Friday, November 25, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday November 27, 2011

PUTTING WORRY TO REST
(Putting worry in its place)
(Matthew 6:25-34)

GOD has already built into HIS creation, all of the means by which all living things can be cared for. Everything that we need to survive has always existed with us in this world. In the biblical Greek, the word “merimnao” (mer-im-nah-o) is used to convey the idea to “take no thought of” in the old King James Version, and “do not worry about” in the New King James, and New Living Translation versions of the bible. It is a phrase that is used several times by JESUS in Matthew chapter 6, verses 25-34, in HIS landmark “Sermon on the Mount”. In these ten verses JESUS uses seven illustrations in defense of HIS argument against “worrying” about things that only GOD THE FATHER has control over.
He begins first, in verse 25, by pointing out the obvious fact that, if GOD gives us life, why wouldn’t HE give us the food and other necessities required in sustaining that life. A mature Christian should have no difficulty trusting GOD to provide them with their daily bread, clothing, and other needs.
The second point JESUS makes, in verse 26, is HIS illustration of the birds of the air, and how they are fed daily by HIS Heavenly FATHER. And even though the birds do work diligently, as we all should, they do not worry about stockpiling large amounts of food. They, instead, just continue to stay busy, working and concerning themselves only with what supplements they need for the current day. Could it be that they understand something about GOD that we don’t?
In HIS third point, verse 27, JESUS attempts to show how useless worry can be, as HE points out that, no one can advance, neither their physical stature, nor their length of days and years, by constantly worrying.
In HIS fourth point, verses 28-30, JESUS turns our attention to the lilies of the fields, and how they grow daily through a natural process. In the first century, the flowers that JESUS was probably alluding to were the scarlet poppies and anemones that bloomed and blossomed on the hillsides of Palestine. In their one-day life-spans, they were clothed in a beauty that was unsurpassed, even by King Solomon, when he was dressed in his finest garbs. JESUS reasoned that, if GOD gives such beauty of array to the lowly, short-lived flowers, how much more will HE clothe us? Not only will GOD clothe us, but HE will clothe us with a beauty that goes way beyond man’s ability to imitate.
JESUS’ fifth point of argument against worrying is a very fundamental one. In verse 32 HE reminds us that worry shows distrust in GOD, and a total lack of faith in GOD’s ability to do what HE says HE can and will do for us. It is a characteristic of a pagan, or unbeliever, who is still fool enough to think that they can take matters into their own hands and succeed without help from GOD, even though they may have continued to fail miserably in life, over and over again.
In points six and seven, JESUS gives us two ways that we can defeat worry. The first is that we make the “Kingdom of GOD” our primary concern. The familiar Christian advice that we should “seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD, and all the rest, will be added unto you” comes to mind in this statement. To be in the Kingdom, and to do the will of GOD are one in the same thing, and so, therefore, doing and accepting GOD’s Will is the primary way to defeat “worry”.
Finally, JESUS informs us that we can also defeat worry, pretty much the same way that the birds do, and that is, by taking one day at a time. GOD is in control yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and only HE knows, in advance, what each day will bring. Through CHRIST JESUS’ vicarious sacrifice on the cross, HE has saved us from our past evils. Through HIS mercies and grace, HE provides for us in the present, day by glorious day. And through HIS lending to us, HIS HOLY SPIRIT, HE wants to guide us into a future of obedience to HIS Will, even though HE does not promise us a tomorrow.
The great 20th century Apologist, William Barclay, summed it all up this way, “If each day is lived as it comes, and each task is done as it appears, then the sum of all days is bound to be good. It is JESUS’ advice that we should handle the demands of each day as it comes, without worrying about the unknown future, and those things, which may never happen”.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, November 18, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday November 20, 2011

PRAYING AS GOD’S PEOPLE
(Sincere prayer reveals your heart toward GOD)
(Matthew 6:1-18)

