This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Jesus, The Sacrificial Lamb", 3/1/2015

JESUS THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB

John 1:29-34

CONFESSION OF FAITH

V:29. " The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! "

 A. God has a plan for the life of every believer.

      1. On the day before, John was interrogated by the Jewish leaders.

          a. They wanted to know who he was and by whose authority did he baptize .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

          b. He responded that he was not  Elijah or the promised Messiah.

       2. He was a voice crying out in the desert.  Isa 40:3

  B. John fulfilled the prophecy concerning his life. Isa 40:3

     1. The commission for John's life was given 700 years before his birth.

     2. We first hear about John when his father Zacharias, a priest of God, was serving

          in the Temple. 

         a. At least nine months before the John's birth, Gabriel an angel of the Lord, gave

             his father his commission.   Luke 1:14

         b. The angel Gabriel named the unborn baby, John.

         c. We next hear about John, when his mother, Elisabeth was six months pregnant      

              with him.      Luke 1:36.

         d.  At this time, we also learn the connection between John and Jesus. Mary the

              mother of Jesus, is the cousin of Elisabeth.

         e. The next time we hear about John is when he is 30 years old, performing the

             ministry he was call to do by the Father in heaven.  Luke 3:3, Luke 3:23

 C. While John was baptizing Jews in the Jordon river, the leaders of the Church

       came questioning his ministry and his authority to do ministry.

      1. John got his commission and his authority to baptize from the heavenly Father.

      2. Large groups were coming to be baptized and that upset the Church leaders.

      3. John's job was to prepare the way for Jesus by preaching the truth and baptizing

          with water as a sign of repentance of sin. Mal 3:1

      4. The Church leaders were upset because they thought it was their job to prepare

           people according to their tradition and their misinterpretation of scripture for

           baptism.

      5. John had too much influence on people, and that was upsetting to the Church

          leaders.

 D. John the Baptist announced the identity of God's Son to his disciples and those

      coming to be baptized.

      1. John announced the mission of God's Son; the sacrificial Lamb of God.

      2. John announced the ministry of Jesus; take away the sin of the world.

      3. John announced the success of the ministry of Jesus; take away the sin of the world.

          a. The word sin is the Greek word harmartia which means offense or miss the mark.

          b. Notice, God is not talking about individual sins but the nature of sin.

          c. All have sinned and missed the mark.

          b. Without the Lamb of God, we are an offence to the Father.

          c. We were born with the nature of sin. Therefore, we have to be reborn

              without the nature of sin by being baptized in to the death of Jesus.

PREACH JESUS

V:30. " This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me."

A. John had been preaching Jesus, now he was given the opportunity to introduce Jesus

     in the flesh to the world.

    1. John preached Jesus with his mouth and his life style.

    2. John was all about Jesus and nothing else.

    3. John's life was consumed with the ministry of Jesus Christ.

B. John announced the greatness of Jesus.

    1. He humbled himself before Jesus. He is better than me.

    2. Jesus is more than us.

    3. At the Name of Jesus our heads ought to be bowed.

    4. At the Name of  Jesus we ought to confess Him as Lord and Savior.

C. John announced the eternal nature of Jesus.

    1. He was before me.

    2. Before the world was, Jesus is.

        a. Jesus lives in the presence, not the past or the future.

        b. He is Alpha and Omega.

 D. John announced the two natures of Jesus.

    1. He is man and God.

    2. He was physical and spiritual.

E. No one surpasses the goodness of Jesus.

   1. No one surpasses the greatness of Jesus.

   2. No one surpasses the knowledge of Jesus.

   3. No one surpasses the power of Jesus.

   4. No one surpasses the presence of Jesus.

COMING TO KNOW JESUS

V:31. " I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

A. "I myself did not know Him".

    1. To me, this is a strange confession.

    2. 30 years earlier, Elisabeth his mother had a divine revelation that Jesus was the

        son of God, when Mary the mother of Jesus visited her doing her pregnancy.

        Luke 1:41-45

       a. You would think that Mary told John's mother of her virgin pregnancy.

       b. You would think that Mary told John's mother of her visit of the angel

           Gabriel and the moment she received the seed of Jesus in her womb by

           Holy Spirit.

      c. You would think that John's mother would have told him about Jesus

          while he was growing up.

      d. You would think that Jesus and John would have visited each other doing

       the time they grew up.  

  3. John's life was not about him, but about him being prepared to introduce Jesus

      to the Nation of Israel. 

     a. John said, I did not know Him, but I baptized Israel to open their hearts to know

         him.

