White Rock Baptist Church

THE GIST OF THE CHURCH SCHOOL LESSON Speaking Truth Boldly Lesson & Read: First Kings 22.15-23, 26-28... Then Micaiah said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD . . . So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has decreed disaster for you. First Kings 22.19, 23 (NRSV) Perhaps you have heard the phrase, Speak truth to power. It is credited to Bayard Rustin a Black Quaker and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement in 1942. It seems an apt description of the actions of the Prophet Micaiah in his classic encounter with King Ahab in this lesson. As King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah prepared to go to war against the Arameans, they sought the counsel of the court prophets. Ahab’s prophets were either loyal to or compromised by Queen Jezebel, so even though 400 of them urged Ahab to attack Jehoshaphat asked for a second opinion. Another prophet, Micaiah ben Imlah (one who never spoke anything favorable to Ahab, First Kings 22.9) was summoned. Eventually, Micaiah spoke a prophecy of doom. The Lord had allowed an angel to place a lying spirit in the king’s prophets. Only by not going into battle could Ahab be saved. But, instead of heeding this word from the Lord, Ahab had Micaiah imprisoned, intending to deal with him after the battle. As the prophet had spoken, Ahab never returned. Micaiah spoke in the form of an oracle, Hear the word of the Lord (First Kings 22.19). Silencing the messenger does not affect the message; God is at work, not the prophet. How often do the powerful feel secure when they have silenced opposing voices, muzzled the press, or suppressed the voters? How often do we listen only to our voice only, and miss the word from God’s messengers? Prophets not only speak truth to power; they speak truth to the people. The Lord has a word for everyone. Are we listening? Or are we, perhaps, like the patient who does not need a physician (Matthew 9.12)? Reverend Steven B. Lawrence

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White Rock Baptist Church

THE GIST OF THE CHURCH SCHOOL LESSON An Amazing Ministry Read: Luke 4.1-44... The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Luke 4.18-19 (NRSV) At Jesus’ baptism, God made an affirmation: You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased (Luke 3.22). In the desert, the devil made an interrogation: If you are the Son of God . . . (v. 3). In this lesson, Jesus begins his amazing ministry by making a declaration: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (v. 18). The wilderness temptations prepared Jesus for the challenges he would face going forward. Luke wrote that after that testing, Jesus began preaching immediately and that his words met with great approval (Luke 4.14-15). Finally, he reached Nazareth, his home town. We can imagine, from his inciteful conversations with the priests in Jerusalem (2.46-47) that Jesus was well familiar with the synagogue and its service. He was no stranger there; it was his custom to attend. At the appropriate time, he stood to read. He found the assigned reading of the day, a passage from Isaiah (chapter 61), and he read it. In the text, the ancient prophet spoke of a Day of Jubilee when the poor would receive good news, the captives would be released, the blind would recover their sight, and the oppressed would go free. Jesus made Isaiah’s message apply to that moment by proclaiming, This is the year of God’s favor! The Spirit that hovered at his baptism, and that led him into and out of the wilderness, was now the Spirit that would give authority and power to the work he was beginning to do. After the reading, Jesus declared, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (v. 21). Some received his word but many others rejected it (vv. 28-29). Jesus’ words and works were not of his design. His amazing ministry was the fulfillment of promises God had made to his people for centuries. Our work is to continue his work. Reverend Steven B. Lawrence

THE GIST OF THE CHURCH SCHOOL LESSON A True Friend Intervenes Read: First Samuel 19.1-7; 23.1-18; Second Samuel 9... Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him, The king should not sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have been of good service to you; for he took his life in his hand when he attacked the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great victory for all Israel First Samuel 19.4-5a (NRSV) The theme of this month’s lessons is Inclusive Love. We begin by looking at one of the greatest friendships in the Bible, that of Jonathan and David. After David defeated Goliath, Saul made him a part of his forces. Soon his prowess as a soldier and the victories the Lord granted him caused the women to sing, Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands (First Samuel 18.7). Saul became angry and jealous; soon the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him and an evil spirit took over. Saul personally tried to kill David twice and secretly plotted to have him killed in battle but the Lord was with him (18.12, 28). Finally, Saul spoke to his servants and his own son, Jonathan, about killing David. Was he aware that Jonathan and David were best friends? Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt (18.3-4). Jonathan took it upon himself to be the mediator between his father and his friend. He warned David to keep out of Saul’s sight and he reasoned with his father. He reminded him of David’s bravery, his loyal service and his innocence (19.4-5). Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan; Saul swore, As the LORD lives, [David] shall not be put to death (v.6). Jonathan was an exemplary person and a strong friend. Consider: as the heir apparent, David was as much a threat to Jonathan as to Saul, yet, instead of killing him, Jonathan befriended him, equipped him for battle, warned him of danger and interceded for him with the king. Jonathan directly disobeyed the order to kill David; he knew it was unjust and unwarranted. A true friend does more than just hope things will get better; a true friend intervenes. Reverend Steven B. Lawrence

White Rock is celebrating our 122nd church anniversary. We have been reading the word of GOD all week and continue this evening and at select times on Saturday.

