The Christian Message

  Joshua's Final Exhortation SCRIPTURE LESSON TEXT   Lesson Text: Joshua 24:1, 14-24 JOSH. 24:1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God . One person who is righteous can have a positive effect on a whole nation of misguided people. In fact, in 24:2–13, it is the Lord who speaks as Joshua reviews the history of the nation. Another key word is serve, used fifteen times in this address. 14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. One of the key words in this section is serve, used fifteen times.  To serve God means to fear Him, obey Him, and worship only Him.  It means to love Him and fix your heart upon Him, obeying Him because you want to and not because you have ...

  A Story of Forgiveness  Lesson Text: Luke 15:11-24  Related Scriptures: Luke 15:25-32; Romans 12:9-21; II Corinthians 5:17-21  TIME: A.D. 30 PLACE: probably Perea  GOLDEN TEXT —“This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24).  Introduction  On this particular day, Jesus was speaking to a mixed audience. Two distinct groups are mentioned (Luke 15:1-2). Tax collectors and others considered to be sinners by the religious elite were there for the specific purpose of hearing Jesus teach.  Since tax collectors worked for the Roman government, they were viewed as traitors and outcasts. The problem for the religious leaders was that Jesus sat and ate with these less-than-desirable people! Such action indicated identification and welcome, something they avoided at all costs. In their minds, Jesus was also guilty because of His association with such bad people of low reputation.  Because of their condescending attit...

Rejoicing—he came to the father (vv. 20–24). Here Jesus answered the accusations of the scribes and Pharisees (Luke 15:2), for the father not only ran to welcome his son, but he honored the boy’s homecoming by preparing a great feast and inviting the village to attend. The father never did permit the younger son to finish his confession; he interrupted him, forgave him, and ordered the celebration to begin! Of course, the father pictures to us the attitude of our heavenly Father toward sinners who repent: He is rich in His mercy and grace, and great in His love toward them (Eph. 2:1–10). All of this is possible because of the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. No matter what some preachers (and singers) claim, we are not saved by God’s love; God loves the whole world, and the whole world is not saved. We are saved by God’s grace, and grace is love that pays a price. In the East, old men do not run, yet the father ran to meet his son. Why? One obvious reason was his love for him and hi...

  Forgiving One Another  Lesson Text: Matthew 18:21-35  Related Scriptures: Luke 6:27-38; 17:1-  TIME: A.D. 29 PLACE: Capernaum  GOLDEN TEXT—“Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?” (Matthew 18:32-33).  Introduction   While all the principles for living included in God’s Word are important, the principle of forgiveness is one of the most rewarding. It is also one of the most difficult for many people to put into practice, maybe because of the have-it-your-way philosophy of the culture we live in. We are repeatedly told that we have the right to experience all the pleasure we can get and that no one has the right to reach into our area of enjoyment and diminish it in any way whatsoever. We live in an extremely self-centered society.  Abraham Lincoln was onc...

  Ears to Hear  Lesson Text: Matthew 13:9-17  Related Scriptures: Matthew 13:18-23; I Corinthians 2:6-16  TIME: A.D. 28  PLACE: Sea of Galilee  GOLDEN TEXT—“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9).  Introduction  Oday ouyay ememberray enwhay ouyay okespay inay Igpay Atinlay osay atthay ouryay ildrenchay ouldway otnay owknay atwhay ouyay ereway ayingsay? You did this with your spouse in order to communicate a message that he or she would understand but that the children would miss.  Do you know that parables were something like that? Jesus taught His followers in parables so that they could gain spiritual understanding while others listening in could not. Without spiritual insight, people were incapable of grasping the truths being taught. In I Corinthians 2:1 through 3:4, Paul wrote of different types of people: spiritually mature, spiritually immature, and natural (unsaved). Each group responds differently to the truth.  Whe...