In Matthew chapter 6, verses 1-18, in the middle of HIS, now famous, “Sermon on the Mount”, JESUS attempts to show HIS followers, then and now, just who they need to satisfy in order to receive those Christian rewards that will be everlasting to the recipient. In this particular segment, JESUS begins HIS teachings on three very important issues concerning the “Christian Walk”. HE wants HIS followers to have the kind of attitude, or, “spiritual mindedness” that will reflect that of HIS OWN. HE seeks to instill in them, these three things that a Christian must obtain, and, maintain, if they are to be successful in the eyes of GOD; (1) The correct attitude towards “giving”, (2) The correct attitude towards “prayer”, and (3) The correct attitude towards “fasting”. He also gives us HIS, now famous, “blueprint on how we should pray”, better known as “The LORD’s Prayer”, which I will address separately.
In the biblical Greek, the word used for “hypocrites” is “hupokrites” (hoop-ok-ree-tace), and it describes “one whose whole life is a piece of acting” or, one who pretends to be what one is not”. Now, throughout this passage JESUS urges HIS followers not to let hypocrisy define their daily walk, and also, not to be seekers of the rewards of men. In verses 1-4, HE introduces the subject of “giving”. HE begins by warning us to be careful not to do our good deeds publicly, just so we can be admired by men. In other words, we should not give as hypocrites do. When we give to those in need, make sure that we don’t go around announcing and talking about it, blowing our own horn, and calling attention to ourselves. We should “not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing”. Any gift given in secret, for a GODly cause, is a gift-giving action that will be rewarded by GOD WHO sees you.
In verses 5-7, JESUS warns us not to pray as hypocrites do, you know the ones I mean, those who love to pray in public just so everyone can see and hear them pray, but they never pray in private. Blessed is the person who prays in private. JESUS also instructs us not to babble on and on with long, drawn out repetitive prayers as if we were trying to demonstrate who can pray the longest among us. GOD already knows our needs, even before we utter the first word. Our prayers only need to be earnest, and come from the heart, and, be faith-based. They have to neither be long, nor public, to be effective. The effectiveness of prayer is based on the righteousness of the petitioner (James 5:15-16)
In verses 9-13, JESUS attempts to show HIS original disciples, and us, just how we should pray. Before we get into details, there are certain general facts that should be noted. First of all, this divine example is a directive that teaches us how to pray, and is not a prayer, in and of itself. It is a “blueprint” by which we are to pattern our daily petitions to GOD.
Secondly, it is a prayer that only a “disciple”, or “true follower” of CHRIST can pray. By that I mean, only a person who is committed to GOD can pray this kind of prayer with any meaning or effectiveness. And finally, it is not a child’s prayer, as it has often been stated, and, as many of us have been led to believe. In fact, it is not even meaningful for a child at all. It is a prayer for those who have reached an age of accountability, and only out of the heart of a person that is truly committed to GOD, does this prayer, or any prayer realize its full meaning. And with that said, let us now analyze this terse, but brilliant petition, which JESUS handed down to us that day from the very slopes of the “Mount of Beatitudes” (present day Mount Eremos) on the northwestern shores of the Sea of Galilee in far-off Palestine.
The first line in this model prayer identifies just who our prayer is addressed to, “Our FATHER which art in Heaven”. Following that statement, the first three pronouncements in this prayer deals with GOD and HIS glory, “Hallowed be THY name”, “Thy Kingdom comes”, THY will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven”. And so, we see here, that, GOD has to first be given HIS supreme place, before we can turn our thoughts to ourselves, our needs, and our desires. Only when GOD is given HIS proper place in our lives, can everything else in our lives fall into place.
Now, we can turn to our needs, which is just what the next three petitions in this prayer are about. In fact, they actually deal with the three basic essential needs of man, those being, “maintenance of life”, “forgiveness”, and “help with temptation”. They also deal with the three spheres of time, through which all mankind must travel, “the present”, “the past”, and, “the future”.
“Give us this day our daily bread” turns our thoughts, once again, to “GOD THE FATHER”, the creator and sustainer of all of life. HE is the ONE who covers us in the “present” and so this petition brings “our needs of the present” to the throne of GOD.
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” turns our thoughts to “GOD THE SON”, our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, the GOD-appointed, ultimate judge. This petition brings our “past” before the throne of GOD. It is the sacrifice of JESUS on the cross that clears us of “past behavior”, and re-establishes us into a right relationship with GOD (Salvation). At that point we are given “justification” and GOD begins to treat us as though we never sinned at all.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” turns our thoughts to “GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT”, our GOD-appointed Comforter, Strengthener, and Guide. This petition commits our “future” into the hands of GOD. The HOLY SPIRIT within us will always compel us towards CHRIST, even as the “Sin Nature” in us tries to tug us back towards the World. Whenever we follow the prompting of the HOLY SPIRIT, we will always do that which is right, as opposed to doing that which is wrong.
And so we see in these three petitions, JESUS teaching us to lay our past, present, and future on the mercy of the grace of GOD. This blueprint shows us how to bring the “whole of life” (our past, our present, and our future) to the “whole of GOD” (GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT).
Prayer should never be an attempt to bend the will of GOD, but rather, should always be aimed towards submitting our wills TO the will of GOD. And then we “fast” to teach ourselves to have self-control over the desires of the flesh, and, to teach us how to “eat to live”, rather than “live to eat”.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, November 11, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday November 13, 2011

LOVING AS GOD’S PEOPLE
(Loving those who you perceive to be your enemies)
(Matthew 5:43-48 & Luke 6:27-36)

