NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum.
Bible Passage: Exodus 20:1-3
Why do people get upset when Christians claim there is only one God? Why do even some who claim to be Christians sometimes conclude, “We’re all worshiping the same God anyway”?
Food for thought:
Two religious convocations, one ancient and one modern, set the scene for our consideration of this first commandment.
In 1993, a parliament of the world’s religions convened in Chicago. Seven hundred attendees sought common ground by minimizing their differences. They were in search of a multi-faith unifying consciousness. The mutual tapestry of understanding, respect and cooperation which marked the initial discussions quickly unraveled, as they began to tackle the substantial areas of disagreement. That event was separated from the ancient gathering by a few thousand miles and a few thousand years.
On Mount Carmel, God’s prophet Elijah went before the people and confronted them with their failure to give to God the loyalty He demanded and deserved. There was to be no attempt at blending the worship of Baal with the worship of Jehovah.
Yet today we find a considerable effort to equate and blend all religious worship, as if each and every faith and its God or belief system is of the same value and worth. Even many who call themselves Christians seem to have concluded that the differences between Christianity and other religions are merely stylistic, without any real substance.
MasterWork
MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors and offers pertinent, practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at www.lifeway.com/masterwork .
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at
LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.