 B. When God calls you to serve, you might have to serve without knowing the

       full purpose of your service.

     1. John served in his mission faithfully without knowing the one He was to introduce.

     2. God does not tell us everything that will happen to us when He call us into service.

     3. God starts us out with a mission, but we don't know where the mission will take us.

     4. You have to serve Jesus to get to know him.

     5. Jesus will reveal more and more of himself to us as we serve Him.

 C. We have to trust that we were called to influence others about Jesus.

     1. It is not about us, but the will of God.

     2. We do not know who will meet on our journey, but we will meet those who

         need a word from the Lord.

YOUR PERSONAL TESTIMONY IS IMPORTANT

V:32. " Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him."

A. Sometimes God talks to us in ways that others may not understand.

    1. When you are doing what God has called you to do, you will have a

        testimony that God will give to you.

    2. God will confirm His will to you  in special ways.

    3. We have the Word of God in print.

        a. Sometimes God confirms to us His message in ways not known to others.

        b. We have to have our minds tuned to God to hear from God.

 B. John said, I saw the Spirit come down from heaven.

    1. The Spirit is something you cannot see with the eye.

    2. God gave John a vision of something that he related to us in a physical way.

    3. John's mother was filled with Spirit and she knew it.

        a. John the baby, in Elisabeth womb jumped when Mary carrying Jesus  

            came into her house.     Luke 1:41

    4. Elisabeth, John mother,  filled with the Spirit, spoke about Jesus which

        was revealed by the Spirit to her.

 C. In John's vision, the Holy Spirit sat on the shoulder of Jesus.

     1. Jesus in the flesh, was revealed to John by the Spirit.

     2. We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that gives us special insight about

          the things of God.   

 D. John had a vision of heaven, a vision of the Spirit and a vision of Jesus at the

      same time.

     1. When we study God's Word, we have a vision of Jesus because He is the Word.

     2. When we study God's Word, we have a vision of the Holy Spirit who gives us an

          understanding of the Word.

     3. When we study God's Word, we have vision of heaven because that is our final

         destination.

THE WORD IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS

V:33. " I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit."

A. Through out our ministry for God we have be in constant communication with Him.

     1. We cannot be effective in the ministry of God without the study of the Word of

         God.

   2. God does not tell us everything about the ministry at one time.

       a. God reveals what we need to know when we need to know it.

       b. John received his commission at birth, but He had to serve God

           to be continually enlighten in his ministry.

   3. John really didn't need to know what Jesus looked like until it was time to

       baptize Him.

       a. What John needed to know was what he needed to be doing when Jesus

           showed up.

       b. None of us know what Jesus looks like, but we do know what we need to

           be doing at His second coming.

B. God gave John a sign to identify Jesus when He showed up in his life.

    1. When John saw the spirit sitting on a man, he knew it was Jesus.

    2. You can tell who is being led by Jesus, by the spirit that is manifested in their

         lives.

       a. Does he have the spirit of love?

       b. Does he have the spirit of compassion?

       c. Does he talk about Jesus as Lord and Savior?

       d. Is his behavior like Jesus?

       e. Does he have an unselfish attitude.

       f. Is he humble or prideful.

C. God revealed to John the mission of Jesus.

    1. The job of Jesus on earth was to baptize with the Holy Spirit.

        a. New believers are still being baptized by the Holy Spirit.

        b. The Work of Jesus will not cease until He comes again to get

            His Church.

    2. You know a man of God if he proclaims the baptism of Jesus by the

        power of the Holy Spirit.

   3. The Apostle Paul said, " I determine to know nothing but Jesus Christ

       and Him crucified.

A PREACHER'S CHARGE

V:34. " I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

  A. This is the ministry of the Church to testify that Jesus is the

       Son of God.

     1. We must testify that Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God.

     2. We must testify that it is by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross that

          atones for the sin of the World.

 B. It is our mission to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior.

     1. It is our mission to claim peace with God through Jesus Christ.

     2. It is our mission to proclaim the baptism in Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

 C. It is our mission to proclaim the love of God.

     1. God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that

         whoever believes in Him shall not parish, but have everlasting life.

     2. The word, "begotten" is the Greek word "monogene" which means unique, one of a

         kind.

