Lifestyle Witnessing – Sunday, June 7, 2020 • Lesson Two • Seize Opportunities 1. Find opportunities unique to you • 2. Make the most of your circumstances
Prayer Lord Jesus, we were once darkness, but you have made us light. Help us live as children of the light, especially among those who cannot see your glory. As you came to earth to give sight, use us to proclaim your gift. Bless our desire and our attempts to show the difference you have made. Open our eyes to the opportunities you give us to proclaim your favor. Amen.
Introduction From the time she was a child, she dreamed of treating people in a hospital. Finally, her dream comes true. Her excitement builds as she drives to the hospital for her first day of official duty. But an accident ahead stops traffic. She gets out of her car and sees mangled bodies but does nothing. She retreats to her car upset that she can’t get to the hospital to practice medicine. She had the training. She had the skills. She had a heart for people. She just didn’t see the opportunity. Ridiculous? Imagine this: A baby becomes a child of God through Baptism. That baby grows physically and spiritually. Maybe he even goes to a Lutheran school for 8, 12, 16, or 22 years. He’s thankful for all God has done for him and wants others to have what he has. He’s heard that evangelism is the mission of the church. He isn’t sure how, but he knows he should somehow share his faith. On Monday a coworker says at lunch, “I don’t know what to tell my daughter about her grandpa’s death. What would you say?” He winces, “That’s a tough one. I’m not sure.” On Wednesday the person cutting his hair asks, “I’m not very religious, but it doesn’t seem like prayer does any good. What do you think?” He replies, “Yeah, seems that way sometimes.” On Friday his racquetball opponent admits, “I sure can feel myself slowing down. Guess we can’t go on forever, huh?” He replies, “No, guess we can’t.” On Sunday the man says to his pastor, “When are we going to do some door-to-door canvassing? Isn’t that what we’re here for?” Like the doctor, this man had the tools. He probably had the skills. He had a heart for people. He just didn’t see the opportunities—because he didn’t have a door to knock on. As the body of Christ, we work together to share God’s love in Christ. Churches call it an evangelism program. As individual members of the body of Christ, we all have opportunities to share God’s love. Let’s call it personal evangelism. How can Christians, gifted with the Word, spread the gospel? Let’s see.
Studying God’s Word Find opportunities unique to you 2 Kings 5:1–19 Na’aman, the commander of the king of Aram’s army, was a great man in the opinion of his master. He was highly honored because the LORD had provided victory for Aram through him. Although he was a powerful warrior, he had leprosy. 2 Raiding parties had once gone out from Aram and brought back a young girl. She served Na’aman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, “I wish my master stood before the prophet who is in Samaria, because he would cure him of his leprosy.”
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So Na’aman went and told his master what the servant girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 Then the king of Aram said, “Go there. I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Na’aman went, and he took ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 Then he took the letter to the king of Israel. The letter said, “Now, when you receive this letter, you will know that I am sending my officer Na’aman to you so that you can cure him of his leprosy.” 4
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothing and said, “Am I God that I can kill and make alive? Why is he sending a man to me for me to heal him from his leprosy? See how he is looking for a pretext to fight against me.” 8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Na’aman went with his horses and chariots and stopped in front of the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him to say, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan. Then your flesh will be restored and you will be clean.” 7
But Na’aman was angry and he left, saying, “Look, I said to myself, ‘He will certainly come out and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God and wave his hand over the place, and I will be cured of the leprosy!’ 12 Aren’t the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a burning rage. 13 But his servants approached and spoke to him. They said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not do it? How much more when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. Then his flesh was restored like the flesh of a small child, and he was clean. 15 Then he and his whole escort went back to the man of God. He stood in front of Elisha and said, “To be sure, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now accept a gift from your servant.” 11
But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives, in whose presence I stand, I will not take anything.” Even though Na’aman urged him to accept something, he refused. 17Then Na’aman said, “If you do not want anything, please give me, your servant, as much dirt as two donkeys can carry, for your servant will never again burn incense or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the LORD. 18 But may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the house of Rimmon to bow down there and he supports himself on my arm, then I too have to bow down in the house of Rimmon. When I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing.” 19 Then Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” 16
1. Consider this story. It all started with the witness of one little girl. How were each of these people affected by her witness? How did others have a chance to bear witness to their faith or be the recipients of someone else’s witness? • The young Israelite girl
• The girl’s parents
• Naaman’s wife
• Naaman
• Naaman’s servants
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• Elisha
• The king of Israel
His Word in My Life Illness can provide the opportunity for witnessing. Talk about a time either your illness or someone else’s illness gave you the opportunity to let your faith show. Sometimes it seems as if children are the best teachers. If you have ever seen a child simply speak his or her faith, share that experience with the group. Adults who receive the gift of faith may not respond with life changes as quickly as you’d like. Old habits and patterns of thinking may take time to break. The Word will do its work, but sometimes not quickly. Think of the problems this may cause and how you might respond to each. The Lord gives us various opportunities to witness. Some situations may be pleasant, and some may be unpleasant. But if we are looking, we’ll see plenty of opportunities.
