This Week's Sunday School Lesson, Be Strong Snd Courageous, Joshua 1:1-8

 

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

Joshua 1:1-9

WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE FAITHFUL

V:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them — to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

Every believer has a time and a place to serve the Lord. All believers in Jesus Christ

have been selected and called into service by the Lord. The time of our selection was

before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 4:1)

Everyone has a season for service. Moses served for 40 years. He served from the

time he was 80 to the time he was 120 years old. Everyone has a time when

God trains them to serve. Moses was trained from a baby to 40 years of age in

the house of the Pharaoh of Egypt. After killing an Egyptian, he fled to Midian

where he was trained as a shepherd under the priest of Midian who became his

father-in-law. Under the Egyptians. He learned to be a warrior.

For 40 years, under the priest of Midian, he was trained to be a shepherd and peaceful family life. Most importantly he came to know the true and living God. Moses job

was to lead Israel out of bondage, shepherd, them, and teach them the Word of God.

When his 40 years of service was complete, God took Moses home to be with

him.

For 40 years Moses followed the command of the Lord. His leadership skills

and confidence in the Lord grew as he served. He received the law from the

Lord and administered it to Israel.

All of us stand on the shoulders of those who served before us. God places

people in our lives and positions us to be trained for future assignments. The

lesson learned is to serve with diligence and devotion and allow the Lord

to elevate you as He sees fit.

LIFE IS GOD’S TRAINING PROGRAM

Joshua trained under Moses as one of his generals for 40 years in the desert.

Joshua shows himself faithful to the Lord and Moses beginning as one of the

12 spies Moses sent into the Promised Land at the start of the 40 years in the desert.

10 spies came back and said the land was good but filled with giants that

it could not be conquered. It was Joshua and Caleb who came back with a

good report with the confidence of the Lord that the land could be taken.

Moses selected Joshua to lead Israel into battle against the Amalekites

(Exodus 17:13). Joshua established himself as who could trusted to

follow directions. He established himself as a man of faith,

Following God requires us to be ready to serve, follow His directions, and be

obedient to His commands. Following God comes with a promise of success.

Moses led Israel to the promised land. Joshua was assigned to take Israel into

the promised land. Joshua had 40 years of experience in Moses' obedience and

confidence in the Lord. What God did for others, He will do for you. While

your task is different from others, it is still important in God’s plan.

STAND, GOD IS WITH YOU

V: 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates — all the Hittite country — to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

We are all part of God's plan. We all have a place, a position, and a time to

serve. God’s plan does not change. 450 years earlier, God made this promise

to Abraham. 400 years of slavery then the promised land (Genesis 12:1, 13:14,

15:13). God’s plan of salvation will continue until the second coming of

Jesus Christ. Every believer is in this divine plan.

God makes both conditional and non-conditional promises to us. The

Promised Land is none conditional. Other individual promises are conditional

based on our obedience to God’s commands.

The promise of Joshua’s success in driving out and defeating all the nations

in the Promised Land was conditional on his obedience to the Word of the

Lord.

Believers are destined to be conquers not losers. As long as we follow God’s

commands, no one can stand against us. We will face opposition. We will have

enemies. But we will be successful following the Lord. He promised

to be with us at all times. He promised not to leave us or forsake us.

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF WITH GOD’S PROMISES

V:6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Be strong and courageous. This is a command, not an option. The enemy is not too

big for the Lord. To lead God's people you have to be the role model of commitment

and confidence. Someone needs to know from you that they have an inheritance

in the Lord. The world can’t give you eternal life and the world can’t take it

away. Your success while on earth is guaranteed by the Lord based on your

faith and obedience. God has given us His commands. They are not optional.

They are required for our success.

The steps of a good man/woman are ordered by the Lord. Success requires us

to submit ourselves to the guidance and directions of the Lord. We can't be

sometimes on and sometimes off. God wants total commitment. The road to

God's righteousness is straight and narrow. Looking to the left or the

right are distractions from the Lord. Success in life is in the narrow lane

of obedience.

g

THE WORD OF GOD IS THE PREPARATION FOR SUCCESS

V:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

From Abraham to Moses, God’s leaders were directed by His voice. Joshua was

the first to be commanded to lead according to the written Law.

