Thursday, January 31, 2013

February 3, 2013

Use any of the suggestions below to supplement your Discover Guide plans or Leader Guide teaching plans. Consider using a level and index cards as suggested in the ideas below.

 The Target
Focus on what adults should leave knowing, understanding, and doing.
Identify the challenges of being a witness for God and formulate a plan for praying for and sharing God's message with a particular person.

 Look Up
Use "Soft Methods" to draw attention to the study as adults are visiting and gathering for Bible study.
  • Option One: Write on the board the following, "The sun revolves around the earth." When most adults have gathered ask what is wrong about this statement. Obviously this is incorrect. Tell the story of Galileo's challenge to the prevailing wisdom of the 17th-century world he lived in by stating that this was incorrect. He supported the theory then, which we know today as fact, that the sun was stationary and the earth revolved around it. His theory was rejected by scientists. Papal leaders branded it as heresy. He was excommunicated from the church and was sentenced to lifelong house arrest for espousing something he truly believed in. He never gave up defending his new discovery of God's universe.
See ETB Personal Study Guide, p85
  • Option Two: Consider using the ETB QuickSource Target Audience illustration, "Can I Get a Witness?" (p48)
Look In
Ideas for communicating and studying the Word
Context
Emphasize how the verses we are looking at focuses on 3 of 5 visions God gave Amos, the vision of locust, fire, and a plumb-line. We will examine his response, and the people's response to his visions. The fourth and fifth visions are covered in next week's lesson. Review the first vision related to locust and guide the group to pick up the story as we look at the second vision, consuming fire.

 See the following for more about the context:
Amos 7:4-6 (Compassionate and Interceding Witness; consider reading verses 1-6)
Discussion Options:
  • How would you describe Amos's compassion toward Israel (Jacob)? Why did he want to intercede for them?
  • Remind the group that Amos was not from Israel but from Judah. Why do you think he had such compassion for Israel?
  • Read Matthew 22:39. What does Amos's compassion and willingness to intercede say to us about how we are to "love our neighbor"?
  • Identify ways in which we might "turn a blind eye" toward those who are in need of salvation?
  • What role does intercessory prayer have in being an effective witness?
Study Supplement:
  • Amos was following the pattern of Moses, the great intercessor, who stood between God and the Israelites after their sin of making and worshiping the golden calf (Exodus 32:9-14).
  • Moses became the model of the true prophet--he was faithful to God and willing to rebuke the people, but he also compassionately interceded for them. (ETB Adult Commentary, p102)
  • The greatest example of this pattern, however, is Christ. Rejected and hated, He never turned against the Jews and cursed them with a bitter call for God to completely destroy them. Instead Christ sternly rebuked them (Matthew 23:37-39) and solemnly warned of disaster to come (Luke 23:28-31). He chose to go to the cross rather than to call down legions of angels to destroy His enemies (Matthew 26:53) -- ETB Adult Commentary, p103)
Amos 7:7-9 (Truthful Witness)
Discussion Options:
  • Illustration: Bring in a level. Measure the walls to see if they are level. Measure a table or a chair. Then have someone stand up and explain, "I am going to place the level next to you to see if you are level with God's standards." Explain how this is similar to what God was saying in these passages related to a plumb-line.
  • What is missing from Amos's response in this section as compared to the vision of fire in verses 4-6? Why do you think Amos did not ask God to relent from this point forward? ("A key difference between this vision and the previous two is that Amos was given no opportunity to intercede for Israel. There comes a time when the wickedness of a people is so great no amount of intercession can turn aside the judgment in store for them." - ETB Adult Commentary, p104)
  • What keeps us from being plumb with God? (sin)
  • What other standards might people try to use to evaluate their relationship with God? (Discovery Study Guide, p70)
  • How can we help people see they don't measure up while still expressing compassion?
  • What parts of God's gospel message might we be tempted to water down?
  • How did Amos do this? (He still had to tell the truth. We can't avoid telling the truth. We will see how Amos handled this as we look at the next few passages).
Study Supplement:
  • Pronunciation: Jeroboam
  • A plumb-line is the best translation possible of the Hebrew. It suggests a means of distinguishing what is straight and true from what is deviant.
  • Review background on Jeroboam II and Israel's sanctuaries to explain why judgment was coming. Explain that the high places and shrines were singled out because, to God, they were the most offensive places in the kingdom, not only because of idol worship practiced there, but also because the Israelites smugly assumed the sacrifices they presented within these shrines impressed God (See ETB Adult Commentary, p104; ETB Leader Guide p108;  See 2 Kings 14:23-29.
Amos 7:10-17 (Opposed but Obedient Witness)
Discussion Options:
  • Identify the types of opposition Amos faced. (Caused upheaval among the crowds; Religious and civil authority conspired together against Amos; Accused of being a charlatan and prophesying for profit; He was dismissed as an outsider; His character was misread and misrepresented - ETB Adult Commentary, p107)
  • What does this story remind you of? (Jesus last days)
  • What was Amos's response?
  • Write the following in your study guide and put in a description of yourself: "I'm just a _________ but I must share Christ." Discuss how they completed the statement.
  • How does our culture misunderstand--and even attack--the genuine witness of believers?
  • How would you characterize Amos's dependence on God? How would following that example change the way believers witness today?
Illustration:
  • Ask two individuals to stand and face each other. Have one individual represent Amos and the other represent Amaziah. Ask the person representing Amaziah to speak the words of Amos 7:12-13 to the other person. For maximum effect, consider using the text from The Message. Ask the other person how he/she felt as those words were being read. Discuss how it feels when accused of doing bad while trying to do good and share Christ.
Study Supplement:
Look Out
Hitting the target and applying it to daily living.
Illustrations:
  • Share the story about the pastor imprisoned in Iran. See the following article: News Release; or consider showing the following video:  Letter from American Pastor
  • If you would like a CD version of the Pastor's video letter please email me so I can get you a copy. I will put it in your box Sunday morning.
Application Suggestions:
  • How much time do you spend in intercessory prayer for people who don't know Christ? What obstacles or attitudes keep you from praying this way? (Discovery Study Guide, p69)
  • Evaluate personally what you are willing to sacrifice of comfort or convenience to be a witness of God's mercy and grace.
  • Would you be willing to take some time this week and do a prayer walk or drive-through of your neighborhood and pray for the families in each home?
  • Distribute index cards to each person. Ask each person to list at least one person they know who is lost. Instruct them to share the card with someone else and commit to praying for the persons listed. Challenge them to keep the card and to pray daily for the individual.
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