Daily Lesson for Wednesday 4th of October 2023

Jesus’ life and ministry were God’s ultimate revelation. In about three years God was able to reveal more about who He was and what His mission was all about than in all He had done through any other method in previous generations. Christ was the perfect “image of the invisible God,” the One in whom “all the fullness should dwell, . . . having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:15,19-20, NKJV). In Christ, the missionary nature of God was completely made known. Jesus Himself revealed His mission, saying, “ ‘the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’ ” (Luke 19:10, NKJV).

Image © Linda Lovett at Goodsalt.com

Later in His ministry, when Jesus approached His last week of life, humanity’s final destiny was at stake. The events that took place during those days connected the expectation from the past with hope for the future. During the Passover celebration—which pointed to freedom from the Egyptian oppression—Jesus Christ, the incarnated God, gave up His life to deliver us from the bondage of sin. The apostle Paul wrote, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV).

Christ’s death was part of the reconciliation process, not the end of it. Through His resurrection, Jesus conquered death and received “ ‘all authority . . . in heaven and on earth’ ” (Matthew 28:18, NKJV). Based on this reality, He then commissioned all of His followers to make disciples around the world, with an awesome promise: “ ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the age’ ” (Matthew 28:20, NKJV; emphasis supplied).

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Quit Talking and Start Doing Something!

Years ago, one of our Adventist magazines published a parable about a dreadful swamp. As people passed along the path going through it, they were often overcome and fell in. Their dying cries could be heard all through the nearby village. It was terrible.

The people held a village council. In fact, they held many village councils. Various theories and papers were presented analyzing the cause and sometimes even proposing solutions.

Bible Bookshelf: God’s Mission, My Mission

But nothing was ever done except to continue meeting and talking. Over the years, the discussions continued. People wrote dissertations on the topic. Guest lecturers were brought in. Yard sales were held to raise money so that meals could be provided to those who sacrificed so many hours sitting in these meetings. Eventually, money was raised to build a soundproof meeting room so that the cries of the lost and dying would not disrupt the ongoing discussions. But nobody did anything to help those who were in trouble. And nobody did anything to try to stop more people from being lost in the swamp. They just talked.

The church as a whole and your Sabbath School class in particular don’t want to be like the people in that village. We love our time together to pray, think, share, and discuss. But we long to go beyond this and actually do something for and with those around us. We want to make a difference in our communities and around the world. We want the work to be finished, and we want Jesus to return.

This quarter’s Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is designed to focus attention on getting out there and doing something. We will examine many wonderful Bible stories. We will read about exciting experiences and illustrations. We will learn about available resources to assist us in reaching out to our neighbors (especially to those who have no Christian background). But those will just be ways of illustrating and motivating us. The real focus, the real heart of each lesson, is what will be shared on Thursday each week—a challenge to get out and, actually, do something.

We will share theological insights and provide tools and ideas for you to work with. And each Thursday’s portion of the lesson will issue a careful progression of challenges. It will begin easy. And as the quarter goes along, there will be subtle (and not so subtle) increases in the challenge. The goal is for each of us to take the challenge, pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us, and then spend a few minutes in the next week discussing how it went. This isn’t to be a time of boasting, but a time of sharing—both about what went well and what didn’t. As we share, the group will generate ideas. Prayer lists will grow (personal and collective).

In the end, it is our desire that this quarter be remembered not for memorable thoughts, engaging stories, or deep theological concepts. These may be there—lots of them. But it is our desire that we will all look back on this quarter as the time when the Holy Spirit took our humble efforts and worked mission miracles for the honor and glory of His name.

The Global Mission Centers were first established by the General Conference in 1980. They operate under the direction of the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. There are currently six centers. Their purpose is to help the church more effectively start new groups of believers among the major non-Christian people groups of the world.

At the time of this writing, the directors of these centers (Petras Bahadur, Richard Elofer, Kleber Gonçalves, Clifmond Shameerudeen, Doug Venn, Amy Whitsett, Greg Whitsett), assisted by Homer Trecartin (Global Mission Centers director), and Jeff Scoggins (Global Mission Planning director), collectively authored this Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide. For more information, please go to www.GlobalMissionCenters[dot]org

Amen!(2)

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/introduction-gods-mission-my-mission/

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 3rd of October 2023

The Old Testament presents how the Creator began to implement a plan through a people who were supposed to represent His nature and purpose to the world. Everything God did was according to His missionary strategy. Through the prophet Isaiah, God said: “ ‘I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, . . . saying, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure” ’ ” (Isaiah 46:9-10, NASB).

