February 28
Lesson 13 (KJV)
CALLED TO SERVE
DEVOTIONAL READING: Psalm 33:1–12
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Acts 16:11–15, 40; 1 Corinthians 1:26–30
ACTS 16:11–15, 40
11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:26–30
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
KEY VERSE
When she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.—Acts 16:15
CALL IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Unit 3: The Call of Women
LESSONS 9–13
LESSON AIMS
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Identify on a map the locations mentioned.
2. Compare and contrast the roles of Paul and Lydia in planting the church in Philippi.
3. Improve in his or her best area of service in categories of inreach, outreach, and upreach.
HOW TO SAY IT
Aegean A-jee-un.
Corinth Kor-inth.
Corinthians Ko-rin-thee-unz (th as in thin).
Derbe Der-be.
Galatians Guh-lay-shunz.
Gentile Jen-tile.
Iconium Eye-ko-nee-um.
Macedonia Mass-eh-doe-nee-uh.
Neapolis Nee-ap-o-lis.
omnipotent ahm-nih-poh-tent.
omniscient ahm-nish-unt.
Philippi Fih-lip-pie or Fil-ih-pie.
Samothracia Sam-o-thray-shuh.
Silas Sigh-luss.
Thyatira Thy-uh-tie-ruh (th as in thin).
Troas Tro-az.
Introduction
A. Career and Hospitality
Hospitality can make careers. Dolley Madison (1768–1849), wife of US president James Madison, was a great political asset in her husband’s career. James certainly had merit as a great writer and political mind, being called today the Father of the Constitution. But he was a shy man, not given to promoting his own interests.
After they wed, Dolley’s parties made people feel welcome and turned guests into political supporters. As the First Lady, Dolley largely shaped what it meant to hold that position in terms of hospitality and volunteerism.
Deidre Mathis’s hospitality career began when she was a world traveler on a tight budget. She would stay in hostels to save money. Deidre’s experiences of bonding with other women travelers inspired her to open her own hostel in downtown Houston. Her hostel combines her love of connecting with people with her passion for business. Hospitality made her welcome around the world; now she welcomes the world to Houston.
Going the other direction, we might say that careers can fund hospitality as well. This direction is the focus of an individual in today’s lesson.
B. Lesson Context
Paul and his companions began their second missionary journey around AD 52. It began with revisits to some of the cities Paul had visited on the first journey. These included Derbe, Lystra, and (perhaps) Iconium (Acts 16:1–2).
From there they headed west to Troas. While in Troas, Paul had a vision of a “man of Macedonia” who entreated him to come over to Macedonia and help (Acts 16:9). The vision served as a warrant for Paul to cross the Aegean Sea and enter Europe with the gospel—his first time to do so. Paul’s initial visits to the cities of Philippi and Corinth both occurred during this trip.
The city of Philippi sat in a commanding position on the fertile plain of the Gangites River, surrounded by mountains on three sides. Its site is in the northeast quadrant of modern Greece. About 400 years old when visited by Paul, Philippi was a major Macedonian city. Philippi’s name comes from King Philip II of Macedon, who conquered the city in 356 BC and renamed it for himself.
That was one of the first steps in Philip’s domination of the entire Greek peninsula. It set the stage for his successor and son, Alexander the Great, to march east and conquer territories all the way to India. The gold mines for which the city of Philippi was known provided great wealth for both leaders to fund their military campaigns. But the apostle Paul was in search of gold of a different kind, and he found it.
I. Entry to Europe
(ACTS 16:11–15, 40)
A. Philippi (vv. 11–12)
11. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis.
Troas was a major seaport on the eastern shore of the Aegean Sea. There Paul, Silas, and others were joined by Luke, for the “they” of Acts 16:8 changes to “we” in 16:10. These missionaries boarded a ship for Macedonia, going by way of the small island-city of Samothracia to the western Aegean port city Neapolis. From Troas to Neapolis was about 150 miles, which they sailed in two days.
12. And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
Neapolis served as a seaport to the important city of Philippi (see Lesson Context). The journey between the two cities was about nine miles. In 168 BC, the city became a Roman colony, a place where veteran soldiers could retire and receive a tract of land to farm. Philippi was the easternmost point on the Via Egnatia, the great Roman highway of about 535 miles in length, that crossed the Greek peninsula. Philippi appeared to be a good city for the missionaries’ task, for they decided to stay certain days.
B. The Prayer Meeting (v. 13)
13. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Paul’s usual strategy was to visit the city’s synagogue on the sabbath to teach fellow Jews about Jesus (example: Acts 13:14b–15, 26–42). Tradition required that a community have 10 married Jewish men to have a synagogue, but that number seems to have been unavailable in this overwhelmingly Gentile city.
Instead, a group met outside the city gates by a river side. This place could have been by the Gangites River, about a mile west of town, but this is uncertain. A place where prayer was wont to be made is a way of describing any synagogue. Since there was no synagogue there, the phrase suggests that those who gathered intended their meetings to be similar to those that occurred in synagogues.
What Do You Think?
How would you characterize your ideal place to pray?
Digging Deeper
For you personally, how does the issue of where to pray interact with the issue of how to pray?
This prayer group seems to have consisted solely of women. In addition to that demographic, Paul would have encountered them in terms of one of three religious persuasions: as Jews, as proselytes (converts to Judaism; see Acts 13:43), or as God-fearing Gentiles who had not converted to Judaism (10:2, 22).
The third category is most likely, given the nature of the city of Philippi. Paul’s willingness to minister to a group of Gentile women echoed Jesus’ own ministry at Jacob’s well (John 4:1–42; see lesson 10). C.
Lydia’s House (vv. 14–15, 40)
14. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Interestingly, the certain woman named Lydia bears the ancient name of the Kingdom of Lydia, which existed 1200–546 BC. It encompassed roughly the western half of the modern country of Turkey. So the woman Lydia was named after the area within which her town of Thyatira was located—an area from which Paul had just come, after having received a vision in which a “man of Macedonia” had invited him to come over (Acts 16:9)! There is a certain irony in all this.
In Paul’s day, Thyatira was the chief source of dyed fabric. The woman Lydia specialized in purple fabric. This particular work was difficult but profitable for those with skill. To sell purple cloth was to deal in luxury items, so it is likely that Lydia had prosperous business connections in her hometown and sold products in far-flung cities like Philippi.
Like the Gentile Cornelius (Acts 10), Lydia worshipped God and may have been drawn to the Jewish faith without converting to it (contrast 13:43). Many barriers existed against full inclusion with the Jewish people. But Luke regularly recognized the faithfulness of those people who, like Lydia, worshipped and feared God (13:16, 26) or were otherwise “devout” (10:2). As Paul encountered such a one here, so he would again (17:4, 17).
Surely Lydia’s prior worship of God had prepared her heart to hear Paul’s message. The Lord, not Paul or his rhetoric, then opened her heart to Paul’s presentation of the gospel. God had gone before His missionary, and God will continue after His missionary finishes. As Paul will later write to the Corinthians, one person might plant a seed and another might water, “but God [gives] the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6).
15. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Lydia responded to Paul’s message with faith. We can imagine that Lydia and her household were baptized right there at the river without delay. (The importance of baptism is seen in Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3–5; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12–13; Titus 3:5; etc.).
