Adults 4th quarter 2024
October 20, 2024
GOLDEN TEXT
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” ( Mt 16.18 )
PRACTICAL TRUTH
promises to the Church are glorious: promises of eternal life, power and the final glorification of our body.
DAILY READING
Tuesday - 1 Peter 5:1-4 The Church is the flock of God
Saturday - Col 1:24 The Church is the Body of Christ
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” ( Mt 16.18 )
PRACTICAL TRUTH
promises to the Church are glorious: promises of eternal life, power and the final glorification of our body.
DAILY READING
Tuesday - 1 Peter 5:1-4 The Church is the flock of God
Saturday - Col 1:24 The Church is the Body of Christ
Suggested Hymns: : from the Christian Harp
Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Acts 1:6-8
Matthew 28
18 – Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
19 – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 – teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Amen!
Mark 16
15 – And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 – Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 – And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 They will take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will by no means hurt them; and they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
Acts 16
When they came together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons the Father has put in his own power.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
LESSON PLAN
1- INTRODUCTION
In this lesson, we will delve deeper into the specific promises of Christ for His Church. We Pentecostals believe in the contemporaneity of each of them. Therefore, we need to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel, both to transmit it—being an example and witness to the transforming action of Christ—and to enjoy its gifts, confirming our preaching by the power of the Holy Spirit. We know that, as the years go by, along the Christian journey, many tend to let the fervor of their spiritual search fade. Call, challenge, and motivate your class to return to the intensity with which they sought the Lord and dedicated themselves to evangelism, as when they were at the height of their first love and first works (Rev 2:2-5).
2- LESSON PRESENTATION
A) Lesson Objectives:
I) To present God’s promises for the Church of Christ;
II) To highlight the effect of divine promises on the execution of the Great Commission, the mission of the Church in the world;
III) To raise awareness about the conditions for living out such promises.
B) Motivation: We cannot forget the price paid by Christ to establish His Church on Earth, nor our mission as His ambassadors in it. We must constantly honor such a great salvation, taking hold of divine promises for the sake of the effectiveness of our Great Commission. In this way, those saved in Christ will carry out such a great mission.
C) Suggested Method: The growth of the Evangelical Church has been the subject of sociological studies due to its significant increase in the number of believers, especially in the Pentecostal environment. According to the latest census conducted in the country in 2022, there are approximately 109.5 thousand evangelical churches (of many denominations), compared to around 20 thousand in 2015. In 2019 alone, at least 6,356 evangelical churches were opened, which represents an average of 17 per day, with Pentecostal churches predominating. We suggest that you present this data, proposing the following reflection: has the exponential numerical growth reverberated the authenticity of the Gospel of Christ as we observed in the growth of the Church of Acts?
4- CONCLUSION OF THE LESSON
A) Application: Through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, we were made his Church, his Body and his Bride. We cannot forget his promises, as well as the obedience and holiness required to fully enjoy them, taking the Gospel with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit, until the return of our Lord for the Wedding of the Lamb.
4- TEACHER SUPPORT
A) Christian Teacher Magazine. It is worth checking out this magazine that features reports, articles, interviews and support resources for Adult Bible Lessons. In issue 99, p.37, you will find a special support resource for this lesson.
B) Special Support:At the end of the topic, you will find resources that will help you prepare your class:
1) The text “THE ACTION OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD”, located after the first topic, highlights the privileges and responsibilities that we have as a Church in this world;
2) The text “BIBLICAL PROMISES”, at the end of the third topic, explains the two types of divine promises found in the Scriptures: conditional and unconditional”.
INTRODUCTION
The Church of Christ is the bearer of glorious promises from God. It was conceived by the Father, built by Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit. It is the community of those saved in Christ Jesus to worship Him, serve Him and be the agency that spreads the Gospel of Jesus. Therefore, in this lesson, we will study the nature of the divine promises made to the Church, the promises themselves and the conditions for living these promises of God for it.
