Class Lesson October 24th

Hey Gang,

Dr. Phil gave us some good advice Sunday, on how to deal with adult children that make fuzzy moral choices and don't want our advice. Our guests on the show were parents of an adult daughter that made a choice against their wishes to live with her boyfriend outside of marriage. The daughter at the time believed that it was the right thing to do, after all, the boy said he loved her and wanted to marry her, but it turned out terribly bad. Now the daughter feels guilty, used, and ashamed, but also angry at her parents and blames them for letting her live with this boy. 

What was Dr. Phil's advice?

To the daughter, he said, first and foremost you are not alone - everyone makes mistakes. Secondly, you have to stop blaming your parents - you made a grown-up decision and you are facing a grown-up consequence for that decision.

When the audience was asked what else they thought the parents could have done, they felt that it was important that the daughter be given scriptural reasons for why this was wrong and that she understand that God is the standard by which we should measure all choices made. When God's Word is not the standard for our choices, then all choices seem fine. Parents need to reinforce that God is the standard for right and wrong in all matters of life and it would help to live it as well. Lessons caught as well as taught - "I rather see a sermon than hear one, any day."

We learned that Jesus Christ was the daughter's only answer to her situation. She needed to surrender to Him, repent and receive His forgiveness. Her guilt was actually a sign that God was already working in her life and that through His forgiveness she could start a purposeful life over again. Her sin is no different than ours, for we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  It's important for us to understand that our efforts to improve ourselves in order to be good enough for God is not what it's all about. You will never earn God's acceptance! Goodness is replaced with forgiveness and righteousness.

This lesson spoke to three basic issues with why good is never going to be good enough and the age old question of whether good people go to heaven. 

1. Evil Rationalized - Isaiah 5:20-23 "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil..." This is where we all are and we all fall short of God's standard in different areas of our lives. Paul says to us in Romans 3:12 "there is none who does good, no, not one..." We talked about how our society has fallen into "Moral Confusion" about what's really right and wrong, many times under the false idea of Tolerance.
2. Righteousness Realized - Romans 3:21-26 "...This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." This is where we all want to be..."justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  But something has to happen many times for us to realize true righteousness...stay with me.
3. Holiness Recognized - Isaiah 6:1-5. Isaiah is called up into the very presence of God and is overwhelmed by God's sovereignty. It makes him feel dirty beyond anything but simple expression, helplessly weak and feeling that he is doomed. He says, "Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Wow...this is how we get to a realized righteousness through the recognition of God's holiness.  This is what the daughter was experiencing and feeling with Dr. Phil - she felt convicted. What does it take for us to experience that right mix of fear and devotion to God?

Do good people go to heaven? No, because no one is good except God alone, but forgiven people do - forgiveness made possible by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ - this is the case for Jesus. This righteousness has nothing to do with who we are, but everything to do with Who God is. One of the most powerful evidences (apologetics) that God is real is the way He changes human beings. Don't settle for your unreliable standards. Apply God's standard of holiness to every part of your life - today!

This week I will be out, Susan will be there, and we will have a guest teacher, but I have laid out the lesson for the week and it's a great one as we continue to make the case for Jesus. This week answers the question: What's so different about Jesus?

Take a look at all of the light bulbs in the header above, they all look similar don't they? But only one actually gives light. The others either have no power source or simply are not real. In a similar way, some people want to say that all religious leaders are essentially the same and lead to the same God. But in real life, only Jesus has the power and identity to actually give light.

Many don't deny that Jesus is an important religious teacher, but how is He any different from other great religious leaders in history? Take a stroll this week through the Bible and see how Jesus' teachings (John 6:66-69), miracles (John 9:17, 24-25, 31-33, 35-38) and resurrection (John 20:27-29) all give evidence that He is God.

Hey everyone, guess what...Jim and Esther Best are back! Be sure to say hello and welcome them to our class this Sunday. We missed all of you that were out Sunday!

Don't forget about our class project: Operation Thanksgiving in Afghanistan. We took up a collection Sunday and we will collect again over the next two Sundays for the project. See Larand and Monica Spencer for details. Also, we are set for Trunk or Treat night October 30th and our coffee and dessert social after the event - put it on your calendar! I heard a rumor that Joe Dewald might open the "Man Cave" for the social. Also, there is a special prize for the class that has the highest participation for Trunk or Treat - sounds like a challenge to me.

Hope everyone has a blessed week and I'll see you in two weeks.

In His Love,

David & Susan