POVERTY AND WEALTH CREATION
In the minds of the international community, Africa is associated with poverty, disease, famine, malnutrition and all those things that dehumanize us. There is evidence to support this thinking. Africa and poverty are almost becoming synonymous.
However, the Bible has a lot to teach on the causes of poverty and how to get out of it.
It is therefore a contradiction that the Church is often described as vibrant in Africa and yet her people are engulfed in abject poverty. The next series of topics is meant to raise the awareness of what the Bible teaches on the issue.
In a subsequent edition, we shall delve deeper into the issue.
Christianity in Africa cannot ignore the reality of poverty among her people.
WHAT IS POVERTY?
KEY VERSE: Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:11, 12
SCRIPTURE LESSON: PROVERBS 30:7-9
7 “Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD’ Or I may become poor and teal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
INRODUCTION
Poverty is a word that is commonly heard these days at both national and international fora. The politicians are always talking about alleviation poverty. Indeed, the major thrust of the NPP Government’s economic policy for 2001 – 2004 was referred to as the Poverty Alleviation Strategy. Other governments have drawn up similar programmes.
When policies are put in place which are supposed to be harsh, the poor in society are given some way out to survive. The NDC government had PAMSCAD to help the poor and quite recently the NPP has put in place a programme where cash donations are given to those identified as poor and vulnerable.
The number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) that have arisen both locally and externally with programmes to help the poor keeps on increasing. On the international scene, our continent Africa is classified as the poorest, and we are almost getting to the point where Africa is becoming synonymous with Poverty.
A number of questions arise for anyone who is concerned about the issues. The include the following:
6. Are governments and politicians paying lip service to helping our people get out of poverty?
7. Can we put our hope in the so-called international community, made up of governments, NGO’s bodies of the United Nations and others to help get us out of poverty?
8. Does the Church have the capacity and ability through its Development and Relief services to get us out of poverty?
9. What is our Christian responsibility towards the poor?
10. The most crucial question is what can the individual who is poor do to get out of poverty?
This week we shall focus our attention on the last three questions.
EXPOSITION
2. Who is poor?
We shall answer the question from three viewpoints.
e. Maslow’s levels of needs.
Human beings have needs and Abraham Maslow developed one of the most useful descriptions of human needs. He proposed five levels (hierarchy) of needs.
vi. Physiological Needs – These are the basics in life or the necessities of life such as food, water, clothing, shelter and health. Only after at least the minimal satisfaction of the basics, do people move on to the next higher level.
vii. Safety and Security Needs – The concern here is how the basic necessities can be assured for the future. For example, does the person have a regular job or source of income that can be used to cater for future needs. Is there a job security? What about retirement benefits and similar such concerns.
viii. Social Needs – After the first two levels have been met, this level which concerns friendship, a sense of belonging and satisfaction, interaction with other people becomes important. In our context for example, people will be concerned about funerals and other social gatherings and their involvement in them.
ix. Ego, Status and Esteem Needs – These are expressed in an individuals’ desire for achievement, for confidence to face the world, for independence etc. Here, people are concerned about other people’s opinion about them and it includes desire for prestige, status, recognition, attention and appreciation.
x. Self-actualization – It is the highest level of human needs. At this level, people work not just to make more money, to have more friends, to be respected but because they want to fulfill their God-given potential. They devote their energies to developing their creative potential.
Not everybody gets through to the highest level, but to live with dignity, at least the first three levels must be satisfied. Therefore if people cannot have the basic necessities of life, then they are poor indeed.
f. Paul’s Teachings:-
In some of his letters, the Apostle Paul gave the following pieces of advice on the need for us to at least satisfy the basic necessities of life.
iv. “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives” (Tit 3:14, emphasis mine)
v. .Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1Th. 4:11 & 12, emphasis mine)
vi. “We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anybody’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, labouring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you” (2The. 3:7 &8. emphasis mine).
In these exhortations, Paul makes it clear that the Christian must not be poor and should be able to at least provide for the basic necessities of life.
g. Agur’s Prayer
Our scripture passage (Pr. 30:7-9) is a prayer of Agur to God. In this prayer, Agur describes the undesirability of poverty, and its consequences. It may cause the child of God to do things that dishonour God.
h. “The poor you will always have with you…” (Mark 14:7)
Some people interpret this statement of Jesus as endorsement of poverty. Nothing can be far from the truth. The context is that a woman identified as Mary Magdalene showed her appreciation for what Jesus had done in her life by pouring an expensive perfume of Jesus. Some people then criticized this action, and if they cared more for the poor said the perfume could have been sold and the money used for the poor. Jesus was surprised why this beautiful act of appreciation by the woman was being criticized. So he quoted a Mosaic instruction, which urged God’s people to be concerned about the less fortunate.
“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open acts of appreciation to those who deserve them.
“The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me” Jesus told them.
Conclusion
Poverty in our part of the world is real. Many people lack the basic necessities of life. The following actions to remove poverty are proposed.
• Our governments must put up realistic policies that can get our people out of poverty.
• The international community has a responsibility to help us implement policies that can get us out of poverty rather than giving us hand-outs
• The church must not only provide means to help the poor, but must play an advocacy role for good policies for the poor by our governments and other stakeholders.
• The church must institute regular teachings based on the Word of God and on attitudinal changes that can get us out of poverty.
• Instead of the “Prosperity Gospel”, let the church practice the “Poverty-Alleviation Gospel”, and show how the freedom Jesus brings should get our people out of poverty.
• Individual poor must pray Agur’s prayer and work towards getting out of poverty.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
6. Relate the scripture lesson to the theme for today.
7. Where would you place the majority of members in your church or community, on Maslow’s five levels of needs?
8. “Give us this day our daily bread”, how do you think the Church and especially your local congregation can help those who lack the basic necessities of life get out of their poverty?
9. A number of people criticize the so-called Prosperity Gospel propagated by some churches and preachers.
(c) In the face of the poverty that is prevalent among our people, do you think such messages are irrelevant?
(d) What do you identify to be the weakness in the approach used by these preachers and how can they be corrected.
10. How can Africa get out of the dependency syndrome and live the decent life which Agur and Paul spoke about? What is the place of the Word of God in this?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
4. Where have you personally reached on Maslow’s five levels of human needs?
5. As the year draws to a close, make it your resolution to move to the next level on the hierarchy.
6. Draw plans to implement your decision.
Commit your resolution and plans to God in prayer.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Proverbs 22:20-22 Don’t Exploit the Poor
Tuesday Proverbs 19:16-17 Be Kind to the Poor
Wednesday 2Corinthians 8:6-9 Excel in the Grace of Giving
Thursday 1Samuel 2:7-10 The Lord Exalts the Poor
Friday Proverbs 28:1-4 Don’t Oppress the Poor
Saturday Luke 22:1-4 Money Can Lead you Astray
Sunday Ecclesiastes 5:13-15 Naked We Came
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
WK.49 BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION - WHAT ARE THE ROOT CAUSES?
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION – WHAT ARE THE ROOT CAUSES?
KEY VERSE: They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty. 2 KINGS 12:15
SCRIPTURE LESSON: 2 KINGS 12:1-15
2 KINGS 12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4 Joash said to the priest, “collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD – the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple.
5 Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple.”
6 But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priest still had not repaired the temple.
7 Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple” Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.”
8The priest agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.
9 Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the LORD. The priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the LORD.
10 Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, they royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the LORD and put it into bags.
11 When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the LORD – the carpenters and builders,
12 the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timber and dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.
13 The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD.
14 it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple.
15 They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.
INTRODUCTION
Our scriptural passage for this week deals with the level of misappropriation, diversion of funds and the general corruption that went on when King Joash ordered the repair of the Temple. The corruption involved the priests who were supervising the repairs. For more than 23 years they had collected monies from the worshippers but had refused to use the monies for the work. It was only after the work had been taken from the hands of the priests and control measures put in place that the repair work was completed. Our key verse this week reveals why the second group rather than the priests succeeded; “They did not require any accounting… because they acted with complete honesty” How does this Biblical story compare to the situation in Ghana?
EXPOSITION
Corruption may be defined as using illegal means for private gain. Corruption is a major problem in Ghana. It affects almost every aspect of our lives. Whenever corruption is mentioned, everybody thinks of politicians, the police and other public officials as the people involved. However, a close look at our society and the way we do things reveals that most every Ghanaian is involved in corruption in one way or the other. This write-up looks at our day-to-day activities and how they lead to corruption. A common proverb in Akan seems to suggest that Ghanaians have accepted corruption as part of our lives. We often hear people say: Kokofu boolbo, wo nua nni mu a won paase mma wo. This literary means if you know somebody at a place you can always have access to place.
Some people suggest that corruption has become part of our society and so we must accept it as such. They think that it is so entrenched that no government can fight it. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament sitting for the first time in public in October 2007 revealed the extent of corruption in the public life of the country. Various Ministries, the Police Service, the Judiciary and Departments were queried for financial malpractices. Some individuals were ordered to refund certain monies to the state. The findings of the committee indicate that there is the need to take steps to fight corruption in the country else the future will be bleak. The fight should not be left to the government alone. Everybody including the church must get involved.
Some Examples of Corruption in the Church in Ghana
There are reports of misappropriation at various levels of the Church. Some have been caught pocketing the money while checking the offertory. Others in charge of tithes or welfare condone to set some amount aside to be shared among themselves without the knowledge of the minister.
Some church leaders connive with contractors who work on church projects to over-charge so they can get a percentage of the charge.
On some occasions monies collected for specific projects are diverted to other things and the monies are not properly accounted for.
Public Places/Offices
Some people forge the signatories of their bosses to withdraw money from the banks. Others pay government’s or company’s money into their personal accounts.
Some accountants or directors keep names of dead people or workers who have left their jobs on the pay roll and assign people to collect their salaries every month. These are what are termed as ‘ghost names’ on the pay roll. Government’s efforts to clean the pay roll of these names have not yielded complete results because those involved are not cooperating.
People seeking for jobs are made to offer money before they are employed. Sex is sometimes demanded from the females before they are given jobs.
Before a job is done for you at an office, a file is sought for you or a letter written for you money has to be offered, despite the fact that the officials in charge are paid for their jobs.
People are given jobs or contracts only if they are relatives, friends, of the same tribe or fellow party members of the one in charge. Qualification is sometimes not a factor.
Some accountants, domestic bursars or procurement officers inflate prices of goods bought for companies, ministries, schools or departments.
Collusion with contractors, carpenters, masons, electricians, plumbers, painters to make illegal claims for work not done or not up to the amount.
Payment of money to an officer or a boss to gain promotion.
The Market – some market women make undue profit by overpricing their goods. They sometimes pretend to favour the buyers because they know them but in reality they are cheating them.
Shops – sales men and women connive with buyers or inquirers to overprice or over invoice an item and pocket the difference.
Petrol Stations – sales men and women connive with drivers to cheat in the issuing of fuel receipts. It is not unusual to hear a sale man or woman asking the driver: ‘how much should I write on the receipt?’
Schools – parents are made to pay large sums of money before their children are admitted in schools.
Gifts – giving gifts to a person in an attempt to influence him to do something he would not otherwise do. Gifts in the form of bribes have the potential to weaken the hands of the receiver.
Note: It is not every gift which constitutes a bribe. Proverbs 18:16 says ‘A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.’ This means it is not in every case that it is unlawful for great men to receive gifts. Great men may cheerfully receive gifts as expression of gratitude for favours of a higher kind conferred. However, gifts will constitute corruption if their intention is to put or bring the giver to a place he does not deserve.
The above list is not exhaustive, but they represent some of the things which Ghanaians have taken for granted. We therefore cannot accuse the government of not doing enough to fight corruption. We all have a part to play to make Ghana a ‘corruption free’ country.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
Kwaku and Kwame were accountants in a big company in Ghana. Each of them received four hundred Ghana cedis a month. Both were leaders in their respective churches and were well respected by their pastors and church members. Within two years Kwaku had bought a fleet of cars for his personal use and had built a nice house. People in his community praised him for his ability to save part of his meager salary to buy all the cars and the house. Kwaku was the toast of his community. However, there were some in the community who questioned where Kwaku was getting all the money for his projects.
Kwame on the other hand always lamented about the hard conditions in the country and his meager salary. He had no car and was staying in a rented house. Kwame’s wife despised him for his inability to do what his friend Kwaku was doing for his family. She could not understand why his friend Kwaku was using his money profitably but her husband kept on complaining. She even thought her husband had a girl friend with whom he was spending his money.
One day, the Company’s Board of Directors called an emergency meeting. The Company was running at a loss. External auditors were called in. It came out that Kwaku had forged the signatories of the top Directors and had withdrawn large sums of money from the company’s accounts. He had also paid some monies belonging to the company into his personal accounts. He was arrested by the police, sent to court and jailed for fraud and embezzlement. It was then that Kwame’s wife appreciated the importance of integrity. She also praised her husband and thanked him for making the family proud.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss today’s passage as it relates to the theme for the lesson.
2. It may be said that “corruption is the rule rather than the exception” in Ghana. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
3. What role can the church play in fighting corruption within its own ranks and in society?
4. Who is to blame – the giver or receiver of a bribe? Give reasons for your answer?
5. When does a gift turn into a bribe?
6. Do you think the Government is dong enough to curb corruption? What more can it do?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
Think about the various forms of corruption raised in the lesson. Of which are you guilty? Think and pray about how you can overcome them. Share with your group/class how you can help other in similar situations.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Exodus 23:6-8 A Bribe Blinds
Tuesday Job 36:17-18 A Bribe can Turn you Aside
Wednesday Proverbs 6:32-35 Do Not Accept Bribes
Thursday Proverbs 17:8, 23 A Bribe Perverts Justice
Friday Proverbs 21:12-14 A Gift Concealed
Saturday Proverbs 15:26-27 Hate Bribes
Sunday
KEY VERSE: They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty. 2 KINGS 12:15
SCRIPTURE LESSON: 2 KINGS 12:1-15
2 KINGS 12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4 Joash said to the priest, “collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD – the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple.
5 Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple.”
6 But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priest still had not repaired the temple.
7 Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple” Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.”
8The priest agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.
9 Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the LORD. The priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the LORD.
10 Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, they royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the LORD and put it into bags.
11 When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the LORD – the carpenters and builders,
12 the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timber and dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.
13 The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD.
14 it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple.
15 They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.
INTRODUCTION
Our scriptural passage for this week deals with the level of misappropriation, diversion of funds and the general corruption that went on when King Joash ordered the repair of the Temple. The corruption involved the priests who were supervising the repairs. For more than 23 years they had collected monies from the worshippers but had refused to use the monies for the work. It was only after the work had been taken from the hands of the priests and control measures put in place that the repair work was completed. Our key verse this week reveals why the second group rather than the priests succeeded; “They did not require any accounting… because they acted with complete honesty” How does this Biblical story compare to the situation in Ghana?
EXPOSITION
Corruption may be defined as using illegal means for private gain. Corruption is a major problem in Ghana. It affects almost every aspect of our lives. Whenever corruption is mentioned, everybody thinks of politicians, the police and other public officials as the people involved. However, a close look at our society and the way we do things reveals that most every Ghanaian is involved in corruption in one way or the other. This write-up looks at our day-to-day activities and how they lead to corruption. A common proverb in Akan seems to suggest that Ghanaians have accepted corruption as part of our lives. We often hear people say: Kokofu boolbo, wo nua nni mu a won paase mma wo. This literary means if you know somebody at a place you can always have access to place.
