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WINTER QUARTER 2011 PRAYER & BIBLE BAND  "But be ye doers of the word
and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22 TAKE UP WHERE JESUS LAID DOWN Please Note: We are godly proud that our website has been a blessing to many, and Souls have been Saved through the Ministry of the Bible Band and Home & Foreign , however We strongly recommend that you visit the Church of God in Christ Publishing House to purchase the Church Literature, whereas these lessons may not be posted in accordance to your Church Services. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. JAUUARY SECOND WEEK January
10, 2012 JESUS SELECTED UNPOPULAR LEADERS Mark 2:13-17 DEVOTIONAL
READING Matthew 9:10-13; Luke 5:29-32 CENTRAL VERSE: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Mark 2:17 A Challenge to follow (Mark 2:13-14). Jesus spent a lot
of time by the Sea of Galilee. The gentle slop of the hills downward toward the water made an ideal place for teaching
and Jesus used that to His advantage. As He walked along and talked, He saw Levi, who is also called Matthew.
He said to him, follow Me. Have you ever stopped to think what you would do if Jesus ever asked you to follow Him? How would you react?
Would you think about it, or would you immediately get up and follow the Lord as Levi did? A challenge for companions (Mark 2:15-16). Jesus was not anything like the religious establishment of His day. A common prayer of a Pharisee thanked God
everyday that He had no made him a gentile, a woman, or a servant (Luke 18:11). When Jesus came along, that attitude
was radically challenged. The scribes and Pharisees would not even eat with the tax collectors or other notorious sinners, let along try to
minister to them. Jesus was not like that at all. He always sought to meet people where they were, and He still
does. He does not expect a person to clean up his life in order to become a Christian; Christ cleans the person up and
makes him a Christian. We need to be sure we do not get the cart before the horse. The challenge for ministry (Mark 2:17). Jesus pointed out that His ministry was for those who needed it. Who are the righteous and who are the sinners?
Does Scripture not teach that "there is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10)? It is important to realize that
Jesus was not talking about those who were actually righteous, but Paul was correct that no one is without sin. Jesus
was contrasting those who knew they needed a saviour (the sinners) would those who did not believe they were sinners (the
righteous). The latter group included the Pharisees and other religious leaders. In our world today, most people do not believe that they are spiritually
sick. They believe that truth is relative; so what ever they think is true becomes true to them. Gone are the
days when a Christian could talk to a person that was committing a clear-cut sin such as stealing and always get that person
to agree that it actually is sin. Now it is much more difficult to convince people of their sin. Perhaps the solution is
to let the Holy Spirit do more of the convincing. That is His job, after all (John 16:8). Then Christ can do His
job as the great Physician.
ESSENTIAL THOUGHT:"The
work of salvation is done through the great Physician."
QUESTIONS: 1. What took place as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee? 2. Why were the scribes so critical about the people Jesus was with? 3. What response did Jesus give to the scribes' criticism? NOTES ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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"Study To Show Thyself Approved of God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15