To know God's commands, you have to study God's Word. The will of God

for your life is found in the Word of God. Each believer in Jesus will find

his/her purpose in the Word of God.

2 Timothy 2:15-16

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

You can not know the blessings of God if you don't spend time studying. When you study God’s Word the Holy Spirit will guide your understanding. The Word of

God must replace all worldly knowledge. What you have learned from

the world, may be filled with lies and deceptions. It is important to know the Word

for yourself.

Psalms 119:99-101

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your statutes.

100 I have more understanding than the elders,

for I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path

so that I might obey your word.

Knowing God’s Word requires constant study on your part.

Following God’s commands takes work on your part.

You must be in the habit of listening to the Lord before any actions.

Before you open your mouth, the Word of God ought to be there.

Before you commit to anything it must be by the direction of the

Holy Spirit.

Moses and Joshua were constantly faced with decisions they had to make

in opposition to the desires of Israel.

GOD HAS A BLESSING READY FOR YOU

Joshua 11:16-20

V:16 So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. 18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19 Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.

Your leadership is important. What you do for the Lord affects others around you.

There may be times you will have to get rid of some associates that oppose the Lord.

You cannot be friends with the world.

Joshua and the men of Israel were commanded to go to battle to get rid

of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. No one was to be left standing. It

was not a pretty sight. There were many deaths of the ones God allowed

to hold the Promised Land for Israel.

With the Word of God in print, the majority of mankind will

die not knowing God. The promised heaven is reserved for those

who put their faith in Jesus Christ.

God's got a breakthrough for you that someone may be holding now.

God's got a job for you that someone may be holding. God's

got a house, a car that someone may be holding just for you.

Your success is dependent on your obedience. God blesses who He

wants and curses who He wants. You never know what God is

going to do to give you the desires of your heart

GOD OPENS DOORS FOR YOU TO WALK IN

Joshua 11:21-23

V:21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir, and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. 23 So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions.

Life is a struggle, but it is a struggle you can’t do alone. It is a struggle that

leads to success when God is in charge.

Your struggles for the Lord set others up for success.

Then the land had rest from war.

When your job is over, God has some rest in store for you. God has

some peace in store for you. God got some joy in store your you.

God has a place in heaven reserved for you.

When you stand for God, you stand for His success.

Bible Series: Live In The Moment, John 4:35

 LIVE IN THE MOMENT

John 4:35

John 4:35-38

Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

We are blessed by the hard work that Jesus did on the cross. The blessings we have are because of the sower, Jesus Christ. We reap the benefit of salvation.

JESUS WILL MEET YOU WHERE YOU ARE

Jesus made a trip through Samaria, a place where most Jews avoided. He went to meet a

woman who came to Jacob’s well to draw water. Jewish men would not be found

talking to a woman in public alone. Jesus did not regard women as inferior as most

Jewish men did.

This woman of questionable reputation was with her sixth man. She had been married

5 times and the man she was with was not her husband. Jesus may have sent His

disciples away to buy bread so He could have a private conversation with this woman.

He revealed to her that He was the Messiah that Samaritans were expecting to come.

She became his messenger Samaria. She took the good news to the city reconciling

the differences between the Jews and the Samaritans.

Her daily chore was to come to the well a noon time to draw water. Jesus revealed

to her that He was the living water. If she drank from His well she would never

thirst again. Not wanting the chore, she gladly accepted the invitation.

The revelation today to all believers is that we live in the presence of the Messiah,

Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

In the presence of Jesus is all we need, want, desire, or can even conceive.

Despite the presence of Jesus, we constantly thirst because we live with future

worries.

The text reminds us to live in the moment.

John 4:35-38

Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

Most of us awake in the morning with thoughts of what needs to be done, We bring the

unfinished business of yesterday into the new day. In our efforts to get moving, we

forget to smell the roses. God's roses, His grace, and mercy are fresh each day. Open the

eyes to your heart and see that God has in store all you need.

