COGIC Power for Living | IMPROBABLE POSSIBILITIES – Adult Sunday School Lesson for 9/28/2014

“Sorrow Now, Joy Later” | click here for a supplemental handout

This review is brought to you by the Kentucky First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Sunday School Department.  

LESSON AIM: By the end of the lesson, we will: realize that God’s promise to follow punishment with forgiveness and restoration is still a valid promise; affirm that with God, punishment, forgiveness, and healing come as a package; and design a thanks offering for hope, healing, and forgiveness we receive from God.

BIBLE TRUTH: God is willing to forgive and recovery, healing, and restoration.

Jeremiah 33:2-11| King James Version (KJV)

2 Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

4 For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;

5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.

6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.

8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

10 Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,

11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.

In comparing today’s lesson to a parent with their child, we can liken the oracles within Jeremiah with our human relationships. If mom said, “if you disobey me, you will be punished!” She meant it, right? Then, when the child strays away, the parent has to make good on their promise to chasten the child. 

This is what we’re seeing in today’s Sunday School lesson. Jeremiah is anointed to declare the word of the Lord to His people. As God was using Jeremiah to speak to the nations of Israel and Judah through His prophet, He was assuring them that He saw the fight they were in. He understood what the Chaldean armies were doing to them and the siege that they were under. But, He has permitted this to happen to them, based upon their sins.

Punishment can only last for a season, God also assured His people that there will be a day of reconciliation, healing, and peace. He said He’d bring back the captives and rebuild the ruins from the Babylonian plunder and disaster. In verse 8, God says He will forgive them of their sins.

In verse 9, the prophet dictates that “God’s people shall fear and tremble”. This is very important to point out. 2 Timothy 1:7 declares that God has not given us a spirit of fear. The “fear” in Jeremiah is speaking to reverence. God wanted His people to fear (reverence) Him to the point where they would keep His commandments and flee from the very appearance of sin.

As human beings, think about what the nation of Israel was seeing during this time. Dead bodies being stacked up one by one. No people, animals, or life going on in the city. Just a shell of what used to be their life. It would be depressing. God, in verse 11, proclaims that there would be joy and laughter returning to this same place. He said He’d make sure that they were restored to their previous state, just like they were in the first Promised Land.

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COGIC Power for Living | A NEW FUTURE – Adult Sunday School Lesson for 9/21/2014

“This Land is Your Land…” | click here for a supplemental handout

This review is brought to you by the Kentucky First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Sunday School Department.  

LESSON AIM: By the end of the lesson, we will: retell the hopefulness of Jeremiah’s purchase of a field while he awaits the invasion and siege of Jerusalem; appreciate hope and hopeful actions in the face of deep hardship; and review our personal times of hardship in the past that held, hold for the future.

BIBLE TRUTH: While Jerusalem was under siege, God instructed the prophet Jeremiah to purchase property as a sign that there was a future for the people and their land beyond defeat and exile.

Jeremiah 32:2-9, 14-15 | King James Version (KJV)

2 For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.

3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

4 And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

5 And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the Lord: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.

6 And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

7 Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.

8 So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

9 And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

14 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.

15 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.

Welcome to the longest book of the Bible, Jeremiah! Jeremiah is a prophet, and is one of the Major Prophets. Not because his message is more important, but due to the length of the book itself.

Jeremiah has taken a faith challenge! We’re finding in this lesson, that common sense has NO place in God’s plan for our lives. We must fully TRUST Him, and Him alone. In verse 2, our lesson opens up with a view of Jeremiah captured and detained in a maximum security prison. Apparently, he’s being held there by order of King Zedekiah, for somewhat of treason. In the true meaning of “don’t kill the messenger”, Jeremiah was simply preaching and sharing what thus saith the Lord! King Zedekiah didn’t appreciate it, because prophesy foretold that King Zedekiah and Jerusalem would be captured by the Babylonians and there would be no chance for Judah to win. Zedekiah was the last king of Judah, so there was a lot of pressure on him and he responded very seriously to “threats”, although this time, it was a promise!

So, while Jeremiah is behind bars, the Lord revealed to him that he was going to have a visit from one of his family members, his cousin, Hanamel, offering him to buy some land. There’s only one thing…this land being offered to Jeremiah was actually a part of the battlefield! This property had already been seiged and confiscated. It’s not like Jeremiah was going to be given an opportunity to get out, take a look at it, and make a decision afterwards. Hanamel possibly figured that the land would be overtaken in war anyway, so, on his way out of the country as an exile, he devises a way to still turn a profit on it, even if it was “scamming” a family member (so he thought). But, as we continue, God already knew the plan and the plot…and He used it for the good of Jeremiah. By the way, Jeremiah was well aware that his family members didn’t support him, take a look at verse 12:6).

Nevertheless, Jeremiah struck that deal! He paid 17 shekels of silver, signed and sealed the deed, in front of witnesses (probably the guards). According to the Lord’s instruction, Jeremiah gave the original purchase document to Baruch, with witnesses present. One needed to be sealed and one unsealed. As background info, this was the way that authenticity was proven. One contract would be placed inside of a case WITH a seal on it. A seal was like a signature. The other contract would be placed on the outside. If ever a question arose as to the authenticity of a contract, the case would be broken open and compared to the document on the outside. In this way, the Lord was assuring Jeremiah that in spite of captivity which was getting ready to take place; Israel would return to the land and resume life as usual eventually.

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COGIC Power for Living | RESTORATION – Adult Sunday School Lesson for 9/14/2014

"Take Me Back!”

This review is brought to you by the Kentucky First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Sunday School Department.  

