Bearing the Title “Christian”April 2

5,

2015

SundayHERE’S WHAT I THINK

You’re reading a teen Sabbath School lesson. So you probably consider your-self a Christian. You’re wearing the label. But what’s inside the package?

If someone claims to be a Christian, does that make them a Christian? If you really wanted to know whether someone was a Christian, what questions could you ask to find out?

Log on to www.guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your responses. Be up-front and honest. Say what you think.

MondayWHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO SAY?

Different people, different opinions. What’s yours? Look over the quotations below and decide how you feel about what they are saying. How do they compare with what God is saying? At the end of this section, write a statement that captures your belief. Be prepared to “quote” yourself at Sabbath school.

“It is probably impossible to have any large group of adults reach a consensus on who is a ‘Christian,’ and who is not.”—Who is a Christian? from

the Web site www.religioustolerance.org

“A Christian is an individual whose life has been transformed by the grace of God from a hell-bound sinner, to a heaven-bound saint, this being made possible and accomplished by and through the Person of Jesus Christ and His efficacious sacrifice.”—Matthew Bell, an evangelical Christian.

“[A Christian is] a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ, or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus.”—Webster’s dictionary definition.

“To many in the very early Christian movement, a Christian was defined as a person who was baptized and proclaimed ‘Jesus is Lord.’ Their definition was ‘true’ to them because it agreed with their understanding of their religious belief at a time when the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) had not yet been written and assembled.”—Who is a Christian?

“Who is a Christian? Anyone who is committed to the worship of God and tries to walk the way of love, after the pattern of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.”—From the Web site of Lichfield Cathedral in

Lichfield, England.

“Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion that has ever infected the world.”—Voltaire, 18th-century French writer.

“You are not a trophy to be placed on a shelf and left alone. You are more like a pair of sneakers to be used. That is what it means to be a Christian.”—Matthew Slick, 20th-century U.S. writer.

WEARING THE LABEL

(What connection do you think the following illustration has with the Bible texts in Wednesday’s section?)

Janel was excited when her sister Shaina got home from her senior class trip to New York. She couldn’t wait to hear about all the fun Shaina and her friends had had on the trip.

“Hey, I bought these for you,” Shaina said, handing Janel a shopping bag. Inside were three sweatshirts all with the logo of Janel’s favorite designer on them.

“Wow! What a cool gift, Shaina, thanks! Three of them? These are so expensive!”

“Not in New York City,” Shaina grinned. “We found a place that was selling them for about $10 each.”

“You’re kidding!” Janel gave her sister a big hug. The next day she proudly wore one of the designer sweatshirts to school.

Two evenings later, when she pulled another of the new sweatshirts off over her head she heard a ripping noise. “Oh no!” she cried out.

Janel’s mom stuck her head into the room. “What happened?”Janel showed her mom the long rip in the side seam of the sweat-

shirt. “I can’t believe it tore so easily—the first time I wore it! Their stuff is usually really good quality. Anyway, I know they have a guarantee, so maybe I can send it back to the company and get it replaced or some-thing. I wonder if Shaina kept the receipts?”

Janel’s mom sat down on the bed and turned the sweatshirt inside out, looking at all the seams. “Janel, how much did Shaina say she paid for this sweatshirt?”

“Ten bucks.”“And how much would it be normally?”“Oh, at least 50. I’ve seen them even more expensive than that.”Mom sighed. “I think your sister got taken in, Janel—and I don’t think

the designer will be sending you any replacement sweatshirts.”“What do you mean, taken in?”“Sometimes people manufacture cheap clothes and slap the label

of an expensive designer on the front. It’s illegal, of course, but they often get away with it. Lots of people are just happy to have the de-signer label. They don’t realize they’re not getting the same quality.”

Janel looked down at the torn shirt. She could still wear the other two—until they fell apart, which probably wouldn’t be that long, she realized. Everyone would see the label and think she was wearing a top-quality product. But she would know different. Looking up, she caught her mom’s smile.

“Just like I’ve always told you, honey—it’s what’s inside that counts.”

Copyright © 2015 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Write your own quotation.What I say is . . .

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Key Text: Choose one of the texts from Wednesday’s section of the lesson. Write it here and memorize it this week.

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WednesdayGOD SAYS . . .

2 Corinthians 5:17 (CEV)“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.”

1 Peter 4:14-16 (Message)“If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of oth-ers. If they’re on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that’s a different matter. But if it’s because you’re a Christian, don’t give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name!”

Acts 16:30, 31 (CEV)“After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!’”

Galatians 3:28 (Message)“In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Matthew 18:20 (NIV)“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Matthew 7:21-23 (CEV)“Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, ‘We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles.’ But I will tell them, ‘I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!’”

Romans 10:9, 10 (CEV)“So you will be saved, if you honestly say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and if you be-lieve with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.”

TuesdaySO WHAT?

Who’s a Christian? Nobody seems to agree. Some Protestants don’t consider Roman Catholics to be Christians—and some Catholics don’t consider Protestants to be Christians. Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and Jehovah’s Witnesses call themselves Christians, but some other Christians don’t agree. Some people don’t even think Seventh-day Adventists are Christians. Do you have to go to church to be a Christian? Do you have to believe Jesus is the Son of God? What if you think Jesus was just a good man but you want to follow His teachings? Can you still be a Christian?

It’s enough to make your head spin. Too many questions, too many definitions. There’s no board of Christianity that gets to decide who’s a Christian and who’s not. When it comes to judging others, it may not be our place to say who’s a Christian and who’s not. Having someone tell you, “I don’t think you’re a Christian” can really hurt. Maybe it’s not our job to put labels on people.

But what about ourselves? How do we know if we’re Christians? What dif-ference does wearing Jesus’ label make to the quality of the goods inside?

ThursdayWHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

Maybe you’ve wondered, Am I really a Christian? Sure, I go to church—maybe I’ve even been baptized—but can I really call myself a Christian?

First, relax. It’s not about being “good enough,” or believing a compli-cated list of doctrines. If you love Jesus and want to follow Him, if you’ve asked Him to forgive your sins and come into your heart, you can be confident that you’re a Christian.

But the Bible does tell us that Christians are different from other people. When you become a Christian, you begin a new life. It’s not something that happens overnight—it’s more like starting out on a journey. At first, your surroundings may be familiar, but as you keep traveling, things begin to change. The Bible—especially the story of Jesus—paints us a picture of what this new life is like. If we wear Jesus’ label, we want to live as He lived. That’s why it’s important to read the Bible—we need to know what the original is like if we want to copy it!

Maybe we can go beyond asking, Am I a Christian? Perhaps we need to ask, How am I letting Jesus change me? Am I following Him?

BEARING THE TITLE “CHRISTIAN” / April 25, 2015

Copyright © 2015 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

I know this is true because __________________________________________________________________

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If you circled “I am a Christian,” take a moment to talk to God and thank Him for the gift that made it possible for you to be part of His family. Renew your commitment to Him today.

If you circled “I am not a Christian,” where do you want to go from here? Is there a “next step” you need to or want to take? Talk to the Lord about it, then find a trusted Christian friend or family member to talk to, too.

FridayHOW DOES IT WORK?

All through this week’s lesson we’ve been thinking about what it means to be a Christian. It’s natural to want to apply that to other people—can we tell who’s a Christian? What about people in other churches? What about people who claim to be Christians but don’t act like it?

But it all comes down to one BIG question—what about ME? Think back over what you’ve learned this week about being a Christian. Look over the Bible verses in Wednesday’s lesson. Then circle the phrase that makes the statement below correct, and complete the next sentence with a few thoughts of your own.

I (am, am not) a Christian.