Preschool
Choose you this day whom ye will serve. Joshua 24:15
Art Thou He That Shall Come?
Memory Verses
Primary
But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
Junior
Choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
Background Scripture: Luke 7
Lesson Scripture: Luke 7:20-35
Introduction
Most of those who have heard of the wonderful Savior of men fall into one of two groups: those who humbly and joyfully accept Him as their Redeemer and Friend and those who reject Him. Though life may deal harshly with the believers, they have a balm in Gilead and a future home in glory. Those in the other group stand in pride against Him and are frustrated. If they persist in rebellion, they ultimately will be lost. “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:5). The choice of believing through faith is personal.
Key Verse
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed (John 20:29).
Lesson Scripture
Luke 7:20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.
26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Studying the Lesson
Before the events described in this Scripture occurred, John the Baptist had told the people that One mightier than he was coming. Later Jesus came, and John baptized Him, witnessing the Holy Ghost as a dove descending upon Him. In telling the people about Jesus, John was speaking by the revelation of God because Jesus’s ministry had not yet begun. Now, shut up in a miserable prison, the question pressed upon John: Had he been correct in his prophecies about Jesus?
Jesus’s gracious response is heartwarming. Without hesitation, He gave witness by his miracles of healing that He was indeed the Chosen One of Israel. We can only imagine the gratitude of John when his disciples brought back the confirmation that he needed to settle his doubts and renew his faith. Though John was inflexible in matters of right and wrong, he was humble enough to ask for confirmation of his faith. This is a good example for us. Jesus testified to the people of John the Baptist’s faithfulness and called him a prophet.
When the Pharisees desired a sign from Jesus, He, because of their guile, responded differently than He had to the messengers from John (Matt. 16:4). Jesus denounced self-righteous people who, although they had witnessed his great and wondrous works, refused to believe. He compared them to children in the marketplace, selfishly living without a care of tomorrow. Jesus warned that the last days would be as the time before the flood when the unbelieving would ridicule those who were serious about life and eternity. In verse 23 Jesus clearly warns against being offended in Him. These warnings are apt in the face of the casual, self-centered approach to life in the world about us.
Practical Truths for Today
Unbelief can offer itself to us in different ways. It may cause us preoccupation with our material affairs when we make earthly things more important than the things of God. To feel sufficient in ourselves without God in our daily affairs indicates an exalted opinion of our own abilities and intellect, which eventually leads to humanism. Satan may tell us that while others are able to live a good Christian life, we do not have enough faith to be successful. Some are attracted to novel interpretations of the Scriptures. These all lead to unbelief, and we must never become complacent.
In our sin-cursed world, we sometimes wonder, “Lord, are you still there and in control? Am I still your child?” As we follow God in a world of darkness and deception, it is wise to reassess our spiritual standing from time to time. We must be sure that we are holding the true gospel and are serving the real Jesus. Therefore, let us make our “calling and election sure.” Let us not be doubters and unwilling to grasp faith when He reassures us.
Christians who are committed to Christ earnestly desire to know the will of God. However, due to the frailty of the human mind, difficulties in life may bring an anxious confusion with questions we never expected to face. These questions are not necessarily an evidence of apostasy, nor are they sin in themselves, but thoughts of doubt can be seeds which, if allowed to germinate, grow into unbelief. Pride, offense, independence, and self-pity provide fertile ground for their growth. Total submission to and dependence on the almighty Lord is our answer.
Some zealous people, claiming to be Christians and greatly confident of their salvation, may be lost in the end if their works are born of a self-serving spirit. What they do or preach may appear so right; however, the humble witness and fruit of God’s Spirit is absent. If we compare ourselves with them, we may feel ashamed of our seemingly feeble attempts to worship God and evangelize the world.
Someone captured in this deception is in danger because the pleas and admonitions of the brotherhood will seem ill-grounded and misguided. Only in deep submission to God and forsaking one’s own understanding will the door open for true light and direction to return. One of the chief symptoms of those so deceived is a lack of vision of their depravity, which vision the apostle Paul declared when he said, “O wretched man that I am!” (Rom 7:24). Let us be aware of Satan’s deceptions.
Sincere seekers will always find answers in God’s Word. Our inspirations must harmonize with the comprehensive Scripture, or they are not born of truth. Part of the Bible is promissory, part is directive, and much of it is historical, yet all parts ultimately point to Jesus as our Redeemer. The Old Testament supports the New Testament. The prophets foretold the coming of Jesus, and He is validated by his miracles, death on the cross, and resurrection. To those of his day as well as those of today, a choice must be made. Will you believe in the only begotten Son of God? When we honestly believe on Jesus, our daily life will portray Him to the many people who know little of the Bible and who have never been taught about God and his love for them. These are opportunities for us.
In the case of the cripple being lowered through the roof to Jesus for healing, Jesus showed that He is not limited to either physical or spiritual restoration. Here He conjoined the two as He first declared the man’s sins forgiven and then healed him. He showed the people that He not only could heal the body but also had power to forgive sins (Mark 2:1-10). Jesus desires primarily the salvation of our never-dying soul, yet the Scriptures are abundantly clear that He cares for the natural man as well. He notices the sparrows that fall and said we are of much more value than they. May we follow Jesus, worshipping Him as Lord and Savior. Someday every knee shall bow before Him, and every tongue shall confess Him (Rom. 14:11).
Questions
- The world believes that right and wrong are relative. How much does this deception affect us?
- Is it a lack of faith when we hesitate to speak openly of Jesus? Would the gift of healing be strengthened with more faith?
- Why do some not believe? Are there roots of offense or other sins that bring such darkness that no light penetrates to bring faith, or is it a choice that is made, refusing to give in?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).