Greeting Members and Friends
It time once again for our weekly Sunday School preview so thanks for joining me and welcome back. The Winter Quarter entitled “Faith In Action” explores faith as both belief and action. The December unit in the Quarter is entitled “The Early Church Proclaims Faith in Christ” and it reveals what the early leaders proclaimed about living our faith in Christ. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Faith to Discern”.
Discernment is the ability to look beyond the surface to see that which is not obvious or hidden. Discernment is a key component of faith. It helps us to see motives and intentions that help to explain the reasons people do and say some of the things they do. Since we walk by faith and not by sight, it is important to have the ability to see things that are not clearly seen with our natural senses. To hear the voice of the Holy Spirit requires an ability that goes beyond our natural senses. Because He is other worldly, the Holy Spirit’s way of communicating is not natural to our world and senses. We must be able to discern if, when and how He is communicating with us through methods and ways that are not always obvious.
In our lesson today, the church was able to discern that the Holy Spirit wanted them to separate and send Barnabas and Saul on a special mission. Notice that the text does not specify how, through whom or the method the Holy Spirit used to speak to the church. It is important to see that they were able to determine He was speaking and what He said. Because this was such a big step for the church, they prayed and fasted for the success of this first missionary journey and for Barnabas and Saul. As they entered each city and town, they would have to rely on the Holy Spirit to know what to do, where to go and what to say in each new circumstance. Each place and situation would be different in some way from the previous one and they would have to learn from each encounter.
The text tells of one particular encounter where a prominent individual in the eyes of the people opposed the spread of the gospel. People sometime perceive that the gospel is somehow harmful to them and their interest and will oppose it and stand it the way. Saul, who is also Paul, discerned what this individual was up to and his motivation. Additional he discerned that the Lord wanted to stop this man from interfering with their mission in that city by rendering him blind. Like Paul, we must learn to discern the voice of God and by faith act upon what He tells us. You can get a better understanding of this lesson by reading the daily SS readings found in your SS book which can also be accessed through our website and mobile app. Well, that’s all for this week’s preview. Be sure to join us in Sunday School this week for a fuller discussion of this lesson and the general topic of Faith In Action. So, until then
Grace and peace
Pastor Jordan