Image © Jim Gerlitz at Goodsalt.com

In the New Testament, however, God’s desire to be with humanity takes a new dimension. Through Christ’s incarnation, what was only a promise in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15) becomes a reality.

“God with us.” Immanuel. God had dwelt among His people within the sanctuary, and now He dwelt with them in the physical person of Jesus of Nazareth. Indeed, with the birth of Jesus, God presented in concrete ways His continuous desire to be with us in nature and mission: the Son of God was fully human and fully divine, and He is the One who affirmed, “ ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ ” (John 14:6, NKJV).

God moved forward with His mission and then, through Jesus Christ, was present in the flesh among His children. The “one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NIV), fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and, in accordance with the divine plan, became one with us, God in human flesh. The God of mission was continuing to accomplish His purpose.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/23d-01-the-god-who-became-one-with-us/

Daily Lesson for Monday 2nd of October 2023

In the Old Testament narrative, God continues to act according to His missionary nature in order to fulfill His purposes. For instance, after the Flood the people of Babel decided to gather in one place to build a city and a tower that would reach to the heavens. God intervened, confusing their language with the goal to scatter them around the world (Genesis 11:1-9).

Image © Phil McKay at Goodsalt.com

He then enlarged His mission, calling Abram (who later became Abraham) to be a channel of His blessings to the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3). God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants were multifold, but one emerges above all. Several times God basically declared to them: “I will be [your] God.” “I will be with you.” “I am with you” (see Genesis 17:7-8; Genesis 26:3, NKJV; Genesis 28:15, NKJV).

As history goes on, Joseph ends up in Egypt, but as an instrument of salvation to God’s people. In every step of Joseph’s experience—even in the most difficult moments of his life—the Bible affirms that “the Lord was with” him (Genesis 39:2,21,23). Generations later, in the fulfillment of His mission, God then sent Moses to Pharaoh as the deliverer of His people from Egyptian slavery. During Moses’ “commissioning,” God said to him: “I will certainly be with you” (Exodus 3:12, NKJV). Time after time, Yahweh confirmed His deep desire to be with His people.

Read Exodus 29:43,45. What was one of the main purposes of the Old Testament sanctuary? God decided to be with His children in a different way. He confirmed to Moses His longing to dwell among the children of Israel in the building of the tabernacle and the establishment of a very intentional and purposeful system that would point to the ultimate instrument of His mission: Jesus Christ. “The sacrificial offerings, and the priesthood of the Jewish system, were instituted to represent the death and mediatorial work of Christ. All those ceremonies had no meaning, and no virtue, only as they related to Christ.”—Ellen G. White, Advent Review and Herald of the Sabbath, December 17, 1872.

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“God’s Mission – My Mission” consistently points us to our Gracious God and how He wishes us to portray what He has done for us. In response we will reach out to others: 
Hymn 573 – I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go, Dear Lord, hence our theme hymn. This is in response to 
So Send I You – Hymn 573.

Sabbath afternoon’s introduction reminds us how our universe was put into existence by God, Himself:
Hymn 97 – Lord Of The Boundless Curves Of Space.

“The God Who Reaches Out to Us” is perfumed with the amazing love given to us: 
Hymn 79 – O Love Of God, How Strong And True, 
Hymn 76 – O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go, 
Hymn 162 – Wondrous Love, 
Hymn 78 – For God So Loved The World and 
Hymn 191 – Love Divine. Because of this abundant love, God had “the plan of redemption” in place for us showing 
The Wonder of Redeeming Love – Hymn 179 instructing that we are 
By Christ Redeemed – Hymn 402.

Monday reminds us that 
God Himself Is With Us – Hymn 3. This helps us to ponder and ask 
O For A Closer Walk with God – Hymn 315. Abraham was called and able to praise God, and so are we in singing The God Of Abraham Praise – Hymn 11.

“The God Who Continues to Be With Us” (Wednesday), encourages us to go 
Seeking The Lost – Hymn 373.

Oh, with grateful thanks, we see “in the place where sin abounded, God’s grace much more abounds” (Thursday): 
Hymn 109 – Marvelous Grace.

So, dear people, be encouraged to go forward so that we and all our friends and neighbors will be rejoicing 
When We All Get To Heaven – Hymn 633.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/1-gods-mission-to-us-part-1-singing-with-inspiration/