Some people suggest that corruption has become part of our society and so we must accept it as such. They think that it is so entrenched that no government can fight it. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament sitting for the first time in public in October 2007 revealed the extent of corruption in the public life of the country. Various Ministries, the Police Service, the Judiciary and Departments were queried for financial malpractices. Some individuals were ordered to refund certain monies to the state. The findings of the committee indicate that there is the need to take steps to fight corruption in the country else the future will be bleak. The fight should not be left to the government alone. Everybody including the church must get involved.
Some Examples of Corruption in the Church in Ghana
There are reports of misappropriation at various levels of the Church. Some have been caught pocketing the money while checking the offertory. Others in charge of tithes or welfare condone to set some amount aside to be shared among themselves without the knowledge of the minister.
Some church leaders connive with contractors who work on church projects to over-charge so they can get a percentage of the charge.
On some occasions monies collected for specific projects are diverted to other things and the monies are not properly accounted for.
Public Places/Offices
Some people forge the signatories of their bosses to withdraw money from the banks. Others pay government’s or company’s money into their personal accounts.
Some accountants or directors keep names of dead people or workers who have left their jobs on the pay roll and assign people to collect their salaries every month. These are what are termed as ‘ghost names’ on the pay roll. Government’s efforts to clean the pay roll of these names have not yielded complete results because those involved are not cooperating.
People seeking for jobs are made to offer money before they are employed. Sex is sometimes demanded from the females before they are given jobs.
Before a job is done for you at an office, a file is sought for you or a letter written for you money has to be offered, despite the fact that the officials in charge are paid for their jobs.
People are given jobs or contracts only if they are relatives, friends, of the same tribe or fellow party members of the one in charge. Qualification is sometimes not a factor.
Some accountants, domestic bursars or procurement officers inflate prices of goods bought for companies, ministries, schools or departments.
Collusion with contractors, carpenters, masons, electricians, plumbers, painters to make illegal claims for work not done or not up to the amount.
Payment of money to an officer or a boss to gain promotion.
The Market – some market women make undue profit by overpricing their goods. They sometimes pretend to favour the buyers because they know them but in reality they are cheating them.
Shops – sales men and women connive with buyers or inquirers to overprice or over invoice an item and pocket the difference.
Petrol Stations – sales men and women connive with drivers to cheat in the issuing of fuel receipts. It is not unusual to hear a sale man or woman asking the driver: ‘how much should I write on the receipt?’
Schools – parents are made to pay large sums of money before their children are admitted in schools.
Gifts – giving gifts to a person in an attempt to influence him to do something he would not otherwise do. Gifts in the form of bribes have the potential to weaken the hands of the receiver.
Note: It is not every gift which constitutes a bribe. Proverbs 18:16 says ‘A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.’ This means it is not in every case that it is unlawful for great men to receive gifts. Great men may cheerfully receive gifts as expression of gratitude for favours of a higher kind conferred. However, gifts will constitute corruption if their intention is to put or bring the giver to a place he does not deserve.
The above list is not exhaustive, but they represent some of the things which Ghanaians have taken for granted. We therefore cannot accuse the government of not doing enough to fight corruption. We all have a part to play to make Ghana a ‘corruption free’ country.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
Kwaku and Kwame were accountants in a big company in Ghana. Each of them received four hundred Ghana cedis a month. Both were leaders in their respective churches and were well respected by their pastors and church members. Within two years Kwaku had bought a fleet of cars for his personal use and had built a nice house. People in his community praised him for his ability to save part of his meager salary to buy all the cars and the house. Kwaku was the toast of his community. However, there were some in the community who questioned where Kwaku was getting all the money for his projects.
Kwame on the other hand always lamented about the hard conditions in the country and his meager salary. He had no car and was staying in a rented house. Kwame’s wife despised him for his inability to do what his friend Kwaku was doing for his family. She could not understand why his friend Kwaku was using his money profitably but her husband kept on complaining. She even thought her husband had a girl friend with whom he was spending his money.
One day, the Company’s Board of Directors called an emergency meeting. The Company was running at a loss. External auditors were called in. It came out that Kwaku had forged the signatories of the top Directors and had withdrawn large sums of money from the company’s accounts. He had also paid some monies belonging to the company into his personal accounts. He was arrested by the police, sent to court and jailed for fraud and embezzlement. It was then that Kwame’s wife appreciated the importance of integrity. She also praised her husband and thanked him for making the family proud.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss today’s passage as it relates to the theme for the lesson.
2. It may be said that “corruption is the rule rather than the exception” in Ghana. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
3. What role can the church play in fighting corruption within its own ranks and in society?
4. Who is to blame – the giver or receiver of a bribe? Give reasons for your answer?
5. When does a gift turn into a bribe?
6. Do you think the Government is dong enough to curb corruption? What more can it do?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
Think about the various forms of corruption raised in the lesson. Of which are you guilty? Think and pray about how you can overcome them. Share with your group/class how you can help other in similar situations.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Exodus 23:6-8 A Bribe Blinds
Tuesday Job 36:17-18 A Bribe can Turn you Aside
Wednesday Proverbs 6:32-35 Do Not Accept Bribes
Thursday Proverbs 17:8, 23 A Bribe Perverts Justice
Friday Proverbs 21:12-14 A Gift Concealed
Saturday Proverbs 15:26-27 Hate Bribes
Sunday
Monday, December 1, 2008
WK 49 CHOOSING OUR NATIONAL LEADERS: WHAT ARE THE ISSUES
CHOOSING OUR NATIONAL LEADERS – WHAT ARE THE ISSUES
KEY VERSE: The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth. 2 Samuel 23:3,4.
SCRIPTURE LESSON: 1KING 15:11-15; 16:23-26
1KING 15:11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done.
12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made.
13 He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her positions as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.
15 He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
1 KINGS 16:23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.
24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents 1 of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.
25 But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him.
26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.
INTRODUCTION
Last week, we looked at our Christian responsibility to participate in the forthcoming elections by voting ourselves and being vigilant to ensure free and fair elections.
This week, we examine the issues that should guide us in the choices we make in voting for our presidential and parliamentary candidates.
EXPOSITION
David and Jeroboam compared
The two scriptural passages chosen are commentaries on the reign of two kings – King Asa of Judah and King Omri of Israel.
In assessing the reigns of the kings, the historian always had two standards with which they were compared. The following two phrases are used depending on the performance of the king:
“he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord as his father David had done”
OR
“he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin,
which he had caused Israel to commit.”
The important thing here is that, there was a yardstick with which the performance of the kings was measured.
The David Standard
Why was David the standard for the good kings? In assessing King David, the historian
Wrote,
“For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep
any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life – except in the case of Uriah the
Hittite” (1Ks. 15:5)
David’s failings are not covered up, but his overall performance especially in relation to his personal relationship to God and his obedience to God’s commands were worth emulating.
Before he died, David spoke about how we can assess good leadership, as recorded in 2 Samuel 23:3-4, (our key verse) Two issues raised:
i. Did the leader rule in righteousness and in the fear of God
ii. Did the leader help the people to realize their potential?
The Jeroboam Standard
Why was Jeroboam the standard for the bad kings? Jeroboam was a very crafty politician who thought that in order to outwit his competitors or the rulers in Jerusalem, he must set up two golden calves in Bethel and Dan so that the people will no longer have to go down to Jerusalem to worship God there. This move was politically wise, but it became a sin, as the first commandment which says only God must be worshiped was broken (1Ki 12:25-33). Therefore any king who went off from the law of God was compared to king Jeroboam.
Ghana is a secular state, but as Christians we must have standards in assessing the political parties and the candidates. The Church cannot and should not give an endorsement to any political party or candidate. But as individual Christians we can find out if they follow the Davidic or Jeroboam standard.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
7. The David standard shows that there cannot be any politician without some failings, but what must we look for beyond these failings in our parties and candidates.
8. Jeroboam made a very wise move which enabled him to control the people overshadowed all his achievements. How do we identify and avoid the Jeroboam type of leader?
9. Why are democratic elections a better way to change leaders than uprisings or coups d’etat?
10. Some political parties consider certain parts of the country as their “World Bank”. Why is it wrong to vote on the basis of ethnicity?
c. What are the other considerations which guide Ghanaians in their voting patterns? How good and useful are these considerations?
d. Do you think morality should be one of such considerations?
11. Read Proverbs 16:33 – In the light of the passage, why is it wrong and even a sin for a Christian not to vote n democratic elections? In other words, why is apathy towards elections a sin?
12. Rehoboam is said to have failed to prove himself as a leader on the following issues;
Servant Leadership
Ability to connect or relate to the concerns of the people
Being an agent of change
Being proactive rather than reactive
How relevant are these issues in choosing National Leaders in Ghana?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
c. as the electioneering or campaigning goes on assess the candidates on what they stand for, pray for God’s guidance to give us the right leaders and when the time comes, go out and vote as your Christian responsibility.
d. Discuss the insights of today’s lesson with a non-Methodist Christian and share the results with your group.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Joshua 1:10-18 Duty of citizens to new leaders
Tuesday Nehemiah 5:1-13 Rights of citizens
Wednesday Jeremiah 29:1-9 Exiles to subject themselves to government
Thursday 1 Samuel 12:13-15 Citizens’ responsibility
Friday Daniel 3:1-30 Civil disobedience
Saturday Luke 20:21-25 Paying Taxes
Sunday 1 Peter 2:13-17 Christian citizenship
KEY VERSE: The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth. 2 Samuel 23:3,4.
SCRIPTURE LESSON: 1KING 15:11-15; 16:23-26
1KING 15:11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done.
12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made.
13 He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her positions as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.
15 He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
1 KINGS 16:23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.
24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents 1 of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.
25 But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him.
26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.
INTRODUCTION
Last week, we looked at our Christian responsibility to participate in the forthcoming elections by voting ourselves and being vigilant to ensure free and fair elections.
This week, we examine the issues that should guide us in the choices we make in voting for our presidential and parliamentary candidates.
EXPOSITION
David and Jeroboam compared
The two scriptural passages chosen are commentaries on the reign of two kings – King Asa of Judah and King Omri of Israel.
In assessing the reigns of the kings, the historian always had two standards with which they were compared. The following two phrases are used depending on the performance of the king:
“he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord as his father David had done”
OR
“he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin,
which he had caused Israel to commit.”
The important thing here is that, there was a yardstick with which the performance of the kings was measured.
The David Standard
Why was David the standard for the good kings? In assessing King David, the historian
Wrote,
“For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep
any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life – except in the case of Uriah the
Hittite” (1Ks. 15:5)
David’s failings are not covered up, but his overall performance especially in relation to his personal relationship to God and his obedience to God’s commands were worth emulating.
Before he died, David spoke about how we can assess good leadership, as recorded in 2 Samuel 23:3-4, (our key verse) Two issues raised:
i. Did the leader rule in righteousness and in the fear of God
ii. Did the leader help the people to realize their potential?
The Jeroboam Standard
Why was Jeroboam the standard for the bad kings? Jeroboam was a very crafty politician who thought that in order to outwit his competitors or the rulers in Jerusalem, he must set up two golden calves in Bethel and Dan so that the people will no longer have to go down to Jerusalem to worship God there. This move was politically wise, but it became a sin, as the first commandment which says only God must be worshiped was broken (1Ki 12:25-33). Therefore any king who went off from the law of God was compared to king Jeroboam.
Ghana is a secular state, but as Christians we must have standards in assessing the political parties and the candidates. The Church cannot and should not give an endorsement to any political party or candidate. But as individual Christians we can find out if they follow the Davidic or Jeroboam standard.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
7. The David standard shows that there cannot be any politician without some failings, but what must we look for beyond these failings in our parties and candidates.
8. Jeroboam made a very wise move which enabled him to control the people overshadowed all his achievements. How do we identify and avoid the Jeroboam type of leader?
9. Why are democratic elections a better way to change leaders than uprisings or coups d’etat?
10. Some political parties consider certain parts of the country as their “World Bank”. Why is it wrong to vote on the basis of ethnicity?
c. What are the other considerations which guide Ghanaians in their voting patterns? How good and useful are these considerations?
d. Do you think morality should be one of such considerations?
11. Read Proverbs 16:33 – In the light of the passage, why is it wrong and even a sin for a Christian not to vote n democratic elections? In other words, why is apathy towards elections a sin?
12. Rehoboam is said to have failed to prove himself as a leader on the following issues;
Servant Leadership
Ability to connect or relate to the concerns of the people
Being an agent of change
Being proactive rather than reactive
How relevant are these issues in choosing National Leaders in Ghana?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
c. as the electioneering or campaigning goes on assess the candidates on what they stand for, pray for God’s guidance to give us the right leaders and when the time comes, go out and vote as your Christian responsibility.
d. Discuss the insights of today’s lesson with a non-Methodist Christian and share the results with your group.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Joshua 1:10-18 Duty of citizens to new leaders
Tuesday Nehemiah 5:1-13 Rights of citizens
Wednesday Jeremiah 29:1-9 Exiles to subject themselves to government
Thursday 1 Samuel 12:13-15 Citizens’ responsibility
Friday Daniel 3:1-30 Civil disobedience
Saturday Luke 20:21-25 Paying Taxes
Sunday 1 Peter 2:13-17 Christian citizenship
Monday, November 24, 2008
WK48 CHOOSING OUR NATIONAL LEADERS – NO ROOM FOR APATHY
CHOOSING OUR NATIONAL LEADERS – NO ROOM FOR APATHY
KEY VERSE: The lot is east into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
PROVERBS 16:33
SCRIPTURE LESSON: PROVERBS 16:1-4, 9, 23
PROVERBS 16:1 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord come the reply of the tongue.
2 All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord works out everything for his own ends – even the wicked for a day of disaster.
PROVERBS 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD, determines his steps.
PROVERBS 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
INTRODUCTION
The year 2008 is very crucial for the citizens of Ghana as we undertake Presidential and Parliamentary elections. In the January to June, 2008 issue of the Weekly Bible Lesson we concentrated on choosing our church leaders – the Bishops.
In this issue, our attention is focused on choosing our national leaders. This week we shall consider the issue of our participation in the elections. What principles should guide us in our participation as voters, pooling agents, party activists, or even as candidates.
EXPOSITION
Should a Christian vote in elections?
In our daily lives we make choices and take decisions. For the Christian decisions must be based on prayer and godly reflection knowing that God is ultimately the decider (Pr 16:1). This is the main theme of Proverbs 16. Man plans, but it is the Lord who speaks (Pr 16:1); the lot is cast (the votes are taken) but it is the Lord who decides (Pr. 16:33). Let us continue by explaining briefly our key verse: Proverbs ‘Lot’ was a means of deciding an issue or of determining the divine will in a matter. The use of the lot to determine doubtful matter is very old and the practice of casting lots was common among the nations in ancient times. These are some examples of lot casting:
Esther 3:7 – the lot was cast to select the most appropriate day for an event.
Jonah 1:7 – the sailors cast lots to know who was the cause of their problems on the sea.
Obadiah 11 – Lots were cast in sharing booty.
Nahum 3:10 – Lots were cast in sharing Jewish slaves
Matthew 27:35 – The soldiers cast lots to determine who took Jesus’ clothes at the crucifixion.
