PROOF OF YOUR LOVE (2 CORINTHIANS 8:24; JOHN 14:15)

 

PROOF OF YOUR LOVE

2 CORINTHIANS 8:24; JOHN 14:15

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

Lesson updated: February 05, 2023

Scheduled Teacher: Sis. Roxan Velena

 

 MEMORY VERSE:

2 Corinthians 8:24 (KJV)

Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

 INTRODUCTION:

People are not fully aware how God’s love is shown to the world. If we see how the world rotates around the sun and how the balance is done every day to make the people experience comfortable in the place, they were put in to live, we would fully have amazed not just the wonderful creations God had done but His love all throughout the humanity. Bible says in Matthew 5:45 “… he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” So, you see, whatever your treatment to God, even you love God, or you don’t love God, He sends rain for everyone. How about us? What are the proofs of our love?

Humanly speaking, do we need proofs that we are loved by our loved ones? (Ask few people for response)

What is your feeling if your girlfriend or boyfriend says he/she loves you, but he hides it to other people? It seems like He doesn’t know you. This is painful, isn’t it? Another thing, if a man is in love to a woman, he’ll reach the point to ask her to marry him, right? He wants to spend their whole life together and build a family. That is one of the proofs of human love.

 

Do you love God? If you truly love God, what is the proof of your love? True love cannot be hidden; it is expressed in words and actions. It is not enough to sing and say that you love God; you must also put action to it. Maybe there are times we meet people who claim to love God but their words and especially their actions say otherwise. True love is not self-seeking, it desires to please whom it loves. If we love God, we will long do what pleases Him all the time.

 

If you’ve watched the movie the “Passion of Christ.” That was 2004 if I’m not mistaken. If we would just see and feel the agony of Christ that time, we were deeply touched of His sacrifice for every one of us.  That was a great proof of Christ’s love to God, the Father and most especially to us. Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16 (use any testimony or illustration to this part)

 

You can’t love someone, and the person will not know it because if you truly do so, you will show it. God too knows when you really love Him, because your words and especially your actions will express it.  God is the God of knowledge; by Him actions are weighed – 1 Samuel 2:3. So how will God know that you truly love Him?

(most words are taken from http://stepswithgod.com/proof-love-god/)

 

LESSON OUTLINE:

1)  OBEDIENCE (JOHN 14: 15)

-        Your obedience to God and His words is the number one evidence of your love for Him. Christ Himself said, “If you love me, keep my commandments”. You can’t love God and be disobedient to His commands. God cannot be mocked; He who made ears and eyes can certainly hear and see the things that you do.

-        Jesus proved His love for the father by obeying all His instructions, even to death on the cross: the most shameful death of His time, (Philippians 2:8, Galatians 3:13).  He judged as He heard from His father because He was seeking the will of His father who sent Him – John 5:30. His primary assignment on earth was to carry out the plan and purpose of God for man, which He completed successfully. At the end, He said, “It is finished”. –John 19:30

-        God demands that you obey Him absolutely, not as convenient. He showed an example for us by sacrificing His only son. And on the cross for the first time, He forsook His son because of your sin and mine – Matthew 27:46. It certainly was not convenient for God, but He did it for the love He has for you and me.

-        Therefore, your obedience must be total. God will not accept half commitment from you, which is why He said He prefers you being cold or hot and not lukewarm. Christ will not condone a lukewarm service; He will spew you out of His mouth if you are lukewarm – Revelation 3:15-16

(say a testimony on this part if needed)

 

2)  SOULWINNING (JOHN 21: 15-17)

-        Another important proof of your love for God is your love for lost souls. If you love God, you will love what He loves and hate what He hates. Soul winning is God’s heartbeat and passion. Whatever God does is geared towards reconciling people back to Himself.

-        God the father sent Jesus to earth and allowed Him to be crucified in order to reconcile man to Himself – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. His target was to win as many people as possible, that whosoever believes in Christ will not perish but have eternal life.

-        And Christ’s great commission to His disciples, including you if you love Him is to go and teach all nations to observe all things that He had commanded, Matthew 28:19-20. Also, that you should bear fruit that will remain in the Lord – John 15:16.

-        Christ demanded that Peter proved his love for Him by preaching the word of God – John 21:15-17. “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?”

It is not God’s desire that anybody should perish but that all should come to repentance – 2 Peter 3:9 and so He has committed the ministry of reconciliation to the disciples – 2 Corinthians 5:18.

-        Christ emphasized the importance of soul winning in the whole 15^th chapter of Luke, through the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son.

-        God is interested in bringing back lost souls and He has chosen you to work with Him in accomplishing this task. If you love Him, you will partner with Him in this ministry of reconciliation.

(say a testimony on this part if needed)

 

3)  GIVING (2 Corinthian 8: 1-5, 8, 24)

-        Giving is an expression of love. You cannot have true love for someone and not give to the person. There’s a saying “You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.” So also, you cannot love God and not give to Him and for His kingdom work. It is a proof of your love for Him. If you love Him, you will give without being coerced to do so. It will be a thing of Joy to you to do so.

-        God first loved us (1 John 4:19) and gave His only son for us all. And He had promised that if He could give His only son then, there is nothing He cannot freely give us – Romans 8:32. Love is a giver and if you love God, you must be a giver too.

-        God expects you to give willingly, cheerfully and bountifully, but according to what you have and not to what you don’t have – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, 2 Corinthians 8:12. It is a test of the sincerity of your love – 2 Corinthians 8:8.

(say a testimony on this part if needed)

(points are taken from http://stepswithgod.com/proof-love-god/)

CONCLUSION:

SACRIFICIAL LOVE ILLUSTRATION:

Maria Dyer was born in 1837 on the mission field in China where her parents were pioneer missionaries. Both her parents died when Maria was little girl, and she was sent back to England to be raised by an uncle. The loss of her parents, however, did not deter her young heart from the importance if sharing the gospel. At age sixteen she, along with her sister, returned to China to work in a girl’s school as a missionary herself. Five years later, she married Hudson Taylor, a man well-known today for his life of ministry, faith, and sacrifice.

Hudson and Maria’s work was often criticized – even by other Christians. At one point Maria wrote, “As to the harsh judging of the worlds, or the more painful misunderstandings of Christan brethren, I generally feel that the best plan is to go on with our work and leave God to vindicate our cause.” Of their nine children, only four survived to adulthood. Maria herself died of cholera when she was just forty-three. But she believed that the cause was worthy of sacrifice. On her grave marker these words were inscribed: “For her to live was Christ, and to die was gain.”

In a day when many are self-absorbed and care more about what they can get rather than what they can give, we need a renewal of sacrificial love. It was God’s love for us that sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins, and it is that kind of giving love that our world needs so greatly today.

In aspect of God’s love, sometimes we ask God for proofs most especially during dark hours of our lives. Though His love is so evident we still question Him when we face trials.  We easily ask for proofs, but we don’t see ourselves. What if God return our question to us: “Do you love Me? If you love Me, prove your love!”  We are blessed because though God hasn’t received love in return from us, He still loves us.

 

RENEWING YOUR COMMITMENT (2 CHRONICLES 15:1-19)

 

RENEWING YOUR COMMITMENT

BIBLE PASSAGE: 2 Chronicles 15: 1-19

Picture taken from Google

Lesson Prepared by: Krisha of Solomon’s Wisdom FB page

Scheduled Teacher: Sis. Liza F. Biado

JANUARY 15, 2022

 

MEMORY VERSE

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

2 CHRONICLES 15:7

 

INTRODUCTION:

What is your response after a lot of work? What is your body’s response after a tiring work? Most of our answers are in the same, we need “rest”. I remember that the attitude of some CBT members before was to rest after a big event happened. I don’t say we don’t need to rest but the attitude of some members was they skipped minor events and also some services just to take rest. After rest or vacation, they went back. I don’t judge them, but the consistency is not there and the fact that you can have your rest while attending the church. There are lot of days to schedule and not Sunday. Sad to say sometimes they took this “okay” and not a big deal. I said this because I asked one of the members why her friend was not with her and she answered, “He’s too tired after the event last time and it’s expected for him to rest and that is fine. All of us need rest you know”. I just kept quiet and left. I realize If all pastors have that attitude, no one will preach on one of the Sundays if all of them get tired from any work.

The situation goes the same with Israel, after the battle with Ethiopians. God helped them with this battle (2 Chronicles 14:11-13). After the battle God spoke to the prophet and reminded the King Asa and the people. In 2 Chronicles 15: 1-3,

And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: ² And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. ³ Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. ⁴ But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

God reminded the king and the people the possibility that they forget their God and their covenant. In verse 4 proves that they just approached God in times of trouble. These reminders made Asa, the king of Judah, encouraged the people to renew their covenant. WHAT MADE THEM RENEW THEIR COVENANT?

 

LESSON OUTLINE:

1.  THEY ARE ENCOURAGED THAT THEIR WORK SHALL BE REWARDED (2 CHRONICLES 15:7)

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

Aren’t you encouraged with these words, “for your work shall be rewarded”? What happened to King Asa when he heard these words? In verse 8 says,

And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.

Asa took courage with the words came from the Lord and he did amazing works: he put away the abominable idols out of the land of Judah and Benjamin and out of the cities which he had taken from Mount Ephraim. We can see here the great efforts he did. The next line the verse said, “and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord”. We don’t know what kind of renewal he did to the altar, but we can feel in this verse his heart and eagerness to be with God’s will and his courage to follow God in the presence of his mother who was against God’s will.

 

Does this verse, 2 Chronicles 15:7, applicable if we stop from serving? (allow responses) Again let’s read, “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded”. The words, “let not your hands be weak” simply shows that we need not to allow our work for the Lord to stop and encourage us to be strong.

 

2.  THEY SAW THAT THE LORD IS WITH THEIR LEADER (2 CHRONICLES 15:9)

And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

It’s important that you discern that God speaks to you through a leader or a pastor in entering to God’s covenant. You cannot enter to a spiritual covenant by yourself or without God’s word or the people use by God to speak to you. God uses ordinary people to speak to you. The people followed King Asa because they saw God worked in his life. What they did.

·       They gathered themselves in Jerusalem (verse10). We can see that God’s word and with the help of the pastor we can follow God’s will. God’s word moves you and help you enjoy spiritual things like going to church. 

·       They offered unto the Lord (verse11). Giving is not a question if people are enveloped with God’s word. Therefore, if we hear Christians are being complaining about money mothers though the giving in that church is transparent and not questionable then we know the answer for this.

·       They entered into a covenant (verse 12) to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.

 

 

3.  THEY BECAME AWARE THAT GOD WOULD HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY FAILED TO YIELD TO HIM (2 CHRONICLES 15:2,13)

The words of Azariah carried a real threat as well as a real promise. Starting well is not always the key to victory—how you end is much more decisive. Twenty years ago, you might have been on fire for the Lord, ready to storm the gates of hell. But, what about today? Are you eager to serve him right now? Are you ready to say “yes” to his call in your life? If not, be ready to face the consequences. Our God will not sit idly back while his children go astray—he disciplines those he loves and will use every measure available which is in line with his character to make sure the prodigals come home.

 

When Judah heard God’s call to commitment, they gave themselves totally to the Lord.

¹⁴ And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

¹⁵ And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.