     3. Jesus is the only one with the job of saving soles.

     4. Jesus is the only sacrifice worthy to atone for the sins of the world.

 D. It is our mission to proclaim the Grace and Mercy of Jesus.

     1. It is by God's Grace that we were call out of the world into the marvelous light.

     2. It is by God's Mercy that our sins are forgiven,

LET YOUR TESTIMONY OF JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR BE KNOWN

Rev. M. Mitchell, Asst Pastor of GMBC

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Prepared For Battle", 2/22/2015

PREPARED FOR THE BATTLE

Ephesians 6:10-20

Everyday around the world someone or some group is fighting for something.

Some for good causes and some for evil motives. Anything good comes from the

Lord. All evil originates from Satan.

RECOMENDATIONS FOR STRENGTH

V:10. " Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. "

 A. It is not by our strength that we are strong, it is by the Lord's.  Isa 51:9

      1. There is physical strength.

      2. There is mental strength.

      3. There is supernatural strength.

 B. It is our nature to claim that we have everything to do with our mental

      and physical strength.

     1. All we really do is enhance that which God has gifted us with.

     2. There is supernatural mental and physical strength that only God controls.

     3. When we are weak, it is God that is strong in us.

     4. God extends our natural strength to levels we cannot obtain by ourselves.

     5. It is God that maintains these clay bodies that contain His strength.

 C. The Apostle Paul encourages us to rely totally on God for our strength in every

      situation.

     1. Since we belong to God, He has a special interest in our ability to do His will.

     2. Since we belong to God, He has a special interest in our safety and welfare.

EQUIPMENT OF THE BATTLE

V:11. " Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. "

 A. It is the faith we have in God that allows us to stand against the devil.

     1. The church is largely unaware of the armor of God.

     2. Those who have heard about God's armor don't fully understand it.

     3. Those who have tried the armor, have used only parts of it.

 B. The devil has armor and he knows how to use it.

    1. He has his lies. He is the father of lies.

    2. He has his deceptive practices. He is a master deceiver.

    3. He has his darkness. He is the prince of darkness.

    4. He is armed with the Word of God perverted to mask himself as an angel of light.

    5. The devil and his demons know how to use their armor to draw men into the

        dungeon of darkness.

     6. The devil and his demons go to and fro to see who they may devour.

         a. Their objectives are to steal, kill and destroy by any means necessary.

         b. The devil and his demons are always on high alert.

V:12. " For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

A.  The Lord reminds us that it is not our neighbors we ought to worry about.

     1. It is not the local robbers and thieves or the local thugs we ought to worry about.

         a. We can eventually identify those who walk around in flesh and blood.

         b. It is the spiritual forces of evil that we can't see with the naked eye, that we need

             to develop a spiritual sight.

         c. It is the spiritual forces of evil that is behind every act of violence.

     2. We need to be on high alert for the unseen devil.

         a. We cannot not take him for granted because he is always busy in his work

             of destruction.

         b. Not only does the devil have his demons at work, but he also has the evil hearts

             of man at work for him.

    3. Do not think that because nothing bad appears to be happening to you, that

        you are not the devil's target.

 B. God Himself said that we struggle against the power of darkness and evil sprits in

      high places.

     1. It is what we can't see that ought to scare us the most into trusting God.

     2. Since God knows all, He knows what schemes the devil has planned against us.

     3. Satan has power over darkness, but he has no power over the light that is

         in Jesus Christ.

     4. Our struggle ought to be to hold on to Jesus in trouble times

PREPARED FOR EVIL DAYS

V:13. " Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

A. We are instructed by the Father to put on His armor, not ours.

     1. God does not tell us to arm ourselves with guns or put security systems in our

         homes for protection against the devil and his demons.

     2. These earthly systems are no match for the devil.

     3. It does not matter how much you try to protect your stuff, thieves can get to

         it.

 B. God commands us to put on His full armor.

    1. The devil and his demons are armed and they know how to use their

        arsenal against you.

        a. Look around you and see the effect of the devil's power.

        b. People are robbed and killed everyday for evil motives.

 C. The problem in the Church is we don't know the armor of God.

      1. We have heard about it, but have not tried it out. 

      2.  It is in the Word, but we have not taken time to understand it.

  D. It is only the full armor of God that enables us to stand against the devil.

       1. We can't stand against the devil with half the armor of God.

       2. We have to do all we can and let God do the rest.

       3. Putting on part of the armor of God is not all we can.

  E. In any of our armed forces, soldiers go through rigorous training programs.

      1. They are trained to be obedient to their commanding officer.

      2. Their bodies are beaten into shape with rigorous exercises to perform on

          battle field.

      3. They are trained to be a unit in a combined force against the enemy.

      4. They are trained to be proficient in the use of their weapons of war.

  F. The Church on the other hand, go to battle without any training.

      1. The soldiers in the army of the Lord go to battle without knowing how to use their

           weapons of war.