As an outflowing of gratitude to God for accepting her into His family, Lydia invited Paul and his companions to her house to stay for a while. Asking the men to judge whether she was faithful to the Lord reveals that this was also a test. Would the Jewish men visit the home of a Gentile woman? How included in God’s kingdom was she really? By insisting that the missionaries join her, Lydia revealed her own conviction that she and all her household were now entirely acceptable to the Lord. Nothing was lacking in her salvation.
Given Lydia’s vocation, we receive the impression that hers was a generous home, both in physical size and in hospitality.
What Do You Think?
What are some ways you can help provide and promote a ministry of hospitality?
Digging Deeper
What imperatives and boundaries do Acts 28:7; Romans 12:13; 16:23; 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 1:8; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9; 2 John 9–11; and 3 John 8 establish in this regard?
40. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
While in Philippi, Paul and Silas were arrested for casting a spirit of divination out of a fortune-telling slave girl (Acts 16:16–24). Following the conversion of their guard and release from prison (16:25–39), Paul and Silas returned to the house of Lydia. The unjust treatment of the missionaries was traumatic for them and the new congregation. This became a time for all to be comforted.
Lydia’s home in Philippi surely became the initial meeting place for this group of believers. However, the book of Philippians, written a decade or so later, contains no reference to Lydia. We can only surmise that she was no longer in Philippi, perhaps having moved to Thyatira or elsewhere—maybe even having passed away. Her legacy of hospitality, service, and faithfulness endured in this church, however, as Paul celebrated the partnership those of the church had maintained “from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:5).
HUMBLE HOSPITALITY BUILDS CHURCHES
Elijah A. Frost organized a church in Cassville, Missouri, in 1885. The church met on Elijah’s front porch. Frost wasn’t a preacher, but he knew how to pray. He loved Jesus, the Word of God, and his neighbors.
His great hospitality invited others to learn and grow with him. These few dedicated Christians—praying in Christ’s name, praising God though spiritual songs, and trusting in God’s holy Word—turned a humble porch into a sanctuary.
Similarly, Lydia met with a few women at the river. Out of her humble prayer group would spring the greatest church in all of Asia Minor. The fledgling church began with women. The church grew in large part thanks to Lydia’s hospitality.
Our churches are going to grow in the same way. How can your humble home and godly hospitality bless the church as Brother Frost and Lydia did? —C. T.
What Do You Think?
In our era of ready access to restaurants and hotels, what emphasis should you and your church place on in-home hospitality? Why?
Digging Deeper
In what ways does a need for short-term versus long-term hospitality change your answer, if at all? Why?
II. Correction to Corinth
(1 CORINTHIANS 1:26–30)
A. Calling the Ordinary (v. 26)
26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
Paul had planted the church in Corinth in about AD 52. Now, in about AD 56, he writes a letter to that church while ministering in Ephesus. The letter is in response to troubling reports of factions and disunity (1 Corinthians 1:11).
Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians of what they had been before coming to Christ. Their church did not begin with leaders who had great educations, widespread social influence, or distinguished families. Doubly, Paul may have wanted to remind the Corinthians that their (mostly) Gentile backgrounds had prevented them from attaining any standing among God’s people before.
Regarding being wise … after the flesh, Paul was well acquainted with the dangers there. He himself was able to quote Greek philosophers and scholars (see 1 Corinthians 15:33; Titus 1:12; Acts 17:24–29) while recognizing the overall defects in philosophies not grounded in Scripture (1 Corinthians 1:20; 2:1–5; Colossians 2:8).
What Do You Think?
Without giving directive advice, how would you counsel an unbeliever who was prideful of his or her status in life?
Digging Deeper
Under what circumstances would you and would you not use Scripture as part of your discussion (contrast Acts 17:10–12 with 17:16–34)?
B. Confounding the Wise
(vv. 27–29)
27. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
Paul sees the great irony in all of this. All human wisdom and power are finite things and miniscule when compared to the power and wisdom of God. God is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing) in ways humans barely begin to understand.
But God does not often choose to dazzle people into belief by displays of might and intelligence. God prefers to use the foolish and the weak things of the world to communicate His loving concern and His plan for humankind (see 1 Corinthians 1:28, below). In so doing, God is able to confound the world’s expectations. In 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul referred to the crucifixion of Christ as a “stumblingblock.” Christ’s atoning death on the cross was scandalous, not what the Jews expected from their Messiah (compare Galatians 3:13–14).
We are reminded of Peter, who, when told that Jesus would accomplish the Father’s will by Jesus’ humiliation, suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem, exclaimed, “Be it far from thee, Lord” (Matthew 16:22). Peter did not expect the Messiah to bring victory through death.
28. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.
The word translated base is the antonym of the word for “noble” in 1 Corinthians 1:26—literally, “ignoble.” In the Roman world, there was nothing more ignoble than a cross, the torture-execution for the worst criminals. It was especially problematic to Jews because of the curse of hanging on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:23).
Christians today see the cross as a comforting and victorious symbol. Churches display it. We wear it on necklaces and other jewelry. We even tattoo it on our bodies. Not so in Paul’s day. The cross was shameful; nothing could be more despised among polite society. But God does not play by society’s rules or expectations. A Christian seeing a cross in the first century would be struck by the completely unexpected and humbling circumstances of Jesus’ sacrifice. What is scandalous for us may be glorious for God.
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
My 7-year-old grandson Alex: “I’m hungry!”
My daughter, Sarah: “That’s impossible! You just ate lunch!”
Alex: “Mom, all things are possible with God. You might want to jot that down!”
My grandson is absorbing some important truths in his Sunday school class! While a silly example, his words are a great reminder that all things really are possible with God.
Lydia’s story seems impossible. A man invited Paul to come to Macedonia (Acts 16:9), but Paul didn’t find a man. He found Lydia, an independent, apparently single, wealthy woman. She was already the leader of a women’s prayer group. She became a charter member of what would become one of the most influential churches in the area. Again, we think, “Impossible!”
Indeed, “with God, all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). What impossible task is God calling you to undertake for Him? —C. T.
29. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
God’s upside-down plan ensures that no one can claim credit for their own salvation. No flesh would think of the plan God enacted as the solution to human sinfulness. The paradoxical nature of the gospel does not allow for anyone to receive self-created glory in God’s presence.
Paul’s example is instructive. His miracles did not speak to his own power, but to God’s (1 Corinthians 2:4–5). And his preaching of the gospel was persuasive not because of his own eloquence. The Corinthians prided themselves as discerning, intelligent people—they could be impressed by a well-reasoned speech of no substance. But Paul had instead presented a message of the utmost importance. The truth of the gospel, not human skill, had convinced the Corinthian Christians.
C. Inclusion in Christ (v. 30)
30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
God’s wisdom, unlike the world’s, finds fulfillment in Christ Jesus. Righteousness invokes a legal term that means even though we are guilty of our sins, “no penalty” is the sentence. The prophets often took this word further, defining it not in terms of a lack of wrong actions but as the presence of right actions (examples: Isaiah 33:15; Ezekiel 3:20–21; Hosea 10:12).
The Holy Spirit works sanctification in us, teaching us to identify sin and empowering us to overcome it (Galatians 5:13–21) and produce the fruit of the Spirit (5:22–26). This allows us to live holy lives that would be impossible without God’s power (Romans 8:1–16).
