has laid out for us.

Abram Leaves Haran
Genesis 12:4-5KJV
⁴So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
   ⁵And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Footnotes:

Continuing to be obedient to the call of God,Abram set out for Canaan from Haran.Abram left all he knew, having only the word of the Lord to hold to.He had nothing to hold to but that which God had promised him.We too have been called to walk out on faith ,to live a life of faith having only the word of God as our guide and His promises as our protection.We are on a journey to a land that we know exist solely on the promise of God,and that same promise tell us it is ours to posess,but we have to leave and forsake all and follow Him to get there .And like Abram we have one obstical to overcome,self. Self is all that stands between us and the promises of God.

Abram Builds an Altar
Genesis 12:6-9KJV
 ⁶And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
   ⁷And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
   ⁸And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
   ⁹And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

Footnotes:

Abram's journey to the land of Canaan would have taken him through the fertile cresent and around the Arabian Desert,which is simply unhabitable and uncrossable,a least for all the family members and livestock Abram brought with him.This trip probably took Abram about a month to make, and would have seemed a difficult journey.But he had God's word to lead him and guide him and in faith he perservered.Abram built an alter at Shechem because the Lord appeared to him there.Because of his faith,Abram remains one of the most powerful examples of what it means to trust God,even when the final outcome of our faithful obedience remains a mystery.