LESSON AIM: By the end of the lesson, we will: know God's new covenant to reveal Himself to all the people, forgive their sins, and hold them accountable; sense the relief and joy that come from starting over in agreement with someone and make plans for renewing our personal covenant with God.

BIBLE TRUTH: Jeremiah assures the people that God will make a new covenant with God's people that will nurture and equip them for the present and the future.

Jeremiah 31:31-37 | King James Version (KJV)

31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

35 Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name:

36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

37 Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.

We get the opportunity to visit the words of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah today. Jeremiah introduces the words “New Covenant” in his message to the people of God. It’s the only time these words are found in the Old Testament, making this a great and wonderful insight and source of encouragement to the Israelites.

But why is it new? The old covenant was the Mosaic Covenant. As we have seen, the Israelites broke it over and over again by worshipping idols and leaning to their own understanding, despite God’s faithfulness and unwavering commitment to His word. God explains here that, “I was a righteous and faithful husband to you…” It was the church which strayed from God each time.

Taking an even more divine approach, God wouldn’t leave it up to His people to only learn of His word through one man teaching another, He said He would write it on their hearts! Understanding that out of the heart are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23), God decided to give His people a spiritual heart transplant! To receive this new instinctive nature, the people of God had to receive from God what they could never do for themselves.

Notice in verse 34, status and rank don’t come into play in the New Covenant. No matter who the person is or fell in the social classification of life, God is calling for a relationship with everyone, from the least to the greatest. In fact, as you read these verses, notice that no human interaction is called upon in the New Covenant. Theologians believe that this is because God is “saving” this work for His Son, Jesus Christ; who will teach the Israelites when He later comes to Earth.

Earlier in the lesson, the Lord likens Himself to a husband. Now, He’s saying that all will “know” Him. This meaning of “know” is more that knowledge and wisdom. Just like in a marriage, a husband and wife share intimate time and experiences with one another. God is wanting that level of intimacy and true love with Him. He’s asking for total commitment. God says He will forgive and not remember their sins anymore. This is a switch for them. Before, sacrifices were given to “atone” or cover their sins. We’re now transitioning from the blood of bullocks and rams, and will be getting ready for the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. God promises to forgive their sins and not remember them anymore. The people of God would now experience the turning point from the Mosaic Law to that of God’s grace.

In verse 35, God takes ownership of being the controller of the universe. He proclaims that He dictates when the sun rises, He controls the sea and the waves, He has all of a nature under His command.

SIDE NOTE: How many times, in our daily grind, hustle and bustle, do we need to stop and be reminded that God is in control and our lives are in HIS hands? Many believe that the future is what they make of it, but ultimately, it’s God who already knows our ups and downs; strengths and weaknesses. God is the One who provides promotion and the abilities to reach the goals we set for ourselves. For this reason, it is important to acknowledge Him in all that we do, so He’ll help us understand which way we should direct ourselves.

As you can imagine, the New Covenant was refreshing for the Israelites. Moreover, God promises that He will always have this special relationship with Israel for all times.

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COGIC Power for Living | A VISION OF THE FUTURE – Adult Sunday School Lesson for 9/7/2014

“Do You See What I See?”

This review is brought to you by the Kentucky First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Sunday School Department.  

LESSON AIM: By the end of the lesson, your students will: review God's written promise to restore the people and the land of Israel and Judah as of old; imagine and express the feelings of safety in the community that has great promise for the future; and plan a way to invite people who are not part of the covenant community to become members of the church and Sunday School.

BIBLE TRUTH: God's promised to restore the fortunes of the people, Israel and Judah, and to reestablish the covenant with them.

Jeremiah 30:1-3 | King James Version (KJV)

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

2 Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.

3 For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

Jeremiah 30:18-22 | King James Version (KJV)

18 Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

19 And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

20 Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them.

21 And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord.

22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

There is rich truth awaiting us in just 7 key verses in the book of Jeremiah. Our lesson lands us a little more than half way through, and it switches from judgment and wrath to consolation, as we’ll discover today.

The Lord is instructing Jeremiah to write these messages, as the first 2 verses open in chapter 30. These predictions are being documented, because historically, the people denied and disbelieved the prophesies that were revealed to them. Jeremiah is taking notes for their (and our) future reference.

The lesson passes over several scenarios of darkness, turmoil, destruction, and doom. And, we land in verse 18, where the sun is coming out and hope is on the horizon. Yes, it’s time for restoration. Jeremiah declares that the Lord will now pass out His blessings on Israel’s (referred to here as Jacob) houses, land, and communities. God would begin to allow them to not just survive, but to really thrive. There’s even mention of restoring the palace like it used to be.

Then, in 19, you’ll see that there will be cause for celebration! Happiness and justice for all! God would allow families to multiply and descendants would be everywhere. So much, that other countries would look upon the Israelites and see their greatness in number and prosperity. The children of the Israelites would be happy and free, just like they were before God’s judgment had come upon their parents. And God would punish all of their enemies too.

Verse 21 is a key verse. Israel formerly had been taken into captivity and ruled by foreign governments. Now, the Lord is promising that He would raise them up a leader, an Israelite, who would be both king and priest (hint, hint, Jesus Christ) who would be their ruler. The Lord says that He would “let” that ruler approach Him…and there would be no need for a mediator. 

Obedience brings about restoration. Disobedience throws everything off track. It seems simple enough. Jeremiah was anointed to share this prophesy, which was meant to realign God’s people with His overall plan, restore them back into His covenant, for them to be His people, and to be their sovereign Lord.

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