 

These two verses give us reminders that in giving our commitment to the Lord, we should commit with all our hearts. Their decision made them proud which mentioned in verse 14. They sware with a loud voice which means they openly announced their oath and they did it with shouting, with trumpets, and with cornets they are happy and not regretful for the decision we have made. The question is every time we promise to the Lord or make an oath, are we regretful or are happy?

 

CONLUSION:

Swimming the English Channel

Source unknown

It was a fog-shrouded morning, July 4, 1952, when a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. She intended to swim the channel from the island to the California coast. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions.

The water was numbing cold that day. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party. Several times sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire. She swam more than 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land, but when Florence looked, all she saw was fog. So she quit. . . only one-mile from her goal.

Later she said, "I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land I might have made it." It wasn't the cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was the fog.

Many times we too fail, not because we're afraid or because of the peer pressure or because of anything other than the fact that we lose sight of the goal. Maybe that's why Paul said, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14).

Two months after her failure, Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record, because she could see the land.

- John Cochran

REFUSING COMMITMENT (JONAH CHAPTERS 1 - 4)

 

REFUSING COMMITMENT

JONAH chapters 1 – 4

Lesson prepared by: krisha of Solomon Wisdom FB page

Lesson ideas taken from: RevCharles Stanley Lesson

Scheduled Teacher: Sis. Roxanne V. Velena

Lesson Update Frm:Jan.29,2018

JANUARY 29, 2023

 

MEMORY VERSE

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I WILL PAY THAT I HAVE VOWED. Salvation is of the Lord.

(JONAH 2:9)

 

INTRODUCTION:

Do you believe that God wants the best for us? (Let the audience raise their hands or say “Amen.”) If that so, why many of us in any circumstances refuse being committed whatever what God has called us to be or to do? When knowing God’s will in our lives, why we willfully refuse God. Why we do that? For us to give an example, let’s look the life of Jonah. Jonah is the perfect example of man who knew what God was calling him to do, yet resisted God call anyway. We often do that, too, don’t we? What is it that you know right now that God is requiring of you but you’re holding it off? What is God challenging you to give up? What area of our life God wants us to alter (change)?  What relationship he said to you “settle that?” What challenges in your business that He asks you commit to Him? Is it your money, your faithfulness? What’s that God keeps bringing up to you? If you pray, God keeps bringing it up and this cause us to cease praying; either we deal with it or stop praying. Let’s see Jonah’s life; let’s read the few beginning verses.

1 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

² Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

³ But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

 

Let’s take a look in verse 3: went down to Joppa, went down to it. A pastor said using this verse, “Every time we run away from God’s presence, we’re going down.” Let’s read Jonah 1: 4-15.

You know what why there is raging on in the inside of us; we’ve got Jonah aboard. Something in our life we don’t want to surrender, something we don’t want to give up, something we won’t face or deal with it and the storm keeps raging on inside.  And we think somehow that we’ll get the storm to cease and keep on holding of what is not of God. It will never happen because that’s not the way God operates; throw him overboard.

In Jonah chapter 2, he prayed unto the Lord. We can see in here a man in true distress.  Let’s read verses   1-7 and we can see in verse 8, at the point of dying, he remembered the Lord. “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.” In verse 9 says, But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. This verse tells that Jonah made a vow before to the Lord; He made a vow to go to Nineveh. He made a commitment but failed doing it. This scene is like Jonah was in desperate situation and says, “I will do my commitment Lord just get me out of here.”

What have we seen in this lesson? Don’t wait till God has you in the crouches of pressure until you are willingly said, “Yes, Lord I’ll do Your will”

LESSON POINTS:

1) WE ARE AFRAID

We become fearful suppose we fail afraid of failure, afraid of criticism – afraid of people, what they’ll say what if I don’t measure up the people’s expectation and afraid of exposure. They’ll see my weaknesses, they’ll see my faults, they’ll see that I’m not good as they see in me, they’ll see that I’m not capable and they’ll see others capable than I am. That’s why we’re afraid of exposure, afraid of failing and afraid of the unknown. Suppose you’ll do what God says to do, what will happen? The act of faith is being willingly place your trust in the wisdom and the will of God without knowing the outcome. One of the reasons of not obeying is we don’t know the results of the circumstances. We’re willing to obey if we know the outcome, is that we call faith? People will follow by sight and not by faith. It’s like you’re trying to put God in your own will and not trusting God.