THE GIST OF THE CHURCH SCHOOL LESSON Love Prevails Over All Lesson: Genesis 45.1-8, 10-15 Read: Genesis 43; 45.1-15... Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come closer to me. And they came closer. He said, I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45.4-5 (NRSV) Over the past weeks we have seen Joseph fall from being his father’s favorite to an unjustly accused prisoner, then rise to become the second ruler of Egypt. When the brothers who sold him did not recognize him, Joseph set a plan to discover the welfare of his family and the character of his siblings. In the climax of our lessons on love and Joseph, we will see the answer to question: How can these brothers be reconciled? Joseph’s brothers returned to Egypt with Benjamin and Joseph push them one more time. He gave them grain, returned their money in their sacks but this time he took a silver cup and placed it in Benjamin’s sack. The brothers were not long on the road when Joseph sent his steward after them to accuse them of theft (Genesis 44.1-4). Since Benjamin was the apparent thief, his punishment would be imprisonment. No doubt all the brothers were violently distressed at the possibility of returning to Jacob without his youngest son. No doubt this orchestrated drama has caused them to relive their treatment of Joseph. When Judah spoke (44.18-34), he expressed the heart of all: I will give my life for his. With this, Joseph was convinced that just as he had changed, so his brothers were not the same. He could no longer control his emotionsrelief, joy, sorrow, all of it came pouring out with the revelation: I am your brother, Joseph. Joseph had the power to take revenge but he did not. Why not? Certainly, he was justified. Yet, in the same way that God gave Joseph insight into dreams, Joseph saw God’s hand at work in his own life. God brought him to power in Egypt not to serve his own desires but to be God’s instrument of deliverance, surely for his family, but also for countless others affected by the famine. Joseph was there to preserve life (Genesis 45.5). Reconciliation happened because his love for his brothers moved Joseph to forgive them. Of all Joseph’s gifts and abilities, where shall we place the gift of an open, forgiving heart? Reverend Steven B. Lawrence

GIST OF THE CHURCH SCHOOL LESSON Haunted by Shame? Lesson: Read: Genesis 42.1-38... They said to one another, Alas, we are paying the penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this anguish has come upon us. Genesis 42.21 (NRSV) We have seen Joseph’s rise from privileged, spoiled teenager to wise, responsible adult. Joseph has grown, changed, matured. In this lesson, we will watch Joseph try to discover if his brothers have grown, changed or matured. The seven years of plenty in Pharaoh’s dream have past and the years of famine are affecting not only Egypt but the whole world. Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy food. Joseph is in charge of all sales (Genesis 41.54-57). One can see the hand of God at work, setting up an unexpected reunion. Joseph sees and knows his brothers but they do not recognize him. Consider that, after more than twenty years, Joseph is fully an Egyptian in appearance and language, and he is in high authority; no one looks at him face to face. Instead of revealing himself, Joseph begins an elaborate plan to determine the state of affairs with his brother Benjamin and his father and the state of mind of the brothers who hated him enough to sell him into slavery. Joseph vigorously interrogates the brothers and is able to gain information about his family (vv. 7-14). He declares that they are liars and spies and proposes a test to prove them. One brother will remain in Egypt while the others return to their home and bring Benjamin to Joseph. Joseph imprisons them for three days, then pulls Simeon apart and binds him in front of them. The ten brothers are in a total panic. They said to one another, Alas, we are paying the penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this anguish has come upon us. (Genesis 42.21). It is more than 20 years later and still the guilt, the shame, of what they did has not left them. Look at the struggle of emotions in Joseph and his brothers. Joseph is cruel and decisive, determined to test them. Yet he places their money bags in their grain sacks. The brothers, who behaved so brutally when they seized Joseph, reveal that they have never stopped thinking about that day. How can these brothers be restored? Reverend Steven B. Lawrence

Our faith is not exercised in an insulated atmosphere, but is exercised in the world. Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw