BIBLE STUDY – 10/07/2011
THEME: THE GLORIOUS KINGDOM
TOPIC: THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
TEXT: REV. 20: 1-6; ISAIAH 65: 21-23
1). INTRODUCTION
The next event after the battle of Armageddon is the millennial reign.
Before the commencement of this Kingdom, the Book of Revelation 20: 1-3 has this to say: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.
The word, ‘Millennium’ is a Latin word for 1000 years. These 1000 years are referred to as millennium reign of Christ. Among Christians in the history of the Church, there are three major views held about this millennium. The views are:
i). Post millennialism: This theory says that through the preaching of the gospel, the world will eventually embrace Christianity and become a universal ‘Society of Saints’. At this point, Christians will be invited to command and reign over man’s peaceful planet. This view was laid to rest amid Hitler’s gas oven during the 2nd World War.
ii). Amillennialism: This view teaches that there will be no thousand-year reign at all, and that the 1,000 years period is understand to be symbolic of the time between Christ’s ascension and His return. They believe that this millennium is the reign of Christ in the hearts of believers and in His Church; thus it is another way of returning to the Church age. According to this view, it will end with Christ’s return.
iii). Postmillennialism: This view teaches that Christ will return prior to the millennium and will establish the literal, visible reign of peace and righteousness on the earth in space-time history. This position alone is the Scriptural one, and is the oldest of these three views, which I personally pitched my tent with.
2. PURPOSE OF THE MILLENNIUM
i). Often-Prayed Prayers
The purpose of the millennium is to answer the often-prayed model prayer of our Lord Jesus as recorded in Luke 11: 1-4 and Matthew 6: 9-13. ‘Thy Kingdom Come.’ It must be noted here that the reason for this 2nd petition in our Lord’s prayer was to make every Christian of all ages to be Kingdom-focused. In fact, during the time of Jesus, things were not better than what we experience in our present days. The Jews of Jesus’ days were eagerly waiting for the fulfillment of various promises of this Kingdom “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace; there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9: 6-7).
Based on this, series of questions were thrown to Jesus pertaining to this Kingdom, viz
* Matthew 11: 3 - “And said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"
* Acts 11: 3 - “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
* Luke 19: 37-38 - “Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
The account of Hebrews 11: 35-end gave us the vivid picture of what the early Christians passed through because of this Kingdom. In short, the Saviour was inviting His followers to pray for the millennium. Hence, the millennium is the period Christ will return to fulfill the untold millions of times these three little words have wafled their way to heaven by Christians of all generations – ‘Thy Kingdom Come.’
ii). To fulfill the main burden of Biblical prophecy.
All Bible prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is summarized in one tiny verse by the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 1: 11 - “Searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow”).
Here Peter connects Christ’s first coming (the suffering) with His 2nd coming (the glory).
(“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” Romans 8: 18; and “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us” 2 Timothy 2: 12).
3). THE NATURE/FEATURES OF THE KINGDOM:
i). A perfect King
("Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: ‘THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS’” “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom
Jesus Christ will rule as an absolute Monarch. He will put down all rebellion. He will protect the weak from being exploited by the strong. He will deal firmly with the lazy and shiftless, who want to get by without working. He will demand that all mankind worship the true and living God, and He will forbid the teaching and practice of all false religions.
The one thing He will not do, however, is force people to believe in their hearts. He will respect man’s freewill to choose his eternal destiny (Isa. 24; Micah 4: 4).
ii). A transformed Natural World.
Natural conditions on the earth during His Kingdom age will be quite different from what they are at present. The upheaval of mountain ranges and drastic cosmic changes will cause desert wastelands to become garden spot. The whole earth will be blessed with moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall. Wild animals will live harmoniously with mankind and offer no threat to domesticated beasts. Everyone who obeys Jesus Christ will enjoy good health and probably live through the entire thousand-year period.
* Changes in climate (Isa. 35: 6-7; 30: 23-26)
* Changes in Animal World (Isaiah 11: 6-8; Hosea 2: 18; Isaiah 65: 21-23; Ezek 4: 9-10)
* Changes in Health and Longevity (Isa. 35: 5-6; Isa. 65: 19, 20, 22; Ezek. 47: 12).
iii). A Mandated Religion:
Another feature of the millennial age will be a single, mandated religious system. The temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt and purge as the centre of worship. There, a three main features that will characterize this mandated religion viz:
* True faith will be a matter of the heart just as it is today (Jer. 31: 33-34; Joel 2: 28-32; Ezek. 36: 25-28)
* The worship of the Lord will be universal just as it is new (Mal. 1: 11; Haggai 2: 6-9).
* The sacrifices will be commemorative, much like baptism and the Lord’s supper are today (Matt. 19: 28; Acts 3: 19)
iv). Peace, Joy & Justice:
The cessation of war through the unification of the Kingdoms of the world under the reign of Christ, together with the resultant economic prosperity will be the hall mark of the millennium age (Isaiah 2: 4; Micah 4: 4). Administration of perfect justice to every individual will reign (Isaiah 9: 7; 11: 5). The long-awaited peace and utopia regime will reign supreme.
4. STUDY QUESTIONS:
1. What are the series of events that will culminate to millennium age?
2. What are the features that will characterize the millennium reign?
3. What is a singular act that will make this possible? Revelation 20: 1-3.
4. What will happen after the expiration of millennium age? Revelation 20: 3, 7-10
5. What do you understand by the 2nd petition of our Lord
to mean?
5. CONCLUSION:
The Kingdom age will feature a perfect Priest-King in the person of Jesus Christ. He will head on effective government which will bring peace, prosperity, and righteousness to all mankind, which will last for 1,000 years. Israel, off course, will be God’s central nation and Jerusalem, the world capital.
Nature will be for more friendly to man and beast than it is today. And everything in life will be honoured and extolled.
In short, the millennium will be the golden era of the ‘renewal of all things (Matthew 19: 280, the ‘times of refreshing… from the Lord (Acts 3: 19), and culmination of God’s plan for our fallen earth.
Therefore, let us prepare ourselves for this coming Kingdom.
MEMORY VERSE – REVELATION 20: 6
“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years”
BIBLE STUDY - 12/06/2011
THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
Theme: The Glorious Kingdom
Topic: The Judgement Seat of Christ
Text: I Cor. 3: 6-15; Rev. 20: 4-6;
Matt. 25: 31-46
Aim: To show that God is a Judge, Who takes vigorous action against evil.
Introduction:
We live in the world where people tend to reject the idea that one day; they must render an account to God for their lives and decisions especially, on moral and spiritual issues.