Its use among the Jews, generally with religious intend, is mentioned in determining the scapegoat (Lev. 16:8), distribution of the land of Palestine among the tribes (Nu 26:55; Jo 18:10); selecting men for an expedition (Jdg 1:1-3) determining a guilty person (Jos 7:1-4; Samuel 14:40-42); selecting the first King (1Sam 10:20-21); dividing the returned priest into twenty-four divisions (1Ch 24:3-5), and determining the service of the priests in the temple worship (Lk1:5-9)
We gather from these passages that lot casting was held in religious esteem by the covenant people, and its use to determine God’s will was usually accompanied by prayer (Jdg 1:1-3; Act 1:24-26). The equivalent of lots in our contemporary world is voting. The ‘Lot’ can be equated to the “ballot box”. From the foregoing we can see that the Christian should see vote casting not only as a civic duty but also a religious duty.
Secondly in casting his/her vote the Christian should not be swayed by racism, tribalism, political or religious biases but should seek the mind of God in Prayer.
Through prayer the Christian should be seeking to know from God which candidates will best serve the interest of the citizens in matters of socio-economic growth and national cohesion. This call to prayer is not without precedence. Confused and uncertain about England’s political future, Issac Watts was led by the Holy Spirit to write a prayer that has become a popular song; “O God our help in ages past” (see MHB 878). Let us follow his good example and God will help us in the present.
2. Can we trust the Ballot Box?
The use of the ballot box is to ensure that every individual qualified to vote expresses their individual decision through the secret ballot, which when put together gives an indication of what the majority has decided. We are aware that in some countries the ballot box has been openly abused. Non-transparent boxes have been used, ballot boxes have been tampered with, declared results have not agreed with collated results and many such vices have all occurred with the use of the ballot box. In spite of these observations the ballot box is still our best way of knowing what will of God for us is. Therefore, we shall be failing in our Christian duty if we fail to vote because of the abuse of the ballot box which we hear about in various places.
3. Should we refuse to vote because of unfulfilled expectations?
Many people are apathetic about elections because as they put it; “All politicians are the same and anyone who comes on will not be different.” The fact that you are a Christian means that you ought to take a position, so you should not sit on the fence. There is no neutrality before God, therefore pray, examine the issues, take a position and cast your vote. Only the Christian who wants to allow the possibility of someone who is not God’s choice to rule will not vote.
4. What can we do to ensure free and fair elections?
It is everybody’s responsibility to ensure that our trust in the ballot box is not betrayed. When parties win elections, they organize thanksgiving services because they believe God has chosen them. It is therefore important that everyone involved in the conduct of elections, including pooling agents, election officers, party activists, security personnel and the candidates themselves realize that it is their responsibility towards God and man to ensure free and fair elections. But you also have a responsibility to be vigilant.
5. What to do?
In some countries, it is an offence not to vote during national elections. We don’t have any such laws in Ghana, but it is your Christian and civic responsibility to vote on 7th December, 2008.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How is today’s passage relevant to the theme under discussion?
We saw earlier that the people had to cast lots to elect Saul as the first king of Israel. Why did Samuel do that when he knew that God has chosen Saul? What does that teach us about the Christian and election?
What are the many reasons people give for refusing to vote and how would you help them?
In order to have elections that reflect the choice of God for lus what issues do we have to be vigilant about?
What is the role of prayer in the conduct of free and fair elections?
What prayer topics will you focus on?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
This week reflect on the insights gained from the study. What things will influence your attitude towards the national elections? List them, pray over them and share with group members.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday 1Samuel 10:20-21 The People choose their King
Tuesday Deuteronomy 33:1-5 Divine choice of King
Wednesday Deuteronomy 17:14-18 Choosing Best Leaders
Thursday Judges 9:7-20 A parables on choosing wisely
Friday Nehemiah 11:1-2 Choosing men to be with
Saturday Matthew 27:15-26 Choice of Jesus or Banabbas
Sunday Acts 1:24-26 Casting lots to determine God’s will
KEY VERSE: The lot is east into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
PROVERBS 16:33
SCRIPTURE LESSON: PROVERBS 16:1-4, 9, 23
PROVERBS 16:1 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord come the reply of the tongue.
2 All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord works out everything for his own ends – even the wicked for a day of disaster.
PROVERBS 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD, determines his steps.
PROVERBS 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
INTRODUCTION
The year 2008 is very crucial for the citizens of Ghana as we undertake Presidential and Parliamentary elections. In the January to June, 2008 issue of the Weekly Bible Lesson we concentrated on choosing our church leaders – the Bishops.
In this issue, our attention is focused on choosing our national leaders. This week we shall consider the issue of our participation in the elections. What principles should guide us in our participation as voters, pooling agents, party activists, or even as candidates.
EXPOSITION
Should a Christian vote in elections?
In our daily lives we make choices and take decisions. For the Christian decisions must be based on prayer and godly reflection knowing that God is ultimately the decider (Pr 16:1). This is the main theme of Proverbs 16. Man plans, but it is the Lord who speaks (Pr 16:1); the lot is cast (the votes are taken) but it is the Lord who decides (Pr. 16:33). Let us continue by explaining briefly our key verse: Proverbs ‘Lot’ was a means of deciding an issue or of determining the divine will in a matter. The use of the lot to determine doubtful matter is very old and the practice of casting lots was common among the nations in ancient times. These are some examples of lot casting:
Esther 3:7 – the lot was cast to select the most appropriate day for an event.
Jonah 1:7 – the sailors cast lots to know who was the cause of their problems on the sea.
Obadiah 11 – Lots were cast in sharing booty.
Nahum 3:10 – Lots were cast in sharing Jewish slaves
Matthew 27:35 – The soldiers cast lots to determine who took Jesus’ clothes at the crucifixion.
Its use among the Jews, generally with religious intend, is mentioned in determining the scapegoat (Lev. 16:8), distribution of the land of Palestine among the tribes (Nu 26:55; Jo 18:10); selecting men for an expedition (Jdg 1:1-3) determining a guilty person (Jos 7:1-4; Samuel 14:40-42); selecting the first King (1Sam 10:20-21); dividing the returned priest into twenty-four divisions (1Ch 24:3-5), and determining the service of the priests in the temple worship (Lk1:5-9)
We gather from these passages that lot casting was held in religious esteem by the covenant people, and its use to determine God’s will was usually accompanied by prayer (Jdg 1:1-3; Act 1:24-26). The equivalent of lots in our contemporary world is voting. The ‘Lot’ can be equated to the “ballot box”. From the foregoing we can see that the Christian should see vote casting not only as a civic duty but also a religious duty.
Secondly in casting his/her vote the Christian should not be swayed by racism, tribalism, political or religious biases but should seek the mind of God in Prayer.
Through prayer the Christian should be seeking to know from God which candidates will best serve the interest of the citizens in matters of socio-economic growth and national cohesion. This call to prayer is not without precedence. Confused and uncertain about England’s political future, Issac Watts was led by the Holy Spirit to write a prayer that has become a popular song; “O God our help in ages past” (see MHB 878). Let us follow his good example and God will help us in the present.
2. Can we trust the Ballot Box?
The use of the ballot box is to ensure that every individual qualified to vote expresses their individual decision through the secret ballot, which when put together gives an indication of what the majority has decided. We are aware that in some countries the ballot box has been openly abused. Non-transparent boxes have been used, ballot boxes have been tampered with, declared results have not agreed with collated results and many such vices have all occurred with the use of the ballot box. In spite of these observations the ballot box is still our best way of knowing what will of God for us is. Therefore, we shall be failing in our Christian duty if we fail to vote because of the abuse of the ballot box which we hear about in various places.
3. Should we refuse to vote because of unfulfilled expectations?
Many people are apathetic about elections because as they put it; “All politicians are the same and anyone who comes on will not be different.” The fact that you are a Christian means that you ought to take a position, so you should not sit on the fence. There is no neutrality before God, therefore pray, examine the issues, take a position and cast your vote. Only the Christian who wants to allow the possibility of someone who is not God’s choice to rule will not vote.
4. What can we do to ensure free and fair elections?
It is everybody’s responsibility to ensure that our trust in the ballot box is not betrayed. When parties win elections, they organize thanksgiving services because they believe God has chosen them. It is therefore important that everyone involved in the conduct of elections, including pooling agents, election officers, party activists, security personnel and the candidates themselves realize that it is their responsibility towards God and man to ensure free and fair elections. But you also have a responsibility to be vigilant.
5. What to do?
In some countries, it is an offence not to vote during national elections. We don’t have any such laws in Ghana, but it is your Christian and civic responsibility to vote on 7th December, 2008.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How is today’s passage relevant to the theme under discussion?
We saw earlier that the people had to cast lots to elect Saul as the first king of Israel. Why did Samuel do that when he knew that God has chosen Saul? What does that teach us about the Christian and election?
What are the many reasons people give for refusing to vote and how would you help them?
In order to have elections that reflect the choice of God for lus what issues do we have to be vigilant about?
What is the role of prayer in the conduct of free and fair elections?
What prayer topics will you focus on?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
This week reflect on the insights gained from the study. What things will influence your attitude towards the national elections? List them, pray over them and share with group members.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday 1Samuel 10:20-21 The People choose their King
Tuesday Deuteronomy 33:1-5 Divine choice of King
Wednesday Deuteronomy 17:14-18 Choosing Best Leaders
Thursday Judges 9:7-20 A parables on choosing wisely
Friday Nehemiah 11:1-2 Choosing men to be with
Saturday Matthew 27:15-26 Choice of Jesus or Banabbas
Sunday Acts 1:24-26 Casting lots to determine God’s will
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
WK 46 ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ITS ATTRACTION
ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ITS ATTRACTION
KEY VERSE: Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler: whoever is led astray by them is not wise. PROVERBS 20:1
SCRIPTURE LESSON: PROVERBS 23:29-35
PROVERBS23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes.
30Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!
32In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.
34You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?”
INTRODUCTION
In the previous edition of the Weekly Bible Lesson, we wrote about Drub Abuse in Ghana and mentioned a number of drugs including cocaine, cannabis, alcohol and amphetamine. In this edition we focus on alcohol which is the most widely abused drug in Ghana.
EXPOSITION
The commonest alcoholic beverages are wine, brandy, whisky, various kinds of beer including stout beer. While these are commonly consumed in the towns and cities and among middle and upper class people, the lower classes and those in the villages consume palm wine or pito or akpeteshie. Alcohol is sold in almost every corner of cities, towns and villages in the country. Drinking “spots’ are springing up everywhere. These ‘spots’ are well decorated to make them attractive to people. A side attraction of the ‘spots’ is the sale of khebab. The target group of the operators of these spots is the young men and women.
ATTRACTIVENESS OF ALCOHOL
Prov. 23:31 clearly shows that wine or alcohol can be very attractive. It says: “Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. (Remember that the words underlined used in advertising two popular alcoholic beverages in Ghana). This attractiveness has been used extensively by the manufacturers and distributors of various wines and alcoholic beverages to attract all categories of people, especially young adults. The following are the various ways in which people are attracted:
ADVERTISEMENTS: Alcohol advertisements on television screens are very appealing,
especially, to the youth. Young men and women are captured on the screens to
portray the picture that alcohol is very good to enjoy and the best drink to
celebrate with. The pictures are so attractive that young men and women are
are often tempted to go immediately for a drink.
DRINKING SPOTS: Some claim sitting at ‘drinking spots’ with ‘big’ men and women
in society to drink enhances their status. At the spots, and also during funeral,
young men and women try to identify themselves with these so called ‘big’
men and women, through drink, to show to others that they are also ‘big’
SEXUAL PERFORMANCE: The impression is also created that alcohol enhances
Sexual performance.
APPETITE FOR FOOD: It is a common thing these days to see men and women go for
A ‘tot’ before meals. They claim that it gives them the appetite to eat.
FALSE COURAGE: Some claim alcohol gives them the courage to speak in public
Without which they cannot perform, while others claim it helps them to forget
their sorrows and problems.
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL
Let’s look at the effects of alcohol on an individual, his health, family and society at large. It is important to note that alcohol has no vitamins, fats, mineral, proteins or carbohydrates. Thus it has none of the elements essential for health. When alcohol is substituted for food, the body is deprived of essential nutrients and this leads to mal nutrition and vulnerability to diseases.
The truth is that alcohol has a lot of harmful effects on those who use it. Alcohol is a depressant drug of the central nervous system. It slows down the activity of the brain like thinking, reasoning and felling. It also slows down the system that controls the muscles like movement, speech and vision. Alcohol makes the liver to overwork and this can make it enlarged or inflamed (cirrhosis). Prolonged and excessive drinking can bring about brain damage resulting in permanent mental disorder in which the personality is very seriously disorganized (psychosis). Some chronic abusers of alcohol may eventually become impotent and may not recover even after they stop drinking. Blood sugar can also be lowered, causing hypoglycemia, which is common to heavy drinkers; fat accumulates, and the ‘beer belly’ develops after weeks. Thus alcohol can affect the body adversely.
Alcohol is often a contributing factor in crimes against people in society. Crimes such as assault, battery, murder and rape can be attributed to alcohol. Many road accidents leading to serious injuries or loss of lives are caused by drunken drivers. Thos who drink and drive are a threat to themselves and other road users.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
Akwetey was the last born of his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Quartey. He was a very brilliant boy and his parents were proud of him. They were determined to support their son in all his academic pursuits. He passed his Senior High School Examination and gained admission to the university to read medicine.
Mr. And Mrs. Quartey were Christians and they made sure their children were brought up with Christian principles. Whenever the children were on holidays, they had morning devotions together and they urged them to have their private quite times. Akwetey was a very good boy at the Sunday school. The teachers were eager to prepare him into become a Sunday School Teacher in the Church.
At the University, Akwetey had a television set in his room. The advertisement on alcohol on the TV screens so fascinated him that anytime he was in his room he did not want to miss the. At first he wondered what was in alcohol that made the young men and women on the screens enjoy it so much. On one occasion as he watched the television with a friend he asked him why those people dank alcohol with joy. The friend who had been consuming alcohol himself decided to ‘lecture’ Bright on alcohol and how it could enhance his image. He told Akwetey if he begins to drink it will give him the opportunity to sit with some ‘big men’ at the ‘spots’ to drink. Sooner, Akwetey was a regular visitor to a popular ‘spot’ near the university. He was surprised to see the number of young men and women who visited the ‘spot’ each evening.
Then Akwetey began drifting away from his books. Instead of spending time on them, he increased his visits to the ‘spot’ and spent time with friends. His performance in the semester’s examination was so poor that he lied to his parents that he was sick during the period. Back in school he began having fun not only with alcohol but with girls. One day as he left the spot to the university campus with his friends who were as drunk as he was they came face to face with some hooligans. A fight ensued and in the process Akwetey was stabbed in the stomach and was rushed to the hospital. When his parents visited him, he was ashamed that he had let them down. He told them how he was deceived by the advertisements on alcohol and how he was misled by his friend. He asked his parents to forgive him and pray for him.
Those who are deceived by alcohol are not wise. It destroys their power of reason and leads them like sheep to the slaughter house.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discuss today’s passage and relate it to the theme for the lesson.
What can the Church do to protect the youth and its members from the dangers of alcohol abuse.
Do you think stricter laws on alcohol advertising can reduce its consumption especially by young adults?
Would you advocate for a total ban on alcohol advertising? Why or why not?
Apart from the ‘spots’ and night clubs, in what other ways are people lulled into “social drinking.”