      2. The soldiers in the army of the Lord don't really know how to identify the enemy.

          a. The enemy is a leader; 1/3 of the angels in heaven fell with Satan.   Rev 12:4

          b. He is called the devil: accuser of the people of God.

          c. He is called Satan: Adversary or enemy of God.

          d. He is a tempter.  Matt 4:3

          e. He is a murderer and a liar.  John 8:44

          f. He masquerades as an angel of light.  2 Cor 11:13-15

          g. He is the god of this age. 2 Cor 4:4

          h. The enemy has all kinds of helpers; principalities, powers and rulers.

         

      3. The soldiers in the army of the Lord are not on high alert for war.

           a. We get up each day and act as if the enemy does not exist.

           b. We are not prepared to meet the enemy when we walk out the door.

THE ARMOR OF GOD

V:14. " Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place."

 A. The first thing we Christians have to learn to do is STAND.

     1. We cannot run in the face of trouble.

     2. We can't back down when Satan shows up.

     3. We have to learn to be patient with the Lord.

 B. We stand on the truth.

      1. We need to know the Word of God for ourselves.

      2. Satan is a liar.

         a. He perverts the truth to make his way seem right and make God a liar.

         b. The truth is, Satan has already been defeated and we are already victorious.

         c. With the truth ingrained in us, Satan can't attack our mind.

         d. With knowledge of the truth, you can tell Satan who he is, and where to go. Hit

             the road jack and don't you come back!

         c. The power behind the truth is Jesus.

 C. The breast plate in the Roman army was a piece of metal or chains that covered the

      neck to the waist front and back.

    1. That breast plate is the believers righteousness in Christ.

    2. When you are living according to the righteousness of God, Satan can't accuse you

         before God.

    3. There is power in the Word to resist Satan.

        a. When you know who he is, you see him coming and can resist him with the Word.

        b. The breast plate covers the heart.

        c. Out of the heart flows the issues of life.

        d. The heart of life is the Word which Satan has no defense against.

        e. We are covered by the blood of Jesus. His righteousness is imputed upon us.

        f. If we don't practice righteousness, Satan has the opportunity to attack us.

V:15. " And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of             

      peace. "

   A. The Roman soldiers had nails in the soles of their shoes for better footing.

        1. Football players have special shoes  designed for traction on the field.

        2. Ice skaters have steel blades attached to their shoes to navigate on the ice.

        3. Likewise, Christian must stand on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

        4. We have to believe every word of Christ.

        5. Christ made peace with the Father for our sins against Him.

            a. We must make peace with each other.

            b. There must be unity among believers to stand against the unity of the Devil and

                his demons.

  B. We are ambassadors for Christ empowered to draw men to Christ.

       1. There is power in the unity of the Church.

       2. Divisions in the Church destroys that power.

V:16. " In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

 A. The shield in the Roman army was a large piece of wood, 4 foot by 4 foot covered

      with leather with eye holes for the soldier to see.

    1. Interlocked together, the shield formed a wall of protection as the soldier move on

        the battle field.

    2. The shield protected the soldiers against the spears and arrows and fiery darts of the

        enemy.

 B. Likewise, Christian must take up the shield of faith.

     1. Faith in Christ is the wall around us.

     2. Satan will come against us in many ways, but faith in Christ is our protection.

     3. The promises of God have their evidence in the battles of life.

 C. The text informs us that we are in a war that cannot be won by ourselves.

     1. Thank God for Jesus, because victory is promised for all battles in life.

     2. Not only does Jesus promises us victory, but also promises defeat of the enemy.

     3. Satan want stop coming at us because he lost one battle, that is why the shield of

         faith has to always be employed.

V:17. " Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. "

 A. Christians must protect their minds with the helmet of Salvation.

     1. If you get hit on the head, that can be a fatal blow.

     2. The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

         a. We put the waste of this world in our mind all the time.

         b. There is junk on TV, junk on the internet, junk in the street that

              we are exposed to every day.

         c. Don't let your mind be a junkyard for the world opinions and ideas.

         b. Jesus is our Salvation.

         c. The mind is unprotected without the Word of God.

         d. You can live a miserable life on earth and still go to heaven.

         c. Without the Word of God, Satan's lies can persuade us into hopelessness. 

   B. Since your Salvation is sure, the only way Satan can get to us is through ignorance

       of the Word.

       1. Satan destroyed the peace in the Garden of Eden through Eve's ignorance of the

           Word and Adam's disobedience of the Word.