Many people consider personal happiness as paramount and they do not bother themselves about their neighbours and the inevitable judgment of God that awaits all.
We have talked about the ‘Rapture, Great Tribulation, War of Armageddon and now, we are talking about the judgement Seat of God. All these are pointing to the Glorious Kingdom of God, which is the general theme for 2011.
When we talk about judgment, it means the decision arrived at and pronounced by a court of law. It is an obligation resulting from a verdict. It is a divine punishment for folly or sin. This will unfold on judgment day when God will deliver His final judgment on humankind.
God as a Righteous Judge:
In the Old Testament, God is portrayed as a Judge, Who takes vigorous action against evil (Psalm 94: 2). His judgment is not impersonal, but related to His character of mercy, righteousness and truth (Ps. 36: 5f). So it brings rescue for the righteous as well as doom for the wicked (Deut. 10: 18; 32: 41). This stress on judgment as part of God’s total character, which is already active in the world (Rom. 1: 18); Jesus exercised the Father’s judgments in His Ministry (John 3: 19; 5: 30).
The main New Testament emphasis however, is on the future judgment, which will accompany the return of Jesus (Matt. 25: 31ff; Rom. 2: 15f), also prefigured towards the end of the Old Testament period in the expectation of the coming ‘Day of the Lord’ (I Cor. 1: 8).
The judgment Seat will be a throne of Mercy to some and to some, a throne of condemnation.
* Matthew 25: 31ff shows us that Jesus Christ will seat on the throne of Judgment and all the nations shall gather unto Him. The righteous ones as Sheep will inherit the Kingdom and the unrighteous ones as Goats, will be condemned and sent into the lake of fire.
* Revelation 20: 4ff made us to know that those who did not worship idol will not partake of the second death. The second death is different from the physical death – it is for the idol worshippers, sorcerers, immoral, murderers, etc.
* Acts 17: 31 – shows that a day had been fixed for the judgment
Jesus Himself will judge (John 5: 22); no one will be exempted (I Pet. 4: 5), including the angels (Jude 6; I Cor. 6: 3), and even, in a rather different manner, Christians
(Luke 19: 12; I Pet. 4: 17).
* Rev. 20: 11-15 - shows that on the judgment day, Heaven and earth will not be in existence
* The dead will rise
* The Book of life shall be opened
* Death & hades shall be destroyed by fire
* Former things like weeping, death, sorrow, etc , will be no more.
* Romans 2: 16 – The secrets of every heart shall be judged.
* I Cor. 3: 12ff: - Christians will be judged according to their stewardship of talents, gifts, opportunities and responsibilities.
Study Questions:
1. How prepared are you for the judgment? (Romans 8: 1-2)
2. Are you becoming tired of the Heavenly race?
(Philippians 3: 12-16)
3. What does your life look like? (I Cor. 7: 14-20; Rom 12: 1).
Conclusion:
Be prepared, the coming of the Lord is imminent. The God of mercy is the God of Judgment; Who says “You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, Am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Ex 20:4-6).
Memory Verses: Revelation 21: 5-8
Then He who sat on the throne said "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
May the Lord in His infinite mercies not visit us with His wrath but temper Justice with mercy.
BIBLE STUDY – 10/04/2011
Theme: The Glorious Kingdom (iii)
Topic: The Battle of Armageddon
Text: Zech. 14: 1-15; Rev. 19: 11-21; Dan. 9: 24-27
Aim: To shed more light on God’s Calendar for the End times
1). INTRODUCTION:
Many people today are afraid of the future – and no wonder, the economic situation, the worldwide problems of overpopulation, famine, the energy shortage, and the continuing threat of nuclear war cast a heavy cloud upon the days ahead.
From a purely human standpoint, there are good reasons to be concerned about the future and the kind of lives our children might lead.
Even apart from ominous portents of present-day world conditions, those who know their Bible are well aware that some very dark days lie ahead for this old world. In fact, they will be the worst it has ever passed through. The word of God is very clear about this.
After the rapture of the saints, that is the ‘catching up’ of all believers for a glorious meeting with Christ in the air, which is imminent (as we discussed in the previous study). The next event on the end time calendar is the rise of a false Christ (Anti Christ) to the world prominence while the believers are enjoying the best of times in heaven with Christ, the unraptured will experience the worst of times (terror) on earth! Although, things may at first seem to be tolerable after Jesus removing the Christians and the restraining power of the Holy Spirit, the situation will deteriorate quickly.
Two events during this time will spell trouble, terror and tragedy for those left behind.
The first – the revealing of Antichrist – will precipitate the second – the tribulation and the grand finale – The Battle of Armageddon.
2). THE REVEALING OF ANTICHRIST
Anti Christ: An Anti Christ is defined as denying the God-head (I John 2: 22), undermining Christian belief. Apostle Paul termed him as ‘Man of Lawlessness’ (II Thess. 2:3ff), he claims to be God and owes his power to Satan. He can also, be termed as ‘the Beast’ as mentioned in Revelation 11: 7.
Immediately after the rapture occurs, three things will happen:
First, almost everyone will be puzzled, disturbed, frightened, or all three. The sudden disappearance of many people will cause widespread consternation and alarm.
Second, people will be discussing this everywhere; some will remember that they have heard such things from Christians.
Third, many people will likely start reading the Bible and Christian literature, apparently books on prophecy.
While all of this is going on, the Antichrist and his minister of religion will publish an ‘explanation’ of the event to fool people, but not everyone will believe him.
When the antichrist is revealed, the stage will be set for the terrible events of the tribulation. He will first appear to be a friend of Israel and the world’s saviour. Eventually, however, he will openly reveal his deep hatred for Christ and His people. This man will receive his power and throne and authority from Satan, and he will lead mankind to worship both the devil and himself (Revelation 13: 2&4). Because he is Satan’s man, we can expect to see a sharp contrast between him and our Lord. This wicked man will be characterized by aggressiveness (Proverbs 6: 2; 13: 4), blasphemy (Daniel 9: 27), superstition (Daniel 11: 36-39), cruelty (Revelation 13: 7-10) and self-willed (Daniel 11: 40-45), traits that make him the absolute antithesis of Jesus Christ.
Here is what the Bible tells us about the Antichrist as recorded in Revelation 13
666: it is the identification mark placed upon those who worship the Beast.
* His number is 666 (Revelation 13: 18)
* He will kill millions of both Jews and unraptured
believers (Revelation 6: 9-11; 7: 9-17).
* He will proclaim himself to be God (2 Thess. 2: 4).