Keyword: Church
I – THE NATURE OF GOD’S PROMISE TO THE CHURCH
1- The promise of supernatural signs. The Gospel of Matthew 28:18-20 reveals the establishment of Christ’s Great Commission to His disciples. In this commission, three words summarize the task: Go, Teach, and Baptize (v. 19). In Mark 16 we have a promise that supernatural signs would occur to confirm the work of the Great Commission (v. 17). Thus, as the Church of Christ, when proclaiming the message of repentance and salvation, we should expect miracles in the name of Jesus to happen as a reality that the Kingdom of God is acting in the world ( Luke 9:2 ). Therefore, we are faced with a promise of confirmation of the work of evangelization.2- The promise of enduement with power. Based on Christ’s promise to His disciples, in Acts 1, our Lord makes a promise of spiritual empowerment for the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ: “You will receive power from the Spirit” (v. 8). It is the promise of baptism in the Holy Spirit to empower the believer to spread the Good News of Salvation. In addition to the power to proclaim, the empowerment of the Spirit also forges us as “witnesses of Christ” in our families, neighborhoods, cities, and nations (v. 8). Therefore, we are faced with a promise of spiritual empowerment for evangelization.
3- Spiritual promises for a spiritual institution. Throughout the Scriptures, we see that the Church was spiritually forged in Christ. Therefore, the nature of the promises to the Church is primarily spiritual. Let us note how Jesus refers to the Church in Matthew: “I will build my church” ( Mt 16.18 ). The Greek word for church here is ekklesia, a term that refers to a gathering of people called from the world to actively participate in the Kingdom of God. This is made possible by the powerful work of our Lord on the Cross. Therefore, the Church is referred to in the New Testament as the Body of Christ ( Col 1:24 ), the Temple of God ( 1 Cor 3:16 ), the Bride of Christ ( Eph 5:25-27 ). Thus, a spiritual institution has spiritual promises to be confirmed in its ministry in the world ( Mark 16:18-20 ; Acts 1:6-8).
SUMMARY I
Christ's promises to his Church act in the spiritual and material realms.
BIBLIOLOGICAL AID
THE ACTION OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
“(1) Followers of Christ have the privilege and responsibility to constantly seek God’s purposes and way of life in all they do, so that His presence and power will be evident to those around them. This requires a deep spiritual hunger and thirst for God’s presence and power, both in their own lives and in the Christian community (see Matt. 5:10, footnote; 6:33, footnote). (2) In Matt. 11:12 Jesus gives additional information about the nature and character of those who become part of His kingdom. There He indicates that people take hold of the kingdom of heaven “by force.” This refers to people who are courageously committed to breaking with the sinful, God-defying ways of the world and who earnestly seek a deeper knowledge of Christ, His Word, and His perfect purposes. No matter the cost or difficulty, such people earnestly seek the kingdom with all their might. All of this means that experiencing the kingdom of heaven and all its benefits requires a sincere and persistent effort to grow in faith and to resist the evil influences of Satan, sin, and a corrupt society. (3) The supreme benefits of the kingdom of God are not intended for those who have little spiritual hunger—for those who rarely pray, who neglect God’s Word, or who make concessions to ungodly behaviors and worldly ways of life” (Pentecostal Study Bible. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2022, p. 1639).
II – GOD’S PROMISES FOR THE CHURCH
1- Promise of eternal life. In establishing the Great Commission of our Lord, as we saw in Matthew 28 and Mark 16, we see that the first and greatest promise of the Church is that of eternal life, salvation in Christ Jesus. This promise is for all “whoever believes in Him.” Now, “whoever believes in Him” is saved by the Lord and, consequently, becomes a member of the Body of Christ, the Church of the living God, from the first day of his repentance and faith (John 3:16; John 5:24 ).2- Promise of Power. Once saved in Christ, and a member of His Body, according to what we read in Acts 1, we have a glorious promise of power from on high to be living instruments in which the signs and miracles of God can confirm the Word that He has given us. This promise was made in the Acts of the Apostles ( Acts 1:5,8 ), was experienced at that time ( Acts 10:44-46 ; 19:6) and, throughout the history of the Church, has been confirmed again in the lives of thousands of servants of God who experience the Baptism in the Spirit every day and receive precious spiritual gifts to do God’s work with faith and boldness. The same Lord who baptized in the Acts of the Apostles still baptizes today!
3- The promise of the glorification of our body. In the same body of the biblical text in which the promise of the enduement of power is found, in Acts 1, the promise of the Coming of the Lord is also found: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). The Word of God shows us that when our Lord takes His Church, “we shall be like him; for we shall see Him as He is” ( 1 John 3:2 ). When our body is glorified, we will “see Him face to face” and know Him just as He knows us ( 1 Corinthians 13:12 ). What a glorious promise!
4- We must obey God. Obedience is the condition for God to fulfill His promises in the life of someone or a people, as well as in His Church. The order was clear to the disciples: “But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high” ( Luke 24:49 ). There is so much value to God in obedience that the Bible says it is better to obey than to offer sacrifices ( 1 Samuel 15:22 ). So, it is time to be in the presence of God in holy obedience ( Acts 3:19 )!