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
Identify an alcoholic in your locality. Share the word of God with him and tell him how the power the God can set him free. Share the outcome with you class/group.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Proverbs 4:16-17 Alcohol leads to Violence
Tuesday Proverbs 21:16-18 Alcohol leads to Poverty
Wednesday Proverbs 31:1-7 Alcohol Perverts Judgment
Thursday Isaiah 5:10-12,22 Woe to the Alcoholic
Thursday Habakkuk 2:5 Alcohol leads people Astray
Saturday Ephesians 5:17-19 Alcohol leads to Debauchery
KEY VERSE: Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler: whoever is led astray by them is not wise. PROVERBS 20:1
SCRIPTURE LESSON: PROVERBS 23:29-35
PROVERBS23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes.
30Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!
32In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.
34You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?”
INTRODUCTION
In the previous edition of the Weekly Bible Lesson, we wrote about Drub Abuse in Ghana and mentioned a number of drugs including cocaine, cannabis, alcohol and amphetamine. In this edition we focus on alcohol which is the most widely abused drug in Ghana.
EXPOSITION
The commonest alcoholic beverages are wine, brandy, whisky, various kinds of beer including stout beer. While these are commonly consumed in the towns and cities and among middle and upper class people, the lower classes and those in the villages consume palm wine or pito or akpeteshie. Alcohol is sold in almost every corner of cities, towns and villages in the country. Drinking “spots’ are springing up everywhere. These ‘spots’ are well decorated to make them attractive to people. A side attraction of the ‘spots’ is the sale of khebab. The target group of the operators of these spots is the young men and women.
ATTRACTIVENESS OF ALCOHOL
Prov. 23:31 clearly shows that wine or alcohol can be very attractive. It says: “Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. (Remember that the words underlined used in advertising two popular alcoholic beverages in Ghana). This attractiveness has been used extensively by the manufacturers and distributors of various wines and alcoholic beverages to attract all categories of people, especially young adults. The following are the various ways in which people are attracted:
ADVERTISEMENTS: Alcohol advertisements on television screens are very appealing,
especially, to the youth. Young men and women are captured on the screens to
portray the picture that alcohol is very good to enjoy and the best drink to
celebrate with. The pictures are so attractive that young men and women are
are often tempted to go immediately for a drink.
DRINKING SPOTS: Some claim sitting at ‘drinking spots’ with ‘big’ men and women
in society to drink enhances their status. At the spots, and also during funeral,
young men and women try to identify themselves with these so called ‘big’
men and women, through drink, to show to others that they are also ‘big’
SEXUAL PERFORMANCE: The impression is also created that alcohol enhances
Sexual performance.
APPETITE FOR FOOD: It is a common thing these days to see men and women go for
A ‘tot’ before meals. They claim that it gives them the appetite to eat.
FALSE COURAGE: Some claim alcohol gives them the courage to speak in public
Without which they cannot perform, while others claim it helps them to forget
their sorrows and problems.
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL
Let’s look at the effects of alcohol on an individual, his health, family and society at large. It is important to note that alcohol has no vitamins, fats, mineral, proteins or carbohydrates. Thus it has none of the elements essential for health. When alcohol is substituted for food, the body is deprived of essential nutrients and this leads to mal nutrition and vulnerability to diseases.
The truth is that alcohol has a lot of harmful effects on those who use it. Alcohol is a depressant drug of the central nervous system. It slows down the activity of the brain like thinking, reasoning and felling. It also slows down the system that controls the muscles like movement, speech and vision. Alcohol makes the liver to overwork and this can make it enlarged or inflamed (cirrhosis). Prolonged and excessive drinking can bring about brain damage resulting in permanent mental disorder in which the personality is very seriously disorganized (psychosis). Some chronic abusers of alcohol may eventually become impotent and may not recover even after they stop drinking. Blood sugar can also be lowered, causing hypoglycemia, which is common to heavy drinkers; fat accumulates, and the ‘beer belly’ develops after weeks. Thus alcohol can affect the body adversely.
Alcohol is often a contributing factor in crimes against people in society. Crimes such as assault, battery, murder and rape can be attributed to alcohol. Many road accidents leading to serious injuries or loss of lives are caused by drunken drivers. Thos who drink and drive are a threat to themselves and other road users.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
Akwetey was the last born of his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Quartey. He was a very brilliant boy and his parents were proud of him. They were determined to support their son in all his academic pursuits. He passed his Senior High School Examination and gained admission to the university to read medicine.
Mr. And Mrs. Quartey were Christians and they made sure their children were brought up with Christian principles. Whenever the children were on holidays, they had morning devotions together and they urged them to have their private quite times. Akwetey was a very good boy at the Sunday school. The teachers were eager to prepare him into become a Sunday School Teacher in the Church.
At the University, Akwetey had a television set in his room. The advertisement on alcohol on the TV screens so fascinated him that anytime he was in his room he did not want to miss the. At first he wondered what was in alcohol that made the young men and women on the screens enjoy it so much. On one occasion as he watched the television with a friend he asked him why those people dank alcohol with joy. The friend who had been consuming alcohol himself decided to ‘lecture’ Bright on alcohol and how it could enhance his image. He told Akwetey if he begins to drink it will give him the opportunity to sit with some ‘big men’ at the ‘spots’ to drink. Sooner, Akwetey was a regular visitor to a popular ‘spot’ near the university. He was surprised to see the number of young men and women who visited the ‘spot’ each evening.
Then Akwetey began drifting away from his books. Instead of spending time on them, he increased his visits to the ‘spot’ and spent time with friends. His performance in the semester’s examination was so poor that he lied to his parents that he was sick during the period. Back in school he began having fun not only with alcohol but with girls. One day as he left the spot to the university campus with his friends who were as drunk as he was they came face to face with some hooligans. A fight ensued and in the process Akwetey was stabbed in the stomach and was rushed to the hospital. When his parents visited him, he was ashamed that he had let them down. He told them how he was deceived by the advertisements on alcohol and how he was misled by his friend. He asked his parents to forgive him and pray for him.
Those who are deceived by alcohol are not wise. It destroys their power of reason and leads them like sheep to the slaughter house.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discuss today’s passage and relate it to the theme for the lesson.
What can the Church do to protect the youth and its members from the dangers of alcohol abuse.
Do you think stricter laws on alcohol advertising can reduce its consumption especially by young adults?
Would you advocate for a total ban on alcohol advertising? Why or why not?
Apart from the ‘spots’ and night clubs, in what other ways are people lulled into “social drinking.”
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
Identify an alcoholic in your locality. Share the word of God with him and tell him how the power the God can set him free. Share the outcome with you class/group.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Proverbs 4:16-17 Alcohol leads to Violence
Tuesday Proverbs 21:16-18 Alcohol leads to Poverty
Wednesday Proverbs 31:1-7 Alcohol Perverts Judgment
Thursday Isaiah 5:10-12,22 Woe to the Alcoholic
Thursday Habakkuk 2:5 Alcohol leads people Astray
Saturday Ephesians 5:17-19 Alcohol leads to Debauchery
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
WK 45 THE JEWISH SLAVE GIRL IS A GOOD MISSIONARY
THE JEWISH SLAVE GIRL IS A GOOD MISSIONARY
SCRITURE LESSON: 2 kings 5:1-19A
2 KINGS 5: 1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.
3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.
5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.
6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God?
Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes: Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.
10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, was yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!
14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said. “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.”
16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve. I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.
18 But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also __ when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this.”
19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance.
INTRODUCTION
In II Corinthians 5:11-21, Paul uses three key words to describe the mission to which God has called us. In verse 11, he describes our mission as people called to persuade men to come to Christ.
In verse 19, he describes our calling as ‘the ministry of reconciliation’.
In verse 20, Paul describes Christians as ‘ambassadors for Christ’.
An ambassador is one who represents his/her government in a foreign country. In the same way, a foreign missionary is one sent by his/her church to spread the gospel message in a foreign land.
In our study this week, we will see how a Jewish slave girl in a foreign land became the unofficial ambassador of her country in Syria, but more importantly served as the ambassador for Christ in a foreign land.
EXPOSITION
Leprosy in the Old Testament
Leprosy, which is a skin disease was considered in the Old Testament times as a punishment from God. For example, when Miriam became jealous of Moses, God punished her with leprosy (Num. 12). Lepers in Israel were outcasts and could not mingle with others in society. There was a stigma which was attached to the disease. When lepers were healed they had to offer various forms of sacrifices to cleanse them from their guilt or sin. This was the kind of disease that Naaman suffered from, and so, even though he was an army commander he was not happy. It affected the outlook of the family, and those in the government.
The Jewish Slave girl witnesses to her faith
Effective witnessing is derived from the concern which we have for the lost. The Jewish slave girl knew what was going on in the home. She knew the stigma associated with the disease and she knew how the whole family was worried about Naaman’s illness.
It is to be assumed that the girl had very good relationship with Naaman’s wife and so she could tell her of the power of the God she believed in. The whisper which she might have made to her mistress set of a chain off events which eventually led to the healing of Naaman. A few questions are: Had the girl ever met the Prophet Elisha? Had she ever seen Prophet Elisha heal anybody of leprosy? And yet, the girl demonstrated her faith in the God of Israel and His power to heal so she witnessed to her faith.
The girl’s witnessing sets off a chain of diplomatic events
The slave girl’s testimony probably given in the kitchen to her mistress set off the following series of diplomatic events
Naaman related the girl’s message to the king
The king of Aram sent a letter ordering the king of Israel to arrange for Naaman to be healed.
A disturbed king of Israel received information from the Prophet Elisha that Naaman be sent over to him.
You can never know how your simple testimony can be used by God to set off events that will change somebody’s destiny.
There is pride in the heart of man
Naaman’s reaction to the instructions given by the Prophet Elisha shows the pride that is in the heart of human beings. It didn’t matter that Naaman was suffering from the stigma of leprosy and had traveled all the way to Israel to be healed, he refused to follow the Prophet’s instructions. He was too big to be treated that way. There are many who cannot accept the Gospel message, which essentially says that, our salvation does not depend on what we do but on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Not until this pride is broken, the human heart cannot accept God’s salvation which is based on grace.
A group of servants persuade Naaman to humble himself.
The story of the healing of Naaman may be called the “story of the three servants”. The Jewish slave girl initiated the story through her witnessing in the home of Naaman. It had take a group of servants who traveled with Naaman to persuade him to swallow his pride and follow the instructions of the prophet to wash seven times in the river Jordan.
God’s chosen instruments are usually, the foolish, the weak, the lowly and the despised things of this world, so that no one may boast before him. (1Cor. 1:26-31). The third servant in the story is beyond our scope in this discussion, except to say that Gehazi the servant of the Prophet Elisha, who was supposed to know, better rather failed and destroyed himself through covetousness.
VI. Naaman confirms the slave girl’s testimony
The story began with the Jewish slave girl witnessing about the power of the God of Israel to heal. Naaman had to have the witness in himself, by acting on the slave girl’s message. After all the diplomatic wrangling, when he humbled himself, he gave his own personal testimony; “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel”. He now knew that the slave girls’ testimony was true.
Jesus can only be real to us, if we will take the step of faith and jump into the river as Naaman did to have our sins washed in the blood that flowed at Calvary.
VII. Naaman will practice his new found faith in his own culture.
At the end of the story, Naaman had to answer a very important question in cross-cultural missions, “How does he carry out his new found faith in the God of Israel when he returns to his own country?”
He solved the problem at two levels.
a. At the personal level, he decided that he would set up an altar with earth taken from Israel, and offer his own personal sacrifices to the God of Israel on the altar.
b. At official levels, he knew that he could not immediately throw away his position and relationship with the king, so he asked that God who knows his heart forgives him when he follows the King to the temple Rimmon, the god of Aram. The Prophet Elisha understood him and prayed for him, saying: “Go in peace”.
In cross-cultural missions, our first step is to enable the convert experience the touch of God at the personal level and God himself will direct them in terms of how to dispose of unacceptable practices;.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
The story of the slave girl witnessing to her faith in a foreign land poses many challenges to us as individuals and as a church. There are many people who begin well in their villages and towns, but when they travel out to the cities and other places outside their familiar zones, they have no witness. Sooner or later, their faith degenerates and attend church services only when they return to their villages on special occasions. They have no witnesses to give in their new place of abode. Unlike the slave girl, they are not missionaries.
The church also has to re-examine her approach to missions. The Methodist Church Ghana is essentially a Southern Ghana based church that has not made much impact on non-Akan speaking ethnic groups in the country. Our congregations outside the Akan-speaking zone have largely been chaplaincies taking care of Akan speaking Methodists in those areas. There has to be a new orientation and emphasis if we are to be the missionary church.
The same may be said of our congregations in Europe, and America. Are they centres that are witnessing to what God is doing in the Church in Africa, or are they mere chaplaincies? Christ has called us to be ambassadors, and an ineffective ambassador may have to be withdrawn, or recalled. Let us follow the slave girl’s example and become effective witnesses and missionaries.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What kind of atmosphere do you think existed in Naaman’s home and how could that have contributed to the effective witnessing of the slave girl?
The slave girl and Naaman’s servants had to overcome certain barriers in order to convince Naaman to have faith in God. How do we overcome such barriers as age, social class, ethnic differences in our witnessing?
In a pluralistic society such as ours (e.i. people have different religions and faiths etc) how can we effectively witness to the uniqueness of the Christian faith? What lessons do we learn from the Jewish slave girl?
Why do many people lose their faith and have no effective witness when they leave their hometowns and villages to the cities and foreign countries.
Discuss how the Methodist Church Ghana can be more mission-oriented outside her stronghold in the southern half of the country.
BIBLE LESSON APPLCATION
This week, identify someone in your neighborhood, or workplace or someone you meet who comes from a different ethnic group or follows a different religion and initiate a conversation that will lead to sharing your faith. Pray about it and follow it up
Report the results to your group.
DAILY BIBLE READING
Sunday Acts 4:8 The healing of the cripple in Jerusalem
Monday Acts 1:1-8 Becoming witness to the Lord
Tuesday 2Corinthians 5:17-21 Becoming ambassadors for Christ
Wednesday Colossians 4:2-6 Declaring the mystery of Christ.
Thursday 2Timothy 4:1-5 Preach the word.
Friday Genesis 18:20-27 Abraham pleads for Sodom.
Saturday Genesis 8:20-22 God establishes his people.
SCRITURE LESSON: 2 kings 5:1-19A
2 KINGS 5: 1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.
3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.
5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.
6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God?
Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes: Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.
10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, was yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!
14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said. “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.”
16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve. I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.
18 But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also __ when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this.”
19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance.
INTRODUCTION
In II Corinthians 5:11-21, Paul uses three key words to describe the mission to which God has called us. In verse 11, he describes our mission as people called to persuade men to come to Christ.
In verse 19, he describes our calling as ‘the ministry of reconciliation’.
In verse 20, Paul describes Christians as ‘ambassadors for Christ’.
An ambassador is one who represents his/her government in a foreign country. In the same way, a foreign missionary is one sent by his/her church to spread the gospel message in a foreign land.
In our study this week, we will see how a Jewish slave girl in a foreign land became the unofficial ambassador of her country in Syria, but more importantly served as the ambassador for Christ in a foreign land.
EXPOSITION
Leprosy in the Old Testament
Leprosy, which is a skin disease was considered in the Old Testament times as a punishment from God. For example, when Miriam became jealous of Moses, God punished her with leprosy (Num. 12). Lepers in Israel were outcasts and could not mingle with others in society. There was a stigma which was attached to the disease. When lepers were healed they had to offer various forms of sacrifices to cleanse them from their guilt or sin. This was the kind of disease that Naaman suffered from, and so, even though he was an army commander he was not happy. It affected the outlook of the family, and those in the government.
