Abraham: The First Missionary

Overview of Lesson 2: Abraham: The First Missionary

Karakia Timatanga | Opening Prayer

He hōnore, he korōria ki te atua
All honour and glory to our maker

He maungārongo ki te whenua
Let there be peace and tranquillity on earth

He whakaaro pai ki ngā tangata katoa
Goodwill to mankind
Āmine.                                  
Amen

(The lesson in more detail: Sabbath School Org. Lesson 2)

Saturday | Sabbath | Hātarei

The Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all monotheistic religions although their practises and cultures vary widely. All three religions would agree that Abraham was a great man of God and yet today many of the adherents to these religions would harm each other. The thing that separates these great traditions is not what they agree on but on their differences. Within each of these traditions there are a multitude of factions each claiming to be right based on history and belief. Even within the denomination known as Seventh-day Adventists we see factions and splits. The contemporary issue of women's ordination could be the cause of the next split. It seems to be the way of humanity that you simply have to put two people in a room and there is division. Look at the motley crew of disciples that Jesus put together. The primary thing that they had in common was their relationship to him. The Bible tells me that the fundamental missionary task given to Christians is reconciliation (2Co 5:18). 

Māori meeting on the marae have a process which we all could learn from. The process is called whakawhanaungatanga. In this process people are seeking to establish relationships. The focus is not on the difference it is on the connections. What commonality do we have in geography, genealogy, history and tribe? Surely as Christians - connection is important. God and Christ must be greater than our differences. What do they see in my neighbour - my fellow church member, Jew, Moslem or unbeliever? God is a God of whakawhanaungatanga, a God or connections and relationship.

As for Abraham being the first missionary; I disagree. Before Abraham was Noah, who preached for 120 years prior to the flood. In terms of the biblical narrative could it have been Eve? Look at the world around us. There are competing narratives with the good news of the gospel. There are missionaries (lobbyists) for all sorts of causes and some of them are very harmful. Whether we like it or not, our speech or silence, align us with what we believe or not.

Sunday | Rātapu

The Call of Abraham

Abraham's call is our example. Interestingly enough Abram picked up where his father left off. Genesis 11:31 indicates that Abram's father, Terah left Ur of the Chaldees for Canaan but settled in Haran. Perhaps Terah would have been called father of the faithful if he had kept going or perhaps Terah went as far as God had called him. Schantz & Thompson (2015) note that Abram is called for his own sake. It was in his best interest to respond.

Our lives can mirror Abram's when we let God guide us in the big decisions - marriage, employment and living circumstances. I think God also guides in smaller matters too but it is the big choices which determine destiny.  We are informed in Hebrews 11:10 that Abraham always kept in mind that there is a life beyond this. He wasn't sure how to get there but he knew that God would get him there. God will get us there too.

Monday | Rāhina 

Abraham's Testimony to the Kings

Most of the time Abram was at peace with his neighbours but it seems that Abram's faith also included a small standing army. Perhaps this helped. Today we have professional armies to defend nations. In those days martial training of the young men within the family was the practise. Faith did not preclude this.

However, this story where Abram rescues his nephew Lot and the kings is also an illustration of God's mercy, judgment and justice. Abram carries out a righteous act in saving his nephew, who we discover later is living amongst wicked people. In fulfilling his family obligations Abram also saves some of Lot's neighbours. Through Abram's rescue and because of Lot, God demonstrates His mercy to the undeserving. Abram's generosity towards these people is a sign of his faith and another indication of God's character. Our actions indicate to our family, workmates and neighbours what God is like. Christian behaviour, for good or evil, makes a difference when we deal with people who do not share our beliefs.

Tuesday | Rātū 

Exemplar of Faith

The eleventh chapter in Hebrews is the roll call of biblical characters who illustrate faith and Abraham features significantly compared to some of the other Old Testament names. What encourages me about Abraham is the fact that he was called righteous by God because he believed (Gal 3:6), despite the fact that he was not always truthful. We can be seen as righteous by God, just like Abraham, if we will be 'sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see' (Heb 11:1). The faith we speak of presupposes two things (Heb 11:6): that there is a God and that he rewards those who seek Him.

An interesting story emerges about Yuri Gagarin the first cosmonaut to enter space. It is widely reported that when he went into space that he reported that he didn't see God. According to Colonel Petrov (2013) this should be attributed to Kruschev who wanted to see orthodox religion extinguished.

Believers and non believers alike always accumulate evidence to support their view of the world. Belief in an invisible God has always been a problem. Early Christians were called 'atheists' because they worshipped no visible God. Today's atheists do not believe because they do not see the evidence for God. There is enough evidence to believe if you want to.

Wednesday  | Rāapa

Abraham, the Wanderer

This paragraph in the lesson by Schantz and Thompson (2015) is fascinating:

One means God used to shape Abraham into a reformer and missionary was his many wanderings. Travelling is an education in itself. It opens a person to new ideas and the possibilities of change. Pilgrimages to Jerusalem were an important and required part of Israelite worship. The changes the pilgrims experienced when they had to walk distances, sleep in other places, eat different food, encounter another climate, and meet other people enhanced their faith by their vulnerability. Their worship, with its sacrifices and offerings, sacred dances, and reciting of psalms, helped God’s people to confirm their identity and traditions.