Make the most of your circumstances Daniel 1:1–16 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand, along with some of the vessels of the House of God, and he brought them to the land of Shinar, into the house of his god. He brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. 3
The king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring some young Israelite men from the royal family or from the nobility. 4 He was to choose young men who had no blemish, who were good looking, who had insight into all kinds of wisdom, who possessed knowledge, understanding, and learning, and who were capable of serving in the king’s palace, in order to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them daily rations from the special royal food and from the king’s own wine. He ordered that they should be trained for three years. At the end of training they were to serve the king. 6 In this group of young men were the Judeans Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief of the officials gave them new names. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah the name Shadrak, Mishael the name Meshak, and Azariah the name Abednego. 8
Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the special food of the king or with the wine that he drank. So he sought permission from the chief official, so that he would not have to defile himself. 9 God made the chief of the officials favorable and sympathetic toward Daniel. 10 Then the chief of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink. Why should he see your faces looking less healthy than those of the other young men who are your age? You put my life at risk before the king.” 11
Daniel said to the superintendent whom the chief of the officials had placed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days. Tell them to give us only vegetables, and we will eat them and drink water. 13 Observe our appearance and the appearance of the young men who eat the special royal food. Then deal with your servants based on what you see.” 14 So he listened to what they said about this and tested them for ten days.
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15
At the end of ten days, their appearance was noticeably better than that of the others. They were healthier than any of the young men who had been eating the special royal food. 16 So the superintendent permanently took away the special royal food and the wine they were to drink and gave them only vegetables. 1. How was Daniel’s life in Babylon different from the life he had known in Jerusalem?
2. In a single word, how would you characterize Daniel’s lifestyle witness?
3. In what ways was Daniel willing to compromise and change his life?
4. What was Daniel unwilling to compromise?
His Word in My Life What unique witnessing opportunities might you find if you move to a new neighborhood? Daniel could have been obnoxious about his desire not to eat Babylonian food, but he wasn’t. There was something winsome about his way with the Babylonian official in charge. How does the old adage “you’ll attract more flies with honey than with vinegar” apply to our lifestyle witnessing? Talk about a time you were willing to compromise your preferences in order to present a more attractive witness to someone. Or, if you prefer, talk about a time you wouldn’t change because it would have meant compromising your faith. It shouldn’t surprise us that God blesses our witness. God plans opportunities for each of us, wherever we are and in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.
Summary One child of God meets hundreds of people each week. Another meets no one except the mail carrier. One crisscrosses the country. Another never leaves town. Yet all are witnesses to their Savior. Give some examples of how each by his or her lifestyle can give testimony to God’s love in Christ.
Life with God • Day 1: Ask the Lord to make you more committed to a witnessing activity this week. Ask the Lord to help you see the opportunities. • Day 2: Read Psalm 66. How did the psalmist demonstrate his faith? • Day 3: Read Psalm 62. How do these words encourage you to witness? • Day 4: Read Psalm 112. In what different settings does the writer remind us to witness? • Day 5: Read Psalm 139. You were unique from the beginning! • Day 6: Plan your witnessing activity report for the group.