WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday June 27, 2010

DEMONSTRATED IN ACTION
(Living a holy life that wins the respect of others)
(1 Thessalonians 4:1-12)
It is all well and good to be able to talk the “Christian talk”, but it is how we walk the “Christian walk” that really determines how we influence others. Anyone can grow up in a Christian church, or, hang around church people long enough to learn to use “Church Talk” such as “I’m too blessed to be stressed”, I’m blessed and highly favored”, “I’m saved, sanctified, and filled with the HOLY SPIRIT”, etc.
There is a very good reason why GOD does not read the lips of man, but rather, HE reads our hearts. It is the heart of a person that really determines how they are, what they believe, and what they are capable of doing. A person, always, one hundred percent of the time, does that thing which is in their heart.
When we choose the Christian Walk, it is an excellent intellectual decision, but even more than that, it is, and must become more and more, a behavioral decision. In other words, our decision to follow the doctrine of CHRIST must eventually and inevitably manifest itself through our words, actions, and overall behavior.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 1-12, the Apostle Paul addresses just how we can live to please GOD through our behavior. In this passage he gives us three aspects of proper Christian living, and four reasons why we should aspire to live holy lives. Whereas chapters 1-3 of 1 Thessalonians contains Paul’s explanations regarding missionary work and motives, chapters 4-5 focuses on his personal commendations for the church, regarding its deficiencies and how they could improve their behavior even more than they had.
The first aspect of proper Christian living that Paul talks about is “conduct” (verses 1-2). We, as Christians, should never be satisfied even when we’ve achieved significant spiritual change, or growth. The Christian life is a life of open-ended growth, and should never be stumbled by the pride of success. There is always more that can be achieved through hard work and studious attention to GOD’s holy guidance. Many challenges continue to lie ahead of us, just as they awaited JESUS all along the way, during HIS earthly mission. We are to strive to live lives that are pleasing to GOD at all times.
In verses 3-8, Paul talks about the second aspect of proper Christian living, “sexual purity”, keeping holiness and honor by avoiding sexual sin, (in the Greek “porneias”), which encompasses all sexual sin including fornication (unmarried sex), adultery (sex with someone other than your spouse), homosexual sexual activities (sex between two people of the same gender), incest (sex with close relatives), rape, and beastiality (sex with animals). To commit any of these sexual sins is to reject GOD, and insert self-worship. All sexual sin is self-worship. When we indulge in sexual sin we are telling GOD quite plainly, that, we are not what HE made us to be, and that our goal is to satisfy ourselves all we can, while we can, because we are captives of our own passionate lust.
The third aspect is “brotherly love” (verses 9-12), loving one another as GOD loves us. However, here Paul expands on the topic by showing us some of the fruit that applying brotherly love to a community can produce. He talks about how it is beneficial to live a quiet life, working hard and not being bothersome to others, but rather being independent, taking personal responsibility, caring for ourselves, and being able to offer help to those in need when the time arises. And so we see here that the value of hard work is not in the wealth that it produces, but rather, the value is in the opportunities that success gives us to help someone else. In Matthew 25, verses 31-46, concerning the final judgment, JESUS tells us in a nutshell, that, HE will judge us all according to our reaction to human need. And so, GOD cares very much about how we treat each other.
Earlier I also mentioned to you that Paul also gives us four reasons why we should live holy lives. I’ll leave you with those four reasons without expounding on them in depth, because of their simplicity. Those reasons are as follows; (1) To please GOD (v. 1), (2) To obey GOD (vs. 2-3) (3) To glorify GOD (vs. 4-5), and (4) To escape the judgment of GOD (vs. 6-8). Amen.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday June 20, 2010
_____________________________________________

SUSTAINED THROUGH ENCOURAGEMENT
(Our faith should encourage each other during hard times)
(1 Thessalonians 3)