Another question we need to answer, how many blessings we have missed in our lives because we’re afraid to trust God? How many blessings we have missed in our business life because we’re afraid to trust God? What have we missed in our relationship to others because we don’t open or become transparent. We miss deep abiding friendship and fellowship. What have we missed because we’re afraid to give the 10% of our money? You think how many have left in your salary and think more of our bills. We need to start giving to God first. We’re afraid of failure, afraid of criticism-what people may say, afraid of exposure and afraid of unknown trouble us and these are the reasons of not fulfilling our commitment to God. These speak of our ourselves – our selfishness.

 

2)  OUR SELFISHNESS (JONAH 4:1-6)

We fail to follow our commitment and that is purely selfishness. Most often than not of what God is requiring of us doesn’t fit our plan, doesn’t fit what we want, doesn’t fit our schedule, doesn’t fit where we go and what we do then we say, “That’s I don’t want to do.” We don’t say that, but we casually and quietly go and do our own thing. And you say, “Lord your plan doesn’t fit my plan.” What we do is to rebel against God, God’s plan doesn’t

What do you think Jonah’s reason why he didn’t want to follow God? Nineveh is 500 miles in Jerusalem; he was prejudice against Ninevites. And why? Because Nineveh was a big treat in Jerusalem, to the people of God. He didn’t them to repent; he wanted them to be destroyed.

  

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

² And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore, I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

³ Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

⁴ Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?

⁵ So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

⁶ And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

 

If you see that in verse 6, Jonah was exceedingly glad of the gourd but not happy in God’s plan. What have you seen in Jonah’s attitude? Where were Jonah’s priorities? Is that what we feel sometimes?  He was just like a Christian being unhappy with the revival meeting, evangelism and other Christian gatherings but he was happy with things not spiritual. He was totally unconcerned about spiritual things and concern something with no lifetime value at all. God saw his attitude and God prepared a worm to smite the gourd.

Let’s read verses 7-11

⁷ But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.

⁸ And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

⁹ And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

¹⁰ Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:

¹¹ And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

 

Sometimes the reason we disobey God because we have His plan disfigure His plan. We act   like with Jonah, we see the plan like as if we see better than God. Let’s be reminded based on the bible that whatever God wants us to do, let’s put in mind that He sees the beginning, the middle, the end and the ultimate results and he has the divine reason that’s why we need to obey. Selfishness destroys us. We should commit and live in submission without our convenience.

 

3)  POOR SELF IMAGE (Judges 6)

When there’s a call we say, “Oh God not me.” And sometimes we give prospect people who we think will fit in the position rather than us. Remember Gideon’s call and says to him in verse 12, “thou mighty man of valour.” The angel told him that he would save the Israel from Midianiates. And he answered in verse 15,

 

^15, And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. ¹⁶ And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

¹⁷ And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

Have you seen the lesson in these verses? Most of us have many excuses in getting into the ministry or make a commitment. We may say, “me” and it might not be me; there are others there who are better than me. Though Gideon was assured by the angel that God will be with him, he still asked for a sign.

 

CONCLUSION:

Personally, we can learn so many things in the life of Jonah: he made a vow and refuse to fulfill it, and he met troubles in his life. It’s scary to make commitment and refuse to do it but it’s not okay not to commit which you know that God has first gave his commitment to you. The final thing we see in Jonah’s life was when he was unhappy to God’s will and happy to the things not spiritual. His life is the same with us. We commit and resist later on. Don’t wait for God’s hand to warn us before we say, “Okay Lord, I’ll do it.”