Interpretative Expository Summer Quarter 2021 (Jun-Aug) E-Book

• Herausgeber: Church Of God In Christ Publishing House
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Power for Living
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 134

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Sunday School across America is on a decline. Biblical literacy is at an unprecedented low amongst believers, and it seems as if there is no end to where this could lead to in our churches. The COGIC Sunday School department desires to help aid literacy by providing quality supplemental lesson material. Enlisting help from scholars across the country, the department wrote the Interpretative Expository, an exposition for each lesson of the Sunday School curriculum. Also, to assist pastors, preachers, missionaries, and laity with sermon subjects and preparation, our team has included a sample sermon outline from one of the lessons. Reemphasize the message of Sunday School by preaching a message from the text of the lesson.

Leseprobe

SUMMER QUARTER 2021 • JUNE • JULY • AUGUST

INTERPRETATIVE EXPOSITORY

CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST

Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr.

Presiding Bishop | Church Of God In Christ, Inc.

Elder Uleses Henderson, Jr. Esq.

Chairman | Church Of God In Christ Publishing Board

Bishop Reggie Witherspoon

Chairman of Marketing | Church Of God In Christ Publishing Board

Mother Sandra S. Jones,

Senior Marketing Consultant | Church Of God In Christ Publishing House

Bishop Alton E. Gatlin

President | Church Of God In Christ International Sunday School Department

Dr. Althea Sims

2nd Vice President | Church Of God In Christ International Sunday School Department Editorial Liaison, Annual Interpretative Expository

© 2020 Church Of God In Christ Publishing House

Print: ISBN-13: 978-1-68087-420-4 ISBN-10: 1-68087-420-9

Ebook: ISBN-13:978-1-68087-458-7 ISBN-10: 1-68087-458-7

All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the publisher. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (Public Domain).

COGIC Publishing House

806 East Brooks Road • Memphis, TN 38116

1-877-746-8578 | www.cogicpublishinghouse.net

Table Of Contents

Letter From The Presiding Bishop

Foreword

A Sermon Outline Example

JUNE

Why Do You Worry?

Why Are You Afraid?

Healed By Faith

Why Do You Doubt?

JULY

An Attitude Of Gratitude

The Power Of The Gospel

The Faith Of Abraham

Justified By Faith

AUGUST

Salvation For All Who Believe

Meaning Of Faith

A Persevering Faith

A Conquering Faith

Hope Eternal

Letter From the Presiding Bishop

Blessings in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

The collaboration between the International Sunday School Department and the Church Of God In Christ Publishing Board/House has again produced one of the most distinctive pieces of literature for our growth and development. This expository can be utilized beyond the Sunday School classroom and be used for Bible study classes or as a book of Sermons. This expository is a vital and essential part of your Sunday School curriculum. The Interpretative Expository, coupled with The Annual Sunday School Lesson Commentary, will assist you in your personal growth and development.

The Expository writings dive into the depths of Israelology, Ethics/Apologetics, and other critical pieces of information to make the Sunday School lesson and experience come alive. This material will help to equip believers to discuss and combat the New Age Doctrine’s that are invading our churches, homes, schools, and families. We must prepare ourselves. God declares through His prophet, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). The International Sunday School Department and the Church Of God In Christ Publishing Board/House have worked tirelessly to prepare this material for believers everywhere.

The Interpretative Expository is a must-have for every student, teacher, and minister. The Expository apologetic writings will help you gain a better understanding of how to defend the Scriptures and the doctrine of the Church Of God In Christ. The various features of the book include Interpretative Analysis and Interpretative Principles. These features will cause you to delve deeper into the biblical text of its companion piece, The Annual Sunday School Lesson Commentary. Take advantage of this opportunity for growth, and secure your copy today.

May God continue to smile upon you and your family.

In His Service,

Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr.

Seventh In Succession

Presiding Bishop

Church Of God In Christ, Inc.