SYNOPSIS II
In Christ, every believer receives the promise of eternal life, of being clothed with power through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and of a glorified body at the return of our Lord.
III – CONDITIONS FOR LIVING GOD’S PROMISES
1- We must believe. The Scriptures show that persevering in faith in God is an indispensable condition for living in the time of the fulfillment of His promises ( Acts 2:1 ). The Bible shows that Abraham received a promise that he would be the father of a great nation. He believed in God, persevered in faith, “and it was credited to him as righteousness” ( Romans 4:3 ; cf. Genesis 21:5 ). In these last days, we need to revive our faith in God’s promises. It is time to trust in the Lord and be strengthened in the strength of His power ( Ephesians 6:10 )!2- We must be faithful. Once we believe in the Lord, we must present ourselves to Him faithfully. Christ’s disciples, as the Book of Acts shows us, remained faithful to what they heard directly from the Lord (Acts 1:8; 2:1). No matter how much time passes, we will present ourselves to God in faithfulness, as Job did, who, even without knowing that he was the target of the Devil’s malice that took away his possessions, his children, and his health, remained faithful ( Job 1:21 ); like Daniel, thrown into the lions’ den, still remained faithful to the Lord ( Daniel 6:9-10 ). Let us take the words of Jesus: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
3- We must obey God. Obedience is the condition for God to fulfill His promises in the life of someone or a people, as well as in His Church. The order was clear to the disciples: “But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high” ( Luke 24:49 ). There is so much value in obedience to God that the Bible says that it is better to obey than
to offer sacrifices ( 1 Samuel 15:22 ). Thus, it is time to be in the presence of God in holy obedience ( Acts 3:19 )!
SYNOPSIS III
According to the Holy Scriptures, the Church needs faith, fidelity and obedience to live the divine promises in fullness.
HERMENEUTICAL HELP
THE BIBLICAL PROMISES
“Some biblical promises are unconditional, while others are conditional. A conditional promise is a promise with an “if” embedded in it. This type of promise requires that certain obligations or conditions be met in order for God to fulfill it. If God’s people fail to meet the conditions, God is not obligated in any way to fulfill the promise. An example of this is James 1:25: ‘But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, he who is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.’ The blessing promised in this verse is contingent on obedience to God’s Word. Another example is John 15:7: ‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.’ This promise guarantees the answer to prayers only for those who abide in Christ and in whom Christ’s words abide. If the condition is met, the promise is fulfilled. An unconditional promise does not depend on such requirements for its fulfillment. There is no “if” involved. What has been promised is sovereignly granted to the beneficiary of the covenant, regardless of any merit (or lack thereof) on the part of the latter. […] The fact that we are children and heirs in the family of God does not depend on the fulfillment of certain obligations. On the contrary, it is something that applies to all Christians” (RHODES, Ron. Recognizing the Promises of God. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2012, pp. 24-25).
CONCLUSION
God’s promises to the Church of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are of great spiritual value. As a Church, we are integrated as members of this spiritual body. Through Christ, the Lord’s promises are great for all who are part of the Church. In Him, we will experience the promises of eternal life, power, and the final glorification of our body. God’s plans for His Church are infallible.
REVIEWING THE CONTENT
1- What does the Gospel of Matthew 28:18-20 reveal?
It reveals the establishment of Christ’s Great Commission to His disciples. In this commission, three words summarize the task: Go, Teach, and Baptize (v.19).
2- What do we have in Mark 16?
In Mark 16 we have a promise that supernatural signs would occur to confirm the work of the Great Commission (v.17).
In Mark 16 we have a promise that supernatural signs would occur to confirm the work of the Great Commission (v.17).
3- What is the promise that the Lord Jesus makes in Acts 1?
The promise of spiritual empowerment for the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ: “You will receive power when the Spirit comes” (v.8). It is the promise of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The promise of spiritual empowerment for the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ: “You will receive power when the Spirit comes” (v.8). It is the promise of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
4- In addition to the promise of being clothed with power in Acts 1, what is the other promise we see in this same text?
The promise of the Coming of the Lord.
The promise of the Coming of the Lord.
5- What is the value of obedience to God?
There is so much value to God in obedience that the Bible says that it is better to obey than to offer sacrifices (1 Sam 15.22).
There is so much value to God in obedience that the Bible says that it is better to obey than to offer sacrifices (1 Sam 15.22).