The purpose of this lesson: To emphasize that a spiritually healthy understanding of Gods character and characteristics would focus Christians on the value of serving people, both those who are Christians and those who are not. The focus of Christian service would be to reflect God, not to attract the honor of people. Christians serve God because they appreciate God.
Of the many lessons that occur in the lesson text for today, the one drawn to your attention is Jesus concept of God. Many problems existed in the Jewish religious mindset. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus pointed to many of those problems: their failure to grasp that the focus of righteousness began with an internal emphasis; their failure to understand why they followed God; their failure to understand the focus of divine law; their failure to focus law correctly; their failure to do righteous acts for correct motives; their failure to find eternal security in the correct focus; and their failure to understand the purpose of godliness. The foundation of all their incorrect understandings of righteousness was an incorrect view of God.
Spiritually healthy, correct understandings of the will of God for people are based on spiritually healthy, correct understandings of Gods character and characteristics. Just as many Jews misunderstood righteousness because they failed to understand God, our failure to grasp the character and characteristics of God will result in our misapplication of scripture and an incorrect spiritual focus.
An incorrect view of God warps every act of obedience, every effort of spiritual service, and every attempt to praise God. Consider todays text. The basic thrust in the text is this: in righteous acts, ones motives are extremely important to God. Or, stated in another way, why a person does a righteous act is as important to God as the act itself. Thus, if the primary motive for doing a righteous act is a selfish, self-serving motive, the actno matter what it isis not considered by God to be a godly act. For example, if you did what you did to receive human attention, when you received such attention you achieved your objective. You received what you sought in your deed. Since you did not do it for God, God will not respond to the act. In effect, you received what you wanted, and God owes you nothing. When you received what you sought, you were paid in full. You are not entitled to a divine dividend.
The importance of the primary motive that results in a godly act is extremely important to God. Even if you successfully deceive yourself, God knows why you did what you did. If ones motives are warped, ones attempts to do godly acts will be warped.
To illustrate his point, Jesus used three common religious acts expected of every godly Jew. These three acts were in the foundation of a first-century godly person in Judaism: almsgiving (benevolence), prayers, and fasting. These three were so fundamental to godliness that NO ONE could be considered godly if he (she) did not do these things. Yet, Jesus said in all three things ones view of God was fundamental to these being accepted by God.
To create a current example, choose things we commonly expect as evidences of genuine godlinesssuch as church attendance, Bible reading, and generosity. We Christians would regard a rejection of any of those as basic evidence of a rejection of godliness. People genuinely devoted to God simply do those things. Jesus used three things people absolutely did if they were genuinely godly. Jesus point: (was not that those three things were ungodly) a wrong view of God transformed a godly act into an unacceptable act.
Ones view of God? In what way? (1) The person understood that God saw acts even when no human saw the act. (2) God was neither deceived nor manipulated by human deeds. (3) Gods character determined human acts.
In his illustration, Jesus focused on Gods characteristics. Those characteristics were in basic conflict with all peoples concepts of deity.
The world of the first century did not believe in one God. Idolatry, with rare exceptions, believed in many gods. Idolatry in general did not care how many gods a person worshippedpeople generally were expected to worship more than one god. In fact the worship of multiple gods was not strange, but worshipping only one God was strange. Thus, tiny Judaism was strange, and later, growing Christianity was strange for the same reason. At times, worshipping one God to the exclusion of others gods was looked upon as an expression of atheism!
In the world of the first century (which was basically idolatrous) a common view of the gods was (1) gods were multipleand they did not mind at all a person acknowledging all gods. (2) It was preferable to honor a god you did not know than to risk that gods wrath. (See Acts l7:21-23.) (3) To exalt one God and to say all other gods were fake and non-existent was not acceptable!
In this view of gods, the more showy the deed the more likely people were to attract favorable attention from the god or goddess. Gods were not naturally interested in human affairs. Gods could be manipulated. Gods were more likely to hurt than help people.
The common view was that gods were not naturally interested in the decisions and acts of humans. The gods interest in human doings must be gained through human acts. The end result: gods could be manipulated as humans sought to use the gods powers.
Jesus said human deeds do not gain Gods attention through showy acts. God is naturally interested not just in human affairs but in human individuals. The purpose of prayer is not to inform God. Human motives cannot be hidden from Godeven if the human wished to hide motives.