Redemption is a term associated with being freed from slavery. In the Roman Empire, a slave could purchase his or her own freedom. But sinners have no way to pay for our own freedom. We have not only been bought by the blood of Jesus—we have been set free from our slavery to sin (Romans 6:17). Instead we serve righteousness (6:18).
Put together, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption describe the reality of being in Christ (Ephesians 1:11). Through the cross God has made a way for us to be restored to fellowship with Him. This is our salvation in Jesus Christ.
What Do You Think?
What are some practical ways for you to live more fully as a witness that you have righteousness, sanctification (holiness), and redemption in Christ?
Digging Deeper
What specific, personal weakness in this regard does 1 Corinthians 1:31 challenge you on? What other passages apply?
Conclusion A. Serving as God Desires
Our last four weeks have explored the examples of Anna, the prophetess daughters of Philip, the Samaritan woman, Mary Magdalene, and Priscilla. In Lydia’s case, she made use of her status and wealth to serve God. Her influence brought her household to Christ and had a ripple effect in Philippi. Her prosperous business allowed her to host Paul and his companions in her house, as well as the church that would grow from their efforts. These efforts were not accomplished for the glory of Lydia or Paul. Both sought only to follow Christ and lead others to Him.
We might summarize the accounts from this unit and say that each woman served where God gave her opportunity and gifting. The same holds true today. When a woman senses God’s calling on her to use her job, her social connections, and/or the spiritual gifts He gave her for His glory, she can and will find a way to serve. While the same is true for men, the nature of women’s ministries has often been less visible and sometimes considered less critical in spreading the gospel.
B. Glorying in the Cross
As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, God chose the cross to show His wisdom instead of using what was already honored and revered in any human society. And the foolishness of the world became the wisdom of God. God still uses people following the way of the cross to show His wisdom to the world. Let us all continue to seek His wisdom and remain open to other “foolish” things God may choose in place of the “wise.” In this way, we seek only God’s glory.
C. Prayer
Lord God, all Christians need places to serve! May we answer You as You call us to the right place at the right time and gift us in the right way to do Your will. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
D. Thought to Remember
Seek the wisdom of the cross. Serve in its shadow.
KID’S CORNER
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
John 17:1-8
(John 17:1) Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
In John 17, before Jesus prayed what has been titled His “High Priestly Prayer,” a prayer of intercession as our High Priest, He encouraged His disciples by saying in John 16:33, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” Our heavenly Father answers all the prayers of Jesus and all who trust Him as Lord and Savior. When Jesus tells His disciples to have peace in Him and take courage (and His disciples for the past 2,000 years have needed His peace and to take courage), the Holy Spirit helps them have His peace and take courage in answer to His and their prayers to the Father. In John 17, Jesus prayed for His disciples and for all His disciples through the years who would come to know and love Him because His disciples taught His words—the words of His Father. Jesus’ last command to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 included the words, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and His disciples have continued to do so—despite facing persecution from those of this world.
Jesus prayed aloud for His disciples to hear, learn, and remember because His time had come for Him to leave them. He knew that He would leave them in such a terrifying way (as John saw) that they would need to remember His reassuring prayer for them. They knew that God answered all Jesus’ prayers. And His Father answered Jesus’ prayer for them before and after those of the world arrested, tried, tortured, and crucified Jesus.
We might think of Jesus’ prayer as a “progress report” to His heavenly Father. Jesus prayed an unselfish prayer, for He prayed and asked the Father to help Him glorify His Father. In asking the Father to glorify Him, Jesus wanted His glorification to glorify His Father. Another word for “glorify” is honor. Jesus only wanted His Father to honor Him so He could honor the Father by all He said and did. When believers pray for success, they can pray that their success will glorify or honor the Father and the Son and show others that they love and supremely serve the Father and the Son.
(John 17:2) even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
The Father gave Jesus, the Son, authority over all people. In Matthew 9:6, we learn that Jesus, the Son of Man, had “authority on earth to forgive sins.” In Matthew 28:18, Jesus told His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” In John 5:27, Jesus said the Father had “given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” In John 17:2, Jesus said that He has the authority to give eternal life. In John 19:11, Jesus told Pilate that he would have no power or authority over Him unless it had been given him from above. The Father and Jesus gave Pilate the authority or power as governor of Judea to order Jesus crucified. Jesus did not use His authority to stop Pilate or His persecutors, because He came to die as a substitutionary sacrifice for all He came to save. For good reasons, Jesus could share His authority with His disciples. In Matthew 10:1, Jesus gave His disciples “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.” Jesus died and rose again to save sinners and give eternal life to all who would believe in Him (see John 3:16). The Father gave to Jesus all those who would be saved by grace through faith in Him as Lord and Savior. When disciples of Jesus worship the Father and the Son, they can thank the Father for giving them to Jesus. All Jesus’ disciples can have peace in Him and take courage from knowing the fact that the Father will never take from Jesus any gift that He has given Him—they can remember that they are the Father’s gifts to Jesus. Think how precious the disciples of Jesus are to the Father and the Son!
(John 17:3) “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
In His prayer, Jesus defined the meaning of “eternal life.” Eternal life can begin now in this present world and last forever. Eternal life involves knowing the only true God, the Father and Jesus Christ, the One the Father sent. Eternal life involves and depends on knowing both the Father and the Son. Knowing the truth about them will fill the believer with true love for them. Knowing God involves more than having an intellectual conception of some facts about God. Knowing God involves a personal relationship with God that includes listening to God when reading the Bible, loving God, praying to God, worshiping God, serving God, and obeying God.
(John 17:4) “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
Jesus loved others, taught, healed, cast out demons, raised the dead, fed the multitudes, calmed the stormy sea, and did other things that were part of the work His Father intended for Him to do. Jesus looked forward to glorifying His Father and finishing His work by obeying Him and dying in our behalf to save believers in Him from practicing sin and the eternal consequences of sin. Jesus said and did what would glorify God and point people to the true God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus, the Father glorifies the Son by pointing those He has given Jesus to Jesus in ways that lead people to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. As disciples of Jesus, we can honor and glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by finishing the work that Jesus has given us to do. Because we love them, we want to glorify them, just as Jesus loved His Father in heaven. Jesus wanted to glorify His Father by obeying Him and teaching others the words that His Father had given Him to share with them. We find these words in the Bible—the infallible Word of God written.
(John 17:5) “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Jesus did not take His Father’s love for Him and His plans for Him as simple matters of course. Jesus asked His Father to keep His promise to Him fully while knowing that the Father would do what He promised and answer His prayers. Disciples of Jesus can pray according to the promises of God in the Bible fully knowing that God will do all that He has promised in the Bible. Jesus wanted to return to His place on the throne of God where He sat before the Father created the world through Him, for Jesus is the Word of God (see John 1:1). As we learned in John 1:1-18, Jesus was not a mere prophet or mere human being or an angel from heaven. Jesus is the Son of God who had the glory of God in the presence of God His Father before the world existed. Jesus came to earth fully God and fully human, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary, His mother. In Luke 1:35, “The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God’.”