If we live in the moment, we can see the ready blessings of God. If we live in the moment

we can take hold of His grace and mercy that is flowing into our lives. We don’t have to

wait for God’s blessings. We have access to them through prayer, now.

My brothers and sisters, it is not easy to live in the moment. We constantly push ourselves

into future events. If you are working, you are constantly preparing for the next day.

If you have children, you spend part of your day planning breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

There are clothes to be washed. You get them up put them to bed and start over again.

If you have pain in your body, you looking for the day when the pain goes away.

You wake up with pain, endure pain during the day, and go to bed with pain.

If you have goals and aspirations, you are planning the day when they are fulfilled.

It is difficult to live in the moment, Whatever worries and frustrations you have

take you in the past or push you into the future.

CHOSE TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT

To live in the moment with the

hope and joy of the Lord is a choice. We make choices

every day. Why not strive to live in the moment?

Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus lived in the moment. He was focused on the work of the Lord presented Him each day.

Well, you say He is Jesus and I am not.

Living in the moment is a choice. You can choose to worry about tomorrow or you can choose

to focus and what you have in front of you. You can drive yourself crazy worried about

what might happen. Worry is a lack of trust in the Lord. Worry sees the outcome of

tomorrow as being in your hands.

Worry takes responsibility for your well-being from God who created you and owns

you. Worry is a trick of the devil to take your focus off God.

My brothers and sisters I am not telling you to not have concerns. I am telling you

to put those concerns in the hands of the Lord.

I am not telling you to live irresponsibly, I am telling you to do what you can today

and leave the rest to the Lord. Do what you can today with no thought of tomorrow.

You can’t possibly know what is going to take place tomorrow. You don’t

even know how the day will end. Our worry is useless because it changes

nothing. Worry only pushes you farther from the Father. Worry clouds the mind

so you cannot see the blessing in front of you. Worry frustrates the mind so you

cannot believe that God has taken care of your problems.

Worry takes the joy out of life and replaces it with sadness. Worry eliminate

confidence and replaces it with doubt.

Any plans we make for tomorrow can fail because of circumstances we cannot foresee.

Plans need to be placed in the hands of the Father.

To live in the moment, we have to submit ourselves to the will of the Lord.

We start by constantly studying His Word and obedience to His commands

John 6:27

27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life,

which the Son of Man will give you. On him, God the Father has placed his

seal of approval."

What food is Jesus talking about?

John 4:34

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

John 6:55

For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

The Word of God is the food we ought to eat. The will of the Father is the drink we ought

to drink. You can’t eat the food of God and digest it with the stuff of the world.

Materialism and God is no mixture.

We constantly have our sights on stuff. We buy stuff, it gets old and we buy

more stuff. We have closets full of stuff that brings no joy, no peace, and

no confidence.

We make plan for the future that does not include God. We

do stuff without considering whether it is pleasing to God. Our routine is

the same day to day because God is not the guide.

If God is the guide we will look forward to what each day will bring because

we are assured that God wants the very best for us. We ought to be excited

when we get up in the morning expecting God to do something new.

The Samaritan woman came to the well for a bucket of water. Jesus sent

her away with life-giving water. She still had to come to the well for water.

But she came with a new excitement not knowing what to expect nor

worried about the outcome.

John 6:27 gives spiritual advice, but practical confusion. To eat you got to

work even if you stand on the street looking for a handout.

If we commit ourselves to the Lord, He will guide us to fruitful employment

using the gifts and talents he has provided. We can then focus on the

will of the Lord working unto the Lord. We want leave home working for

ourselves but working for the glory of God. When Jesus is our focus, work is

not work but an opportunity to serve the Lord.

Jesus gives us an example of a dinner hosted by Martha and Mary for Him

and his disciples. Martha was busy in the kitchen preparing the meal while

Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to His teachings.

God does not tell us, but I can see Martha frying some chicken, and fixing some

potato salad, collard greens, and apple pie. At some point, Martha got upset

that she was doing all the work while Mary was enjoying the company

of Jesus. Martha complained to Jesus to make Him send Mary into the kitchen.