The Jewish Slave girl witnesses to her faith
Effective witnessing is derived from the concern which we have for the lost. The Jewish slave girl knew what was going on in the home. She knew the stigma associated with the disease and she knew how the whole family was worried about Naaman’s illness.
It is to be assumed that the girl had very good relationship with Naaman’s wife and so she could tell her of the power of the God she believed in. The whisper which she might have made to her mistress set of a chain off events which eventually led to the healing of Naaman. A few questions are: Had the girl ever met the Prophet Elisha? Had she ever seen Prophet Elisha heal anybody of leprosy? And yet, the girl demonstrated her faith in the God of Israel and His power to heal so she witnessed to her faith.
The girl’s witnessing sets off a chain of diplomatic events
The slave girl’s testimony probably given in the kitchen to her mistress set off the following series of diplomatic events
Naaman related the girl’s message to the king
The king of Aram sent a letter ordering the king of Israel to arrange for Naaman to be healed.
A disturbed king of Israel received information from the Prophet Elisha that Naaman be sent over to him.
You can never know how your simple testimony can be used by God to set off events that will change somebody’s destiny.
There is pride in the heart of man
Naaman’s reaction to the instructions given by the Prophet Elisha shows the pride that is in the heart of human beings. It didn’t matter that Naaman was suffering from the stigma of leprosy and had traveled all the way to Israel to be healed, he refused to follow the Prophet’s instructions. He was too big to be treated that way. There are many who cannot accept the Gospel message, which essentially says that, our salvation does not depend on what we do but on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Not until this pride is broken, the human heart cannot accept God’s salvation which is based on grace.
A group of servants persuade Naaman to humble himself.
The story of the healing of Naaman may be called the “story of the three servants”. The Jewish slave girl initiated the story through her witnessing in the home of Naaman. It had take a group of servants who traveled with Naaman to persuade him to swallow his pride and follow the instructions of the prophet to wash seven times in the river Jordan.
God’s chosen instruments are usually, the foolish, the weak, the lowly and the despised things of this world, so that no one may boast before him. (1Cor. 1:26-31). The third servant in the story is beyond our scope in this discussion, except to say that Gehazi the servant of the Prophet Elisha, who was supposed to know, better rather failed and destroyed himself through covetousness.
VI. Naaman confirms the slave girl’s testimony
The story began with the Jewish slave girl witnessing about the power of the God of Israel to heal. Naaman had to have the witness in himself, by acting on the slave girl’s message. After all the diplomatic wrangling, when he humbled himself, he gave his own personal testimony; “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel”. He now knew that the slave girls’ testimony was true.
Jesus can only be real to us, if we will take the step of faith and jump into the river as Naaman did to have our sins washed in the blood that flowed at Calvary.
VII. Naaman will practice his new found faith in his own culture.
At the end of the story, Naaman had to answer a very important question in cross-cultural missions, “How does he carry out his new found faith in the God of Israel when he returns to his own country?”
He solved the problem at two levels.
a. At the personal level, he decided that he would set up an altar with earth taken from Israel, and offer his own personal sacrifices to the God of Israel on the altar.
b. At official levels, he knew that he could not immediately throw away his position and relationship with the king, so he asked that God who knows his heart forgives him when he follows the King to the temple Rimmon, the god of Aram. The Prophet Elisha understood him and prayed for him, saying: “Go in peace”.
In cross-cultural missions, our first step is to enable the convert experience the touch of God at the personal level and God himself will direct them in terms of how to dispose of unacceptable practices;.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
The story of the slave girl witnessing to her faith in a foreign land poses many challenges to us as individuals and as a church. There are many people who begin well in their villages and towns, but when they travel out to the cities and other places outside their familiar zones, they have no witness. Sooner or later, their faith degenerates and attend church services only when they return to their villages on special occasions. They have no witnesses to give in their new place of abode. Unlike the slave girl, they are not missionaries.
The church also has to re-examine her approach to missions. The Methodist Church Ghana is essentially a Southern Ghana based church that has not made much impact on non-Akan speaking ethnic groups in the country. Our congregations outside the Akan-speaking zone have largely been chaplaincies taking care of Akan speaking Methodists in those areas. There has to be a new orientation and emphasis if we are to be the missionary church.
The same may be said of our congregations in Europe, and America. Are they centres that are witnessing to what God is doing in the Church in Africa, or are they mere chaplaincies? Christ has called us to be ambassadors, and an ineffective ambassador may have to be withdrawn, or recalled. Let us follow the slave girl’s example and become effective witnesses and missionaries.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What kind of atmosphere do you think existed in Naaman’s home and how could that have contributed to the effective witnessing of the slave girl?
The slave girl and Naaman’s servants had to overcome certain barriers in order to convince Naaman to have faith in God. How do we overcome such barriers as age, social class, ethnic differences in our witnessing?
In a pluralistic society such as ours (e.i. people have different religions and faiths etc) how can we effectively witness to the uniqueness of the Christian faith? What lessons do we learn from the Jewish slave girl?
Why do many people lose their faith and have no effective witness when they leave their hometowns and villages to the cities and foreign countries.
Discuss how the Methodist Church Ghana can be more mission-oriented outside her stronghold in the southern half of the country.
BIBLE LESSON APPLCATION
This week, identify someone in your neighborhood, or workplace or someone you meet who comes from a different ethnic group or follows a different religion and initiate a conversation that will lead to sharing your faith. Pray about it and follow it up
Report the results to your group.
DAILY BIBLE READING
Sunday Acts 4:8 The healing of the cripple in Jerusalem
Monday Acts 1:1-8 Becoming witness to the Lord
Tuesday 2Corinthians 5:17-21 Becoming ambassadors for Christ
Wednesday Colossians 4:2-6 Declaring the mystery of Christ.
Thursday 2Timothy 4:1-5 Preach the word.
Friday Genesis 18:20-27 Abraham pleads for Sodom.
Saturday Genesis 8:20-22 God establishes his people.
WK 45 JONAH III: THE UNHAPPY MISSIONARY
JONAH III: THE UNHAPPY MISSIONARY
SCRIPTURE LESSONS: JONAH 4:1-11
JONAH 4:11 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.
2 He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to tar shish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the LORD, replied, “Have you any right to be angry? “
5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east o the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.
7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered
8 When the sun arose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live. “
9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about this vine? “ “I do,” he said.” I am angry enough to die.”
10 But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.
11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city? “
INTRODUCTION
In response to the preaching of Jonah, the people of Nineveh turned to God in repentance. The people were therefore spared the impending judgment. That should have caused Jonah to shout “Praise the Lord “instead Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry (Jh 4:1). He launched into prayer to complain to God. In the prayer Jonah revealed why he had fled to tar shish. He acknowledged God as a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity (Jon 4:2). In other words Jonah was saying to God, “I knew you would do this. I was sure you would manifest your love to the Ninevites in such away that they could resist you.” After all that Jonah had been through and his experience of the love and mercy of God, one would have thought that he would not fail show concern for those who needed a life changing experience with the Lord.
Why Jonah Complained
Prejudice and selfishness blinded Jonah’s spiritual vision, causing him to complain against God rather than praise him. Such a negative attitude could only result in a state of depression and misery which caused the prophet to pray: Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live (Jh 4:3). He would rather die than to live to see the Ninevites pardoned by God. It was quite obvious that Jonah had broken fellowship with God because of his prejudice and anger
In the days following the revival in Nineveh. Thousands had repented and turned to the Lord, but spiritually they were newborn babes who needed guidance and teaching in spiritual and moral matters. They were like sheep without a shepherd. Jonah was the shepherd but he had deserted them in that crucial time of need. He settled outside the city in the little shelter he had made, apparently to wait and see what would become of the city. In spite of the revival, Jonah was hoping that God would pour his judgment on the city. By following his selfish desires Jonah still expected doom for the city.
Misplaced Affection Jonah
He was more concerned with his comfort zone than the fate of the city. Jonah’s selfishness led him to have compassion for a vine which grew up overnight and died overnight. Just because it had sheltered him and made him comfortable and glad, he became more concerned about it. Jonah’s affection had been misplaced. The Lord compared Jonah’s compassion for the vine with his own compassion toward the people of Nineveh. The prophet should have realized that Nineveh was not just a plant springing up overnight, but a great city with people and even animals precious to the Lord.
The Ninevites experienced God’s fatherly compassion and concern which extended even to animals. The commission God gave to Jonah displayed his mercy and passion to the Ninevites, and God’s final word to Jonah emphatically proclaimed his concern for every creature. Really God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires rather that they turn from their ways and live (Ezek 33:11: 18:21-23).
Jonah and his countrymen traditionally rejoiced in God’s special mercies to Israel but wished only his wrath on their enemies. In the end God rebuked such heartless and selfish attitude and declared his “gracious benevolence”. The mercy, as well as the sovereignty of God is projected.
Why Jonah was angry
Some claim that Jonah was angry because
His experiences had brought him to the point of nervous exhaustion and extreme irritability.
The salvation of Nineveh meant the future destruction of Israel.
Jonah’s pride was hurt, his dignity offended. God had made a fool of him and he had become a laughingstock.
His reputation as a prophet was irreparably damaged. Surely he would be called a false prophet, a liar, a deceiver, and would be ridiculed and denounced for prophesying something which did not occur.
In spite of the above suggestions it may be concluded that Jonah’s anger was caused by the frustration of his own will. It was his own anger that made him miserable. He was angry that God would have compassion on an enemy of Israel. He wanted God’s goodness to be shown only to Israel not to Gentiles.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
One cannot help feeling sorry for Jonah. It seems ridiculous to see the prophet of God in grief and dejection because an ungodly nation had turned to the Lord. But this sin is not uncommon today. There have been instances of rivalry and cold war between evangelists and pastors. One becomes disturbed because the other is being used in greater way to lead souls to Christ. Sometimes some pastors become jealous of one another as God seems to exercise a greater measure of usefulness through one man than he does through another. We are familiar with instances of lay men and women on fire for God, winning souls for Christ, while others stand back and criticize.
At the root of all this is the sin of jealousy. Jonah was jealous because the people of Nineveh, who had been hated and despised by the Jews for their extreme wickedness and idolatry, were now standing equal with the Jews in their worship of the one supreme God. It is difficult to understand why a true follower of God can be jealous because an unbeliever has come to believe and serve the Lord. Jealous stamps out concern for others, leaving room only for love of self. The jealous heart is completely insensible to the love of God. The heart devoid of God’s love is without a burden and concern for the lost. It has no vision or purpose. The Lord Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and so soul winning must be the principal interest of all believes in Christ.
Consider the appeal of the following hymn: MHB 338 CAN 99
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Discussion Questions
Compare Jonah’s attitude with that of the attitude of the older son in the parables of the lost son in Luke 15:11-31. What are the similarities? Assess the prevalence of this attitude in the church.
Why do some believers become jealous when God’s favour is poured on those who in their thinking do not deserve it? How can we avoid this?
The story of Jonah ends with God’s concern for the great city of Nineveh (Jonah 4:11). What is the implication of this for ministry in the urban areas?
Discuss what your church or bible study group can do about the salvation of the people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, who live in your village, town or city.
Today’s lesson teaches also that Christians should rejoice in all that is good, even if it does not benefit them directly. Give examples of such instances in the life of your church or community.
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
This week think about an unbeliever in your community. Pray for the person, and share with him/her what Christ means to you. Discuss your experience with your study group.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Jonah 4:1-11
Tuesday Ezekiel 18:21-23
Wednesday Ezekiel 33:1-11
Thursday Psalm 37:1-10
Friday Luke 15:1-7
Saturday Luke 15:8-10
Sunday Luke 15: 11-31
SCRIPTURE LESSONS: JONAH 4:1-11
JONAH 4:11 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.
2 He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to tar shish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the LORD, replied, “Have you any right to be angry? “
5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east o the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.
7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered
8 When the sun arose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live. “
9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about this vine? “ “I do,” he said.” I am angry enough to die.”
10 But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.
11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city? “
INTRODUCTION
In response to the preaching of Jonah, the people of Nineveh turned to God in repentance. The people were therefore spared the impending judgment. That should have caused Jonah to shout “Praise the Lord “instead Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry (Jh 4:1). He launched into prayer to complain to God. In the prayer Jonah revealed why he had fled to tar shish. He acknowledged God as a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity (Jon 4:2). In other words Jonah was saying to God, “I knew you would do this. I was sure you would manifest your love to the Ninevites in such away that they could resist you.” After all that Jonah had been through and his experience of the love and mercy of God, one would have thought that he would not fail show concern for those who needed a life changing experience with the Lord.
Why Jonah Complained
Prejudice and selfishness blinded Jonah’s spiritual vision, causing him to complain against God rather than praise him. Such a negative attitude could only result in a state of depression and misery which caused the prophet to pray: Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live (Jh 4:3). He would rather die than to live to see the Ninevites pardoned by God. It was quite obvious that Jonah had broken fellowship with God because of his prejudice and anger
In the days following the revival in Nineveh. Thousands had repented and turned to the Lord, but spiritually they were newborn babes who needed guidance and teaching in spiritual and moral matters. They were like sheep without a shepherd. Jonah was the shepherd but he had deserted them in that crucial time of need. He settled outside the city in the little shelter he had made, apparently to wait and see what would become of the city. In spite of the revival, Jonah was hoping that God would pour his judgment on the city. By following his selfish desires Jonah still expected doom for the city.
Misplaced Affection Jonah
He was more concerned with his comfort zone than the fate of the city. Jonah’s selfishness led him to have compassion for a vine which grew up overnight and died overnight. Just because it had sheltered him and made him comfortable and glad, he became more concerned about it. Jonah’s affection had been misplaced. The Lord compared Jonah’s compassion for the vine with his own compassion toward the people of Nineveh. The prophet should have realized that Nineveh was not just a plant springing up overnight, but a great city with people and even animals precious to the Lord.
The Ninevites experienced God’s fatherly compassion and concern which extended even to animals. The commission God gave to Jonah displayed his mercy and passion to the Ninevites, and God’s final word to Jonah emphatically proclaimed his concern for every creature. Really God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires rather that they turn from their ways and live (Ezek 33:11: 18:21-23).
Jonah and his countrymen traditionally rejoiced in God’s special mercies to Israel but wished only his wrath on their enemies. In the end God rebuked such heartless and selfish attitude and declared his “gracious benevolence”. The mercy, as well as the sovereignty of God is projected.
Why Jonah was angry
Some claim that Jonah was angry because
His experiences had brought him to the point of nervous exhaustion and extreme irritability.
The salvation of Nineveh meant the future destruction of Israel.
Jonah’s pride was hurt, his dignity offended. God had made a fool of him and he had become a laughingstock.
His reputation as a prophet was irreparably damaged. Surely he would be called a false prophet, a liar, a deceiver, and would be ridiculed and denounced for prophesying something which did not occur.
In spite of the above suggestions it may be concluded that Jonah’s anger was caused by the frustration of his own will. It was his own anger that made him miserable. He was angry that God would have compassion on an enemy of Israel. He wanted God’s goodness to be shown only to Israel not to Gentiles.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
One cannot help feeling sorry for Jonah. It seems ridiculous to see the prophet of God in grief and dejection because an ungodly nation had turned to the Lord. But this sin is not uncommon today. There have been instances of rivalry and cold war between evangelists and pastors. One becomes disturbed because the other is being used in greater way to lead souls to Christ. Sometimes some pastors become jealous of one another as God seems to exercise a greater measure of usefulness through one man than he does through another. We are familiar with instances of lay men and women on fire for God, winning souls for Christ, while others stand back and criticize.
