NORTH BUFFALO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
  • Home
    • About >
      • Sunday Services
      • Sunday Sermons
      • Church History
      • Online Giving
    • Life of the Church >
      • Ways to Join Us
      • Missions
      • Lenten Devotionals
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us

Sunday School: The Greatest in the Kingdom

3/11/2023

0 Comments

 
Good morning!
We're so glad you decided to join us today!

When we meet together, we take time to share our joys and concerns. If you have any prayer requests, please add them as a comment to this post, or you can contact someone from the church. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started. 
Heavenly Father, I come to You in faith, knowing that You must be the only object of my faith and that without You I can do nothing. I put my trust in You, Lord, knowing that You are faithful and will never disappoint me. Help me look to Jesus, moment by moment, and to anchor my faith in Him Who is the Living Word, knowing that without Him I can do nothing... and yet in Christ I can do all things. Thank You, Father, that it is not the amount of faith that is important in Your sight, but the One in Whom I place my faith. Thank You for Your goodness, grace, and unfailing love. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

This week's lesson is on Matthew 18:1-9. 
The title Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Both refer to the anointed one of God, God's chosen king. In some places, writers will say "Jesus the Christ" in order to emphasize the title. Christ is not Jesus' last name.

All of the gospels include the phrase, "kingdom of God," to talk about God's rule on earth. Matthew also includes the phrase, "the kingdom of heaven." To receive the kingdom requires that people be born again and obey the will of God. Today's lesson also reveals a third condition to enter God's kingdom. 

The initial discussion of greatness centers on being great on earth. Certainly the Messiah would need other people in authority, just like an earthly kingdom. But the kingdom of heaven is different. The disciples would need to reconsider what was important. They would need to become guileless and without pretense, like a child.

​Children rely on others to care for them. There is little they can do for themselves. This is the kind of reliance on God required of us.

When Jesus says, "And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me," our book says that this is not referring to a literal child. Instead, it means that we should show hospitality to all people. This is an example of practicing humility. 

Causing a person to stumble is meant to causing someone to transgress from God's law. Followers of Jesus should not cause other believers to sin, and they should not abuse any authority that they might have. Either would lead to swift and certain judgment. 

Believers must throw away anything that causes them to sin. Our book says that the last few verses are part metaphor and part hyperbole. They are meant to sound extreme in order to drive home a point. Remove causes of sin.
Picture
Conclusion
We are bombarded with messages and images that celebrate people who appear great by the standards of the world. We must embrace Jesus' definition of greatness -- it must include childlike humility. 

Further, followers must remove those things that would cause themselves or others to stumble in sin. Finally, followers of Jesus must embrace an attitude of trust and humility. We should be confident that God will provide for his people and show mercy consistent with his nature. When we embrace this attitude, we will share in the promised glory from God.
Prayer
​Heavenly Father, transform our hearts and minds so that we will continue to seek the kind of greatness that is required in your kingdom. Orient our hearts toward the actions and habits that mark citizens of your kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Questions for Discussion
  • What positions of status or influence do you hold? If following Jesus required you to renounce them, how would you do it?
  • What would leadership look like based on being childlike?
  • What radical life changes might help you live a more Christ-centered life?
Benediction
​Our benediction this week is from the New International Version.
Picture
Next week's lesson is on John 4:7-15, 28-30, 39-41. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    We are a small, rural Presbyterian church in southwestern Pennsylvania.

    Archives

    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Kings
    1 Peter
    1 Samuel
    1 Thessalonians
    2 Chronicles
    2 Corinthians
    2 Kings
    2 Peter
    2 Samuel
    2 Thessalonians
    2 Timothy
    Acts
    Advent
    Bible Study
    Call In The New Testament
    Celebrating God
    Christmas
    Christmas Eve
    Colossians
    Confident Hope
    Deuteronomy
    Easter
    Ecclesiastes
    Ephesians
    Esther
    Exodus
    Ezekiel
    Ezra
    Faithful Prophets
    From Darkness To Light
    Galatians
    Genesis
    God Frees And Redeems
    God's Exceptional Choice
    Good Friday
    Hebrews
    Holy Week
    Hosea
    Isaiah
    James
    Jeremiah
    Jesus Calls Us
    Job
    Joel
    John
    Jonah
    Joshua
    Judges
    Justice Law History
    Lament
    Lamentations
    Lent
    Leviticus
    Love
    Luke
    Malachi
    Mark
    Matthew
    Maundy Thursday
    Micah
    Nahum
    Nehemiah
    Numbers
    OT Prophets
    Palm Sunday
    Partners In A New Creation
    Pentecost
    Philemon
    Philippians
    Proverbs
    Psalms
    Revelation
    Romans
    Sunday School
    Thank Offering
    Thanksgiving Eve
    Wisdom
    Worship
    Zechariah
    Zephaniah

    RSS Feed

Home

Calendar

Contact Us

Copyright © 2017 | All Rights Reserved | Washington, PA
  • Home
    • About >
      • Sunday Services
      • Sunday Sermons
      • Church History
      • Online Giving
    • Life of the Church >
      • Ways to Join Us
      • Missions
      • Lenten Devotionals
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us