Commentary On 9-9-12, Hebrews 11:1-6; Psalm 46 or Hebrews 11:1-3, 6; Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Faith Gives Assurance aka Faith is Assurance.

Faith Gives Assurance

Aka

Faith is Assurance

Hebrews 11:1-6; Psalm 46 or Hebrews 11:1-3, 6; Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11

International Sunday School Lesson

September 9, 2012

By

Jed Greenough

Whether rich or poor or somewhere in between I hope that you had the type of childhood where you had someone in your life such as both parents, grandparents or even just one individual that you could put your faith in growing up.  Some didn’t I know and now you are in a position “to make up for it” because now someone is putting their faith in you.

It doesn’t matter whether we are a teacher, an electrician, a pastor, a stay at home parent or in a sales position,  the person who has faith in you knows that you will take care of them when it counts.  They know that you will be there when they are sick or hurt or hungry or scared.  You are like a momma grizzly is with her cubs.

Now let’s imagine this scenario.  Let’s say you have dutifully been there for a child for 20 years.  You came to every program, you missed work, and you went without things so that they would not go without.  You made costumes at the last minute, you used your funds you’d been saving for your own needs to buy those suddenly wore out shoes a replacement.  You went out in the rain at 1:30 in the morning because of car trouble, you went into debt for them and you defended their position when at times they may have been in the wrong.

Then one day you come under attack.  You are accused of never having been there or some other grossly inaccurate accusation.  Before this their faith in you wasn’t an issue it was a given, just like breathing.  How does it feel?  It certainly doesn’t feel good and why does it happen?  Why do some continue to have faith and others not?

Children are faithful, I know that, and we know that rather than change as we age we all should remain the same so that what it says in Mark 10:15 can always be true of us when we read, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

But yet the statistics show us clearly that our children who are raised in church go from, “Jesus loves me this I know.  For the Bible tells me so.”  To saying there is no God at an incredibly high rate these days.

And God for millennia now has received daily over and over again this callous display like the scenario we described above yet He is always there for us.  He has protected and blessed, healed and given in ways that go unknown and unthanked up to the ultimate giving up of His son.  But we question His ability, His motives and His existence; of course this is displeasing to Him.

In the scenario above where you or I may have come under attack after having always been there for someone we were hurt.  However, if that person came back to us with a penitent heart we would lovingly take them back and be there for them just as we always have been there.

So it is with God for those that need to be reminded.  He has always been there and we need to always be there too.  It certainly is not pleasing to him if we are constantly seesawing up and down in our faith in Him.  We must have the daily faith of a child who just like they breathe so they believe.

For Discussion:

1.     Have individuals discuss the strength and weakness that they have had in their faith.

2.     Discuss examples of people with strong faith.

3.     Discuss why you think some people can easily accept God’s creation of everything while others cannot.

4.     As we consider Hebrews 11:1 we must honestly admit that there are some aspects of our faith that are more strong, or to use the words of the verse, sure and certain than others.  Discuss.

5.     Here are several verses that fit in with today’s scripture: Romans 8:24, 2 Corinthians 4:18, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 3:6, and Hebrews 3:14, Hebrews 10:39.

6.     Discuss the role of God in an individual’s faith.

7.     Have individuals discuss what things that they are hoping for that that they have faith they will one day see or receive.

8.     The postings for 9-16 and 9-23 may be delayed as I will have difficulty obtaining Internet access but I will endeavor to get it to you in a timely manner.  If you want them before 9-7 you can certainly shoot me an email.  Thanks and blessings, Jed.

Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries

9-16-12:  Faith Empowers Endurance aka Faith is Endurance Hebrews 12:1-11

9-23-12:  Faith Inspires Gratitude Hebrews 12:18-29

9-30-12:  Faith Instills Love aka Faith Requires Mutual Love Hebrews 13:1-3, 6; 1 Corinthians 13 or Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

10-7-12:  Stephen Defends His Faith aka Stephen’s Arrest and Speech Acts 6:8-7:2a, 22, 44a, 45b-49 or Acts 6:8-7:2a

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

On 12-25-11 Luke 1:46-55 or 1:46-66; 2:1-7 will be our Adult Sunday School/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as According to the Promise aka Mary's Song of Praise.