(John 17:6) “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
Jesus prayed for His disciples and all who would become His disciples. The Father gave followers to Jesus, followers who would become Jesus’ disciples, by taking them out of the world that they might enter the Kingdom of God under the rule of Jesus the King (the Messiah). Jesus reported in His prayer that He had made the Father’s Name (the true character and nature of God) known to them and they had believed and obeyed the word of God that had Jesus taught them and the crowds. Jesus knew that it was important for His disciples to hear His “progress report” in prayer and believe that God, His Father and their Father, had accepted His report and work. God the Father gave absolute proof that He accepted Jesus “progress report” when He raised Jesus from the dead and gave Jesus’ disciples the Holy Spirit to indwell them. The Father and the Son always worked and work together in perfect unity of heart and mind. Those who become Jesus’ disciples are those the Father has given Jesus. Today, by using the Bible’s teachings, Jesus’ disciples must make the Name (the nature and character) of the Father and the Son known to those in the world. Those who come to believe in Jesus have been given to Jesus by the Father. Those who have been given to Jesus by the Father will keep (obey) the word of God (the words of Jesus). In prayer, disciples of Jesus can ask the Father to help them make disciples of Jesus as Jesus did, and they can give the Father a “progress report” as Jesus did. In these and other ways, with the help of the Holy Spirit, disciples of Jesus can glorify the Father and the Son. They can glorify Jesus by finishing the work Jesus has given them.
(John 17:7) “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
Jesus lived and taught in ways that always pointed people to the true God, the Father and the Son. Jesus taught and acted in such a way that people could hear with their ears and see with their eyes that everything Jesus said and did was consistent with the express will of His Father, and the Father blessed and enabled His incarnate Son to do everything Jesus did and all that He taught. All things belong to the Father and the Son, and Jesus taught His disciples this truth.
(John 17:8) for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.”
When He spoke with authority, Jesus always made it clear that He did not speak only on His own authority independent from the Father. Jesus’ words and deeds convinced His followers that He came from God and He was sent by God to them for their benefit and the benefit of all who would hear and believe the good news about and from Jesus. A true disciple of Jesus has received the words of Jesus as the words of God the Father. They know “in truth,” as “actual fact,” that Jesus Christ came into this world because the Father loved the world and sent Jesus into the world. Jesus did what He was sent by the Father to do. Remember John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Disciples of Jesus know and believe what they have learned from and about Jesus as revealed in the Bible. Because the know and believe the words of Jesus they keep and obey the words of Jesus—the very words of God.
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do (John 17:4—KJV).
I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do (John 17:4—NASB).
I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do (John 17:4—NRSV).
When Jesus prayed aloud to His Father, His disciples learned that Jesus glorified His Father by finishing everything His Father sent Him to do. His Father had sent Him “so that everyone who believes in him [Jesus] may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). In John 17:3, Jesus defined eternal life saying, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” By Jesus’ loving and caring ways, by His power to meet every human need, and by His teaching the word of God, His disciples came to know the Father and the Son. By describing His disciples’ responses to Him, Jesus’ prayer teaches people how they can know whether they know the Father and Jesus or not. First, the same as Jesus’ first disciples, today Jesus’ disciples know that everything Jesus had, including His disciples, were given to Him by His Father. Second, they know that the very words Jesus spoke were His Father’s word [message or teaching]. Third, the same as Jesus’ first disciples, today Jesus’ disciples receive Jesus’ words. They know and believe “in truth” that His Father sent Jesus into the world. Fourth, Jesus’ first disciples and today’s disciples keep [obey] the word of God, the words the Father gave Jesus to give to His disciples (see John 17:1-8). In John 14:15, Jesus taught, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In 1 John 2:3, John explained, “Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.” Today, Jesus’ disciples still glorify God by finishing the work He gives them.
Thinking Further
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
Name ___________________________
1. Why did Jesus come into the world?
2. Why did Jesus want the Father to glorify the Son?
3. Why did the Father give Jesus authority over all people?
4. What is eternal life?
5. How did Jesus glorify the Father? How can we, if we are His disciples, glorify the Father and Jesus?
Discussion and Thinking Further
1. Why did Jesus come into the world? In John 3:16, Jesus told us why He came into the world, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” He came because God the Father gave God the Son to the world to save from perishing and give eternal life to all who would believe in Him. Jesus will give additional reasons or more detailed reasons about what this means in John 17:1-26.
2. Why did Jesus want the Father to glorify the Son? He wanted the Father to glorify Him so He could glorify the Father. As disciples of Jesus, we want to glorify the Father and the Son.
3. Why did the Father give Jesus authority over all people? The Father gave Jesus Christ authority over all people to give eternal life to all the people the Father gave Him. Having authority over all people, Jesus gave (and gives) eternal life to those the Father has given (and gives) Him. When someone receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, as did Jesus’ first disciples, they know that they have been given eternal life and the Father has given them to Jesus.
4. What is eternal life? In John 17:3, Jesus defined eternal life: “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Eternal life involves knowing both the Father and the Son, and it involves more than just knowing facts about them from the Bible. Eternal life involves knowing the Father and the Son personally, prayerfully, and Biblically. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the only true God as the Bible reveals them with the help of the Holy Spirit.
5. How did Jesus glorify the Father? How can we, if we are His disciples, glorify the Father and Jesus? Jesus glorified the Father by finishing the work that the Father gave Him to do, and in John 17:1-8, that included making the name of the Father known and by giving His disciples the words that the Father gave Him to give to them. They received the words of Jesus and learned that in truth Jesus came from the Father, and the Father sent Him. As disciples of Jesus, we can glorify the Father and the Son by finishing the work that the Father and the Son have given us. In ways given to us by the Father and the Son, we can help make the Father and the Son known as the Bible teaches and as the Holy Spirit helps us study and teach others the Word of God written.
Word Search
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
Name _____________________________
X M S N F A B G C T J H G U C
P N O P O D U H P P E O P L E
C S G F X B R E U L I Y Z L U
Y R T Z V I K Y Z B P T V A T
T F H F S W G A S Q N Y K N Y
I Q V T V U L U O E S F B R M
R E H T A F S T V P D I S E F
O E F K T E Z A C R U R A T I
H D C I J R E M O X Y O N E N
T M K N M H U W Z B S L D V I
U X W R E V C T J E Z G H J S
A M Y V G S Y O H B X O B K H
C J I H E I E Z X S U L P Y I
H B V J X P J R L R K N A Q N
M W C H W O R K P O T Z K V G
Heaven
Hour
Glorify
Father
Son
Authority
People
Eternal
Christ
Finishing
Work
Presence
Kept
Word
Truth
True and False Test
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
Name ______________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
1. Jesus came into the world to glorify himself in the world, and He always prayed for His Father to glorify Him more and more. True or False
2. The Father gave Jesus authority over all people. True or False
3. Those who believe in Jesus and receive eternal life were given to Jesus by the Father. True or False
4. Jesus prayed to the Father and said, “this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” True or False
5. We can glorify the Father and the Son by finishing the work that they have given us to do. True or False
6. When Jesus came, He revealed the name of the Father to everyone. True or False
7. Jesus prayed and told His Father that His disciples had memorized all His words. True or False
8. Jesus gave His disciples the words that His Father had given Him. True or False
9. Jesus did not have any glory until after God created the world. True or False
10. Today, true disciples of Jesus do not need to believe everything Jesus taught. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- False
- True
- True
- True
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
Prayer
Lord God, all Christians need places to serve! May we answer You as You call us to the right place at the right time and gift us in the right way to do Your will. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Sunday School Lesson
February 28
Lesson 13 (KJV)
CALLED TO SERVE
DEVOTIONAL READING: Psalm 33:1–12
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Acts 16:11–15, 40; 1 Corinthians 1:26–30
ACTS 16:11–15, 40
11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:26–30
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
KEY VERSE
When she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.—Acts 16:15
CALL IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Unit 3: The Call of Women
LESSONS 9–13
LESSON AIMS
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Identify on a map the locations mentioned.