At the root of all this is the sin of jealousy. Jonah was jealous because the people of Nineveh, who had been hated and despised by the Jews for their extreme wickedness and idolatry, were now standing equal with the Jews in their worship of the one supreme God. It is difficult to understand why a true follower of God can be jealous because an unbeliever has come to believe and serve the Lord. Jealous stamps out concern for others, leaving room only for love of self. The jealous heart is completely insensible to the love of God. The heart devoid of God’s love is without a burden and concern for the lost. It has no vision or purpose. The Lord Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and so soul winning must be the principal interest of all believes in Christ.
Consider the appeal of the following hymn: MHB 338 CAN 99
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Discussion Questions
Compare Jonah’s attitude with that of the attitude of the older son in the parables of the lost son in Luke 15:11-31. What are the similarities? Assess the prevalence of this attitude in the church.
Why do some believers become jealous when God’s favour is poured on those who in their thinking do not deserve it? How can we avoid this?
The story of Jonah ends with God’s concern for the great city of Nineveh (Jonah 4:11). What is the implication of this for ministry in the urban areas?
Discuss what your church or bible study group can do about the salvation of the people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, who live in your village, town or city.
Today’s lesson teaches also that Christians should rejoice in all that is good, even if it does not benefit them directly. Give examples of such instances in the life of your church or community.
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
This week think about an unbeliever in your community. Pray for the person, and share with him/her what Christ means to you. Discuss your experience with your study group.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Jonah 4:1-11
Tuesday Ezekiel 18:21-23
Wednesday Ezekiel 33:1-11
Thursday Psalm 37:1-10
Friday Luke 15:1-7
Saturday Luke 15:8-10
Sunday Luke 15: 11-31
WK 43 JONAH II: THE RELUCTANT MISSIONARY
KEY VERSE: Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3. Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city- a visit required three days. JONAH 3:1, 2.
SCRIPTURE LESSON: JONAH CHAPTER 2&3
JONAH 2: 1. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.
2 He said: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
1. You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
2. I said, ‘ I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
3. The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surround me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
4. To the roots of the mountains I sank down: the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.
5. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to your holy temple.
6. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
7. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD.”
8. And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
JONAH 3:1. Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
1. “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
2. Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city- a visit required three days.
3. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaim: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”
4. The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
5. When the news reached the king of the Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
6. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast. Herd or flock. Taste anything: do not let them eat or drink.
7. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
8. Who knows? God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring them the destruction he had threatened.
INTRODUCTION
Last week we studied how Jonah, commissioned by God to preach to the people of Nineveh. Decided to go on a different assignment to tar shish (Jonah 1: 3). God could have ignored Jonah and chosen a different person to perform the assignment but he had a specific agenda for Jonah. In God’s own sovereign will he passed Jonah through a series of circumstances to make him willing to undertake the very assignment he had dodged. Jonah went through the following:
Jonah was able to pay the fare to tar shish.
The ship Jonah boarded had a tempest on the sea
Jonah was brought before the captain of the ship.
Jonah made a confession to the captain
Jonah was thrown into the sea.
God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.
After three days and three nights Jonah was vomited upon the land.
Jonah learnt his lesson in the hard way. God’s agenda for us may be slightly different from that of Jonah, but we may learn from his experience.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
A pastor was posted to one of the remotest areas in the country. Most of his friends who heard of the posting were very unhappy about the pastor’s posting; some even advised him to refuse his posting and tender in his resignation. The pastor’s congregation was not happy either, considering the fact that he had started to build anew chapel.
Apart from these facts, the people of his station were said to be hostile to visitors: the road network was bad and basic necessities like water and electricity were absent.
Just as the pastor was about to write a resignation letter, he saw a sheet of paper on which was printed his ministerial vow. A sentence which came to his attention was: “Will you be willing to serve the church wherever you will be needed?” ‘I will’. The pastor could not sleep and after struggling with his conscience, he decided to obey God.
When the pastor and his well-wishers arrived at his new station, they were welcomed by a delegation among who was his classmate at school. He and his mate embraced each another and engaged in conversation to the admiration of all the people present. The people at the new station proved to be affable, co-operative and warm.
He won many souls for Christ at the new station. Church attendance increased; he started a double service and new churches were opened at the outstations. God blessed his endeavours. “If I had listened to my friends and refused my station I would not have seen the hand of God”, he declared.
In the work of missions, we need to submit to the directives of the Director of Operations, who id God. He knows where the field is most ripe for harvest. Moreover we should throw away our prejudices and proclaim, in faith, the word of truth. Who would have thought that Nineveh, a pagan city to the core, would repent in the way they did.
The experiences of Jonah made him willing to go in the end… and what a fruit! Do we need unpleasant experiences to help us put our will in line with the Lord? It is most unnecessary!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What excuses do people give for not evangelizing?
Does God always allow unpleasant circumstances in our lives in order to help us put our will in line with his? Explain your answer.
“The Holy Spirit does the conversion; it is our duty to proclaim the message”. How Jonah 3 does: 1-10 support this statement?
Give testimonies that illustrate the lessons taught by today’s study: God does not make us go against our will; he only makes us willing to go. Highlight the results that have occurred in the instances cited.
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
This week during your time of devotion, reflect on your life to see whether you have ever had Jonah’s experience at your level. Resolve in prayer to be always obedient to the Lord.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday 2Kings 7:9-15 the responsibility for evangelism
Tuesday Genesis 12:1-11 Abraham – A Missionary
Wednesday Acts 1: 1-8 you are my witnesses
Thursday Matthew 12: 38-41 Greater than Jonah
Friday John 4:40-42 The Woman evangelists
Saturday Mathew 24:46-51 Faithful of God
SCRIPTURE LESSON: JONAH CHAPTER 2&3
JONAH 2: 1. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.
2 He said: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
1. You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
2. I said, ‘ I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
3. The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surround me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
4. To the roots of the mountains I sank down: the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.
5. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to your holy temple.
6. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
7. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD.”
8. And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
JONAH 3:1. Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
1. “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
2. Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city- a visit required three days.
3. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaim: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”
4. The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
5. When the news reached the king of the Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
6. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast. Herd or flock. Taste anything: do not let them eat or drink.
7. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
8. Who knows? God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring them the destruction he had threatened.
INTRODUCTION
Last week we studied how Jonah, commissioned by God to preach to the people of Nineveh. Decided to go on a different assignment to tar shish (Jonah 1: 3). God could have ignored Jonah and chosen a different person to perform the assignment but he had a specific agenda for Jonah. In God’s own sovereign will he passed Jonah through a series of circumstances to make him willing to undertake the very assignment he had dodged. Jonah went through the following:
Jonah was able to pay the fare to tar shish.
The ship Jonah boarded had a tempest on the sea
Jonah was brought before the captain of the ship.
Jonah made a confession to the captain
Jonah was thrown into the sea.
God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.
After three days and three nights Jonah was vomited upon the land.
Jonah learnt his lesson in the hard way. God’s agenda for us may be slightly different from that of Jonah, but we may learn from his experience.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
A pastor was posted to one of the remotest areas in the country. Most of his friends who heard of the posting were very unhappy about the pastor’s posting; some even advised him to refuse his posting and tender in his resignation. The pastor’s congregation was not happy either, considering the fact that he had started to build anew chapel.
Apart from these facts, the people of his station were said to be hostile to visitors: the road network was bad and basic necessities like water and electricity were absent.
Just as the pastor was about to write a resignation letter, he saw a sheet of paper on which was printed his ministerial vow. A sentence which came to his attention was: “Will you be willing to serve the church wherever you will be needed?” ‘I will’. The pastor could not sleep and after struggling with his conscience, he decided to obey God.
When the pastor and his well-wishers arrived at his new station, they were welcomed by a delegation among who was his classmate at school. He and his mate embraced each another and engaged in conversation to the admiration of all the people present. The people at the new station proved to be affable, co-operative and warm.
He won many souls for Christ at the new station. Church attendance increased; he started a double service and new churches were opened at the outstations. God blessed his endeavours. “If I had listened to my friends and refused my station I would not have seen the hand of God”, he declared.
In the work of missions, we need to submit to the directives of the Director of Operations, who id God. He knows where the field is most ripe for harvest. Moreover we should throw away our prejudices and proclaim, in faith, the word of truth. Who would have thought that Nineveh, a pagan city to the core, would repent in the way they did.
The experiences of Jonah made him willing to go in the end… and what a fruit! Do we need unpleasant experiences to help us put our will in line with the Lord? It is most unnecessary!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What excuses do people give for not evangelizing?
Does God always allow unpleasant circumstances in our lives in order to help us put our will in line with his? Explain your answer.
“The Holy Spirit does the conversion; it is our duty to proclaim the message”. How Jonah 3 does: 1-10 support this statement?
Give testimonies that illustrate the lessons taught by today’s study: God does not make us go against our will; he only makes us willing to go. Highlight the results that have occurred in the instances cited.
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
This week during your time of devotion, reflect on your life to see whether you have ever had Jonah’s experience at your level. Resolve in prayer to be always obedient to the Lord.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday 2Kings 7:9-15 the responsibility for evangelism
Tuesday Genesis 12:1-11 Abraham – A Missionary
Wednesday Acts 1: 1-8 you are my witnesses
Thursday Matthew 12: 38-41 Greater than Jonah
Friday John 4:40-42 The Woman evangelists
Saturday Mathew 24:46-51 Faithful of God
WK 42 JONAH – 1: THE MAN WHO WAS OPPOSED TO MISSIONS
JONAH – 1: THE MAN WHO WAS OPPOSED TO MISSIONS
SCRIPTURE LESSON: JONAH 1:1-17
JONAH 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:
2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.
5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”
7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” Hey cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us?
What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)
11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
13 Instead, men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.
14 Then they cried to the LORD, “O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased.”
15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.
16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
17 But the LORD provided a great fish to sallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
INTRODUCTION
The Church as the Body of Christ is required to carry out the mandate and mission of Christ. As we celebrate the 270th anniversary of John Wesley’s Alders gate experience which ushered in the evangelical Awakening in England, sparking off missions in the world, we need to brace ourselves for missions and make sure that all Jonahs among us respond to Christ’s call “to go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19).
Jonah is often called ‘the disobedient prophet/preacher’ for refusing to heed God’s call to go to Nineveh to preach the message of repentance to them.
EXPOSITION
The prophet Jonah, son of Amittai was from Gath-hepher in Galilee. Jonah and Jesus were the only prophets from Galilee. But Jonah was disobedient while Jesus was obedient. God sent Jonah to the city of Nineveh, capital of the ancient empire of Assyria. The Assyrians were very wicked people. They were noted for the act of flaying people – that is, skinning people alive.
Jonah decided to run away from the Lord. His reason was that God was a merciful God who could change his mind and not punish the Ninevites. If that happened Jonah would be put to shame. So he headed for Tar shish (Spain) and went down to Joppa (modern-day Tel Aviv) on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
The prophet’s thoughts were rather childish. He thought that God was in Israel alone and so if he fled to another place he could ‘dodge’ God but the Lord is omnipresent. We say in Akan: Wo dwane Nyame a wo hye n’ase – that is, “if you run away from God, you are still under him”.
In Ghana, the Methodist Church has some mission areas like the Ga Rural Mission in the Accra Diocese, Gwira Mission in the Sekondi Diocese, Mo-Dega in the Wenchi Diocese, Afram Plains in the Koforidua Diocese and other difficult areas like the Volta Region and the Northern Ghana Mission Diocese. It is not easy to work in these areas but the church must labour in these parts also because God loves the people there and the Master has need of them too. Ministers and other church workers sent to these areas sometimes feel reluctant to go. But those who heed the Lord’s call and work well will be blessed by the Lord in this life and in the next.
WORD IN OUR LIVES
Who are the Jonahs of our time? If a minister is transferred from one station to another by the hierarchy of the Church and he refuses, is he/she not a Jonah? And if his church members protest against his transfer thereby aiding and abetting, are they not little Jonas’s. If a local preacher refuses to honour his/her preaching appointment at a place he/she does not like, is he/she not behaving like Jonah. If a minister to a station backbites his predecessor or “destroys” his successor to the congregation before he leaves for another place, does he not have the Jonah spirit? If God is calling someone into the full-time (ordained) ministry or the evangelist order and he is refusing, is he not a Jonah? Similarly, if the Spirit of the Lord is telling you to give money or materials in support of kingdom business, and you refuse, are you not another Jonah? If God is calling you to offer yourself for a task in the church, like being a Class Leader, a Local Preacher, a Sunday School Teacher, a Counselor, a Society/Circuit Steward and you keep on turning down the offer, are you not a Jonah? If we fail to pay our tithes, our Methodist Development Fund (MDF) levies, our harvest contributions and refuse to patronize other fund-raising activities which will support church’s missionary endeavours, are we not Jonahses? May the good Lord deliver us from this rebellious and unproductive spirit of Jonah. “Answer quickly when He calleth, Here am I, send me, send me!”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What could be Jonah’s reason for try to flee to Tarshish?
Jonah invested his resources wrongly – paying the ship fare to Tarshish – instead of going to Nineveh. What are some of the wrong ways we invest our resources?
God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh but Jonah went the opposite direction – to Tarshish. What are some of the ways in which we go the opposite direction to God’s leading?
What does Jonah in the belly of the fish for three (3) days and three (3)nights typify/illustrate?
Identify a place which you consider very difficult to evangelize. Give your reasons for choosing that place. How can the church or individuals plan a mission to such a difficult place?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
This week, examine yourself to see whether you have been acting as Jonah. Resolve in prayer to obey God’s call to your mission.
Share the gospel with at least one person.
Share the outcomes with your group.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Exodus 3:7-13 Excuses of Weakness
Tuesday Isaiah 6:1-6 A Man of Unclean Lips
Wednesday Jeremiah 1:1-6 don’t know how to speak
Thursday Judges 6:11-13 Who Am I
Friday Matthew 25:41-46 there is No Need
Saturday Luke 14:16-20 I Don’t Have Time
Sunday Jonah 1:1-4 Jonah
SCRIPTURE LESSON: JONAH 1:1-17
JONAH 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:
2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.
5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”
7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” Hey cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us?
What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)
11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
13 Instead, men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.
14 Then they cried to the LORD, “O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased.”
15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.
16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
17 But the LORD provided a great fish to sallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
INTRODUCTION
The Church as the Body of Christ is required to carry out the mandate and mission of Christ. As we celebrate the 270th anniversary of John Wesley’s Alders gate experience which ushered in the evangelical Awakening in England, sparking off missions in the world, we need to brace ourselves for missions and make sure that all Jonahs among us respond to Christ’s call “to go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19).
Jonah is often called ‘the disobedient prophet/preacher’ for refusing to heed God’s call to go to Nineveh to preach the message of repentance to them.
EXPOSITION
The prophet Jonah, son of Amittai was from Gath-hepher in Galilee. Jonah and Jesus were the only prophets from Galilee. But Jonah was disobedient while Jesus was obedient. God sent Jonah to the city of Nineveh, capital of the ancient empire of Assyria. The Assyrians were very wicked people. They were noted for the act of flaying people – that is, skinning people alive.
Jonah decided to run away from the Lord. His reason was that God was a merciful God who could change his mind and not punish the Ninevites. If that happened Jonah would be put to shame. So he headed for Tar shish (Spain) and went down to Joppa (modern-day Tel Aviv) on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
The prophet’s thoughts were rather childish. He thought that God was in Israel alone and so if he fled to another place he could ‘dodge’ God but the Lord is omnipresent. We say in Akan: Wo dwane Nyame a wo hye n’ase – that is, “if you run away from God, you are still under him”.
