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Living Beyond Ourselves | Lesson 8 | February 23, 2013
It’s Not About You!
Sabbath Afternoon | Today’s Reading
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 31, 32
"’Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you.’ Matthew 5:11.
“Ever since his fall, Satan has worked by means of deception. As he has
misrepresented God, so, through his agents, he misrepresents the children of God.
The Saviour says, ‘The reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon
Me.’ Psalm 69:9. In like manner they fall upon His disciples.
“There was never one who walked among men more cruelly slandered than the Son
of man. He was derided and mocked because of His unswerving obedience to the
principles of God's holy law. They hated Him without a cause. Yet He stood calmly
before His enemies, declaring that reproach is a part of the Christian's legacy,
counseling His followers how to meet the arrows of malice, bidding them not to
faint under persecution.
“While slander may blacken the reputation, it cannot stain the character. That is in
God's keeping. So long as we do not consent to sin, there is no power, whether
human or satanic, that can bring a stain upon the soul. A man whose heart is
stayed upon God is just the same in the hour of his most afflicting trials and most
discouraging surroundings as when he was in prosperity, when the light and favor
of God seemed to be upon him. His words, his motives, his actions, may be
misrepresented and falsified, but he does not mind it, because he has greater
interests at stake. Like Moses, he endures as ‘seeing Him who is invisible’ (Hebrews
11:27); looking ‘not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen’ (2 Corinthians 4:18).”
1. Highlight the paragraph that begins, “There was never one who walked
among men more cruelly slandered than the Son of man . . .”
2. Underline the sentence that starts, “A man whose heart is stayed upon
God . . .”
Matthew 24:13-15 (Contemporary English Version)
“But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. When the
good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all
nations, the end will come. Someday you will see that ‘Horrible Thing’ in the holy
place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to
understand!”
Matthew 5:10-12 (Contemporary English Version)
“God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the
kingdom of heaven. God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and
tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. Be happy and excited! You will
have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who
lived long ago.”
IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!
“Guess what I have,” Ahamd said, opening his backpack and showing his two
friends a magazine they were sure to get in trouble for. Their eyes got big. “Meet
me in my garage after school.” They could hardly wait. This was beginning to be a
habit—the sneaking around, the secret meetings, and the full-color magazines.
Some of the boys were so captivated, they told their friends. Word continued to
seep out and, more and more boys would join Ahmad in his garage to take a peek.
Nevertheless, they were careful about who they told, because they knew that they
could get in serious trouble for looking at such a thing.
One time, someone was waiting for Ahmad in his garage, but he didn’t know it. As
usual, the boys came over, and they all gathered around to see the magazine.
“Aha! You are all caught! You know you should not have this. And you definitely
should not be reading it. You are all going to jail!” The officer gathered them
together, and shoved the boys into a police van. They were driven downtown for
questioning. One by one, they were interrogated.
“Where did he get the magazine from? Why were you reading such trash? Why did
you tell others about it? Don’t you know this stuff is against the law?”
One by one, they were questioned, but nobody said a word. Their parents showed
up. They were angry and ashamed. To scare them, the boys were shuffled into a
cell with thieves and murderers. They were told they would be going on trial, and
they could spend the rest of their lives in jail if the didn’t start talking. The boys
were unmoved.
Ahmad’s mother could not understand why they would give their lives away for a
silly magazine. “It’s not a silly magazine, Mother. It has power. It talks about God
and His Son, Jesus, and how He came to save us from our sins. He did not deny us,
and now, even though we might have to spend our lives in jail, we will not deny
Him.”
His mother pleaded, “Ahmad, stop this foolish talk. You have your whole life ahead
of you. Don’t throw it away.”
“I won’t, Mother,” Ahmad assured her. “Since I have learned about my Savior, I
now have begun to live, and I realize it is not about me. There is something. . .
Someone bigger. I will tell everyone I can about Him, whether it is at school, in
town, or in jail.”
1. What sort of magazine do you suppose the boys were looking at?
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2. What seemed to be the problem with the magazine?
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3. Could someone truly be put in jail nowadays for this type of magazine?
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4. Would you leave the magazine at home, or would you share it?