       2. When we know heaven is ours, we know God's inheritance belongs to us, and we

           can stand against the Devil's lies and deceptions.  

       3. Jesus said we can ask what we want according to His will be done for us.

           a. If Satan can destroy our prayer life, he can destroy our hope.

           b. Our preservation is in the Word.

  C. The Spirit of God is our sword.

      1. The sword is an offensive weapon used in close fighting.

           a. The Roman soldiers used the sword to wound and to kill their

               enemies.

            b. Our spiritual sword, the Word is used to heal and to give life.

      2. It is the Holy Spirit that guides our understanding of God's Word.

          a. The Word convicts us of our sins.

          b. The more we understand the Word, the more we become convicted.

      3. The Word is sharper than a two edged sword.

         a. The Word pierces our hearts and minds building our faith in Jesus.

         b. The Word gives us power to say no to sin dealing a crippling blow

              to Satan, stopping him in his tracks from hindering God's work.  

PRAY FOR THE SAINTS

V:18. " And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

 A. God is spirit.

     1. They that worship Him must do so in spirit and truth.

     2. Prayer is our direct line to God.

     3. When we pray in the spirit, we are praying according to the will of God.

 B. There is no prayer that God does not welcome from us.

     1. The text says all kinds of prayers.

     2. The text says on all occasions.

     3. Every moment in everyday is the time for prayer.

        a. Prayer keeps us talking to God.

        b. Prayer keeps us close to God.

  B. No request is to small or to large for God to handle.

     1. The text says come to God with all requests.

     2. Our requests are important to God.

 C. The text says be on the alert.

     1. Satan the adversary, is constantly seeking a way to destroy you.

     2. If you are on the alert, you will seek to please God in all your ways.

 D. The Saints of God, which includes all of us, are under attack by Satan and

      his helpers.

    1. We are commanded to pray without ceasing.

    2. Satan is looking for a weak prayer life.

    3. He is looking to see if we are in communication with God.

    4. Satan is looking for away to disrupt our peace with God.

    5. Our prayers should include every Saint.

V:19. " Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel."

A. Paul encourages us to pray for the teachers and preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    1. We need your prayers so that every word form our mouths are directed by God.

    2. We need your prayers so that God will make known to us the understanding of

         His Word.

    3. We need your prayers so that we can preach and teach the Word without fear.

 B. We need your prayers because Satan is seeking to stop the spread of the Gospel.

WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST   

V:20. " For which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. "

 A. I don't know about you, but I am chained to the Gospel of truth.

     1. I am forced in my mind to study the Word with hope of a correct interpretation.

     2. I need your prayers so that I can declare what is right regardless of public opinion.

 B. We are all ambassadors for Christ with an obligation to tell others the truth about

      Jesus.

     1. We cannot in good conscience preach anything other than the Word.

     2. If the Church don't tell the truth, how will the world know the truth?

     3. How can people get better if we don't give them the right medicine?

     4. The right medicine is the Word of God.

GET PREPARED FOR THE BATTLE

Rev. M Mitchell, Asst Pastor of GMBC

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Final Judgement", 2/15/2015

THE FINAL JUDGEMENT

Matthew 25:31-46

THE SECOND COMING

V:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne."

A. This is the prophecy of the long awaited second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus

      Christ.

    1. In the first coming, Jesus came as king, but in a poor man's clothing and

        surroundings.

    2. In the second coming, Jesus will appear as the king, in all the royal attire.

        a. He will appear high and lifted up, with a host of angels at His side.

        b. He will sit on His throne.

        c. His glory will be shown.

 B. The first time Christ came to us, He came as the redeemer of mankind.

      1. He came to be our sacrifice for sin.

      2. He came to fulfill the prophecies concerning Himself and the Law.

      3. With His  death on the cross, the work of redemption was complete.

 C. In this second coming of Christ, He will be the judge of the sins of

      man and the righteousness of the Father.

     1. In the first coming, Christ was a shepherd of His people.

     2. In the second coming, Christ will still be the shepherd.

THE SEPARATION; THE GOOD FROM THE BAD

 V:32. " Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."

 A. It is God who brings people together.

     1. We all have a common beginning, Adam and Eve.

     2. From the first family, there was unity in the body of God's creation.

     3. In the first family, the sin of man has it's origin.

     4. In the first family, division among man began.

 B. Because of the sin in the first family, Jesus became redeemer and judge.

    1. Notice, there are two classes of people in God's creations.

    2. There are sheep and goats.

        a. There are believers and non believers.

        b. There are the obedient and the non obedient.

 C. Jesus, the great shepherd, will separate the good from the bad.

    1. It is by His standards that men will be separated.

    2. Jesus knows the difference between the sheep and the goats.

    3. Sheep are considered the emblems of mildness, simple mindedness, patience,

        usefulness, and can easily be lead.

    4. Goats are considered quarrelsome, evil minded, ill scented, riotous, profane and

        impure.

    

V:33. " And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left."

  A. The King of Kings will do the separation of men and the placement of men to His

       right or left prior to His judgment.

       1. The right hand represents God's approval, success and endless blessings.

       2. The left hand represents rejection, God's disapproval and endless misery.

  B. The right hand of God represents His power and glory.

       1. The left hand of God represents His waft and damnation.

       2. The sheep will be judged for their righteousness.    1 Cor 3:13

           a. The sheep will receive a crown of life.     Rev 2:10

       3. The goats are judged for their sinfulness.

           a. The goats will be judged and cast into the lake of fire.

THE BLESSINGS OF THE SAVED

 V:34. " Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my

  Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

 A. Those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior are automatically destined for the right

      hand of God.

     1. Those that are on the right are the new creations in Christ Jesus.

     2. Those on the right are under the leadership of Christ.

     3. Those on the right make up the body of Christ.

     4. Those on the right are the Church of Jesus Christ.

 B. Those on the right were predestine to be in Christ before the foundation of the world.

     1. Those on the right are blessed by God.

     2. It is by the grace of God that we are placed on the right hand of Jesus.

         a. The Word says, that there is none righteous, no not one.

         b. We are saved by Grace and not by works.

         c. We are save by Jesus and nothing of ourselves.

     3. Since the Kingdom was prepared for us before the foundation of the earth,

         we have no part in our salvation.

 A GOOD NEIGHBOR

 V:35-36. " For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."

A. Jesus gave us the compassionate nature of His sheep.

     1. Those who love the Lord, return the favors that God gave them to others in need.

     2. All of us probably do some of this some of  the time, but not all of this all the

         time.

         a. God blesses that which we do for others out of love and obedience.

 B. The sheep are those who can be trained to do what is needed when called upon.

     1. God gives each of us, His sheep, gifts and talents to treat our neighbors with

          love and respect. 

     2. Food and water are the basic resources we can use to show kindness.

     3. Some have the gift to encourage others. Some have the talent to look at

         at another person and know they need a word of encouragement.

        a. Encouraging others at the right time with a word from God can be a

            tremendous help.

        b. There are times when all people need is your time.

    4. You can easily see a person who is without the proper clothing and

         immediately know their need.

        a. It takes a person with love in their hearts to see and respond to the needs of

            others on a regular basis.

        b. God expects consistence from believers, because He consistently supplies

            our needs without any cost to us.

     5.  It is our job to visit each other when their is sickness in the family.

         a. We are commanded to come to the aid of the sick and pray for them.

         b. We are to anoint them with the Holy Spirit and pray that their sins are

              forgiven. 

         c. God promises that the faith of believers will heal the sick.

    6. The time when a person is cut off from family and friends is a time of reflections.

        a. When believers visit those in jail with a Word from the Lord, they can be the

            catalyst for change.

        b. Imprisonment is not the time to give up, but the time to give into the will of

            the Father.

        c. The missionary work in the prisons can affect many lives.

 V:37. " Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?"

 A. Jesus was not speaking about Himself, but those that belong to Him.

     1. Jesus is concerned about all who profess Him as Lord and Savior.

     2. Jesus is also concerned about all those who have been predestined for the body

         of Christ, but have not yet been called out of the world.

    3.Jesus is concerned about our compassion for others whether they are in the body of

       Christ or not.

 B. We will never see the creator of everything in need of anything.

     1. The only thing Christ is in need of, is our worship, which gives Him glory.

     2. What we do for others in Jesus name gives Him glory.

 V:38-39 " And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe

  you?  39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?"

  A. God has given us the talents and the resources to do here on earth what He could

       easily do from heaven.

      1. God blessed us to be His ambassadors on earth.

      2. We were all strangers to the common wealth of heaven until Jesus became

          our intercessor at the right hand of the Father.

     3. We were all naked before the righteousness of God until we were covered by the

          blood of Jesus.

    4. We were all sin sick until we were drawn to Jesus by the Father.

    5. We were all imprisoned by our sins, until we were liberated by Jesus.

 B. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we should see others as His children and do

      what we can to draw them to Him.

