Sabbath: An Exciting Way to Get Involved
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 1:1-2, Genesis 1.26; Exodus 18:21-25; 1 Corinthians 12:12-25; Acts 16:11-15, Acts 16.40; Acts 4:31; Acts 12:12.
Memory Text: “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest’” (Matthew 9:37-38, NKJV).
Someone has said, “There is strength in numbers”. In a sense, that is true. Have you ever noticed that you are far more motivated to exercise if you are doing it with a group of people than if you have to exercise alone each day? Many people join health clubs, gyms, and exercise facilities because they believe that they will exercise more and enjoy it better if they are exercising with other people. In a similar way, God has created us for fellowship. We are social beings, and as with exercise it is true with many things in life: we do better if we have a social support system. This is especially true in spiritual matters.
Throughout the Bible, small groups are highlighted as one of God’s methods of strengthening our faith, increasing our knowledge of His word, deepening our prayer life, and equipping us to witness. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit participated in a small group ministry. Moses was a small group leader. Jesus established His small group of disciples, and the apostle Paul traveled the Roman world with his small group of evangelistic companions.
During this week’s study, we will focus on the biblical basis for small groups, and you will discover an exciting way for you to get involved.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 5.
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During the thirty-odd years that I worked at Avondale College a group of lecturers, their wives and families would meet about once a month, depending on the weather, for a pot-luck lunch on Sabbath. It wasn't an exclusive club, just a group of friends who met together. Often we would have visitors who would join in. It was a great small group to belong to. Sharing and supporting one another, discussing issues, walking along the shore - just a wonderful way of spending a Sabbath afternoon. Sadly, most of us in the group are now retired and some have grown too old for the rigours of outdoor activities. Some have developed the usual frailties of old age. And this year, with the restrictions of COVID-19, we have not met as a group.
I have fond memories of the support given by the group. Many years ago, Carmel became quite seriously ill and was in an out of hospital a number of times, and I can remember one particular episode where she had been dispatched to hospital on Sabbath morning. I arrived back at church to pick up our children frustrated that nobody seemed to know what was wrong with her. It was members of this group that helped me look after the children and provided me with love and support at this time. (I might add that after about 6 months of worry the medical people found out what was wrong with Carmel and fixed her up!)
The small group environment provides a place where love and support for one another are exercised. And particularly when such groups are open and share outside the group, they can be a powerful witness to the practical side of Christianity.
Well said Maurice.
Agape love expressing itself in support and inclusiveness is the foundation of a healthy group that will not grow ‘stale’- as you have described above.
And together these elements inherently guard against the ‘inward focus’ concern that I have heard expressed by some over the years that has been used as argument against the kind of small group you have described.
I am seriously introverted by nature and life experiences, my daughter has often told me to make more friends, her reason being that if I don't have friends who will help in time of need. Somehow, to me, that doesn't seem to be the right reason to make friends, it could be a fringe benefit but not a good reason.
I need to examine my motives for reaching out to others -do I have an ulterior or altruistic motive?
What is Jesus' motive for preaching, teaching and healing - is it to get subjects or simply to give love because He unselfishly cares for humans?
Hi Shirley - I want to express my assurance that we here on the blog are all friends in a special way, but having personal friends is always a blessing. Yes, 'a friend in time of need is a friend indeed!'
We have a friend in Jesus who expresses God's Love to us always, anytime, anywhere, and having good friends nearby is always reassuring. Enjoying time spend in fellowship with like-minded friends is a special gift we can cherish.
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love from our Father in Heaven. In return, His ministry was based on His Love for the Father who so loved mankind that He wanted all who were willing to be saved to have a Saviour through which to save them.
The Father's choice was Jesus, His willing Servant, to give all He was to express the Father's Love toward us.
When we rest in the work His love has brought about, we will experience peace of mind and heart. It frees us from being anxious about life's ups and downs, trusting in His promise to always have His angels watch over us and to meet our needs.
As Christians, we have lost the joy of the gospel. Looking back at the primitive church, they used to be a tight group. They were in communion with God and each other. Because of that, they were elated to preach the gospel and people could see the love in them. Their actions matched their words.
Nowadays, we are being divided by social, emotional and psychological issues. Because we aren’t united, we aren’t excited about sharing the gospel. Why should people join us when we aren’t in one accord? Why should people join the church when we are being arrogant by saying we have the truth? Why should they join us when the church is not active in the community life? If we don’t build trust, people won’t join us.
I am not bashing the church because I have to admit that I have failed in my mission. How should be the church become relevant in this hectic world? We have to spread love. John 13:35, “they will know that you are my disciples if you love another.” An exciting way to get involved is by spreading love wherever we go. Look how easy it is to spread the coronavirus. If we can spread people like that with God’s love, people will join us. May the Holy Spirit fill us on this Sabbath day and make us contagious. Blessings my brothers and sisters
I pray we can recoup the Apostolic zeal of The Way, as the the "early church" was called.