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5. How would you compare the situation in the story to Jesus’ life on earth?
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6. In your life, have you ever felt persecuted? If so, how did you respond?
Could today’s lesson help you in the future?
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Sunday | Today’s Reading
In Heavenly Places, p. 312
“‘As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the
world.’ John 17:18.
“Will separation from the world, in obedience to the divine command, unfit us for
the work the Lord has left us? Will it hinder us from doing good to those around us?
No; the firmer hold we have on heaven, the greater will be our power of usefulness.
We should study the Pattern, that the spirit which dwelt in Christ may dwell in us.
The Saviour was not found among the exalted and honorable of the world. He did
not spend His time among those who were seeking their ease and pleasure. He
worked to help those who needed help, to save the lost and perishing, to lift up the
bowed down, to break the yoke of oppression from those in bondage, to heal the
afflicted, and to speak words of sympathy and consolation to the distressed and
sorrowing. We are required to follow this example. The more we partake of the
spirit of Christ, the more we shall seek to do for our fellow men. We shall bless the
needy and comfort the distressed. . . .
“Probation is about to close. . . . Soon the last prayer for sinners will have been
offered, the last tear shed, the last warning given, the last entreaty made, and the
sweet voice of mercy will be heard no more. This is why Satan is making such
mighty efforts to secure men and women in his snare. . . . The enemy is playing
the game of life for every soul. He is working to remove from us everything of a
spiritual nature, and in the place of the precious graces of Christ to crowd our
hearts with the evil traits of the carnal nature-hatred, evil surmising, jealousy, love
of the world, love of self, love of pleasure, and the pride of life. We need to be
fortified against the incoming foe . . . for unless we are watchful and prayerful
these evils will enter the heart and crowd out all that is good.
“How great is the responsibility placed upon the disciple of Christ. How imperative
the duty to reflect the light of heaven upon a world enshrouded in darkness. The
deeper the surrounding gloom, the brighter should shine out the light of Christian
faith and Christian example.”
HERE’S WHAT I THINK
Several churches in your community have donated food, money, and clothing for
people overseas. Your youth group has been chosen to distribute these supplies in
a Muslim country. The government says that while you are there, you cannot talk
about Christianity or Jesus. Some people think the trip should be cancelled. The
feel it is not a mission trip if you cannot share Jesus.
Do you think the trip should be cancelled? Why or why not? Can you have a mission
trip without sharing Jesus? Would you still go and share Jesus even though the
government told you not to?
Log on to www.guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your responses. Be up-front and
honest. Say what you think. The lines below are provided as an alternative to
posting. You also may wish to record your thoughts to share with your class later.
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Monday | Today’s Reading
Missionaries
Complete the puzzle using the clues shown below.
Across
6. In 1929, he began the oldest continuously run radio program in America
7. Wrote the Bedtime Stories and The Bible Story books.
8. Some people called him Dr. Rabbit. He traveled to Burma as a missionary and
later became a writer of children’s stories.
9. First Seventh-day Adventist missionary to Pitcairn Island, August 4, 1891.
10. African-American nurse who served as a missionary to India.
Down
1. God has used this African-American evangelist to bring thousands to Christ all
over the world.
2. A community service-oriented youth organization.
3. With her husband, she served as a pioneering missionary in Bolivia, Peru, and
Brazil.
4. The doctor who founded the Taiwan Adventist Hospital in 1955.
5. Who was the first Adventist missionary?
Tuesday | Today’s Reading
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 33
“‘When men shall revile you, and persecute you,’ said Jesus, ‘rejoice, and be
exceeding glad.’ And He pointed His hearers to the prophets who had spoken in the
name of the Lord, as ‘an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.’ James
5:10. Abel, the very first Christian of Adam's children, died a martyr. Enoch walked
with God, and the world knew him not. Noah was mocked as a fanatic and an
alarmist. ‘Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of
bonds and imprisonment.’ ‘Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that
they might obtain a better resurrection.’ Hebrews 11:36, 35.