Even the mature Christian will sometimes react in doubt as to where GOD wants them to be, or, what GOD wants them to be doing, when they find themselves in stressful positions in life. Here in 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul adds his own stabilizing reminder that trials do not necessarily mean that one is out of the will of GOD, or, that one is experiencing GOD’s disfavor.
In the biblical Greek, the word Paul uses for “moved”, or “unsettled”, in verse 3, is “saino” (sah-ee-no), and its means “to wag back and forward like a dog’s tail”. It paints a picture of how the Thessalonican Church was going back and forward, visibly disturbed by the persecutions that they were experiencing at that time.
As a result of their suffering, Paul had sent young Timothy to visit with them to try and strengthen them, and encourage them to continue on in the faith. He wanted to keep them from becoming too disturbed by their current stressful situation, and to remind them that such troubles are an intricate part of being involved and committed to the Christian Faith.
Paul’s affections for the Christian Churches, that they planted, were also what motivated his sharing of the Gospel with them. Those affections were also expressed in the individual relationships that he was able to develop all along the way. He was not ashamed to confess a weakness for those whom he loved. He was overwhelmed by his anxious concern for the church’s spiritual well-being, and, their physical survival.
When we choose the Christian walk, we automatically come into friction with the secular world, by way of our changed behavior. Committing to CHRIST is not so much an intellectual decision as it is a behavioral one. The radical changes that one has to make in order to resist the gravitational pull of this world can be an overwhelming thing and one must learn how to tap into their new-found strength in CHRIST in order to survive.
It is paramount that one gets into, and stays into the word of GOD, as one’s faith will continue to be attacked by the forces of satan. And while trials are certain, it is how we will respond to those trials that remains a mystery to us. We honestly don’t know how we will respond to a given crisis until that crisis is upon us, and so, through GOD allowing us to be tested, we become strong in our confidence that, through CHRIST, and with the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, we can conquer all things.
Paul had experienced enough trials and tribulation to know, that, even committed Christians retain their freedom to respond, both correctly, and, incorrectly to the effects of those trials and tribulations on their lives. It was his desire, as it should be our desire that, those we care about make the right decisions when those storms come. We must always take care to remember that, JESUS continues to come to us, just as HE came to HIS original disciples, from across the storms of life, with HIS hands stretched out to save, while speaking in a calm, clear voice, that bade them to “have no fear”.
It was love and concern which motivated Paul to send Timothy back to check on the progress of the Church at Thessalonica. He had heard much regarding their recent persecutions, and his young protégé’s good report served as an uplifting joyful experience, one that Paul sorely needed to rekindle his own dampened spirits.
This passage emits the very essence of the spirit of the Christian church pastor. The most natural way we can win over another person to the faith, is by first, liking them, and then, by convincing them through our behavior, that Christianity produces the best men and women. And our great distain in the very thought of them having to meet with eternal damnation, should motivate us, to play the greatest role possible in their acceptance of the salvation gift, which is available to all mankind.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday June 13, 2010
_____________________________________________

PLEASING TO GOD
(Share your lives as well as the Gospel)
(1 Thessalonians 2)