Jesus responded that Martha was worried about too much, but Mary was digesting

Word of God.

Martha was preparing food that not would last. But Mary was eating the food

of eternal life. There is nothing wrong with preparing a meal, but if you

do it out of love it becomes a work of joy.

BE ASSURED THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE

Matthew 6:31-33

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or

'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your

heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom

and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When God is first in our lives, He will provide a way for us to get all we

need. The difference between one who trusts God and one who does not is

one has no plan but is assured that things will work out. The other has a

plan with no assurance.

Everyone wants something out of life, but not everyone is assured they will

get what they hope for.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEART

John 14:1

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

Out of the heart flows the issues of life. To take control of your heart you

must trust the Father and the Son.

What are the issues of life that matter?

Love

Confidence

Assurance

Success

Health

Joy

Peace

None of these can be controlled by our efforts. All of these are in the hands

of the Lord. If we live by our efforts, we are limited to what we know or can do.

If we live under the guidance and directions of the Lord we can do all things.

Our possibilities are unlimited.

A life without a troubled heart is a life totally dependent on God.

A child lives for the moment. The child is totally dependent on his/her parents

to provide for them. They give no thought to what it takes to feed and clothe

them. They are not worried about the light bill, the grocery bill, the house note,

or anything regarding responsibility.

Jesus himself said ;

Mark 10:15

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

We have the kingdom of God before us. Why not live in it?

So how do WE LIVE IN THE MOMENT?

1. Put God first in your thoughts

2. Commit your ways to the Lord

3. Obey His commands

4. Pray without ceasing.

5. Worry not, but trust God

6. Work unto the Lord.

LIVE IN THE MOMENT

CLASS QUESTIONS

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS OF LIVING IN

THE MOMENT?

BASE ON YOUR EXPERIENCE, HOW CAN YOU

LIVE IN THE MOMENT?

THIS WEEK'S SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. "PRIDE OF HUMBE, WHICH ARE YOU? LUKE 18;9-14

 THE PROUD AND THE HUMBLE

Luke 18:9-14

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

RELIGIOUS OR RIGHTEOUS

The definition of religion is respect for a sense of right, moral obligation, and respect for what is sacred.

Religion is what you do regularly. Religion is how you see yourself.

Religion is what you do for yourself. Religion is what you do to honor yourself.

The definition of righteous is acting in accord with divine or moral law; free from

guilt or sin.

Righteousness is how you see God. Righteousness is what you do to honor God.

PRIDE, SELF ELEVATION

The Pharisee was confident in himself. He was proud of his morals and the way

he lived his life. He compared himself to others and valued his lifestyle better than

others.

He was a religious man. In his prayer, he thanked God that he was better than other people.

In his prayer, he pointed to the shortcomings of others. The Pharisee listed all the people

he judged as sinners thanking God that he was not like them.

In his prayer, he gave God his moral resume.

In his prayer, the Pharisee focuses on the sins of others rather than His relationship

with God. While we do not have the Pharisees’ entire prayer, we do not see a request

for forgiveness or a confession of his sins

What we do hear is his self-righteousness and the sins of others. The Pharisee

lifted himself before the Father. He judged those he considered sinners.

POINTING OUT THE SINS OF OTHERS CONVICTS YOU

When we focus on the sins of others, we neglect our own sins. The first sin of

the Pharisee was his pride, the original sin of heaven. Satan proud of his position,

wanted to be God or at the level of God. The Pharisee failed to confess any sin

he may have committed in the past. He was committing sins by judging others in the

temple. His prayer was sinful because he did not love his neighbor enough to pray

for their well-being. His pride of what he was not guilty of, blinded him to the sins he was committing.

You are looking at a man who was saying I am right and everyone else is wrong.

I think he was suggesting to God that the section of the law he read was the thing that justified him. He disregarded the rest of the law as unimportant.

The Pharisee did the minimum to be considered righteous in his eyes and the eyes of

those around him. By his prayer, he considered what he did and what he didn’t do

justified him for heaven. He was in an I am good enough for heaven state of mind.