Hi Kevin
Any thoughts on (a) what would be needed to help that recouping and (b) what has stood/is standing in the way of it happening?
Prayer for the infilling of God's Spirit would, of course, be a good start, if not THE start. Confession of sin and asking for true remorse for the same. Personally tearing down the walls that divide us from each other. Living as a witness for Christ, above the political fray that seems to have a hold on most things inside and outside the church.
Here is a good read about praying I thought I'd share:
https://atoday.org/why-ill-be-praying-with-and-for-franklin-graham/
Conversion.
Jesus' message to all was "Repent and believe the gospel". Imagine what could happen...
The preaching of the gospel it is the same like the planting of seeds exactly. When we talk about the planting of the seeds i want to give example,people are alway cleaning their graden when the see the time of rain is near they cut down tree and burn it, and wait the rain when the rain,raining they will start sow the seed. But they don't know when the will grow but they are sure that the will take time and the grow.it is the same of the gospel we are going to tell the people about the kingdom of heaven is near repent but we do not know when they repent, but we are sure that it will take time in their heart and they will repent; when they repent we see the change in their life but they are not repent in time that we tell them,it take time in heart. By jamesbeek
Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 4:12 And if one prevail against him,two shall withstand him;and a three fold cord is not quickly broken......Mathew 18:19 " If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask,it shall be done for them......there is strength,confort and deep manifestation of Jesus in small groups which knows each other.
I find Jesus' proclamation in Matt.9:37-38 to have a curious 'twist'. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. THEREFORE, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers... ."
Considering John 6:44 in relation to this statement - 'the harvest is plentiful' - strikes me as alarming. Jesus does not refer to those that reject God as the 'plentiful harvest' , but rather those that are seekers, already prepared and drawn by the Holy Spirit, ready to 'hear'(experience) Jesus' message of the Kingdom of God on earth. The harvest is ripe - ripening of the seed (spirit ready to believe) has progressed and become a plant, ready for Faith - NOW is the time of harvest!
We pray that God's Holy Spirit directs us to HIS Way, in whatever form His Way appears, to reach out to the many represented by this 'plentiful' harvest, waiting to be 'reaped'.
I think this quarterly's lesson plan was chosen to introduce a new direction the official leadership in the Church plans to implement.
This week's lesson introduces this 'new' approach to evangelizing as well as reaching those multitudes ready for harvest. I am certain that it will also include those who are already part of the community of Faith but have not come to fully appreciate the blessings which the well-established Walk by Faith promises the believer.
The second part of these two verses is the reference to "pray the LORD OF THE HARVEST to send out laborers." We know that we, in our own strength, cannot do the work assigned to the Holy Spirit.
The family of Faith has many sowers but, as it shows in this verse, only a few reapers. Praying, requesting the Lord of the Harvest to send out the laborers, is our assignment - we are to equip.
How strongly do we feel about being part of the workers in the Harvest, are we equiped properly to do this work, or do we need more time to equip us for this work?
We want Him to be sure HE calls the right workers, the ones filled with His Spirit to overflowing; spiritually well prepared to do the work of harvesting as well as embodying the Fruit of the Spirit in their personality - attitude.
The Church has been given the scriptural tools to prepare the willing to go out into the Harvest - the highways and byways of humanity, werever we can find them.
Who is to be working in HIS fields to reap HIS Harvest, the call to be laborers in His Harvest, is to be left up to our Heavenly Father to determine - those who hear the call will step forward by Faith and engage; being His witnesses wherever, whenever, to whomever He sends us to meet.
God is ready to send all His faithful believers into His Harvest!
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly... Ps 1:1.
Success does not depend upon numbers. God can deliver by few as well as by many. He is honored not so much by the great numbers as by the character of those who serve Him. PP 550
The author stated-Someone has said, “There is strength in numbers”. In a sense, that is true. In a sense that is not true according to the paragraph above. Many think we need many dollars to finish the gospel, but I say no. To finish the gospel we need committed men and women and children. I penned about Gideon and God sending approximately 90% men home. The Lord knew those were the complainers, the negative ones, the ones who, like the 10 men, brought back the evil report. The Mark John types who when needed the most, want to go back home because he missed his........! All the Lord is asking for is; committed people. R we committed??? What part can we play? What talents do we have that we are willing to be used to finish the gospel? As the times change so should be the people of God. Has God stopped speaking to his people? Yes/No?? Then, what is the message for our times?
I love this passage- Ex 14:15. And the Lord said to Moses. Wherefore criest Thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. We as SDA should be advancing the fields in different ways.