FOREWORD

At the time of this writing, many people are living in fear of “what’s next?” across the world. This year, 2020, has been gripped by a worldwide pandemic called COVID-19. Racial tension is continuously simmering in the subconscious of many in America. Unemployment, crime, and mental duress issues have escalated to unprecedented levels. Add to this laundry list of concerns; the government-mandated quarantine has canceled worship services around the world. Due to the “shelter at home” order, a recent research study has determined that Bible reading is down among Christians since the quarantine* (Roach). Reading this type of report highlights the need for quality Christian literature.

The Church Of God In Christ Publishing Board and the International Sunday School Department are working together to help address this concern by providing quality supplemental lesson material. The department enlisted writers and scholars from across the country to write an exposition for all 52 lessons of the Sunday School curriculum. These writings explore the background of the lesson and the Jewish history of the Scripture text to enhance the lesson material. Each writer also offers an apologetic look at the lessons to equip the student better to defend the faith.

Finally, to assist Pastors, preachers, missionaries, and laity with sermon subjects and sermon preparation, the team has also provided sample sermon outlines for each quarter from one of the Sunday school lessons. What better way to reemphasize the message of Sunday school than preaching a message from the text of the lesson?

Visit www.cogicpublishinghouse.net, and order copies of the 2020–2021 Annual or Quarterly Interpretative Expository of the Sunday School Lesson Commentary.

*David Roach, Bible Reading Drops During Social Distancing, [https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/july/state-of-bible-reading-coronavirus-barna-abs.html] [August 2020]

A SERMON OUTLINE EXAMPLE

SERMON TITLE: WHO YOU WALK WITH IS WHO YOU TALK WITH! Mark Chapter 10: 46 – 52

Once we begin reaching the family, my passion is for discipleship and raising people and champions for Christ. The reality is if you embrace the biblical concept of holiness, it impacts every area of your life. Holiness is a lifestyle. It affects how you live, how you handle money, how you treat your spouse.

In this pandemic, one must fight not to become lugubrious-desperately melancholy, overly sullen, and pessimistic.

Scripture Text

46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

The truth is who you walk with is who you talk with. Who walks with thee is who talks with thee. In this passage of Scripture, Bartimaeus is running into Jesus, if you will, while Jesus is coming out of Jericho. Someone took Bartimaeus there and dropped him off to beg. He’s blind, and the Scripture says when he heard that Jesus was near, he began to cry out, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” He didn’t live here, but he was desperate for God. Bartimaeus calling Jesus “Son of David” means he acknowledged by faith that Jesus is the King. You can’t call Him, “the man upstairs,” you can’t call Him your “buddy.” You can’t call Him something He is not. Bartimaeus said, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” You want to have the kind of praise that will cause Jesus to stop in his tracks and give you his undivided attention.

When Bartimaeus calls Jesus, he doesn’t know where He is; he is just calling out everywhere. He knew He was close because they are telling him to be quiet. Anytime someone tells you to be quiet, you’ve got to know you’re getting close. Close to your breakthrough! Close to your answered prayer! Close to the Father’s will for your life!

In Mark, Jesus responds to Bartimaeus and calls him by name. Sometimes you’ve got to speak up and tell God what you need. Not that He needs to know, but for your own sake, you’ve got to speak up. You need to have people in your life who know how to speak up. Not that He doesn’t know what you need before you ask or think, but you’ve got to tell God you agree with what He wants to do in your life. So they told him to be quiet, and he called out all the more. When you express your agreement with what God wants to do and speak it out loud, it has power to release faith for the answer.

Koinonia is the Greek word for fellowship. Sometimes you don’t walk with people because of pride. You’ve got to be humble enough and vulnerable enough to allow people to speak into your life, so that God can move in your life. If I’ve got the wrong people walking with me, I will miss out. I don’t need to know that you know how I feel. I need you to tell me what God says; I can’t have that if I don’t have the right communion. People are coming to church without fellowship and communication with others. We need to walk with people, who talk with us, know us, speak into your life, and help you see and understand what God is doing.

Who you walk with and who you talk with makes a big difference.

You need to take advice from people who know God, hear God, and agree with God. That’s why you need the right people around you to understand what God says, who challenge you with the word of God!