HUMBLENESS A STATE OF THE HEART

The tax collector, whom the Pharisees pointed out to God, came to the temple

convicted of his sins, confessing them to the Father,

He did not consider himself worthy to look up to heaven. He asks for God's

mercy.

His posture and action was a sign of his repentant heart.

Holding his head down toward the ground was a sign of his deep distress,

The beating of his breast was an expression of his grief.

He was conscience that his sins grieve the Father.

He knew that there was no relief with the Father’s mercy.

Because the tax collector asked and was repentant, he was forgiven.

EXALTING THE HUMBLE

God hates the proud.

Proverbs 16:5-6

The Lord detests all the proud of heart.

Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

The pride of the Pharisee was his fall from grace.

He knew the law that made him feel good about himself but neglected the

commandments of God that would convict him. He lifted himself above

others proclaiming his self-righteousness.

God loves the humble

Proverbs 16:6-7

6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;

Through the fear of the Lord, a man avoids evil.

7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord,

He makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

The tax collector came to the temple fearing the Lord. He came with a heart

to be right before the Lord. He was troubled by his inability to resist the

temptation to sin.

He was faithful to come to the Lord in prayer confessing his sins,

Because of his love for God’s commands he was forgiven.

Bible Series ; The Call Of The Apostle Paul, Acts

 GOD’S CALL ON YOUR LIFE

IS NOT PAVED WITH ROSES

ACTS

The Apostle Paul was on his way to Damascus to

persecute the members of the newly formed church. Having been elevated to

the position of Pharisee, he had the power and authority to find any member of the

church and bring them before the Jewish hierarchy to be tried and killed.

The resurrected Jesus knocked him down, blinded him, and changed the direction

of his life. He was taken to Damascus by his companions and left there.

Ananias a devout Jew and was sent by Christ to give Paul his commission.

Acts 22:14-17

14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'

From the text, it looked like Saul (Paul) was given a get-out-of-jail-free card. Not so

his life would be full of trouble preaching the Gospel.

DON’T BE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

As long as you are providing entertainment, your so-called friend will be with

you. It was good entertainment for Saul to persecute the members of the church

whom the leading Jews hated and wanted dead. Saul influenced by the leading Jewish

religious folk made a good sport of hunting church members.

The moment Saul got knocked down and blinded, his run dogs left him. They took

Saul to Damascus and left him there never to heard again.

As long as you are doing wrong and financing the entertainment you will have no lack

of companions. When the music stops and the liquor runs out you will be left

by yourself.

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT TO SERVE GOD.

God has a plan and a training program to get you ready to serve.

You cannot run with the same folk serving God

One Saul received his sight at the hands of Ananias, he went to Arabia for three

years.

Galatians 1:15-19

But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days.

God will separate the sheep from the goats. God sent Saul away from his environment

There are times when you have to let go of that which is holding you back from God's plan

Saul’s run dogs were with him when God called. It was God who did not allow them to

understand the directions and purpose given to Saul.

Some things are just between you and God. You may need a new place to grow in the Lord

without the distractions of your past

Still looks like a get-out-of-jail-free card.

YOUR REPUTATION PRECEDES YOU, MUST EARN THE TRUST OF OTHERS

People don't easily forget their past. You can't erase it from their memories.

Some people who know your past, will judge you by your past and keep you

in your past behavior.

Acts 22:17-18

17 "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

Acts 22:21

"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

Just because you got the call from, Jesus doesn't mean you are ready for the mission.

Your past is your past and you have to deal with the consequences.

Galatians 1:21-2:1

Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24 And they praised God because of me.

2 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas.

It took 17 years for Saul (Paul) to be prepared for the mission God called him to.

ATTACH YOURSELF TO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

Galatians 2:9-10

9 James, Peter, and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

It took 17 years of training and preparation for Paul to get the right hand of fellowship from the

Church leaders.

Paul had to develop a habit of trusting God and preaching the Word of God. He had the

recommendation of those he served outside of the Jerusalem circle.

