LHIM Weekly Bible Teaching

Acts 1:1-11   Jesus stated the mission and purpose of the church.

Matthew 5-7   Jesus elaborated on how we become his witnesses.

Matthew 5:13-16   The beatitudes prepare disciples to be salt and light.

These beatitudes are intended to yield at least three significant outcomes: 1) glory to God, 2) blessedness (holiness and happiness) for the disciple, and 3) godly influence in the world.

We are different – different from both religious and the nonreligious, from the Pharisees (Matthew 6:1-18) and the Gentiles (Matthew 6:24-34).

Matthew 5:13   Salt was used as a preservative and a disinfectant.

Prayers, visibility, and sharing are all part of being salt. We are different (but not separate) from the world.

We are not to peacefully coexist and acquiesce to the world’s insanity. Christ’s disciples follow his example. He was continually out in the community modeling holiness, confronting evil, and speaking the truth.

Salt represented qualities like loyalty, fidelity, commitment, purity, integrity, and protection. Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; Ezekiel 16:4; 2 Kings 2:20-22; and Judges 9:45

Mark 9:50; Luke 14:33-35   The effect of Christians in and on society depends on our being distinct, not identical.

Matthew 5:14-16   We are the lights of the world.

John 8:12; 9:5   Jesus called himself the light of the world and light of life. We are the lights of the world because he lives in us.

Ephesians 5:8-9; Philippians 2:15-16

Looking at various incidents in the life of Christ, we can appreciate how courageously and admirably he lived. Comparing him to heroes of old or those we laud in our own time, we see that Jesus comes out as the most impressive person to ever live. Thankfully, Jesus’ righteous life and heroic death were not the end, for God raised him from the dead!

Mark 3:1-6   When he healed the man with the withered hand, Jesus courageously prioritized the hurting man over the risk to himself and the inevitable consequences.

Matthew 4:1-11   When the devil tempted Jesus, again and again he heroically resisted the challenge to prove his identity as God’s Son.

Mark 14:32-36   Before he was arrested, Jesus had to stay at Gethsemane, knowing the grisly fate that awaited him if he did not flee.

Luke 22:54-62   Peter provides a contrast to Jesus’ heroism. Rather than fessing up, Peter repeatedly denies his association with Jesus.

Mark 14:55-56, 62-64   When standing before the high priest, Jesus had to decide to own his identity as the Messiah or find a way out of his predicament. He boldly chose truth over safety.

Seeing Jesus’ heroic acts, we are helped to appreciate how valuable the salvation was that he purchased for us with his blood. His death was no quick and clean matter, but a bloody, ugly, and protracted affair. However, when God raised him from the dead, everything changed, making it possible for all who trust in him to likewise leave the grave behind.

Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly, eliciting widespread joy and praise from the people. However, within a short span of time, those very praises gave way to vehement cries of “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” What precipitated such a profound and abrupt shift in sentiment?

John 1:29 and 36   The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

Revelation 5:12-13   “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”

I heard…”To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

1 Corinthians 5:7   For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

John 12:1, 12   Entrance into Jerusalem was 5 days before his crucifixion.

Within a four-day swing, they went from shouts of joy with “Hosanna!” to shouts of “Crucify him!”. What happened?

13   “Hosanna” is Hebrew which literally means, “I beg you to save”. The Aramaic means “Save now; save, we pray”. “Save us now.” “Hosanna” is not a plead for eternal salvation as many assume; rather, the context indicates it is a cry to be saved from the tyrannical Roman government.

Luke 19:29-40; Mark 11:1-11

Zechariah 9:1-17   What happened? Jesus went to the temple to clean it out and not to the palace to overthrow the government.

Matthew 27:23-32

Zechariah 14:1ff

God, I offer myself to You to build with me and to do with me as You will. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Your will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Your power, Your love, and Your way of life. May I do Your will always! Amen

In Luke 16, Jesus told two parables about generosity. In the first, a dishonest manager ingratiates himself to his boss’ debtors to gain favors after he’s fired. Surprisingly, Jesus says such shrewdness is an example to his disciples. The second parable has a rich man and a poor man whose fortunes switch in the afterlife. The second parable illustrates the shrewdness of the first. By giving generously to those in need, we are investing in our future with God.

Luke 16:1-13   Jesus tells a story about a dishonest manager and then tells his disciples that this “shrewdness” is an example for them.

Luke 12:16-21   The parable of the rich fool illustrates the flaw in amassing wealth amid spiritual poverty.

Luke 19:1-10   Zacchaeus provides a sterling example of heartfelt generosity.

Luke 16:14-18   The Pharisees were lovers of money. They did not appreciate his instruction to use money to make friends with the poor.

Luke 16:19-23   We know the story is a parable because: (1) it begins the way parables begin, (2) it includes unrealistic exaggerations, and (3) it completes a massive unit of five parables.

Isaiah 14:9-11   The Bible repeatedly says the dead are asleep. Even Jesus himself said the real Lazarus had fallen asleep when he was dead (John 11:11). Isaiah 14 and Luke 16 tell fictional tales about the consciousness of the dead to make other points unrelated to the intermediate state.

Luke 16:24-31   Jesus tells a story that was floating around in their culture, but with a new twist. The living have everything we need to do what is right. Even if someone came back from the dead (which Jesus did later), many will not believe.

A life of discipleship can be described as “a long obedience in the same direction.” While in our Christian walk, we might take wrong turns and have to course correct and get back on track moving forward toward the Lord, our desire should be to develop a pattern in our lives every day of taking one step closer to being like Christ.

Zerubbabel was an important leader among the initial migration of Jews from Babylon. Arriving in Jerusalem they built an altar and began work on the temple. Though the government forced them to stop, Zerubbabel eventually led the effort to reinitiate the building project. Likewise, Clarence Jordan of Georgia serves as an example of persevering in the work God called him to amid great opposition and danger. These two examples show us the value of persevering through tedium and trials so that we can be faithful to God’s calling on our lives.

Ezra 1:3, 5 In 538BC Cyrus the Great, king of the Medes and the Persians, released the captives of Judah to return to their ancestral land. Nearly 50,000 people responded to the call, migrating approximately 900 miles from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 3:2-3 After arriving, they set up an altar where the temple had been and offered burnt offerings to God.

Ezra 3:7-8, 11 Under Zerubbabel’s leadership, they laid the foundation of the temple and threw a celebration to mark the event.

Ezra 4:4-5 Opposition arose from “the people of the land” who bribed government officials to stop the construction project.

Ezra 5:1-2 Haggai and Zecahriah prophesied that God wanted them to begin the work again. Amid great uncertainty and likely persecution, Zerubbabel reinitiated the building project.

Ezra 6:6-12 After an official investigation by local and national governments, Darius I officially endorsed the work, even contributing funds to it.

Ezra 6:17-18 Because Zerubbabel persevered, God’s people finished the temple and dedicated it with many sacrifices and much celebrating.

Acts 18:24-28

Priscilla and Aquila took the time to share with Apollos what they have learned about the “way of God.”

They were willing to give of themselves in order to shape the life of another.

Acts 18:1-4

After leaving Rome (Italy), Aquila and Priscilla met Paul in Corinth, Greece. Interestingly, they were of the same trade/occupation, and so they invited Paul to stay with them and work with them. Paul stayed in Corinth for a total of a year and a half.

1 Corinthians 16:19

Aquila and Priscilla were leaders, and they hosted a church in their house. It seems like a small remark, but hosting a Christian gathering in your home was not such an easy feat in the Roman Empire as one might think.

Romans 16:3-5

Paul does not explain what it is that Priscilla and Aquila did, but it was significant enough for Paul to describe in extravagant terms as though it were a massive risk and sacrifice on their part for him.

Luke 10:1-23

Jesus sent the 72 disciples out 2×2. There is strength with another.