WINTER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2012-2013 –

“THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST’S LORDSHIP REVEALED FROM ROME”

UNIT ONE: EPHESIANS…REVELATION OF CHRIST’S POWER TO THE CHURCH

“HAVE YOU HEARD THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT WALKING IN THE LIGHT?”

Sunday School Lesson No. IV December 23, 2012

Presented by Rev. Frank Davis, III, Pastor-Teacher

Lesson Text: John 1:1-5; Ephesians 5:1-2, 6-14

Required Reading: John 1:1-14; Ephesians 4:17 – 5:20

Motto Text: Ephesians 5:1, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.”

Reliable Resources: Precepts for Living (UMI); Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; Libronix Electronic Library; MacArthur Study Bible; Thomas Nelson Open Bible Notes; Word Search 9 and 10 Electronic Library; Blessings and Behavior of the Believer, (The Book of Ephesians, Vol. 1 and 2) by Dr. David Jeremiah

LESSON INTRODUCTION

We have been exposed through Christ to God’s powerful good news to the sinner. During this time of year we celebrate His birth and how it brought joy and light to a sin-cursed dark and dreary world. Isaiah spoke of this in 9:2, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Light is a sign and symbol of the season. Christmas lights as well as the light of the star of Bethlehem in antiquity also bear us witness. But the Lord Jesus is that light that brings illumination, both physically and spiritually. Our lesson this week reflects on the writing of John in his Gospel and the epistle written to the Ephesians by Paul. Let us respond personally to the question posed in our lesson title today: Have You Heard the Good News about Walking in the Light? Those who live in the light of Jesus Christ have much to be cognizant of.

Anticipated Power Points:

·  Divine Illumination. John 1:1-5

·  Divine Reparation. Ephesians 5:1-2, 6-7

·  Divine Expectation. Ephesians 5:8-14

Again, the focus of Paul is the walk of the believer is Christ: How we are to practice living our faith in Christ. It is a divinely mandated imperative and fully expected by God that all in Christ should so walk!

LESSON OUTLINE

I. Divine Illumination is in the Person of Jesus Christ. John 1:1-5

John helps us to understand three major factors of Good News concerning our Lord Jesus the Light.

A. He is the Sovereign. John 1:1-2

Jesus is the pre-existent from eternity and totally equal to the Father. He is identified as God by Thomas (John 20:28); He identifies Himself as God (John 17:5); He is also declared God by the Father in Hebrews 1:8; “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

B. He is the source. John 1:3. Let the scriptures talk…

1. Psalm 33:6 – “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his

mouth.”

2. Colossians 1:16-17 – “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and

invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for

him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

3. Hebrews 1:10 – “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the

works of thine hands.”

C. He is the Sustainer. John 1:4-5

Jesus brings and sustains physical but above all, spiritual light to the world. John 8:12 says, “Then spake Jesus again

unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light

of life.” Christ’s sustaining light is so overwhelming that nothing can obscure its power. Those who reject it, do it at their

own self-willed disobedience. But, they are without excuse, as we find in John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that

light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

II. Divine Reparation is in the Perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:1-2, 6-7

A. Christ has paid the full compensation for the sins of those of us who have received him.

Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his

grace.” And because of His redeeming blood, our sins have been totally removed and washed away. Now Paul declares

that the least we should do is to become “imitators” or mimics of God our Father. Every child ought to have the DNA of his or her father, and so the redeemed. Christ’s sacrifice was a “sweet savor” to the Father as the ascending smoke of a sacrifice in the Old Testament that pleased God! (Read “Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17; 2:9” Wiersbe) When the believer walks in love, the lifestyle becomes a “sweet aroma” unto God. HALLELUJAH!

B. Christ promotes no counterfeits. vss. 6-7

Paul expressed in verses 3-5 sins such as immorality (vs. 3) expressed by fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness. (These words express lack of love but gross lust. “Fornication – all kinds of illicit sexual activity…Uncleanness – refers to disgusting, degrading, defiling behavior…Covetousness – basically refers to greed.” Dr. David Jeremiah. Impurity, vss. 4-5 refers strongly to the speech of the believer, which should not be counterfeit. “Filthiness – vulgar, dirty language…foolish talking; ‘buffoonery’…course jesting referring to all kinds of sexual or immoral innuendoes.” David Jeremiah

The believer who walks in the light is ever mindful of who he or she is…children of the Most High God and not children of the devil. The New Living Translation makes very clear the Word here: “Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey Him. Don’t participate in the things these people do.”

III. Divine Expectation is Promised through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:8-14

I close with the help of Dr. David Jeremiah: “Dawn and dusk are the hazy times of day – halfway between darkness and light. But it is interesting that the Bible doesn’t use dawn as a metaphor for the spiritual life. We are either living in darkness or in light. Five differences will reveal if we are indeed in the light: A New Description (5:8a); A New Direction (5:8b-9); A New Desire (5:10); A New Distinction (5:11a); A New Duty (5:11b-13).”

CLOSING

In the words of Dr. W. Wiersbe based on vs. 14: “The believer has no business in the darkness. He is a saint, which means he is a partaker ‘of the inheritance of the saints in light’ (Col. 1:12). He is a king, because he has been delivered ‘from the power of darkness’ and has been translated ‘into the kingdom of His dear Son’ (Col. 1:13). He is ‘light in the Lord’ (Eph. 5:8).”

Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA & Little Bethel Baptist Church, Amite, LA

Mailing Address: Post Office Box 19768, New Orleans, LA 70179

Phone: (504) 486-7876 Website: www.thestudyhour.com

Radio Broadcasts: WLNO AM 1060, Saturday 8:30 a.m.; Sunday 5:30 a.m.

WABL AM 1570 (Hammond-Amite area) Sunday 7:00 a.m.

LOOKING AHEAD: December 30, 2012 Ephesians 5:21 – 6:4

Pastor Davis invites you to hear him teach the Sunday School lesson at Bibleway on Wednesday at noon.

Please visit our website, www.thestudyhour.com to see and hear Pastor teaching the lesson via Video. Then call a friend and share the blessing.

NOTE: There will be no Noonday Bible Study on Wednesday December 26, 2012 and January 2, 2013. Noonday Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, January 9, 2013.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR – MAY GOD BLESS YOU!