When Paul came back to Jerusalem, he came with a new reputation

Still looks like a get-out-of-jail-free card to me

GOD GETS YOU READY FOR GOOD TROUBLE

What goes around comes around

Your past is the training ground for what you do in the future.

Starting in Acts chapter 13 is the story of Paul's 3 missionary journeys.

The 13 books of the New Testament that Paul wrote are the doctrine of Jesus Christ

that he taught and preached.

Paul suffered greatly preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Chapter 14 the Leading Jews from Antioch came to Lystra and stirred up trouble

among the people and had Paul stoned and left for dead.

In Chapter 16 while teaching in Thyatira, a slave girl with a spirit of predicting the

future who made her owner much money, followed Paul claiming he and his companions

were servants of the most high God. Paul called the spirit out to her. Her owners lost the ability to

make money from her, stirred up trouble, and had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown into prison

In Chapter 17 the leading Jewish Religious leaders ran Paul out of Thessalonia.

In Chapter 22 the leading Jewish religious leader plotted to ambush the soldiers

taking Paul to the Synagogue and killing Paul.

God's Got watching eyes over you. The son of Paul's sister learned of the plan

and told Paul and the Roman soldiers who put together a small army to protect Paul.

He was later taken to Rome to be tried by the Romans and killed

PROVE YOURSELF WITH STUDY AND SERVICE

Paul was the only one of the Apostles who had a formal education. He was taught

by the best teacher of the Law, Gamaliel

Acts 22:3-4

Under Gamaliel, I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

He is the only one of the Apostles that is reported to have a law library

Study to show yourself approved 2 Timothy 2:15

2 Timothy 4:13

13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

The following is a breakdown of the letters Paul wrote. He identified himself

as the writer of 12 of the New Testament books.

Galatians (AD 47)

1 and 2 Thessalonians (AD 49—51)

1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans (AD 52—56)

Ephesians, Philemon, Colossians, and Philippians (AD 60—62, during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment)

1 Timothy and Titus (AD 62)

2 Timothy (AD 63—64, during Paul’s second Roman imprisonment)

The book of Hebrews may also have been written by Paul

The exact details of St. Paul's death are unknown, but tradition holds that he was beheaded in Rome and thus died as a martyr for his faith. His death was perhaps part of the executions of Christians ordered by the Roman emperor Nero following the great fire in the city in 64 CE.

It is estimated that the Apostle Paul traveled over 10000 miles and establish

14 to 20 churches during his missionary journeys

He was assigned by God to take the Gospel to Rome, the gateway to the world.

Acts 23:11

FREEDOM IS A STATE OF MIND NOT A PLACE

It is known that St. Paul was imprisoned in Rome and wrote several of his epistles (letters) during his captivity there.

Paul was imprisoned but continued to write letters to teach and encourage the churches.

Your work for Christ lives on after you. You never know how many people you are

reaching beyond your life. There are three sets of people you affect with your work

for Christ. There are those who hear you, those who receive the word from others, and those not yet born.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL?

1. NO ONE IS USELESS TO GOD

2. GOD CAN USE ANYONE

3. YOUR PAST IS A TRAINING GROUND FOR GOD’S USE

4. SERVING GOD DOES NOT ERASE THE CONSEQUENCES OF

YOUR PAST.

5. GOD DOES NOT JUDGE YOU BY YOUR PAST BUT BY YOUR HEART

6. BE DETERMINED TO SERVE

7. EARN THE TRUST OF OTHERS BY LIVING

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The First In The Kingdom Of God", Matthew 20:1-16

THE BLESSINGS OF FOLLOWING JESUS

Matthew 20:1-17

This text follows Peter's question in Chapter 19

Matthew 19:27-30

Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"

The parable that Jesus used to bring light to Peter’s question is full of life

giving instructions for the faithful. We would do well to listen.

V:1. "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5 So they went.

"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'

7 "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.