THE LOVE OF JESUS

V:40. " And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

A. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior measures our love for Him by what we do for

     others in His name.

    1. Our time on earth has been allotted to us to seek the kingdom of God and His

        righteousness.

    2. Every need of others is an opportunity for us to express our love for God through

        kindness to them.

 B. The Lord considers all men and women our brothers and sisters in Christ.

    1. The least of these could be the very young or the worst criminal.

    2. The least of these are those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus.

    3. When one sinner repents, angels in heaven rejoice.

THE ETERNAL DAMNATION

V:41. "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."

A. Our time on earth is the time to get to know Christ and His righteousness.

    1. No one knows the time when Christ will return.

    2. No one knows the time of his own death.

    3. The Word says, Christ will return as a thief in the night.

 B. Our time on earth is the time to express our faith in Jesus Christ.

     1. The evidence of our faith shows up in our love for our neighbors.

     2. We position ourselves on the left or the right of Jesus by what we do on earth.

     3. Christ will judge the living and the dead after His second coming.

         a. He will place the righteous on His right hand.

         b. He will place the unrighteous on His left hand.

     4. Those on the right will receive eternal blessings.

     5. Those on the left will receive eternal damnation.

     6. Those on the right will have accepted Christ as their personal Savior.

     7. Those on the left will have rejected Christ.

 C. Those on the right hand of Christ, have heaven as their final eternal destination.

     1. Those on the left hand of Christ, will have the fiery hell as their final destination.

     2. Hell was not prepared for believers, but for the devil and his demons. 

 V:42-43 " For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me."

A. The evidence of a lack of faith in Jesus shows up in a lack of compassion for others in

     need.

   1. The evidence of a lack of faith shows up in selfish behavior in the face of the

       unselfish blessings of God.

   2. The evidence of a lack of faith shows up when one takes credit for what God has

       done in their lives.

B. The evidence of a lack of faith shows up in a lack of any regards for the needs of

     others.

THE RESPONSE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS

 V:44-45. " Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' 45 Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me."

A. The ones who never show concern for the welfare of others in need, are indicating that

      their destination is hell.

   1. If you don't know Christ before you depart this earth, you will not have a chance to

       know Him at the day of judgment of all people.

   2. God has given us a chance to be responsible for our destination of heaven or hell.

B. It is irresponsible behavior to take Christ for granted.

   1. It is irresponsible behavior to assume that when you are dead you are done.

   2. It is the trick of the devil for anyone to ignore the evidence of the glory of God

       presence in their daily lives.

THE FINAL DESTINATION

V:46. " And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

A. There is life after death.

    1. There is a heaven and there is a hell.

    2. To not believe in God is to believe in hell.

B. The wages of sin is eternal separation from God.

    1. But the gift of God is the eternal presence with the Father in heaven.

    2. We are all responsible for the choices we make in this life.

    3. We all will be judged by our choice for Jesus or our choice to reject Jesus.

HEAVEN OR HELL, IT IS YOUR CHOICE

Rev. M. Mitchell, Asst Pastor of GMBC.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "A Good Neighbor", 2/8/2015

A GOOD NEIGHBOR

Luke 10:25-34

V:25. " On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

 A. There will always be those who will question what you know about the Word or will

      question your religion.

     1. Not everyone who ask a question is asking to learn, but to see what you don't know.

     2. The person who asked the question, held himself up as an expert in the law.

         a. He showed up with flattering words, "teacher".

         b. He showed up to trick Jesus in giving the wrong answer.

     3. Those who show up with ill motives, are not for you.

         a. If someone is not for you, he is against you.

 B. If the one who asked the question knew Jesus, he would have known that Jesus is the

      author of the law.

     1. If he knew Jesus, he would have known that no one is an expert of the law except

         Jesus.

     2. If he knew Jesus, he would have known that Jesus is the Son of God.

 C. The man asked the right question.

      1. His problem was, he thought he knew the right answer.

      2. He thought eternal life was obtained by good works.

      3. He did not understand that eternal life is obtained by the Grace of the one he was

          talking to.

      4. He didn't understand that Jesus was the teacher and  that Jesus is our eternal life.

V:26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

  A. Jesus turned the question around to the so called expert's knowledge.

      1. Jesus responded with a question.

      2. Jesus did not defend Himself, He made the so called expert defend his own

          knowledge.

      3. You don't learn anything about a person when you do all the talking.

          1. You learn more when you let the other person do the talking.

          2. You can control the conversation by asking questions.

 B. There are many interpretations of the Word of God.

     1. Some interpretations are based on what people want to believe.

         a. Some people derive an interpretation based on their particular situation.