“In every age God's chosen messengers have been reviled and persecuted, yet
through their affliction the knowledge of God has been spread abroad. Every
disciple of Christ is to step into the ranks and carry forward the same work,
knowing that its foes can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. God means
that truth shall be brought to the front and become the subject of examination and
discussion, even through the contempt placed upon it. The minds of the people
must be agitated; every controversy, every reproach, every effort to restrict liberty
of conscience, is God's means of awakening minds that otherwise might slumber.”
1. Highlight the paragraph that begins, “In every age God’s chosen messengers
have been reviled and persecuted . . .”
2. Underline the sentence that starts, “The minds of the people must be . . .”
SO WHAT?
In a world of “got to get mine” and “me first,” God calls for us to look a little
farther. If we would take some time to get off the phone, change the channel, or
get out of the mirror, we would see that there is a whole world out there. And
many of its people do not know about Jesus and the joy He brings. This is true in
faraway lands and right in your school and neighborhood.
The problem is that the world is becoming increasingly hostile to Jesus “freaks.” It
is just not cool to be a Christian. Furthermore, we could get in trouble with the law
or our school for sharing our faith in certain situations. So why risk it?
People desperately need to know about Jesus. And Jesus has asked us to tell them,
(I’m not going to tell the King of the universe NO, are you?) If might not be the
easiest, coolest, or even safest task, but we have to think beyond ourselves and do
it. And when we do, God has promised to give us power, protection, and a prize.
You could go on living life the way you have been, but it just won’t be as fun or
fulfilling as living life the way God wants you to.
God’s love can be shared in words and in more practical, tangible ways such as
feeding the hungry or helping those who have fallen victim to natural disasters,
war, and poverty. When we kick our commitment to God up a notch, He kicks up
the power and allows us to see miracles that others only hear about during mission
story time. When you decide to live beyond yourself, you decide to really live!
1. If you love Jesus, shouldn’t you tell others about Him?
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2. Did Jesus always preach a sermon to tell people about His Father? Explain.
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3. Do you know any missionary stories that prove God watches over those who
are faithful to Him? Can you share your story with your class?
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Wednesday | Today’s Reading
Match the Bible verse with the phrase from the text.
1.
Matthew 24:14 (NKJV) ________
2.
Romans 15:20 (NLT) ________
3.
Colossians 4:5, 6 (TEV) ________
4.
1 Peter 3:14 (NLT) ________
5.
1 Chronicles 16:23, 24 (NLT) _______
6.
1 Peter 4:16 (TLB) ________
7.
1 Peter 5:10 (TLB) ________
8.
2 Corinthians 4:8, 9 (KJV) _______
A.
“We are troubled on every side . . .”
B.
“‘And this gospel of the kingdom . . .’ ”
C.
“After you have suffered a little while . . .”
D.
“My ambition has always been to preach the Good News . . .”
E.
“But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian toward those . . .”
F.
“Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers . . . “
G. “Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! . . .”
H.
“But even if you suffer for doing what is right . . .”
After matching the texts with the phrases, choose one of the texts in its entirety.
Write it on the lines below, and then memorize it to share with your friends in class.
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Thursday | Today’s Reading
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 34, 35
“Great is the reward in heaven of those who are witnesses for Christ through
persecution and reproach. While the people are looking for earthly good, Jesus
points them to a heavenly reward. But He does not place it all in the future life; it
begins here. The Lord appeared of old time to Abraham and said, ‘I am thy shield,
and thy exceeding great reward.’ Genesis 15:1. This is the reward of all who follow
Christ. Jehovah Immanuel—He ‘in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge,' in whom dwells ‘all the fullness of the Godhead bodily’ (Colossians 2:3,
9)—to be brought into sympathy with Him, to know Him, to possess Him, as the
heart opens more and more to receive His attributes; to know His love and power,
to possess the unsearchable riches of Christ, to comprehend more and more ‘what
is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God’
(Ephesians 3:18, 19)—‘this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their
righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.’ Isaiah 54:17.
“It was this joy that filled the hearts of Paul and Silas when they prayed and sang
praises to God at midnight in the Philippian dungeon. Christ was beside them there,
and the light of His presence irradiated the gloom with the glory of the courts
above. From Rome, Paul wrote, unmindful of his fetters as he saw the spread of the
gospel, ‘I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.’ Philippians 1:18. And the very
words of Christ upon the mount are re-echoed in Paul's message to the Philippian
church, in the midst of their persecutions, ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I
say, Rejoice.’ Philippians 4:4.”
1. Highlight the paragraph that begins, “Great is the reward in heaven of those
who are witnesses for Christ through persecution and reproach.”
2. Highlight the sentence that begins, “It was this joy that filled the hearts of
Paul and Silas . . .”
True Education, pp. 38, 39
“The greatest want of the world is the want of those men and women who will not
be bought or sold, those who in their inmost souls are true and honest, those who
do not fear to call sin by its right name, those whose conscience is as true to duty
as the needle to the pole, those who will stand for the right though the heavens
fall.”
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?
Wanted: an adventurous, brave young person who will answer the call of the
gospel, to go! Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to go into the
highways and byways, the halls and the malls, and share Jesus. You can share Him
as you dare to be different and live a life pleasing to God. You can share Him as
you tell others about Jesus when the subject comes up. You can share Him as you
make it come up.
This call to share is not just with our friends and neighbors, but it may take you to
faraway, exotic, and not-so exotic places. Everybody needs to hear the gospel, and
many need your help. There are so many people who have not been as blessed as
you are. For some people, you will be the blessing. Giving of your time, your
money, and your heart will be worth more to them than anything money can buy.
It is not going to be easy, but God promises to send His Holy Spirit to give you the
words to say. He promises that His love will take away your fear, and His grace will
make up whatever you lack. You just have to be bold enough to trust Him and
crazy enough to obey Him! If you do, God will make it more than worth your while.
Friday | Today’s Reading
Acts 16: 16-36 (Contemporary English Version)
“One day on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl. She had a
spirit in her that gave her the power to tell the future. By doing this she made a lot
of money for her owners. The girl followed Paul and the rest of us and kept yelling,
‘These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how to be
saved.’
“This went on for several days. Finally, Paul got so upset that he turned and said to
the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!’ At once
the evil spirit left her.
“When the girl's owners realized that they had lost all chances for making more
money, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into court. They told the
officials, ‘These Jews are upsetting our city! They are telling us to do things we
Romans are not allowed to do.’
“The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes
off the two men and ordered them to be beaten with a whip. After they had been
badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully.
The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet
to heavy blocks of wood.
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the
other prisoners listened. Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its
foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
“When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the
prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. But
Paul shouted, ‘Don't harm yourself! No one has escaped.’
“The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he
knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. After he had led them out of the jail, he
asked, ‘What must I do to be saved?’
“They replied, ‘Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true
for everyone who lives in your home.’
“Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. While
it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and
bruises. Then he and everyone in his home were baptized. They were very glad
that they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his
home and gave them something to eat.
“The next morning the officials sent some police with orders for the jailer to let Paul
and Silas go. The jailer told Paul, ‘The officials have ordered me to set you free.
Now you can leave in peace.’ ”
1. Could this story of Paul and Silas be an example to you and your mission
work? If so how?
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2. Did it look as though Paul and Silas were all alone when they were beaten
and put in prison?
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3. What was the outcome of the experience?
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
It is time to get started with your mission work right now. Although there are some
places you can’t reach on your feet, you can reach them on your knees. Take some
time and write a prayer for a place where the people need the gospel. Pray for
those who are being persecuted for their faith. Also, pray that God will show you
how He wants you to work for Him.
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Answer key to puzzle: ACROSS: (6) HMS Richards (7) Uncle Arthur (8) Eric B. Hare (9) John Tay (10)
Anna Knight. DOWN: (1) CE Bradford (2) Pathfinders (3) Ana Stahl (4) Dr Harry Miller (5) JN Andrews.
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Scripture quotations identified CEV are from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright © American
Bible Society 1991, 1995. Used by permission.
Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by
Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©
1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights
reserved.
Bible texts credited to TEV are from the Good News Bible—Old Testament: Copyright © American Bible
Society 1976, 1992; New Testament: Copyright © American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.
Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers,
Wheaton, Ill. Used by permission.