Sabbath School Lesson Week 11

Sabbath School Lesson Week 11

INTRODUCTION:  Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!  ReJOYce.  ReJOYce!  No I haven't forgotten how to spell.  I love this song, it is high energy and I love nothing more than a good gospel song that makes you want to stand up and join in!  However I can't think of this verse without singing the little children's song, "Rejoice in the Lord, always and again I say rejoice."  The catchy melody will often grab on in my head and not let go. 

 

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-5

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

 

I love that there is an exclamation mark after the second Rejoice.  Rejoice!  I can hear Paul saying this.  I can hear him speaking not just writing. 

 

I am working on a piece of music for our Centennial Celebration at Pisgah.  For the ending of the hymn I want us to repeat the last phrase three times, to accentuate the lyrics, to stop where you are used to moving on and singing that last line again.  Repeating accentuates. Below is one of my favorite movie scenes.  The reason, is not just the amazing sunlight, but the best moment is when one word is repeated.  Watch.

 

 

 INGREDIENT # 23 REJOICE and again REJOICE!  

 

ACTION: Don't let a day go by that you aren't rejoicing about something! When you find something to rejoice about, then look for something else!  Don't stop.  Find it!  EXCLAIM it!  SING it!  

 

Our verse continued:   

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

  

1. Let your what? __________________________

2. Be evident to who?_______________________

 

Seriously?  

 

Why or How?.... The LORD is _________________.

 

"Let your gentleness be evident to all."   This week this lesson is late because I have been so incredibly swamped.  I'm pushing to get 3 huge events off the ground in the next few weeks.   One is the Centennial celebration.  No big deal.... it only can happen once every 100 years.  The process of planning, trying to make things happen, trying to get things done, GENTLENESS, has not been a word I would use to describe how I am being.  PUSHY might be more fitting.  

 

Gentleness.  I think this word gets a bad rap.  What is gentleness? _______________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

What are some negative reactions you have to the word and why?

 

What are some positive reactions you have to the word and why?

 

Tell a time when you experienced gentleness or saw gentleness and it made an impact on you. 

 

Why do you think Paul said, "The Lord is near" right after telling us to show gentleness to all?

 

Was it a threat?

 

Was it the how to?

 

PHILIPPIANS 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

 

OK this passage is hard for me to swallow this week, frankly many weeks, perhaps most weeks.  I can honestly say I am anxious about a lot.  How to do my job better, how to get everything done, two weddings coming up, the to-do lists that never end, friends I don't see or talk to enough, children who need what I can't give, you name it, I have been anxious about it.  

 

What have you been most anxious about this week?

  

How do you handle those anxious moments?

 

Does prayer help?  

Why?

Is it the asking and the answers?  Is it the process?  Is it both?

How does Paul tell us to ask?

PHILIPPIANS 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

I love, love, love this verse!  

 

Key to this verse is the very first word... AND.

 

And connects it to the previous verses.  So lets review.  Paul starts the chapter praising and exclaiming his love for the Philippians.  He asks them to fix their differences, to come together.  He tells them to rejoice and to again rejoice, to be gentle, to remember that God is near, to stop worrying, to turn our cares over to God AND then we will experience the peace of God.   

 

I have always looked at this as a stand alone text.  Frankly as if it is a magical mysterious gift of peace that we need to grab onto.  It is a gift, it does transcend  all understanding, it will guard your heart and mind, however it isn't just this mystical gift it is a result of the work that He will do in us and through us if we are willing.  It comes because we rejoice, because we exhort each other, because we are gentle, because we know God is near, because we choose to lay our worry down and let God take over... AND then the peace of God... it still is not because of our work but what he does that the peace comes.  You say wait a minute, you just said....  

Let me explain it this way...  I am trying to get back to exercising in my life.  I can bear results if I'm willing to put in the work, however it is ultimately not my work that reaps the results it is the way God crafted and designed our bodies.  It is because of the restorative power he place in us that exercising does anything.  In and of myself, I can't make my body loose weight or gain muscle.  It is how He designed our bodies to work.  Just as the doctor can sew up a gaping wound, but he can't make it heal back together, that is something only God can do.  I can praise him all day long, and complete the list to the best of my ability, but it is only when combined with HIS power do my efforts reap this peace that makes no earthly sense.  

Is it possible to have JOY without Peace?

INGREDIENT # 24  PEACE

ACTION:  Pray for the miracle of his peace all the while doing your part.  

1. Praise and express love to each other.

2. Mend relationships

3. Rejoice and again Rejoice

4. Show gentleness to everyone

5. Remember that God is near!

6. Stop worrying

7. Make your requests known to God