In Ghana, the Methodist Church has some mission areas like the Ga Rural Mission in the Accra Diocese, Gwira Mission in the Sekondi Diocese, Mo-Dega in the Wenchi Diocese, Afram Plains in the Koforidua Diocese and other difficult areas like the Volta Region and the Northern Ghana Mission Diocese. It is not easy to work in these areas but the church must labour in these parts also because God loves the people there and the Master has need of them too. Ministers and other church workers sent to these areas sometimes feel reluctant to go. But those who heed the Lord’s call and work well will be blessed by the Lord in this life and in the next.
WORD IN OUR LIVES
Who are the Jonahs of our time? If a minister is transferred from one station to another by the hierarchy of the Church and he refuses, is he/she not a Jonah? And if his church members protest against his transfer thereby aiding and abetting, are they not little Jonas’s. If a local preacher refuses to honour his/her preaching appointment at a place he/she does not like, is he/she not behaving like Jonah. If a minister to a station backbites his predecessor or “destroys” his successor to the congregation before he leaves for another place, does he not have the Jonah spirit? If God is calling someone into the full-time (ordained) ministry or the evangelist order and he is refusing, is he not a Jonah? Similarly, if the Spirit of the Lord is telling you to give money or materials in support of kingdom business, and you refuse, are you not another Jonah? If God is calling you to offer yourself for a task in the church, like being a Class Leader, a Local Preacher, a Sunday School Teacher, a Counselor, a Society/Circuit Steward and you keep on turning down the offer, are you not a Jonah? If we fail to pay our tithes, our Methodist Development Fund (MDF) levies, our harvest contributions and refuse to patronize other fund-raising activities which will support church’s missionary endeavours, are we not Jonahses? May the good Lord deliver us from this rebellious and unproductive spirit of Jonah. “Answer quickly when He calleth, Here am I, send me, send me!”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What could be Jonah’s reason for try to flee to Tarshish?
Jonah invested his resources wrongly – paying the ship fare to Tarshish – instead of going to Nineveh. What are some of the wrong ways we invest our resources?
God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh but Jonah went the opposite direction – to Tarshish. What are some of the ways in which we go the opposite direction to God’s leading?
What does Jonah in the belly of the fish for three (3) days and three (3)nights typify/illustrate?
Identify a place which you consider very difficult to evangelize. Give your reasons for choosing that place. How can the church or individuals plan a mission to such a difficult place?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
This week, examine yourself to see whether you have been acting as Jonah. Resolve in prayer to obey God’s call to your mission.
Share the gospel with at least one person.
Share the outcomes with your group.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Exodus 3:7-13 Excuses of Weakness
Tuesday Isaiah 6:1-6 A Man of Unclean Lips
Wednesday Jeremiah 1:1-6 don’t know how to speak
Thursday Judges 6:11-13 Who Am I
Friday Matthew 25:41-46 there is No Need
Saturday Luke 14:16-20 I Don’t Have Time
Sunday Jonah 1:1-4 Jonah
Monday, October 13, 2008
WK 39- JESUS SETS AN AGENDA FOR MISSIONS
JESUS SETS AN AGENDA FOR MISSIONS
KEY VERSE: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8.
SCRIPTURE LESSON: ACTS 1:3-11
ACTS 1:3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”.
6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”?
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going. When suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
For the teacher…
BACKGROUND
The Gospel records end with the instruction given by Jesus to all Christians to carry the Gospel message to all nations. (Mt. 28:18-20) This is commonly referred to as the Great Commission. The Book of Acts gives us an account of how the Early Church carried out this mission. They followed an agenda set by Jesus for the advance of the gospel.
The account given here is the agenda Jesus set for the advance of the Gospel. We can only be effective in our missionary effort if we can understand and follow the agenda set by the Lord himself.
IN DEPTH
ACTS 1:3 The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis for missions. Without these facts, we have no message to tell the world. It is therefore significant that the Book of Acts begins the account of the missionary advance by establishing that Jesus died and rose and gave “convincing proofs that he was alive”.
VERSES 4-5. In Ro. 10:14-15, Paul argues that unless anyone is called and sent, he/she cannot go out and become a missionary. But who calls and sends missionaries? It is the Holy Spirit. At that time Pentecost had not yet taken place so Jesus instructed them to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
VERSE6: The apostles had their own agenda. They still thought of Jesus as the “political Messiah” who would deliver the Israelite nation from Roman bondage, especially as he had demonstrated his power over death.
VERSE 7: The time when all things shall be put under the feet of Jesus is not yet here even though he has overcome all things (see Heb. 2:7-9).
VERSE 8A: Pentecost was to be the birth of the Church. The out pouring of the Holy Spirit was to give the apostles and us the Power for witnessing or missions.
“Power” is defined in many ways by the Advanced Learners Dictionary, but what may suit our context is: “ability – a natural skill or an ability to do something; strength” Any missionary enterprise that is not led and empowered by the Holy Spirit therefore is bound to fail or be ineffective.
VERSE 8B: The Agenda or the schedule for missions is now given by Jesus as follows:-
Jerusalem – (i) The events of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ took place in
Jerusalem. Therefore, their first task was to convince the inhabitants of
Jerusalem of what God had done. (ii) Many of the apostles were Galileans, but
Strategically they could spread the message to a greater cross-section of the
People, in Jerusalem, which was the religious capital, than in their own Galilean
villages. This is confirmed by the fact that, on the Day of Pentecost alone.
“God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven… visitors from Rome, both
Jews and converts to Judaism. Cretans and Arabs” who had come to Jerusalem
all heard “them declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues”. (Ac 2:1-
13). This confirms ethnic groups and different classes of people at the same
time. Urbanization is increasing at a very fast rate. It is therefore important
that we take our urban missions seriously.
Judea - The rest of the Jewish population was also to be reached. Jesus had preached
and taught in synagogues of Judea and they also needed to know that Jesus
had overcome death. This may be likened to rural ministry – the approach
here may be different from that of Jerusalem, so rural mission must be
properly planned for.
Samaria - Anytime Jesus moved form Galilee in the north to Judea in the south, he
Had to go through Samaritan villages (see Jn. 4:3-6). They lived with the Jews
in the same country, but they were a different ethnic group. In Samaria, then,
the disciples would have to embark on cross-cultural missions.
Ends of the world – Missionary work led by the Holy Spirit must go beyond national, racial,
Political, social and other boundaries. Effective missionary outlook must be
Global, as the Early Church did.
VERSE 9: Once Jesus completed defining the task for the apostles, he was taken away. The implementation was left to his followers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
VERSE 10-11. The apostles had enjoyed the company of their resurrected Master, after going through the trauma of his death. Therefore, there was naturally some surprise and disappointment when he was suddenly taken away from them into the skies. The angels were therefore sent to re-assure them that, Jesus will come again. This is the blessed hope and while we wait his appearing we must commit ourselves to carrying out the Great Commission.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
The word “mission” has several meanings, but they all revolve around getting something done. The definitions include the following:
· An important job especially a military one, that someone is sent somewhere to do.
· Any work that someone believes it is their duty to do.
· A group of people whose job is to increase what is known about their country, organization or religions in another country or area or the place where such people are based.
· Missionary – a person who has been sent to a foreign country to teach their religion to the people who live there.
· Missionary zeal – extreme enthusiasm.
Our God is a missionary God. He chose Abraham and his descendants and told him, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Ge.12:1-3).
In the Old Testament, Israel is seen as taking up the responsibility of proclaiming to the world that there is only one true God who alone must be worshipped. The Prophet Amos for example, began his prophecy by first addressing God’s word to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrians.
Jesus’ instructions to the apostles before his departure mean that the New Testament Church must also be a missionary church. It means that we must take our urban, rural, cross-cultural and foreign missions very seriously. We in Africa have benefited in the past from the missionary efforts of the Church in Europe and time for us to seriously embark on our missionary advance to other ethnic groups within our cities, villages, in other parts of Africa and to Europe, America, Asia and other parts of the world?
Remember; “A Great Commitment, to the Great Commission makes a Great church.”
TEST YOURSELF
How many days were there between the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ?
(Verse 3)
What did Jesus ask his disciples to do before Pentecost came (verse 4)
Fill in the blanks:- “You will be my _____ in ______. And in all _____and_____ to the ends of the _______” (verse 8b)
What assurance did the angels give to the disciples at the Ascension? (verses 10,11)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What has been your understanding of missions and what do you consider to have been deficient in it?
When the Church at Antioch was praying, it was the Holy Spirit who said; “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have call them” (Ac. 13:2). They were consequently, sent on missions. How does this confirm the leadership of the Holy Spirit in missions and evangelism, which Jesus said the disciples were to wait for?
What do you know about the Division of Evangelism, Missions and evangelism, which (EMR) in the Methodist Church Ghana? What are its programmes and how do these work out in your local congregation.
Recount the missionary work that brought Christianity/Methodism to Ghana and which eventually led to the establishment of your Church.
Discuss and review the missionary strategy of your church/congregation. If there is none, then draw up one and implement it.
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
Read Romans 10:11-15. Meditate upon it and see if you feel called to be an evangelist a missionary or an active supporter of these activities in your church. Act on your decision by informing your minister and/or the EMR Division.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Isaiah 43:9-12 you are Chosen to Witness
Tuesday Acts 18:5-8 Paul Witnesses to Gentiles
Wednesday Acts 18:9-17 the Lord Stands by His Witnesses
Thursday Matthew 28:16-20 the Great Commission
Friday Luke 24:45-49 Preach in His Name
Saturday 2 Peter 1:16-21 Witnesses of His Majesty.
KEY VERSE: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8.
SCRIPTURE LESSON: ACTS 1:3-11
ACTS 1:3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”.
6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”?
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going. When suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
For the teacher…
BACKGROUND
The Gospel records end with the instruction given by Jesus to all Christians to carry the Gospel message to all nations. (Mt. 28:18-20) This is commonly referred to as the Great Commission. The Book of Acts gives us an account of how the Early Church carried out this mission. They followed an agenda set by Jesus for the advance of the gospel.
The account given here is the agenda Jesus set for the advance of the Gospel. We can only be effective in our missionary effort if we can understand and follow the agenda set by the Lord himself.
IN DEPTH
ACTS 1:3 The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis for missions. Without these facts, we have no message to tell the world. It is therefore significant that the Book of Acts begins the account of the missionary advance by establishing that Jesus died and rose and gave “convincing proofs that he was alive”.
VERSES 4-5. In Ro. 10:14-15, Paul argues that unless anyone is called and sent, he/she cannot go out and become a missionary. But who calls and sends missionaries? It is the Holy Spirit. At that time Pentecost had not yet taken place so Jesus instructed them to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
VERSE6: The apostles had their own agenda. They still thought of Jesus as the “political Messiah” who would deliver the Israelite nation from Roman bondage, especially as he had demonstrated his power over death.
VERSE 7: The time when all things shall be put under the feet of Jesus is not yet here even though he has overcome all things (see Heb. 2:7-9).
VERSE 8A: Pentecost was to be the birth of the Church. The out pouring of the Holy Spirit was to give the apostles and us the Power for witnessing or missions.
“Power” is defined in many ways by the Advanced Learners Dictionary, but what may suit our context is: “ability – a natural skill or an ability to do something; strength” Any missionary enterprise that is not led and empowered by the Holy Spirit therefore is bound to fail or be ineffective.
VERSE 8B: The Agenda or the schedule for missions is now given by Jesus as follows:-
Jerusalem – (i) The events of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ took place in
Jerusalem. Therefore, their first task was to convince the inhabitants of
Jerusalem of what God had done. (ii) Many of the apostles were Galileans, but
Strategically they could spread the message to a greater cross-section of the
People, in Jerusalem, which was the religious capital, than in their own Galilean
villages. This is confirmed by the fact that, on the Day of Pentecost alone.
“God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven… visitors from Rome, both
Jews and converts to Judaism. Cretans and Arabs” who had come to Jerusalem
all heard “them declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues”. (Ac 2:1-
13). This confirms ethnic groups and different classes of people at the same
time. Urbanization is increasing at a very fast rate. It is therefore important
that we take our urban missions seriously.
Judea - The rest of the Jewish population was also to be reached. Jesus had preached
and taught in synagogues of Judea and they also needed to know that Jesus
had overcome death. This may be likened to rural ministry – the approach
here may be different from that of Jerusalem, so rural mission must be
properly planned for.
Samaria - Anytime Jesus moved form Galilee in the north to Judea in the south, he
Had to go through Samaritan villages (see Jn. 4:3-6). They lived with the Jews
in the same country, but they were a different ethnic group. In Samaria, then,
the disciples would have to embark on cross-cultural missions.
Ends of the world – Missionary work led by the Holy Spirit must go beyond national, racial,
Political, social and other boundaries. Effective missionary outlook must be
Global, as the Early Church did.
VERSE 9: Once Jesus completed defining the task for the apostles, he was taken away. The implementation was left to his followers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
VERSE 10-11. The apostles had enjoyed the company of their resurrected Master, after going through the trauma of his death. Therefore, there was naturally some surprise and disappointment when he was suddenly taken away from them into the skies. The angels were therefore sent to re-assure them that, Jesus will come again. This is the blessed hope and while we wait his appearing we must commit ourselves to carrying out the Great Commission.
THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
The word “mission” has several meanings, but they all revolve around getting something done. The definitions include the following:
· An important job especially a military one, that someone is sent somewhere to do.
· Any work that someone believes it is their duty to do.
· A group of people whose job is to increase what is known about their country, organization or religions in another country or area or the place where such people are based.
· Missionary – a person who has been sent to a foreign country to teach their religion to the people who live there.
· Missionary zeal – extreme enthusiasm.
Our God is a missionary God. He chose Abraham and his descendants and told him, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Ge.12:1-3).
In the Old Testament, Israel is seen as taking up the responsibility of proclaiming to the world that there is only one true God who alone must be worshipped. The Prophet Amos for example, began his prophecy by first addressing God’s word to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrians.
Jesus’ instructions to the apostles before his departure mean that the New Testament Church must also be a missionary church. It means that we must take our urban, rural, cross-cultural and foreign missions very seriously. We in Africa have benefited in the past from the missionary efforts of the Church in Europe and time for us to seriously embark on our missionary advance to other ethnic groups within our cities, villages, in other parts of Africa and to Europe, America, Asia and other parts of the world?
Remember; “A Great Commitment, to the Great Commission makes a Great church.”
TEST YOURSELF
How many days were there between the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ?
(Verse 3)
What did Jesus ask his disciples to do before Pentecost came (verse 4)
Fill in the blanks:- “You will be my _____ in ______. And in all _____and_____ to the ends of the _______” (verse 8b)
What assurance did the angels give to the disciples at the Ascension? (verses 10,11)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What has been your understanding of missions and what do you consider to have been deficient in it?
When the Church at Antioch was praying, it was the Holy Spirit who said; “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have call them” (Ac. 13:2). They were consequently, sent on missions. How does this confirm the leadership of the Holy Spirit in missions and evangelism, which Jesus said the disciples were to wait for?
What do you know about the Division of Evangelism, Missions and evangelism, which (EMR) in the Methodist Church Ghana? What are its programmes and how do these work out in your local congregation.
Recount the missionary work that brought Christianity/Methodism to Ghana and which eventually led to the establishment of your Church.
Discuss and review the missionary strategy of your church/congregation. If there is none, then draw up one and implement it.
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
Read Romans 10:11-15. Meditate upon it and see if you feel called to be an evangelist a missionary or an active supporter of these activities in your church. Act on your decision by informing your minister and/or the EMR Division.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Isaiah 43:9-12 you are Chosen to Witness
Tuesday Acts 18:5-8 Paul Witnesses to Gentiles
Wednesday Acts 18:9-17 the Lord Stands by His Witnesses
Thursday Matthew 28:16-20 the Great Commission
Friday Luke 24:45-49 Preach in His Name
Saturday 2 Peter 1:16-21 Witnesses of His Majesty.
WK 38-JESUS SETS AN AGENDA FOR EVANGELISM
WEEK 38
JESUS SETS AN AGENDA FOR EVANGELISM
KEY VERSE: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. MATHEW 9:36
SCRIPTURE LESSON: MATTHEW 9:35-38; 10:1, 5-16
MATTHEW 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send outworkers into his harvest field,”
MATTHEW10:5-16 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:
“Do not go among the gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7As you go, preach this message: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is near.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.
Freely you have received, freely give.
9Do not take along ay gold or silver or copper in your belts;
10Take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
12As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13If the home is deserves, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
INTRODUCTION
Success or effectiveness in any venture depends on the leader’s ability to sense when there is a need for change in strategy in order to achieve a vision. Such a change in circumstances is described as a paradigm shift, and is important that such a change is quickly recognized to avoid stagnation and failure.
The Methodist Church Ghana is facing a number of challenges in the areas of evangelism, missions and church growth. Since the last two or three years, the Church has set itself the target of doubling its membership in five years. How is this going to be achieved in the face of the many ‘competitors’ who are in the field? The ‘competitors’ include: increasing secularism and materialism among Ghanaians, increasing numbers of other religions and false Christian sect and the many Christian denominations that are now on the market.
What can the Church do in the face of these competitors? We can learn a lot from the way Jesus handled a similar situation.
EXPOSITION
It Cannot Be Business As Usual (Matt. 9:35-36)
Until this time in his ministry, Jesus was following a routine. He had been moving through towns and villages teaching, preaching and healing the people. Was Jesus reaching enough people by this strategy? He was made more sensitive to the enormity of the task facing him when he saw the crowds. There were still more people to be reached with Gospel. He had fed the five thousand, but additional relief services had to be provided; poverty, disease, famine and other calamities were still rampant and many needs had to be met. Could it continue to be business as usual? New strategies had to be put in place and that is precisely what Jesus did. What were these strategies?
STRATEGY I: Recognize the nature of the task-it’s a harvest (Matt 9:37-38)
Jesus described the work of evangelism as a harvest. We often do not recognize that there are lots of people who are waiting to be told the good News and who are indeed ready to accept it. It is a harvest, for the Lord has already planted ‘eternity in the hearts of men’ (Eccl.3:11b). There is a longing in the heart of man which only the Gospel can satisfy. It is not as if we are starting a new farm and sowing new crops; the crops are fully grown and ready for harvest.
STRATEGYII: Pray for more workers (Matt.9:38)
We also need to recognize that the one in charge of the whole enterprise of evangelism is God himself. It is God’s desire that none be lost (11 Pet. 3:9) The implication is that any evangelistic effort that is not backed by serious prayer to the Lord of the harvest is bound to fail. What did Jesus ask us to pray for? Workers!
Paul argues that unless one is sent or called or feels compelled to tell unbelievers about the Gospel, they will not be effective workers for the Lord (Rom. 10:12-15) Therefore, it is not every church member who would be a willing and faithful witness for Christ. Otherwise, the Methodist Church Ghana could double its membership in a year if every member went out and brought a new convert in. That is why Jesus asked that we should pray for God to call and send his workers to the harvest field; in other words we should pray for Methodist to have a passion to win lost souls for Christ.
STRATEGY III: The workers must be spiritually empowered (Matt. 10:1)
Before Jesus sent out twelve on the evangelistic exercise, he gave them ‘authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.’ According to Mark’s account of the Great Commission, miraculous signs, healing of the sick, driving out demons, etc., could not be separated from the spread of the Gospel far advanced and the effect of scientific advancement is seen everywhere, people cannot fail to recognize the reality and the power of God when miracles accompany the preaching of the Gospel. Some refer to this as ‘Power Evangelism’ and it is important that we recognize the place it has in our effort to spread the Gospel. So we should prepare ourselves and not be afraid to pray for people with needs and believe God for answers.
STRATEGY IV: Targeting (Matt. 10:5-6)
Jesus taught the important principle of targeting in evangelism when he instructed the Twelve as follows, ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel ….’ It is not as if Jesus did not care about non-Jewish groups, for he gave instructions about them just before his ascension, but for now the unbelieving Jews were his target.
Congregations need to define who their targets are in their evangelism as this will define the most effective method to adopt. Is it the teenagers, the youth, adult males or females, some ethnic group we are targeting or what? Targeting also helps us to evaluate the effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts.
STRATEGY V: Identify the most receptive group (Matt. 10:11-15)
Jesus further taught that within the targeted group, the apostles were to identify the most receptive people. Sometimes, in our church planting and evangelism, we waste too much time bringing up churches in some unresponsive localities and evangelizing unresponsive individuals. Jesus taught that, it is better to move on and identify those who are ready to receive the gospel.
STRATEGY VI: Trust God to provide the resources (Matt. 10:9-19)
We often use the unavailability of money and other resources as an excuse for not embarking on evangelistic campaigns. Jesus taught his apostles to move on and trust God to provide the needed resources. This is not to say we should not plan or budget for evangelism, but we can never have enough for our evangelism before we set off. When Abraham obeyed God’s command and set off to offer a sacrifice without having a sheep but only a son, he learnt that, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’ (Gen. 22:14). God will always provide the needed resources if we obey the Great Commission and set off.
STRATEGY VII: Remember that you are in enemy territory (Matt. 10:16-25)
Any evangelistic effort is an attack on enemy territory. Therefore, it will be naïve for Christians or churches to think that Satan will easily give up his hold on unbelievers.
Jesus therefore warned his apostles to be aware of the fact that they go out as sheep among wolves and so they must be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves. This calls for discernment so that we can identify the schemes of the Evil one and nullify them in the power of Christ.
Our innocence as doves will ensure that the world does not have the opportunity to point fingers at us and thus discredit our witness.
STRATEGY VIII: Don’t be afraid (Matt. 10:16ff)
Paul described the Church as ‘the pillar and foundation of the truth’ this is the mystery of godliness, which is the Gospel (I Tim. 3:14-16). The church therefore has a duty to hold this truth up as a pillar, but in a pluralistic society, the church has often been cowed to either keep its mouth shut or water down its message.
To be effective and successful in our evangelism, we must shed off fear of individuals, groups of people, other religions, humanist groups, atheists etc, and proclaim the unadulterated truth of the Gospel. It is only then that the world will respond to the Gospel.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The most recent census showed that about 70% of Ghana’s 22 million people claim to be Christians. Do you think these are all committed Christians? Why or why not?
What factors show that even in the Church, there are a lot of uncommitted Christians?
a. What strategies have your church or congregation been using to gain new converts?
b. Do you consider the strategies effective? Why or why not?
4. What aspects of the strategy outlined by Jesus must be seriously adopted by your
Church/congregation if you are to succeed in your evangelism?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
At you next Society Meeting/Quarterly Meeting, discuss thoroughly the evangelism strategy you have so far adopted. Assess its effectiveness.
Review your Church’s evangelism strategy taking into consideration the issues raised by Jesus.
Implement your new strategy and monitor and evaluate its progress from time to time.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Acts 13:4-12 Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus
Tuesday Acts 13:13-17 Paul and Barnabas in Perga
Wednesday Acts 14: 1-7 Paul and Barnabas in Iconuim
Thursday Acts 14:8-15 Paul and Barnabas in Lystra
Friday Acts 14:21-25 Paul and Barnabas in Derbe
Saturday Acts 14:26-28 Paul and Barnabas Reports to the Disciples in Antioch
Sunday Matthew 10:1-23 Jesus sets an Agenda for Evangelism
JESUS SETS AN AGENDA FOR EVANGELISM
KEY VERSE: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. MATHEW 9:36
SCRIPTURE LESSON: MATTHEW 9:35-38; 10:1, 5-16
MATTHEW 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send outworkers into his harvest field,”
MATTHEW10:5-16 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:
“Do not go among the gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7As you go, preach this message: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is near.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.
Freely you have received, freely give.
9Do not take along ay gold or silver or copper in your belts;
10Take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
12As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13If the home is deserves, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
INTRODUCTION
Success or effectiveness in any venture depends on the leader’s ability to sense when there is a need for change in strategy in order to achieve a vision. Such a change in circumstances is described as a paradigm shift, and is important that such a change is quickly recognized to avoid stagnation and failure.
The Methodist Church Ghana is facing a number of challenges in the areas of evangelism, missions and church growth. Since the last two or three years, the Church has set itself the target of doubling its membership in five years. How is this going to be achieved in the face of the many ‘competitors’ who are in the field? The ‘competitors’ include: increasing secularism and materialism among Ghanaians, increasing numbers of other religions and false Christian sect and the many Christian denominations that are now on the market.
What can the Church do in the face of these competitors? We can learn a lot from the way Jesus handled a similar situation.
EXPOSITION
It Cannot Be Business As Usual (Matt. 9:35-36)
Until this time in his ministry, Jesus was following a routine. He had been moving through towns and villages teaching, preaching and healing the people. Was Jesus reaching enough people by this strategy? He was made more sensitive to the enormity of the task facing him when he saw the crowds. There were still more people to be reached with Gospel. He had fed the five thousand, but additional relief services had to be provided; poverty, disease, famine and other calamities were still rampant and many needs had to be met. Could it continue to be business as usual? New strategies had to be put in place and that is precisely what Jesus did. What were these strategies?
STRATEGY I: Recognize the nature of the task-it’s a harvest (Matt 9:37-38)
Jesus described the work of evangelism as a harvest. We often do not recognize that there are lots of people who are waiting to be told the good News and who are indeed ready to accept it. It is a harvest, for the Lord has already planted ‘eternity in the hearts of men’ (Eccl.3:11b). There is a longing in the heart of man which only the Gospel can satisfy. It is not as if we are starting a new farm and sowing new crops; the crops are fully grown and ready for harvest.
STRATEGYII: Pray for more workers (Matt.9:38)
We also need to recognize that the one in charge of the whole enterprise of evangelism is God himself. It is God’s desire that none be lost (11 Pet. 3:9) The implication is that any evangelistic effort that is not backed by serious prayer to the Lord of the harvest is bound to fail. What did Jesus ask us to pray for? Workers!
Paul argues that unless one is sent or called or feels compelled to tell unbelievers about the Gospel, they will not be effective workers for the Lord (Rom. 10:12-15) Therefore, it is not every church member who would be a willing and faithful witness for Christ. Otherwise, the Methodist Church Ghana could double its membership in a year if every member went out and brought a new convert in. That is why Jesus asked that we should pray for God to call and send his workers to the harvest field; in other words we should pray for Methodist to have a passion to win lost souls for Christ.
STRATEGY III: The workers must be spiritually empowered (Matt. 10:1)
Before Jesus sent out twelve on the evangelistic exercise, he gave them ‘authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.’ According to Mark’s account of the Great Commission, miraculous signs, healing of the sick, driving out demons, etc., could not be separated from the spread of the Gospel far advanced and the effect of scientific advancement is seen everywhere, people cannot fail to recognize the reality and the power of God when miracles accompany the preaching of the Gospel. Some refer to this as ‘Power Evangelism’ and it is important that we recognize the place it has in our effort to spread the Gospel. So we should prepare ourselves and not be afraid to pray for people with needs and believe God for answers.
STRATEGY IV: Targeting (Matt. 10:5-6)
Jesus taught the important principle of targeting in evangelism when he instructed the Twelve as follows, ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel ….’ It is not as if Jesus did not care about non-Jewish groups, for he gave instructions about them just before his ascension, but for now the unbelieving Jews were his target.
Congregations need to define who their targets are in their evangelism as this will define the most effective method to adopt. Is it the teenagers, the youth, adult males or females, some ethnic group we are targeting or what? Targeting also helps us to evaluate the effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts.
STRATEGY V: Identify the most receptive group (Matt. 10:11-15)
Jesus further taught that within the targeted group, the apostles were to identify the most receptive people. Sometimes, in our church planting and evangelism, we waste too much time bringing up churches in some unresponsive localities and evangelizing unresponsive individuals. Jesus taught that, it is better to move on and identify those who are ready to receive the gospel.
STRATEGY VI: Trust God to provide the resources (Matt. 10:9-19)
We often use the unavailability of money and other resources as an excuse for not embarking on evangelistic campaigns. Jesus taught his apostles to move on and trust God to provide the needed resources. This is not to say we should not plan or budget for evangelism, but we can never have enough for our evangelism before we set off. When Abraham obeyed God’s command and set off to offer a sacrifice without having a sheep but only a son, he learnt that, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’ (Gen. 22:14). God will always provide the needed resources if we obey the Great Commission and set off.
STRATEGY VII: Remember that you are in enemy territory (Matt. 10:16-25)
Any evangelistic effort is an attack on enemy territory. Therefore, it will be naïve for Christians or churches to think that Satan will easily give up his hold on unbelievers.
Jesus therefore warned his apostles to be aware of the fact that they go out as sheep among wolves and so they must be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves. This calls for discernment so that we can identify the schemes of the Evil one and nullify them in the power of Christ.
Our innocence as doves will ensure that the world does not have the opportunity to point fingers at us and thus discredit our witness.
STRATEGY VIII: Don’t be afraid (Matt. 10:16ff)
Paul described the Church as ‘the pillar and foundation of the truth’ this is the mystery of godliness, which is the Gospel (I Tim. 3:14-16). The church therefore has a duty to hold this truth up as a pillar, but in a pluralistic society, the church has often been cowed to either keep its mouth shut or water down its message.
To be effective and successful in our evangelism, we must shed off fear of individuals, groups of people, other religions, humanist groups, atheists etc, and proclaim the unadulterated truth of the Gospel. It is only then that the world will respond to the Gospel.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The most recent census showed that about 70% of Ghana’s 22 million people claim to be Christians. Do you think these are all committed Christians? Why or why not?
What factors show that even in the Church, there are a lot of uncommitted Christians?
a. What strategies have your church or congregation been using to gain new converts?
b. Do you consider the strategies effective? Why or why not?
4. What aspects of the strategy outlined by Jesus must be seriously adopted by your
Church/congregation if you are to succeed in your evangelism?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
At you next Society Meeting/Quarterly Meeting, discuss thoroughly the evangelism strategy you have so far adopted. Assess its effectiveness.
Review your Church’s evangelism strategy taking into consideration the issues raised by Jesus.
Implement your new strategy and monitor and evaluate its progress from time to time.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Acts 13:4-12 Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus
Tuesday Acts 13:13-17 Paul and Barnabas in Perga
Wednesday Acts 14: 1-7 Paul and Barnabas in Iconuim
Thursday Acts 14:8-15 Paul and Barnabas in Lystra
Friday Acts 14:21-25 Paul and Barnabas in Derbe
Saturday Acts 14:26-28 Paul and Barnabas Reports to the Disciples in Antioch
Sunday Matthew 10:1-23 Jesus sets an Agenda for Evangelism
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