The Impact of Example

1 Corinthians 4:2, 9-17; 8:9-13

The Impact of Example

Hymn #244: "Come Along, Come Along"

1. 1. "Come along, come along" is the call that will win,
   To lead us to virtue and keep us from sin;
   Most men can be led, but few can be driv'n
   In shunning perdition and striving for heav'n.
2. (Chorus)
   "Come along, come along" is the call that will win
   In leading to virtue and keeping from sin;
   "Come along, come along" is the call that will win
   In leading to virtue and keeping from sin.
3. 2. "Come to me, come to me" sweetly falls on the ear,
   The word of the Lord full of comfort and cheer,
   To bind up the broken, the captive set free,
   In the good time that's coming, we hope soon to see.
4. 3. Let us govern by kindness and never by force,
   All cheering and bright, like the sun in its course;
   Obedience will spring from each heart with a bound,
   And brotherhood flourish the wide world around.

What is required of the servants of the Lord according to 1 Corinthians 4:2? 

This verse states: "Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful." As the Lord's servants or Disciples, we must remember the first principle of the Gospel - faith in Jesus Christ. He needs to be our "Firm Foundation" and we need to work towards developing a personal relationship with Him that leaves no room for doubt in our minds and hearts about Who He is.

Read 1 Corinthians 4:9-17 and name the group specifically selected to be examples. How does being a good example apply to more than this group?

Paul specifically references the Apostles in verse 9. The Apostles definitely set a wonderful example for us of how servants of the Lord should act, but they are not the only ones who have an obligation to do that. As members of the Church we have covenanted to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and to remember Him at all times and in all things and in all places. As Jeffrey R. Holland told us awhile back, we can never check our religion at the door. Ever. Our actions and example not only represent us personally, they represent our families and our membership in the Church. For many people we know, WE are their only access to the Church. What we do  is going to impact their opinion about the Church. Our example speaks much more loudly than our words do and we have an obligation to build up the Kingdom of God and we can best do that when we are setting a Christlike example.

Read Alma 39:11-12 and explain why it is not enough just to know what is right.

Oh, cool! Just as I was saying above, our actions speak more loudly than our words do and how we act and the example we set is either going to draw people to the Gospel or repel them away from it. Elder David A. Bednar is one of my favorite Apostles. He challenges me spiritually and intellectually every time I read one of his books or listen to him speak at Conference and one of his most frequent reminders is that we are "agents who act and not objects to be acted on." The Gospel is a gospel of ACTING, not just KNOWING. When we KNOW better we are obligated to DO better.

Read 3 Nephi 8:1 and describe what additional power comes to those who live what they know.

3 Nephi 8:1 says: "And now it came to pass that according to our record, and we know our record to be true, for behold, it was a just man who did keep the record - for he truly did many miracles in the name of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity." So, according to this, those who "live what they know" and are cleansed from iniquity and determined to keep the Commandments and serve God are given the power to perform miracles. I love this! To me, a miracle isn't just turning water to wine or bringing someone back from the dead, although I totally know those things are possible through faith in our Savior. Miracles can be something like praying for a wayward child and seeing them return to activity with a deep and true conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a parent, I believe our prayers and righteous desires on behalf of our children are able to help Christ work mighty miracles in the lives of our children and loved ones. And since I have a "wayward" child of my own, I am thankful and highly motivated to know that the more firmly I commit to staying on the straight and narrow path, my prayers can be heard and answered and my sweet daughter will desire to "come back Home."

Paul's Counsel to Members

List of Attributes Paul Counseled Members to Improve On:

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13:

• Increase and abound in love towards each other (fellow members of the Church)
• Increase and abound in love towards ALL me

1 Thessalonians: 4:1-12: 

• Walk with God more fully
• Please God by keeping His commandments
• Abstain from all forms of immorality
• Keep our bodies sanctified and pure
• Don't take advantage of others or wrong them
• Love one another even more with Brotherly and Sisterly love
• Work hard at all we do
• Be honest and dependable

1 Thessalonians 5:1-22:

• Be watchful and aware and vigilant to what is going on around us
• Don't be lazy or slothful
• Take our covenants seriously
• Have faith, love and hope
• Strive to live so we can obtain salvation and return to live with our Heavenly Father
• Encourage and uplift each other
• Know and follow the Prophets and our local leaders
• Listen to the warnings and counsel of the Prophets and encourage others to do the same
• Do good
• Rejoice and be happy
• Pray continually
• Give thanks and feel gratitude
• Live worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost
• Follow the Prophets
• Study things out in our minds
• Avoid even the appearance of evil

Enjoy this Mormon Message! 