     2. The correct interpretation is guided by the Holy Spirit, our resident teacher.

         a. The correct interpretation comes by constant research and study of the

             Word, guided by the Holy Spirit.

         b. The Bible is inerrant.

         c. The Bible does not contradict itself.

         d. The Bible interprets itself.

         c. You will find the same words repeated in the Bible that will confirm the correct

              interpretation.

      

 V:27.  " He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

 A. Reciting the Word and knowing the Word are two different things.

      1. Knowing the Word and living by the Word are two different things.

      2. If the expert had known the Word, He would have recognized it in the person of

          Jesus Christ.

 B. Notice the expert's concept of eternal life was based on work's salvation.

     1. What you do for your neighbor, is God's command and does please God.

     2. What you do for your neighbor is good works, but it is not the way to eternal life.

 V:28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

   A. Love is an action word.

      1. If you can love your neighbor like Jesus loved the Church, you would support,

          encourage and build up your neighbor.

      2. You would not try to find fault to bring down your neighbor.

      3. Jesus was his most perfect neighbor, yet he was trying to find fault.

  B. The "so called expert" had the right answer, but the wrong heart.

      1. You have to know the Word and live the Word, for Jesus' promise to be

           effective.

      2. "Do" is the command, "live" is the promise.

      3. You can't get the promise unless you follow God's commands.

 V:29. " But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

   A. The "so called expert" wanted to classify who his neighbors were.

       1. His neighbors were the ones he knew or liked.

       2. He wanted Jesus to know that everyone did not qualify as his neighbors.

  B. When you put yourself before others, you eliminate the  possibility of having

       everybody as your neighbors.  

V:30. " In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead."

 A. Jesus did not try to explains the errors of the expert's thinking, but gave him a

      practical example of how to be a neighbor.

    1. In this case, the neighbor was the person that needed help.

    2. He had been robbed, beaten and left for dead.

        a. The stranger was badly hurt and needed medical attention.

        b. The stranger need some tender loving care.

 B. The example that Jesus gave was a stranger who was helpless and could not return

      the favor.

   1. Being a neighbor is not about who we like, but about the needs of someone else. 

 V:31. " A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side."

 A. There should be no one more compassionate than a priest ordained by God.

      1. The priest decided not to get involved.

      2. He stepped to the other side of the road to ignore the stranger's condition.

      3. He was to busy going to church to be the Church

 B. The priest may have been following his tradition not to defile himself.

     1. If the man who needed help was unclean, he would defile himself and

         have to go through the process of purification.

     2. This was too much trouble for a stranger.

V:32. " So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side."

 A. The Levites were the tribe that God set aside as the priests of Israel.

     1. They were the ones who were involved in making sacrifices for the sins of the

          people

     2. They should have been most familiar with the sorrows of men.

     3. Since the Levites had to make sacrifices for their own sins, he certainly

         should have been sympathetic to the sins of others.

     4. The Levite showed a lack of love for his fellowman.

 B. To help someone, you have to get involved with their problem.

     1. To help someone you have to spend some time with them to know

          how to help.

     2. The first two men had no interest in spending time with the injured man.

 V:33. " But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him."

 A. A man who has love in is heart consider everyone who is need his neighbor.

     1. To have a good neighbor, you need be a good neighbor.

     2. To have a friend, you have to show yourself friendly.

 B. The Samaritan was a stranger in the promise land.

     1. The  Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.

     2. The Samaritan disregarded any customs or differences to give assistance to injured

         man.

     3. The Samaritan although a stranger, showed himself to be a good neighbor.

V:34. " He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him."

 A. The Samaritan had a Christian attitude.

     1. He saw the needs of the man.

     2. He took pity on the man.

     3. The Samaritan made it his responsibility to take care of the injured man.

     4. The Samaritan became the injured man's paramedic.

 B. The Samaritan did not leave the injured man in his condition.

     1.  The Samaritan took time to take care of the mans immediate needs.

     2.  Not only that, but he took the injured man to an inn and paid for

          him to stay their until he got well.

     3. Jesus outlines the attitude of a good neighbor.

         a. Sees the needs of others.

         b. Has pity for them.

         c. Takes time to determine what he can do to help.

         d. Does what he can to help.

         c. Spends his time and money to help

         d. Come back from time to time to see how his neighbor is doing.

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR

Rev M Mitchell,   Asst Pastor of GMBC