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lesson 13

 

HOW WE ARE TAUGHT BY EXAMPLE

 

 

I. TEXTUAL THOUGHTS

     1. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 - Stories in scripture teach by example

     2. 1 Corinthians 11:1;  1 Peter 2:21 - Jesus is our primary example

     3. Luke 13:1-5 - Jesus taught by using examples that were fresh in people's minds

     4. Hebrews 13:7;  Philippians 3:17 - People's faithful lives can be present day examples

     5. John 13:1-17 - Examples teach us general principles, not necessarily specific actions

 

II. MAIN THEME  - Jesus is God in human form, so that in Him we understand the nature of God

                and realize what it means to be godly.  The examples of the scriptures point to Jesus

                and the qualities of faith, hope, and love which Jesus made real in His life on earth. 

                Jesus taught by example, so that we could understand spiritual things from familiar

                experiences.  Examples are not law, but rather they illustrate spiritual truths.

 

     1. We learn about reality from examples - 1 Corinthians 10:11

                a. We understand faith by the example of Abraham - Genesis 22:1-18

                b. We understand deliverance by the example of Israel under Moses - Exodus 3-14

                c. We understand enduring trust (reliance) by the example of Jesus - Luke 23:46

 

     2. Jesus used examples to teach us - Luke 14:7-11

                a. He washed the disciples feet, thus teaching service - John 13:1-15

                b. He took the bread and fruit of the vine with disciples in a special way - Luke 22:15-20

                    Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper to remind us of His death which made us one.

                c. He died on the cross, teaching us the need to sacrifice ourselves - Luke 9:22-25

 

     3. Examples of the first century church teach us - Acts 2:42-47

                a. Early Christians gave in a special way - Acts 2:44-45;  4:34-35

                b. Early Christians met together in a special way - Acts 2:46-47;  5:12-16,42

                c. Early Christians handled law in a special way - Acts 15:13-29; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13;

                    1Corinthians 6:12; 10:23-33

 

     4. These examples were not considered law, but demonstrated underlying spiritual truths -

                Romans 14;  1 Corinthians 8 & 10;  Colossians 2:16-23

 

III. APPLICATION

     1. Service - taught by the example of washing feet - 1 Peter 4:8-10;  5:5-6

     2. Dependence on Jesus for life - taught by the Lord's Supper - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

     3. Sacrificial concern - taught by the example of giving - 1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 8:1-9

     4. Four things bound on the Gentile Christians demonstrated special problems that they

                faced in the pagan culture, and were not treated as law by Paul - 1 Corinthians 10:12-33

     5. Law does not constrain us as well as love - when we desire the well-being of our neighbor

                we will not sin against him/her or against God - Romans 13:10

     6. Faith is often said to be only our obedience to God's command.  No, faith can be demon-

                strated by an act of goodness which was not preceded by a command - Luke 7:36-50

 

IV. MEMORY VERSE  -  1 Corinthians 10:11

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