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2023-Q4-L11: Mission to the Unreached: Part 2

Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Kings 11:1-6; Matthew 4:23-25; Matthew 15:22-28; Mark 7:24-30; Acts 10:34-35; Matthew 8:10,13.

Memory Text: “Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (Matthew 15:28).

Scriptures

  • 1 Kings 11:1–6: 11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done.
  • Matthew 4:23–25: 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
  • Matthew 15:22–28: 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
  • Mark 7:24–30: 24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
  • Acts 10:34–35: 34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
  • Matthew 8:10: 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
  • Matthew 8:13: 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Last week

  • Paul in Athens.
  • 1. People have their own frame of reference. We must be sensitive their perspective.
  • 2. Use restraint. Getting to know them, associate, understand their needs and beliefs. Use as a springboard, a starting point.
  • 3. Felt needs and aspirations. We should not assume that others know what we know, cares what we care about, or believe what we believe. They may not have a concept of many things Biblical.
  • 4. Caution in watering down our message. In order to reach the unreached, there is the danger of watering down the message into simple phrases without substance.

Notes

  • 82.66% in urban areas in the U.S. in 2020 acc. to Statista.
  • anonymity, work, entertainment.
  • The best way to see our deficiencies, is to see it manifest in others (i.e. children, family, friends, etc.)
  • Do we judge people who marry non-Adventists.
  • Do we judge people who eat the unclean and common foods?
  • Pharisees stayed away from the pagan, so as not to make a mistake

The Gospel

  • What is the gospel?
  • What is the Eternal Gospel? What makes the gospel of Revelation 14 different than in the Apostolic era.

SUNDAY. Mission to Regions Beyond. Tyre and Sidon.

Scripture

  • 1 Kings 11:1–6 (ESV): 11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done.

Notes

  • Solomon. Asked for the ability to rule wisely. He was given wisdom and wealth.
  • Solomon became an influence but, at the same time, was influenced by his foreign wives.
  • marriages in those days were arranged by the parents. They could become business alliances. In the case of Solomon, they were political alliances.
  • Political alliances through marriage has gone on for all of human history.
  • Such marriages caused havoc with the children. What usually got lost was the language of the Israelites and their religious training.
  • Complacency. Understeer.
  • Strict religious lifestyle. Oversteer. Insuler.
  • Should a pastor marry a believer with an unbeliever?

EGW

  • DA 399:2: The people of this district were of the old Canaanite race. They were idolaters, and were despised and hated by the Jews. To this class belonged the woman who now came to Jesus. She was a heathen, and was therefore excluded from the advantages which the Jews daily enjoyed. There were many Jews living among the Phoenicians, and the tidings of Christ's work had penetrated to this region. Some of the people had listened to His words and had witnessed His wonderful works. This woman had heard of the prophet, who, it was reported, healed all manner of diseases. As she heard of His power, hope sprang up in her heart. Inspired by a mother's love, she determined to present her daughter's case to Him. It was her resolute purpose to bring her affliction to Jesus. He must heal her child. She had sought help from the heathen gods, but had obtained no relief. And at times she was tempted to think, What can this Jewish teacher do for me? But the word had come, He heals all manner of diseases, whether those who come to Him for help are rich or poor. She determined not to lose her only hope.
  • DA 400.1: Christ knew this woman's situation. He knew that she was longing to see Him, and He placed Himself in her path. By ministering to her sorrow, He could give a living representation of the lesson He designed to teach. For this He had brought His disciples into this region. He desired them to see the ignorance existing in cities and villages close to the land of Israel. The people who had been given every opportunity to understand the truth were without a knowledge of the needs of those around them. No effort was made to help souls in darkness. The partition wall which Jewish pride had erected, shut even the disciples from sympathy with the heathen world. But these barriers were to be broken down.

MONDAY. Seeking the Multitudes

TUESDAY. In Tyre and Sidon

WEDNESDAY. “Send Her Away!”

THURSDAY. Faith on Earth?

FRIDAY. Further Thought:

APPENDIX