Embedded Files
Prepared by: J.A.O. Vergara | December 2020
Reference Texts
1 Corinthians 12:14-26 [NASB]
14 For the body is not one part, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many parts, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it
Entry Points
King Solomon is the major author of the book of proverbs. However, he did not write most of it. There are other contributors such as Agur, Lemuel, and the wise men of King Hezekiah.
We know that the book presents three kinds of people: the wise, the fool, and the ordinarily simple men.
Which one are you?
[of course, as Christian we have the confidence that we have been made wise through our knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ]
Proclaim to yourself
v.16] For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again,
Do you or would you proclaim this to yourself?
Ask these questions
Q1.) How many times have I fallen?
Q2.) What should I do when others fall?
Q3.) What is the point of getting up?
Are you familiar with this?:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
This is a riddle written in 1803 with the answer to be an egg.
Teaching Lesson
A1.) How many times have I fallen?
In the Old Testament times, seven means complete or continually.
As to this question, our answer may vary. Some may answer:
“I had a great fall, twice, thrice, or a dozen.”
“I could hardly remember if I had fallen big time.”
“I could not remember a week when I did not fall.”
or
“I am totally broken right now. And I’m afraid I can no longer rise again”.
Hey, you, yes you who may have concluded not to rise again, listen! No matter how high we have fallen, or how many times we have fallen!
Jesus has already risen for you and me.
So right, now, I encourage you to take up that cross and walk with the Lord again!
[If you are watching some of our online videos, know that you have brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing to walk with you.]
[And for you who is reading/hearing right now, look around you and think of the people who loves you.]
[And if you cannot turn your head, just feel, and think of it, you are eating spiritual food right now, you are hearing an inspired word from God. It is never an accident that you are reading/hearing this message now.]
A2.) What should I do when others fall?
In v.17-18, the proverb says NOT to rejoice when an enemy fall, when other people falls. Otherwise, with Him being displeased, He will turn away His anger from them.
There are times some “self-proclaimed” righteous people would ask, “Why does God allowed the wicked people to get rich and seemed to enjoy more blessings in life? [the drug lords, the rebels, the thief, the unchurched, those who persecutes, and non-believers.]
Looking into the history of God’s people, Israel, both the kings and the people have fallen countless times. God has shut His ears from them many times. Before Jesus was born, God has ignored the Jews for more than 400 years. That is why the Christian Bible do not consider other Jewish and Roman Catholic books which was written within this period and are considered non-canonical or of no divine authority. Those are great references and were compiled by faithful men, however they are not considered to be of direct inspiration from God.
Along the history of the Jewish people, we knew that Gentile nations; Egypt, Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Tyre has won battles against Israel. These people knew God but did not believe God, yet most of these nations were prosperous.
We also knew that at the times of Empires; Babylonian, Assyrian, and others, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were mocked and persecuted. However, God has rescued and preserved their faithful descendants.
Most of us simply think that it is expected because God is being faithful to His promise to Abraham and His covenant at the time of Moses.
But it is not only it.
Those enemy nations have mocked on Israel and Judah on their inability to stand their identity being the special people of God because the Israelites became idolatrous, immoral, and have turned their back on God.
Those mockery and rejoicing over the fall of God’s people has made way for God to turn away His anger from them.
The restoration of God’s people is due to God’s faithfulness and grace. God is faithful to restore a believer, and His abounding grace is elaborated not when a believer falls, but when the fallen is mocked.
A3.) What is the point of getting up?
Falling away is not God’s design but Satan’s deception.
Sometimes, Christian fall into the devil’s trap in thinking, “uh, its is okay to fall, to commit sin sometimes, anyway, God’s grace is abounding”. No, it’s not it.
v.20 clearly tells that there is no future for a wicked person, his/her light shall be put off.
[Now, if you are now in a state of your faith where you deeply know that you have fallen, I highly charge you to reconnect to God, respond quickly when a brother or a sister in faith would reach out for you. Do not stay in the devil’s trap which pulls you into committing wicked deeds.]
[Get up brother/sister, get up.]
And if you are going to read until verse 22, you must be warned:
When you do keep yourself in the trap of Satan’s deceit, the Lord and king will bring sudden destruction and you would never know what calamities in life they would bring you in.
God is faithful and true to His promise in preserving the descendants of Abraham. However, we must understand that God preserved the good seeds and allowed destruction to the bad ones.
If you are in trying times right now, of which all of us constantly face trials, those are part of the testing of your faith. But if you would choose pride over surrendering to God, know that you have been warned.
Concluding words
(James 3:13-18, Matthew 5:13). True Christians possess heavenly wisdom and lives a life doing everything in humility. A true Christian shine the light of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and reaps righteousness in life. A true Christian stay salty and with purpose for God’s glory.
(James 3:3-6, 14-16). Wickedness is revealed in gossiping and with the un-tamed tongue, in envy and selfish ambitions, in disorder lifestyle, in and unGodly activities.
Remember what Paul has told the Church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 6:9-11); “the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
When you partially believe in God, you partially taste His Kingdom, but the word says, you will never inherit it.
Your worldly success and comfort will remain in this world. What you will inherit in the eternal life depends on your faithfulness while trying to live here on earth.
Hear this Challenge!
Believe and keep your faith in the Lord, walk the narrow path of life, and hold on to the hope of eternal life with God. (Matthew 7:13-14)
As hearers of the word, I challenge you to act on the word of God.
Now that you found the Kingdom of God, now that you are on the narrow road that leads to eternal life, commit yourself not to take detours as much you could. And whenever you might fall, keep this in mind:
“Quitting is not an option for a True Christian”
Now, I say this:
Clumsy Poor Me sat on a wall,
Clumsy Poor Me had a great fall.
All the King’s graces and all the King’s men
Could keep Clumsy Poor Me together again.
[If you are a part of the King's men, you help a brother or a sister, you do not condemn.]
This is no longer a riddle, but an expression of God’s love delivered more than 2,000 years ago.
Now, you have been REPATCHed, God Bless You!
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Jesus said that no one tears a portion from a new garment to make a PATCH onto the old garment, otherwise he will damage both the new and the old garment. [Luke 5:36]
Therefore, let us not take just few parts of the good news to justify our old ways of life. Let us hold on to the true faith and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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