Lesson 7, Anger and your Brother

Sunday School Lesson for the Adult Class

Witnessing as Jesus and the Bible instructs us to witness

VII. Anger and your Brother.                                       Matthew 5:21 – 26

          A. Jesus reminds of the law, then expounds it.   Matthew 5:21, 22

If a person obeys the commandments but wishes evil, or longs to give into lust, is that person truly just?

Are you justified to obey the letter of the law, but not the intents of it?

Jesus was removing all false interpretations of the law. The law was external, but the Spirit of God was internal.

          B. Gift to God while living in sin.                        Matthew 5:23, 24

What good are our outward or external motions of Christianity if our heart is far from God?

          C. Don’t let a standing disagreement hurt your light of the Gospel. Matthew 5:25, Luke 12:58

          D. Uttermost farthing.                                         Matthew 4:26, Luke 12:59

If we as Christians cannot rectify our wrongs and sins after being forgiven of such great sins ourselves by Jesus Christ, what example is it for us to let sins and hardships exist between us and our acquaintances?

Lesson 6, Jesus Fulfills the Law and Prophets.

Sunday School Lesson for the Adult Class

Witnessing as Jesus and the Bible instructs us to witness

VI. Jesus fulfilling the Law and Prophets                    Matthew 5:17, Romans 8:3 – 6, Romans 10:4

People might say that the original commandments, or the Old Testament no longer matter, but this is not true, Jesus life didn’t destroy the Old Testament but fulfilled it.

          A. Jot and tittle                                                    Matthew 5:18, Luke 16:17

We serve a savior that leaves nothing undone. Most prophecies have been fulfilled, but there a some yet to come.

          B. Commandments and Heaven                          Matthew 5:19, James 2:10

Do the Old Testament commandments matter? Are there degrees in Heaven?

          C. Righteousness of God matters, not man        Matthew 5:20, Romans 10:3

Christ was speaking in a way the Pharisees didn't speak about the Jewish faith. Christ was speaking in such a way, except for John the Baptist, no one had spoken in hundreds of years. The Old Testament prophets for the most part were despised by the ruling class of Israel. Many leading Christians today may look down upon the rightful interpretation of the Bible.

Who matters when it comes to our discipleship and how we tell Gods word?

Lesson 5, Seasoning and Light of the World

Sunday School Lesson for the Adult Class

Witnessing as Jesus and the Bible instructs us to witness

V. Christians are the seasoning and light of the world                   Matthew 5:13 – 16

          A. Salt of the earth                                                        Matthew 5:13, Luke 14:34, 35, Mark 9:50,

If you are not full of God’s power and spirit are you any good for spreading the Gospel? Luke 14:33

          B. Light of the World                                                    Matthew 5:14, Luke 8:16, 11:33 – 36

Notice that we ARE the light and salt and not merely ‘have’ the light or salt. Once we accept him as our savior, we have a purpose that exists whether we choose to serve him or not. We can hide our light or salt, but we cannot remove it; we are made those things by Jesus Christ when we accept him.  –From ‘Cost of Discipleship’ Dietrich Bonhoeffer pg. 116

          C. City set on a hill -               When you are traveling at this time in history, you long for the cities. The highways and byways are where the robbers and bandits are. Traveling at night has its own hazards when there are no lights or electricity.

Do people look forward to our presence? Do people see us a haven in a sinful and dangerous world?

          D. Hidden candle -                  We can hide our lights, but it goes against common sense, the point of the candle, nature, and our God-given purpose.

          E. Light to the whole house - We are always to be a light everywhere we go, all the time.

          F. You let your light shine for God’s glory -       God gets the honor and glory if we are a light for him.

          Is there any self or ego in being a light for Christ?

Lesson 4 in Matthew, the Beatitudes

IV. The Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount                Matthew 5:1 - 12

            A. After attracting a following he begins to preach     Matthew 5:1, 2, Luke 6:20

Is a Christian’s work done in the church or outside the church building? Church is for worship and teaching, but Christ preached and taught in the church and evangelized outside the church.

Did Jesus convert more in the synagogues or outside them?

          B. The Beatitudes                                                Matthew 5:2 – 12, Luke 6:20 – 23

                   1. Blessed are the poor in spirit

                   2. Blessed are they that mourn

                   3. Blessed are the meek

                   4. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness

                   5. Blessed are the merciful

                   6. Blessed are the pure in heart

                   7. Blessed are the peacemakers

                   8. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake

                   9. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you

                             a. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Cost of discipleship chapter 6 expounds this well.

          C. The opposite of the Beatitudes – Proverbs 6:16 – 19

                   1. proud look

                   2. lying tongue

                   3. hands that shed innocent blood

                   4. heart that deviseth wicked imaginations

                   5. feet swift running to mischief

                   6. false witness

                   7. he that soweth discord

Can we be successful in winning souls to Jesus without these characteristics described in the beatitudes?

Does Christianity require that we are willing to suffer for the cause of Christ? (Verse 12)

Does the ‘American’ or ‘modern’ way of life conflict with the beatitudes?