"He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'

8 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'

9 "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'

13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

TITLES IN THE LESSON

There are some titles in the parables that we can relate to our relationship

with Christ

Owner Of the Household God

Household Kingdom of Heaven

The vineyard is the training of souls for Christ

The Hiring Is according to God’s Mercy

The payment is the covenant of God available to all

The workers are the servants of God

The murmuring Is the Envy, Jealously, hatred, and ungratefulness of hearts

Those who claim Christ, but are not converted

The reward First in the Kingdom, to the last in the kingdom

THE JEWISH WORK DAY

The Jewish day was a 12-hour day starting at 6 am

The landowner sent his servant out to find workers

at 6 A.m., 9 A.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The first to be hired came a 6 AM and the last to be hired came at

5 PM.

The early workers complained because they had worked a 12-hour

shift and the latecomers only worked one hour and received the same

pay. It is normal to want equality in what we do in comparison to

what others do.

The workers who were called at 6 AM agreed to the pay

of denarius, the standard pay for the 12-hour day. According to

the text, the landowner agreed to pay what was right to workers who came at the later hours. No specific pay was agreed to.

At the end of the day, the generous landowner gave all workers the

same pay. God is sovereign, He does what wills with that which

He owns. Those who had an issue with their pay complained against

the grace and mercy of the Lord.

SALVATION, A GIFT EQUAL TO ALL

This parable highlights the equal value the landowner places on the

his servants regardless of how long they served.

It is a blessing to be invited to serve. It is a blessing for God to

place us in a position to accept the invitation to serve.

Peter and the other disciples were placed in a position to be the

first to receive the invitation from Christ. They left their careers

to follow Christ. They may not have known fully where Christ was

leading them. They put their hope in the one they believed was the

messiah. They were a group of poor men from Galilee but they

were rich in the presence of the Lord.

THE BENEFITS OF SERVING CHRIST

There are present benefits to being called to serve. You are

in the presence of Christ. You have the protection of Christ.

You have the provisions of Christ. You have the directions

and the wisdom of Christ. There is continued spiritual

growth in the vineyard of Christ.

Those who serve in the vineyard have the covenant of Christ

as a final payment for service. There is a set time when the owner of

the vineyard will settle up with the servants.

The parable highlights that we cannot pride ourselves in the length

of our service. God is sovereign, He blesses according to His divine

will.

Those who serve have the responsibility to invite others to serve,

The invitation to serve is given at different times in the lives of

individuals. Some are invited early in their lives. Some receive the

invitation later in their lives. The thief on the cross with Jesus

received the invitation in the 11^th hour of his life. His salvation

was just as valid as those who served their whole life.

Those who receive the invitation have the responsibility of accepting

the invitation with gratitude. Your gratitude affects the attitude of

others around you.

If we serve with the love of Christ, we will value everyone's services the same.

If we serve with pride we will be jealous or envious of the service of others.

Those who serve with pride receive the invitation, but may not have a call

to the vineyard, the body of Christ.

CONCLUSIONS

There are several things we can conclude from this parable

(1) True Christianity is a life of active service rendered to Christ.

Once we understand the grace of our Lord and Savior, we are

constrained by the Holy Spirit to live for Him and not ourselves.

(2) It is a privilege to work for Christ without fee or reward,

yet our Father is pleased to reward all who serve with His

unlimited grace for their faithful service in His vineyard.

(3) The Lord is sovereign, so He does what He wills

with His own. There are common rewards for all who attach

themselves to Christ. None deserve His grace and mercy.

(4) Those who are not content with God’s call will find fault

with His equal grace and mercy to all believers. Their ungratefulness

will show up in the pride of their service envying the work

of others. These ungrateful workers render themselves unfit for

the kingdom of God. Unless there is a change of heart like

the Prodigal son they will find themselves out of fellowship

with the father.

To Answer Peter’s question; What will we have since we have left

all to follow you, the Lord concludes with these words;

28 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

We are blessed and privileged to serve Christ on earth. But it is nothing compared

to the blessings, we will receive in our eternal life with Christ.

The first in the kingdom of God are those who serve faithfully and with

love and gratitude.

Rev. M. Mitchell