Sabbath: Families of Faith
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 10:1-28, Acts 10:34-35; 1 Cor. 2:2; 1 Thess. 5:21-22; John 1:12-13; John 3:7; 1 John 5:1.
Memory Text: “Therefore … let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV).
No matter what stage of life we are in, or what we have been through or will face down the road, we exist against the background of culture. Our parents, our children, our homes, our families, even our church—all are impacted by the culture in which they exist, and greatly, too. Though other factors were at play, the change of the Sabbath to Sunday was a powerful example of how the culture of the time, powerfully and negatively, influenced the church. Every time we drive by a church and see a sign for Sunday services, we are given a stark reminder of just how far-reaching the power of culture can be.
Christian families confront cultural challenges all the time. Sometimes the cultural influences can be good; most times, though, the influence is negative.
The great news is that the power of the gospel gives us light, comfort, and strength to deal with the challenges that culture can bring. This week we will look at how we can be “families of faith”, as we seek to “become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15, NKJV).
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 15.
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On our recent trip overseas, we would often pass people who would greet us with their national greeting. So we would hear, "Hello", "Bon Jour", "Nǐ hǎo", "Guten Tag", and so on. Being Australian we would greet others with the typical Australian salutation, "G'day!" Other Australians would always recognize the greeting and would stop for a chat. It was a way of recognizing someone from our culture.
This week we are going to be discussing the implications of culture on our Christian experience, and my guess is that a lot of it will have to do with the impact of worldly culture on us. Perhaps it would be useful to turn the tables a bit and think about Seventh-day Adventist culture and how we can make a positive impact with it. Let me illustrate.
Some years ago I went on a trip to China with a Seventh-day Adventist tour group. As often happens in these conducted tours we found ourselves running in parallel with other commercial tour groups. Our group got on pretty well and our tour, for most of the time, ran like clockwork. Most of us knew one another and our group was quite friendly and cohesive. One of the parallel tours was having the "tour from hell". They were squabbling and fighting, and arguing with the tour leader. Some folk in that group got into a conversation with some of our group and found out that we were mostly Seventh-day Adventists. One of them remarked that he would like to convert to an Adventist and join us because we were all getting on so well together!
It is perhaps worth remembering throughout this week that the best defense against worldly culture is to have a warm, supportive, encouraging, Christ-centered culture of our own. What are some of the things that we can do to encourage that sort of culture in the Adventist Church? What are the things that tend to break down that culture?
I know I have quoted this often, but it fits:
Hadn't had the chance, yet, to say welcome back, Maurice. We all missed your thoughtful dictions on the daily lessons.
Welcome back!!!You were missed!
I know of no aspect of life that can bring greater joy and greater frustration than trying to Build Winning Families. Strong, winning families don’t just happen. They are the product of a Biblical pattern, unwavering perseverance, and authentic living.
Divorce, abuse, and single parent families all mark the perilous nature of families in our day. Isn’t it time we got back to the blueprint of how to Build Winning Families?
We’re all familiar with the marketing concept, “Learn to think outside the box.” In everyday language it suggests expanded thinking. It is used in the corporate world as a metaphor to get a manager to think more creatively. The food industry has saddled this analogy and ridden it to million dollar sales. I am going to ask you to think outside the realm of the familiar, to think outside the box.
Remember this important truth: God may want to use your family in an unusual way. God wants to use your family as an instrument of His grace through which He can unleash His creative plans and projects. The story of Noah is an excellent illustration of this. Will you, like Noah, respond with obedience? Or will you succumb to Satan’s subtle hissings that everything is okay? Will he lull you to sleep with his trappings of deception? Christians in Kenya are being lulled to sleep even as I write....
We are God's family all the time✊
Hi Josiah,
I have often suggested to my church that we should offer more Family-based seminars to the community, because perhaps many in our communities are suffering from family-related problems, but they either don't want to seek, or pay, for professional help. I think that if we conduct more family-based seminars, led by a professional in the field of family counseling (and we let the community know it is really a community seminar, and not just a church seminar), then it would be a good starting point. Those that need some assistance or professional help could get more resources without being embarrassed by it; also, some resources maybe free. What do you think about this? Be blessed everyone
Culture is a culprit of so many clashes in the Church. Indeed, the best argument for Christ is the warm and loveable Christian produced by the surrender to the Spirit of life and light. It is the culture of heaven clashing with our cultured selves in this world, and that isn't a smooth transition. Culture is good to be mindful of when disagreements over points of faith or over family practices that differ from our own present themselves.
Welcome back Maurice. I enjoy reading everybody’s comments at the end of each lesson. Keep them rolling. God bless everyone.
Thank you Maurice,I enjoy your contributions on the lesson,it widens the spectrum of my understanding.God bless you