Where are the Christians who will come to the altar to call upon the Lord and wait on Him? You need people around you agreeing with God’s will for your life, not their will. Not their ideas, not man-made solutions, but God’s plan and will.

For some people, the church has become a drive-through, a McDonald’s. They come, and they go. But you need to have people you are walking with. Check your connections. I need people who speak into my life and get me convicted, to get me on track. They love me enough to talk to me. The reason we don’t do that is we don’t have communion. How are you going to walk with me unless you talk with me? We learn a valuable lesson from Bartimaeus.

Bishop Roderick L. Hennings, CEO/Sr. Pastor

Zion Dominion Global Ministries

International Director of Church Growth and Development COGIC.

Lesson 1

June 6, 2021

WHY DO YOU WORRY?

Background Scripture:

Matthew 6:19-34

Scripture Text:

Matthew 6:25-34

MEMORY VERSE

“For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:32-33, KJV)

OVERVIEW

We take on everything that comes our way as though we can fix it on our own, but we can’t, and this lesson helps us know what can help us and how to get to that level of commitment to help us through. “Almost every word carries in it an argument, to strengthen the faith of God’s children, to encourage them to believe that he will bestow upon His children whatever is needful in their lives, for meat, drink, and clothing, etc.” (Swenson). He is our Father, and He will take care of His children, each one of His children, collectively and individually. As God’s children, we are interested in Him, being related to Him, and need not doubt His paternal care and affectionate regard to us. Our heavenly Father, who has all things at his command, who sits there, and does whatever he pleaseth on earth. He knoweth what we have needed because He knows all things, all our straits, difficulties, wants, and necessities. He knows what we need every day, “all these things,” food and clothing, and cannot do without them: and therefore, we may depend upon it, that as it is in His power to relieve us, and our persons and cases are not unknown to him. He who stands in the relation of a Father to us will supply us with whatever is proper and convenient for us.

MEMORY VERSE ILLUMINATED

For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. We are taught not to be anxious about the future and not to concern ourselves about personal wants with anxiety, as if there was no such thing as providence in the world, with great affection towards earthly enjoyments. We expected no other way for our needs to be met but by God and seeking Him in prayer. Without praying to God or consulting His will as to our wants and needs, as if we could do anything without Him, there will be no satisfaction in our daily lives and our living. If we do not seek God first for our wants and needs, it is to imitate the worst kind of heathens, who live without hope, and without God in the world.

ISRAELOLOGY

The theology of Matthew is salvation-historical and Christological in orientation. “According to Matthew, Jesus is the one who, as Messiah, fulfills the messianic expectations of the Old Testament, and who, as Son of God, brings the salvation of God” (Brown). As the Son of God, Jesus teaches the will of God and inaugurates the kingdom by obeying God’s will. In Matthew’s Gospel, the kingdom of heaven, which is a Jewish expression for the kingdom of God is understood as the rule of God, through Jesus, in power and righteousness, love and forgiveness.

Matthew’s Gospel says we, the readers of Matthew and the followers of the church, the true and New Israel. “We are the true successors of Abraham’s physical descendants who are now bringing forth the fruits God wants from his people” (O’Neal).

Matthew also shows where we are as a people inhabiting a world that is the preliminary life to a fuller, more glorious life that will come when the Son of Man appears in his glory. Thus, the church is the people of God, participating in Israel’s long story, and is living just beyond the fork in the road that separated physical Israel from the church. “Put differently, the exile of Israel ends its awful time in the birth of the Messiah. Thus, the church is in the world, living in the era of the Messiah, who inaugurates the restoration of Israel but still awaiting the final age that comes when the Son of Man appears to bring God’s promises to Israel to their consummation” (Brown).

Matthew presents that the problem of Israel, and therefore of the new people of God, is the disobedience of Israel, which is related to the rule of Rome as God’s punishment for disobedience, and, for the church especially, the presence of “weeds” among the wheat. Thus, the Gospel addresses the problem of an Israel still led by the Pharisees even though God’s Messiah, Jesus, has appointed the apostles as the new shepherds for the new Israel.