Just like in today’s society, the people of the first century, during JESUS’ day, could understand pretty well how they should love their family and friends, and even their next door neighbors in some instances, but there was no way they could accept the statement from JESUS, “Love your enemy as yourself”. In fact, they considered hating their enemies as being the right thing to do. It boggled their minds, this concept that JESUS taught, about loving someone who was mistreating you, or seeking to do you hurt and harm.
In Matthew chapter 5, verses 43-48, and Luke 6:27-36, JESUS re-introduces us to a love that is not of the fleshly variety, but rather, is of the spiritual “agape” kind of charity that GOD has for all mankind, believers and unbelievers. It is a kind of “unconditional love” that actually defines just who GOD is, and then, overflows into a fountain of blessings, prayers, attitudes, and actions that can change the heart of any person who may be in opposition to you or yours.
The Pharisees wrongly taught that the Jews should love those who were near and dear to them, and hate their enemies. By this kind of teaching, they were errantly implying that “their hatred” was “GOD’s means” of judging their enemies. It was a terrible misinterpretation of Leviticus 19:18. JESUS taught that GOD’s love extended to everyone, even to those whom we perceive to be our enemies. And since GOD’s love extends to everyone, we, as Christians, need to make ourselves more of a “channel of GOD’s love”, by striving to love all mankind as ourselves.
Here in these passages of Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels, JESUS talks about seven aspects of agape love. And because of our “sin nature”, these seven things are not naturally done by man, and require the supernatural interceding of GOD, through the HOLY SPIRIT, in order for us to achieve such a high state of righteousness.
These seven aspects include; (1) Loving our enemy, (2) Doing good to those who hate us, (3) Blessing those who curse us, (4) Praying for those who mistreat us, (5) Resisting the urge for revenge against those whom we feel have wronged us, (6) Giving freely without the expectation of being paid back, and finally (7) Always treating others the way we want to be treated (otherwise known as “The Golden Rule”). In order to successfully and consistently do all these things, especially to people that we don’t know or like, one has to be “inspired to love” by the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD.
JESUS wants us to show the same attitudes toward each other, that GOD HIMSELF shows to us. This kind of love will set us apart from the world, and allow us to emulate the ways of GOD in Heaven, while yet living here on earth. This kind of behavior will clearly show the world at large, that, Christianity really does produce the best men and women.
And finally, in Matthew 5:48, JESUS makes yet another “rock hard statement” that most Christians still struggle with, here in this, the twenty-first century. There JESUS says, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your FATHER which is in Heaven is perfect” (KJV). In the biblical Greek, the word used for “perfect” is “teleios” and it has nothing to do with what we might call abstract, philosophical, or metaphysical perfection. What JESUS is saying here is that, if we are to be righteous, we must be as GOD is, mature and holy, compassionate and merciful. If we are to be children of GOD, then, that means that we must be GOD-like people in our behavior. Murder, lust, hatred, deception, and thoughts of retaliation are not a part of GOD’s make-up, or HIS nature, and so, if we are to share GOD’s nature, those things must not be a part of our make-up either. Therefore, “perfect”, in the Greek sense of the word, is “functional”, it goes to how we behave in life, towards GOD, and, towards each other.
Something is perfect when it reaches the full maturity, or realization of its purpose. For instance, a student who has reached a mature knowledge of his subject of study has perfected it, and can now enter into that field which he has long studied, and become an expert through experience and practice. Likewise, a man who has realized, through the study of GOD’s Word, the purpose for which GOD created him, and sent him into the world, the same has now matured to the point where he can now serve GOD to the fullest of his GOD-given capacity.
GOD will not lower HIS standards to accommodate mankind, but rather, HIS standards will remain high, and indeed, perfect. And although HIS standards will never be met, or lived up to by man, GOD still expects that we will aspire to meet those standards, and even consider it our unreachable goal in life.
Now one might say, “Ah! If the goal is unreachable, why bother, or why waste our time trying to attain it?” However, even though this standard may never be perfectly met by any man except JESUS, a person who has faith in GOD will enjoy, by striving toward those standards, a righteousness, that is being reproduced in his or her life, every single moment that they remain focused on that goal, during their Christian Walk.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, November 4, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday November 6, 2011

FULFILLING THE LAW
(Practice and teach the laws of the kingdom, and preserve reverence and respect)
(Matthew 5:17-26)