Adventists have never been given over to pilgrimages but a very good case is made here. Lots of Christian denominations and Moslems do practise pilgrimage and here is biblical precedence. Is a biblical tour the same as a pilgrimage?

Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and Methodists practise 'The Stations of the Cross' which has its origins in pilgrimage. Daniel March wrote (1856, p.313): Nevertheless it will do us all good, frequently and solemnly to review the closing scenes in the Saviour's earthly life.... We shall learn many salutary lessons, by going back in memory, and spending a thoughtful hour, in the endeavour to strengthen our faith and quicken our love at the foot of the cross. Ellen White repeats this concept in the Desire of Ages (1898, p. 87). The key point is: that pilgrimage can be practised through meditation on the Gospels.

Thursday | Rāpare

Abraham: A Missionary in His Own House

Gen 18:18-19 is obviously the ideal basis on which to serve God and this is the case for many Adventists and Christians but it is not always. Today if you go into any Adventist church in the Western World you are likely to find that the younger generation missing. For multiple reasons they no longer find church an attractive proposition. What are the contributing factors: split homes, hypocrisy in families and churches, irrelevance - failure to deal with today's issues, boredom, poor leadership and attractions/entertainment in the world. This problem has existed for at least two generations and is becoming worse. One way the church compensates for this is by looking for the next convert when they need to be nurturing the flock they have. Too many of our young people are not befriended by the church and they are disturbed by doctrinal squabbles which are off putting. Our young people are not seeing Jesus in us and they are not getting a sense of community and mission. Their identity is being formed outside of church.

There is no set recipe here because our family members have been given free choice. The father Jesus talks about in Luke 15 represents God, and in one way I am so pleased that His family is screwed up too. He has one son who is a self-righteous prat and another son who is a profligate. If you look at a lot of families in the Bible they were horribly flawed  - Adam and Eve, Noah, Jacob and Samuel to name a few. Sometimes the family comes right and sometimes it doesn't. Joseph's brothers matured later. Manasseh came right after being very evil. Sometimes you have godliness skipping a generation or two and emerging in grand children e.g. Joash.

Some of our church members practise their faith despite opposition by family. This is not always known or talked about. One of the greatest missionaries within the last two hundred years was John Wesley the founder of the Methodists. What is not so well known is that his marriage was very rocky and that Molly came to hate him. On one occasion a visitor came by and found her pulling him on the floor by his hair (Loizides, 2010). What many Adventists don't know is that James and Ellen White didn't always get on and that at one stage they had separated (Brandeis, 2011).

So in this real world context as parents and members what can we do? Examine our lives - love our kids, pray, trust God, not give up and believe ... and expect that the Abraham's within our church really step up because they are needed to support.

Points for Christians to consider and practise

1. Do you try and build relationships? Do you practise reconciliation?
2. Are you talking to God about the big and small things in your life?
3. Do you believe that God exists and that he wants to reward you?
4. What do you think about pilgrimage and meditation?
5. How's your family and if your family is okay what are you doing to help others?

Closing Prayer - Karakia Whakamutunga

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Kia tau ki a tātou katoa te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki, a Ihu Karaiti me te aroha o te Atua, me te whiwhingatahitanga ki te wairua tapu, ake, ake, ake, āmine.

References

Brandeis, J. (2011, December). When James and Ellen White separated. Spectrum. Retrieved from http://spectrummagazine.org/article/jeremy-brandeis/2011/12/02/when-james-and-ellen-white-separated

Loizides, L. (2010). John Wesley and his wife (part 2). Church History Review. Retrieved from https://lexloiz.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/john-wesley-and-his-wife-part-2/

March, D. (1866). Walks and homes of Jesus. Philadelphia, Presbyterian publication committee; New York, A. D. F. Randolph. (Full text available). Retrieved July 4, 2015, from https://archive.org/stream/walkshomesofjesus00marc/walkshomesofjesus00marc_djvu.txt

Schantz, B. & Thompson, S. (2015). Biblical Missionaries. Adult Sabbath School Quarterly 3Q. 2015. Silver Spring: MD: Pacific Press.

Stations of the Cross. (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved July 4, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stations_of_the_Cross

Valentin, P. (2013, April 12). Did Yuri Gagarin say he didn’t see God in space?. Pravmir.com: Orthodox Christianity and the World. Retrieved from http://www.pravmir.com/did-yuri-gagarin-say-he-didnt-see-god-in-space/

White, E. (1898). The desire of ages. Oakland, Cal., New York: Pacific Press Publishing Company. (Full text available). Retrieved July 4, 2015, from https://archive.org/stream/desireofages00whit/desireofages00whit_djvu.txt