I swear I scheduled this lesson to go out ahead of the last Sunday of Advent. I swear. It seems I didn’t do something correctly as no one got it. I know Advent is over for 2023 but I need to send this out anyway. I apologize for that screw up. It’s all on me.
Also, I will have a bonus lesson coming out on Friday for this Sunday covering the fear of the Lord. A question came up in small group concerning asking the question, “Why does a loving God want us to fear Him?” Look for that Friday morning at the usual time.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and are planning for a safe and happy New Year? God bless and Godspeed.
“Love for God is obedience, love for God is holiness. To love God and to love man is to be conformed to the image of Christ, and that is salvation.”
Charles H. Spurgeon
Passage
12“Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.
13“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word,
14Then you will take delight in the Lord, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 58:12–14 (NASB95)
Background
Quote-Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He was a strong figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition, defending the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, and opposing the liberal and pragmatic theological tendencies in the Church of his day.
Spurgeon was pastor of the congregation of the New Park Street Chapel in London for 38 years. Spurgeon authored sermons, an autobiography, commentaries, books on prayer, devotionals, magazines, poetry, and hymns. He is said to have produced powerful sermons of penetrating thought and precise exposition, and many Christians hold his writings in exceptionally high regard among devotional literature.
Passage-The book of Isaiah is Narrative History, Prophetic Oracle, and even a Parable (chapter 5). The prophet Isaiah wrote it at approximately 700 B.C. (Chapters 40-66, written later in his life approx. 681 B.C.). Isaiah is the first book in the section called Major Prophets. They are called Major Prophets because of the large amount of material they wrote not because their message was more important than any other prophet’s was. Key personalities are Isaiah, his two sons, Shearjashub and Maher-shalal-jash-baz.
Isaiah contains some of the most incredible prophecies of any book. It contains foreknowledge, in incredible details about the Messiah, and the future reign of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the book of Isaiah was to call God’s nation, the nation of Judah, back to faithfulness and to declare the coming Messiah “Immanuel”. God calls and commissions His prophet to declare to Judah and Israel condemnation, conviction, and ultimately great hope.
Lesson Notes
Opening Statement
Jesus came to save the whole world, all of it. That’s a broad statement when we are more concerned with ourselves instead of everyone else. What happens when we decide God really loves us? What happens when we put down the things we want and pick up the things God wants?
Ask: According to Jesus, what is the first and most important commandment?
Point: To love God. Please read the following:
36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38“This is the great and foremost commandment.
Matthew 22:36–38 (NASB95)
Ask: Why would God place this as His first commandment, to love Him above all else, first?
Point: What we put first is what we will choose when it is time to make hard decisions. Please read the following:
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5–8 (NASB95)
Ask: It says to trust God and things will go well but how do we know we can trust God that things really will go well if we do it His way?
Point: God set up all things and knows how it all works because He created it all. He therefore knows how things will turn out in any given situation. Please read the following:
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2“Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
3“Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,
Job 38:1–4 (NASB95)
Ask: God sounds angry in that passage. Is He really mad at us for making mistakes in life?
Point: God is not made at His children for making mistakes. Please read the following:
5You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:5–7 (NASB95)
Ask: How do we know God actually cares for us as individuals?
Point: Please read the following:
14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
John 3:14–17 (NASB95)
Ask: Can I really believe God loves me as an individual, mistakes and all?
Point: Yes. Please read the following:
19Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”
20Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.
21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
22Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:19–22 (NASB95)
Ask: What does that mean for me if God loves me?
Point: It means we should love Him back.
Ask: How do we show God we Love Him back?
Point: Jesus gave us an example. Please read the following;
12So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
13“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
14“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
John 13:12–15 (NASB95)
Ask: Does Jesus mean we should go around washing other people’s feet?
Point: No. Jesus’ point was that He, as God made flesh and the leader of the disciples humbled Himself to perform the most demeaning task only the lowest ranking individual among them typically did.
Ask: If we are to do as Christ did, then what did Jesus do?
Point: Please read the following as the Closing Statement:
8But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
9Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
11a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:8–17 (NASB95)