I believe (the Great Commission in Matthew Chapter 10) that Christians are better to suited to witness when they have been taught to witness; not to go uninformed of God’s word. 

Lesson 3 of the New Adult Sunday School Lesson

Sunday School Lesson for the Adult Class

Witnessing as Jesus and the Bible instructs us to witness

III. Jesus fulfills scripture and calls disciples Matthew Chapter 4 v.12 – 25

          A. Jesus heads north Galilee, Naphthalim, Zebulan    Mark 1:14, Luke 4:14, John 1:39

         

          B. Fulfilled prophecy Matthew 4:14, Luke 4:17          Isaiah 9:1, 2, Isaiah 61:1, 2

Does God fulfill prophecy in our lives?

          C. Preaches just as John did                                        Matthew 4:17

          D. Starts to gather the disciples                                   Matthew 4:18, 19, Mark 1:16, 17, Luke 5:3, 4, John 1:39

         

Do we look for converts the same way? Were the disciples already converted? Is calling disciples the same as calling out the lost?

          E. Gathers more disciples                                            Matthew 4:21, 22, Mark 1:19, 20, John 1:42 – 49

Do we ever stop evangelizing? Is God’s Church supposed to be ‘big enough’? Do we retire from our Christian work?

          F. Jesus starts to teach, heal, and change lives           Matthew 4:23 – 25, Mark 1:21 – 28, Luke 4:22 – 37

Should our ‘fame’ in God’s work be known to others? Maybe not on the night news, but should it be known in circles that our church has powerful prayers, or that God’s work is done here?

I think (Great Commission in Matthew Chapter 10) that Christians are better to suited to witness when they have been taught to witness; not to go uninformed of God’s word. 

Witnessing as the Bible instructs us to witness: Matthew 4:1 - 11 The temptation of Jesus

Sunday School Lesson for the Adult Class

Witnessing as Jesus and the Bible instructs us to witness

II. Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tempted - Matthew Chapter 4 v.1-11

          A. Who takes Jesus into the wilderness – The Spirit                      Mark 1:12, Luke 4:1

Will the spirit take us to places where he will be tried?

          B. Jesus fasts 40 days and nights before his temptation       Luke 4:2

What is the significance of Jesus’ fasting?

Whose strength must Jesus rely on?

Could we clear our calendar to meditate on God and his word for 40 days?

Does God speak to busy people? If he did would they hear?

          C. The first temptation comes after he has fasted.                Luke 4:2

          D. Stones to Bread temptation                                               Luke 4:3

Hunger, lust, fatigue, all tempts us to give in to sin. Jesus proved we don’t have to give in to sin.

          E. Trying what God says, another temptation                      Luke 4:9 – 12

Similar to Adam and Eve, testing God to see if he means what he says is a sin because it goes contrary to his word first, and shows a lack of faith second.

          F. All the world for your soul - temptation                                      Luke 4:5 – 8

Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

While the temptation of ‘stuff’ is powerful, you can’t take it with you when you die.

          G. Angels ministered unto him                                               Mark 1:13

When God attend to you after you have overcome temptations and persecutions in his name?

Is any persecution comparable to eternity? Isn’t a soul saved worth persecution?

I think (Great Commission in Matthew Chapter 10) that Christians are better to suited to witness when they have been taught to witness; not to go uninformed of God’s word. 

New Adult Sunday School Lessons

This week we will be doing new lessons for the Adult class at our Church. I want to try and show the best way to be a light and spread the Gospel to the world by looking at how Jesus and the apostles themselves witnessed. I'm starting in Matthew the third chapter. If you get some use out of these lessons, please leave a message and let me know.

Lesson 1 Matthew Chapter 3

Witnessing as Jesus and the Bible instructs us to witness

I. John the Baptist comes onto the scene (Who is John and What does he do) - Matthew 3

A. Who is John?

1. John was the son of Zachariah and Elizabeth and Cousin to Mary and Joseph the parents of Jesus. Luke 1:5, Luke 1:36

2.  His birth was a miracle to aged parents as foretold by the angel Gabriel.           Luke 1:18, Luke 1:19

3.  John was set aside to be different and pure and full of the Holy Ghost.                Luke 1:15

Questions for the class

Is the birth of John and his purpose in life that different from what your purpose is?

Were you called by God? 2 Timothy 1:9, Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:13,14

         

          B. What does John do?

                   1. Preaches in the Wilderness

                   2. Preaches repentance for the kingdom is at hand and make ready people for the Lord     Matthew 3:2, Luke 1:17

Is our message any different from John’s message?             Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8

                   3. Preaches as prophesied by Isaiah and in the spirit of Elias        Matthew 3:3, Luke 1:17

                   4. Baptizes with water unto repentance.                                Matthew 3:11

                   5. Tells of the one to come; Jesus.                                         Matthew 3:11,12, John 1:29  

What is the story we are to tell?                                            Matthew 28:19,20

                   6. He baptizes Jesus.                                                              Matthew 3:15               

C. God Proclaims/Declares that Jesus is his Son.                                    Matthew 3:17, Luke 3:22, Mark 1:11

Is our job to proclaim him? Can you proclaim who you do not know? Matthew 10:20