Personal Improvement Areas: 

    Where to start? I see so many areas I need to improve on! One that comes to mind is from 1 Thessalonians 4 where Paul warns the Saints to abstain from all forms of immorality. Now, before you are scandalized, let me assure you that I value and honor all the Covenants I have made in the Temple with my husband! But I was thinking about most of the TV shows that are on Prime Time television these days and how few of them honor the Doctrine of the Family. I think I need to stop watching some of them.

       Another area Paul mentions is to rejoice and be happy. To be honest, I am pretty stressed out and overwhelmed with school right now and wouldn't exactly say that I've been acting very happy lately. I need to count my blessings, relax a little bit and remember that LIFE IS GOOD and I have SO much to be happy about.

        The last area I need to improve on is Paul's counsel to study things out in our minds. One of my classes is extremely difficult for me this semester and I have found myself in tears more than once, feeling so frustrated and unsure about what I'm doing. I know that if I pray  continue to purify my life and eliminate the things that don't bring me closer to the Savior, inspiration and help can come from the Holy Ghost that will allow me to think more clearly and deeply so that I can learn what I need to know.

 

 

 

Paul's First Missionary Journey

1. Using the map "Paul's 1st Journey" found in the map section of the institute student manual (p. 218), list the name of the place Paul started this mission and four other cities he taught in. 

Paul and his missionary companions Barnabas and John began their first missionary journey in Seleucia and then sailed to the cities of 1.Salamis and 2.Paphos on the island of Cyprus. From there they sailed to 3.Perga in Pamphylia and then on to 4.Antioch in Pisidia. At this point John returned to Jerusalem.

2. Review Acts 13:1-5 and outline in writing three points that could help a missionary who is discouraged.

The first thing I would want a missionary to understand is that they had been called by the Lord for their service and were following in the footsteps of some amazing missionaries like Paul and John. (Acts 13:1) I would also want them to know that they can fast, pray and receive a Priesthood blessing for help and guidance.(Acts 13:2-3) Additionally, they are not alone, the Holy Ghost is with them and can speak to them and also guide them and comfort them. (v.4)

3. Read the Bible Dictionary entry for "Barnabas" and the institute student manual commentary for Acts 9:27, "Who was Barnabas?" (p. 259). Write a paragraph describing Barnabas. What blessings and advantages do you see for the Lord sending missionaries out two by two?

Barnabas was a Jew (Levite) and is known to have sold all of his property "in accordance with the agreement among early Christians to have all things in common" (Institute Manual p. 259). He was from the island of Cyprus, which is one of the places he and Paul travelled to on their journey. The Lycaonians gave him the name of Jupiter, the most powerful Roman god because of his "commanding manner, dignified appearance and physical prowess." (p. 259) In Acts 11:24 it says he was "a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." Interestingly right after Paul converted, Barnabas went to Tarsus to talk Paul into joining him "in the ministry." Both the Bible Dictionary and the Institute manual state that although he was not one of the 12, he was considered an apostle. 

By sending missionaries out two by two, first the Lord is offering the missionaries a level of protection from working alone.  In addition, each companion has different strengths and weaknesses that can complement each other and help their companionship be greater than the sum of its parts, if that makes sense. For example, Barnabas was a Levite with a lot of gospel experience, while Paul was a newly converted Gentile. 

4. Review Acts 14:8-18. Explain in writing what happened to Paul and Barnabas. How did Paul and Barnabas respond to this praise and attention?

While in Lystra, they came upon a disabled man who had never walked before and Paul saw that this man had enough faith to be healed, so he told the man to "Stand upright on thy feet" and the man "leaped and walked."(Acts 14:8-10) After the people saw that Paul had healed the man, they "lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, 'The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.' (v. 11) and then the priests of Jupiter brought gifts and garlands and wanted to perform a sacrifice to honor Paul and Barnabas. But Paul and Barnabas "rent their clothes and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying 'Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea and all things that are therein." (v.13-15). They did not want the praise and devotion, and reminded the people that it was the God of creation who had healed the man.

5. Review Acts 14:19-22 and compare in writing the way the people treated Paul in these verses with how he and Barnabas were treated in Acts 14:8-13. How did Paul say we would enter the kingdom of God? How are both these experiences examples of the principle Paul taught in verse 22?