* He will have authority over the nations (Rev. 13: 7)
* He will demand that his image be worshipped
(Rev. 13: 14).
After this satanically empowered leaders rise to prominence, the stage will be set for the most distressing period of all history. For 31/2 years (three and half years) he will conduct a reign of terror, bringing death to multitudes, both Jews and Gentiles. But in addition to this reign of terror, the earth will experience paralleled trouble as God’s wrath is poured out on all mankind (Isa 13: 6-11).
3). A TIME OF TERROR/GREAT TRIBULATION
In spite of energy and pollution problems, severe recessions, international tensions, natural disaster and alarming crime statistics, some people continue to paint a glowing picture of the future. They refuse to face the possibility a nuclear war, saying that the outcome is so terrible to contemplate that no one would ever think of starting one.
The point is that whether things get better or worse, a period of terrible tribulation is inevitable.
The scriptures make it clear that intense devastation and terror will sweep over the earth, then, the battle of Armageddon just before Jesus Christ returns to establish His Kingdom.
In that there will be unprecedented time of terrible trouble and suffering we call the great tribulation, which will then snowball to the Battle of Armageddon. It is characterized by unpleasant elements – revolution, famine, pestilence, demonic affliction and natural disasters.
The primary teaching on the great tribulation is given to us in the book of Revelation 6-16. It is portrayed by three distinct symbols – seals, trumpets, and bowls of wrath. The seals will be opened by Jesus Himself as He reclaims the earth from satan’s domination, Angels will blow the trumpets and empty the bowls of God’s wrath.
Even though the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments will begin at different times, they will all come to an end at the glorious return of Christ.
These events associated with the seals, trumpets and bowls occur during a 31/2 year- period as illustrated below:
A B C D E F
I--------------I----------I-----------I --------I-------I
I----------31/2-----------I-----------31/2-------------I Great tribulation Christ’s
I------------------------------------I Return
Trumpets
Seals
I------------------------I Trumpets
I---------------I Bowls
Here are the keys:
A - The Western Ruler makes his covenant with Israel
B - The Northern confederacy (Russia and her allies)
supernaturally destroyed
C - The Western Ruler reveals his colours
D - Attacks by the kings of the North and the South
(Syria and Egypt plus allies) Daniel 11: 40-43
E - Attack by the king of the North and East
(Oriental countries) Dan 11: 44-45; Rev. 16
F - The Return of Christ in Glory.
4). THE SEALS, TRUMPETS & BOWLS
(REVELATION 6,8,9,11,16)
First seal (6: 1&2) - The Rider on the White Horse – The revelation of antichrist
Second seal (6: 3&4) - The Rider on the Red Horse – Blood
Third seal (6: 5&6) - The Rider on the Black Horse - famine and starvation
Fourth seal (6: 7&8) – The Rider on the Pale Horse – death and destruction
Fifth seal (6: 9-11) – The martyrs of great tribulation
Sixth seal (vs 12-17) – Global destruction
7th seal (Rev. 8,9,11) – unveils the seven trumpets
1st Trumpet (8: 7) – Hail and fire – vegetation destroyed
2nd Trumpet (8: 8-9) - A burning mountain falls – death at sea
3rd Trumpet (8: 10,11) – A star like a burning lamp – fresh water poisoned.
4th Trumpet (8: 12-13) – The lights go out – the heaven struck – total darkness.
Judgment of the first four trumpets will affect the natural world – trees, grass, water and light.
5th Trumpet (9: 1-12) – Brings first terror – locust-like demons tormenting people on the earth and pain will last for five months
6th Trumpet (9: 13-21) – Brings second terror – two hundred million death-dealing demons to kill 1/3 of mankind.
7th Trumpet (11: 15-19) – Brings third terror – The Anticipated kingdom and devastating bowl judgments, which will mark the closing days of the great tribulation.
1st Bowl (16: 2) - Sores on the wicked/ugly sores
2nd Bowl (16: 3) – Death of all marine life
3rd Bowl (16: 4-7) – Drinking water contaminated
4th Bowl (16: 8-9) - Unbearable heat from the sun, which will defy air condition system
5th Bowl (16: 10-11) – Darkness and pain
6th Bowl (16: 12-16) - Attack from East
7th Bowl (11: 17-21) - Earthquake and hail.
5). THE GRAND FINALE – ARMAGEDDON
Battle of Armageddon: This is being identified with the Mountain of Megiddo in the vicinity of Mt. Carmel, where Elijah had victory over the Prophets of Baal (I Kings 18: 20ff).
Important Battles had taken place here. Apostle John used this place in a symbolic term i.e. The assembly point of battle of the great day of God (Revelation 16: 16).
The 70th week = 1x7years. This will begin when someone (Antichrist) with authority will make a binding, commitment with a group of people called ‘the many.’ After 31/2 years, he will break his agreement. This will be accompanied by some kind of sacrilege. But in the end, the person who breaks the treaty and engages in this abomination will meet his doom (Dan 9: 22).
The truth is that the tensions that headline and the news from the Middle East in our day cannot compare with the events that will mark the final months’ action during the tribulation.
As the clock winds down on the reign of Antichrist, more and more countries will align together against him and do battle with him in Palestine.
At the climax of those hostilities, armies of the ‘King of the North’ and the ‘King of the South’ will attempt to overrun Antichrist and his troops. Unfortunately for them and for the people of neighbouring countries in the Middle East, Antichrist will lead his army to victory.
As Daniel described it, in chapter 9: 25-26, he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also, enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown (Daniel 11: 40-41).
Yet, all will not be calm in Antichrist’s camp. Despite his victories, he will hear rumours that new armies from the Orient are ready to attack. Angrily, he will dispatch his troops to Jerusalem. Indeed, the Eastern armies will arrive, spelling trouble for the Jewish people. These new armies will stand against the Jews in Jerusalem – just as Antichrist’s troops will. Here is how Zechariah described it: “For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (Zechariah 14: 2).
The scene seems hopeless. The Jews have nowhere to turn as two opposing armies sweep over them. There appears in the air to send his white-clothed army against the armies of Antichrist (Revelation 19: 11-21). Victory will be swift and complete as the beast is captured and banished to the lake of fire, and his army is soundly defeated.
This, then, is the second coming of Jesus Christ. The King of universe, who had appeared in the air just a few years before, will have come back to end the tribulation and to establish His millennial kingdom on earth. This leads us to next topic “The Millennial Reign” which shall be considered in our next Bible Study (Rev. 20: 1-6).