It is always a great tragedy when impure motives, trickery, or witchcraft is used by those who claim to be promoting the Gospel. They are, in truth, only seeking to promote their own private agenda. We must be forever conscience of wolves like these, who don sheep’s clothing, and sharpen our senses daily with the word of GOD, so that we won’t be easily fooled by such spiritual predators. All too many people have memories of unpleasant church experiences that have forever shaped the way they feel about GOD, and the people who claim to represent HIM.
In the biblical Greek, the word used for “approve”, by Paul in his original Greek writings in verse four is “dedokimasmetha” (de-dok-im-mas-met-ha), and it means “to be shown, by testing over time, to be genuine”. GOD entrusts with the Gospel, only those who are willing to, over time, suffer, for the faith they say they hold.
Here in 1 Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul offers proof of the genuineness of his ministry, by first, reminding the Thessalonians of how badly he and his co-workers were treated in Philippi a short time before they arrived at Thessalonica. He reminded them of how in spite of their suffering, by the help of the GOD WHO sent them, they were able to boldly continue to preach the Gospel while being surrounded and attacked by hostile parties.
When we rely on the strength of the HOLY SPIRIT, we are never alone in our witnessing of CHRIST JESUS to others. Paul did not choose his own work, but rather, GOD selected it for him. And when one is working for the ALMIGHTY GOD, he or she can be bold in carrying out their assignment, as it cannot be derailed by mere mortals who may oppose them.
The standards of Christianity, differs greatly from that of the world, and often the person who follows those standards closely, will appear foolish to the world as a result. JESUS, Paul, Stephen, and all the great Christian apologists of the New Testament era were deemed to be out of their minds by the foremost religious leaders of their day. Even JESUS’ family thought HIM to be mad (John 7:1-5), and pleaded with HIM to come home with them to save them further embarrassment with HIS teachings (Mark 3:21).
Several accusations had been leveled against Paul since his last visit to Thessalonica, and by just reading between the lines of this passage, one can easily imagine that he had been called a criminal because of his many imprisonments, including the one at Philippi (Vs. 1-2). He had probably been called delusional because his doctrine of preaching CHRIST was yet strange and new to world of the first century. It was being said that his preaching was rooted from impure motives, and that he guilefully tried to trick and delude those who listened (V. 3). And finally, there were those who charged that Paul was preaching for financial gain, even though he had worked as a tentmaker since early on in his ministry, and had never depended on the church to support him financially. He had been trained in the art of tent making and had worked with Priscilla and Aquila, two early church workers who shared his profession and philosophy, during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:3).
And so, through the facts and experiences of his own life, Paul was always able to dispel any false allegations concerning his ministry. He lived his life practicing what he preached, and he lived a life that was most pleasing to GOD. He was motivated by his love for his fellow Christian, and he shared his life with them, as well as the Gospel.
There are many personal benefits that can be enjoyed by an evangelist in his ministering here on earth, however, the most pleasing benefit of all comes after the race is over, and he or she realizes how great a gift they will be able to offer to GOD, when they present the host of believers to HIM, whom they have won through their labors here on earth, as warriors in the army of CHRIST JESUS.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday June 6, 2010
_____________________________________________

YOUR WITNESS IN ACTION
(A practiced faith is a noticed faith)
(1 Thessalonians 1)