In Acts 14:19-22, we read that after Paul bore his testimony about the Lord, Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, stoned Paul and fagged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. This was in stark contrast to the way the people in Lystra treated them, but at the same time, both of these experiences show the truthfulness of Paul's teaching in verse 22 in which he says: "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."  The praise and attempted sacrifice by the priests of Jupiter was a trial for Paul and Barnabas because they could have easily succumbed to the praise and allowed their pride to convince them that they themselves were worthy of the praise and were the cause of the man's healing, instead of giving the praise to God. And the mistreatment and abuse of the Jews from Antioch are also an example that we will struggle with all kinds of trials as we hold to the rod and work to make our way back to live with our Father in Heaven. 

Acts 10: The Vision of Peter

Acts 10:1-17; 11:1-18

Who appeared to Cornelius and what was his message?

An angel of God came to Cornelius, who was a Roman Centurion, which, according to the Bible Dictionary means he was in charge of up to 100 men.  The angel told him to send men to Joppa to find Simon Peter who would “tell thee what thou oughtest to do.” (Acts 10:6) I love this phrase so much because I think it gives us one of the greatest truths of the Gospel – we should listen to the Lord’s Prophets because they can teach us what we need to know to be happy in this life and to return to live with Heavenly Father again. It’s interesting that Acts 10:6 isn’t the first time we have seen this same instruction. In Acts 9:6 Saul is told to go into the city to “be told what thou must do” and there he meets Ananias who lays his hands on him, opens his eyes and fills him with the Holy Ghost. Whenever I am unsure what to do, I can turn to the Lord in prayer and then search the scriptures and the words of the prophets for guidance on that issue. We are so blessed to have access to lds.org and all of the talks that have been given on so many different topics. We can trust the answers that come from our prophets and Apostles in a way that we just can’t be as sure of when we go to Google or Wikipedia or try to figure out everything solely with our own limited knowledge and understanding.

What was Peter’s reaction to the Lord’s command during his vision upon the housetop?

While Peter was on the rooftop praying, he “fell into a trance” (Acts 10:10) and “saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air.” (Acts 10:11-12) At this point a voice told Peter to “Rise, kill and eat.” (v. 13) But Peter said: “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

This is such a great example of Peter’s obedience and willingness to follow the Commandments he had been given up to this point. The Law of Moses forbade him from eating anything “unclean” and he wanted to obey that. 

Read JS-H 1:30, 44,46. Why do you think the Lord repeated the vision three times for Peter?

In verses 15 and 16 we learn that the Angel repeated his instructions to Peter three times, saying “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” This is very similar to Moroni visiting Joseph Smith three times during the night to teach him about the Book of Mormon and other things he will need to know. I think Peter and Joseph were very much like each of us. It is hard to believe something the first time we hear it. But after several times, we are more likely to begin to understand and gain a testimony that what is being taught is true and worth acting on.

Acts 10:18-36, 44

When Peter clearly understood the meaning of the vision, what did he declare?

After hearing from Cornelius’ men, Peter chose to travel with them to meet with Cornelius, who shared his own vision with Peter. After hearing that Cornelius had been told to send for Peter, Peter began to make sense of his own vision and said “God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean” (v.28) and “Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. “ (34-35)

This newfound understanding literally changed the world. Now Peter knew that the gospel of Jesus Christ needed to be taught to all people, both Jew and Gentile, from “the four corners” of the earth (Acts 10:11).

What does it mean that God is “no respecter of persons”?

God wants each of His children, no matter where they live to receive the blessings of the Gospel and the ordinances and covenants that will bring us back to Him.  Before this time, anyone who wasn’t a Jew was considered “unclean”, which is why they were represented as unclean animals in Peter’s vision. (see Acts 10: 11-12). God loves all of His children equally. This understanding opened up the way for Missionary work to go forward to many more people than had initially been taught by Peter and the other Apostles.

How did the Holy Ghost assist the Jewish Saints in understanding that the blessings of the gospel were to be available to all people at that time?

When the people (both Jews and Gentiles) gathered to hear Peter teach what he had learned in the vision, the Holy Ghost “fell on all them which heard the word. (Acts 10:44) The Jews were shocked because even the Gentiles had the gift of the Holy Ghost poured out on them and were “speaking with tongues and magnifying God” (v.45-46).  Peter asks them “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” (v. 47) If they are worthy enough to receive the Holy Ghost, surely they are worthy enough to be baptized.

As a convert to the Church, and a mom to a faithful son currently serving his mission in the Nevada Las Vegas West mission, I am so grateful for Peter and the lessons we learn in Acts 10. I know the Lord continues to teach us through His prophets and truly does want His gospel taught to every “nation, kindred, tongue and people” because we are all His children. (Rev. 14:6)