6). STUDY QUESTIONS:
1. ‘Many people today have a vague but growing fear that terrible catastrophe will engulf the earth’ do you have that feeling? Why or why not?
2. What is the significance of the number 666 in tribulation period? Revelation 13: 16-18
3. The event of 70th Week of Daniel is yet to be fulfilled. What do you understand by 70th week of Daniel? Matt. 24: 15-17, 21; Daniel 9: 27
4. During the reign of Antichrist, there would be two witnesses on earth as recorded in Rev. 11: 3-13. What will be their mission and why?
5. The Battle of Armageddon is the last battle that will usher in the millennial reign;’ what chain of events will lead to this? (1) Ezek. 38&39, (2). Dan. 11: 40-43 &
(3) Dan. 11: 44-45 (4). Matt. 24: 29-30
(5). Zech. 14: 2, 13-15 (6). Rev. 19: 11-15; 17, 19.
7). CONCLUSION:
Reading about all the terrible things that will happen during the great tribulation and the battle of Armageddon can be depressing. It is not pleasant to contemplate the start terror, the intense pain, and overwhelming grief that will mark this brief period of time in man’s history. It is mind-boggling to think about more than half of the earth’s population (about two-third) being killed during this brief span of 31/2 (three & half) years.
It is later than we think. It is time to wake up from our lethargy and realize that the coming of the Lord is at hand! If you have been playing around with Christianity and playing around with your relationship with God, it is high time to realize we need a total commitment to Jesus Christ.
There is no time to waste. The Bridegroom is coming. He is at the door waiting. Make sure you will be ready when He comes.
Yes, Jesus is coming back, perhaps He will come today. Are you ready?
8). MEMORY VERSE - 2 PETER 3:11
“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?”
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY – 13/03/2011
Theme: The Glorious Kingdom (II)
Topic: The Great Tribulation
Text: Revelation 6: 16&17
Aim: To make us know that whatever God says will come to pass and nothing can change His plan.
Introduction:
We talked about the Rapture of the Church last month. Rapture is the sudden disappearance of believers; to be ‘caught up’ and today, we are talking about the Great Tribulation. This means the out pouring of God’s wrath on a wicked and rebellious earth (Matt. 24: 29-44; Rev. 6: 17). It can also, be called the Day of the Lord. The Jewish conception of the Day of the Lord is of two dimensions: (1) the present age - Which is being ravaged by the powers of Satan, sin and the world. (2). the Golden Age – The age to come, which is full of eternal bliss (happiness and joy unlimited).
The coming of the Lord is called Parousia. This word describes the coming of the Lord in glory. It means the arrival of a Governor into his Province or the coming of a King to his subjects. It describes a coming in authority and power. It is the ultimate triumph of Christ as the universal King.
Before this golden age; the day of the Lord will be characterized by terrible and fearful happenings –
* The Prophet Zephaniah has the vivid description of how the day would be (Zeph. 1)
* That day is a day of wrath,
* A day of trouble and distress,
* A day of devastation and desolation,
* A day of darkness and gloom,
* A day of clouds and thick darkness,
* A day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers (Zeph. 1: 15-16).
* It will come suddenly - I Thessalonians 5:2 “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night”
* The universe will be shattered into pieces. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, the stars will not shine and no light throughout the sun (Joel 2: 30, 31; Isaiah 13: 10, 13; Jer. 4: 24).
* It will be a time of moral chaos, when moral standard will be turned upside down and when nature will act contrary to herself and wars, violence, hatred, will be the common atmosphere of life. We are living witnesses to what is happening in Egypt, Libya, Iran and Israel.
* It will be a period of wars, famine, diseases, earth quakes, accidents – road, rail, water and air, violence, cultism, etc.
* There will be persecution (Matt. 24: 9-14).
* Period of scientific discoveries; Daniel had prophesied this (Daniel 12: 4).
* False teachers will be on the increase and they will deceive the elect as well (Matthew. 24: 23ff).
* There will be discouragement i.e. love will grow cold
* No one knows the day and hour (Matt 36: 44).
Apostle John, in the book of Revelation, saw the end time as a time of terror; men would be afraid, pangs and sorrow would take hold of them; there would be pains as a woman in labour. When the day of the Lord comes, people will be seeking somewhere to hide; people will hide in caves; many will say that the mountain should fall on them (Hosea 10: 8). Who can stand this terror-filled day?
Be Ready for the Parousia (Matt. 24: 42-51).
If the coming of the Lord is imminent, then, you and I must be prepared; though many things that had been mentioned must not plant fear in our heart because we are expecting the day of deliverance for the righteous.
So what do we do?
* Be Watchful: To live without watchfulness brings disaster. The thief will not tell you when he is coming
* We need to put things right. Do not think that we have plenty time. Today is the day of salvation. No procrastination.
Questions:
1. What is the fate of the unprepared souls? (Matthew 25: 1-13).
2. Worldly pleasures are dangerous, justify this (Eccl. 11: 9-10; 12: 13-14).
3. Do you believe that there is time for everything? How are you spending your time? (Eccl 3: 1-8, 22; I Cor. 15: 33)
4. How does this song minister to you (SUG 113) – ‘Rescue the perishing, what are you doing, to save the perishing? (Daniel 12: 1-3).
Conclusion:
The Bible studies this year is not to scare you about the impending judgment on the earth, Satan and his cohorts; but it is an opportunity to unfold the mysteries behind the second coming of the Lord so that you can wise up; to be serious about things spiritual. Let us read Psalm 90 verses 10-12: “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You is, so is Your wrath.
So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom”.
Memory Verse – Matthew 24: 21-23
“For then, there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.”
9TH JANUARY, 2011
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY
Theme: The Glorious Kingdom
Topic: The Rapture of the Church
Text: 1 Thes. 4: 13-18; 1 Cor. 15: 51-54
Aim: To create awareness of the second coming of Christ in us.
INTRODUCTION:
No amount of effort can stop the clock of history. No mortal, no matter how influential, wealthy, or well-known can break the tyranny of time. Every day that passes, every flash of a digital crystal, brings us closer to the dramatic events predicted in the Bible. We can prepare for the inevitable. We can put time to good use. But we cannot stop it. Not for a moment. This can be an unsettling thought.
The prophetic passages of the Bible are filled with frightening scenes and complicated symbols. There are predictions of the sun going dark and the moon turning to blood. Four terrible horsemen are pictured as riding forth over the earth bringing war, famine, disease and death. A blasphemous beast will rise out of the sea to shake his fist in the face of God and to bring untold suffering to God’s children.
A final, cataclysmic war will be fought and blood will flow five feet deep in a valley two hundred miles long. Finally, peace will settle over the earth like a warm, benevolent sunshine of spring. These are frightening and confusing images.
When we read about prophecy, we come across technical terms like the Great Tribulation, the Abomination of Desolation, the Return of Jesus Christ, the Great White Throne of Judgment and the Lake of Fire.
What is ahead? How much can we know about the end times? Well, not everything, certainly. But the Bible does give us much information.
Today, and for the rest of this year, we shall identify and study the seven major events of the end times.
1. The Rapture of the Church
2. The Great Tribulation
3. The Battle of Armageddon
4. The Judgment Seat of Christ
5. The Millennial Kingdom
6. The Last Judgment
7. The Glorious New Dawn
In John 14: 2-3, Jesus said “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”.
Because Christ can be trusted, we know that He will keep His promise to return for His own. At a predetermined time, the Son of God will leave the Father’s side and descend toward earth. As He does, three mighty sounds will echo across the halls of heaven and sweep over the earth: a shout, the voice of an archangel and a blast from the trumpet of God. When these sounds are heard, all believers since the time of Christ will be resurrected. The bodies of the Christians who have died will arise, be transformed, be reunited with their souls, and taken to Christ’s side in the air. Then every living Christian will be removed from the earth, ‘caught up’ to join with resurrected believers for a great and glorious meeting in the air. Christ will take them to be with Himself and they will always be with the Lord.
This event, termed “Rapture” (catching up) shall be characterized by four features.
1. A Selective Event:
Only believers will experience resurrection and translation when the trumpet sounds. “...the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thes. 4: 11-17). (Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Cor. 15: 51-52).
Not one word appears in these passages about the resurrection or the judgment of the unsaved. The truth is that many people will suddenly disappear. In those parts of the world where the rapture takes place during the night, the disruption will be less evident than where it is daytime. In all walks of life, believers will be missed.
Cars will be left without drivers, planes without pilots, machines without operators, classrooms without teachers. Perhaps the ground above the graves where the bodies of Christians have been interned will be opened, not to release the new body but to show the unsaved what happened.
2. An Imminent Event:
The second feature of the rapture is its imminency. This means that it is ‘an any-moment possibility.’ The motto, “Perhaps Today” is correct. Believers in every generation of Church history have looked for the return of Christ for His own.
The doctrine of imminency was taught by the Lord Jesus. He repeatedly instructed His followers to be ready always for His return, underscoring this point through parables and illustrations. In short, no one really knows when this event will occur. The time is not spelled out in prophecy. We are told instead to maintain an attitude and condition of readiness, for Christ said: “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matt 24: 44.
Christ taught this attitude of watchfulness in two similar parables recorded in Luke 12. In the first parable (vv 35-40), He likened His coming to the return of the Master of the house from a wedding. In the second (vv 42-48), a man left his household affairs in the hands of a servant. The key element in both parables is that the day of the Master’s return could not be known. Because of that, the servants were to maintain constant readiness. The same is true of us as we wait for Christ’s return. This could happen at any moment and that is what the word imminent means.
3. A Welcome Deliverance:
Apart from the two features earlier considered, it will equally be a welcome deliverance. It will take the Lord’s people from the earth before His wrath is poured out upon it.
The promise of 1 Thes. 5: 9: “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” relates to the great tribulation, not to eternal damnation. Believers are not destined to taste God’s wrath – neither in the Great Tribulation nor in hell. Christ paid the full price for our sins.
God may chasten us, but He will never punish us or make us the objects of His wrath, “That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness (Zeph 1:15).
Since God has not appointed us to wrath, we can look for the rapture to deliver us from it.
4. A Necessary Removal:
Another feature of rapture is a Necessary Removal. Before the Antichrist can be revealed and the judgement of the Lord poured out, the Holy Spirit – as He indwells the Church – must be removed from the earth. “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming.” 2 Thes. 2: 7-8.
Before the rebellion and revealing of the Antichrist takes place, however, the Restrainer must be taken ‘out of the way.’ The ‘mystery of the iniquity,’ the lawless system which will culminate in Antichrist, has been in operation for thousands of years. But the forces of evil, which are being held in check by the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit, Who indwells believers and makes them the salt of the earth.
STUDY QUESTIONS:
1. What do you understand by the word, “End times?” (Matthew 24: 3-8).
2. What are the programmes of the End time calendar?
3. What is Rapture? (1 Thes. 4: 16-17; 1 Cor. 15: 51-52) and when will it take place? (1 Thes. 5: 1-2).
4. How will the Rapture happen?
5. What are the features that will characterise rapture events?
6. What is the importance of the two parables in Luke 12: 35-40 & 42-48?
7. How prepared are you? (Ecc. 12: 1-8).
CONCLUSION:
Remember that one of these days, perhaps today, that first event in God’s end time calendar is going to take place. Every believer will rise to meet the Lord in the air, being caught away through this earthly scene to Glory. But every unbeliever will be left behind to face the tribulation.
The questions to ponder are: If Jesus should come today, will you hear the shout? Will you be caught away with those who know Christ or would you be left behind to face the dark days that lie ahead for this sinful and condemned world?
MEMORY VERSE: 1 THESSALONIANS 4: 17
“.........., we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY – 14TH NOVEMBER, 2010
Theme: Article 6: Of The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation
Text: Joshua 1: 1-9; 2 Timothy 3: 14-17.
Aim: To Teach Us that All Scripture is inspired by
God and is Useful to Teach Us the Mind of
God.
Introduction:
How remarkable that the God of the universe would actually want to communicate with us. We are creatures of a material and physical world to which we relate through our five senses. God is a Spiritual being and humans in their physical state cannot see, hear or touch Him. So, how can He communicate to us? – Through the Bible.
Over several centuries, God inspired a select number of people to write down what He felt we needed to know about Him and how He expects us to live. These writings have been collected into this book called the Holy Bible. Holy, because it contains the sacred words of Almighty God to man. In a miraculous way, the Bible speaks to each of us. Its truths apply across generations, cultures and all life’s experiences.
The truth is that the Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths or merely human ideas about God. It is not a human book. It stands out of all books in the world. Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed His person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down His message for His people.
There are three words used in the Bible that help us understand how it was given to us. These three words are referred to as Revelation (from God to man), Inspiration (from man to paper) and Illumination (from paper to heart of man).
The writers wrote from their own personal, historical and cultural contexts. Although they used their own minds, talents, language and style, they wrote what God wanted them to write.
Each author wrote only as he was moved by the one Divine Author, the Holy Spirit. As such, the Scriptures were given as the infallible Word of the living God. This is why the Bible is the world’s greatest book.
A study of the history of God’s written revelation to man is not only interesting, but it also gives us a deeper appreciation for the Bible, the Book that stands apart from all other works of literature.
Its Major Divisions:
The Bible has two (2) major divisions which are the Old Testament (O.T.) and the New Testament (N.T.). There are thirty-nine (39) books in the Old Testament which are further divided into Pentateuch/Law (5 books), History (12 books), Poetry (5 books), Prophecy (17 books – Major, 5 books and Minor 12 books).
All these contained what God said ‘in times past to the fathers’ (Heb. 1: 1-2).
The New Testament contains what He now says to us through His Son and it contains twenty-seven (27) books which are further divided into Gospel (4 books), History (I book), Epistles (21 books) and Apocalypse (1 book).
The design of the O.T. is to inform us of God’s plan for the coming of Christ and His will for man during that period. The O.T. was therefore fulfilled in the N.T. (see the content of your Bible for the list).
However, there are other books that we refer to as ‘Deutero-Canonical’ or ‘Apocryphal Books.’
The word ‘apocryphal’ could simply mean ‘non-canonical books’ and should not be seen as spurious. Even though the books are not part of the canonized books, they are actually useful to be read and one can learn a lot from them. The books provide much valuable information on Jewish history like thought, worship and religious practices during the centuries immediately before the time of Christ. They make possible, a clearer understanding of the historical and cultural situation in which Jesus lived and taught.
The Apocryphal Books were never in the O.T., but the Church reads them for examples of life and instructions on manners; but yet does not apply them to establish any doctrine (see page 499 BCP for the list).
Authority and Greatness of God’s Word:
The reason for the Bible’s greatness, lies in its unique authorship. It was to us by God Himself. It is His word and as such, is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing. Its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and life. The Bible is ‘God-breathed.’
The Bible is the inspired Word of God given to man for his salvation (2 Tim. 3: 16; 2 Pet. 1: 19-21). Divine inspiration makes the Bible uniquely the Word of God, and as such, is different from any other book sacred or secular. It is an inspired revelation of God’s redemptive plan and purpose in Christ on behalf of man.
The authority cannot be doubted. In fact, it is the revelation of God to man (Jn.10: 35; 2 Pet. 1: 16-21). We believe it is the book of life, which reveals the mind of God. It is the rule of life for all who wish to be saved.
The Anglican Church believes that the Bible is the Word of God, authoritative, inspired and sufficient for salvation.
It supercedes the authority of the Pope or any other so-called man of God. It is one Book even though containing sixty-six (66) writings.
The unifying theme of the Bible is CHRIST. The Bible bears witness to God our Creator and Sustainer; Jesus Christ, our Saviour after the fall and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier. It is one continuous story of the redemption of man.
What it should mean to us:
It is evident that the Bible reserves its right to be distinct from any other book. The Book acknowledges its inspiration by the Holy Spirit. This inspiration is a fact which we cannot ignore. Neo-rationalistic theology does not take this into account; it regards the Bible as any other product of literature. In its estimation, the Bible is not the Word of God. However, through the Bible, we find testimonies of divine inspiration. We often read, ‘And the word of the Lord came …….’ And ‘Thus saith the Lord…’ The Bible is God’s Word precisely because of this inspiration.
He, who is convinced of this, listens reverently to the Word of God; then, the Bible is not merely a book of human origin, nor only a worthy substitute for God’s Word from which one could extract God’s meaning. The Bible is not a limited book, but one containing the will of God, applicable to all people of all times.
The Bible is an authoritative Book to which one must unconditionally bow. Therefore, we may not conform the Bible to all questions of the present time, but we must confirm ourselves with all the questions of our time to the Word of God.
We must consider that the Bible is not a scientific Book, nor is it a book which merely relates the history of Jewish people. It is a book which contains God’s decree of salvation for lost sinners.
Perhaps we might have desired that the Bible would have given us more details; we would have liked more information concerning certain persons and occurrences. But the Bible was not written to satisfy our curiosity. Nevertheless, those who have become inquisitive about the fullness that is in Christ Jesus can find everything necessary to salvation in it.
Therefore, what is most necessary? It is that we earnestly seek to know the God of the Bible in the person of Jesus Christ, so that we may become true Christians.
This is rooted in a true faith in Him, resulting in a living through Him.
A life according to God’s Word will not be deficient in bringing forth fruit for ourselves and our environment. We therefore, enjoy the greatest possible comfort, we are a witness to those around us and, above all, God’s name is glorified.
Study Questions:
1. Why is the Bible the Word of God? (2 Timothy 3: 14-17).
2. What does the Holy Scripture mean to you? (2 Peter 1: 16-21).
3. What does Joshua 1: 8 say to you?
4. What do you understand by ‘Apocryphal Books’? and why does the Church read them?
5. How is the Bible authoritative? (Jn. 10: 35; Lk. 16: 17; James. 1: 25; Gal. 5: 11 & 14).
6. What are the benefits one derives from reading and obeying the Bible? (Josh. 1: 8; Ps. 19: 7; Prov. 29: 18; Job 4: 7 & 8).
Conclusion:
The whole Bible is God’s inspired Word. Since it is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it and apply it to our life.
The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. It is our safe guard against fake teachings and our source of guidance for how we should live. It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved. God wants to show you what is true and equip you to live for Him.
How much time do you spend on God’s Word?
Read it regularly to discover God’s truth and to become confident in your life and faith. Develop a plan for reading the whole Bible, not just the familiar passages.
Memory Verses: 2 Timothy 3: 16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Prayer for the Second Sunday in Advent
Blessed Lord, Who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; write in our hearts the lessons of Your Law; prepare our minds to receive the Gospel, help us to hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that through patience and the comfort of Your Holy Word, we may embrace and forever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which You have given us in our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. STATISTICS
Purpose: To show that Christians ought to forgive their brother/sister who offends them or wrongs them no matter the gravity of the offence.
Author: Paul the Apostle.
Date: Approximately AD 60, during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome. It was written the same time that Ephesians and Colossians were written.
2. PREAMBLE:
Roman, Greek and Jewish cultures were littered with barriers, as society assigned people to classes and expected them to stay in their place – men and women, slave and free, rich and poor, Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and Barbarians, pious and pagan. But with the message of Christ, the walls came down, and Paul could declare ‘In this life, it does not matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free. Christ is all that matters and He lives in all of us’ Col. 3: 11.
3. INTRODUCTION:
This life-changing truth (preamble) forms the back drop for the letter to Philemon. One of the three personal letters in the Bible, the letter of Philemon is Paul’s personal plea for a slave. Onesimus ‘belonged’ to Philemon, a member of the Colossian Church and Paul’s friend. But Onesimus, the slave, had stolen from his master and had run away. He had run to Rome, where he had met Paul and there he had responded to the good News and had come to faith in Christ. So, Paul wrote to Philemon and reintroduced Onesimus to him, explaining that he was sending him back, not just as a slave but as a brother. He therefore asked Philemon to accept and forgive him. The barrier of the past – slave, desertion and theft should divide them no longer – They are one in Christ.
INTENSIVE BIBLE STUDY
ON THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO PHILEMON on 6th August, 2010
THEME: THE ACT OF FORGIVENESS
Introduction:
Baptism is the sacrament or a sign of our regeneration or new birth, wherein those baptized receive the promises of forgiveness of sin, adoption as children of God and are made members of Christ’ body, (the Church) and inheritors of the Kingdom of God.
In order words, Baptism is the public announcement of a personal experience of Christ’s life. It is a Christian act of obedience and a public testimony of a believer’s willingness to identify with and follow Christ. Jesus gave us His example, and His command to teach us about baptism. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan river, leaving us an example to do the same as a public statement of our faith. In the same vein, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize other believers (Matthew 28: 19).
Baptism is therefore, a picture of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It is an outward picture of a person’s inward change. The believers leave behind the old way of life in exchange for a new life in Christ.
Baptism is a picture of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. It is an outward. Baptism is a symbol of salvation-not a requirement for eternal life. However, as an act of obedience, it is also, not optional for Christians. Baptism indicates our willingness to tell our church and the world that we are committed to the person of Christ and His teachings.
The term for baptism generally means, ‘to dip’ or immerse. However, it represents a group of words used to signify a religions rite for ritual cleansing. In the New Testament, it became the rite of initiation into the Christian community and it was interpreted as a dying and rising with Christ (Romans 6).
John the Baptist preached a ‘baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’ (Luke 3: 3). It is therefore, a picture of our redirection in life. We repent from our old way of living in sin and disobedience. We change course and get a fresh start – begin again/born again.
Baptism in the name of Triune God signifies control and direction by God Himself. Baptism is once-for-all event – to be administered once and for all. Baptism is real and valid if water and Triune Name are used.
Infants’ baptism is valid and appropriate because Jesus demands them to be brought to Him and God’s Kingdom belong to such as are like them. At baptism, they are dedicated to God in faith and are adopted as citizens and members of God’s covenant people, redeemed by grace in Jesus Christ (BCP page 493, Q115).
Study Questions
1. Baptism is a sacrament ordained by Christ Himself. Of what importance is this sacrament to believers? Matt. 28: 19; Acts 2: 39; Rom. 6: 2-4.
2. Circumcision is for the Old Testament Jews and Baptism is for the New Testament Believers. Discuss Genesis 17: 10-12
3. Infants’ baptism is valid and Biblical. How true is this statement? Genesis 17: 10-12; Acts 2: 38-39; Joel 2: 28; Acts 16: 31-33
4. What does Baptism entails? Acts 3: 19-20; Luke 3: 3
Conclusion:
Baptism is the initiatory rite of the Church into her membership. It is administered to both young and old, male and female. This is in obedience to the injunction of our Lord Jesus Christ that except one is born of water and the Spirit one cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
However, we should remember that baptism does not of itself make a person a child of God. Rather, it confirms and seals an already existing right. Therefore, infants are baptized not to make them God’s children but because they are God’s children. Their baptism seals them as His and assures them of their place within the Christian family.
Memory Verse – Romans 6: 3
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Topic: Sacrament of Baptism
Text: Romans 6: 1-11
Aim: To remind Ourselves of the Significance of Our Baptismal Vow.
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY – 08/08/2010 We can either envy them or try to deprive them of what they possess in order that we may have it; or we may be encouraged to work harder and to save our money, so that we may be able to get something similar for ourselves. This shows that God is concerned not only about what we do, but also, our motives and our desires.
Its implicitly forbids all desire of doing that which will be gratification to ourselves.
In other words, it forbade all those irregular appetites and desires which are the beginning of all the sin that is committed by us.
Duty: To resist temptations to envy, greed and jealousy; to rejoice in other people’s gifts and graces and to do our duty for the love of God.
Questions:
1. My duty towards my neighbour is to love him as myself, and to do to all men, as I would they should do to me.’ Discuss. Matthew 7: 12
2. The word permissiveness, has eroded the virtue of chastity in our today’s generation. How true is this assertion? How can Church regain her lost glory in this respect? (I Cor. 7: 1-2, 18; I Thess. 4: 3-7; Heb. 13: 4).
3. Of all crimes, the worst is marital infidelity. Why? (Matt. 5: 27-30; I Cor. 6: 17-20; Exod. 20: 14).
4. ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ How do we go against this injunction today? (Mal. 3: 8-10).
5. As Church members, we all know that murder is a great crime against humanity, but there are subtle ways in which many of the Church members are aiding and abetting this crime. Discuss (Matthew 2: 16-17; 5: 21-22).
Conclusion:
The relevance of each duty is understood in the underlying principle of the whole decalogue. The principle of the whole is the principle of love, the heartbeat of God. Jesus said that the most important commandments of all are (1) that we should love God, and (2). That we should love other people (Mark 12: 29-31; 6: 8).
Paul said that ‘if we love other people, we should do all that God’s law demands (Romans 13: 8-9), for if we love a person we shall respect his life, his marriage, his possessions, and his reputation.
We need to keep them as our duty and to prevent us from sinning against God.
Also, that we must always have in our minds a reverence of God’s majesty, a dread of His displeasure, and an obedient regard to His sovereign authority over us. This fear will quicken us to our duty and make us circumspect in our walking with Christ.
Memory Verse: James 2: 10
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
This concerns our own and our neighbour’s chastity. This is put before the 6th commandment by our Saviour (Mark 5: 19). Do not commit adultery, do not kill; for our chastity should be as dear to us as our lives, and we should be as much afraid of that which defies the body as of that which destroys it.
The act of adultery is fundamentally an act of unfaithfulness. One or both persons in an adulterous act are being unfaithful to other persons. Of all such crimes, the worst is that which signifies unfaithfulness (I Corinthians 6: 18-19). Charity is one of the hall marks of Christian virtue.