According to the Promise

Or

 Mary’s Song of Praise

Luke 1:46-55

Or

Luke 1:46-66; 2:1-7

International Sunday School Lesson

December 25, 2011

Commentary

By

Jed Greenough

Part I

It is always curious to see where people’s priorities are at Christmas.  The season starts for many long in advance of the time.

For many in the world they recognize the season not because of Christ but instead for the fact that it is a holiday.  That might mean an extra day off or a party to attend and not remember it the next day.

While for others it’s the day after Thanksgiving when all the best bargains begin and they plan out a strategy that would rival the D-day preparations as they assault the stores.  Don’t stand in their way as the smallest of grandmas is like the largest of football linemen!

For some it is time to start preparing for church programs doing the massive number of things necessary to make them all a success.  There is sewing and crafting, carpentry and painting, reading and writing, recruiting and inviting.  They pour themselves into the preparation and pull everything off with a rousing success.  But on Christmas morning they are absent and if they are present they are not able to fit in the Sunday School lesson if the class is held at all.  All in consideration of the busyness of the season you know.

Others though, regardless of whether the classroom is closed or not, will dutifully prepare for this day or retreat to a quiet corner of their cheery holiday filled abode so that they can be in God’s word on this the most important of Sundays because it isn’t about them, but Him.

Although not included in today’s passage those verses that immediately precede today’s verses are vital.  Did you ever notice how often I say that?  Anyway, Elizabeth who is pregnant with John has just blessed Mary.  Under the power of the Holy Spirit she has been made aware of Mary’s state and not just that she is with child but with the Savior.

What is Mary’s reply?  For starters let’s not just note that Mary is singing a song or hymn but rather Mary in answer to this gushing blessing from Elizabeth is shedding all praise from herself and putting it squarely where it should be—on God.

Exaltation, I think is the word that would fit here for what we see Mary experiencing.  And as she is feeling it though, it is clear that this well-being comes from the depths of her very existence, from her soul it says and from her spirit. But though it comes from these places in her reply to Mary, her song is not filled with I this or I that but rather the following:

She glorifies the Lord

She rejoices in God

He has done this

Humility

His name is holy

His mercy

He

He

HE

She carried our savior and she no doubt had pride in that but it is a pride that produces a song like this.  What about us, we carry the savior within us as well.  This Christmas when we are blessed by others as the result of the season what will be our response?

Part II

For those whose lesson is extended to include additional scripture you might wonder if the inclusion of verses 57-66 was the best choice and I would be right there with you.  But you see God is a better writer and if it were a movie, director than we are.

If we were directing a movie on Luke and telling this story on Christmas these verses would have been left on the cutting room floor.  Good thing we didn’t get the job because of the choice we would have made.  Similarly we demonstrate by our omitting from today’s lesson and from many accounts of the Christmas story the verses of 67-80 we haven’t done a very good job now nor in the past.

The reason that God included this part (verses 57-80) is to show that He sent His son for us, man has a role and John would be the example.  Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit so that she would know something she couldn’t have known otherwise about Mary.  Here we see Zechariah likewise filled and enabled to know what he could not.  He tells us why this part about the birth of John is included in the Christmas story, “to give the people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins.”

That was to be John’s role and as Christians that is to be our role in sharing the gospel.  A rather important part of telling the story of Christmas don’t you think?

For Discussion:

1.     Pay very careful attention to Luke 1:45.  Discuss that verse.

2.     Challenge those in your class to take the time in private this Christmas day and sing a spontaneous Spirit led song to God.

3.     Is there a better day than Christmas to share the Good News whether in a conversation or even in a Christmas dinner prayer?

4.     Discuss why John, “lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.”

5.     Was John a Nazirite?

6.     Discuss why verses 2:1-7 are important.  Reasons might include the documentation of man’s history being verifiable even to this day giving proof to a skeptical world, to show that from the beginning man has not had room for God, to show that man in his “wisdom” was not expecting a messiah like this.  What else?

7.     Have a blessed Christmas and thank you for being a part of this class in 2011.  See you in the New Year!  Jed

1-1-12:        God Watches over Joseph (Guided by a Loving Lord) Genesis 39:7-21a

1-8-12:        Joseph Finds Favor (A Discerning and Wise Leader) Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52 or

                    41:37-46, 50-52

1-15-12:      God Preserves a Remnant (A Brother Revealed) Genesis 45:3-15

1-22-12:      Joseph Transmits Abraham’s Promise (Reconciliation in the Family) Genesis 50:15-

                   26  

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved