Closer To Heaven
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The Mission program of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is an opportunity for us to understand the needs of others and share in supporting them. Please click on the image below to watch the Mission Spotlight presentation for this week:
(2)The post Mission Spotlight for November 04 appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/mission-spotlight-for-november-04/
Daily Lesson for Saturday 4th of November 2023
Read for This Week’s Study
Luke 24:1-12; Luke 24:36-49; Acts 1:12-26; Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:1-41; 1 Corinthians 11:1.
Memory Text:
“ ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me’ ” (Luke 24:44, NKJV).
Wrote Paul to the Philippians: “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice” (Philippians 1:15-18, NKJV).
Powerful words! Whether in “pretense or in truth,” Christ is preached—and that is what mattered to Paul. Ideally, though, our motives for preaching Christ, for mission, for reaching others with the good news, should be out of love, and out of truth—and not from selfish ambition, envy, or strife.
What, then, are some of the motivations for preaching Christ, and what are some of the ways that we can prepare for doing this?
This week we will look at some events in the early church that can give us guidance on these crucial parts of mission.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 11.
(10)The post Sabbath: Motivation and Preparation for Mission appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-06-motivation-and-preparation-for-mission/
Are you “wall flower” – someone who at social gatherings spends most of their time standing and watching, rather than participating?
Or are you a “lurker” – someone who visits Facebook or other social media and just reads what everybody is saying but don’t contribute to the discussion?
Some of us, for good or bad, are more comfortable standing on the side lines of whatever is going on than we are getting out into the middle of things and participating. I am one of those people. We are called “introverts.” We’re not necessarily shy. We just prefer to watch and listen to the stuff going on around us rather than taking an active role. I don’t believe being an introvert or an extrovert is, in itself, a good or bad thing. They’re just different ways in which we interact with the world around us.
Having said that, wall flowers or not, we are all called to actively spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, I don’t believe all of us need to rush right out and volunteer to do an evangelistic series at the nearest auditorium, but we are each responsible to share our personal experience with Jesus with the individuals we live and work with. Comfortable or not, we each have a job to do.
“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’”
Romans 10:13-15
Whether we like it or not, we are each called to “preach the gospel of peace” and “bring tidings of good things.” How we carry out our calling is up to us. It doesn’t take any special training. We don’t need any degrees or diplomas. We just need to tell someone what Jesus has done for us.
Lots of us want to believe that, since the pastor has had specialized training, he’s the one responsible for all the evangelism that goes on in the church. We would like to believe that one-on-one witnessing and Bible study are for the elders, the deacons and the Bible workers to do. But that’s just not true.
The truth is, no matter how well those people do their jobs, we make up the point of personal contact. If we’re not doing our part, the mission is not complete.
“Our heavenly Father has been pleased to make men co-laborers with himself in the work of human redemption. Those who have been commissioned to preach the gospel are not the only ones whom he will use as his instruments. All whose minds have been illuminated by the Holy Spirit will in their turn be required to enlighten others. ‘None of us liveth to himself.’ Every individual has his station of duty in the accomplishment of God’s great plan. And every one who receives and obeys the light which God has given, will be a living witness for Christ and the truth.”
E.G. White, Review and Herald, February 9, 1886, p. 4
That doesn’t leave any room for doubt, does it? Every one of us has an assigned task to do. Do we need to be trained to do our task? It couldn’t hurt, but do we really need someone else to teach us how to tell what Jesus has done for us? Not really. Will we make mistakes? Probably. Should the fear of making a mistake stop us? No. Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit would give us the words to say when we need them, right?
“But if you have an eye single to his glory, you need not take thought as to how you shall witness for his truth. “‘Take no thought how or what ye shall speak: … for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.’ How can the Spirit of God communicate with you? It is the Holy Spirit that is to bring to your remembrance whatsoever Jesus has said unto you. Are you now hearing the words of Christ? Does the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom? … O if you were hidden in Christ, if you were on the Rock of Ages, when you are brought before kings and great men, it would be evident that Jesus was at your side, and you would know just what answer to give, for the Spirit would give you what you should utter. Praise God for this promise!”
Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, April 26, 1892, p. 9
Witnessing is not just the preacher’s job; it’s not just the deacons’ or the elders’ job. It’s our job, too.
Do you have any idea how many people are waiting to be introduced to Jesus?
“In Matthew 9:37, Jesus tells his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’ The results of a 2007 survey illustrates this point well:
* 82 percent—the number of un-churched people who are receptive to attending church if invited and escorted by a friend
* 21 percent—the number of church-going Christians who invited someone to church in 2006”
Bill White, Outreach Pastor Emmanuel Reformed Church, Paramount, California)
Isn’t that tragic? Notice it doesn’t say that they’re receptive to a flyer they get in the mail, or an advertisement they see on TV. They want to be invited and escorted by a friend!
Wow! Even we introverts can invite someone to come to church with us!
Many of us come to church every week and sit in the same spot. We listen to the sermon, wish our church friends a “Happy Sabbath,” and then we go home and don’t think about anything spiritual again until the next Sabbath. We do our best to keep a low profile. That way nobody will ask us to do anything extra. Who’s got time for that? We are wall flowers, lurkers, bystanders, and we’re okay with that.
The truth is, giving our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies into the care of Jesus is not the end but the beginning. From that moment on we have a God-given responsibility to glorify God through the lives we live and the words we say. We are the evidence that either God or Satan will use to prove the righteousness of God to angels, men, and beings from other worlds. (See 1 Cor. 4:9) What kind of evidence will my life be if I go through my life as a wallflower?
We’ve learned from experience that no matter how good the pastor is, if a person doesn’t feel welcome in a church family, he or she quits coming. No matter how many people a pastor baptizes, if the church members don’t immediately start building relationships with them, they won’t stay.
What does that mean to me as an introvert? It means that every time someone slips out of the backdoor of my church, I’m probably guilty of not sharing the joy I’ve found in Jesus with a baby Christian. I’m guilty of standing by and waiting for someone else to do my job. And, honestly, no one else can do my job. God has equipped me with a particular set of experiences that will speak specifically to the needs of some other person. If I don’t share my testimony with anyone, I am a guilty bystander.
Don’t be a guilty bystander. Share Jesus!
(11)The post And How Shall They Believe? appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
By Andrew McChesney
As a girl, Grete had panic attacks. She woke up in the dark, scared, her heart beating rapidly. Her fear was so intense that she wondered whether she might explode. She didn’t know where to find help. She didn’t tell her parents. She thought her fears were bigger than people. The world scared her, even such ordinary things as school and walking on the street. She didn’t think anyone in Germany, where she lived, could help.
On those sleepless nights, Grete began thinking about Annika. The two girls had grown up together, singing in a children’s choir. Then Annika had been diagnosed with cancer. Still, she had been brave and put her trust in God.
“Don’t be afraid,” Annika had told her parents. “I know where I am going. Everything will be fine.” Annika had died but without pain or fear.
Annika’s faith amazed Grete. She was scared every night. Annika’s words were the first time that Grete had heard about a loving God and eternal life. She wondered if there was something bigger than her and the world. How can I get to this place where Annika planned to go? she wondered.
Grete stopped having the nighttime panic attacks when she was 14, but she still felt afraid and lonely. Then she met her future husband, Nico. He didn’t go to church regularly, but he strongly believed in God. His parents were Seventh-day Adventists, and they opened their home to Grete for the Christmas holiday. Never had Grete spent time with such a kind family. It was a new world. Overwhelmed, she ran upstairs to cry.
As Grete sensed God’s presence in the home, she realized that she could receive help for her fears. She saw that God is great, powerful, and able to save anyone. She felt safe for the first time. She wanted to feel safe forever.
Grete began taking Bible studies, and later, she and Nico joined the Seventh-day Adventist church on Germany’s Rügen island. They didn’t know it at the time, but the church had faced closure because of declining membership. Their presence was an answer to the prayers of church members, including Nico’s father, Gunthardt, the head elder. Today, Grete and Nico are active members of the thriving church, which recently constructed a larger building to accommodate its growing membership.
“The most wonderful thing in my life is that I got to know Jesus,” Grete said. “I know that this is the best thing that I could have done. My life is so happy.”
Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the gospel of hope in secular countries such as Germany and elsewhere across the world.
(24)The post Inside Story: Hope Amid Panic Attacks appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/inside-story-hope-amid-panic-attacks/
Daily Lesson for Friday 3rd of November 2023
Ellen G. White has a strong warning for those who are struggling to follow the call of Jesus to witness to those around them.
“The excuses of those who fail to do this work do not relieve them of the responsibility, and if they choose not to do this work, they neglect the souls for whom Christ died, neglect their God-given responsibility, and are registered in the books of heaven as unfaithful servants. Does the minister work as did the Master, to be a strength and a blessing to others, when he shuts himself away from those who need his help? Those who neglect personal intercourse with the people, become self-centered, and need this very experience of placing themselves in communication with their brethren, that they may understand their spiritual condition, and know how to feed the flock of God, giving to each his portion of meat in due season. Those who neglect this work make it manifest that they need moral renovation, and then they will see they have not carried the burden of the work.”—Ellen G. White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 30, 1892.
While these are very strong words highlighting the importance God places on mission, we are not left without hope. “In the charge given him, Jonah had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility; yet He who had bidden him go was able to sustain His servant and grant him success. Had the prophet obeyed unquestioningly, he would have been spared many bitter experiences, and would have been blessed abundantly. Yet in the hour of Jonah’s despair the Lord did not desert him. Through a series of trials and strange providences, the prophet’s confidence in God and in His infinite power to save was to be revived.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 266.
Just like Jonah, we may find it easier to make excuses for not participating in mission. Our motivation for these excuses could be one of many. However, our call to mission is no less specific than was Jonah’s call. The question is, How will you choose to answer?
Discussion Questions
(16)The post Friday: Further Thought ~ Excuses to Avoid Mission appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-05-further-thought-excuses-to-avoid-mission/
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