2. Compare and contrast the roles of Paul and Lydia in planting the church in Philippi.
3. Improve in his or her best area of service in categories of inreach, outreach, and upreach.
HOW TO SAY IT
Aegean A-jee-un.
Corinth Kor-inth.
Corinthians Ko-rin-thee-unz (th as in thin).
Derbe Der-be.
Galatians Guh-lay-shunz.
Gentile Jen-tile.
Iconium Eye-ko-nee-um.
Macedonia Mass-eh-doe-nee-uh.
Neapolis Nee-ap-o-lis.
omnipotent ahm-nih-poh-tent.
omniscient ahm-nish-unt.
Philippi Fih-lip-pie or Fil-ih-pie.
Samothracia Sam-o-thray-shuh.
Silas Sigh-luss.
Thyatira Thy-uh-tie-ruh (th as in thin).
Troas Tro-az.
Introduction
A. Career and Hospitality
Hospitality can make careers. Dolley Madison (1768–1849), wife of US president James Madison, was a great political asset in her husband’s career. James certainly had merit as a great writer and political mind, being called today the Father of the Constitution. But he was a shy man, not given to promoting his own interests.
After they wed, Dolley’s parties made people feel welcome and turned guests into political supporters. As the First Lady, Dolley largely shaped what it meant to hold that position in terms of hospitality and volunteerism.
Deidre Mathis’s hospitality career began when she was a world traveler on a tight budget. She would stay in hostels to save money. Deidre’s experiences of bonding with other women travelers inspired her to open her own hostel in downtown Houston. Her hostel combines her love of connecting with people with her passion for business. Hospitality made her welcome around the world; now she welcomes the world to Houston.
Going the other direction, we might say that careers can fund hospitality as well. This direction is the focus of an individual in today’s lesson.
B. Lesson Context
Paul and his companions began their second missionary journey around AD 52. It began with revisits to some of the cities Paul had visited on the first journey. These included Derbe, Lystra, and (perhaps) Iconium (Acts 16:1–2).
From there they headed west to Troas. While in Troas, Paul had a vision of a “man of Macedonia” who entreated him to come over to Macedonia and help (Acts 16:9). The vision served as a warrant for Paul to cross the Aegean Sea and enter Europe with the gospel—his first time to do so. Paul’s initial visits to the cities of Philippi and Corinth both occurred during this trip.
The city of Philippi sat in a commanding position on the fertile plain of the Gangites River, surrounded by mountains on three sides. Its site is in the northeast quadrant of modern Greece. About 400 years old when visited by Paul, Philippi was a major Macedonian city. Philippi’s name comes from King Philip II of Macedon, who conquered the city in 356 BC and renamed it for himself.
That was one of the first steps in Philip’s domination of the entire Greek peninsula. It set the stage for his successor and son, Alexander the Great, to march east and conquer territories all the way to India. The gold mines for which the city of Philippi was known provided great wealth for both leaders to fund their military campaigns. But the apostle Paul was in search of gold of a different kind, and he found it.
I. Entry to Europe
(ACTS 16:11–15, 40)
A. Philippi (vv. 11–12)
11. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis.
Troas was a major seaport on the eastern shore of the Aegean Sea. There Paul, Silas, and others were joined by Luke, for the “they” of Acts 16:8 changes to “we” in 16:10. These missionaries boarded a ship for Macedonia, going by way of the small island-city of Samothracia to the western Aegean port city Neapolis. From Troas to Neapolis was about 150 miles, which they sailed in two days.
12. And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
Neapolis served as a seaport to the important city of Philippi (see Lesson Context). The journey between the two cities was about nine miles. In 168 BC, the city became a Roman colony, a place where veteran soldiers could retire and receive a tract of land to farm. Philippi was the easternmost point on the Via Egnatia, the great Roman highway of about 535 miles in length, that crossed the Greek peninsula. Philippi appeared to be a good city for the missionaries’ task, for they decided to stay certain days.
B. The Prayer Meeting (v. 13)
13. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Paul’s usual strategy was to visit the city’s synagogue on the sabbath to teach fellow Jews about Jesus (example: Acts 13:14b–15, 26–42). Tradition required that a community have 10 married Jewish men to have a synagogue, but that number seems to have been unavailable in this overwhelmingly Gentile city.
Instead, a group met outside the city gates by a river side. This place could have been by the Gangites River, about a mile west of town, but this is uncertain. A place where prayer was wont to be made is a way of describing any synagogue. Since there was no synagogue there, the phrase suggests that those who gathered intended their meetings to be similar to those that occurred in synagogues.
What Do You Think?
How would you characterize your ideal place to pray?
Digging Deeper
For you personally, how does the issue of where to pray interact with the issue of how to pray?
This prayer group seems to have consisted solely of women. In addition to that demographic, Paul would have encountered them in terms of one of three religious persuasions: as Jews, as proselytes (converts to Judaism; see Acts 13:43), or as God-fearing Gentiles who had not converted to Judaism (10:2, 22).
The third category is most likely, given the nature of the city of Philippi. Paul’s willingness to minister to a group of Gentile women echoed Jesus’ own ministry at Jacob’s well (John 4:1–42; see lesson 10). C.
Lydia’s House (vv. 14–15, 40)
14. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Interestingly, the certain woman named Lydia bears the ancient name of the Kingdom of Lydia, which existed 1200–546 BC. It encompassed roughly the western half of the modern country of Turkey. So the woman Lydia was named after the area within which her town of Thyatira was located—an area from which Paul had just come, after having received a vision in which a “man of Macedonia” had invited him to come over (Acts 16:9)! There is a certain irony in all this.
In Paul’s day, Thyatira was the chief source of dyed fabric. The woman Lydia specialized in purple fabric. This particular work was difficult but profitable for those with skill. To sell purple cloth was to deal in luxury items, so it is likely that Lydia had prosperous business connections in her hometown and sold products in far-flung cities like Philippi.
Like the Gentile Cornelius (Acts 10), Lydia worshipped God and may have been drawn to the Jewish faith without converting to it (contrast 13:43). Many barriers existed against full inclusion with the Jewish people. But Luke regularly recognized the faithfulness of those people who, like Lydia, worshipped and feared God (13:16, 26) or were otherwise “devout” (10:2). As Paul encountered such a one here, so he would again (17:4, 17).
Surely Lydia’s prior worship of God had prepared her heart to hear Paul’s message. The Lord, not Paul or his rhetoric, then opened her heart to Paul’s presentation of the gospel. God had gone before His missionary, and God will continue after His missionary finishes. As Paul will later write to the Corinthians, one person might plant a seed and another might water, “but God [gives] the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6).
15. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Lydia responded to Paul’s message with faith. We can imagine that Lydia and her household were baptized right there at the river without delay. (The importance of baptism is seen in Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3–5; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12–13; Titus 3:5; etc.).
