CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH WORLDWIDE.
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS.
MEGA THEME:
THE LIFE OF CHRIST(continued).
For the period; July through December, 2017.
Lesson Three; JESUS AND THE SOCIAL LIFE.
For August 20th and August 27th, 2017.
Part 1 of Lesson 3
Jesus loves everybody equally, including children and women, regardless of the social barriers. How do you treat people?
MEMORY SCRIPTURE:
For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins (Hebrews 5:1).
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT.
Jesus wasn't socially useless, despite His spiritual and heavenly relevance. We shouldn't be less.
INTRODUCTION
Textual Source: (Matthew 21:23-27; 23:13-16; Mark 10:13-23; Luke 7:36-50).
We thank God for our experience in lesson two, Jesus And Worship Matters. In it, we were assisted to understand that the temple, a type, in some sense, of our worship centres, should not be a market place. We also discovered the expediency and importance of personal devotion to God, for our personal growth. May God allow the lesson to sink deep into our hearts.
In this two week lesson, we shall be discussing JESUS AND THE SOCIAL LIFE. Jesus Christ, in fulfilling His mandate, reached out to all categories of people, including children, women, and the High and mighty in the society. Despite being faced with obstacles in His ministry to the lowly, Christ embraced them the way God wants it.
Man has been created by God a social ‘animal’, so, the psychologists and anthropologists would say. It means that man has the innate tendency to interact with others. In fact, God did not want man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God made man a socialise. Was this true of Jesus, when He incarnated, the other day? This lesson would open our eyes towards how He interacted with both the low and high classes of the society, in His time, so that we can also know how to do same, here and now.
The Kingdom of God is open to all who are truly and sincerely ready to go in. May God help us to have the right relationship with the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
LESSON OUTLINE
1. The Underclass
• The Women
• The Children
2. The High Class
• The Willing But Unready
• The Unwilling, Unready Antagonist
LESSON EXPOSITION
1. The Underclass (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 7:36-50).
~>The Women (Luke 7:36-50)
And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil (Luke 7:37).
▶ v. 37: Women are indispensable in the society. The woman here, had an unpalatable description (...a sinner), but her action is commendable. She was a Canaanite, (cf. the Samaritan woman; John 4), stigmatised and isolated, but most welcomed by Jesus. When we turn to Christ, He overlooks our pasts, as He makes us His.
▶ v. 38: though not officially invited, her love for, and devotion to the Saviour prompted her great service to Him. Women generally have the heart of devotion ---- tender-hearted and loving. Generosity, reverence and subjection are great elements of worship (I Kings 19:18).
▶ v. 39: The Saviour wouldn't be distracted by comments from those around. He attended to her and allowed her to perform her rituals I Him, against all condemnation (cf. Luke 15:2). Christ came for such (Matthew 9:10-13).
▶ Women, who were socially unrecognised, in the past (cf. Matthew 14:21; 15:38), have become veritable tools in God's hand (Judges 4:4; Acts 9:36; 16:40; 21:9). Observe the attendance of women in your church services.
▶ vv. 44-50: God's ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8,9). Different from what others saw, Jesus saw the woman's faith and devotion (v. 50) that actually propelled her to offer her best of Him (cf. Hebrews 11:6).
▶ The detractors were ready to take away her joy, but Jesus wasn't interested in their sentiments. His mission is to save all a ad put us back in right relationship with God, women inclusive (cf. John 10:10).
~>The Children (Mark 10:13-16)
But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to then, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God” (v. 14).
▶ v. 13: As usual, Jesus went about doing good (Acts 10:38), and this to everyone who is ready for Him (cf. John 1:12). The disciples wanted to decide who goes into the Kingdom, to the extent of unilaterally trying to deny the children, God's heritage and monumental asset (Psalms 127:3). Do we give them place in our programs (cf. John 6:9-11)?
▶ v. 14a: The children who had been brought for the pure milk of the Word had been side-lined. If Jesus who was presented to the Lord on His 8th day (Luke 2:21,22) wanted them, no one could disqualify them, the greatest in His Kingdom (Matthew 18:4,5), who like adults, also need God's blessings.
▶ The Kingdom of God must be received as a new born baby that needs nurture, love and care. Children are more receptive to salvation and evangelism messages than adults. We must put on the temper and teachable spirit of a child, free from prejudice, malice and obstinacy, if truly we are Christ’s followers.
▶ Christly attitude is to see children as also belonging to God (cf. I John 4:4) and should not be hindered to exercise God's grace upon their lives.
▶ v. 16: Just imagine how many He took in His hands. Their dirtiness, curiosity, restlessness, etc. didn't bother Him. He laid His hands on them, and blessed them. He put His hand on them because they were patient. It would be glorious seeing those children!
▶ The lesson Jesus teaches us is clear. Children want to be at the front in church activities. Are we allowing them? We must catch them young for, and present them to Jesus, to avoid future heartaches (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4).
LESSON DERIVED
★ Christ’s arm is always open to receive the open, repentant and commuted sinners. Women and children are not exempted.
★ Jesus is a friend to everyone who surrenders to Him. Age is not a barrier to enter the kingdom.
WORK TO DO
Discuss why women and children are still being discriminated against, even in our so called modern day.
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