Duty: To use all our bodily deserves as God intended
iv). Eight Commandment: Thou Shalt not Steal
This concerns our own and our neighbour’s wealth, estate and goods. It forbids us to rub ourselves of what we have by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it by sinful sparing and to rub others by removing the ancient landmarks, invading our neighbour’s rights, taking his goods from his person, house or field, forcibly or clandestinely, over-reaching in bargains, not restoring what is borrowed or found, withholding just debts, rents, or wages and (which is worst of all) to rub the public in revenue under the pretext of national cake, or that which is dedicated to the service of God (Tithes and God’s money).
The practice of this command is summed up on the deals of hard work and helping the poor, needy, fellow believers, minister of God and God’s work/projects (Ephesians 4: 28).
Duty: To be honest and fair in our dealings; to seek justice, freedom and the necessities of life for all people and to use our talents and professions for the betterment of others.
v). Nineth Commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
This concerns our own and neighbour’s good name. This forbids:
* Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbor
* Speaking unjustly against our neighbor to the prejudice of his reputation
* Bearing false witness against him, laying to his charge things that he knows not, slandering, backbiting, tale-bearing, aggravating what is done amiss and making it worse than it is, and any way endeavouring to raise our own reputation upon the ruin of our neighbour.
Duty: To speak the truth and not to mislead others by our silence or lies.
vi). 10th Commandment: Thou shalt not covet… (Deuteronomy 5: 21).
This concerns contentment in what we have/possess. When we see that someone else has something that we would like to have, we can do one or two things.
Having considered our duty to God in the first four commandments in our precious study last month, it is necessary for us to consider the second part – which states our duty to our neighbours. The last six commandments comprise our duty to ourselves and to one another, and constituting a commitment upon the second great commandment, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’
In short, it shows how we should treat others kindly and honestly, respecting the life, family, possessions, and reputation of other people.
This is clearly stated in our Cathechism (BCP page 481-482, item 25)
i). Fifth Commandment: This concerns the duties we owe to our neighbours, which include:
* A decent respect to their persons, an inward esteem of them outwardly expressed upon all occasions in or out
* Obedience to their lawful commands, as it is expanded in Ephesians 6: 1-3
* Submission to their rebukes, instructions, and corrections.
The reasons annexed to this command is a promise; that thy days may be long in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’
Conversely, parents are equally challenged to be the kind of people their children can love, honour, and obey. A parent, who is always harsh or unkind, does not help a child to keep this commandment, nor does a parent who allows a child always to do as he/she likes (Eph. 6: 4).
Duty: To love, honour and help our parents and family.
ii). Sixth commandment: Thou shalt not murder. This concerns our own and neighbour’s life. Thou shalt not do anything hurtful or injurious to the health, case and life of thy own body, or any other person unjustly. It forbids all malice and hatred to the person of any, and all personal revenge arising therefore.
Also, all rash anger upon sudden provocations, and hurt said or done, or aimed to be done, in passion (Matthew 5: 22). Conversely when a person is wrongly treated and is able to love those who treated him wrongly, he is sharing in God’s love (Luke 6: 28; Romans 12: 14-21; John 2: 9-11; 3: 11-17).
Duty: To show respect to the life God has given us
iii). Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt not commit Adultery.
Topic: My Duty To My Neighbours
Text: Deuteronomy 5: 1-21
Aim: To teach us to do to other people as we wish
them do to us.
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY – 11TH JULY, 2010 Questions for Discussion:
1. Looking at what Jesus Christ has done for us what is expected of us? (Deut. 6: 4&5; Matt. 22: 37-39; Exod. 23: 24-26; John 3: 3&5)
2. Is heaven and hell real? (Luke 16: 19-30; Hebrews 9: 27; Dan. 12: 2)
3. Are you prepared to go to heaven and what can you do to be saved? Ps. 15; Rom. 10: 9; Jn 3: 17; Heb. 10: 26-27)
4. a). While on earth, what are we supposed to be doing till His second Coming? (Matt. 27: 18-20; Mark 16: 15ff). (b). Are you serious about this? (Dan. 12: 3)
Conclusion:
In the Holy Communion Order, we do proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again. Let us continue to proclaim this, to preach the Gospel, rescue the perishing and arouse the careless in the faith. May the Lord help us to do this faithfully. Memory Verse: Hebrews 12: 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
Introduction:
For our Bible Study this month, we are looking at Articles 3 & 4, page 498 of the Book of Common Prayer. These Articles made us to know that Jesus Christ our Lord went down to hell and resurrected. Christ suffered (passion narratives) � (Luke 22-23) - He died, He was buried (went to hell) (I Peter 3: 19), He rose again (Luke 24: 7), He ascended ( I Peter 3: 22) and He is coming back to judge the quick an the dead (Acts 1: 9-11). Going through the books, (Isaiah 53: 1-12; Lamentation 3: 1-66; Matt. 26&27). All these show what Jesus Christ went through. There are other words used interchangeably with the word, �hell�, they are Sheol, Hades and Gehena. Hell is the final destiny of the wicked. It is a place of fiery punishment for sinners. Hell is pictured as a place of an unending fire and undying worm (Mark 9: 43ff). Christ�s descent to hell firmly embedded in early Christian creeds.
Apostle Peter gave us the picture of Christ going down to hell in his Epistle �By whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water� (I Pet. 3: 19; 4: 6) Apostle Paul made us to know that Christ led captors into captivity. Now this, �He ascended� what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things� (Eph. 4: 9-10). Also, when Jesus gave up the ghost, the earth shook and the rock split the tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people, who had died were raised to life and they went to the Holy city and appeared to many people (Matt. 27: 50-53). This Bible study is to show that the life and times of Jesus Christ is not a myth.
* The Jews called Him Rabbi * The Muslims called Him a Prophet * Other Religions see Him as a Perfect Master * Josephus the Jewish, Historian testifies that Jesus Christ really passed through this planet * Why did He descend to hell? �to taste death * To destroy death (I Cor. 15: 54-56) * To preach to those in bondage (I Pet. 3: 19) * He died to save mankind * He died as a sacrifice because the blood of Heifer and Goats cannot cleanse our sins * He died to show that death is a gateway to Eternity Resurrection: We have examples of those who died and were alive again: * The Shunamite woman�s son � Elisha II Kg 4: 8-36 * Widow of Nain�s son * Lazarus (John 11) * The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16: 19-31) Resurrection means life, it means dry bones shall rise again and it is the ultimate of our belief. Also, it is a day of judgement because some will rise to condemnation and some to life.
OF JESUS CHRIST GOING TO HELL & HIS RESURRECTIONBIBLE STUDY - 14/03/10BIBLE STUDY