As an outflowing of gratitude to God for accepting her into His family, Lydia invited Paul and his companions to her house to stay for a while. Asking the men to judge whether she was faithful to the Lord reveals that this was also a test. Would the Jewish men visit the home of a Gentile woman? How included in God’s kingdom was she really? By insisting that the missionaries join her, Lydia revealed her own conviction that she and all her household were now entirely acceptable to the Lord. Nothing was lacking in her salvation.
Given Lydia’s vocation, we receive the impression that hers was a generous home, both in physical size and in hospitality.
What Do You Think?
What are some ways you can help provide and promote a ministry of hospitality?
Digging Deeper
What imperatives and boundaries do Acts 28:7; Romans 12:13; 16:23; 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 1:8; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9; 2 John 9–11; and 3 John 8 establish in this regard?
40. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
While in Philippi, Paul and Silas were arrested for casting a spirit of divination out of a fortune-telling slave girl (Acts 16:16–24). Following the conversion of their guard and release from prison (16:25–39), Paul and Silas returned to the house of Lydia. The unjust treatment of the missionaries was traumatic for them and the new congregation. This became a time for all to be comforted.
Lydia’s home in Philippi surely became the initial meeting place for this group of believers. However, the book of Philippians, written a decade or so later, contains no reference to Lydia. We can only surmise that she was no longer in Philippi, perhaps having moved to Thyatira or elsewhere—maybe even having passed away. Her legacy of hospitality, service, and faithfulness endured in this church, however, as Paul celebrated the partnership those of the church had maintained “from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:5).
HUMBLE HOSPITALITY BUILDS CHURCHES
Elijah A. Frost organized a church in Cassville, Missouri, in 1885. The church met on Elijah’s front porch. Frost wasn’t a preacher, but he knew how to pray. He loved Jesus, the Word of God, and his neighbors.
His great hospitality invited others to learn and grow with him. These few dedicated Christians—praying in Christ’s name, praising God though spiritual songs, and trusting in God’s holy Word—turned a humble porch into a sanctuary.
Similarly, Lydia met with a few women at the river. Out of her humble prayer group would spring the greatest church in all of Asia Minor. The fledgling church began with women. The church grew in large part thanks to Lydia’s hospitality.
Our churches are going to grow in the same way. How can your humble home and godly hospitality bless the church as Brother Frost and Lydia did? —C. T.
What Do You Think?
In our era of ready access to restaurants and hotels, what emphasis should you and your church place on in-home hospitality? Why?
Digging Deeper
In what ways does a need for short-term versus long-term hospitality change your answer, if at all? Why?
II. Correction to Corinth
(1 CORINTHIANS 1:26–30)
A. Calling the Ordinary (v. 26)
26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
Paul had planted the church in Corinth in about AD 52. Now, in about AD 56, he writes a letter to that church while ministering in Ephesus. The letter is in response to troubling reports of factions and disunity (1 Corinthians 1:11).
Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians of what they had been before coming to Christ. Their church did not begin with leaders who had great educations, widespread social influence, or distinguished families. Doubly, Paul may have wanted to remind the Corinthians that their (mostly) Gentile backgrounds had prevented them from attaining any standing among God’s people before.
Regarding being wise … after the flesh, Paul was well acquainted with the dangers there. He himself was able to quote Greek philosophers and scholars (see 1 Corinthians 15:33; Titus 1:12; Acts 17:24–29) while recognizing the overall defects in philosophies not grounded in Scripture (1 Corinthians 1:20; 2:1–5; Colossians 2:8).
What Do You Think?
Without giving directive advice, how would you counsel an unbeliever who was prideful of his or her status in life?
Digging Deeper
Under what circumstances would you and would you not use Scripture as part of your discussion (contrast Acts 17:10–12 with 17:16–34)?
B. Confounding the Wise
(vv. 27–29)
27. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
Paul sees the great irony in all of this. All human wisdom and power are finite things and miniscule when compared to the power and wisdom of God. God is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing) in ways humans barely begin to understand.
But God does not often choose to dazzle people into belief by displays of might and intelligence. God prefers to use the foolish and the weak things of the world to communicate His loving concern and His plan for humankind (see 1 Corinthians 1:28, below). In so doing, God is able to confound the world’s expectations. In 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul referred to the crucifixion of Christ as a “stumblingblock.” Christ’s atoning death on the cross was scandalous, not what the Jews expected from their Messiah (compare Galatians 3:13–14).
We are reminded of Peter, who, when told that Jesus would accomplish the Father’s will by Jesus’ humiliation, suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem, exclaimed, “Be it far from thee, Lord” (Matthew 16:22). Peter did not expect the Messiah to bring victory through death.
28. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.
The word translated base is the antonym of the word for “noble” in 1 Corinthians 1:26—literally, “ignoble.” In the Roman world, there was nothing more ignoble than a cross, the torture-execution for the worst criminals. It was especially problematic to Jews because of the curse of hanging on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:23).
Christians today see the cross as a comforting and victorious symbol. Churches display it. We wear it on necklaces and other jewelry. We even tattoo it on our bodies. Not so in Paul’s day. The cross was shameful; nothing could be more despised among polite society. But God does not play by society’s rules or expectations. A Christian seeing a cross in the first century would be struck by the completely unexpected and humbling circumstances of Jesus’ sacrifice. What is scandalous for us may be glorious for God.
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
My 7-year-old grandson Alex: “I’m hungry!”
My daughter, Sarah: “That’s impossible! You just ate lunch!”
Alex: “Mom, all things are possible with God. You might want to jot that down!”
My grandson is absorbing some important truths in his Sunday school class! While a silly example, his words are a great reminder that all things really are possible with God.
Lydia’s story seems impossible. A man invited Paul to come to Macedonia (Acts 16:9), but Paul didn’t find a man. He found Lydia, an independent, apparently single, wealthy woman. She was already the leader of a women’s prayer group. She became a charter member of what would become one of the most influential churches in the area. Again, we think, “Impossible!”
Indeed, “with God, all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). What impossible task is God calling you to undertake for Him? —C. T.
29. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
God’s upside-down plan ensures that no one can claim credit for their own salvation. No flesh would think of the plan God enacted as the solution to human sinfulness. The paradoxical nature of the gospel does not allow for anyone to receive self-created glory in God’s presence.
Paul’s example is instructive. His miracles did not speak to his own power, but to God’s (1 Corinthians 2:4–5). And his preaching of the gospel was persuasive not because of his own eloquence. The Corinthians prided themselves as discerning, intelligent people—they could be impressed by a well-reasoned speech of no substance. But Paul had instead presented a message of the utmost importance. The truth of the gospel, not human skill, had convinced the Corinthian Christians.
C. Inclusion in Christ (v. 30)
30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
God’s wisdom, unlike the world’s, finds fulfillment in Christ Jesus. Righteousness invokes a legal term that means even though we are guilty of our sins, “no penalty” is the sentence. The prophets often took this word further, defining it not in terms of a lack of wrong actions but as the presence of right actions (examples: Isaiah 33:15; Ezekiel 3:20–21; Hosea 10:12).
The Holy Spirit works sanctification in us, teaching us to identify sin and empowering us to overcome it (Galatians 5:13–21) and produce the fruit of the Spirit (5:22–26). This allows us to live holy lives that would be impossible without God’s power (Romans 8:1–16).