Paul’s first Doctrinal letter to the Thessalonians was written around A.D. 50-51, while he was residing in Corinth, and not long after he had left Thessalonica, during his second missionary journey. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke had made the journey to Philippi from Troas, after Paul had received a vision of a man from Macedonia calling for help. Responding to this call, they crossed over into Europe and preached at Philippi, before making the 100-mile journey on to Thessalonica, by traveling west along the Egnatian Way, the main Roman road, from Rome to the Orients.
Thessalonica, during New Testament times, had a population of about 200,000, with a very diverse makeup of inhabitants, including Greeks, Romans, Orientals and Jews, with the Greeks accounting for the bulk of the populace. It was one of the most important centers of trade, both by land, and by sea, and also occupied a strategic location from both a governmental and military standpoint.
Thessalonica, was built by Cassander in 315 B.C., and named after his wife, Thessalonica, who was the half sister of Alexander the Great. Cassander was a General in Alexander’s army. The city was captured by the Romans in 146 B.C. They re-organized Macedonia, and made Thessalonica it’s Capital a short time later.
In 42 B.C., Thessalonica was given the “free city” status by Anthony and Octavian (Caesar Augustus), because the Thessalonians had helped them defeat their adversaries, Brutus and Cassius, who had murdered Julius Caesar and taken control of Rome two years earlier.
When Paul and the others reached Thessalonica, they visited the Jewish synagogue in order to find those citizens who shared in their faith. Being a well- trained teacher, Paul was allowed to speak in the synagogue. His message consisted of two points: He spoke of the Old Testament concept of the Messiah, which is that of a suffering, dying, and resurrected CHRIST; He then showed how Old Testament Prophesy was fulfilled in JESUS of Nazareth. Paul continued his evangelizing out of the house of Jason (Acts 17:7), and as a result, many people were converted, especially Gentile Greeks.
Through his Thessalonian Epistles, Paul sought to answer questions that had been brought up by his teachings, and to encourage the Thessalonians to persevere in their beliefs, despite their many persecutions from non-believers. He also wanted to correct, or dispel misinformation and false accusations that had circulated about him after he left Thessalonica, among those being, that he was preaching for financial gains, and, that he had left because he was a coward and a hypocrite. In addition, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see, first hand, how the new Christians were holding up under the pressures of their suffering and persecution. Timothy was able to return with a report of good news, that the Church at Thessalonica remained strong in their faith.
It is of the utmost importance to note that, in those days, the New Testament had not yet been written. The only way the Thessalonians had to learn, besides Paul’s teachings, was by watching how Paul and his companions acted, towards themselves and others. What they saw, they imitated. Paul and the early Church leaders were “Role Models”, in the purest sense of the words.
Being an example was an important element in the early Church, and that still holds true today. The Church at Thessalonica went on to become a shining example for other Churches already in, and, coming into, the Christian Faith. There is something very inspiring about the defiance of the early Church. The easiest thing in the world for them to do, to avoid the suffering and persecution they endured, was to pack it up and go home, but instead, they blazed on, by way of their strong faith. They were never ashamed, or afraid to show, who they belonged to, and who they served. Remember, the Christian is called to first, serve in the world, and then wait on the glory and mercy of JESUS CHRIST.
Paul was a great teacher who put the best of himself into his work. When a teacher has taught someone and put something of him self into it, he becomes anxious to see how that training will stand the test of life. The same holds supremely true with JESUS CHRIST. JESUS staked so much on men, when HE visited us in HIS incarnate state. HE loved and taught us with a sacrificial love, and now waits anxiously to see how we will use HIS teachings, and HIS love to help one another. There is nothing like the joy of a parent, who can point to a child he has taught, who has done well. The help, anxiety, and joy of teaching are, altogether, a wonderful thing. But ultimately, when we can serve people no other way, like JESUS, and, like Paul, when we are unwillingly separated from the people we teach, there is one thing we can still continue to do. We can still, pray for them.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday May 30, 2010
_____________________________________________

A COMMUNITY AT RISK
(If we don’t become serious about knowing GOD’s word, here in the last days, we will be fooled)
(Jude)

Since the dawn of Christianity, it has been at risk of being contaminated by the evil forces of satan. And many individual professed Christian churches have failed because its members failed to get to know the word of GOD well enough, that they would not be misled by false teachers and preachers.
And, even though Christianity must operate as a welcoming community that has the GODly fear which enables them to love the sinner and hate the sin, we must also be able to avoid the pollution of those whom we seek to save by leading them to CHRIST.
In the difficult and often neglected epistle of Jude, the half brother of JESUS urges Christians everywhere to stand firm against false teachers and their philosophies, which act as a portal into the perverted practices of the Luciferic agenda.
Jude gives examples of GOD’s judgment on those vile people, who, past and present, try to steer Christians away from the most-high faith. He urges us to examine what people say, and, how they actually live their lives, so that we may be better able to determine, the difference between what is real, and, what is fake. And in today’s society, if we are not really, really tuned in to the word of GOD, we will be fooled.
King David warned us almost 3000 years ago, that, “The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest of men are exalted” (Psalm 12:8 – KJV). We, live in a nation where we continually exalt those men and women who profess to be anti-CHRIST. We buy their music and sing the lyrics of their anti-CHRIST doctrine. We buy their clothing lines and dress our children in the armor of satan that they produce. Clothing that contains all sorts of demonic symbols that are used to channel in satan and his angels into our homes, churches and lives.
We spend billions of dollars going to see their movies and attending their concerts of praise and satan worship. We buy their c.d.’s, and make sure we never miss one of their award shows. We live in a nation where more people call in to vote for the next American Idol, than has ever voted in any presidential election in the history of America.
So-called gospel singing artists are mixing with professed anti-CHRIST secular artist, creating a vehicle for satan to enter into the Christian church and become a part of the worship service that has been preserved for GOD, by GOD HIMSELF. Don’t look now America, but we are no longer a Christian nation, and we haven’t been for a long time.
Jude’s powerful epistle is directed at all of those, whom, GOD has called to leadership, all of those, who are loved by GOD, and, all of those, who are kept by the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST. In other words, all professed Christians should take heed to keep themselves in the love of GOD, by defending the gospel that was preached by CHRIST and other men of GOD, as we all wait on mercy from JESUS CHRIST, unto eternal life.
Jude may have started out wanting to write a positive treatise on salvation, but ultimately, he ended up writing, perhaps, the strongest condemnation of false teachers and warning against participating in perverted practices, that can be found in all of New Testament literature.
His quotations and analogies of Old Testament events are not that of an authority, but rather they are that of one vividly describing a day of coming judgment that has already been substantiated in Old Testament judgments. We in America have become a community at risk, who, are in danger of the same kind of judgment that was delivered upon the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
False teachers, and, those who promote the anti-CHRIST agenda through their works and lifestyle, will all have to make an account, and ultimately, receive their just due. And so will those, who, through their own ignorance of GOD’s word, choose to follow and exalt the vilest of men.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday May 23, 2010
_____________________________________________

