The Mar Thoma  Sunday School, Kuwait

C  “Here am I! Send me.” B

Class II

Class - II

 DEDICATE TO GOD

 Here am I!

 In Palestine, there was a king called Abu-Taber. He was a warrior. He had only 3000 soldiers in his army. He had a neighboring king who had thirty thousand soldiers. Once this king sent a messenger to Abu-Taber and said, “Abu-Taber, you are a noble man, you know how to fight well. So I suggest that you should surrender and join me. Yours is a small kingdom. You have only 3000 soldiers. If you join me I will make you the commander-in-Chief of this large kingdom.”

 Abu-Taber took this messenger into his small palace. He offered a seat to the messenger. Then Abu-Taber called his first soldier. Abu gave his dagger to the soldier and asked him to thrust it into his (soldier’s) breast. Immediately the soldier obeyed. He fell dead. He asked a second soldier to kill himself by jumping down from a steep place. He did it quite willingly. Abu asked the third soldier to shoot himself using his own pistol. At once the order was executed. Then Abu turned to the messenger and said, “Your king has a large army and an extensive kingdom where as I have only a small number of soldiers with me. But they are obedient to the point of death.”

 MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL

As we have freedom we may or may-not answer God’s call. But what God desires is that we should respond positively to His call.

1. Isaiah’s response to God’s call.

- “Here am I!” (Availability) Isaiah 6:8. There after the prophet is not for himself, he is for others.

2. Abraham’s obedience to God’s call.  

Gen. 12: 1- 9. God called Abraham to render (Gen. 22:2, 3)

Take your son whom you love the most, your only son, Isaac to the land Moriah and sacrifice him.

3. The Dedication of the widow of Zarephath.

          1 Kings 17:12-14.

4. The Dedication of Virgin Mary

“I am the Lord’s servant, may it happen to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38)

Mary was one who had dedicated herself completely to the word of God. Luke introduces Mary to us as one who listens to the word of God. “Mary was deeply troubled by the angel’s message (Luke 1:29). The sum and substance of Jesus’ work of salvation is the dedicated life. Jesus himself says “My food is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work he gave me to do (John 4:34). Dedication means giving completely to God to fulfill His will. This giving is the secret of Jesus’ work of salvation. Through her dedication Mary becomes a partner of this work of salvation, not just because she gave birth to Jesus, but she gave herself completely to God.

 5. The Dedication of the Boy.

- He gave his whole to Jesus (John 6:9)

There was the boy. He had not much to offer but in what he had Jesus found the materials of a miracle, five loaves and two fish. Jesus needs what we can bring him. It may not be much but he needs it. God has chosen a cobbler from England – William Carie to evangelize India.

For dedication two things are necessary - giving-mind and possession (Being and having). There is no use of our giving what we have - without giving our mind (being). Similarly our giving of our being (mind) without giving our possession (having) also is useless. Give our being with our having. Being stands for the person and having stands for the possessions. Our being consists of three things – life, knowledge, love.

The greatest model of dedication is Jesus Christ. He surrendered Himself completely to the will of His Father (Luke 22:42).

DEDICATION – a continuing experience

Our parents dedicated us before God through baptism. This is to be renewed constantly. This is being done through Holy Communion. We must be able to give our best to God. This 'best' is our lives. "To present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Romans. 12:1).

WORKSHOP - II

1. Memory verse: Romans 12:1

"I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship".

2. What is the significance of a dedicated life?

3. As a dedicated person what can you do for the reconstruction of your society and nation?