Redemption is a term associated with being freed from slavery. In the Roman Empire, a slave could purchase his or her own freedom. But sinners have no way to pay for our own freedom. We have not only been bought by the blood of Jesus—we have been set free from our slavery to sin (Romans 6:17). Instead we serve righteousness (6:18).
Put together, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption describe the reality of being in Christ (Ephesians 1:11). Through the cross God has made a way for us to be restored to fellowship with Him. This is our salvation in Jesus Christ.
What Do You Think?
What are some practical ways for you to live more fully as a witness that you have righteousness, sanctification (holiness), and redemption in Christ?
Digging Deeper
What specific, personal weakness in this regard does 1 Corinthians 1:31 challenge you on? What other passages apply?
Conclusion A. Serving as God Desires
Our last four weeks have explored the examples of Anna, the prophetess daughters of Philip, the Samaritan woman, Mary Magdalene, and Priscilla. In Lydia’s case, she made use of her status and wealth to serve God. Her influence brought her household to Christ and had a ripple effect in Philippi. Her prosperous business allowed her to host Paul and his companions in her house, as well as the church that would grow from their efforts. These efforts were not accomplished for the glory of Lydia or Paul. Both sought only to follow Christ and lead others to Him.
We might summarize the accounts from this unit and say that each woman served where God gave her opportunity and gifting. The same holds true today. When a woman senses God’s calling on her to use her job, her social connections, and/or the spiritual gifts He gave her for His glory, she can and will find a way to serve. While the same is true for men, the nature of women’s ministries has often been less visible and sometimes considered less critical in spreading the gospel.
B. Glorying in the Cross
As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, God chose the cross to show His wisdom instead of using what was already honored and revered in any human society. And the foolishness of the world became the wisdom of God. God still uses people following the way of the cross to show His wisdom to the world. Let us all continue to seek His wisdom and remain open to other “foolish” things God may choose in place of the “wise.” In this way, we seek only God’s glory.
C. Prayer
Lord God, all Christians need places to serve! May we answer You as You call us to the right place at the right time and gift us in the right way to do Your will. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
D. Thought to Remember
Seek the wisdom of the cross. Serve in its shadow.
KID’S CORNER
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
John 17:1-8
(John 17:1) Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
In John 17, before Jesus prayed what has been titled His “High Priestly Prayer,” a prayer of intercession as our High Priest, He encouraged His disciples by saying in John 16:33, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” Our heavenly Father answers all the prayers of Jesus and all who trust Him as Lord and Savior. When Jesus tells His disciples to have peace in Him and take courage (and His disciples for the past 2,000 years have needed His peace and to take courage), the Holy Spirit helps them have His peace and take courage in answer to His and their prayers to the Father. In John 17, Jesus prayed for His disciples and for all His disciples through the years who would come to know and love Him because His disciples taught His words—the words of His Father. Jesus’ last command to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 included the words, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and His disciples have continued to do so—despite facing persecution from those of this world.
Jesus prayed aloud for His disciples to hear, learn, and remember because His time had come for Him to leave them. He knew that He would leave them in such a terrifying way (as John saw) that they would need to remember His reassuring prayer for them. They knew that God answered all Jesus’ prayers. And His Father answered Jesus’ prayer for them before and after those of the world arrested, tried, tortured, and crucified Jesus.
We might think of Jesus’ prayer as a “progress report” to His heavenly Father. Jesus prayed an unselfish prayer, for He prayed and asked the Father to help Him glorify His Father. In asking the Father to glorify Him, Jesus wanted His glorification to glorify His Father. Another word for “glorify” is honor. Jesus only wanted His Father to honor Him so He could honor the Father by all He said and did. When believers pray for success, they can pray that their success will glorify or honor the Father and the Son and show others that they love and supremely serve the Father and the Son.
(John 17:2) even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
The Father gave Jesus, the Son, authority over all people. In Matthew 9:6, we learn that Jesus, the Son of Man, had “authority on earth to forgive sins.” In Matthew 28:18, Jesus told His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” In John 5:27, Jesus said the Father had “given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” In John 17:2, Jesus said that He has the authority to give eternal life. In John 19:11, Jesus told Pilate that he would have no power or authority over Him unless it had been given him from above. The Father and Jesus gave Pilate the authority or power as governor of Judea to order Jesus crucified. Jesus did not use His authority to stop Pilate or His persecutors, because He came to die as a substitutionary sacrifice for all He came to save. For good reasons, Jesus could share His authority with His disciples. In Matthew 10:1, Jesus gave His disciples “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.” Jesus died and rose again to save sinners and give eternal life to all who would believe in Him (see John 3:16). The Father gave to Jesus all those who would be saved by grace through faith in Him as Lord and Savior. When disciples of Jesus worship the Father and the Son, they can thank the Father for giving them to Jesus. All Jesus’ disciples can have peace in Him and take courage from knowing the fact that the Father will never take from Jesus any gift that He has given Him—they can remember that they are the Father’s gifts to Jesus. Think how precious the disciples of Jesus are to the Father and the Son!
(John 17:3) “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
In His prayer, Jesus defined the meaning of “eternal life.” Eternal life can begin now in this present world and last forever. Eternal life involves knowing the only true God, the Father and Jesus Christ, the One the Father sent. Eternal life involves and depends on knowing both the Father and the Son. Knowing the truth about them will fill the believer with true love for them. Knowing God involves more than having an intellectual conception of some facts about God. Knowing God involves a personal relationship with God that includes listening to God when reading the Bible, loving God, praying to God, worshiping God, serving God, and obeying God.
(John 17:4) “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
Jesus loved others, taught, healed, cast out demons, raised the dead, fed the multitudes, calmed the stormy sea, and did other things that were part of the work His Father intended for Him to do. Jesus looked forward to glorifying His Father and finishing His work by obeying Him and dying in our behalf to save believers in Him from practicing sin and the eternal consequences of sin. Jesus said and did what would glorify God and point people to the true God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus, the Father glorifies the Son by pointing those He has given Jesus to Jesus in ways that lead people to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. As disciples of Jesus, we can honor and glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by finishing the work that Jesus has given us to do. Because we love them, we want to glorify them, just as Jesus loved His Father in heaven. Jesus wanted to glorify His Father by obeying Him and teaching others the words that His Father had given Him to share with them. We find these words in the Bible—the infallible Word of God written.
(John 17:5) “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Jesus did not take His Father’s love for Him and His plans for Him as simple matters of course. Jesus asked His Father to keep His promise to Him fully while knowing that the Father would do what He promised and answer His prayers. Disciples of Jesus can pray according to the promises of God in the Bible fully knowing that God will do all that He has promised in the Bible. Jesus wanted to return to His place on the throne of God where He sat before the Father created the world through Him, for Jesus is the Word of God (see John 1:1). As we learned in John 1:1-18, Jesus was not a mere prophet or mere human being or an angel from heaven. Jesus is the Son of God who had the glory of God in the presence of God His Father before the world existed. Jesus came to earth fully God and fully human, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary, His mother. In Luke 1:35, “The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God’.”
