Sabbath: Sharing God’s Mission
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 21st of October 2023
Read for This Week’s Study
Genesis 18:1-33:1-33, James 5:16, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25, Genesis 19:1-29, Genesis 12:1-9.
Memory Text:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, NKJV).
From the start, Abraham wanted to be used by God for mission. This truth can been seen, for example, in Genesis 18:1-33:1-33, when God warned him about what was going to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah. “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7, NKJV). And in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, “His servant the prophet” was Abraham.
Abraham was resting during the heat of the day when he saw three travelers. “Abraham had seen in his guests only three tired wayfarers, little thinking that among them was One whom he might worship without sin.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 138, 139.
Abraham, however, soon became personally involved in God’s mission. His involvement, as revealed in this chapter, was to pray for and intercede for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. That is, he wanted to see if, somehow, these people, despite themselves, could be saved. In a sense, if that is not what mission is about—what is?
Throughout this chapter, three great spiritual qualities of Abraham are revealed: hospitality, love, and prayer—qualities that can greatly aid in mission, as well.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 28.
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Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know that this is one of my main themes. Our love for one another speaks volumes more than all the erudite arguments we can put together. Need I say more?
So, for me; King Jesus' words in Matthew 5:44 KJV "Love you enemies..." is a stronger requirement than His disciples having love for one another.
Would it be reaching too far when contemplating the Lord and Savior to be a 'mission as He is', and at the same time to be the Missionary? Every breath taken, every thought, every act, every truth conveyed, everything that is Jesus is at the same time the mission of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
We have our life in Him, therefore we, like Him, are the mission and at the same time the missionary. Sharing God’s mission is being the mission - living the life of a faithful follower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – daily, minute, by minute.
‘Loving one another’ is the expression of the Holy Spirit living in us. Whatever the Holy Spirit speaks to us about, that is what we will implement. We are the living, breathing, born-again form of the body of Christ engaged in doing that which the Father designed before the foundation of the world for us to live by - the faithful followr can do no other. Eph. 1:4; Eph.2:10.
So, true, Brigitte. Wonderful to meet you here, too!
The fruit (singular) of the Spirit is love. (Galatians 5:22). If we allow the Holy Spirit to rest, remain, and abide with us we will love and the there will be peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All the problems we are having in the world is an end product of not loving as Christ loves. Our true value is manifested in our character. Are we reflecting and revealing Christs love in our thoughts, words, and actions? To be effective missionaries we need love.
I've read the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Lot many times. This time, I noticed a couple of things I have missed. It has to do with lying. Sarai lied to the Lord by saying, "She did not laugh." The Lord corrected her. The next lie came from Lot, or at least I think it was a lie. When the men surrounded Lot's house, he offered his two daughters who "have not known a man" (Gen. 9:8). But they were married (Gen. 9:14). Was this a lie? The only way it couldn't be is if they never consummated the marriage, which I doubt. The Sons-in-law did not take the message of destruction seriously and were not with Lot, his two daughters, and his wife, who left. The two sons-in-law must not have cared much for Lot's daughters by not going with them, even if they thought it was a joke. What do you think?
Ok to answer this I think the Bible has not given the exact number of how many daughters Lot had. So maybe there were elder daughters who were married and these were younger who were still under Lot's roof...
Eddie, those were his unmarried daughters. He had more children. That is why his wife was reluctant to leave and looked back and became a pillar of salt.
The Bible mentioned two daughters, remember not to add or remove as instructed do, let’s just leave it that Lot had two daughters……………another mistake I saw here in the story of Lot is that.
He failed to be a good missionary by not evangelising to the sodomite, yes he was righteous but he cared about himself and family, he left Abraham and learnt nothing from him.