“Maybe God isn't particular about what medium hope appears through. And if it's through art, then surely it would be something like this—inoffensive and bright.”
Tammi Garlick on Yongsung Kim’s art
Passage
15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
1 John 4:15–17 (NASB95)
A note before we get into the lesson. I mentioned to my small group I would find the above image last week. When I pulled up the selected scripture for today’s lesson this image came to mind. The rest of the lesson flowed from that. You can find this image from the artist’s website HERE. If it moves you, I encourage you to purchase a print from him to show your appreciation. Now, on with the lesson.
Background
Quote-Tammi Garlick is the Director of Retail Operations at Frameworks, inc in American Fork, Utah. In 2016 Yongsung Kim flew out for a conference and showing of his art in collaboration wtih a number of other artists for a Q&A with Foundation Arts. She was interviewed by a freelance journalist for an article being written about Youngsung Kim.
Kim was never formally trained in painting, drawing, or art of any kind. He says God asked him, “What are you doing with the gifts I’ve given you?” From there he decided t o paint Jesus in ways he wasn’t seeing. “I want my paintings to share some of the light and hope that Jesus offers.”
Passage-The book of 1stJohn is a General Epistle (Apostolic Letter). It is written by the Disciple/Apostle John around 85-95 A.D. probably from Ephesus. The key personalities are the Apostles Peter and Paul. Its purpose was to warn about the increasing threat of false teachings and to reassure Christians of their faith and love in Jesus Christ.
It was written to combat false teachings that had to do with the denial that Jesus had a genuine human body (1:1). This Gnostic view of matter as being evil led to two responses, asceticism or licentiousness. He very clearly writes to give the true tests of a true Christian. These tests also contradicted the Gnostic licentious approach to Christianity. He gives several means to measure the reality of one’s conversion experience.
Lesson Notes
Opening Statement
Songyung Kim’s painting The Hand of God is iconic. It depicts Jesus reaching through the surface of the water to retrieve a drowning and drifting away Peter. Recall Peter left the boat to meet Jesus walking on the water at Christ’s command but lost sight of Jesus and began to sink. How often are we in Peter’s shoes and do we take His hand or fight it off?
Ask: Why would we refuse to take Jesus’ hand as He reaches through the water to save us as He saved Peter?
Point: Pride.
Ask: Why would pride causes anyone to refuse to take Jesus’ hand? Are we really drowning and in what?
Point: To answer those questions we need to ask another, and answer it with scripture. Why did Satan fall from grace in Heaven to become the Devil? Please read the following:
12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Isaiah 14:12–15 (KJV 1900)
Ask: How do we set ourselves up as greater than God?
Point: When we read His Word, hear His Spirit, or are guided by His Hand and we ignore it. Please read the following:
1He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.
2A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind.
3When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes, And with dishonor comes scorn.
Proverbs 18:1–3 (NASB95)
Ask: This is us in the pride of our own ways setting ourselves up as knowing better than God. Where is there hope, joy, and wholeness in that?
Point: Look at the picture again then pease read the following:
25“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
26“And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.
27“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’
28“But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.
29“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;
30but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ ”
Luke 15:25–32 (NASB95)
Ask: Verse 32 is the key verse and it directly relates to us taking Jesus’ hand as he reaches through the drowning waters of our sin to draw back to the surface and life. Do you think you are above or the below the waters right now?
Point: If you profess Jesus Christ as your Savior in your heart, you are not only above the water but back in the boat. Please read the following:
19“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
20“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
21“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
John 14:19–21 (NASB95)
Ask: Where is Joy, Hope, and Wholeness in that passage?
Point: That whole passage works together to demonstrate those who love Jesus demonstrate it by keeping His commandments. Those who love Jesus in this way will be lvoed by God the Father, and in so being loved by God we will see Christ who has said that because He lives, we live also. That life in Jesus is hopeful. Loving in that manner is wholeness with God. Those two things should bring joy to us.
Ask: How does taking Jesus hand look in real life? Put another way how do we live out the image of Yongsung Kim’s painting?
Point: We acknowledge and recognize we are covered over in sin and need Jesus to help us.
Ask: What help did Jesus give to Peter once Peter took Christ’s hand?
Point: He got Peter back in the boat. Please read the following:
31Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.
Matthew 14:31–32 (NASB95)
Ask: How did Jesus get Peter back in the boat?
Point: He took his hand and guided him across the waters of sin into the boat of life.
Ask: Do we want to be in the boat with Jesus and why?
Point: In the boat without Jesus the storm rages and we worry about it. In the boat with Jesus, the winds stop because we are focused on Him rather than the storm.
Closing Statement
Does that scripture imply that the problems of our storms in life will go away with Jesus? Yes it does. Do we experience the storms of life going away because we are followers of Christ? No, at least not always. Is that a contradiction that shakes our faith? For some it can, yes but for those of us who realize in those times we should narrow our focus onto Jesus spending more time in His Word, the storms become less. Those troubles don’t go away but they diminish in power over us because we find the way God has for us to go which often times brings us to the Hands and Feet of Jesus.
Questions for the Week
Question 1 Read the entire parable of the Prodigal Son, provided at the end of the lesson.
Question 2 In the parable of the Prodigal dissect it based on all the people in it and take note of who helped who and where you might be in your life walking through that parable?
Question 3 Consider the following passage in the context of being the hands and feet of Jesus to other people.
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:56–58 (NASB95)
Question 4 Now, consider how you can allow other people to be the hands and feet in your life.
Question 5 Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in both being and allowing others to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
The Prodigal Son Returns
11And He said, “A man had two sons.
12“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.
13“And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
14“Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.
15“So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16“And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.
17“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!
18‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;
19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’
20“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
23and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
24for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
26“And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.
27“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’
28“But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.
29“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;
30but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ ”
Luke 15:11–32 (NASB95)