(John 17:6) “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
Jesus prayed for His disciples and all who would become His disciples. The Father gave followers to Jesus, followers who would become Jesus’ disciples, by taking them out of the world that they might enter the Kingdom of God under the rule of Jesus the King (the Messiah). Jesus reported in His prayer that He had made the Father’s Name (the true character and nature of God) known to them and they had believed and obeyed the word of God that had Jesus taught them and the crowds. Jesus knew that it was important for His disciples to hear His “progress report” in prayer and believe that God, His Father and their Father, had accepted His report and work. God the Father gave absolute proof that He accepted Jesus “progress report” when He raised Jesus from the dead and gave Jesus’ disciples the Holy Spirit to indwell them. The Father and the Son always worked and work together in perfect unity of heart and mind. Those who become Jesus’ disciples are those the Father has given Jesus. Today, by using the Bible’s teachings, Jesus’ disciples must make the Name (the nature and character) of the Father and the Son known to those in the world. Those who come to believe in Jesus have been given to Jesus by the Father. Those who have been given to Jesus by the Father will keep (obey) the word of God (the words of Jesus). In prayer, disciples of Jesus can ask the Father to help them make disciples of Jesus as Jesus did, and they can give the Father a “progress report” as Jesus did. In these and other ways, with the help of the Holy Spirit, disciples of Jesus can glorify the Father and the Son. They can glorify Jesus by finishing the work Jesus has given them.
(John 17:7) “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
Jesus lived and taught in ways that always pointed people to the true God, the Father and the Son. Jesus taught and acted in such a way that people could hear with their ears and see with their eyes that everything Jesus said and did was consistent with the express will of His Father, and the Father blessed and enabled His incarnate Son to do everything Jesus did and all that He taught. All things belong to the Father and the Son, and Jesus taught His disciples this truth.
(John 17:8) for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.”
When He spoke with authority, Jesus always made it clear that He did not speak only on His own authority independent from the Father. Jesus’ words and deeds convinced His followers that He came from God and He was sent by God to them for their benefit and the benefit of all who would hear and believe the good news about and from Jesus. A true disciple of Jesus has received the words of Jesus as the words of God the Father. They know “in truth,” as “actual fact,” that Jesus Christ came into this world because the Father loved the world and sent Jesus into the world. Jesus did what He was sent by the Father to do. Remember John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Disciples of Jesus know and believe what they have learned from and about Jesus as revealed in the Bible. Because the know and believe the words of Jesus they keep and obey the words of Jesus—the very words of God.
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do (John 17:4—KJV).
I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do (John 17:4—NASB).
I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do (John 17:4—NRSV).
When Jesus prayed aloud to His Father, His disciples learned that Jesus glorified His Father by finishing everything His Father sent Him to do. His Father had sent Him “so that everyone who believes in him [Jesus] may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). In John 17:3, Jesus defined eternal life saying, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” By Jesus’ loving and caring ways, by His power to meet every human need, and by His teaching the word of God, His disciples came to know the Father and the Son. By describing His disciples’ responses to Him, Jesus’ prayer teaches people how they can know whether they know the Father and Jesus or not. First, the same as Jesus’ first disciples, today Jesus’ disciples know that everything Jesus had, including His disciples, were given to Him by His Father. Second, they know that the very words Jesus spoke were His Father’s word [message or teaching]. Third, the same as Jesus’ first disciples, today Jesus’ disciples receive Jesus’ words. They know and believe “in truth” that His Father sent Jesus into the world. Fourth, Jesus’ first disciples and today’s disciples keep [obey] the word of God, the words the Father gave Jesus to give to His disciples (see John 17:1-8). In John 14:15, Jesus taught, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In 1 John 2:3, John explained, “Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.” Today, Jesus’ disciples still glorify God by finishing the work He gives them.
Thinking Further
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
Name ___________________________
1. Why did Jesus come into the world?
2. Why did Jesus want the Father to glorify the Son?
3. Why did the Father give Jesus authority over all people?
4. What is eternal life?
5. How did Jesus glorify the Father? How can we, if we are His disciples, glorify the Father and Jesus?
Discussion and Thinking Further
1. Why did Jesus come into the world? In John 3:16, Jesus told us why He came into the world, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” He came because God the Father gave God the Son to the world to save from perishing and give eternal life to all who would believe in Him. Jesus will give additional reasons or more detailed reasons about what this means in John 17:1-26.
2. Why did Jesus want the Father to glorify the Son? He wanted the Father to glorify Him so He could glorify the Father. As disciples of Jesus, we want to glorify the Father and the Son.
3. Why did the Father give Jesus authority over all people? The Father gave Jesus Christ authority over all people to give eternal life to all the people the Father gave Him. Having authority over all people, Jesus gave (and gives) eternal life to those the Father has given (and gives) Him. When someone receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, as did Jesus’ first disciples, they know that they have been given eternal life and the Father has given them to Jesus.
4. What is eternal life? In John 17:3, Jesus defined eternal life: “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Eternal life involves knowing both the Father and the Son, and it involves more than just knowing facts about them from the Bible. Eternal life involves knowing the Father and the Son personally, prayerfully, and Biblically. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the only true God as the Bible reveals them with the help of the Holy Spirit.
5. How did Jesus glorify the Father? How can we, if we are His disciples, glorify the Father and Jesus? Jesus glorified the Father by finishing the work that the Father gave Him to do, and in John 17:1-8, that included making the name of the Father known and by giving His disciples the words that the Father gave Him to give to them. They received the words of Jesus and learned that in truth Jesus came from the Father, and the Father sent Him. As disciples of Jesus, we can glorify the Father and the Son by finishing the work that the Father and the Son have given us. In ways given to us by the Father and the Son, we can help make the Father and the Son known as the Bible teaches and as the Holy Spirit helps us study and teach others the Word of God written.
Word Search
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
Name _____________________________
X M S N F A B G C T J H G U C
P N O P O D U H P P E O P L E
C S G F X B R E U L I Y Z L U
Y R T Z V I K Y Z B P T V A T
T F H F S W G A S Q N Y K N Y
I Q V T V U L U O E S F B R M
R E H T A F S T V P D I S E F
O E F K T E Z A C R U R A T I
H D C I J R E M O X Y O N E N
T M K N M H U W Z B S L D V I
U X W R E V C T J E Z G H J S
A M Y V G S Y O H B X O B K H
C J I H E I E Z X S U L P Y I
H B V J X P J R L R K N A Q N
M W C H W O R K P O T Z K V G
Heaven
Hour
Glorify
Father
Son
Authority
People
Eternal
Christ
Finishing
Work
Presence
Kept
Word
Truth
True and False Test
How to Know the Father and Jesus
Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 17:1-8
Name ______________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
1. Jesus came into the world to glorify himself in the world, and He always prayed for His Father to glorify Him more and more. True or False
2. The Father gave Jesus authority over all people. True or False
3. Those who believe in Jesus and receive eternal life were given to Jesus by the Father. True or False
4. Jesus prayed to the Father and said, “this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” True or False
5. We can glorify the Father and the Son by finishing the work that they have given us to do. True or False
6. When Jesus came, He revealed the name of the Father to everyone. True or False
7. Jesus prayed and told His Father that His disciples had memorized all His words. True or False
8. Jesus gave His disciples the words that His Father had given Him. True or False
9. Jesus did not have any glory until after God created the world. True or False
10. Today, true disciples of Jesus do not need to believe everything Jesus taught. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- False
- True
- True
- True
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
Prayer
Lord God, all Christians need places to serve! May we answer You as You call us to the right place at the right time and gift us in the right way to do Your will. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