In Matthew chapter 5, verses 17-20, JESUS rejects the charges of religious critics, namely the Scribes and Pharisees, that HE was seeking to abolish any of GOD’s laws, or the writings of GOD’s prophets with HIS teachings. Here JESUS expresses HIS total allegiance to the writings and laws of the Old Testament, and in fact, just like the Mosaic Law itself, JESUS’ teachings are meant to reveal any human behavior that is contrary to GOD’s will. JESUS also sought to reveal those human attitudes, values, and motives that must be transformed if we are to shape and harmonize our lives into a form and symphony that is pleasing to the eyes and ears of GOD.
Time and time again, JESUS violated what the Jewish hierarchy called “our law”. HE did not observe the silly hand-washing rituals, for instance, that, their law called for, nor, did HE refrain from performing HIS miraculous healings on the Sabbath days. Sadly, in the end, JESUS was crucified, in part, as a law-breaker, because HIS rebellious acts defied the authority of the Scribes and Pharisees, and rendered their man-made rules and regulations worthless.
The expression “The Law” was used by the Jewish leaders in four different ways. First, it meant “The Ten Commandments”. Secondly, they used it to mean “The Pentateuch”, the first five books of the Bible. The word “Pentateuch” literally means “The five Rolls”, or “Scrolls”. These five “Law Books” (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy) which were written by Moses, were to them, the most important part of the Scriptures. Thirdly, they liked to use the phrase “The Law and the prophets”, which meant “the whole of Scripture”. To them it was a comprehensive description of the entire Old Testament as they knew it at that time. And finally, and most commonly, they referred to the term, the “Oral”, or “Scribal Laws”, which were more about them, than about GOD. It was these Scribal Laws that so infuriated JESUS, (and later, the Apostle Paul) that HE utterly condemned them for creating them.
The Jewish Scribes insisted that, out of GOD’s Law, it was possible to deduce a rule and regulation for every possible situation in life. And so they set about the business of dedicating their lives to reducing GOD’s great principles of Law, down to literally thousands of rules and regulations, and then they compelled the people to adhere to them. All manner of minor physical endeavors became classified as “work”, that could not be engaged in on the Sabbath Day. For instance, they defined work as lifting any weight greater than that of a dried fig, a swallow of milk, or ink enough to write two alphabets. To carry anything above those weighs on the Sabbath was considered by them to be a burden, and thereby, a violation of GOD’S Law.
The Scribes came up with these silly rules and regulations, and the Pharisees enforced them. And so, to the strict orthodox Jew of the first century, serving GOD became a matter of them striving to keep these thousands, upon thousands of legalistic, and very petty man-made laws, instead of just adhering to GOD’s Law.
Here in this passage of Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 17-22, JESUS makes it clear that He doesn’t have a problem with Moses’ writings, or the writings of the prophets. HE says it is those laws that HE came to uphold, defend, and fulfill. It was the laws of the Scribes and Pharisees, the false teachers, whom JESUS had a problem with. HE tells these wicked leaders in verse 19 that, “If you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys GOD’s Laws and teaches others to do the same will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (NLT).
Now at first that sounds like maybe a false teacher can go into the Kingdom of Heaven anyway, until you read JESUS’ follow-up statement in verse 20. There JESUS warns that, “Unless you obey GOD better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter into the Kingdom of Heaven at all” (NLT).
That had to be a shocking statement for all who were present that day to hear it, and for all those who were later told about it, by those who heard it. It is no wonder that JESUS’ next statement (verse 21) is concerning “murder” and “anger”. A fly on the wall could tell you that the Scribes and the Pharisees, who were present at that moment, were probably angry enough to crucify JESUS right then and there. Maybe JESUS was reminding HIS stunned adversaries of the consequences of such an act, after seeing the looks on their faces. JESUS also talks about the dangerous repercussions of “fire and brimstone judgment” one would face, even for calling a person an idiot, or cursing them, which they were probably doing to JESUS right about then (verse 22).
In verses 23-26, JESUS goes on to remind them that if they are standing before the altar in the temple offering sacrifices to GOD and are reminded that someone has something against them. Leave the sacrifice at the altar, and then, go and be reconciled to that person. Afterwards you will be clear to come and offer sacrifice to GOD. And do it quickly, JESUS warns, while you still have time.
At its core, this passage is mostly about reverence and respect, and JESUS came to show men, in real life, just what reverence for GOD, and respect for our fellowman is really like. Justice consists of giving to GOD, and to man, that which is their just due. Reverence and respect does not consist of sacrifice, as much as it does, of mercy; it does not consist of legalism, but rather, it consists of love; it does not consist of prohibitions which demand that men should NOT DO, but rather, it consists of instructions on HOW TO DO, using the positive commandment of love.
The message that JESUS is seeking to convey in this passage is that the “reverence” and “respect”, which is the foundation of the Ten Commandments, will never be allowed to pass away. They represent the eternal make-up of a man’s relationship with GOD, and, his relationship with his fellowman.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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