Jesus said God, the Creator, the living God, the only God, was naturally interested in people, gave people continuing interest, and knew human motives. He was beyond manipulation!
Do you realize that if Christians today understood these things about God that these understandings would radically transform congregations now? God knows good that occurs in secret. God does not need flattery or information (there is an enormous need to grasp the difference between flattery and praise). God cannot be manipulated. Gods character determines our actions.
If Christians stopped seeking to gain Gods attention, stopped trying to inform God, and stopped trying to manipulate God through human acts, the things Christians did and the ways they did those things to demonstrate godliness would noticeably change. We would stop seeking to use God for our own desires, and we would serve God in appreciation of who He is and what He does. Self promotion would disappear, and God promotion would escalate.
Consider all the changes that would occur IF Christians understood (1) God knows human needs before human requests are made. (2) Gods interest in us is natural. (3) Humans never manipulate God. (4) There does not have to be human knowledge before there is divine knowledge. (5) Christians do what they do because they know and appreciate Gods character.
If Christians knew Gods characteristics better, that knowledge and understanding would change the way we approach God and serve God.
What if there were no more attempts to bargain with God that said, God, if You will just do Y I promise I will do X. Or, no more attempts to get God to behave in certain ways because we do certain acts. Or, feeling the necessity to inform God because He does not know. What if we forgave others, showed compassion, and had mercy because we valued Gods forgiveness, compassion, and mercy?
Have you considered the possibility that our attempts to use Gods power may disgust God? If God does not respond to what we see as our needs in the ways we desire, do we have the kind of faith to say (and mean): That is okay. All I ask is that You use for Your purposes what is happening to me. More than your tomorrow is involved in Gods purposes.
Among the many things that would abound would be this: Christian leadership on every level would abound. Why? Christians would do things for God in the confidence that God saw all that occurred. There would be no big Is and little yous because every act of godliness would be important. Impressing others with what we do would be unnecessary and irrelevant. Appreciating Gods true character would become all consuming as Christians appreciated God for who He is.
If all human acts in a congregation focused on Gods continuing and eternal purposes instead of our desires, what would happen? Would there be a lack of any kind of leadership on any level?
Would you consciously use your life to lead through service if you did it for God first and people second because you valued God?
Do not ask for personal answers in class. Just ask each to think about this question. Would seeing Gods characteristics clearly spiritually change you? How would it change you?
For Thought and Discussion
1. What lesson in the text is drawn to your attention?
Jesus concept of God is drawn to your attention.
2. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus pointed to what failures?
Jesus pointed to their failures to have a correct understanding of righteousness.
3. What was at the foundation of all their incorrect understandings about righteousness?
An incorrect view of God was at the foundation of all their incorrect understandings about righteousness.
4. What does an incorrect view of God do?
An incorrect view of God warps acts of obedience, distorts spiritual service, and misdirects attempts to praise God.
5. What is the basic thrust of todays text?
In acts of righteousness, the persons motives are extremely important to God.
6. What three common religious acts did Jesus use as illustrations? Why?
The three acts were almsgiving (benevolence), prayer, and fasting. These were three fundamental expressions of godliness in Jewish society.
7. What three things did Jesus declare about God?
a. God saw an act even when people could not see the act.
b. Human deeds could not deceive or manipulate God.
c. Human acts did not determine Gods character.
8. Discuss the general views of idolatry in the first-century world.
The discussion should include that it was all right to honor many gods in idolatry, and people got those gods attention through showy acts.
9. Discuss Jesus view of God.
The discussion should include that Jesus presented one God to the exclusion of others, and God was naturally interested in people and their decisions.
10. What changes would occur in congregations if Christians understood Jesus view of God?
a. We would not try to inform God
b. We would know God is naturally interested in us.
c. We would not try to manipulate God.
d. We would understand there does not have to be human knowledge before there is divine knowledge.
e. We would act in appreciation of Gods character/characteristics
These understandings would result in refusing to try to bargain with God, manipulate God through our acts, or try to inform God of what we think we need.
11. Would you lead through service if you understood and believed Jesus view of God?
This is a think about questionnot to be shared in class.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 7