WEDNESDAY August 14 Church Organization: The Structure for Unity The New Testament reveals that the early church had a definite organizational structure. This structure helped to preserve the doctrinal purity of the church and keep it focused on mission. In Acts 6, a small group of disciples met together to solve the problem of the distribution of food to the widows of the Greek converts. They selected deacons to solve the dilemma. Church members respected the authority of these church leaders. When the apostle Paul was converted on the Damascus Road, he was directed to Ananias, a representative of the church (Acts 9:10-17). After Paul’s baptism by Ananias, the Holy Spirit directed him to meet with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem in order to confirm his ministry (Acts 9:26-30). In Acts 20 Paul met with the church elders from Ephesus to urge them to be on guard against false teachers and their heresies (Acts 20:17, 27-32). How did the New Testament church solve a major dispute over circumcision? Acts 15:1-31. The Jerusalem Council saved the first-century church from a serious schism. Church organization with administrative authority was essential in preserving the doctrinal integrity of the New Testament church. In this instance, local church representatives were sent to Jerusalem to participate in doctrinal discussions, which would have serious implications for the future of the church. Once this representative group came to a consensus, they wrote out their decision in a committee action and circulated it throughout the churches where the problem had originated: Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia (Acts 15:23). Members accepted the decision of the Jerusalem Council and rejoiced that the Holy Spirit had guided them to an answer to their dilemma (Acts 15:30-35). If you are a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, then you are involved in the church structure. What is your role in that structure, and how might you be more constructively involved? THURSDAY August 15 Achieving Unity The closer we come to Jesus, the closer we come to one another. We see with new spiritual eyesight. The Spirit of Christ enables us to view one another differently. The little things that once bothered us are reframed by the grace of Christ. Cherished hostilities are relinquished in the light of His magnificent grace. Old scores and disputes are, as much as possible, set aside. Barriers are broken down. The gospel heals broken relationships. When the Holy Spirit was poured out in its fullness on Pentecost, the attitudes of the disciples toward one another were dramatically changed. In the light streaming from the Cross, they saw one another differently. “Every Christian saw in his brother a revelation of divine love and benevolence. One interest prevailed; one subject of emulation swallowed up all others. The ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ’s character and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom.”-Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 48. List some of the practices that fostered unity among first century Christians. Why are these practices so powerful in bringing believers together? Matt. 18:16-20; Acts 1:14; 12:5, 12; 6:7; Matt. 28:16-20. Hoping or wishing for unity does not achieve it. The New Testament church prayed together and talked together. They studied God’s Word together, and together they shared their faith. Prayer, Bible study, and witnessing are powerful elements that create, foster, and sustain the unity of the church. As we pray for one another, we are drawn closer together. Participating in an evangelistic outreach to the community creates a sense of oneness or togetherness. A living, dynamic, unified and revived church is one whose members are praying together, studying God’s Word, and reaching out to their community. What are some of the forces at play that threaten the unity of your local church, or even the church as a whole? Why is it important to understand what these forces are and to be ready to deal with them? FRIDAY August 16 Further Study: “In these first disciples was presented marked diversity. They were to be the world’s teachers, and they represented widely varied types of character. In order successfully to carry forward the work to which they had been called, these men, differing in natural characteristics and in habits of life, needed to come into unity of feeling, thought, and action. This unity it was Christ’s object to secure. To this end He sought to bring them into unity with Himself.”-Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 20. Discussion Questions: Why is a unified church structure so important for us? What would happen to our mission, to our message, and to our church as a whole if congregations, conferences, unions, or divisions were to go their own way? Imagine the chaos that would ensue. In class, answer the question: Why am I a Seventh-day Adventist? However important unity is for the church, are there some things that are even more important? If so, what? For instance, in dealing with those who preached doctrines with which he disagreed, Paul wrote this: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8-9). What happened to unity here, at least with these people? Dwell more on the issue of how our message and mission are crucial to our whole identity as Seventh-day Adventists. After all, what would our purpose be without our message, which no one else is preaching to the world? At the same time, what other things unite us as Seventh-day Adventists? That is, though we would have nothing were it not for our mission and message, what else do we have that helps to define us, and why are these important, as well? Why is unity so crucial for any revival and reformation among us? Inside Story~ SID: Namibia The Disobedient Daughter Irunga stepped outside the mud hut that was her father’s home. She had hoped that he would understand that becoming a Christian didn’t mean she was rejecting her family’s traditions. She loved her family, but now God was more important. Irunga is a Herero, a tribal people living in northern Namibia. She grew up watching her grandfather sit before the holy fire and talk to the ancestors, asking them to tell God the family’s concerns. When she was 10, she went to live with her uncle and attend school in the little town nearest to her family’s settlement. While studying, she attended a Protestant church and accepted Jesus as her Savior. She knew that her family would be unhappy, but when her grandfather accused her of deserting their culture, she was deeply hurt. They called her a disobedient daughter. Saddened, Irunga returned to town. A friend introduced her to some Adventist missionaries and their interpreter, Kapitango. Irunga enjoyed talking with the missionaries, but she had no intention of becoming an Adventist. However, as her friendship with Kapitango grew, so did her interest in his faith. In time she accepted the Adventist faith, and the young couple decided to marry. But marriage in Irunga’s culture is complicated, and parents often take years to decide to allow their young people to marry. Kapitango’s parents asked Irunga’s parents for permission for the couple to marry, and they agreed. But just before the wedding, they withdrew their permission. Kapitango and Irunga decided to marry anyway. Religion continues to be a wedge between Irunga and her family, who still refuse to listen to her testimony. But Irunga hopes that one day they will share her love for Jesus. She is her village’s only contact with Adventists. Irunga and her pastor-husband work with a group of Adventist missionaries to reach the Herero and Himba people of Namibia. They are developing Bible stories told in the oral traditions of her people. The stories, recorded onto MP3 players, are making a difference in people’s lives, and Irunga hopes that one day soon they will reach her own family. Part of a recent Thirteenth Sabbath Offering has gone to help make these MP3 players available to more Himba and Herero people, so that they can hear for themselves that God is not distant or uncaring, but loving and forgiving. Thank you for giving to mission and the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering and making it possible for others to hear the story of salvation for themselves. Source: ssnet.org/lessons/13c/less07.html
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 14:06:21 +0000