Lessons

Be Ready, Be Specific. The lesson on August 12, 2007 started with the scripture in 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” and looked at several examples in scripture where someone was called upon to respond to a question. The first example was with Stephen, who was asked a question in Acts 6:12-7:1 “And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Then said the high priest, Are these things so?” Stephen responded very specifically in the rest of Acts 7 and they really didn’t like his response. It was so sharp that they decided to take him out in the street and stone him. The bible says in Hebrews 4:12 that “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” What we need to do as Christians today is study the bible rightly divided and have his word hidden in our hearts so when we have an opportunity to witness, we can respond with scripture and share the specifics of our faith in Christ Jesus, and his victory over death and our hope in a resurrection. We need to be specific in our response. For example, you can simple offer you testimony and give thanks to God. But, wouldn’t it much more powerful to give your testimony about Christ Jesus, and give thanks to the one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus who is your Lord and Savior. Who died for your sins and rose again that we might live forever with Him in the Heavenlies, far above all principalities and powers. The lesson looked at the conversion of Saul and how Paul became an ambassador for Christ to the gentiles. In doing so, he also was on to respond with specifics to the point of becoming unpopular. Shouldn’t we do the same? There was a handout with the lesson.