A WELCOMING COMMUNITY
(Extend mercy as you have received mercy from GOD)
(Philemon 8-18)

The world will never have any use for Christianity, unless, we as Christians, prove through our behavior, that Christianity produces the best men and women. And one of the best ways for Christians to reflect GOD’s image, is by showing forgiveness and mercy towards one another.
Paul’s personal epistle to Philemon is a terse, but wonderfully written letter to a friend and close co-worker in CHRIST, by the same name. It is written during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome in the early A.D. sixties, just a few years prior to his death.
Philemon was a wealthy Christian who lived in the city of Colosse, and, who was the employer of a run-away servant named Onesimus (Oh-NESS-ih-muss)., whom Paul indicates, had refused to work off his debt to Philemon, and, had probably, in addition, stolen from him to finance his own escape (Philemon verse 18).
In biblical times, it was quite common for a person to trade menial services for money, food, or other things, or, to place themselves in bondage to another person in order to pay off a debt that was owed to that person. They became that person’s servant for as long as it took to pay off the debt (up to six years for Hebrew male servants – Exodus 21:2), and in some instances, the debt would even fall to the servant’s offsprings for payment, becoming the burden of the next generation (Exodus 21:4-6).
In the King James Version of scripture, the word "slave" or "slaves" is translated from the original language only twice, once in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 2:14), and once in the New Testament (Revelation 18:13). In all other occurances, including this passage of Philemon, the word "servant" is translated from the original Greek and Hebrew text, not "slave". The definition of the word "slave" is "one who is bound in servitude to another without payment for services (beyond the food and clothing necessary to sustian)". The word "servant" is defined as “one who is employed to perform services for financial gain, or in lieu of payment of debts owed”.
Onesimus was indebted to Philemon and thereby was his servant. He had run away from his responsibility of serving off his debt. However, while he was on the run, and hiding in Rome, he came across Paul, who converted him to CHRIST. He then began working with Paul in the church and became quite an asset to Paul’s ministry in Rome.
However, Paul realized that Onesimus had a responsibility to Philemon and that he should somehow make restitution for his wrongdoing. He felt that Onesimus must return to Philemon, offer to make things right, and ask for mercy regarding his offensive actions against his superior.
Here in this letter, Paul pleads with Philemon on Onesimus’ behalf, asking him to show mercy on the Christian brother who voluntarily returned to face punishment for his transgressions, not the unbeliever who had wronged him earlier by violating their agreement and stealing from him. Paul asked this graciously as a favor to him, rather than demanding, as Philemon’s superior, that he comply to his wishes (verses 8-9).
Paul wanted Onesimus to be reconciled to Philemon, who was also a Christian, so that he would have a chance to demonstrate his new approach to life as a Christian who desired to render honest service to a superior.
I believe that it would be safe to assume that Philemon yeilded to Paul’s stirring request. In fact, there is great historic speculation that this is the same Onesimus who later became the Ephesian bishop whom the great early church leader, Ignatius, mentions in several letters to the church at Ephesus.
GOD wants us to show love, mercy, and kindness to those who live around us, and, to everyone, whom we may come in contact with on a daily basis, even if they are not related to us, or, don’t look like us.
Christianity challenges us to become a welcoming community that can grow beyond our discriminatory practices and behavior and become more like CHRIST, by allowing “self” to wither away, and die from our hearts. And it also requires us to show mercy, and to forgive our debtors, just as GOD forgives us our debts, through the vicarious sacrifice of CHRIST JESUS.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday May 16, 2010
_____________________________________________

A CHOSEN COMMUNITY
(Living the new life)
(Colossians 3)

GOD entered into the physical, material world in the person of JESUS CHRIST, and in a real human body, won salvation for all mankind. JESUS not only showed us how to live in our human existence, HE also showed us how true spirituality, by definition, means living a human life here on earth, in union, with GOD the FATHER, in Heaven.
The Apostle Paul understood that all wisdom could be found in CHRIST JESUS, and so here in Colossians 3, he urges the Christians at Colosse to continue to abide in CHRIST, and aspire to reflect HIS image to others, through their own behavior.
If believers are to be identified with CHRIST, they can no longer live under Jewish law which could rob them of their rewards in Heaven, nor, could they afford to be deceived by the vain philosophies of the Gnostic teachers who had already infiltrated many of the Christian Churches in the first century.
It is important for the Christian to fully understand that they have been raised to life with CHRIST, and, as a result, must set their hearts on the things of Heaven, and put to death, their desires for the things of this world. We are no longer permanent residents of this earth, but rather we’ve become citizens of Heaven, and therefore, the laws of GOD, not the laws of the Jews, or of man, must become paramount to us.
In the Greek, the word used for “world” is “kosmos”. It is from this word that we derive our English word “cosmos”. In the spiritual sense, it is “that complex intertwining of sinful desires that shape our world of lost humanity”.
When we choose the Christian walk, we automatically become strangers to worldly behavior. An experiential relationship with GOD is a Christian’s greatest asset, and thus, as GOD’s people, we must strive to live the kind of life with others, that JESUS lived when HE was here on earth.
What we do in, and with, our bodies is of deep concern to GOD. Everything, that we say and do, reflects on the GOD, we say we know and love. The theme of us being a “new creation” is a familiar one in the writings of Paul, and that common theme is just as vivid here in this letter to the Colossians, as it is in any of Paul’s doctrinal epistles. When we become Christians, we are expected by GOD, to die to the world. GOD then justifies us, and raises us up into a new life with CHRIST, and therefore, anything that is foreign to CHRIST, should become foreign to us. We put to death, all those things that we used to do that were not pleasing to GOD, and we embrace those things that are.
Paul ends chapter three of this epistle to the Colossians, (verses 18-25) with this advice on how we are to live our new lives within the framework of the roles we have been assigned to at birth by GOD, as men, women, and children, whom GOD intended, to comprise the family households. Wives must submit to their own husband, husbands must love their own wife, and treat her gently, and children must obey their parents at all times.
It must not be forgotten that JESUS HIMSELF was raised on scriptures, and HE based HIS entire ministry on what those scriptures say, and, HE also approached HIS death, with words of scripture on HIS lips. The word of GOD serves as a daily reminder of what our conduct should be towards each other, and, towards GOD HIMSELF. By exemplifying GODly conduct in our daily walk, we, invariably uplift the name of JESUS our CHRIST, and, our LORD.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia