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Sunday School is a vital part of any ministry. In it one is able to experience a deeper knowledge of God’s Word. We here at “Word For Life Says” want to help you help others. Below you will find resources to help you prepare for your upcoming lessons. May God bless you!

February 16, 2014

“Show Your Faith by Your Works”

James 2:14-26

(Click here for PDF: Show Your Faith by Your Works Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

(Please Note: All lesson verses and titles are based on International Sunday School Lesson/Uniform Series ©2010 by the Lesson Committee, but all content/commentary written within is original to wordforlifesays.com unless properly quoted/cited)

Introduction:

Remember the days of “Show and Tell” at school? It was an opportunity for one to not just talk about what they do or have, but to display visible evidence before their classmates of a possession or skill.

Jesus was a “Show and Tell” Savior. He drew many crowds to Himself through the many miracles that He performed: feeding 5,000, healing the sick, raising the dead and so on. People often marveled at what He could do. He did more than just talk the talk or preach and lecture, He demonstrated the power of the Kingdom of God through Himself.

While you and I may not be multiplying a boy’s lunch to feed 5,000, we can through our actions and service toward one another, volunteer to feed some. We may not be raising the dead or healing the sick (although, miracles really do still happen), we can volunteer to comfort and help those around us in need. What this does is it shows that we are more than just talk; rather our faith is manifested in what we do.

James knew that people need to see the church displaying tangible evidence of what they say they believe, especially when it comes down to loving one another. Jesus, along with many others in the Bible, let their works speak for them. And, how they worked showed what the real measure of their faith was on the inside of them.

James 2:14 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”

In my personal opinion, right at the beginning James seems to be questioning the validity of someone’s faith without works; without evidence. He said, “What doth it profit?” What does it profit you? What does it profit for others around you?

For a man or woman to say they have faith or are in the faith without evidence to back it up is like saying one is a doctor without a degree to prove it. When I go into a doctor’s office I am actually one of those people who will read the accreditations on the wall. This is the proof that they can take care of me. What I see before is speaking up on behalf of the individual to whom I am submitting myself for care. Those papers hanging on the walls are little, personal testimonies.

Faith that is worked out operates in the same manner. Faith is not silent. Faith is full of action. Faith is alive. Faith is shared through works to testify of its genuineness and sincerity. Faith does more than move mountains. If it is lived out in the lives of the men and women of God, it can move hearts toward salvation!

When one is living a life of faith people should be able to look at their life, their actions, as signs of accreditation that we belong to God. They should be able to tell by how we operate and carry ourselves through our display of service, that we live what we talk.

Where is the profit if there is no proof? What can you and I show to a hurting world that we have their best interest in mind; that we genuinely care about them as a person?

James 2:15-16 “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

Words without supplying to the physical, emotional or spiritual comfort of another in distress are what these two verses speak of. But, all too often, how many times have we heard or spoken of what should be done to help others without putting in some work to help society move toward that goal?

It all becomes rhetoric like the broken promises of many political platforms. Dr. Suess said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” (Quotegarden.com). Unless someone like you and I care enough to put some backbone and muscle behind our mouths, the world will never see the true love of Jesus Christ in action.

That’s what’s it’s all about, isn’t it? It’s going beyond pulpits to work to meet the needs of the communities that we are in, to put the love of Christ on display through our actions and not just our talk.

James saw emptiness in just words alone. Speaking “peace” without lifting a finger to physically help satisfy the present need, to him it was not true faith. True faith believes, and then allows that belief to be put to work. True faith has heavenly aspirations that work out to show good on earth. So, he asked, “What doth it profit” without it? What are each of us doing now that is benefiting his fellow man and the kingdom of heaven?

James 2:17-18 “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

What you profess and what you do together should match up to display a well-rounded Christian. People can’t claim they are heaven bound and yet show no heavenly fruit in their lives. Such claims to faith are “dead,” meaning there is no life in it to prove it’s alive.

Anne Frank said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world,” (Quotegarden.com). What are you waiting for? Show the world that God is alive in you! Put some action behind those words you speak!

The challenge was written: “Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” This is something akin to one of our previous lessons: “Hear and Do the Word,” (Wordforlifesays.com). Our faith, which comes through hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17) should compel us to actively participate in the things that are written or spoken through that Word; it should get us involved in the things that God is concerned about. The faith that shows that the Word is working is the faith that can do more. Show me yours without it and I’ll show you mine with it – BAM!

This in turn shines a light to the world reflecting Him. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” (emphasis mine). This light shines by what it is doing. This kind of faith can make a bigger impact in this world and draw more men to God.

James 2:19-20 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

One’s claim to faith goes beyond just believing in the very real fact that there is a one and only true living God. James opened up our perspective in saying that’s good; that’s a start, that’s right, “thou doest well.” But, he goes on to say, “The devils also believe, and tremble,” but they’re still “devils.”

Faith without fruit is not an operational faith. It’s stale. It’s stagnating. It does no good. Real faith has to act out what it is experiencing on the inside. Real, genuine faith will not just be content in a life of mediocrity – never accomplishing or making a difference for His kingdom. Real faith wants to see better in and for people’s lives. Real faith shows itself and overflows to those around him or her.

Therefore, if faith is meant to be alive and active and shown to the world throughout works, then “faith without works is dead.” The one who claims they believe without any evidence to support that proclamation is “vain,” useless, empty, in other words, no good.

Rather, Jesus wants to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord,” (Mt. 25:23, emphasis mine). Those who have put their faith into action and “done” something with what He has given them can make a difference. God can use people like this in the world. But, He can’t do that unless you work what He has given you.

If it ain’t working – it’s “dead.” It’s lifeless with no functioning activities. It’s useless!

James 2:21-24 “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

Genesis 15:6 declares, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” This was after God told him to count the stars and see if he could number them. God then told him, “So shall thy seed be,” (Gen. 15:5).

One day Abraham’s faith was tested to see if he still believed in the promise that God had spoken to him; to see if the faith that was attributed to him was true on the inside. By taking action to obey God in going on with the procedure to offer “Isaac his son upon the altar,” he manifested through his works the very realness of his faith. His faith, in turn, became a testimony before the whole world. Abraham didn’t just talk of faith, he showed it.

James put the two together as in a great summation: “You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” Check out this great inspirational video I came across showcasing some awesome quotes on faith in action along with some dynamic music. Very inspiring (Youtube.com).

One of the quotes shown is by Pam Farrel which really sums all this up. In it she asks, “What good is a faith if you can’t live it out?” This is exactly what James was calling his readers to do; live out your faith!

James 2:25 “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”

What you do matters! Rahab could have lost her life if she had been found out for helping the enemy of her people. But she heard about all that God had done in delivering her people and she believed for more. She said, “I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us,” (Jos. 2:9). Not only did she believe, she went as far as taking these men in her home and personally sought their safety. To make a long story short, those in her house lives were spared in the fall Jericho.

James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

The body is a physical shell, so to speak, that houses the spirit. At the time of death, the spirit departs leaving behind the lifeless shell that remains. When we attend funerals and view our dearly departed all we see is what is left, the outer man; the shell. “So faith without works is dead also.” Faith, without the outward workings of tangible evidences is just as dead as a body without a spirit. There is no life there.

Conclusion:

Last week’s lesson was focused on how we treat people. This week’s lesson is a continuation of that in showing that the actions we have toward others, our works, matter also.

Below are activities to help reinforce this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Show Your Faith By Your Works Wordsearch Answers: Show Your Faith By Your Works Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Show Your Faith By Your Works Crossword Answers: Show Your Faith By Your Works Crossword Answers

Draw the Scene: Show Your Faith By Your Works Draw the Scene

Below are more Links/Resources/Activities that help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

“Faith Without Works is Dead Coloring and Activities”

“Faith Heroes (Hebrews 11)”

“Faith Means Action: Abraham Offering Isaac with Today’s Verse Coloring Sheet”

“Even a Child is Known by his Doing” Coloring Page (Does not the title of this coloring sheet really hit home with today’s lesson. Such a great idea. Enjoy!)

“Games About Helping Others” (Oh, boy, if I ever saw games that really emphasize helping others, along with showing your faith through works, this page has great ones to choose from! My favorites are Collection Box and Kindness Cookoff. A must view! If you can implement any of these into your lesson you will be sharing more than a lesson game, but a real example of how to put one’s faith into action. Enjoy!)

“Sharing/Helping Others Booklet” (Students can make a hand-shaped booklet. On the inside pages they can write, draw or cut out pictures from old magazines to show different ways they can share or help others. Enjoy!)

“Helping Hands Wreath”

“Feed the Children Coloring and Activities”

“Children’s Books for Teaching About Helping Others” (Here you will find such inspirational stories to supplement this week’s lesson. Check some of these out at your local library to read to your students. Enjoy!)

“Helping Others Printable” (This activity sheet is so on point. Find the different people that need help. What better way to show children that there are things that even they can do to reach out, help others and show that God’s faith is alive and working in them. Enjoy!)

“I Can Follow Jesus by Helping Others Coloring Sheet”

Below are previous lesson ideas and links for “Serving One Another” and “The Privilege of Serving” all which can be adapted nicely for this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

THE HAND CLAPPER:

In getting across the idea of “Serving,” I used crafts incorporating the hands since that’s what we use the most to serve and help others. Enjoy!

Here’s a craft I came up with called “The Hand Clapper”(below). It’s just like the hand clapper/noise makers you can buy, but this one can be made by you and your students. They will get a kick out of this!

Materials:

card stock, hot glue, big craft sticks, buttons, crayons/markers for decorating, scripture cutout (below)

Click here to:Print handprint (I used the 5×7 setting to get two to a page).
Have students decorate/color as they like (it’s easier to do it before cutting it out). Mine is roughly done just for demonstrative purposes.
Cut out handprints and lay them on top of each other.
Using hot glue, glue buttons on the inside of the fingers (I found that 3 buttons for each hand was enough). Exercise caution when using hot glue or when letting students use it. You can use regular glue but I think hot glue works best and is faster at drying and letting the children play with their new toy immediately.
Put a large craft stick in the middle of the two hands and hot glue.
Cut out and attach the verse reference to your project: Show Your Faith By Your Works Verse Cutout (The picture above shows the verse cutout for The Privilege of Serving. If you are doing this project substitute it with the Show Your Faith By Your Works cutout instead).
Shake and make some noise! Enjoy and have fun.

(This project can be done effectively with 2 or 3 handprints. The picture above is done with 3. It’s easier with two and uses less buttons and supplies and still gets a nice clicking sound. If you choose to use three handprints, you’ll need to use two crafts sticks for stability. You’ll also have to attach buttons on both sides of the middle handprint to get your clicking sound.)

LACE IT UP HANDPRINT:

Another craft idea, is to simply print out this Lace It Up Handprint (below) (on cardstock) that the students can decorate and lace with ribbon or yarn. Attach the verse reference to the finished product: Show Your Faith By Your Works Verse Cutout - PDF OF LACE IT UP HANDPRINT

HANDPRINT NECKLACE:

Continuing with our hand theme, print out a handprint (on cardstock) to make a Hanprint Necklace (below); or let the child trace their hand print onto construction paper and cut out. Punch one hole in the top. Using ribbon or yarn and cut up straws, make this necklace for kids to wear and display “Show Your Faith by Your Works.” (Guess what? I had some leftover beads from a previous project and added them. But this is not necessary. It works just fine with straws since beads can get pricey). Let them decorate it as they see fit. Enjoy! (Don’t forget to attach the verse to it to reinforce the lesson: Show Your Faith By Your Works Verse Cutout).

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Other “Serving” Lesson Helps and Activities:

“Serving Others”

“Crafts for Kids to Serve Others”

“Serving God”

“Serving God Everyday”

“Teaching Children to Serve (30 Project Ideas)”

“Empty Chair and Prayer Wall”

“Marshmallow Sheep Memory Verse” from Mssscrafts

“I Can Be a Service Star” (Sugardoodle.net)

“Love and Service Go Hand and Hand” (Sugardoodle.net/Alana’s File)

Coloring Page “Helping Out At Home” (edupics.com)

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February 23, 2014

“Control Your Speech”

James 3:1-12

(Click here for PDF: Control Your Speech Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Simon says, “Close your mouth!” We all know the game. Whatever Simon tells us to do; we do lest we fear being counted out. Oh, if only it were that easy to take command of some of our loose actions in life, such as ones that regard the mouth. And yet, throughout the Bible we are commanded to use our speech patterns in healthy and productive ways. Not to be instruments for destruction and tearing one another down.

There is so much power bound up in the way we talk. Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Whatever is produced from our lips generates fruit. Stuff grows, for the good or the bad, off of what we say.

James is admonishing us to be mindful of the words that come out of our mouth for with them we can lift someone’s day or we can emotionally kill them. In previous lessons we learned the impact of what we do to others, how we treat others, and now we focus on our speech toward one another. What we say makes a difference in the lives of others.

James 3:1 “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

“Be not many masters.” When it comes to bearing any title of leadership too often many focus on the prestige and tend to overlook the responsibility of the job. The Bible warns us, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more,” (Luke 12:48). There is a higher level of accountability for “masters” or “teachers.” Those who are endued with the power to magnify the gospel in such a way have to be particularly careful for how they use their words.

Words are powerful and need to be measured out in a careful manner. One of the devices that Jesus’s enemies try to employ against Him was to catch or trap Him in what He said. Matthew 22:15 says, “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.” One’s words can testify for or against in individual. “Masters” and those in leadership carry added weight of accountability for their words for the increased impact they can make.

This is an office not to be taken lightly for James said, “Knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” At this level there is a higher standard of living expected for the one who bears the title. Proverbs 10:11 says, “The mouth of the righteous man is a well of life.” Those that belong to God and work at sharing His word have to be especially careful that what is coming out of them is speaking “life” to the ears of the hearers.

James 3:2 “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

In your mind, raise your hand if you have ever messed up or “offend.” One of the easiest ways to “offend” and do harm to another is through the mouth. People often speak rashly in the heat of the moment and without carefully considering the impact their words have on another. These emotional outbursts cause us to come up with phrases like “My mouth ran away with me,” and so forth. On those occasions, the use of the mouth was not employed as a tool for edifying, rather just the opposite.

But the one that can control his speech is considered “a perfect man.” Since, the tongue is often known as “running away” on its own, the one that exercises great restraint over this defiant member is considered “able also to bridle the whole body.” It’s the taming of what some view as being untamable. He or she that is able to moderate or put limits on something that is so difficult to deal with can often show great restraint in other areas of life also. “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth His life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction,” is what we are told in Proverbs 13:3a. If one can keep their mouth under control they can often hold tight elsewhere avoiding destructive patterns that would work to tear them down.

James 3:3-4 “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.”

James gives us the best possible illustrations on the power of the tongue by referencing it to two things his readers, as well as modern day readers, can easily understand. Through these two examples of a horse and a ship, James shows that mankind has down through the years discovered ways to bring these powerful objects under control. For the horse, it’s using a “bit” in its mouth and for a ship “a very small helm.”

Both of these instruments are used for control. They both direct the course of which way the operator wants each to go, be it a rider or “the governor.” Both are great examples of how these large and strong objects can be made to comply with the will of him who is controlling that little, vital piece. If there are these little things can move great objects into obeisance at its master’s will, what more of the little tongue?

James 3:5-6 “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

Just as those little instruments that are applied to the horse and ships, the body has a little thing that tries to control it also: “the tongue.”

First, it “boasteth great things.” The tongue edifies itself. It magnifies the capabilities of its owner whether or not they really can do something. The tongue is swollen with pride. Have you ever seen an owner walk a little tiny dog with the biggest yipper on it, tugging and tugging the leash? Or, have you walked past a yard to the tune of relentless barking thanks to a peewee sized dog? These little ones are tenacious in letting you know who they are. These pint-sized sweeties have no problem in letting the world know that they are here and they mean business.

Our tongues often react the same way. It is so small and yet has so much to bark about. Yet, this barking, used in a nonproductive and selfish way, makes a lot of noise and can lead to great destruction.

Secondly, James taught, “how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire.” It only takes a small flame to bring on a raging inferno. I often watch coverage on the news of fires that burn uncontrollably. They’re huge. They’re massive walls of orange-red destruction, eating and devouring everything in its path. But, they never start out that big. Their origin is relatively small in comparison to the size they have grown to be.

James said, “And the tongue is a fire.” The tongue can be the source of destruction that wreaks havoc on the things that get in its pathway. The tongue can do some chopping and devouring on its own until it has consumed some with sorrow and despair. The tongue can lash out and cause irreparable damage to the ears of its hearer.

James described it as “a world of iniquity.” Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” A lot of running off of the mouth gives many opportunities for sin to rear its ugly head. When the tongue is let loose it lashes about without regard for hurt, feelings, or the devastation that it leaves behind. Like a whirling tornado, it ravishes, spinning around and around in sinfulness, wiping out all in its path.

Without restraint all it knows how to do upheaval. Without restraint the tongue “defileth the whole body.” Jesus once taught, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh,” (Luke 6:45). What comes out through the mouth is evidence of what already resides in the heart or in the “body.”

James 3:7-8 “For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Man, through the blessed ingenuity that God has given him, has developed ways to tame just about everything. Yes, our lesson focuses on the taming of animals and birds, right down to the taming of serpents. But, when we think about, man has been able to take control of or tame many more things. Since the Bible days, man has found ways to harness energy through many means, including the use of the sun’s power. Man has developed ways to use the powers of nature such as wind and water to harness their energies for the benefit of the human race.

Though he has been able to do so many great feats (just think of all the inventions through the years), “the tongue can no man tame.” This speaks to the “unruly evil” that it truly is. This testifies to the power that it holds in its little self. It is likened to being “full of deadly poison.” Its power is able to destroy to the point of no return. No wonder James’s admonition is so strong and so severe. Christians have to learn how to put reins on this evil and stop its destructive ways.

James 3:9-10 “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

In the beginning God spoke His most beautiful words of creation: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . .,” (Gen. 1:26). Verse 27 goes on to say, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” These words professed the climax of His creation. These words speak volumes of the love relationship that God wanted to have with man who was made “in his own image,” or as today’s lesson says, “after the similitude of God.”

“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing.” The conundrum of man: we love the Lord and seek to bless Him; yet, our attitude toward His creation, our fellow man, causes us to have disgruntle feelings which turn to cursing. “These things ought not so to be,” James said. This is not the way we are to behave toward one another.

1 John 4:20 says it like this, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” Love for God and hate toward man which equals out to “blessing” and “cursing” cannot and should not exist together. They are incompatible roommates. They are not a good fit to dwell in the same domain with each other.

James 3:11-12 “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”

To further illustrate this puzzling aspect of man to try and bless and curse from the same vessel, James points out things in nature that cannot happen, that are incompatible. First, he uses “water” to demonstrate. Can a fountain bring sweet water and bitter from the same place? Can a fountain have both salt water and fresh water? The answer is an obvious no. The same is true for looking for olives on the fig tree or figs on a vine where normally grapes would be. It doesn’t happen.

Nature is not confused about what it is to produce. A fig tree was designed by God to bear fig fruit. The same is true for olives and such. If nature knows what it should produce so should the Christians to whom James is writing. They are to not act out of character to the way God designed them.

So, in dealing with our speech toward one another we are to be mindful to build up rather than to tear down. Proverbs 15:4 reminds us that, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life . . .” Think about that for a minute. The words that we speak about and to one another can bring healing to a hurting soul. This is powerful. Our speech goes beyond just saying words; they exhibit and send forth “life.”

Conclusion:

Our words are powerful! As this lesson shows they can be used to hurt or to heal; to edify or to tear down. James wants us to choose life with the words that we speak. He wants us to take the high road and take control of what is coming out of our mouths. If we need help we can pray the prayer of the psalmist and say, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips,” (Ps. 141:3).

What we say and how we talk to one another really does matter. Be blessed.

Check out Toby Mac’s new video “Speak Life” on Youtube which really exemplifies this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Below are activities to help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Control Your Speech Wordsearch Answers: Control Your Speech Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Control Your Speech Crossword Answers: Control Your Speech Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Control Your Speech Word Scramble Answers: Control Your Speech Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Control Your Speech Draw the Scene

Below are activities I borrowed from one of our previous lessons “New Power to Proclaim Truth” but they are crafts that can go easily with today’s lesson.

Speaking Collage:

This craft is perfect if you have old newspaper comics laying around. Just cut them out and glue onto construction paper to make a collage (I prefer the ones with word balloons on them to demonstrate speaking). In the middle, attach our cut-out printable: James 3 10 Verse Cut Out (I just changed the verse cut out). There you have it. Enjoy!

Tongues as of Fire Activity:

The effects if this craft is done with crumbled up tissue and/or construction paper (I used both). Simply print out the flame from Primarygames.com and glue it onto construction paper. Put plenty of glue on the inside lines of the flame and apply the crumbled tissue and/or construction paper. Last, attach our verse for Acts 2:3 with this printable: James 3 6 Verse Cut Out (I just changed the verse cut out). There you have it. Enjoy!

Below are even more Resources/Links/Activities to help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

“Lessons on Taming the Tongue for Teens” (Scroll to the activities on the “Object Lesson/Chewing Gum” and “Fire Quechers.” These are really good for emphasizing this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Taming the Tongue Sunday School Lesson”

“Control Your Tongue Coloring Page”

“The Power of Words” (Just think about this: shaving cream. Yes, it turns out to be a good illustration for this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Video Object Lesson: Taming the Tongue”

“Taming the Tongue Coloring Page and Cartoon”

“Tongue Twister Crafts”

“Tongue Twisters for Kids”

“Tongue Craft” (This craft was originally made for the 5 senses but this tongue craft can be applied here also. Enjoy!)

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March 2, 2014

“An Eternal Kingdom”

March 2, 2014

(Click here for PDF: An Eternal Kingdom Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Promises! Some say they are forever and then again, some would disagree and say that nothing last forever. God had a forever promise for David. This was a promise that would not fade with time or the circumstances of the people, but will surely come to pass in His own timing.

2 Samuel 7:4-5 “And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?”

Enthusiasm tends to get the best of us sometimes. It has been a many of times when zeal for what sounds good overrides good judgment of what should be. This same scenario plays out here. In the verses prior to this week’s lesson, David expressed to Nathan the prophet his desire to build God a house. “See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains,” (2 Sam. 7:2). Nathan’s enthusiastic response was, “Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee,” (2 Sam. 7:3). The only problem with Nathan’s guidance of David is he didn’t actually speak to the Lord about it. He offered David his approval of what sounds like a great idea thinking that God would be okay with it.

Wrong!

Our lesson text picks up with what the Lord Himself had to say about the whole plan that didn’t include His perspective. He said, “Go and tell my servant David . . . Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?”

Have you ever heard someone use the expression, “If you don’t know, you better ask somebody?” Before signing off on King David’s plan, Nathan should have sought the Lord to see what He thought of this man-made plan. So, He sends Nathan to question David in an almost rhetorical voice with a “word”, you are building a house for me?

There’s a lot of planning that goes into building anything; a house, a car or even certain goals in life. David never consulted God about his ideas and what he was planning to do. He never took into consideration the right course of action from God’s perspective. Often running ahead of oneself leads to disaster (Joshua 9:3-14 shows proof of making wrong decisions due to lack of seeking the counsel of the Lord). Proverbs 19:21 tells us, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand,” (NASB). God will always have the final say.

2 Samuel 7:6-7 “Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?”

God has always been with His people wherever they went. From the time that He delivered them from Egyptian captivity He has been a securing presence to and for them, dwelling in their midst. In Leviticus 26:11-13 He says, “I will set my tabernacle among you . . . and I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.”

In the recitation of their history, God reminded them that He has never once questioned them as to why He didn’t have a permanent structure made of “cedar.” This same sentiment is spoken in Isaiah 66:1 where it says, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?” God is the Creator of all and yet you desire to build for me?

2 Samuel 7:8-9 “Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee withersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.”

A new message is to be given to “David.” God reminds David where He brought him from. David was the forgotten son when the prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint a new king, (1 Sam. 16:11). He was the one that all viewed as the least possible choice, by the standards of men, to be “ruler” over God’s people. Yet, God took him from being a follower of animals and lifted His head above all the people in the land. He took him from sitting on rocks out in the pasture to sitting on the throne in the palace.

With enemies subdued all around because God “was with thee withersoever thou wentest,” David reigns as Israel’s king. He is now the “ruler” over the flock of God instead of the flock of “sheep.” In His own timing, God exalts whom He chooses. In His timing, “He bringeth low, and lifteth up,” (1Sam. 2:7, see also Psalm 75:6-7 for God’s promotion). God advances the cause of His people. God raises up some and He puts down others. God’s people progress and move forward because of His leading and according to His perfect plan. David didn’t get to where he was because of his own abilities and ingenuity. He was where he was because of God!

He is the one that will cause David’s name to be “great.” Even in our modern day era, the name and legacy of King David is significant and carries tremendous weight and power. His reputation of being a “man after God’s own heart,” (Acts 13:22) was still spoken of in the New Testament, as well as today. God indeed fulfilled all that He spoke through Nathan the prophet about His “servant.”

2 Samuel 7:10-11 “Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.”

“I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them.” God takes sole responsibility for His people and where He wants them in life. I love the words “I will.” God gets personally involved in the establishment and the elevation of them that are His. He is personally invested in His people. When God uses those words “I will” they become a sure foundation of promise upon which one can stand. Those words become a solid truth and reality unlike anything found in mankind. An “I will” with God means the performance of what He spoke shall surely come to pass.

The words “appoint” and “plant” gives the sense of being fixed and secured in this promise. Those resonate with one being right where God places them. Following through with His statement of “I will,” God promises that in His right timing He has a special place for His people. This will not be any kind of place, rather a place where they can feel protected and cared for by their heavenly Father; a place where they will be planted. When something is planted it has roots. Those roots feed, hold and secure the plant. God is in the makings of something permanent that will nourish the souls of His people forever.

“Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.” “You’re making Me a house, no I’m making you a house,” are the words that are expressed here. David desired to build a physical building that would house the Ark of the Covenant. But God had something greater in mind. In order for His people to find that permanent security that He promised in the previous verse, God was going beyond structures of brick and mortar. God was going for a holy legacy.

2 Samuel 7:12-13 “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”

David’s time on this earth would not last forever. He may be noted as being a “man after God’s own heart” but that heart is made of flesh just like the rest of him, and all flesh will perish in its time. But, when the time of David’s passing shall come he has been assured by God that his legacy will go on. David may leave the earth when he sleeps with his fathers but God is setting up something after him. David will leave the earth with a great promise that though he is gone, God is still not done with him and his family yet.

“I will set up thy seed after thee . . . I will establish his kingdom.” Here we see God using those words “I will” again. This is not something that David has to work to obtain. The promises of God are just that, promises. It’s something that God said He would do, and guess what, He will do it. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good,” (Num. 23:19). God makes good in His promises. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God already knows His plans for His people and He will follow through with it. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD . . . to give you an expected end.” There is something special waiting for David “after thee.”

“He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” David’s desire to build God a house was not wrong, but God was looking for a kingdom that would last forever. Solomon would come along and be the son that would undertake the building of the physical temple. But Christ would ultimately be the Son where God would “stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever,” through which the line of this rule would continue into eternity.

Acts 13:36 tells us, “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption.” As did his son and his son’s sons, and so on. “But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption,” (Acts 13:37). Jesus is the one that was raised from the dead to rule forever on the that “throne,” thereby establishing an eternal kingdom. Moving from His death and resurrection back to the time of His birth we see it was declared of Jesus, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end,” (Luke 1:32-33). From before the beginning to the end of His life Jesus was fulfilling the promise of this forever kingdom rule.

2 Samuel 7:14-16 “I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”

Through His covenant God would maintain a special father son relationship with the members of this family. In that role as Father, God has the responsibility to chastise a disobedient son. “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth,” (Prov. 3:12). “But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul.”

When Saul disobeyed God, God had to punish him. “Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king,” (1 Sam. 15:23b). His dynasty would not go any further. As a part of God’s covenant with David, the same fate would not befall his sons who disobeyed Him. Oh, they would be punished. God spoke to Solomon once because his heart had turned away from following God and said, “I will surely rend the kingdom from thee,” (1 Kings 11:11). But, because of this covenant God also said, “Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake,” (1 Kings 11:13).

Through it all and throughout Israel’s history, God’s “mercy” was still at work and the line of David would perpetuate, thereby establishing and fulfilling the promise that “thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” God’s eternal covenant will remain in effect to bring forth “An Eternal Kingdom.”

Conclusion:

After hearing all that God spoke through Nathan the prophet, David went before the Lord and humbly uttered these words: “Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant. For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things . . .,” (2 Sam. 7:18b-21a).

“Who am I, O God, that you would give me such a great and precious promise? But, You did! You made this plan according to Your heart. What more can I say?” was essentially the gist of his prayer at God’s awesome promise.

God promised it and God would fulfill it. God not only made the promise but He painstakingly and patiently put His plan into play that would eventually usher in salvation to all mankind. Through this lesson we see that God left no stone unturned about how the ins and outs of this plan would come into effect. God takes eternity seriously. His goal is to see as many as possible arrive into that eternal kingdom. That kingdom comes about on the breath of a promise; a promise made to David but fulfilled through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Below you will find activities to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: An Eternal Kingdom Wordsearch Answers: An Eternal Kingdom Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: An Eternal Kingdom Crossword Answers: An Eternal Kingdom Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: An Eternal Kingdom Word Scramble Answers: An Eternal Kingdom Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: An Eternal Kingdom Draw the Scene

“Promise Tree”: A Promise Tree as well as a Family tree (God gave a promise through David’s family). Below I used templates to create this “Promise Tree.” God’s Word is like the seed which sprouts up into a promised fulfilled. Students can then write on the leaves some of the promises of God. My 10 year old helped me make this one:

Tree and leaves template from DLTK. Add any seed or nut to the bottom and write your promises from God. Enjoy!

Below are Links/Resources/Activities to help support this week’s lesson (Some will reappear for next week’s lesson also). Enjoy!

“God’s Covenant with David Coloring and Activities”

“Star of David Craft” (Activities that focus on David whom God gave the promise to. Enjoy!)

“Easy Fold and Cut Star of David Craft”

“Jesus’ Family Tree”

“The Jesse Tree”

“Making a Jesse Tree” (A lot of printables for the tree. Easy!)

“Family Tree and Other Family Activities” (Activities like these are important because the promise that God gave to David in this lesson comes through his family. This is also a good activity for next week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Genealogy of Jesus Wheel” (This is great because it not only shows where the promise for Christ starts with David, but students can also put their own genealogy into it. Enjoy!)

“King David Coloring Sheet”

“Create A Crown Craft” (An easy printable activity that lets students make and decorate their own crowns just like King David. Enjoy!)

“Sunday School Activities about God’s Covenants” (I particularly like the idea of Letters to God on this page. Have students write to God thanking Him for His promises. Enjoy!)

Activities on God’s Promises:

“God’s Promises Fulfilled” activities from Sermon4kids

“God’s Promises Come True” stories from Childrens Bible Stories

“The Lord Will Do What He Says Coloring Sheet” from Sermons4kids.com

“God Keeps Promises” coloring page from Sermon4kids.com

“A Promise” song to teach children from Dltk.com

Activities for our Eternal Kingdom:

“Inheritance in Heaven” Coloring from Abdaacts

“Treasures in Heaven” from Sermon4kids

“Heaven” from DLTK

“Heaven” from MSSScrafts

“H is for Heaven” from Ministry to Children

“Heaven” from Calvarywilliamsport

“Heaven” Printables from DLTK

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March 9, 2014

“Son of David”

Psalm 89:35-37; Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 1:18-22a

(Click here for PDF: Son of David Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Last week’s lesson was focused on the promise God spoke through Nathan the prophet to David: “Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever,” (2 Samuel 7:16).

This week’s lesson take us to several points in history to where we see the reiteration of the promise; we see it backed up through prophecy and we see the performance of that promise. Walking this road in history gives the reader a broader view of the plan of God and how it came to pass to bring forth the “Son of David.”

The Promise

Psalm 89:35-37 “Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.”

Psalm 89 was written by a man by the name of Ethan the Ezrahite. The whole sum of this particular psalm focuses on God keeping the covenant He gave to David (as stated in the introduction).

Israel’s history was not a perfect history filled with perfect people. There were times when they faced enemies. And, there were times when their leaders drew themselves away from the will of God. No, Israel’s history was not perfect but the God who promised Israel a great future was.

As stated in the introduction, last week’s lesson: “An Eternal Kingdom” (wordforlifesays.com) covered the original promise God gave to David. This psalmist is celebrating the fact that despite the ups and downs their people have gone through, God has always remained faithful to the covenant that He made with David. In the verse before our lesson text, God says, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips,” (Ps. 89:34). This focuses on the immutability of God. God does not change! Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the LORD, I change not . . .”

Here, God would not alter His covenant. He said, “Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.” God could never sware by any greater than He. To solidify His devotion to keep what He had promised to David, He swore by His own “holiness.” It only takes God “once” to speak a promise for it to remain in effect for ever. “So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it,” (Is. 55:11).

“That I will not lie.” We referenced this verse in last week’s lesson and will do so again for its appropriateness. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” God doesn’t lie! He makes good on His promises!

There were many of times and many of reasons where God could have taken back what He said He would do. But, thank God, despite the failings of human nature, He remains loyal to what He swore. In 2 Timothy 2:13 Paul reminds us, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself,” (NASB). Because He swore by His own “holiness” God cannot go against what He said. He will chastise if necessary but He won’t take back the promise (Ps. 89:30-33). He will not suffer His “faithfulness to fail!” (Ps. 89:33b).

“His seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the sun before me.” God’s covenant with David is seen here again and also supported in many places throughout Scripture. Psalm 132:11 says, “The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.” (see also Acts 2:30).

God’s people always have His promises as assurance. Any time there is doubt about what God will do, refer back to the Word of His promise. Here, He reiterates that despite what their present circumstances may look like, “his throne as the sun before me.”

A few verses before this it reads, “His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven,” (Ps. 89:29). As long as the heavens endure – so does the promise. As long as the “sun” – so is the promise. This is a reigning promise that last into eternity. It is not until we reach the last two chapters of the Bible where we see the need for the physical burning sun in the sky removed because at that time “the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof,” (Rev. 21:23). He who was promised to sit on the throne forever, the Son, becomes the “light thereof” carrying on the promise. The promise will ever be before God, never to be forgotten.

The Prophecy

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

The promise was given and the promise never leaves the lips of those who proclaim the truth of what He is going to do. God continually kept the truth before His people that He was wholly and completely devoted to bring to pass what His Word declared.

Isaiah is often referred to as the eagle-eye prophet for his ability to foresee the birth of Christ some 700 years before it occurred. Though much of his ministry was filled with rebuke and warnings to God’s people over their wicked ways, he was also able to encourage them through what the Lord allowed him to see in their future.

And, what the Lord allowed him to see was that the promise was still coming!

These verses before us we often hear of around Christmas time, and rightly so, for they forecast the birth of the coming Messiah. In the midst of rebuke the promise for a redeemer was still in effect. The promise to David would not fail because the people fail. They would see times of captivity and hardships, but it would never erase what God has sworn would take place.

Here, Isaiah offers the people a glimpse that God is still working on behalf of His people to redeem them and to keep His promise.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” So appropriate is the usage of this verse around Christmas for it reminds us what was “given.” It may not be that season right now but it won’t take long to think back and view in one’s mind eye the gifts given and received. Here, Isaiah speaks of the gift that God wrapped for the world in the package of His “Son.”

I like the using of the word “us” twice here. We were not the givers. We were not the ones that came up with a plan to save humanity. We didn’t do anything! But God gave to “us.” This brings to mind that oh so familiar verse that we learned as a kid, John 3:16 where it states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He gave to “us.”

“And the government shall be upon his shoulder.” Isaiah 22:22 says it like this, “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.”

When one thinks of bearing something on the shoulders they think of a great weight. Here, authority of the promise that was spoken to David is placed on “his shoulders,” the place to carry the weight thereof. He that has the “government” placed on Him has the authority to open and shut. He has the authority to rule and to reign on the throne. He has the access and the strength to take it all on His own person.

At an earthly coronation the new king or queen carries the weight of the crown as a symbol of the responsibility they now hold in that office. With this King, the whole of His entire rule and what He would do for humanity is placed solely on Him to carry. Walking the road on that horrible day, bearing a physical cross as well as a spiritual cross, was an example of the weight bore on His shoulders. He would carry it all; bare it all, that others might be free, (John 19:16b-17).

“And his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Because of the responsibility of His office and the weight He would carry for mankind, we call Him “Wonderful, Counsellor.” Any king in office should be a reference for his people to turn to in times of need and despair. He should be a source of consolation and wisdom when life throws them for a loop. In regard to this promise, Isaiah also prophesied, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD,” (Is. 11:1-2, emphasis mine).

“The mighty God” is another name by which He is known. When coming to the end of His life Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure. Confusion arose amongst His disciples and Philip spoke saying, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us,” (Jn. 14:8). Jesus’s reply was, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father,” (Jn. 14:9b). Jesus is God incarnate. Matthew 1:23 (not in today’s lesson) tells us, “Behold, a virgin shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us,” (see also Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1, 14).

“The everlasting Father.” In keeping in line with the promise given, when the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary he reassured her by professing the child she would have, “He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end,” (Lk. 1:33). Going back to the promise reiterated by the psalmist, earlier in the same chapter he said, “Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations,” (Ps. 89:4). He is “everlasting!”

“The Prince of Peace.” His reign brings us “peace.” Ephesians 2:14 says, “He is our peace . . .” “Peace” means more than just the absence of war and hostile circumstances. “Peace” ushers in reconciliation. In Ephesian 2:14 our “peace” tears down the walls that divide humanity. More importantly, He reconciled us to God. 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

“Peace” comes by Jesus Christ. Acts 10:36 says, “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:).” “He is Lord of all” by which peace comes, therefore He is “The Prince of Peace.”

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” Here is the reiteration that His reign will never end. Actually, quite the opposite takes place. All other kings will eventually be displaced from their throne of rule, but this King will not only remain in full authority, He will “increase!” Revelation 7:9 says, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” They will be there with Him forever!

“The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” God is passionate about His plan. His design for all of this will come to pass when, where and how He wants it. He is in this promise for the long-haul and will see it to the end; to the time of its completion. He “will perform this” means that He has determined to make sure that every part is carried out and nothing of His great promise will be lacking (as our next section shows).

The Performance

Matthew 1:18-22a “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.”

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise . . . that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.” What was spoken to David; what was proclaim and celebrated by the psalmist; and what was prophesied hundreds of years in advance now came to pass. Everything that God planned to fulfill His promise to the world and to David was wrapped up in the birth of Christ. With the Christmas season not too far behind us and the familiarity of the story I am going to highlight here a few particulars that deal directly with today’s lesson. (For more information for Christmas lessons please refer to: Zacharias’s Prophecy; Mary’s Song of Praise; Jesus’ Birth Foretold; and Jesus’ Birth – all of which can be found on our site at www.WORDFORLIFESAYS.com).

“She was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” The pregnancy of Mary was not a normal event by any means. As a matter of fact, her pregnancy was foreshadowed, though she didn’t know it at the time, by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before her time. In Isaiah 7:14 it was told, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This explains how she was “found with child” . . . “before they came together.”

“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.” In dealing with this unexpected turn of events, Joseph (who though engaged was still considered her husband in every right except for that which leads to family) sought to take the high road and not to publicly disgrace Mary (for which she could have been put to death). Like any good Jew of the day, Joseph undoubtingly waited for the Messiah also but little did he know that he was going to be a first-hand participant in helping God’s plan come to pass. Little did he know at that time, Mary, his espoused wife, held the Savior of the world, the promised eternal heir to David’s throne, in her womb.

“Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife.” Filling him in and comforting him in his participation in God’s plan, the angel told Joseph to “fear not.” Everything that was being done was under the direct sovereignty of God. He was in complete control of what has and what will transpire. Joseph’s only need was to trust God in the midst of it all.

Here, we should also note how the angel addresses Joseph: “thou son of David.” This brings us in a full circle back to the beginning of the promise to David. Now, we see the performance of that promise coming to pass with these faithful servants allowing themselves to be used by God.

“He shall save his people from their sins.” The goal from the beginning has always had this general purpose propelling it along. People needed a Savior. People needed to be saved from their sins. Jesus Christ was the only one who could fulfill the promise given. He supplied the means for salvation once and for all when He died on Calvary’s cross for, “without shedding of blood is no remission,” (Heb. 9:22). This was God’s foreordained plan coming to pass (see also 1 Peter 1:19-20).

Conclusion

God’s plan was and is always true and will come to pass just as He said it would. He spoke the promise that would usher in redemption hundreds of years before it occurred. What God spoke to David would travel down through centuries, covering Israel’s history, and would be manifested through the birth of Christ. Be blessed.

Below are activities to help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Son of David Wordsearch Answers: Son of David Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Son of David Crossword Answers: Son of David Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Son of David Word Scramble Answers: Son of David Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Son of David Draw the Scene

More Resources/Links/Activities to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Psalm 89:35-37 Activities:

“God’s Covenant with David Coloring and Activities”

“Star of David Craft” (Activities that focus on David whom God gave the promise to. Enjoy!)

“Easy Fold and Cut Star of David Craft”

“Jesus’ Family Tree”

“The Jesse Tree”

“Making a Jesse Tree” (A lot of printables for the tree. Easy!)

“Genealogy of Jesus Wheel” (This is great because it not only shows where the promise for Christ starts with David, but students can also put their own genealogy into it. Enjoy!)

“King David Coloring Sheet”

“Create A Crown Craft” (An easy printable activity that lets students make and decorate their own crowns just like King David. Enjoy!)

“Sunday School Activities about God’s Covenants” (I particularly like the idea of Letters to God on this page. Have students write to God thanking Him for His promises. Enjoy!)

Isaiah 9:6-7 Activities:

“God Keeps His Promise Booklet” (See page 4 for this activity and also on page 2 there is a memory verse phone cord activity. Enjoy!)

“The Promise of Jesus” (Make an “I Promise” Card. Go to page 4 for instructions. Enjoy!)

“Unto Us a Child is Born Activities and Coloring”

“Isaiah Bible Coloring Sheet”

Matthew 1:18-22a Activities:

“Angel Appears to Joseph Coloring Page”

“What’s in a Name vs. 21, Activities and Coloring”

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "Son of David" March 9 2014 Psalm 89:35-37 Isaiah 9:6-7 Matthew 1:18-22a, "Son of David" Sunday School Lesson March 9 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Gospel of Matthew, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Israel, Jesus, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson

March 16, 2014

“An Everlasting King”

Psalm 110:1-4; Acts 2;22-24, 29-32

(Click here for PDF: An Everlasting King Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

“Where Does Our Victory Lie?”

When the world as we know it comes to a close,

And in time we travel to the end;

Where does our victory lie,

If not in the King who did ascend?

When all that we see now peels away,

Torn by sin’s ravaging discord;

Where does our victory lie,

If not in He who is Lord of lords?”

Everybody I know wants to be a winner. Nobody likes to be on the short end of the stick or dealt the wrong hand. These methods leave one’s future to chance. Thankfully, if we are in Christ our future is not left to chance. There is assurance of victory in the end for us for our King is “An Everlasting King” who will reign for all eternity, leading us to our victorious home. Unlike earthly kings, our King will forever be seated on His throne, never to be removed.

Psalm 110:1-4 “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

When I read of the stories during Jesus’ ministry of Him going away into prayer alone with God, I always wonder what that conversation must be like. Oh, to be a fly on that wall.

Here, God allowed David, through prophecy, a peek at that holy, private conversation, so to speak. David then reveals to us in beautiful language this Messianic psalm where God promised a future descendant that would reign forever.

“The LORD said unto my Lord.” Originally the first LORD stands for Yahweh; whereas the second for Adōn or Adonai. What it shows is deity talking to/with deity. This is also verified in several places in the New Testament, written in red, with Jesus speaking of Himself. One example is found in Mark 12:36 that reads, “For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool,” (see also Mt. 22:44; Lk. 20:42).

“Sit thou at my right hand.” Over and over again in the Bible we see the phrase “at the right hand.” For example, in the Old Testament, God said, “Fear not . . . I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness,” (Is. 41:10). And, in the New Testament Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The “right hand” is a special place. It gives the idea that those on the right are in a more honored and favored position than others (see Jesus’ example of sheep on His right as opposed to the goats on His left in Matthew 25:33-46).

The “right hand” is a place of an exalted position. He who resides on the “right” resides in the place of power and authority. It is a place of supremacy, showing His kingship to rule. The “right hand” of God is the highest place one could ever be; a place reserved for “An Everlasting King.”

“Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” When I was young I used to love, I mean absolutely love, to watch wrestling matches on TV. At that age, you couldn’t tell me anything about it. I was into it big time. I knew each participant and it was the thing to watch on a Saturday afternoon.

The struggles to me between competitors seemed very real at that age. Despite how the match was going, the winner was never declared until one of the opponents was pinned to the mat for the three count. Even during battles and contest of old, the picture of pinning defeated enemies down was very real. The idea of the victor placing his foot on an enemy’s neck was typical. Here, it gives the impression that with the everlasting King, His enemies will suffer total defeat as they become “thy footstool.”

Jesus, to whom God is speaking of, will have total victory over all His “enemies.” Ephesians 1:20-22 expounds on this a little more by saying,

“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.”

He is the one who is exalted. He is the one who has all power. He is the one who is victorious. He is the everlasting King who is head over all!

“The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion.” “The rod” spoken of here is a sign of authority, as we would view it in terms of a scepter. In the story of Queen Esther, we become most familiar with the power of a king’s scepter. Coming into the court uninvited could have meant death to her except the king favor her and hold out the scepter, the symbol of his authority, as he did in Esther 5:2.

Here, the scepter, or “the rod” of the everlasting King is not held out for favor, rather it’s going out against His enemies to gain Him complete victory over every adversary. “The rod of thy strength;” all the power and authority He has is commissioned to go against evil to crush it and defeat it once and for all.

“Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.” David, who authored this messianic psalm, is familiar with this kind of language. For in another psalm he authored he declared, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies . . .,” (Ps. 23:5). What He did for David was just a small glimpse of what He would do for his descendant who is the everlasting King. David was supplied and cared for “in the presence of mine enemies;” the everlasting King will “rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.”

No matter the adversity, His reign will not be usurped. He will prevail and “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; And every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (Phil. 2:10-11). He will be acknowledged as King forever. The everlasting King will rule forever and all will “bow the knee” to Him!

‘Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” The everlasting King’s people will be united to Him. They will join themselves to Him, readying their persons for service and for battle “in the day of thy power.” This would be done in a “willing” fashion. They readily give in and of themselves for the King. They are bound to Him for His cause. Christ the King willingly offered Himself to save and redeem them, to fight for their cause against sin. Jesus once spoke of His own life and said, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself,” (John 10:18). Willingly! Now, they too have placed themselves; willingly under His command to fulfill His purpose (see also Romans 12:1-2).

“In the beauties of holiness from the womb in the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” Holiness is beautiful! Living right is beautiful! 1 Peter 2:9 declares that we “Are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,” (emphasis mine). As His people we are to be “an holy nation” that shows everyone else what He has done for us; showing the beauty of who He is. We are united to Him and we are to shine brightly for Him.

In that coming day, Revelation 19:14 tells us, “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” Verse 8 of this very same chapter describes this “fine linen” as “the righteousness of saints.” They are adorned beautifully on the outside because of the “beauty of holiness” on the inside. It is declared that this is how He is to be worshipped also (Ps. 29:1-2; 1 Chr. 16:29).

“Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” The everlasting King also operates as a “priest.” Traveling back in time a bit to Genesis 14, Abram’s family faced a crisis when Lot was taken captive (vss. 12-14). Abram gathered his men and recovered all his possessions and people (vss. 15-16). After the which, he was met by Melchizedek who was king of Salem, but also served as “the priest of the most high God,” (Gen. 14:18).

The everlasting King in David’s prophecy would be “after the order of Melchizedek.” That word “order” gives the impression of one being in the same style. He would serve not only as King, but He would fulfill priestly duties as well. Speaking of Jesus, the writer of Hebrews said, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession,” (Heb. 4:14).

Our King, Jesus Christ, is also our high priest. Unlike the priests of the Old Testament, our high priest did not enter into the holy place with the blood of goats and calves, rather “by his own blood . . . having obtained eternal redemption for us,” (Heb. 9:12).

Acts 2:22-24 “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”

With the promise and the prophecy of the Old Testament well established, let’s venture to see how Christ filled the position of “An Everlasting King.”

Acts 1 records events of Jesus after His resurrection until He was “taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight,” (Acts 1:9). After that we see another prophecy David spoke of fulfilled by Judas (Acts 1:16; Psalm 41:9). Following that, a new apostle was named (Acts 1:26).

Moving into chapter 2 of Acts, many are familiar with the events surrounding the day of Pentecost where “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,” (Acts 2:4). Once we get past the excitement of this, Peter preaches a powerful sermon that connects Jesus as the Messiah that was prophesied of in the Old Testament, thereby establishing Him as the everlasting King.

After pointedly and deliberately addressing his audience, “Ye men of Israel;” Peter really began to drive his message home about “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Speaking of Jesus, He was “a man approved by God among you.” By the time we reach this point Jesus has already been crucified, rose and ascended. Yet, the wording brings one’s mind back to the beginning of His ministry. After being baptized, rising out of the waters of the Jordan, He hears these words of affirmation, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” (Mt. 3:17; see also Mk. 1:11 and Lk. 3:22). This was spoken evidence of “a man approved by God.”

Jesus continued to live a life that was pleasing to God not only at the beginning of His ministry, but all throughout. The same words coming from the Father were echoed at His Transfiguration, showing that He was still “approved by God;” once again revealed by spoken evidence.

Being “approved by God” also came with physical evidence. There was proof in who He was through the things that were manifested through Him; through “miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you.” These things weren’t done in secret, by openly Jesus displayed the power and the approval of God through Him, by the “miracles” He performed.

That God was with Him, working through Him was evident to those who watched Him, whether they wanted to admit it or not. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night and he testified and said, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him,” (John 3:1-2, emphasis mine).

The “miracles and wonders and signs” were all visible proofs that others could see and recognize the presence and the power of God at work. Jesus once encouraged the people to let the “miracles;” let “the works” speak for Him (John 14:11). In John 5:36 Jesus said, “The same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.”

“Ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Though God’s plan of salvation was established “from the foundation of the world,” (Rev. 13:8); which was “by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,” Peter let them know that they were not held guiltless in their responsibility in the events that played out in regard to Jesus’ death. By saying “ye have taken” he showed their participation, therefore their responsibility also.

“Whom God hath raised up.” Death didn’t win that day and in the end death will be vanquished for “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,” (1 Cor. 15:26). “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:54c-55). God raised Him up because “it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” Death could not keep Him down! Awesome!

Acts 2:29-32 “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”

As much as they revered David, Peter had to set the record straight; the everlasting King out ranks David in all rights of power and authority on the throne forever.

The number one qualification to be considered “everlasting” is to, well . . . be “everlasting!” David didn’t qualify for that. “He is both death and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day.”

David’s physical kingship only lasted as long as he was alive. But, before he died God gave him a promise “that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne.” This is seen in Psalm 132:11 where identical wording is used, saying, “The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.” A promise, Peter declared, was fulfilled by Jesus.

David’s body would have been long decomposed by this time, whereas Christ, who rose from the dead, did not see “corruption;” or decomposition and decay. Psalm 16:10 says, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption.” Jesus once spoke and said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” (John 2:19). And, raise it up He did! He did not see “corruption!”

Peter spoke boldly with confidence in his message because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what he was talking about because “we all are witnesses” he said. Acts 1:3 says, “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God,” (emphasis mine). He showed Himself “alive!” This is what was “seen of them!” They were “witnesses;” they saw Him with their own two eyes for forty days! Wow!

In the last two verses of the last chapter of his book, John wrote, “This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen,” (John 21:24-25). Their testimonies; their “witnesses” were true. They saw it all!

Conclusion:

As punctuated throughout this lesson and previous lessons, all evidence points to Jesus Christ as “An Everlasting King.” Be blessed.

Below you will find activities to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: An Everlasting King Wordsearch Answers: An Everlasting King Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: An Everlasting King Crossword Answers: An Everlasting King Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: An Everlasting King Word Scramble Answers: An Everlasting King Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: An Everlasting King Draw the Scene

Jesus is King Coloring/Activities/Resources:

“V is for Victory Coloring Page” (Goes great with Psalm 110:1-2. Enjoy!)

“Jesus is King Coloring Book”

“Why Do I Need a King Coloring Page”

“Kids Paper Crown Craft and Printable Template”

“K is for King Coloring Page”

“Jesus is King Art Project with Printable”

“Christ the King Craft” (With just a few supplies your students will enjoy putting together this simple craft that really emphasizes Christ the King. Enjoy!)

“Jesus is the King of Kings” (Scroll down the page to find and easy printable that gets the point of today’s lesson across nicely. Enjoy!)

“Fun and Easy Cross Craft for Kids” (This is “salt painting” will inspire any student to make a cross of their own to show Christ is their King. Enjoy!)

“Make a Magnificent Crown Craft” (This crown craft is a bit more decorative than most printables but is great for older students. Enjoy!)

“King of Kings Printable/Bible Song” (Teaching students this song will really bring home the gist of this week’s lesson. Students often retain more information when a song is used. Enjoy!)

“Christ the King” (Though this one leans more toward an Easter theme the Object Lesson and Group Activities can be easily applied to this week’s lesson. These ideas can really enrich the lesson allowing your students to have more fun with the lesson as well as retaining the theme of the lesson. Enjoy!)

“Crown of Jesus” (This is an easy, printable crown for students to decorate and color with the name of Jesus standing out in the front of it. Awesome! Affordable! Quick! Easy! Enjoy!)

“Christ the King Sunday” (I appreciate this one for its object lesson. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Is . . .” (This one is great. It has a great opening game by using the theme of Red Rover. It also has printable coloring/activity sheets. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Toilet Paper Roll Craft”

“Bible Verse Art Project” (I absolutely love this art project. It goes well with ANY Bible verse for ANY lesson. Would go great with Psalm 110:1 from today’s lesson or save this idea for future use with another lesson. I guarantee you will use this. Enjoy!)

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Psalms, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "An Everlasting King" Sunday School Lesson Psalm 110:1-4; Acts 2:22-24 29-32 March 16 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jesus, KJV, Lord, Psalm, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson

March 23, 2014

“Worthy is the Lamb”

Revelation 5:6-13

(Click here for PDF: Worthy is the Lamb Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Worship. It’s something we do when we enter into the church doors. It’s a command in the Bible to “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name,” (Ps. 100:4).

“Bless His name!” Honor Him for who He is and all His glory. David, with whom the covenant of a forever King on his throne originated, declared, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth,” (Ps. 34:1). He commanded his own being to praise the LORD!

Praise and worship is something we better get used to while we are here on earth if we want to make it to heaven. When we get to heaven there’s a lot of praise and worship that will be going on. In Revelation, when the Lamb comes forth, no one has to induce a command to praise Him. Those in that heavenly throne room and those bearing witness to the events unfolding naturally praise Him for “Worthy is the Lamb.” They naturally and organically give Him what He deserves for all He has done.

Let’s travel with John in his heavenly vision to witness with him the pure worship of the Lamb that takes place.

Revelation 5:6 “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”

In the book of Revelation John was transported via a spiritual vision to the throne room of God in heaven. There he saw sights of which only a few had been privy to through visions (Is. 6:1; Ez. 1:26; Dan. 7:9-10). He witnessed lightenings and thunderings, and voices (Rev. 4:5). He saw a sea of glass and beasts full of eyes (Rev. 4:7) as the vision continued to unfold before him.

Moving into chapter 5, his attention was drawn to the “right hand of him that sat on the throne,” (Rev. 5:1a). There, held by the hand of the Creator of all heaven and earth, was “a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals,” (Rev. 5:1b).

As the eyes of John focused on that holy hand, he heard a question ring out through heaven, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” (Rev. 5:2). Is there anyone, anywhere who is worthy to disclose what was being held out in the right hand of God?

Silence.

Alas, verse 3 tells us, “No man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.”

John’s response was appropriate for such a shocking revelation. He said, “I wept much.” That scroll held a holy decree, a divine proclamation from the hand of God. The emotional turmoil of not being able to find just one who could reveal its contents was too much for John. He broke down and “wept much.” If you have ever seen a small child go in hysterical crying, where they would get themselves worked up and can’t calm down, hiccupping at the attempt, then we could gain of picture of John at his weeping. Would they never know of the words that came from the right hand of God? The very thought was heart-wrenching.

Quieting his anguished soul, “One of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof,” (Rev. 5:5). “The root of David” is significant being that in previous lessons we have been working to identify Christ as the fulfiller of the promise given to David (2 Sam. 7:12-13, 16; see also previous lessons “An Eternal Kingdom” and “Son of David” on www.Wordforlifesays.com).

Our lesson picks up here after one of the elders spoke and John’s attention is diverted to the One who is worthy.

“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain.” Above, I just noted a few of the activities that were going on in heaven at the time of John’s vision, but oh, there was so much more (read Revelation 1-4 to gain a greater understanding). “In the midst” or in the middle of all that was unfolding before him, among all that was happening, John said, “I beheld.” In other words, at the encouragement of the elder, his attention was made to focus and pay attention on something that was truly spectacular above all else.

Have you ever attended a concert? The opening acts are great but everybody that attends is really there for the main event. When that artist appears all eyes are pinned to the one whom they really paid to see.

John’s eyes were pinned. He saw not a “lion” as verse 5 spoke, rather a “Lamb.” At that moment my mind wonders did John immediately recognize Him as the one on whose breast he laid and asked of His betrayal, “Lord, who is it?” (John 13:25; John 21:20). When his eyes rested on the “Lamb” did his mind comprehend this was He who spoke from the cross whilst in agony and said, “Behold thy mother!” (John 19:27), and entrusted Mary to his care?

“Lamb” is an appropriate title for the Lord to be identified as. It is what John the Baptist proclaimed when he spoke, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29, 36). It is through this title He fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7 which says, “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,” (see also Acts 8:32). The “Lamb” was used as an offering to sanctify where God would meet with His people (see Ex. 29:38-43). In the New Testament we are told, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ,” (Eph. 2:13).

It is through the blood of the “Lamb” which we are redeemed, (1 Pet. 1:19). It is through the blood of the “Lamb” which we are protected, (Ex. 12:7, 12-13). Paul reassured us that Christ is our Passover Lamb, “sacrificed for us,” (1 Cor. 5:7). In all shape and form, Jesus Christ, was and is the fulfilling of that “lamb as it had been slain.”

“Slain.” The image before John was not a glorious one. What he saw bore marks of suffering trauma and violence; wounds and suffering. What he saw was One who gave up His life. He was as He had been “slain.”

“Having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” John the Baptist testified of Jesus saying,

“I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God,” (John 1:32-34).

Now, the Apostle John sees Him whom John the Baptist declared and witnessed with the Spirit as the Son of God, in heaven with “seven horns and seven eyes.”

This was foretold in Isaiah 11:1-2 where it says, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

Revelation 5:7 “And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.”

What I immediately noticed here was there was no resistance from the one “that sat upon the throne” to relinquish the “book” to the “Lamb.” This shows not only the authority of the Lamb to take the book, but the trust of the Father to hand it over. It shows to me the Father knew that the Lamb satisfied every qualification to be able to come and take it from His hand. There was also no hesitation on the part of the Lamb. Walking to the throne, He was welcomed. Walking to the throne, He was secured in knowing that He had done the will of the Father (John 6:38; Matthew 26:39) and He was the only one who could take the “book.”

Revelation 5:8 “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints.”

The response of those in attendance of “Lamb” who “had taken the book,” was worship; “The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb.” The same response was evoked of the wise men that came to see Jesus after His birth. “When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him . . .” (Mt. 2:11). He is worthy and was always worthy of the adoration of His people (see also Mark 5:6; Luke 5:8; Luke 17:16; Acts 9:4 for a few examples). All this falls in line with what was declared in Romans 14:11, “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me . . .,” (see also Phil. 2:10).

Never let anyone convince you that your “prayers” don’t matter. Here, in the throne room, the “prayers of the saints” are present (see also Rev. 8:3-4). They are described as incense or “ordours.” David once wrote, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice,” (Ps. 141:2). Your prayers matter!

Revelation 5:9-10 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

“A new song.” Singing has long been associated with worship. Psalms 100:2 commands us to “Come before his presence with singing.” Psalms 95:2 says, “Make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.” But, this song ringing out in heaven is a “new song.” It had never been sung before. The words, the melody were devoted to this one single moment, for this right time when the Lamb took the book. The reason being, “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof.” A few verses up, there was found no one who was worthy (Rev. 5:3) until the Lamb appeared. When He appeared and fulfilled all, it invoked great joy and heaven and the bringing forth of this “new song.”

“For thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by the blood.” The reason for His worthiness is spelled out plainly and simply. He is the one that was “slain,” (see also Rev. 13:8). He is the one that has “redeemed . . . by the blood;” “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot,” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

“And hast made us kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” 2 Timothy 2:12 tells us, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him . . .” Paul taught in Romans 5:17, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Because of all that the “Lamb,” who is Jesus Christ, has done, we shall “reign!” Not only to reign, but “made us kings and priests,” (see also Rev. 1:6; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9).

Revelation 5:11-12 “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”

“Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,” of angels lifted their voice around the throne. Awesome! What an extraordinary event to witness beforehand through this revelation! One day, when we all get to heaven, we will see with our own eyes this magnificent worship taking place. Oh, the joy, to hear of it from such a faithful witness as John. There, a number that can’t be calculated of “angels,” raising their voices and joining the worshipping. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ birth when “There was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,’” (Lk. 2:13-14). Their song now is different. They reiterate the praise “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.”

He now “receives” everything that is due to Him because of whom He is and all that He has done: “power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” At the time of His crucifixion, Jesus was mocked and ridiculed, Luke 23:35-36, but now He “receives” the adoration that He only is worthy of.

Revelation 5:13, “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

“Every creature” enters this fellowship of praise. The last verse of the last Psalm commands, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD,” (Ps. 150:6). Everything is to praise Him! Everything is to worship!

Conclusion

We started off this lesson with the word “worship” and we end it with the same. As reigning King, that was promised and prophesied and died for all mankind, He is worthy of our worship for “Worthy is the Lamb!”

Below you will find activities that will help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Worthy is the Lamb Wordsearch Answers: Worthy is the Lamb Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Worthy is the Lamb Crossword Answers: Worthy is the Lamb Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Worthy is the Lamb Word Scramble Answers: Worthy is the Lamb Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Worthy is the Lamb Draw the Scene

Below you will find more Activities/Resources/Links to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

“Jesus’ Enthronement Coloring Page” (Older students will enjoy this one with its intricate details. Enjoy!)

“Jesus is the Lamb of God Coloring Page” (This coloring sheet is ideal for your younger students. Enjoy!)

“John 1:29 Coloring Sheet” (Awww! This coloring sheet is absolutely adorable and covers the theme of our lesson for this week nicely. Enjoy!)

“Lamb of God Activity/Craft” (This is a simple, easy and inexpensive craft for teachers to put together quickly for their students. Simply print out the lamb outline and glue on cotton balls to make this little guy fluffy. Enjoy!)

“Lamb Craft” (Here’s another adaptation to making a “lamb” craft. This one uses a simple, white paper plate with black construction paper cut outs. So simple. So easy. So, enjoy! :) ).

“Paper Bag Lamb Puppets” (Looking for something a little different? Make these paper bag lamb puppets. Print out the lambs head, decorate, cut out and glue on the front of a paper bag. Easy Peasy! And, your students have a little homemade toy to take home. Enjoy!)

“Sheep Tracks Banner” (Oh, this is different, but I like it. This is the whole class participating to make one big craft/project. Enjoy!)

“Lamb of God Crayon Resist Craft” (This activity can be done with your own lamb cut out or any lamb coloring sheet or cut out. This takes the lamb cut out to another level. By using white crayons your students can write the name Jesus on the lamb and make swirly designs for the wool. Using watercolors to go over it all leaves a beautiful impression that I think your students will love. Enjoy!)

“Lamb of God Washcloth” (Yes, I said washcloth. This one is for you if you have a little more time. Following these simple instructions (video instruction included) your students can make their own lamb washcloth. Cute. Enjoy!)

“Lamb Paper Craft” (This lamb paper craft can easily be adapted to today’s lesson. We love these simple and printable activities that are easy for students and teachers alike. Enjoy!)

“Jesus is the Lamb of God” (If you need a little extra help explaining to students how Jesus is the Lamb of God, this simple site with pictures may help you. Enjoy!)

“Handprint Lamb of God Craft” (This is so easy! If you have construction paper, googly eyes and cotton balls then you have a craft your younger ones will enjoy. Just have them trace their hands to use as a lamb pattern and decorate. Enjoy!)

“Paper Plate Lamb” (White paper plates matched with these printables give you an easy put together project for your students. They can write a memory verse on the back of the plate as a reminder of this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

“Q-tee Name Card Holder” (This one takes a little more time and patience but your older students will love it. The lamb is made using Q-tips for a 3D effect. With their name written in the background this would be a lovely keepsake as a reminder for this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Painted Handprint Lamb” (Paint your students and use as a lamb stencil to make this cute creature. Students will love the fact that they can put paint on their hands. Enjoy!)

“Jesus is Our Passover Lamb” (This activity connects the first Passover with Jesus as the Lamb of God. Enjoy!

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "Worthy is the Lamb" Sunday School Lesson Revelation 5:6-13 March 23 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible, Bible Verse, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jesus, Jesus Christ, KJV, Lord, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson

My Project 189-001

March 30, 2014

“The Entrance of the King”

Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-11

(Click here for PDF: The Entrance of the King Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

It wasn’t that long ago when many of had the privilege of witnessing the spectacular event of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Oh, what a beautiful display of majesty as the people and their Queen came together at the hour of celebration. All the pageantry carried out was something few get to witness in their lifetime were it not events such as these. Royalty paraded. People cheered. Adoration was shown and honor was paid in commemoration to her for her years of service.

Our lesson today focuses on another royal; a King. This King comes from a long line of Kings (see “Son of David” and “An Everlasting King” lessons on http://www.WORDFORLIFESAYS.com). His reign was prophesied to never end. More than an earthly king, He was and is our eternal priest/king (see Psalm 110:1-4). Despite His sovereignty, accolades and lineage, His coming in; His entrance is far different from the pageantry we see with most royals (not taking anything away from them). He came as it was told He would for hundreds of years: “lowly.”

This is where our lesson this week picks up at. The King is coming!

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

“Rejoice . . . Shout!” These words are synonymous with times of jubilation, much as was seen during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. This is a time of celebration that was being prophesied hundreds of years before the actual event took place. A time when God’s people would ring out their worship of their one true King. At His coming joy will go before Him for His proposed reign. People will raise their voices with heartfelt praise and adoration of Him who has come to save them.

Unfortunately, when He came, most were not looking for a Savior from sin, rather one who would free them of the national tyranny of their Roman oppressors. The people at that time were more focus on their present circumstances over their eternal destinies.

It was prophesied that this King would be “just.” His rule would be governed by truth. It’s how He lived and how He died; according to God’s truth. He declared in Matthew 5:18 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” He pressed on to fulfill truth so that His reign would be marked and identified as being “just.” He would do all that is right according to God’s holy Word.

This King would also be known as “having salvation.” He would bear within Himself the means to save mankind from the ravages of sin and disparity brought on by their fleshly stance in this world. The Bible declares, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, all of mankind needed and still needs a Savior; one who can bring them out of the depths of his/her evil state. Acts 4:12 lets us know, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” This King comes with our “salvation.”

At His entrance, He comes in a state opposite of most royalty, as stated in our introduction. This King comes “lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” A humble creature of burden becomes transportation of Him who would bear all of humanities burdens and sins. Here, we see the picture of a donkey that has never been used or ridden. It amazes me what our Christ can do with the unused; what He can do with the unskilled and rough around the edges. This donkey is not known by name to us but we know him as part of the Messiah’s royal parade forever in history.

I think it important to reiterate here that our King was “lowly.” We sing songs praising, “There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus: No, not one! No, not one!” (Hymnal.net); but do we really understand how much He humbled Himself to come and do what He did for us? Do we understand that He could have arrived with all the pomp and circumstance of heaven, but He arrived in an animal’s dwelling, with no proper place to lay His head? Do we understand how many times He could have shut the mouth of those who rose against Him and accused Him, but He took it all on Himself as part of His mission; His ministry to save mankind? Do we really understand how much He took off to put on the dregs of humanity? Do we understand? He was “lowly.”

Matthew 21:1-3 “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.”

In the chapter before this, Jesus once again tried to prepare His disciples for the reality of what was soon to take place:

“Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,

And deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again,” (Matthew 20:17-19).

Here, in the above verses, with what I believe was still clueless disciples, Jesus is drawing “nigh to Jerusalem.” The King is about to make His entrance but before doing so He gives His disciples very explicit details to follow to make sure when He comes in there is no mistake to the reign He claims.

He tells them, “Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.” It is supposed by many Bible students that Jesus had a prearranged agreement with the owners of the animals that He sent them for. With that supposition, He knew (which He could have known because of His Sovereignty if He wanted to) exactly where to send them and how to instruct them on searching out what He already planned. When they arrived and found the ones He said His command was “loose them, and bring them unto me.” The reason is stated for us and the owners is in the next verse.

If anyone dared to question what the disciples were doing and what was their intents and purposes on loosing the animals, Jesus gave them a simple reply to relay: “The Lord hath need of them.” These were set aside for the Master’s use. They were needed by Jesus. How privileged was this little guy that would carry the “Lord;” the Savior of the world, on his back. Awesome!

Matthew 21:4-5 “All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

“All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet.” This is a simple explanation for us who may be confused by Jesus’ insistence on arriving in Jerusalem in such a humble way. God’s prophets are/were His spokesmen. They have been used down through Israel’s history to pass onto the people the word of God. To warn, exhort and exalt them to draw closer to Him through their prophecies. When God used a prophet as His mouthpiece, the words that come from them are as valid as if they heard it from His own being, thundering upon the mountains. Since what they spoke was on His behalf, He had to make sure everything: past, present and future would be “fulfilled” as it was told to the people down through the years.

They were told exactly how their King would arrive and Jesus was careful to make sure there would be no mistaking who He claimed to be when He arrived in Jerusalem in such a fashion. His arrival mounted on that beast would offer them visual evidence. Any Jew would have known that when they see Him on a “colt the foal of an ass,” He was claiming His Kingship; He was claiming His Lordship; He was claiming His Messiah ship.

Matthew 21:6-7 “And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.”

“And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them.” They may have not understood everything right away, nor did they fully grasp that Jesus was fully preparing Himself to die that He might reign (though He often tried to get that point across to them), but they didn’t question Him. They didn’t try to dissuade Him from His task; rather they obeyed what “Jesus commanded them.”

Their obedience is a key component. They knew the authorities of the day were plotting against Him to seek to take His life. The Triumphal Entry of Jesus is also found in the Book of John chapter 12. In chapter 11 of that same book, before this moment in time, when Jesus was determined to go to Bethany (about 1½ miles outside of Jerusalem) to raise Lazarus from the dead, seeing that He couldn’t be dissuaded, Thomas, one of the disciples, said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” So, when He instructed them in the matter of the “colt” they are noted as doing what Jesus told them to do despite any fears on misgivings they may have felt at that moment.

“And put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.” I don’t know about you but I have ridden a horse bareback before. The experience was not pleasant to say the least. Here, the disciples provide comfort for the Lord as He mounts the beast set aside for His use. In lieu of a saddle, they pad the back of the beast with “their clothes.” We often hear people use expressions of love and service to another by saying things like, “I will give them the clothes off my back.” Jesus’ disciples didn’t talk about it, they did it. They literally gave Him the “clothes” off their backs to comfort the ride of the King. How much this must have meant to the Lord who would soon come before angry faces and hearts filled with hatred, to at this moment feel support from those closest to Him at that time.

Matthew 21:8-9 “And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

Can we picture this scene real quick? As Jesus was entering in Jerusalem on that colt, word had to have rapidly spread for not just the disciples were celebrating the King, “multitudes” joined in. Did they recognize the symbolism? Did they associate His entrance as the long awaited promised One; of He that was prophesied of? We are working under the assumption that those questions can be answered with an unqualified, “Yes!”

Again, His reign to free men from sin instead of Roman tyranny may not be what they had imagined at the time, but they understood who He claimed to be by how He rode into Jerusalem, fulfilling prophecy. Therefore, they willingly and with great rejoicing (as was also prophesied) wanted to be a part of the celebration. The King was coming and they “spread their garments in the way” and “cut down branches from trees” to cover the path He would travel. What a small service for such a great King!

They honored Him with their “Hosanna” shout. They rallied and proclaimed the praises of Him who would save them, for that’s the meaning behind the word “Hosanna;” to “save now.” “Hosanna” was the shout of triumph. In Him they saw a victorious King. In Him they had an expectancy of deliverance. In Him they rejoiced, proclaiming that He is “The son of David” (see “The Son of David” lesson for significance of this title);He is the one that “cometh in the name of the Lord!” They were getting their praise on as we say it today! The King has arrived! The King has come! “Blessed is he!”

Matthew 21:10-11 “And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”

“All the city was moved.” Often when Jesus performed miracles crowds would gather around Him to witness the power of God at work through Him. They would be amazed and in awe over what was being done right before their eyes. Here, there is no miracle performed; rather prophecy, long awaited prophecy being fulfilled. Emotions were running high and people gathered and were excited to see it coming to pass right before their eyes; right in their time of living. When was the last time you were so stirred up about Jesus? “The Entrance of the King” is a reason to be shaken with excitement.

“Who is this?” was the question of the day. During the time of His entry, Jerusalem was in their annual Passover celebration. This is one of the reasons such a great multitude gathered on that day. This is also why some didn’t know who Jesus was. Not everybody was from that immediate region.

Passover was one of those times of the year that was required for all to appear “before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses . . .,” (Deut. 16:16). It was a special feast day to commemorate God previously delivering them from Egyptian bondage. With the swelling crowds gathered in the city on that day, not everyone was familiar or heard stories of Jesus and the miracles He had done. So, they questioned, “Who is this?”

The answer that came was simply, “This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” They recognized His great teaching. They loved the miracles He performed. And, they even celebrated with Him in the streets of Jerusalem at the symbolism He carried out by arriving on the back of a colt. Yet, they did not recognize Him beyond that of being a “prophet.” They didn’t see Him as the Son of God He truly was. This was a disappointing end to such a climatic celebration. They lauded Him as King, as the one who saves, but they didn’t see Him as their Savior.

Conclusion:

The King is coming! How will we receive Him?

Below you will find activities that will support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Word Search: The Entrance of the King Word Search Answers: The Entrance of the King Word Search Answers

Cross Word: The Entrance of the King Cross Word Answers: The Entrance of the King Cross Word Answers

Word Scramble: The Entrance of the King Word Scramble Answers: The Entrance of the King Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: The Entrance of the King Draw the Scene

Below you will find more Resources/Links/Activities to support this lesson. Many of these activities are for Palm Sunday. Though it is not Palm Sunday the content in our lesson is usually taught during that time and is easily applied here as well. Enjoy!

“Palm Sunday” (Here you will find several activities but the one I really like is called “To The Cross.” It’s a game for students to play that is easy to do and easy to set up. Just revise the questions some to fit or our lesson. Enjoy!)

“Palm Sunday Crafts” (Here you will find a plethora of activities for your students to enjoy. Everything from coloring pages to donkey paper bag puppets and everything in between.)

“Palm Sunday Craft for Kids” (If you are the adventurous type and want something a little different and don’t mind paint, this one is for you. Using paint they can make their own palm branches with their hands and a donkey’s head with a foot (yes, a donkey’s head) to turn out an inspirational message for this lesson. Enjoy!)

“Palm Sunday Coloring Page”

“Palm Branch Coloring Page”

“Fan Palm Craft” (Here is a very simple idea for students to put together their own palms. There are even printables. Yes! Just add a craft stick. Enjoy!)

“Palm Leaf Crosses”

“Palm Sunday Crafts” (Here you will find . . . PRINTABLES! Yes, it makes putting a lesson together that much easier. Also there are cute coloring sheets to choose from to support this lesson and it’s FREE! Enjoy!)

“Paper Bag Donkey Craft” (This one is totally different then the one noted above but oh so cute and easy. Enjoy!)

“Hosanna Egg Coloring Sheet”

“Milk Jug Stick Donkey” (WOW! This is a very creative way to use milk jugs to go along with this week’s lesson. Remember those old stick horses we used to play with as kids? They’re back in donkey form and your students can make it themselves. Click to find out how and scroll down to Milk Jug Stick Donkey. Enjoy!)

“Palms to Wave in Welcome Craft”

“A Rock Concert Kid’s Pages/Coloring/Group Activities” (The “group activities” ideas are awesome to implement with this lesson. It has everything from Donkey Relay and Palm Branch Marching to Bible Hopscotch, and more. Check it out. Enjoy!)

“The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem Coloring and Activity Sheets”

“A Wonderful ‘Shout Hosanna!’ Coloring Sheet”

“Another Easy ‘Palm Branch’ Printable Craft/Activity”

“Hosanna Streamer” (Another great activity to go with this week’s lesson. It’s printable, different and easy. Great for teacher and students alike. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Needs a Donkey Coloring Sheet” (This coloring sheet is for older students. Enjoy!)

“Easter Crafts and Coloring Pages” (This has so many ideas to choose from. Easy crafts like Hosanna Crowns (scroll to it) can be found here. Enjoy!)

“Free Palm Sunday Coloring Sheet”

“Look Who’s Coming/The Easter Path” (I like the ideas on this site. I believe these activities will really bring your students into a personal and deeper knowledge of this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "The Entrance of the King" Sunday School Lesson Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-11 March 30 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible, Bible Verse, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jerusalem, Jesu, Jesus, Jesus Christ, KJV, Lesson, Lord, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson

April 6, 2014

“The Cleansing of the Temple”

Isaiah 56:6-7; Jeremiah 7:9-11; Mark 11:15-19

Click here for PDF: The Cleansing of the Temple Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!

Introduction:

God has always intended His house to be a special, holy place where He and man can meet. And, from the time of Genesis, God has always had it in His mind that all men, from all over the globe, would be invited to come to Him and to worship. But, when something goes awry and that worship is hindered, God had to do something about it. He had to get things back in order, even if it meant overthrowing some stuff.

In today’s lesson we watch the progression of God’s invitation for all to worship in Isaiah to the fulfilling of it in Jesus’ day. We also see how God’s house; His worship was disrespected, causing Jesus to take out His spiritual broom and start “The Cleansing of the Temple.”

“What Isaiah Saw”

Isaiah 56:6-7 “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”

What Isaiah saw hundreds of years before its manifestation was a time when people from every race, ethnicity, creed and color would come together, collectively, to worship in the Lord’s house. In chapter 55 of Isaiah a call went out to “every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,” (Isaiah 55:1). The call to salvation had gone out, and in our text today, Isaiah saw those who had answered that called before it came to pass.

“Also the sons of the stranger.” This phrase is a reference to the Gentiles (non-Jews); people who were not born of Jewish descent. This is the second time this phrase is used in this chapter. Previously, in verse 3 it said, “Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people . . .” God’s salvation was near and He wanted everyone, despite their ethnicity, to know that they had a place in His house.

Our God is not limited in whom He can love. If one was willing to “join themselves to the LORD,” then they were welcomed in His house. God doesn’t believe in cliques. He chose Israel as His special people, but those special people were to show the way to God for others. They were to demonstrate what a love relationship with God looks like drawing others of different backgrounds closer to Him. They were to be God’s billboard to display His grace and mercy alive that others might have a chance to be saved.

These have not only “joined themselves to the LORD” but they are committed to serve Him. They allow themselves to be used by God in whatever endeavors He has designed for their lives. They recognize they are but vessels for the Master’s use. They tie their life to Him and work day by day to please Him.

Also, they love His name. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into, and is safe.” It is a place of safety and refuge. Once, people who were not permitted to be included in this fashion, have now fallen in love with His name and find comfort there, for He has permitted entrance for all into His blessed place.

Jason Gray sings these words in his song: “More Like Falling in Love”:

“ . . . It’s gotta be

More like falling in love

Than something to believe in

More like losing my heart

Than giving my allegiance

Caught up, called

Come take a look at me now

It’s like I’m falling, oh

It’s like I’m falling in love,” (Azlyrics.com)

I can imagine those/us who have now been included as a partaker of His house; a partaker of His promise, falling in love with that name that saves; with the name that has thought about them, to include them in the gift of His eternal salvation. When someone loves you enough to do so much for you, you can’t help but to swoon at the mention of their name. That’s an incredible feeling deep on the inside.

“Every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant.” Because of their love for Him, they are also committed to His cause. They observe His covenants; His law, to live according to what is pleasing to Him. They show great respect and honor to His special day and keep themselves from “polluting it.” This is a strong contrast to the dishonor God and His temple receives in our next section dealing with Jeremiah.

In an elementary sense, the opposite of “polluting” is purity. When something is pure it is unblemished, unscarred and untainted by the detestable and the abominable. God welcomes all in the world to join up with Him, but He wants us to leave the trash behind. The pollution of our previous life no longer has a place in the royal heritage that He has in store for them that are His. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” (2 Cor. 5:17).

“Even them I will bring into my holy mountain.” Those who have joined themselves to Him and operate in loving Him and keeping His covenant, they will reside with His people in “my holy mountain.” This assurance goes all the way back to the book of Genesis when God originally promised, “And in thy seed all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice,” (Gen. 22:18). Isaiah saw with his spiritual eyes God working out His original plan to have people from all nations know Him, enter a relationship with Him and be saved.

“And make them joyful in my house of prayer.” There is “joy” in God’s house! Doesn’t that just make you want to go off in a fit of praise? When one comes to His house it is a places of safety and refuge; it’s where one can find peace and nearness to God. It is also a great place of rejoicing. We are in the presence of God. Yes, God is omnipresent (meaning everywhere at once), but there’s something personal about entering His doors and sitting in a place ordained to for this occasion; an occasion to meet with God. This brings joy to the soul; a refreshing that can’t be found anywhere else. Oh, how blessed for the Gentiles that Isaiah foresaw partaking in His “house” and for us today.

“Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar.” God “accepts” their worship! Awesome! God responds favorably to their gifts of “sacrifices.” There is a genuine, heart-felt emotion that rises in one who offers someone something and it is received with gladness. It stirs the feeling of being wanted and approved on the inside. God is showing in various ways that He welcomes all to Him and that when they come to Him and join up with His guidelines, He “accepts” them.

“For my house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” When you enter my house there are rules to follow. There are certain things that I want done in certain ways. What you do at your house is in your house but in my house this is the way it is going to be. God specially designed His house to be a welcoming edifice “for all people;” no exclusions. He made provisions for all to worship there in Jesus’ day though some degraded that space (later in the lesson), thereby, not following the rules of the house.

We are welcomed to be where He is! Can we just really grasp that concept really quick? God takes pleasure in those who want to be where He is! He’s not worried about those ridiculous things that man judge by; things that bring strife and separation. When we get to Mark we will see that the Gentiles were worshipping in the temple in the outer courts with a separation still between them. But, after Jesus gave His life on the cross what Isaiah saw becomes an even greater manifestation of the power of His welcoming love. Paul taught the church in Ephesus:

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Ephesian 2:13-16).

No more division. No more separation. All will be welcomed!

“In Jeremiah’s Day”

Jeremiah 7:9-11 “Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.”

Jeremiah is another major prophet just as Isaiah was, though they prophesied at two different times. God, in the above verses, really used Jeremiah to emphasize the desecration that was going on in His house; the hypocrisy of their worship through their actions.

In verse 2 of this same chapter God instructed Jeremiah to, “Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.” God had a bone to pick with the people due to their worshipping practices. He was not pleased with what He saw going on in His house and in the hearts of the people. If anything, God should be pleased with our worship.

Why wasn’t God pleased with their worship? Take a look at the above verses and tell me how many of the Ten Commandments do you see? These were broken commandments! The people were deliberately sinning and coming to the temple to worship as if everything is okay; nothing can happen to them. They, during this time, even mixed their worship of the only true living God with false idols; which is another big No, No.

Listening to false prophets, they erroneously believed that nothing can happen to them because of the temple in their midst. Jeremiah 7:4 says, “Trust not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.” They trusted more in the physical building of the temple to save them than the God who dwells in its midst. Their worship was as empty as the false prophets’ words.

God out and out told them through Jeremiah, “Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit,” (Jer. 7:8). If they keep progressing the way they are they are going to get nowhere! In the end, they were going to be the ones that would lose out on receiving God’s best for their life. God’s goal for sending Jeremiah was to get the people back on the right track, treat His house with the respect it deserves and worship like they were supposed to. He said, “For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings . . . Then, will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever,” (Jer. 7:5-7).

“Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.” They can have their heads bowed in what appears to be true worship; they can have lips that utter prayers that may seem sincere to a hearer of it, but God sees what’s really going on on the inside. They treated His house any kind of way, just as they did their “worship,” but this didn’t fly too well with God. God always sees what’s really going on.

“In Jesus’ Day”

Mark 11:15-19 “And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city.”

In Jesus’ day the temple of God, specifically the outer courts where the Gentiles worshiped (supposedly), was turned into a kind of marketplace. A meeting place of money and merchandise, rather than humble hearts looking for a graceful God.

Can we imagine trying to worship and pray to God, sincerely lifting our all up to Him to the ding of a cash register going off and people asking for price checks while others are bartering over cost and quality of product? Well, there may not have been the ding of a cash register in Jesus’ day, but the disruption to the meeting place of God was just as real. People who were seeking the Lord, in the place where they are told He may be found, were not able to connect with God as they should be able to because of all the business going on.

Now, we know that for traveling purposes, many had to wait until they arrived in Jerusalem to purchase the necessary items for sacrifices and such, but did that marketplace have to be in the temple? Would it not have been just as sufficient to have it in a vicinity close by?

Seeing all that transpired Jesus had had enough! It was time to get the house cleaned up! Unashamedly and without regard for roving eyes and the tsk tsk tsking of the people’s lips, He flips tables over and starts throwing people out to get His Father’s house back in order. “And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple” possibly means that the disrespect for God’s temple had gone so far as meaning nothing to some, that they simply use it for a short-cut to walk through instead of walking around. This is where most of us in today’s slang would say SMH (Shaking My Head).

God’s temple was holy ground. Let your mind travel back a little to the time when Moses first met God through the burning bush. The first instruction was to respect the place where God is. Don’t bring anything that pollutes near where His presence is. He instructed Moses, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground,” (Ex. 3:5). Respect should be shown for the place where God decides to meet with man in all circumstances. They were not doing that and Jesus was about to tell them about themselves.

“And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Jesus reeducated them on how they should view this holy place. Through the written word, He reminds them of what God’s house is supposed to look like; how it is supposed to function. It is supposed to be “called of all nations the house of prayer.”

This was supposed to be the place for everyone to draw near to God, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. The people of Jesus’ day have made this virtually impossible for one to really connect with God with the current environment, especially those who were Gentiles. He chastised the people and let them know that they are responsible for disrupting the worship there; they are not letting God’s house function as He fully intended. Rather, they have made it “a den of thieves;” a place for people to lie and cheat one another while hindering worship as well.

“And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.” Watching His actions and hearing His words, the scribes and chief priests were determined something had to be done about Jesus. They’re main motive: “for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.” That which is false always fears the truth when it is presented. The truth exposes things. The truth makes others begin to question. People were paying attention to Jesus. What He says made so much sense, even if people were too afraid to side with Him. This questioning would overthrow the authority of the scribes and chief priests if something wasn’t done soon. So, they “sought how they might destroy him.”

“And when even was come, he went out of the city.” This would not be the last time they heard from Him. He cleansed the physical temple on this day, but soon He would cleanse the hearts and lives of men and women everywhere that trust in Him.

Conclusion:

Respect God’s house. Respect God’s worship. Respect those who come to give Him honor. Be blessed.

Below you will find activities to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: The Cleansing of the Temple Word Search Answers: The Cleansing of the Temple Word Search Answers

Crossword: The Cleansing of the Temple Cross Word Answers: The Cleansing of the Temple Cross Word Answers

Word Scramble: The Cleansing of the Temple Word Scramble Answers: The Cleansing of the Temple Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: The Cleansing of the Temple Draw the Scene

Below are more Links/Activities/Resources to support this lesson. Enjoy!

“Jesus Cleanses the Temple” (I really like the idea of this craft. So simple to put together following the directions on this site and yet it really gets the point of the lesson across. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Cleanses the Temple” (Here you will find several activities that can easily be applied to this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Cleaning House” (Here you will find coloring and activity pages. Also, click on “group activities” and find exciting things to do with your class including Rope Tug of War, Cleaning Relay and Church building. Your students will love these. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Cleanses the Temple” (Here you will find several activities that can easily be applied to this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

Make a Whip: Though a “whip” is not used in the second cleansing of the temple, your students can still make one of their own to serve as a reminder of what Jesus did to clean His Father’s house. I was inspired to make one of my own by a picture found on Calvary Kids Pages. I simply put a sheet of white felt and brown felt together and cut strips. Then, I bunched the top together and covered the “handle” in black electrical tape. Mine is pictured below:

“Jesus Cleanses the Temple Again” (Printable activity pages and coloring sheet. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Cleanses the Temple” Coloring Page

“Jesus Cleans the Temple” (This is a very detailed coloring page. I love this for older students. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Cleanses the Temple” (This coloring page is idea for younger students. Enjoy!)

“Jesus’ Second Temple Cleansing” (This is a very detailed coloring page also. Idea for older students. Enjoy!)

“Marshmallow Temple/Church”: Yup!!! That’s what I said. Give students some marshmallows and some toothpicks and let them at it!!! They can build their own temple/church, and when they are done – YUMMY TREAT!!!! How cool is that! This is sooo easy (something teachers need) and your students will love it! Enjoy!

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“Solomon’s Temple – 3D Ariel Tour” from Youtube (A very nice, short video tour. This is great for allowing your students a birds eye of what things really looked like).

“Temple in Jerusalem” from Youtube

“Build a Church” from Artist Helping Children. (This is an easy idea. If you want to do a project but have no time except to print something out, than this is the way to go. Don’t forget to use cardstock. Print out front and back, decorate and assemble. Enjoy!) (My 10 year old designed the one below :) ):

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "The Cleansing of the Temple" Sunday School Lesson Isaiah 56:6-7 Jeremiah 7:9-11 Mark 11:15-19 April 6 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible, Bible Verse, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christian Sunday School Lessons, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Isaiah, Israel, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus Christ, KJV, Lord, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School Lesson

April 13, 2014

“The Suffering of the King”

Jeremiah 23:5-6; Zechariah 6:9-15; John 19:1-5

Click here for PDF: The Suffering of the King Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Employers have a responsibility to keep productive people in position of authority in order for the company to flourish and grow. People work under good leadership and will follow the lead of those operating in the fullest capacity of their God-ordained talent, title and gifts. But, when one becomes a neglectful and harsh leader, those under him/her will falter as a labor force and leave to seek employment, if possible, thereby crippling the growth of the company.

The kings in the days of the Bible had a special position of authority. For not only were they occupiers of the throne, they were figures that people would look up to for guidance and respectable leadership; to be shepherded by them. And, if anyone knows anything about a good shepherd, they are marked as being selfless caregivers putting the concern of the sheep over their own personal welfare. The kings that were receiving the rebuke from the LORD in Jeremiah were not as these shepherds. They were selfish and worked at tearing the nation down rather than building it up.

In our lesson today, traveling through the pages of history, we see God has His own choice as a King; a Shepherd who will care for His people. But, His throne didn’t come as a life of ease and luxury. He suffered for His reign. He suffered for His people. Today’s lesson hits home about “The Suffering of the King.”

Jeremiah 23:5-6

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

As was alluded to in the introduction God was fed up with the behavior and actions of those in authority over His people. In Jeremiah 23:1 (not in our text), He openly reprimanded the leadership by saying, “WOE BE unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD,” (see also Jer. 10:21). God was more than just a little angry with them. “WOE” means that God was superiorly ticked off and was hot in His displeasure towards them.

God’s charge against them, “Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them,” (Jer. 23:2b). God laid out before them how their duties have faltered. They were neglectful leaders that were inattentive to the needs of the people. These types are considered by some to be self-absorbed, self-serving and self-seeking. God doesn’t need leaders that represent heartlessness. He needs leaders that will represent His heart.

God would not let this behavior go unchecked. He said, “I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD,” (Jer. 23:2c).

God then proceeded to talk of His future plan to re-gather His people and to reestablish them once again. This time He would place a very specific King/Shepherd over His people who would properly care for them.

In our text, He said, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch.” This falls in line with the Messianic promises given to “David” that “Thy throne shall be established for ever,” (2 Sam. 7:16; see also Jer. 33:17).

“A righteous Branch.” I love this portion of the prophecy because it really shows how God can see the potential of the promise to come past the disaster of the day. And yes, they were in a disastrous state. In Jeremiah 22, (speaking of doing right and using just judgment) the word that went out from God was “If ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David . . . But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation,” (Jer. 22:4-5).

“A desolation” is where they were headed. Their leadership was in a state of emergency. It was spoken that “thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it,” (Jer. 22:17). As a result, Jehoiakim will be “buried with the burial of an ass,” (Jer. 22:19) and Coniah the son of Jehoiakim’s fate was set. “Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah,” (Jer. 22:30).

But, God spoke of better to come; “a righteous Branch.” If you have ever cut back some plants and placed them in water and tend to them, they begin to grow roots and sprout new life to them. This “righteous Branch” is a “sprout,” that comes forth out of that which was thought to be destroyed. This “Branch” has been identified as the Messiah in other portions of Scripture also (see Is. 4:2; 11:1).

In total opposition of the kings that are currently in rule, this “Branch” would be characterized as being “righteous,” which simply means He will do everything right. He is a King that God can trust to do right!

“He shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” In speaking of “judgment and justice,” these characteristics help support the ministry of the “righteous Branch.” During His ministry, Jesus said, “For judgment I am come into the world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind,” (John 9:39). He also said, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son,” (John 5:22). The King God chose to rule will “execute judgment and justice.”

“In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely.” Judah and Israel together are the original 12 tribes of Israel. After disagreement with Solomon’s son Rehoboam, who foolishly listened to the advice of his friends to increase hardness on the people rather than listening to the wise words of the elders, the nation of Israel split in two. Ten tribes to the north were considered Israel while the remaining two in the south are referred to as Judah.

At separate times in history both of these nations fell at the hand of enemies and were taken into captivity: Israel fell to the Assyrians and Judah to the Babylonians. Here, God has a plan to oversee their future security. There was going to be a time of renewal; a time where they “shall be saved” and “shall dwell safely.” God wants a King that will oversee the safety of His people, restore them and save them.

“And this is the name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” He is our “RIGHTEOUSNESS!” Jesus Christ is that King that suffered for mankind that we might be able to stand right before God; justified and freed from our sins. Romans 10:4 supports this by saying, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Zechariah 6:9-15 “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Take of them of the captivity, even Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;

Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;

And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:

Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.

And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LOR of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”

In the verses we covered in Jeremiah we saw God’s choice as King: referred to as “THE BRANCH.” Here, in Zechariah, we see “The BRANCH” show up again.

Zechariah prophesied to the exiles returning to Jerusalem and spoke of rebuilding the temple. Upon their return, the exiles faced a home in ruins. The war that ended in the people going into captivity left the land and all its buildings desolate and in need of major repair. As with most prophecies, Zechariah’s message had a here and now meaning as well as a “sometime in the future” meaning.

Here and now, instructions were given to pick certain men from the “captivity” to “take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest.” Here we see “the high priest” receiving a “crown” asof a king, which points to the future ministry of Christ.

Take your minds back to a previous lesson titled: “An Everlasting King,” there we see the prophesy from Psalm 110:4 that says, “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” Here’s what I wrote for that lesson:

“Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” The everlasting King also operates as a “priest.” Traveling back in time a bit to Genesis 14, Abram’s family faced a crisis when Lot was taken captive (vss. 12-14). Abram gathered his men and recovered all his possessions and people (vss. 15-16). After the which, he was met by Melchizedek who was king of Salem, but also served as “the priest of the most high God,” (Gen. 14:18).

The everlasting King in David’s prophecy would be “after the order of Melchizedek.” That word “order” gives the impression of one being in the same style. He would serve not only as King, but He would fulfill priestly duties as well. Speaking of Jesus, the writer of Hebrews said, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession,” (Heb. 4:14).

Our King, Jesus Christ, is also our high priest. Unlike the priests of the Old Testament, our high priest did not enter into the holy place with the blood of goats and calves, rather “by his own blood . . . having obtained eternal redemption for us,” (Heb. 9:12).

In Zechariah’s prophecy we see the symbolism of a priest receiving a crown fit for a king as pointing to the future ministry of the Messiah. This becomes prominent in Zechariah 6:13 where it says, “He shall be a priest upon his throne.” Hebrews 8:1-2 tells us, “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

“The BRANCH,” identified in Isaiah to have messianic connections (see Is. 4:2; 11:1), would be responsible “to build the temple of the LORD.” Most Bible students agree that the “temple” spoken of to be built was a spiritual house and not the physical rebuilding of the temple led by Zerubbabel. As noted in the above paragraph, “The BRANCH” officiates as “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man,” (Heb. 8:2; see also Hebrews 9:11).

John 19:1-5 “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purpose robe,

And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!”

Leaving from Zechariah where the high priest received the crown fit for a king and that crown being set up “for a memorial in the temple of the LORD,” we see the fulfiller of those prophesies bearing another type of crown. This crown was not made of silver or gold as the previous crowns; rather, it was one of “thorns.” It was a crown of affliction that showed the suffering of the King.

The Jewish leaders who sought to destroy Jesus in last week’s lesson, initiated their plan and had Him arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. There He went before Annas and Caiaphas, was then denied by Peter, and is now before “Pilate.”

“Pilate,” thinking to appease His accusers, sentenced Jesus to be “scourged.” Scourging was brutal. It was more than just being beaten and whipped. Pieces of metal and bone were attached to the ends of the thongs that would rip at the flesh of the one being punished.

After the mocking of the soldiers (seen also in Matthew 27:27-31), “Pilate” declared that “I find no fault in him.” The Jewish leaders were bent on crucifying Jesus, an innocent man, but even the opposing, sinful authorities couldn’t find one reason of why Jesus should be put to death. There was absolutely no reason for why Jesus was on trial and accused the way He was.

There, He stands, after the horrific affair of scourging, clothed in “purple” wearing His “crown of thorns,” the King was suffering. I can’t imagine where He had the strength to stand before them with His weakened, beaten, bloody frame. Our King would reign and prosper but He would do so by way of suffering. Isaiah once spoke of this time, telling us,

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken,” (Is. 53:7-8).

Bringing Jesus before the crowd, Pilate spoke the words, “Behold, the man.” These same words Zechariah prophesied when speaking of that messianic “Branch.” From the “crown of thorns” to the cross on Calvary, Jesus would fulfill His role as our King and our priest, but it would be at the expense of His own battered, bruised, beaten and dead body.

Conclusion:

Jesus, our King and our priest, suffered for us!

Be blessed.

Below you will find activities to help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: The Suffering of the King Wordsearch Answers: The Suffering of the King Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: The Suffering of the King Crossword Answers: The Suffering of the King Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: The Suffering of the King Word Scramble Answers: The Suffering of the King Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: The Suffering of the King Draw the Scene

Below you will find even more Activities/Links/Resources to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

“Activities for Kids on Lent and The Crown of Thorns” (Here are some very creative ideas to present our lesson with. Your students can make a cross “suncatcher” or the object lesson goes very well with this lesson. Enjoy!)

“Crown of Thorns/Crown of Glory Craft” (WOW! Talk about a craft that fits this lesson exactly, this one is it. Children can add their own thorns (made of construction paper) to a pre-purchased or printable crown. Enjoy!)

“A Robe, Crown, Cross and Spices Object Lessons” (Here are some very unique and exciting ways to present this lesson. Enjoy!)

“Christ the King” (A lot of interactive group activities here including using toothpicks to make thorns on a paper crown. Enjoy!)

“Make a Paper Crown of Thorns” (Using a brown paper bag. Hmmmm . . . interesting. Enjoy!)

“Printable Cut Out of Easter Pictures Including Crown of Thorns” (Click to check it out. Easy. Affordable. And yes, again, easy!)

“How to Make an Easy (and cheap) Crown of Thorns” (Using playdough and toothpicks. Awesome craft!. Enjoy!)

“The Sanhedrin, Herod and Pilate” (Several activity sheets and a coloring page that compliments this lesson nicely. Enjoy!)

“A Simple Way for Kids to Make a Crown of Thorns”

“Jesus Whipped by Roman Soldiers” (Coloring sheet for older students. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Presented to Jewish Officials” (Coloring sheet for older students. Enjoy!)

“Crown Him King” (Activities and coloring sheet. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Before Pilate Coloring Page”

“Easy Jesus Before Pilate Coloring Page”

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Just want to take some time to wish everyone a very Happy Resurrection Day (also spring break week)! I thank God for each and everyone of you, my readers. You guys are a wonderful group of people!

Also, unless I become deeply inspired :) (we all know how that is), I will be taking the week off from writing. There will be no new posts or Sunday School lessons this week.

Be blessed. Enjoy your what your Savior has done for you, enjoy your family, your friends and your holiday!

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May 4, 2014

“Victory Over Temptation”

Deuteronomy 6:13-16; Matthew 4:4-11

(Click here for PDF: Victory Over Temptation Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Weapons of warfare come in many shapes and forms. Weapons are designed to fend off attacks from an adversary and to give one the means to protect them-selves. The Bible tells us, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds,” (2 Cor. 10:4).

The fact-of-the-matter is the enemy will try to build “strong holds” in the lives of people. As in the case of our lesson today, he even tried to advance his cause against our Lord Jesus Christ. But, our Lord knew how to deal with his evil intent. He, being “the Word” (John 1:1, 14) annihilated his advances by the Word.

Today’s lesson really emphasizes the need for the Word of God to be active, alive and working in the lives of every born-again believer. Through this text we can be encouraged to fight like the Master fought and to gain “Victory Over Temptation.”

Deuteronomy 6:13-16 “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”

Poised and in position, the children of Israel are finally ready to enter into their long-awaited land of promise. The last time this group of people came to these borders some of them were not even thought of yet. Some were mere children themselves now standing with families of their own. Some who were here before are no longer now for they perished in the 40 years of wilderness wanderings. “They could not enter in because of unbelief,” (Heb. 3:19, also read vss. 16-18).

Now, Moses stands before them to reiterate God’s laws and God’s ways for this people who are about to enter their land of promise. Moses reminds them of their history, their failure and His promise. But, Deuteronomy 1:32 says, “Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God.” There was a denial of His Word and a lack of faith in believing in what He said He would do.

Now, with hopes of a nation that is ready to hear and obey what God says, Moses speaks saying, “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you,” (Deut. 4:1-2). With that he continues to teach the people in the law of God, even to the point of reviewing the Ten Commandments with them again (Deut. 5:1-22).

After the which, Moses teaches them from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, which has come to be known as the first part of the Shema, a prayer of affirmation of their faith that male Jews recited twice a day.

Then, as we enter the verses of today’s lesson and as they are preparing to enter into a land with “. . . great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not, and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not,” (Deut. 6:10-11), Moses issues a great, big “BEWARE!” The reason being, with all these blessings they are warned “lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt,” (Deut. 6:12), something that people are prone to do when they are blessed.

Lest they be tempted, they needed to remember what His Word; His commandments already say on the subject. And, they say, “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God.” This “fear” that Moses speaks of is not only a shaking- in-your- boots kind of fear but it also speaks of being in reverential awe of Him for who He is. It’s centering one’s worship on Him. It is a requirement for His people! Deuteronomy 10:12 states, “What doth the LORD require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” Ecclesiastes goes on to include it along with following of commandments as the “whole duty of man,” (12:13). It is required! It is your duty!

“And serve him.” Because of whom He is and all that He has done for us, we are commanded to lend of ourselves to being wholly committed to “serve” Him. We give of ourselves to His cause. Paul puts it like this, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service,” (Rom. 12:1). It is something that Psalms says we should do with “gladness,” (Ps. 100:2). Our service is another way we worship and show Him that we love Him.

“And shalt swear by his name.” God is not giving people permission to use His holy, wonderful name in a wrong way. Umm, no! His name is to be above all others. As a matter of fact, Exodus 23:13 commands His people to “make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.” God is the one and only true God. Those that worship God respect His name and trust in Him alone, “That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth . . .,” (Is. 65:16).

“Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.” The dangers ahead of them were very real. They involved entrapment into the things that are not like God; things that would vie for Israel’s attention and their hearts devotion. God wanted His people to center on Him, as they should seek to do in the first place from the very first commandment which states, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” (Ex. 20:3). God wants to establish “a people unto himself, that he may be unto thee a God,” (Deut. 29:13). All others are false. They are an abomination. They are made of man-made materials and ideas. “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king . . .,” (Jer. 10:10), and as such, He demands total devotion.

“(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.” There are serious consequences that result in going against God to seek another. He will not tolerate it! End of discussion. God will not share His worship or spotlight with any! 1 Corinthians 10:21 says, “Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.” Then, the apostle Paul goes on to ask, “Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?” (1 Cor. 10:22). Perhaps, it’s a question we all should ask ourselves daily.

“Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.” In Exodus 17 the people rose up against Moses. Moses’ response was “Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?” (Ex. 17:2). Verse 7 tells us, “He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?” They tested God’s faithfulness to them. Despite the miracles, the plagues and the great deliverance they saw by His hand and might, they tested God. Moses reminded the people that God is not pleased by this type of an attitude. He wants people to believe in His faithfulness; to believe in what He says He will do; to believe in His Word.

Jesus, the Son of God trusts in His Word and shows us how to hold on to the validity of it during trying times. He also shows us how to use it as a weapon to fight off all the attacks of the enemy.

Matthew 4:4 “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

After Jesus was baptized of John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and the voice of God sounded His approval of His Son. He said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” (Mt. 3:17). Immediately following His baptism the Bible tells us, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil,” (Mt. 4:1).

Forty days and forty nights of depriving Himself of food have gone by. With what we assume to be a now weakened body and a weakened frame, Jesus was now at the physical point of absolutely needing some nourishment. “He was afterward an hungred,” (Mt. 4:2). That’s when the enemy took his opportunity to strike.

Since, we just read that in His physical state He was hungry after forty days and nights without food; this was the first plan of attack. A lot of people compare Jesus’ temptation with that of Eve, in the Garden of Eden. But I would like to make one notable difference. When Eve was tempted to eat of the fruit, she was not at the point of starvation. She wanted it because she wanted it, plain and simple.

I think too often, because Jesus is the Son of God, people try to downplay His suffering and fasting as if it’s no big thing. I beg to differ. While here on this earth He was in human flesh and suffered the same if not worse than any other human who would have gone without food for such an extended period of time. Let’s not downplay what our Lord was doing for us!

Despite, His desperate condition, Jesus kept a level head and a focused heart on God and His Word. His response was one that many of us hear so often I think we take the enormity of it for granted. He said, “It is written . . .” Let’s deal with this part first. In each attack, Jesus countered the attack the same way, by declaring what God’s Word already says. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

God’s word is to be a permanent fixture in the life of every Christian. If it was good enough for Jesus to use, what does that say about us? Jesus came to teach us and to show us, through His life, how we ought to live and operate in this world. Right at the onset of His ministry He suffered to prove to us that God’s way is always the best way and depending on Him and His Word is always the right choice.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” “Bread,” or anything that this world can offer is only temporary. As soon as it is digested, it’s gone. Done. Over. Our Lord showed us not to seek the temporary solutions in life. They don’t last no matter how appealing it may appear or no matter how desperate one’s situation may be. How many times has one fallen for the temporary just to regret it later? There is something greater and more enduring. Eternal substance is found in “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” (see also Deut. 8:3).

“Every word.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” God’s Word can satisfy more than a temporary hungering. It is “profitable” for “all good works.” Job 23:12 says, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

Matthew 4:5-7 “Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the LORD thy God.”

These verses tell us a lot about staying on the course of faithfulness even when the enemy changes his strategy. In this second temptation, the challenge is thrown out to Jesus to prove that He is the Son of God by throwing Himself down off the top of the temple. To make matters worse, seeing that Jesus was using the Word of God as an offensive weapon, the enemy changed his course and tried to manipulate God’s word. In quoting Psalm 91:11-12, the enemy thought he could convince Jesus to put God to the test and break His commandment as proof of His Sonship.

We just read in our covering of Deuteronomy how the people were commanded not to “tempt the LORD thy God.” Jesus did not exclude Himself from that category. He showed continuously how to hold on to the truth of the word even in the greatest of temptations. Jesus not only lived what the children of Israel seemed to be incapable of living, but He showed that even in the New Testament and throughout life, how to follow what is still “written” and active.

Matthew 4:8-10 “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the LORD thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Here, we see the word “again,” which serves as a reminder that the enemy often attacks more than once and in various ways. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world,” (1 John 2:16). In many ways Jesus was being challenged to do things that were “not of the Father.”

Again, let us not downplay the severity of Jesus’ temptation. He was being offered a short-cut to the glory without the suffering. We know that this was hard for Him because in Hebrews 4:15 we are told that He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Yet, Jesus held on to not only God’s Word but the number one and greatest commandment there is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” (Ex. 20:3). In Matthew 22:37-38, later in His ministry Jesus teaches, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

“Worship” is exclusive to God! “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness,” (Ps. 29:2). “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker,” (Ps. 95:6). All other attempts must be dealt with swiftly and with great rebuke.

“Get thee hence, Satan.” Ephesians 4:27 teaches us, “Neither give place to the devil.” Jesus showed how there can be no tolerance for the things that go against the will of God. Some versions call it a “foothold” (NIV). Jesus showed us how we must live this life God’s way without compromise.

Matthew 4:11 “Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

In James 4:7 we are taught to, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Jesus modeled that here. He thwarted every attack of the enemy through the Word of God. He resisted every attempt that was brought to Him. “Then the devil leaveth him.” This shows how true God’s Word is and how effective it can be in our everyday battles and struggles in this life if we would just employ it. Jesus showed us how to hold on to the Word when everything seems to be caving in around you and how to apply it to the situation you are dealing with.

“Angels came and ministered unto him.” Jesus, just like in the Garden of Gethsemane during His arrest, could have called on angels to come at His beck and call. Instead, He patiently endured His times of trial and held onto the Word of God and resisted the temptation to step out of God’s will. As a result, now they “ministered unto him.” Now, the help He was receiving was perfectly in line with God’s will for His life.

Conclusion:

Staying in God’s Word and trusting in it through the hardest times of life will give you “Victory Over Temptation.”

Below you will find activities to help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Victory Over Temptation Wordsearch Answers: Victory Over Temptation Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Victory Over Temptation Crossword Answers: Victory Over Temptation Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Victory Over Temptation Word Scramble Answers: Victory Over Temptation Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Victory Over Temptation Draw the Scene

Below you will find more Resources/Activities/Links to help with this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

“Jesus is Tempted” (I really appreciate this one for the great printables and lesson ideas in presenting this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“The Temptation” (Click here for great ideas in teaching the lesson. Also you will find a “Dig In” section that helps them to retain what they have learned. Also, there is a “Fight Temptation” Bible Bookmark. Enjoy!

“The Temptation of Jesus” (Oh WOW! This one not only has a wonderful lesson plan printed on paper for a teacher to easily follow and some unique ideas, but it also has a craft that symbolizes Jesus in the wilderness using sand, paper plates and more. This one is AWESOME! Check it out and enjoy!)

“Jesus Was Tempted” (Here is another great resource! 20 pages of teacher helps, application activities, crafts, dramatic play and printable visuals to put on display for your students. This will put your teaching over the top for this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Resisting Temptation” (Great printable activities and sheets along with coloring pages and group activities. Enjoy!)

“Do the Right Thing” (This lesson plan and activities really gets the students thinking about how to apply the truth of our lesson to their own lives. Enjoy!)

“Temptation” (Here is a wonderful object lesson that really portrays how the Word of God can protect one in dealing with temptation. Enjoy!) (Click here for more stories and games, etc. for dealing with Temptation)

“Who Says?” (Here is a great way to get the point of this week’s lesson across. Not only are there printables but how about a game of Simon Says to see who the students are listening to? There are other ideas to try also. Enjoy!)

“Jesus is Tempted” (Here is another great lesson plan with a very unique craft idea attached to it. Hero sandwich anyone? Click to find out more. Enjoy!)

“Five Steps to Knowing God’s Word” (Jesus was able to resist the devil because He knew God’s Word. This activity will help your students to learn the importance of knowing God Word so that they can fight like Jesus fought. Enjoy!)

“The Tempting of Jesus” (This one not only has a great lesson plan but you can print out a small coloring book for your students to keep and take home to help remind them of this great lesson. Enjoy!)

“Jesus is Tempted” (I appreciate the Hands On Activities found on the last page of this one. I think your students will have fun with it. Shaving cream? Enjoy!)

“Jesus is Tempted” (This is a teacher’s guide to really help one explain the lesson. It also hits home with Psalms encouraging us to, “Hide God’s Word in our heart that we might not sin against Him,” Psalm 119:11. You will appreciate this and the activities that go along with it. Enjoy!)

“Temptation” (Click here for lots of resources, crafts and coloring. Enjoy!)

“Jesus is Tempted” (What can I say? But, here goes another great set of resources to support this week’s lesson, including: sign language, door knob buddy craft,” Mother, May I?” and more. I think you will enjoy this one!)

“Jesus Overcomes Temptation Coloring Pages”

“The Bible” (A 5-series lesson that share the importance of God’s Word. Jesus used the Word as a weapon and it’s just as important for our students to learn it. Here you will find object talks, lesson ideas and activities. Enjoy!)

“The Temptation of Christ Bible Heart” (A very cute and easy to put together craft that really emphasizes the importance of this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

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May 11, 2014

“Jesus’ Mission on Earth”

Luke 4:14-21

(Click here for PDF: Jesus’ Mission on Earth Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

One of our most beloved Bible verses that every Christian clings to is Jeremiah 29:11 that states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” This verse reassures us that God has a plan and a purpose in each one of our lives, and that He is working it out to “an expected end,” – a place of hope.

God doesn’t do anything without a preordained plan or purpose. And, what He has purposed and planned, He will see it through to the end. In Isaiah 14:24 it is said, “The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.”

The word “purpose” speaks of the reason for something being; be it a person, place or thing. For example, a hospital’s “purpose” is to nurture and care for the sick and injured. A common chair’s “purpose” was designed to support one who wants to sit. A teacher was educated for the “purpose” to educate others and pass on knowledge obtained to those under his/her tutelage.

Everything and everybody has a purpose. Our Lord Jesus Christ was no different. His life was marked with the undeniable mission to save men from their sins; to redeem a people unto God. The ministry that He operated in would heal; bring peace and deliverance, eventually fulfilling all through His ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

Our lesson today shows in greater detail “Jesus’ Mission on Earth.” The roles that He fulfilled were not by happenstance; rather, as with everything else in His life it was prophesied beforehand that He would do these things and fulfill God’s purpose for Him.

Luke 4:14-15 “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.”

In last week’s lesson we studied the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, covered in Matthew 4:4-11, as well as Luke 4:1-13 and Mark 1:12-13. Luke 4:13 leaves off with the telling of the devil ending his temptation and departing from Jesus for a season. Immediately following that is the first verse of today’s text, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee.” This has brought confusion to some to believe that these verses happen right behind one another, when in actuality; most Bible students believe there is about a one year difference of time between verse 13 and verse 14.

In Mark 1:14, Jesus is noted as not going into Galilee until after John the Baptist is put in prison (this is also supported in Matthew 4:12). If we cross reference to the book of John, we see many events taking place before John was ever put into prison, such as (please note: the events below are not meant to be an exact timeline rather a point of reference of time space between the above verses 13 and 14):

Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathanael begin following Jesus as His disciples (John 1:35-51). (Note: In Mark’s account Andrew and Simon aren’t called until after John was put into prison).
Jesus’ first miracle in Cana (which is in Galilee, Jn.2:1), turning water into wine (John 2:1-10)
During Passover, in the beginning of His ministry, Jesus cleanses the temple for the first time (John 2:13-25).
Conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), and then we reach to John 3:24 which says, “For John was not yet cast into prison,” meaning the events going on in these first couple of chapters of John occurred before Jesus goes into Galilee this time. (It may be that Jesus went to Galilee then to Jerusalem and back down to Galilee, hence the word “returned”).

His arrival into Galilee (this time) is most often related to John 4:45, after meeting the woman at the well of Samaria and preaching to them in that city. No matter when He does arrive, it is noted that He does so with “the power of the Spirit.”

When John baptized Jesus it was evidence that this was the Son of God by a sign that was given him. John 1:32-34 says, “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”

Acts 1:8 shows us that there is “power” associated with the “Holy Ghost” or the “Spirit.” The resurrected Jesus spoke these words to His disciples and said, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you . . .” The “Spirit” is the empowering force that dwells in the Christian, as He did in Christ. He, speaking of the “Spirit,” is part of the holy trinity (see John 14:26, pay special attention to the word “He” when referring to the Holy Ghost).

*Another note of point, Jesus did not “get” the Spirit at the time of His baptism. Jesus has always been fully God, meaning endowed with the Spirit, and fully man at the same time.

Anything done for God must be done through the “power of the Spirit.” Jesus was the prophesied servant of Isaiah 42:1 whom God declared, “I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment unto the Gentiles.” Zechariah 4:6 declares, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Man can try to operate in his own power but won’t have the effect for God’s kingdom like Jesus did. Jesus’ mission on earth was a mission infused with power. Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” With that power He was able to heal and show evidence that He was the Son of God indeed (see John 20:30-31).

“And there went out fame of him through all the region round about.” When Jesus entered Galilee He did not do so anonymously or under a cloak of secrecy. Jesus was very open with His ministry. That’s why at the time when Jesus was before the High Priest in one of His trials He said, “I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing,” (John 18:20). The same is true of His miracles.

News spread abroad about Jesus. When people hear of amazing and miraculous things being done, stuff out of the ordinary, it attracts attention. Jesus, through the miracles He performed, was on the radar of many in the region. They wanted to hear Him teach and they wanted to see or experience His miracles for themselves. John 4:45 says, “Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast; for they also went unto the feasts.” Because of the things He did in Jerusalem, His reputation went before Him into Galilee, spreading His “fame.” “And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.”

Luke 4:16 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.”

After the whispers of the attendees (since His fame had already spread), what must it have been like for Jesus to return to the place where He was “brought up” but in a totally different role than what the people were used to seeing Him as? These people knew Him as the carpenter’s son. They knew Him as Mary’s little boy. They didn’t know Him through the proclamation that He was about to make to everyone in the room that day. Though His audience may be shocked by the authority that now seems to exude from Him and His speech, for Jesus this was a no brainer. He always knew who He was and He was always aware of His destiny.

All of this was taken into account as “he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” “Reading” was the way to pass on the words written in the scrolls/book of the day. These important documents were kept in the safe keeping of the local synagogue. Unlike modern times when most people have access to several Bibles in their home, on their computers/tablets, or even apps on their phones, information in Jesus’ day was passed on by “reading,” a trend noted throughout the Bible (see Joshua 8:34; Nehemiah 9:3; Acts 13:15, just to name a few).

Luke 4:17-19 “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias, And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the LORD.”

There, in His hometown of Nazareth, in the local synagogue He grew up in and attended His whole life, Jesus began reading from Isaiah 61:1-2.

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.” Having already covered Jesus’ endowment with the Spirit, here I want to focus on the section where He states, “He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.”

In the New Testament language, which is Greek, the word “gospel” is translated as “Good News.” As part of His mission on earth, Jesus, who is the fulfilling of this verse (noted later in the lesson), would proclaim the Good News or the “gospel” to the poor. The poor were often overlooked and not afforded many opportunities in Jesus’ day, but here they would hear the “gospel.” Let’s take it a step further out of the realm of finances and apply this to the spiritually “poor.” Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 5:3; see also Matthew 11:5).

“He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted.” Another one of our favorite verses coming from the Bible comes from the mouth of Jesus Himself. In John 14:1 He says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” Only He who is the mender of the broken heart can command faith to not be troubled by the circumstances that arise in this life. He knew what He was to face and yet still works to calm the wearied and worn.

How much more for us today? Psalm 34:18 tells us, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart . . .” Psalm 147:3 says, “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Part of Jesus’ mission would be to comfort and heal the brokenness in people.

“To preach deliverance to the captives.” When one thinks of the word “captives” immediately the mind goes to them that are bound in prison. What more would a prison bound person want than to be free or experience “deliverance.” Jesus’ mission entails the salvation or the “deliverance” of mankind bound in the prison of sin; to free people. Psalm 102:19-20 “For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death.” God is in the freeing business and this is part of Jesus’ mission also. He would “proclaim” that there is a way out; there is a way to be free from the sins that have them bound, “to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

“And recovering of sight to the blind.” Jesus healed many while on this earth, blind Bartimaeus being one of them (see Mark 10:46-52 and Luke 18:35-43). In Matthew 9:27-31 there were two blind that followed Jesus in the house and were healed. And again, in Mark 8:22-26 another blind man was healed. It was even prophesied in Isaiah 42:7 that he would “Open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”

The greatest “blind” healing is when the spiritual scales fall off our eyes (compare to Paul’s restoration of sight after real scales fell off his eyes) and we see our need for Jesus in our lives and our need for salvation.

“To preach the acceptable year of the LORD.” This has been come to be known as the Year of Jubilee. It was a time of great rejoicing. It was a time when all debts were cancelled and people and lands were restored back to their original owners. For us, it stands as a symbol of what Jesus would complete on the cross. For all those who believe on Him and accept Him as their personal Savior; to them that receive and accept His atoning sacrifice was for them, Jubilee occurs. All debts of sin are then cancelled as they are washed in the blood of the Lamb. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 6:23). It’s all part of Jesus’ Mission on Earth.

Luke 4:20-21 “And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down, And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

After reading, what I am sure “scripture” they are well familiar with, Jesus drops a proverbial bomb on the attendees. In His hometown, there in His childhood synagogue, He declares His Messiahship. He declares Himself as the One who has come into the world to fulfill what God’s Word already declares of the Messiah.

In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Jesus’ mission was to fulfill all, even to the point of suffering. Acts 3:18 says, “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.” Jesus could have fought off their attempts at arresting Him with legions of angels in the garden of Gethsemane; rather He said, “How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled,” (Matthew 26:53)?

His sayings confused and enraged many in the audience that day and they made an attempt on His life early on in His ministry (read Luke 4:22-30). They weren’t ready to accept that Jesus was taking on the fulfilling role of what was prophesied hundreds of years beforehand. This was all a part of His mission on Earth, but they were not ready to see Him as the Messiah.

Conclusion:

Jesus had a definite purpose laid out for His life; He had a mission. It was prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled by Christ Himself in the New Testament.

Below you will find activities to help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Jesus’ Mission on Earth Wordsearch Answers: Jesus’ Mission on Earth Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Jesus’ Mission on Earth Crossword Answers: Jesus’ Mission on Earth Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Jesus’ Mission on Earth Word Scramble Answers: Jesus’ Mission on Earth Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Jesus’ Mission on Earth Draw the Scene

Below are more Activities/Links/Resources that will help support this lesson. Enjoy! (Many of the activities below are not directly related to this week’s lesson rather they appeal to different things about Jesus. In fulfilling His mission on Earth, Jesus became and did all for us and we love Him for it).

“Jesus Teaching in the Synagogue Coloring Page” (older kids)

“Luke 4 Coloring Page” (younger kids)

“God’s Promise Fulfilled” (All kinds of activities, printables and group activities. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Has A Special Place in God’s Plan” (You have to scroll down pages until you get to Jesus Has a Special Place in God’s Plan to reach the activities here. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Loves Me Mobile”

“I ‘TOAD’ ally Love Jesus Craft”

“Jesus is my Hero Butterfly Craft”

“Jesus Loves Me Printable Craft” (Print out this CD cover and use an empty CD case to make a picture frame for students to remember how much Jesus loves them. All that He did, He did because of love. Enjoy!)

“Working For The Lord Ant Craft” ( I absolutely love this one. Though originally it is a Labor Day craft since we are covering Jesus’ Mission (work) I thought it was a good one to put in here. It helps to remind us of not only what Jesus did while here on this earth, but it point out to your students that each of us have a mission or a work to do for the Lord. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Toilet Paper Craft” (This awesome craft of Jesus Christ declares who He is and what He has done for you. Enjoy!)

“My Heart Belongs To Jesus Craft” (Don’t we love Him for all that He has done in healing and delivering us?! Yes, we do! Students can declare that love through this cute craft. Enjoy!)

“A John 3:16 Craft” (John 3:16 sums up Jesus’ mission very nicely and here your students can make this craft as a great reminder of it. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Color By Number” (Students can color Jesus’ name by following the specified numbers with colors. It also has the John 3:16 verse attached to it. Enjoy!) For the coloring sheet without numbers click here to print .

“Jesus Puppet Craft” (Make a Jesus puppet to illustrate today’s lesson. This one was originally for the story of the Ten Lepers but a Jesus puppet can go with any of His stories. Simply scroll down to the Jesus puppet craft, click and print. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Reads Lesson and Activities” (This one actually falls right in line with today’s lesson and covers it nicely. It also includes several activities and printables that you can readily use to enhance your lesson this week. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Preaching Coloring Pages” (Here I googled several pages of Jesus preaching. This really emphasizes our lesson that says, “He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. . . and to preach deliverance to the captives,” (Luke 4:18). These pictures give a great representation of Jesus’ taking those opportunities to “preach” and share God’s kingdom. Enjoy!)

“Sunday School Activities for Blind Bartimaeus” (This one would go excellent with “recovering of sight to the blind” in today’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“A Touch of Jesus Heals” (Though this was originally published to go with the woman with the issue of blood, I absolutely love the handprint craft with the heart in the middle stating, “A Touch of Jesus Heals” for I believe it sums up He heals the brokenhearted nicely. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Heals Craft” (Easy to do with hardly any prep work. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Heals Our Sick Hearts” (Scroll down to the big red heart with band-aids on it. This is so easy to do and is a great compliment with dealing with the healing of the brokenhearted. Enjoy!)

“Jesus Saves Picture Frame” (This one would go great with dealing with deliverance. Enjoy!)

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "Jesus' Mission on Earth" Sunday School Lesson Luke 4:4-21 May 11 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible Verse, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Mission on Earth Sunday School Lesson Luke 4:14-21 May 11 2014, KJV, Lesson, Lord, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School Lesson

May 18, 2014

“Jesus’ Teaching on the Law”

Matthew 15:1-11, 18-20

(Click here for PDF: Jesus’ Teaching on the Law Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Much to the chagrin of man, the world does not revolve around him. Nor is it built on his ideologies or word. The world and all that are in it were created by the original Word of God. God spoke and things began to be and to exist. He called forth and authored the beginning of all.

What God says and does takes precedence over everything else. No other can compare in His power, might or authority. What He says goes. What He says is final. What He says is law.

Man has, since the beginning of time, tried to overstep what God has already said, leading him in a downward spiral of degradation. God’s law; His word will always stand as the final truth to all and will never, despite his best efforts, be usurped by man.

Matthew 15:1-2 “Then came to Jesus the scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.”

Almost since the beginning of time man has passed on information, stories, music and rules about ones culture through the form of oral traditions. One generation is responsible for passing it on to the next so that the backbone of said culture would not go extinct; so that the ways of the people would not vanish.

Moses received God’s law, The Ten Commandments, spoken by God and written on stone as a testimony before the people forever. The Ten Commandments are rules to live by and to govern oneself in a manner that is pleasing to God; they are guidelines in which to measure one’s life.

It is said that through time there was also a set of oral traditions that defined the Jewish lifestyle and culture. This came to be known as the Mishnah and was finally written down to preserve their way of life. In today’s lesson, the “scribes and Pharisees” opposition to Jesus had nothing to do with God’s written law, rather they expressed concern over “the tradition of the elders;” things that came down through the years via oral tradition.

The issue for them revolved around the fact that Jesus’ “disciples” are charged, saying, “For they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” Now, before you say gross and reach for your private bottle of sanitizing lotion, let’s remember the issue is not about cleanliness here, the issue for all involved is to whether or not the “disciples” are keeping “the tradition of the elders.” These traditions, had become just as important as following God’s law (if not more so to some) and were made to seem like they were a law in and of itself. It wasn’t and Jesus was about to set the record straight on such matters.

Matthew 15:3-6 “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightiest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”

Jesus didn’t immediately deal with their supposed accusation against His disciples at this point (He will address it later); rather, He countered their accusation with one of His own.

In concerning the matter of their traditions, one particularly bothered Jesus because it directly gave people permission to disobey God’s written law. This was greed at its worse when one develops ways not to help family members in distress and needs.

Doing a quick overview of the Ten Commandments it has been noted that the first four commands of the ten are directly related to God (see Exodus 20:1-11) while the last six deal with human relation and interactions with one another. The ironic thing about today’s lesson is the Fifth Commandment, “Honour thy father and thy mother,” is the first of the final six, meaning this is the first commandment that God issued as law in dealing with human relationships. This shows how important this particular commandment was to God.

That really hits home on why this is so important to Jesus. Over time a tradition named “Corban” meaning a “gift” was developed. The things dedicated as Corban were supposedly dedicated to God and could not be used or given to another (even though it has been said that such gifts were often kept in the possession of the one offering it). Many were using this “gift” as a means of gain and in doing so justified themselves in disobeying and breaking the first commandment dealing with how to treat one another.

They considered this tradition more important than God’s written law making “the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” They operated under the assumption that the concession they made for Corban was more important than following the fifth commandment. Setting aside God’s word they elevated what man said versus what God said. In the parallel version found in Mark 7, Jesus said, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition,” (Mark 7:9). Jesus’ language is harsh in Mark and with good reason. They are accused of rejecting what God said; meaning they have cast it off as nothing, and in so doing, have out and out refused Him.

This was unacceptable to Jesus (as it should be). God wants us to keep HIS commandments above all else. 1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” This is how our love is demonstrated to God through the keeping of His commandments (see also John 14:15, 21, 23). And, as noted, His commandments are not “grievous” meaning burdensome, but the traditions of the elders, now that’s a different story.

Also, Deuteronomy 4:2 tells us, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” The funny thing is this is how the whole Bible ends (see Revelation 22:18-19). Psalm 119:142 sums it up with this dynamic statement, “Thy law is the truth.” As the young people say nowadays, “Nuff said!”

Matthew 15:7-9 “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

This is a matter of lip service versus heart service. God wants your inner man devoted to Him rather than surface professions of faith. Why do you think God so approved of David despite his many, many faults? He did so because David’s heart was for God. Act 13:22 says, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart. . .” David worshiped God and was devoted to God from the heart. His inner man was tied to God.

In total opposition, the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus is addressing were “hypocrites.” They were phony. Their attitudes were fake in their love for God. They weren’t in a play but boy did they put on a show. They were more impressed with outward appearances and showmanship instead of the audience of One to whom they were supposed to be living for. They say this but go and do that; go figure!?

The sad thing is this too was something that was prophesied ahead of time by Isaiah the prophet. Quoting Isaiah 29:13 Jesus said, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Isaiah prophesied a time when lip service would take precedence over true devotion from the heart, making their worship to God “vain,” ineffective, useless and empty. The last thing that any of us should want is to come to God with empty worship. We should want and need our worship to be full of all of Him!

“Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” It was prophesied and the scribes and the Pharisees, through the traditions passed down from generation to generation, are doing just this. They have elevated man’s teachings to be equal to, or in some instances, to be above/authority over God’s. Isaiah will later go on to say, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isaiah 40:8). Everything in this world including the “commandments of men” will pass away, but God’s Word will always remain (see Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33).

Matthew 15:10-11, 18-20 “And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”

After charging the scribes and the Pharisees with the hypocrisy of their words and deeds, Jesus sought to teach people the truth of the law. With that intent, “He called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand.” A lot of people can physically hear the words that are coming forth without perceiving or understanding the meaning of it. Jesus wanted those in the “multitude” not to just “hear” but He wanted to open their understanding; He wanted them to know what God’s Word was saying. Psalm 119:144 says, “The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live,” (emphasis mine). With knowledge and understanding of the Word comes a life that can live for Him!

“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” The scribes and the Pharisees were more obsessed with rituals that guarded what went into the “mouth” then they were with issues coming from the “heart.” Proverbs 4:23 admonishes us to, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” This is like a chain linking one to the other. In the heart are the “issues of life” (as noted in Proverbs) and “those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart” (as noted by today’s lesson).

While man’s focus was on what was going into the body, Jesus’ focus was on what was coming out, because what was coming out was sure tell-tale sign of what was dwelling on the inside. He said of these things, “They defile the man.”

How so? Jesus taught, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies,” all of which are denounced in God’s law. The parallel in Mark 7:23 reads like this: “All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

This is why God pays attention to the heart. In Jeremiah 17:10 God says, “I the LORD search the heart . . .” All the more reason people should give such diligent heed to the care of the heart as the psalmist did when he said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee,” (Psalm 119:11). God’s Word will triumph over the issues that plague the heart of man if he keeps it there.

“These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” According to the tradition of man, in order to keep the inside clean and uncontaminated one had to wash their hands before eating. Jesus’ teaching was “to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” The greater concern was for the previous things noted; the sinfulness inside because “These are the things which defile a man.”

Conclusion:

Jesus noted the observance of God’s Word triumphs over the traditions of man.

Below you will find activities to help support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Jesus’ Teaching on the Law Wordsearch Answers: Jesus’ Teaching on the Law Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Jesus’ Teaching on the Law Crossword Answers: Jesus’ Teaching on the Law Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Jesus’ Teaching on the Law Word Scramble Answers: Jesus’ Teaching on the Law Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Jesus’ Teaching on the Law Draw the Scene

Below you will find Activities/Links/Resources to help support today’s lesson. Enjoy!

“My Heart Worships God!” Person: Worshiping God from the heart as opposed to lip service is one of the main points of this week’s lesson. The following two projects are simple for students to assemble while making the lesson personal to them. The verse for the following projects come from Isaiah 29:13, the same verse Jesus was quoting when He addressed the scribes and the Pharisees of today’s lesson. Enjoy!

With this project your students can make a replica of themselves as dedicated people who have a heart to worship God. Simply make a person template out of cardstock or download one such as Art Venturers. Let students decorate the person to be like them. Then, print out the PDF Small Heart Worships or Small Heart Worships Red and attach the heart to the person with glue. Next, to give the person the ability to “hang around” whereever your students wish, glue a clothespin on the back and there you have it. Enjoy! (Don’t forget, cardstock works best if available).

“My Heart Worships God!” Plaque:

Using large or small, colored or plain crafts sticks and this PDF Heart Worships or Red Heart Worships and string and tape, students can decorate and create a plaque to hang anywhere to remind them of today’s important lesson. SImply tape the string to the back of the plaque. Enjoy! (Don’t forget, using cardstock is best if available).

“Clean and Unclean” (Very unique ways to bring out this week’s lesson including: soap carving, disappearing ink and more. Enjoy!)

“A Clean Heart” (A very good and simple object lesson involving soap and a banana. Also a great coloring sheet titled “Lord, Help Me Control My Tongue“. Enjoy!)

“Clean and Unclean” (This site is amazing. Not only is this a great lesson but it has great printables to reproduce for your class. Activities as well as a Clean/Unclean Heart craft to print out and make. I hope you will enjoy!)

“It’s What Comes Out of Your Mouth” (What does Bibles, rotten food, candy, and dirt have in common? This object lesson and discussion. What a great way to introduce a lesson! Enjoy!)

“Wash Those Hands? printable activity sheet”

“True Worship” (Here is another lesson with a corresponding coloring sheet titled “Let’s Praise Jesus!” Enjoy!)

“Skin Deep or From the Heart” (Here you will find a great lesson from the parallel in Mark 7 with lots of printable activities. Also included are great group activities including: Lips and Hearts, Tissue Paper Hearts and Heart Washing. All sounds like great fun for your class. Enjoy!)

“What Defiles a Person?”

“I Can D Right by Obeying God’s Law Coloring Page”

“Obey the Lord Your God Puppet/Teacher Skit” (What a way to teach a lesson on obedience! With practice and a puppet from the dollar store (oh yeah, dollar store, I have lots) this can be really easy to do. Don’t have or can’t get a puppet, make a paper bag puppet. The students can make one of themselves who will be doers of God’s Word. Awesome! Enjoy!) – Below are some I made for a previous lesson with templates from Teachershelp.org: boy and girl (cardstock is best to use) – Add verse cut out below to the back of your puppet

click pdf link below for accurate printing

Matthew 15:8 PDF: Matthew 15 8 Verse Cut Out

Isaiah 29:13 Coloring Sheet: PDF Is. 29 vs 13 Coloring Sheet (Use coloring sheet as is or make a decorated poster. Enjoy!) (Special Note: Print out from PDF or download for accurate print.)

click pdf link above for accurate printing

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "Jesus' Teaching on the Law" Sunday School Lesson Matthew 15: 1-11 18-20 May 18 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible Verse, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Gospel of Matthew, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Teaching on the Law Sunday School Lesson Matthew 15:1-11 18-20 May 18 2014, KJV, Lesson, Lord, Matthew, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson

My Project 216-001

May 25, 2014

“The Greatest Commandment”

Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Mark 12:28-34

(Click here for PDF: The Greatest Commandment Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Here is a clip from an article I wrote titled “Honor God!”:

“One day my son accompanied me to the grocery store to do some shopping. He was wearing his military uniform at that time and when people saw him they kept stopping him to shake his hand, to talk to him, or to tell him to keep up the good work. They were proud of him. They honored him for his service.

You know, as a mom, how I felt. Are dads the only ones who can stick out their chest and feel like, “That’s my boy?” I’m just kidding. But, I really thought it was something special for people to recognize him and his service to our country in that way. As much as I love the many fields in which one can be honored (military, teachers, firefighters, police officers, etc.), no one deserves our respect and adoration more than God. It is customary to stand to our feet when a judge enters a courtroom and there is a hush in the crowd when they bang that gavel. What about God?

Too many go through their day without ever considering the fact that hey, He is God, and He should be before all others. With that realization in hand, I want my life to reflect that great truth. I want every word, every action and every thought to magnify the greatness of who He is and all of His glory. When I go about my day I want people to see Him in me. Do I make mistakes? Oh, yeah! But, I have a goal. I aspire to do better and to be better every day. God has been so good and wonderful to me, and I feel that as His child the least I can do is showing Him the honor due Him.” (wordforlifesays.com)

I used this clip as an illustrative way to open up today’s lesson because when we are discussing “The Greatest Commandment,” in essence, we are discussing honoring God with our lives; putting Him first as priority over everything else. Let’s get into the lesson and learn more.

Leviticus 19:18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”

We are learning to fulfill The Greatest Commandment: which is loving God. Jesus teaches later in our lesson that the second like it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” which is noted in the above verse.

“Love” is a working of the inner man. “Love” is a fruit produced on the inside to affect lives on the outside. “Love” comes from the heart (you know, that little inner part of man we discussed in last week’s lesson :) ). “Love” is the committing of oneself for the betterment of others. “Love” wants to close the gap of hindrances that prevent us from being in the relationships we were designed for.

That’s how love operates. “Love” is selfless, patient and kind (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7). “Love” is the greatest thing that any human can show to another (1 Corinthians 13:13). That’s why the opposite of love is spoken against with earnest in this verse.

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people.” I think most of today’s woes and troubles extend from a lack of love; rather, people are very self-seeking in matters of avenging oneself and holding grudges. These are separators of human relationships. These are the very things that tear down the walls of communication and common sense when they are allowed to block the flow of love. How often do we turn on the news to hear of a tragedy spurred on by avenges and grudges? Too often!

Avenges and grudges go hand in hand; I believe that’s why they are together here in this verse (personal opinion). When one holds a “grudge” they are giving an opportunity to allow that matter held to fester as an infecting sore. The longer it is held the more it begins to puss and seep its nasty effects on the rest of the body. When it cannot be contained any longer, that “grudge” wants to be satisfied by way of “avenge.” It wants the other to hurt and to suffer as one supposes him or herself to; it wants to lash out! This is the total opposite of love.

Proverbs 20:22 says, “Do not say, ‘I will recompense evil’; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.” Knowing the inconsistency of human nature and his inability to execute these matters in a peaceful way when emotions are involved, God said in Deuteronomy 32:35, “Vengeance is Mine,” (NKJV). God knows how to deal with these matters rightly; man’s responsibility is just to “love.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

But for love to prevail between human and human, there has to first be established a love relationship with God. These above verses are known to be a part of the Shema; a recitation of prayer spoken two times a day. Its instructions are very poignant and meant to solidify one’s relationship and that of his house with God. Though we as Christians do not recite the Shema, it holds in it great principles on rearing a godly house and drawing one closer to God.

“The LORD our God is one Lord.” The foundation of the God and man relationship is based off of this leading and governing principle: there is only one God. God does not and will not compete with any other for there is none other beside Him. This is why the very first commandment of the Ten given states, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” (Exodus 20:3). Isaiah 43:10 solidifies it by saying, “. . . Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” There has never been and never will be another God. He is it. The real deal.
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Because we love Him, everything within our inner being should be wholly and completely devoted to God: the emotions, mind, will and strength. This is a reminder of last week’s lesson stressing God prefers heart service over lip service:

“This is a matter of lip service versus heart service. God wants your inner man devoted to Him rather than surface professions of faith. Why do you think God so approved of David despite his many, many faults? He did so because David’s heart was for God. Act 13:22 says, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart. . .” David worshiped God and was devoted to God from the heart. His inner man was tied to God.” (WORDFORLIFESAYS)

God wants all of you and this verse stresses that nicely.

3. “Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Take every opportunity possible to pass the Word onto your children. If one generation fails to pass on the values and lessons of the faith to another they are effectively cutting off the flow of God’s blessings to the generations that come after them, and them, and them, and so on. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Not only will he not depart from it but you have equipped him/her with what they need to pass it on to others. Leaving a legacy of wealth and treasure may allow a child to grow up and be financially secured; but what of the Spirit? Leaving a legacy of the Word will provide for a spiritually rich future.

These commandment lessons from the Old Testament lay the foundation for Jesus’ teaching in the New Testament.

Mark 12:28 “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?”

In the verses prior to this, beginning at the start of this chapter, Jesus was dealing with a lot of opposition. He opens this chapter with the parable of the vineyard. That parable ends with the vineyard owner’s son being killed at the merciless hands of the husbandmen (read verses 1-11 for clarity). Not at all liking what the parable implied verse 12 tells us, “And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way” (emphasis mine). They knew Jesus was accusing them.

As a result, they sent certain men at different points: Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees and scribes, “to catch him in his words,” (Mark 12:13). These questionings were not honest inquiries rather ways to try to catch Jesus in a trap; “that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor,” (Luke 20:20; read 9-19 for more).

Then, out of the crowd comes a “scribe” with another question “having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well.” Jesus was often taken notice of for the way He speaks, teaches and responds to people. In John 7:46 an officer replied, “Never man spake like this man,” (see also Matthew 7:29 and Luke 4:32).

His question was this, “Which is the first commandment of all?” What is the most important thing we should be focusing on? Most Bible students and teachers alike agree that there were 613 laws for the Jewish people to follow. With such an extensive list this “scribe” wants to know Jesus’ impute to which should take precedence over all.

Mark 12:29-31 “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God is one Lord .” The number one priority in anybody’s life is God, Jesus responded. It has always been God, it should be God now, and it should always be God in the future. Everything is about God! God should be first over all, always and forever. There’s no other way to put it. Even if one skipped the 613 laws the Jewish people followed and just stuck with the Ten Commandments, the priority is set right there as number one on the list, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” (Exodus 20:3). Remember Jesus’ response at the time of His temptation? He said, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve,” (Matthew 4:10).

“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Referring back to the Old Testament, the verses we’ve already covered from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, Jesus reiterated the ground work for how the human life is to operate: Love for God first and love for people second. (If you remember from last week’s discussion on the Ten Commandments we noted that the first four commandments were directed at one’s relationship with God while the remaining six were related to how humans are to treat one another). Here, we see Jesus not swerving from these two important truths; rather He is stating, “There is none other commandment greater than these.” As a matter of fact, in Matthew 22:40 Jesus states, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Everything is fulfilled in the following of these two commandments.

Mark 12:32-33 “And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Jesus spoke the “truth” and the “scribe” agreed with Him and was pleased with how Jesus responded. He knew that everything Jesus spoke was right. There was no contradiction here in His words. When Jesus said, “There is none other commandment greater than these,” the scribe took it all in and also said that they are “more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

“Offerings and sacrifices” were never meant to take over one’s responsibility to have a right relationship with God and man. This has always been a priority to God; “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings,” (Hosea 6:6). There is no mistaken here: these outward appeasements can never replace genuine, inner devotion and love toward God and man.

Mark 12:34 “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”

Jesus saw that this man understood what He was getting at. He seemed to possess wisdom in understanding what God was looking for as opposed to the rest of the questioning tempters; therefore, He said, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” If he keeps on this path and searching honestly for insight to the way God sees things and what God is looking for, he could draw closer God.

Seeing the way Jesus answered gave pause to the rest of the crowd and “no man after that durst ask him any question.” Cased closed!

Conclusion:

Are we showing love to God as His Word states? What about people? Everything boils down to these two questions, doesn’t it? It really is this simple to line our lives up with “The Greatest Commandment.” This is how we honor God and show Him that we really love Him.

Below you will find activities to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: The Greatest Commandment Wordsearch Answers: The Greatest Commandment Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: The Greatest Commandment Crossword Answers: The Greatest Commandment Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: The Greatest Commandment Word Scramble Answers: The Entrance of the King Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: The Greatest Commandment Draw the Scene

Below are more Links/Resources/Activities for this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Below are great Youtube Videos songs that are easy to teach to children and help them to memorize the key point of this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

“The Greatest Commandment” Activities and printable pages with various group activities to make this lesson loads of fun. Enjoy!

“The Greatest Commandment (Love)” Crafts of Laced Bookmarks and Love Door Signs offer easy ways for the teacher to supplement the lesson without a lot of work. Also, check out the craft titled “The One Who Unites Heart.” It’s easy and meaningful for today’s lesson. Enjoy!

“The Great Commandment Poster” This is so simple and yet such an effective way to remember today’s lesson. All you have to do is print out the sheet, color, put the words in order, and glue them to make a poster. Lots of hands on and yet, a great way to memorize the theme for this lesson. Enjoy!)

“Love God, Love People” This is a great curriculum with lots of object lessons and activities. It even includes printable heart pages to print and use. Enjoy!

“Greatest Commandment” Too many easy printables to list: coloring pages, minibooks, tracing pages and more. A great help to any teacher who is in a bind and needs fast help to support this lesson. Enjoy!

“The Greatest Commandment” An awesome yet easy craft. All you need is memory verse, construction paper, popsicle sticks and yarn (most of this we have laying around :) )and your students can make this hanging reminder of today’s lesson. Enjoy!

“Greatest Commandment Bible Craft for Kids” Easy and printable. Enjoy!

“Heart, Soul, and Might” A great, illustrative coloring page for today’s lesson. I love this coloring page! Enjoy!

“The Most Important Commandment Scroll”

“The Greatest Commandment” Page 4 has some good ideas for Hands on Activities to reinforce this lesson. Enjoy!

“The Great Commandment Banner” Yes, this site has a great curriculum plus printable pages to make a banner. I think you will enjoy!

“What Are Children’s Activities for the Greatest Commandment?” I love the ideas here. A Totem Pole? Heart Mobile? Yes, awesome ideas for an awesome lesson. Enjoy!

“The Greatest Commandment” This is great for older children 10-12 (?). It gives you an example of a movie clip to use and ways to implement it to show students how to respect others. I love it. Enjoy!

“The Greatest Command Game”

“The Great Commandments – Love God, Love Your Neighbor” I love the idea of using the Guinness Book of World Records (found in any library) as an object lesson opener for today’s lesson. Enjoy!

“The Great Commandment Banner” Using butcher paper and markers students can make this banner. Enjoy!

“Different People” This one shows students how God made people different but loves each and every one. They can cut out people out of magazines and such for the “different people” to make this project. Also, just think about using cut outs from magazines and have children use them to make a collage of different people and attach a verse to it. Easy and simple. Enjoy!

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "The Greatest Commadment" Sunday School Lesson May 25 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, Deuteronomy 6:4-7, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jesus, Jesus Christ, KJV, Lesson, Leviticus 19:18, Lord, Mark 12:28-34, New King James Version, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson, The Greatest Commandment Sunday School Lesson May 25 2014

June 1, 2014

“Obey the Lord”

Haggai 1:1-11

Click here for PDF: Obey the Lord Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!

(Please Note: All lesson verses and titles are based on International Sunday School Lesson/Uniform Series ©2010 by the Lesson Committee, but all content/commentary written within is original to wordforlifesays.com unless properly quoted/cited)

Introduction:

Here I go again, ready to rush out of the door when the realization hits me that I don’t know where my keys are. It’s a good thing that I didn’t actually get outside without them or I would be locked out. But now, where are they? Then the thing I hate the most – fumbling in my pocketbook trying to find them. Argh! is what I really want to scream.

Don’t you hate when you think you have it all together and you are ready to go forth in life, when bam, reality hits and you are not as prepared as you once thought. Then, you find yourself on a search for that thing that is missing in your life. For that one thing that is stopping you from moving forward. The thing that is keeping you from getting out that door and moving on to better endeavors. The missing “key”, if you will.

We all encounter those fumbling moments in life where we just can’t seem to get a grip and everything seems to just be blowing away. No matter the effort or the times spent, or even the preparation; no matter what we do we just can’t seem to get the pieces to fall into place as we envisioned. After we get one thing settled to where we feel comfortably satisfied, then we have another issue in life rise up and overshadow any previous success: fumbling, fumbling, and fumbling. I start feeling like a football player trying to grasp an oily football, daring to make a touchdown that will never happen.

Life does not have to be that way. No ma’am; no sir, it doesn’t. There are many journeys and paths one can travel in this life to reach a point of excellence. There are many avenues that one can take to achieve a goal. There are milestones to mark the way and pinnacles to flag at points of success, and yet, still wrestling with the feeling as though one never really has arrived. It’s trying to progress with never really quite making it. Why?

It’s all about what are you looking for in life. What’s your goal? Who are you trying to please? Jesus exhorts His followers to travel down the real road of success. He teaches them about the real “key” that needs to be found. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” This message of instruction comes on the heel of a message teaching one what not to worry about in life, which in turn follows the message that, “No man can serve two masters . . .” (Mt. 6:24). And, that’s where the “key” gets lost.

Many have their attentions divided in what they are seeking after. Divided attentions are what cause individuals to obsessively worry about the basic issues of life, which then leads one to always pursuing the things that care for the natural side of man, thereby, neglecting the spiritual. Haggai teaches something similar to Jesus’s message in today’s lesson about priorities; about learning to put God first through obedience and please Him, and then everything else will fall into place.

Haggai 1:1-2 “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.”

Their lack of obedience is what drove the people into seventy years of captivity in the first place. But, God specializes in restoration and worked in the heart of Cyrus for the people to be freed and to return home to rebuild the house of God (Ezra 1).

Sometime after their arrival they rebuilt the altar and worship was restored to the people once again (see Ezra 3 and also “Joyful Worship Restored” Sunday School Lesson, June 30, 2013, Wordforlifesays.com for more details). Following that, enemies rose up to deter the progress of the people in rebuilding of the temple. “Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia,” (Ezra 4:24). (Later, Darius would send a decree back and reordered Cyrus’s “decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: ‘Let the house be rebuilt’” Ezra 6:3, and he stated, “Let the cost be paid at the king’s expense from taxes on the region beyond the River,” Ezra 6:8).

In Ezra 5 (parallel to the verses above for today’s lesson), God used Haggai the prophet to confront those at Jerusalem about the rebuilding of the temple. Today’s lesson words it as, “Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.”

God has a specific purpose in mind when He originally rose up Cyrus to restore the people home once again. In Ezra 1:2 Cyrus said, “The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (emphasis mine). But, because the people got discouraged at the resistance they say, “The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.” God wanted the temple restored; He had a work in mind for them to do and a people for them to become but they said it wasn’t the right time. Sound familiar?

Haggai 1:3-5 “Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.”

Here, we see the mixed up thinking of the people. They had enemies around, but instead of persevering past the enemies’ desires to rebuild the temple (to them it was their excuse not to); they chose instead to work on their own homes (without excuse, giving their own desires precedence over God’s).

“Alas, one of the worse enemies they had to overcome came not from the outside, rather the complacency *and lost priorities of the people themselves. They had reached a point of feeling that everything was hunky-dory the way it was, leaving God’s house unfinished they went to work establishing houses and things for themselves,” (“Celebrating With Joy”, Wordforlifesays.com; *additional add in).

God’s house was in ruins. When the people were originally taken captive the house of God suffered violence (see 2 Kings 24:11-13 and 25:8-9). After lying in desolation for 70 years (see Daniel 9:2), the repairs were astronomical and the work to restore the temple needed to be tended to. They were issued the money and the decree to get it done. What was going on with their way of thinking?

“Consider your ways,” God said. They really had to put to heart and think on how messed up their view of life was. They sought to live in “cieled houses;” a representation of luxury, resembling royalty, but God’s house was still a pile of burned rubble. Instead of being self-seeking in their endeavors, God was imploring them to be self-examining; to look within and ask themselves, “Why?” Why is the temple still not finished? Why do they think their personal stuff is more important than God’s? Why do they think their choice in disobedience doesn’t matter to God?

Haggai 1:6-7 “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.”

A choice in disobedience DOES matter to God!

Ultimately the idea of sowing seed is to reap an abundant harvest. For example, one apple seed planted in the ground can grow up to be an apple tree which would produce hundreds of apples. Yet, with their mixed up priorities God has shown them a time of quenching the harvest. “Ye have sown much, and bring in little.” They are experiencing a time of “not enough.” A lot of work with little to show for it is all they can speak of because of their wayward priorities.

With that, God once again tells them to “Consider your ways.” Think about your “not enough” lifestyle. Think about why you are earning money but it seems like there are “holes” in your bag. Think about the way you’re thinking about your relationship with me. Think about why My work is not a priority to you. Think about why I’m not number one in your life. Lamentations 3:40 tells us, “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.”

Haggai 1:8 “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.”

God is glorified in our obedience!

God did not deviate from His original purpose of bringing them back from captivity. His instructions are to “build the house.” His work must go forth and be completed despite how mankind may feel about it.

This reminds of the story of Jonah when he ran away from God because he didn’t want to go to Nineveh. He ended up in the belly of a fish and after repenting, was vomited on the shore. God’s instructions for him didn’t change either. What He instructed Jonah to do remained the same. “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee,” (Jonah 3:2). This time Jonah did as he was told.

“I will take pleasure in it.” God is pleased when we do what He has asked of us; when we obey (see Duet. 28:1-13 for just one example of many on the blessings of obeying God). “The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy,” (Psalm 147:11). “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine,” (Exodus 19:5).

Haggai 1:9 “Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.”

God will not prosper disobedience.

In my elementary school when I was a kid, on one side of the chalkboard would be an area sectioned off titled “Consequences.” For those who were having behavior problems in class that day their name would be written under “Consequences” as a first warning. Following that, if problems persisted checks would begin to appear next to the name. For each check received that individual was falling deeper and deeper into receiving some sort of additional “Consequence” (and yes, I keep capitalizing it on purpose :) ).

Disobedience brings consequences. Here, God said, “when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it.” In Leviticus 26 the wording for not following the commands of God were significantly harsher. Some examples are:

I will appoint you to terror, vs. 16.
Ye shall sow your seed in vain, vs. 16.
I will set my face against you, vs. 17.
I will make your heaven as iron, vs. 19.
Your land shall not yield her increase, vs. 20.
I will punish you seven times for your sins, vs. 24.
I will make your cities waste, vs. 31.
I will scatter you, vs. 33.

And on and on the list goes. I skipped over a lot but you get the basic idea: God does not prosper disobedience. Instead of blessings, one would incur consequences.

Here, His case against His people has not changed: “Because mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.” They needed to change their focus of what they presumed to be important. They needed to get in line with God’s plan for their return and work on His house.

Haggai 1:10-11 “Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.”

When something is “stayed,” it’s held back. The funny thing is God gave a beautiful promise which stated, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly,” (Psalm 84:11, emphasis mine). But, disobedience will force the hand of God to keep blessings back, affecting everything.

“O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him,” (Psalm 34:9, emphasis mine). God rewards the obedient. Luke 11:28 says, “Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it;” a promise that is spoken over and over again in the Bible (see also Deut. 4:40; John 13:17 and Rom. 2:13).

Conclusion:

In the introduction Matthew 6:33 was quoted and I will do so again here in the conclusion just because it so aptly goes with this lesson. As a reminder it says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” There are two paths in life one can choose to follow: God-seeking vs. self-seeking; obedience vs. disobedience. Where do we walk today? Obey the Lord!

Below you will find activities to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Obey the Lord Wordsearch Answers: Obey the Lord Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Obey the Lord Crossword Answers: Obey the Lord Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Obey the Lord Word Scramble Answers: Obey the Lord Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Obey the Lord Draw the Scene

Click above pdf for accurate printing

How many words can you make from the lesson title? PDF: OBEY THE LORD HOW MANY WORDS

Click above pdf for accurate printing

Below you will find even more Activities/Resources/Links:

“Haggai and the Temple” (This is a wonderful resource. On page three are instructions for a game called “Temple Builders” which serves as a great introduction to this lesson (I think I’m gonna try this one :) ), and on page 11 is a great craft idea called “Choose God First.” Unable to get foam finger template? Here is their craft template or try this one on Clker.com. I think your students will really enjoy this one. Enjoy!) (Click here for more of their resources).

“Haggai and Malachi” (Great lesson ideas with reproducible sheets that will allow you to take your students deeper in understanding. Really awesome ideas! Enjoy!)

“Haggai, prophet to Judah” (I appreciate the creative and simple ways you find to present this lesson. This one does not disappoint either. With reproducible church pages for kids to decorate and coloring sheet of going in the mountains and chopping wood, this one is a pleaser. Simple activities such as “Whom do I honor?” found on page six, this lesson becomes personal to your students. Enjoy!)

“Haggai Coloring Sheet” (An awesome coloring sheet that supplements this lesson well. Enjoy!)

“Haggai: God is Powerful” (Page 4 of this one has great ideas for Hands On Activities such as: Make a prayer calendar, build God’s house out of graham crackers and frosting and more. Enjoy!)

“Priorities: A Person of Right Priorities” (This site doesn’t have activities but I love the way the lesson is presented here. It may open your eyes to talks and such that can be included in your lesson this week. Enjoy!)

“Haggai: Putting God First” (Here you will find a couple of skit ideas and object lessons to bring this week’s study to life. Enjoy!)

Activities, Crafts and Coloring About Obeying God:

Obedience Games-001

“Obedience Games for Kids” from Ehow.com (This is great! Some of the old classics are brought out to teach children about obeying/following directions like Simon Says, Red Light, Green Light and more. Enjoy your play time with your students as you revisit your past with this idea. :))

“Warning Signs” Activity from Kids Sunday School Place

“The Rewards of Obedience” from Ministry to Children

“Obey Donuts” (If you are looking for a treat to go with this lesson than this is it. Refrigerated biscuit dough is all it takes. I often make treats similar to these for my students. Enjoy!)

“I Will Obey God Crafts for Kids” (Here you will find several ideas to implement for this lesson. Enjoy!)

“I Obey God Coloring Sheet”

“O is for Obedience Coloring Pages”

Building Projects that are fun. Enjoy!

Make Moon Sand: Simply mix 8 cups of flour with 1 cup of baby oil and there you have. I made a double batch and am going to divide it among my students to build, play and lay their own foundation just like in our lesson. Break out the sand toys and have fun!!! So easy and really works!!! Enjoy!!!

Make Some Bricks:

A great idea for really getting your hands in there and demonstrating the laying of the foundation is to make plaster of paris , or use clay, playdough or paper mache to make bricks (not shown here) for the students to decorate. For the plaster of paris, you can even use ice cube trays to make bricks and dry at home. Then, when you get to class, have the students decorate and build with them. This will be a blast especially for the little boys in your class. Ah, who am I kidding, little girls love to build just as much (at least mine do) – :)!!!

“Play Dough Bricks”:

If you wish to illustrate this portion of the lesson one good idea is to make homemade play dough. I usually use a No Cook formula such as the one found on Prekinders.com.

“Blocks/Lincoln Logs”: Using blocks or Lincoln Logs (my favorite since I was a kid) to build a tower of their own, your students will be excited with this hands on activities to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

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June 8, 2014

“Trust God’s Promises”

Haggai 1:12; 2:1-9

(Click here for PDF: Trust God’s Promises Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Here is an excerpt from a previous lesson regarding promises:

“While I was growing up my mother had a famous phrase she would say to us. If we got into trouble, or even thought about getting into trouble, she gave us a warning ahead of time. She would let us know, in no uncertain terms, that punishment would be inevitable. Then, she would punctuate what she was saying with this statement: “It’s not a threat, it’s a promise.” For us, that meant she was very serious and we had better take it seriously, too.

Promises are for the most part a word that brings anticipation. It’s like the mythical looking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. We know the reward of the promise is on the other side; we just have to go from here to there to reach it, going from the words leaving the mouth or being written to the fulfillment at the other end.

Promises are so important that even children, in their own juvenile way, get involved in trying to solidly found a trust with one another (ever heard of a pinky swear?). Sometimes parents step up and give promise rings to their children validating their love and support for them. It encourages them in their relationship with their parents that they belong to them and they will be there for them.

Promises are important no matter which way you look at it; specifically so when God is the issuer and the fulfiller of said promises. What God says goes; period. That’s it – end of discussion! What He promises will come to pass . . .” (Wordforlifesays.com/PromisesKept)

The same for promises is true in today’s lesson also. Some of the remnant that returned home was discouraged at what they imagined the new temple would look like. Knowing that it would not measure up to the original (see “The Temple Restored”/Wordforlifesays.com), God encouraged them to trust Him with the outcome regardless. All they needed to do was obey what He said and get on with the work; leaving the rest up to Him.

Haggai 1:12 “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.”

This verse immediately picks up where last week’s left off. As a reminder, Haggai 1:10-11 says, “Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.” The lack of obedience in rebuilding the temple was causing the people to miss out on the blessings of God.

Here, in verse 12, after the prophet Haggai confronted the people about what God instructed, it tells us that the message was received and they “obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him.”

Last week’s lesson focus was on obedience. Here, our current lesson branches off of that encouraging the people to finish the work and trust God’s promises. It all starts with the word that came through God’s spokesman, the prophet Haggai. The people believed that God used Haggai; that “God had sent him,” and they acted on that belief.

The Bible tells us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” (Romans 10:17). In order for one to trust in God’s promises they have to “hear” about it from the spokesman He chooses. God wanted the people to look beyond their current circumstance and act in obedience to what He wanted them to do, and He used the prophet Haggai to initiate the process.

When God needs to get His people back on track or move them to a place of promise He employs people as leaders. It is the people’s responsibility to heed the voice of the one who is speaking on God’s behalf. The Apostle Paul was very appreciative of his audience’s attentiveness to the words he spoke, saying, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe,” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). In both cases of Paul and Haggai, the people knew that the words they were receiving were “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,” and they responded in faith initiated obedience.

“And the people did fear before the LORD.” They took seriously what was said with the reverential awe that God’s word demands. They respected God. They respected His word. Ecclesiastes 12:13 reminds us to, “. . . Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” God, and our relationship with Him is to be at the forefront of all that we do in life.

Haggai 2:1-3 “In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying, Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

In a previous lesson titled “The Temple Restored” we read, “But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off,” (Ezra 3:12-13):

“The ‘ancient men, that had seen the first house . . . wept with a loud voice.’ The foundation of this ‘house’ did not live up to the expectation of those who had first-hand knowledge of the ‘first house.’ In the 70 years of captivity people were born who had never seen the splendor of Solomon’s temple. But, the ‘ancient men’ did and the first did not match up with what they see before them now, and so they ‘wept with a loud voice.’

When Solomon oversaw the construction of the first temple, he had unlimited resources to build and furnish the house of God. Though they have a grant from Cyrus king of Persia to rebuild, they cannot match what Solomon did, or even all that David had laid up also in preparation of the first temple built. Zerubbabel, a descendent of David, would oversee this construction, but it’s glory will not compare to those who went before him,” (Wordforlifesays.com).

Knowing the people were dealing with keen disappointment God asked, “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now?” The work that the people were doing may not be according to their preconceived expectations, but what they were doing was what God wanted done. He wanted the temple restored regardless of how they think it should be.

Therefore, He asks, “Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?” Why are you viewing and comparing your work now with those done in the past? Why do you think that if you can’t spend the same money and resources that Solomon did, this place will be any less glorified? Why are you thinking of what you’re doing for me as “nothing” just because it doesn’t measure up with that back there?

Zechariah 4:10 says, “For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” This may not tickle the fancy of man because the temple does not measure up to their idea; it doesn’t look like they think it should but God was going to take this “day of small things” and turn it into something “greater” (later in our lesson). Stop looking at the “small things” as “nothing” because God can make it into something greater!

Haggai 2:4-5 “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.”

Everybody “be strong and work!” This is the prevailing message of the day. Discouragement has a way of rendering God’s people useless to do what He has instructed to be done.

God has throughout the Bible encouraged people to “be strong.” Strength, the ability to hold on and press forth for His service, is needed by all who believe; it is needed by all to fulfill His purposes for your life.

When Joshua had to lead the people after Moses death, God instructed him to “be strong,” (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, and 18). In the New Testament we are encouraged, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might,” (Ephesians 4:10). And, the psalmist readily declared, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” (Psalm 46:1). Over and over again, the exhortation to remain strong in Him can be found because there is “work” that has to be done.

When we remain strong in God it sets our faith in operation to do what He wills from us. It gets us actively participating in the things that are written or spoken of through His Word. It ushers us forth that we should get involved in the things that God is concerned about, no matter what it looks like to us. Though it can be applied to many areas of life, here God wanted them to move forth in rebuilding the temple.

“For I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts.” When the way seems discouraging to completing what God wants, one of the main factors is this point right here; we forget the promises of God; we forget that He said, “For I am with you.”

Those 5 little words, “For I am with you” aren’t just for a Christmas promise (Mt. 1:23), but they are a life promise. One of my favorite Bible verses says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness,” (Isaiah 41:10, emphasis mine).

The Bible tells us, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” (Heb. 11:1, KJV). Faith doesn’t concentrate on what is visible to the naked eye. Faith concentrates on the truth of God’s promises. This path of trust and faith is where God was trying to lead His people to encourage them in finishing the work.

“According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.” God is not failing in His promises toward His people. In Exodus 29:45-46 He told their ancestors, “And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.” Here, He is reiterating the fact, “so my spirit remaineth among you.” As His presence moved with them then, so He still promises His presence in the midst of them now.

“Fear ye not.” Following was written in a previous article titled “Take a Stand Against Fear”:

“There are a lot of things that act like blockades in our lives, but fear by far has to be one of the hardest to overcome. Fear can render useless the one who entertains it because unlike physical limitations, fear messes with the mind. It changes one’s perspective on how they view the world, the people around them and their own lives.

Fear acts like a photographer. It snaps a picture and develops it in the dark recesses of your mind. When the picture is finished being developed it comes out for you to view a new reality, whether it’s true or not. Fear is not based on truth but it wants you to believe in the image it presents to you more than God,” (Wordforlifesays.com).

God wanted their focus on Him and His abiding presence and the work He had in store for them.

Haggai 2:6-7 “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.”

“A little while” speaks of a time far off; a time in the future that they haven’t currently seen. “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in,” (Psalm 24:7). There is a time when the King of glory shall come and “fill this house with glory.” Of course, this is speaking of Jesus the Messiah“which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory,” (1 Corinthians 2:8, emphasis mine).

It is He, “the Lord/King of glory” who is the “desire of all nations.” When something is desired it is longed for; there is wanting of being a part of it. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now,” (Romans 8:22). The world is longing for Christ! It is looking forward to the presence of His eternal “glory.”

At that time, God will begin to “shake” things up. Jesus taught in Matthew 24:29-30, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (emphasis mine).

Haggai 2:8-9 “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.”

The people were stressed about the temple not looking as glorious as the first. They were upset that they didn’t have the resources available to them that Solomon had at the time of his building. Yet these things don’t impress God nor do they move Him.

“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein,” (Psalm 24:1, see also 1 Corinthians 10:26). God said, “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof,” (Psalm 50:12). God owns everything including the “silver and the gold.” If He wanted to He could have just as easily commanded man to give more finances to the project to make it as physically glorious as the former.

But God had a greater glory in mind for this “latter house.” Her glory will not come by the bling-bling nature of adornments that man associates with. Her glory comes from whom rather that what is in the midst of her. John 1:14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

“And in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” What starts out in discouragement over the physical appearance of the temple ends in the promise of “peace.” Jesus taught in John 16:33, “In me ye might have peace.” Romans 5:1 supports this by saying, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Conclusion:

The people that Haggai addressed may not have fully understood how these ruins could possibly surpass the glory of the temple of Solomon, but if they would just have faith, and work and hold on the belief that God is unfailing in His promises, there would be something greater than the former coming for them.

Below you will find activities to reinforce this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Trust God’s Promises Wordsearch Answers: Trust God’s Promises Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Trust God’s Promises Crossword Answers: Trust God’s Promises Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Trust God’s Promises Word Scramble Answers: Trust God’s Promises Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Have children draw a picture on the puzzle template about today’s lesson and then cut out. Enjoy! PDF: Trust God’s Promises Puzzle

Special Video Links and Sources for Lesson Support:

“Solomon’s Temple – 3D Ariel Tour” from Youtube (A very nice, short video tour. This is great for allowing your students a birds eye of what things really looked like).

“Temple in Jerusalem” from Youtube

“Lesson in Pictures” from Youtube

“Second Temple” from Foundationsforfreedom.net (A great, up-close picture of the temple).

“The Temple of Jerusalem” from Jerusalem Insiders Guide

Below are more Activities/Links/Resources to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Use these “I TRUST IN GOD’S PROMISES!” Circles to make a necklace or a button. For the necklace, punch a hole and string it through. You can decorate it with other adornments if you wish. For the button, decorate and tape a safety pin to the back. Enjoy! Jesus is Coming Back PDF: I TRUST IN GOD’S PROMISES (Don’t forget to use cardstock!)

“Promise Tree”: This week’s lesson happens on the first day of Fall. To incorporate in the lesson you can make a promise tree. Below I used templates to create this “Promise Tree.” God’s Word is like the seed which sprouts up into a promised fulfilled. Students can then write on the leaves some of the promises of God. My 10 year old helped me make this one:

Tree and leaves template from DLTK. Add any seed or nut to the bottom and write your promises from God. Enjoy!

“I AM With You, I Will Bless You” Coloring sheet for Haggai in encouraging the people to rebuild. Haggai is one of the prophets mentioned in verse 14 and this goes with the lesson.

“Hangman”: This old game is excellent for lesson reinforcement. Simply print the worksheet from Printactivities.com, get your verses or phrases from the lesson you want to use or the students want to use with each other, play and enjoy! (A single hangman page can be found at Thetripclip.com. Enjoy!) (Great for memory verses!)

“Not By Might, Nor By Power” Coloring sheet for Zechariah. The temple of God is built by the power of God and not by human strength. Zechariah was the other prophet mentioned in verse 14 and this also goes with the lesson.

“Haggai Activities” to support the lesson from Missionarlington.org Lesson overview and activities that easy to apply to younger children (including making a temple out of graham crackers and frosting, there’s an idea). Enjoy!

“Rebuilding the Temple” Coloring Page from Whatsinthebible.com

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Haggai Resources from last week’s lesson. Enjoy!

“Haggai and Malachi” (Great lesson ideas with reproducible sheets that will allow you to take your students deeper in understanding. Really awesome ideas! Enjoy!)

“Haggai Coloring Sheet” (An awesome coloring sheet that supplements this lesson well. Enjoy!)

“Haggai: Putting God First” (Here you will find a couple of skit ideas and object lessons to bring this week’s study to life. Enjoy!)

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "Trust God's Promises" Sunday School Lesson Haggai 1:12 2:1-9 June 8 2014, "Trust God's Promises" Sunday School Lesson Haggai : :, Authorized King James Version, Bible, Bible Verse, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jesus, Jesus Christ, KJV, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson

June 15, 2014

“Live Pure Lives”

Haggai 2:10-19

(Click here for PDF: Live Pure Lives Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Our first lesson in this study of Haggai focused on obeying the Lord by putting God and His work as a number one priority in our lives. Last week’s lesson was about trusting God promises with the outcome though the beginning of the matter looks small. Today’s lesson, the third message from Haggai the prophet to the remnant centers on the blessings that come from obedience.

We often hear songs saying, “When the praises go up, the blessings come down,” (Chicago Mass Choir via elyrics.net). In addition, there’s a Yiddish Proverb that says, “Prayers go up and blessings come down,” (Thinkexist.com). While all of that is certainly true, the lesson today teaches the people that the way of blessings come by walking the path of obedience (see Duet. 28:1-13; Psalm 34:9; Luke 11:28, just to name a few).

Let’s get into this lesson titled “Live Pure Lives,” and learn more of God’s truth on this important subject.

Haggai 2:10-12 “In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.”

After recording the exact day of his addressing this message, the Lord, through the prophet Haggai, focuses the attention on the priests who are in charge of the temple workings, offerings and laws, and asked, “If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?”

In plain man’s terms, “Can something that is separated as holy make something else holy just by touching it?” The answer is emphatically, “No.” In regard to a sacrifice, when something was considered “holy” that means it was “set apart.” It was sanctified unto a specific work. Having it touch other things would not automatically consider those objects to now be sanctified as well. It just doesn’t.

Holiness was and is not something that is to be taken lightly. For example, God instructed in Exodus 29:37, “Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy,” (emphasis mine). Anything or anybody that approached His altar of sacrifice must already be sanctified and rendered holy already. Nothing that defiles or pollutes would be received as an acceptable sacrifice.

In regard to one’s life, neither does sanctification work like the Midas touch, where everything he touches is affected by it and turns to gold. A holy, pure and sanctified life comes from one’s inner devotion to God not through outward surface worship. The New Testament picks it up by stating, “”Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).

Personal holiness matters. There is a difference between clean and unclean. The clean does not impart holiness automatically but the unclean, as shown in the verse below, can contaminate automatically.

Haggai 2:13 “Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.”

Then, another question is posed to which the priests answered correctly again. According to the Old Testament law, “He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days,” (Numbers 19:11). Anything or anybody that he/she comes into contact with will be considered unclean also. As a matter of fact, if that individual did not follow the proper God-given procedures to be purified, “that soul shall be cut off,” (Numbers 19:13). That’s how serious it was to defile the temple/tabernacle of the Lord with uncleanness.

So, the priests answered, “It shall be unclean.” Holiness CANNOT be transferred from one thing to another but the contamination and defilement of sin can be. What you do and how you live matters, be it holiness within yourself or contaminating everything around you with sin. 1 Peter 1:16 also says, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Haggai 2:14 “Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.”

So, how ya living? Because what the people were experiencing from a negative standpoint and their work was affected by the choices they made or didn’t make in their living. When they arrived back they were on fire for God and wanted to immediately resume worship (see “Joyful Worship Restored,” Ezra 3 on www.wordforlifesays.com). By and by the people developed a lackadaisical attitude to the work of God which meant their heart wasn’t really in it. This is not what God is looking for. He wants someone that loves Him and His work from the inside out.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible revolves around Hezekiah’s reforms and the siege he faced because of Sennacherib (2 Chronicles 29-32 and 2 Kings 18-19). One of the verses that always stood out to me is found in 2 Chronicles 31:21 that says, “And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered,” (emphasis mine). This was the same type of “living;” the same mentality that he wanted from the remnant that in everything they do for Him, they do it with their heart. “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart,” (Psalm 119:34).

They were just surface worshiping without really loving God and honor His work as devotion from the heart. As a result, their works and their offerings were considered “unclean.” With the wrong mindset, anything they did for the work of the temple didn’t make them holy, but their wrong attitudes most certainly affected the way it was received by God. What a revelation!

Haggai 2:15-17 “And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD: Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.”

George Santayana is quoted as saying, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” (Thinkexist.com). The danger of forgetfulness can leave us with a warped outlook on life. Through times of hardship and for during times of prosperity our perspective on life can get blurred. So, God takes them on a walk down memory lane to the time before; a time when He had to confront them through Haggai to get the work done; a time when their priorities were messed up; a time when they suffered because of the choices they made, (see “Obey the Lord” on www.wordforlifesays.com).

Here, as well as in that previous lesson, God reminds them that they worked with little to show for it. They were living a lifestyle of not enough. It wasn’t by happenstance that all this had come upon them but because, “I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.” God was the one responsible for them being held back from prospering. These were the consequences of their negligent attitude toward God and His work.

We are reminded what Haggai 1:9-11 says: “Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.”

God’s reminder is that He will not prosper disobedience. Disobedience doesn’t bring blessings, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Disobedience brings consequences (see Leviticus 26:14-39).

“Yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.” Through all of this, the people still remained in their same stubborn state of an unchanged heart, (compare to Amos 4:9).

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 says, “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.” Because we love Him, everything within our inner being should be wholly and completely devoted to God: the emotions, mind, will and strength.

God wants your inner man devoted to Him rather than surface professions of faith. Why do you think God so approved of David despite his many, many faults? He did so because David’s heart was for God. Act 13:22 says, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart. . .” David worshiped God and was devoted to God from the heart. His inner man was tied to God.” God wanted and still wants all of you! This trip down memory lane was to remind them of what used to be.

Haggai 2:18-19 “Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.”

After reminding them of what used to be, He now specifies what the blessings they can look forward to because of their obedience; because they choose to “Live Pure Lives.”

“Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider it.” Take careful thought and pay attention really close to what close to what was said and what is being said now. Proverbs 4:26 encourages us to, “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways,” (NIV).

Everyday living brings everyday results, for the good or the bad. Think about the choices in previous times that led down the path less pleasing and “consider now” where God wants to lead you. God wants to lead His people to a place of blessings but their lives have to fall in line with His will.

“This day” would be a changing point to see these positive changes happen for His people. Don’t you love how God gives these markers as reminders to His grace in operation in our lives? He once told the children of Israel to gather twelve stones out of the Jordan River to set up and serve as a reminder of His deliverance, Joshua 4:20-22. In an article I wrote titled “Indulge in Nostalgia” (Wordforlifesays.com) I wrote:

“It’s good to indulge in a little bit of nostalgia once in a while, especially when it comes to remembering God’s deliverance. After a certain amount of time goes by, whether it becomes a time of prosperity or a time of hardship, it’s so easy to forget. The daily grind and routine schedules tend to overshadow what previously occurred. That can be a good thing when someone is trying to get over hurtful things, but when one wants to remember a glorious time it can be dangerous.”

From “this day . . . even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid” forward they would see how responding in obedience leads to blessings. God was marking the day for them. Forever, “from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month” they would have a mental memorial of a wonderful day when God changing things around for them. They couldn’t see it now, but the times of blasting and mildew were over. The times of living in a not enough state was over. God was moving them from the place of receiving rebuke to a place of blessing.

“Is the seed yet in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.” They could not physically see it with their eyes, but the blessings were on the way. Nothing has been planted and nothing has brought forth anything, yet! The seed is still in the barn. But it’s coming! A time of fruitfulness is on its way! Zechariah 8:12 says, “For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give her dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.” Because they have moved from their stagnated and disobedient religious stance to a point of decidedly being obedient to the move of God and His priorities, they would be blessed.

Through this lesson God took their minds back that they might have a future to look forward to. Our God is a blessing God. A time of refreshing was coming. The days of discipline are over. God is not withholding anything back from them. Now that they have done what God has asked of them they have something greater to look forward to!

It’s on its way! Increase is coming! “Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him,” (Psalm 67:5-7).

Conclusion:

Obedience today equals blessings for tomorrow. Living pure lives always pays off. The time of harvesting and reaping the reward of faithfully moving forward with God is coming.

Surface worship won’t get you there. Your offerings or the works you do won’t make you holy. Holiness is an inner commitment to have God as a priority in all that we do. Only a heart that is truly devoted to God; a heart that encourages one to “Live Pure Lives,” will lead you down the path to receive God’s blessings.

How are we personally responding to this message today? Where are your priorities leading you today? Is our relationship with God a priority? Are we placing Him above all else and trusting Him with the outcome? Are there things that we need to rearrange in our own lives to make sure we are living the way God is encouraging us to that we might in turn reap the blessings?

I encourage you today to follow God’s plan and make His work a priority. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Live pure lives and rest in the blessings of the Lord.

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall

overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth

seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills

shall melt,” (Amos 9:13).

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you,” Matthew 6:33

Below you will find activities to support this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Live Pure Lives Wordsearch Answers: Live Pure Lives Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Live Pure Lives Crossword Answers: Live Pure Lives Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Live Pure Lives Word Scramble Answers: Live Pure Lives Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Live Pure Lives Draw the Scene

Coloring Sheet: Live Pure Lives Coloring Sheet Haggai 2 19 (Click pdf here for accurate printing)

Using the above coloring sheet you can make this easy craft. Let students color the sheet and glue to construction paper. Attach seeds to the silo/barn (any seeds will do grass seed, sunflower seeds, any that you have on hand). Below is an example of one already done. Enjoy!

Click the Youtube link below to see in video a great object lesson in regard to sin. Enjoy!

Activities, Crafts and Coloring About Sin: (I chose these for today’s lesson to remind us about how sin contaminates us from a pure life and how we can be free; how through obedience to His Word we can be blessed, too!)

“Becoming All New” Coloring Page from Childrensbiblelessonsplace.com

“Sin Revealed” Activity from Kids Sunday School Place

“Sin Spoils” Activity from Kids Sunday School Place

“Object Lesson for Sin and Forgiveness” from Yahoo! Voices

“Children’s Activities About Sin” from Ehow.com

“A Heart for Jesus Activity” from Kids Sunday School Place

“Jesus Cleanses Us From Our Sticky Sins Activity” from Christianity Cove

“Covered By Christ Activity and Coloring” from Ministry to Children

“Forgive Us Our Sins” Coloring Page from Ministry to Children

“If We Confess Our Sins” Coloring Page from Coloring Page Spot

“Girl and Boy Prayer Coloring Pages” from Ministry to Children (These prayer coloring sheets are great because they have empty speech balloons. In those balloons children can right their own confession/prayer. Enjoy!)

“1 John 1:9 Butterfly Coloring Page” from Childrenschapel.org

“Children’s Bible Object Lesson on Sin” from Creative Bible Study

Don’t forget it’s Father’s Day!!! Below are some ideas to help your students celebrate dads. Enjoy!

“Father’s Day Ideas” from Ministry to Children

“Father’s Day Trophy” from Preschool Crafts for Kids

“Father’s Day Rocks!” paperweight from Preschool Crafts for Kids

“Father’s Day Shirt and Tie Card Craft” from Preschool Crafts for Kids

“Father’s Day Handprint Card” from Crafty-crafted

“Two More Father’s Day Crafts” from Craftsforkidslets.com

“Father’s Day Printables and Cards” from Allcrafts.net (This site has several great ideas. Enjoy!)

Allkidsnetwork.com has several great Father’s Day ideas.

Other Father’s Day Sites:

Storytimecrafts.org

Parentdish.com

Simpsonized Crafts and then some

“Easy Father’s Day Crafts” from Blue Paper

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "Live Pure Lives" Sunday School Lesson Haggai 2:10-19 June 15 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible, Bible Verse, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jesus, Jesus Christ, KJV, Lesson, Lord, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson

June 22, 2014

“Hope for a New Day”

Haggai 2:20-23; Zechariah 4:5-14

(Click here for PDF: Hope for a New Day Sunday School Lesson, or simply click the print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

Often times in life the project or task ahead of us can seem quite daunting and out of our abilities. Yet, we feel a pull from God to continue forth despite the obstacles or adversities we may see. This lesson will help to encourage each of us that when God has a purpose in your life, if we trust in Him and His power, He will see us through to the end. There is “Hope for a New Day” ahead.

Haggai 2:20-22 “And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of the kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.”

In the lessons past God used the prophet Haggai to speak to the remnant or to Zerubbabel and Joshua together, or to the priests. Here in today’s lesson the message that God wants delivered is specifically directed at Zerubbabel alone. He said, “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth.” The first part of this message that God wanted Zerubbabel to understand was that things were not going to stay as they are now. The people may not always understand why things are the way they are, but God had a plan to move things around that would be for the better of the people in the end.

“Shaking” also implies unsettling. When the wicked believe they are untouchable; when they believe they are above the law, God has to take the opportunity to “shake” them to wake them. With that this time of shaking can also imply a time of judgment. Coming off the heels of God promising to bless those who obey Him (last week’s lesson and verse 19), God then spells out a promise to deal with adversaries in the manner for which they deserve.

If you will recall, anytime we see things being shaken of in the Bible, specifically when it reads and involves the “heavens and the earth” this points to a future time of judgment. Jesus taught in Matthew 24:29-30, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

“And I will overthrow the throne of the kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.” God will deal justly with the enemies that have come against them. No matter what is going on, God has and always will have all power and victory.

Remember what He did to the Egyptians that pursued His people into the Red Sea? Exodus 14:28 tells us after the children of Israel arrived safely to the other side after walking through the sea on dry land, “The waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.” God’s power overthrew their enemies and here He promises to do it again, (see also Revelation 19 for another show of God’s overthrowing power in action when He cast the beast and the false prophet into the lake of fire).

God means business, “For God has power to help, and to cast down,” (2 Chronicles 25:8). No “kingdom;” no nation has the power to withstand Him or His judgment. God promised to “destroy” their strength. God will annihilate any power that seeks to oppose Him, His will or His plans for His people. God has a way of upsetting the atmosphere of the enemy and crushing their pride.

Haggai 2:23 “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet, for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Here, we see that Zerubbabel has been “chosen” for a special purpose; meaning God set him apart from all others to play a significant role in His plan to bring “Hope for a New Day.” Psalms 4:3 tells us, “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godlyfor himself . . .” When one is committed to God and committed to do what He wills, he becomes an instrument, a willing vessel fit for the Master’s use (see 2 Timothy 2:21 for example).

Here, God was to use Zerubbabel as a “signet.” A “signet” or signet ring was used for identification. It allowed the king and those in authority to mark decrees and documents as being authentic. When people saw a seal with the signet mark impressed in it, they knew that whatever was enclosed was sealed with authority and should be heeded at all cost. Zerubbabel would be a seal of authority for God. He was an integral part of the plan of God. Heart for God and his willingness to obey God made him fit to be used of God.

Zechariah 4:5-7 “Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Who art thou, O great moutain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.”

Zechariah is a contemporary of Haggai and prophesied during the same time period as he. Though Zechariah is a prophet he is most known for the visions God allowed him to see.

Here, opening up in chapter 4, Zechariah was again privy to another vision of the Lord. This one contained a solid gold lampstand with a bowl on top; and on it were seven lamps with seven pipes to the lamps, Zechariah 4:2, (a similar vision as this also appears in Revelation 1:12, 20; 11:4). Also, in this particular vision there were two olive trees, one on the right and the other on the left of the bowl, Zechariah 4:3. After seeing the vision, “the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

The bowl atop the lampstand would be where the oil was which was being supplied from the two trees on either side of it. Here in this vision there are “seven lamps with seven pipes” that feed into the lamp. What this implies is the oil that is in the bowl is flowing through the pipes into the lamps. This is an important illustration for Zechariah and for Zerubbabel himself.

The oil is represented as the Holy Spirit was used for anointing objects and people (see Exodus 30:22-33 and Numbers 35:25). This oil was flowing in an abundantly unending supply into the lamps; symbolizing the free flowing power of the Holy Spirit at work.

The angel spoke to Zechariah and said, “This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel.” The vision that he was seeing was a visual representation that God sent to encourage Zerubbabel with His “word.”

The “word” was showing, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Man has, since the beginning of time, tried to accomplish great feats on his own ingenuity, his own skills and abilities apart from God. God was reassuring Zerubbabel that the work that he is undertaking; the rebuilding of the temple, may be a massive undertaking but it was not outside of His abilities.

Zerubbabel and the teams he puts together to rebuild the temple may the hands, the instruments that God uses, but God Himself is the foreman of this project. God will see to its undertaking. This would be done by the power of His Spirit. Anything one does for God has to be “spirit” inspired and “spirit” empowered (see Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Acts 10:38 and 2 Timothy 1:7).

We need His spirit! We need His power! We need His help in building and renewing. Psalm 104:30 says, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.” Wonderful things begin to happen when God’s Spirit is involved in the process and the rebuilding of His temple would be no different. It may have a physical foundation of stone under it, but greater still is the foundation of the Spirit working His power in it.

“Who art thou, O great moutain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain.” Rebuilding this temple would take a lot. The obstacles that can sometimes plague such projects can seem to one as huge as a mountain. Here, God is speaking of removing all obstacles and hindrances, making the “mountain” as a “plain.”

How would this be done? Back to the previous verse: “by my spirit.” Here’s the ironic thing: Acts 1:8 says speaking of the Holy Ghost (God’s Spirit), there would be “power” (which is a sign of God’s Spirit at work). This word “power” is dunamis in the Greek and it is also where the word dynamite is derived from. Anytime man wants to do some serious excavations or resurfacing on mountain tops they use dynamite to level and shape the mountain. This was done to help shape Mount Rushmore and in what is called Mountaintop Removal Mining (see Wikipedia).

I find it simply amazing that man copies his Heavenly Father in more ways than one. Man in the physical seeks to remove mountains using dynamite and God’s promise of casting down obstacles as big as mountains through the power (the dunamis) of His Spirit, and making them plain. Awesome!

All this is done through His Spirit and “grace.” “Grace” of course, is that unmerited favor from God. Grace is underserving, but by grace is how God operates. His love and His zeal to see this project through to the end extends from grace. The compassion He shows to a people who forgot to put Him first is shown through grace.

Zechariah 4:8-10 “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it: and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it.” What a wonderful promise! Nothing would stop Zerubbabel from being around and seeing this project through to its completion. Philippians 1:6 reminds us, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Zerubbabel can have complete confidence in God no matter what may come against him. One of my favorite Scriptures that keeps me grounded in this truth comes from Psalms 118:6-9 (NKJV):

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”

When God has a work for one to do, He will equip you with all that you need allowing you to finish fulfilling His purpose for you. All you have to do is believe and trust in His power.

“For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel.” This may not tickle the fancy of man because the temple does not measure up to their idea; it doesn’t look like they think it should but God was going to take this “day of small things” and turn it into something they can hope for. Stop looking at the “small things” as nothing because God, when it’s powered by His Spirit, can make it into something great!

Zechariah 4:11-14 “Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.”

“What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?” Here, we are going back to the original vision that Zechariah saw. He asks about the olive trees that were dispensing the never ending supply of oil directly “out of themselves.”

“Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.” Most Bible scholars believe that these two “anointed ones” are Zerubbabel and Joshua, the leaders of the remnant of the people who have returned home to reestablish their worship to God. Zerubbabel was the civil leader much as one would consider a governor or mayor of a city to be, and Joshua was the religious leader of the day.

God would use these two men in an extraordinary way to reestablish His love relationship with His people. Zechariah 3:1-7 speaks directly of how God was going to use Joshua. Zechariah 3:6 says of Joshua, “If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall judge My house . . .,” (NKJV). And in Matthew 1:12 we find Zerubbabel in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So yes, their contributions would matter greatly in the rebuilding of the temple and for the reestablishment of worship. They needed to be encouraged that better days were coming; that they mattered in God’s plan and that He had this all under His control by His Spirit.

Conclusion:

No matter what or how, when God has a purpose in your life He will see it through to the end. Times of adversity will always come but there is “Hope for a New Day” when we put our total trust in God’s power to see us through.

Activities for lesson support are found below. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: Hope for a New Day Wordsearch Answers: Hope for a New Day Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: Hope for a New Day Crossword Answers: Hope for a New Day Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: Hope for a New Day Word Scramble Answers: Hope for a New Day Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: Hope For a New Day Draw the Scene

Below are Activities/Resources/Links to support this week’s lesson. While there weren’t many for this particular lesson, I tried to find resources that would still enrich the lesson by bringing out key factors. I hope you find them helpful. Enjoy!

Let your students make a pinwheel and decorate it with messages of hope. The pattern can be found at Pinswheels for Peace. (Can be printed out on regular paper or cardstock. You can also use construction paper or left over wrapping paper.) If using plain paper have students decorate both sides. I used a push pin thumbtack instead of a straight pin. This is such an easy craft with many rewards: lesson reinforcement, decorating, free pinwheel and free pencil. What more could a child ask for. I left mine undecorated just to give you a preview. I believe we may do these in my class this week. Enjoy!

Hope Pinwheel

“Zechariah 4:6 Coloring Page”

“Zechariah 4:6 Coloring Page” (This coloring page is great for older students and can be used to make posters or plaques for students to hang as a great reminder of today’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Never Give Up Hope Coloring Page”

“Unseen Faith” (This object talk can be linked to the power of God portion of this lesson. Enjoy!)

“The Completion and Dedication of the Temple” (Here you will find coloring and activity sheets to enhance this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Girded in Truth” (This activity will really emphasis the Holy Spirit and His guidance, something that can easily be applied to the theme of this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Holy Spirit Dove Activity” (Since today’s lesson emphasizes the power of God’s Spirit at work, this dove craft (another symbol of the Holy Spirit) will be a great reminder of today’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“Stained Glass Holy Spirit Sun Catcher” (Again, this can be a universal “Spirit” craft for this week’s lesson. Enjoy!)

Are you powered by God? The kids who color this page will sure feel like they are. This “God Power” coloring sheet will surely inspire them. Enjoy!

“Great is Our Lord and Mighty in Power Coloring Sheet”

“Our God is Mighty” (This the verses for this does not go with this lesson, the idea behind it does. I particularly like the idea located under “Personal Pursuit.” Here, children can make their own mountains with any materials you wish. I think it applies nicely because of the promise God made to Zerubbabel that the “Mountains” would be as “plains.” Enjoy!

“Collage of Power” (This is a wonderful way to express God’s power (which we discussed in the lesson). Go through magazines and newspapers and find words and pictures that would demonstrate God’s power; then, make your collage. What an exciting way to remember this lesson. Enjoy!) . . . Another idea on this site would be to show a movie or a show demonstrating God’s power such as the Ten Commandments.

“God of Wonders” (You have to check this one out. Science experiments meet faith. Awesome! Different activities like “build a tornado tube” that demonstrates God’s power to “Impossible Possibility” that reassures even when one can’t see God, He is always with us. Both go well with this lesson. Enjoy!)

I love the idea behind the F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On God) movement. When one thinks of a “Hope for a New Day” this is exactly what it takes; trusting God and relying on Him (also discussed in our lesson). Click here to find many frog crafts and activities that you can apply to today’s lesson. Enjoy! F.R.O.G BIBLE CRAFTS

“F.R.O.G. BIBLE PRINTABLES” (Based off the same frog concept, this site has more printables to incorporate in today’s lesson. Enjoy!)

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, faith, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, religion, Sunday School, The Word of God, Uncategorized Tagged: "Hope for a New Day" Sunday School Lesson Haggai 2:20-23, "Hope for a New Day" Sunday School Lesson June 22 2014, Authorized King James Version, Bible, Bible Verse, Bible Verses, children's activities, Children's Bible Activities, Children's Bible Printables, Children's Coloring Pages, Children's Printables, Children's Sunday School Lessons, Christ, Christian, Christian Sunday School Lessons, Christianity, God, Inspirational Photos, Inspirational Pictures, Inspirational Posters, Jesus, Jesus Christ, KJV, Religion and Spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School Lesson, Sunday School Lesson for Haggai 2:20-23, Sunday School Lesson for Zechariah 4:5-14

June 29, 2014

“A Call to Unity”

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

(Click here for PDF: A Call to Unity Sunday School Lesson, or simply click print button below. Enjoy!)

Introduction:

There is an old hymn written by Joseph C. Ludgate titled “Friendship with Jesus.” In this hymn the refrains sings out the sweetness of being in fellowship with the Savior:

“Friendship with Jesus!

Fellowship divine!

Oh, what blessed, sweet communion!

Jesus is a Friend of mine.”

But, what of our fellowship with one another? How oft have the hands of division ripped away the core foundation of our Christian faith by seeking to tear asunder what Christ has established: fellowship among those who are recognized as being of Him; that blessed, sweet communion with one another?

Unity among the body of believers was so important that Jesus prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me,” (John 17:21). Jesus knew that if His disciples would ban together as one they could impact the world in a positive way, making many believe in Him. Vice versa, if divisions and contentions prevailed it would not work to draw people to Himself, to His kingdom message; rather, it would repel.

Even in the Old Testament, David recognized the importance of unity among the brethren. He wrote:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore,” (Psalm 133).

In this particular Psalm we see David describe unity as being good and pleasant which would mean the opposite of unity would bring the opposite results: bad and displeasing, either of which one would not want God to describe them as. Rather, in this Psalm we see that unity brings the “blessing” of the Lord.

In today’s lesson Paul received news of great division going on in the Corinthian church. This division was affecting not only their oneness in Christ, but it was making a negative impact on others who watch the dissentions that steadily rise from this congregation. Paul, seeking to nip this problem in the bud, as the founding father of their church, he addresses the congregation about the matter at hand.

1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

During his second missionary journey, Paul headed to Corinth to spread the gospel after leaving Athens, Acts 18:1. While there he established a camaraderie Aquila and Priscilla and worked with them being that they were all tentmakers, Acts 18:1-2. And, “He reasoned in the synagogue ever sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks,” (Acts 18:4).

Herein the church in Corinth was born and established. But like any organization, church or group, when the leader is absent physically it tends to open the door to intruders to come in and disrupt the flow of things. Though Corinth had many problems to deal with, and Paul will address those later in his letter, here in today’s lesson the division over different factions the people seem to have set up in and of themselves is the controversy Paul is addressing in this portion of his letter to the Corinthians.

Being the church family they are Paul first addresses them as “brethren.” In the verse prior to this Paul reminds them of the faithfulness of God and establishes that they “were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord,” (1 Corinthians 1:9). They were united to God through Jesus Christ and united to one another through that very same bond. They were a “spiritual family” and as such he addressed them as “brethren.”

As a spiritual family, people who share the bond of oneness with Christ and with each other, Paul encourages them to “all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you;” to be unified.

Think about the word division and how we use it in terms of math. It’s just a glorified way to say we are taking away from; of dividing or splitting up a whole into many sections. When a whole is divided it then becomes the opposite of what it originally was. Instead of one strong force it becomes many little ones. While this may be beneficial in assuring that everyone gets an even amount of pie for an after dinner treat, when one does this in an organization such as a church, it can birth dissentions, competitions and the like. Each would be more concerned and focused with his/her section, losing sight of the bigger picture of being beneficial to the whole.

This is what was happening here. They lost sight that they are members of a greater whole and everything they say and do is to be for the purpose of the whole. The whole here is the body of Christ. With that, Paul teaches them that they “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

When one thinks about the word “same;” which we see over and over again in this verse, it gives the idea of more than oneness, it really exemplifies that among the body of believers there should be no difference. On matters of their faith, there should be no difference in the way they “speak,” on the way they operate as a “perfectly joined” body or in their “judgment.” Their mindset should be focused on the Christ they serve instead of feeding into things that would seek to bring “divisions.”

1 Corinthians 1:11 “For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.”

A report had gone out from the “house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.” In other words, there was no secret that there were problems going on in this church. The arguments or quarrels with one another had become so that someone felt it prudent to bring it to Paul’s attention. If left unchecked the problems would persist disrupting the worship and fellowship among the body of believers in Corinth.

Division is such a deadly thing to the church that’s why it has to be continually dealt with. In Romans 16:17 Paul taught, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” When you “avoid” them, you “avoid” the division they seek to bring (see also 2 Timothy 2:23 and Titus 3:9-10).

Even Jesus taught, “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand,” (Mark 3:25). Division takes away support. Once the support of any structure or organization is diminished it no longer has the strength to stand. It will crumble. Paul had to deal with this problem immediately.

1 Corinthians 1:12-13 “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”

Here is the crux of their divisions and arguments: people. Not that the people named caused the division, but each group had their preference of who they wanted or claimed to follow as their leader and so great dissentions arose amongst the congregation due to this.

“Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.” Paul was the great missionary and founding father of the church in Corinth and in many other cities on his missionary journeys.

Apollos is “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures,” (Acts 18:24). He is also known for being “fervent in spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord,” (Acts 18:25).

And, of course, Cephas is who we know as Peter. He is the one to whom Jesus said, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” (Matthew 16:17-18).

Each faction has pledged their allegiance to one of these leaders. Still another group said, “and I of Christ.” This is where all their allegiances should have been placed without bringing with it a division and in-fighting.

With that, Paul asked a very important question, “Is Christ divided?” All that are in the body of Christ are one and are under one, which is Christ alone. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:3-6:

“Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

After approaching the subject of “unity in the Spirit,” in these verses, the word “one” shows up seven times. Oneness in the church cannot be over emphasized enough. “One” exudes the singleness of mind and heart they are to exhibit amongst themselves. Ephesians 4:5 says it best, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” There is no division or separation in the “one.”

1 Corinthians 1:14-17 “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

To squash any further disagreements and disputes over this matter, Paul declared, “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.” He didn’t want anything, including the issue of baptism, to cause dissention in the church. Were some saying he had an ulterior motive? Was there some stating that he baptized people in his name to be a part of his clique? We don’t know. But the issue was real enough for Paul to address it in this manner, and address it he did.

He stated, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” Simply put, Paul, in his letter, let them know that the gist of his ministry didn’t rest in the realm of baptism. His ministry was focused on preaching the gospel. Maybe this was more important to some, but not to Paul. The heart and soul of the work he was doing for the Lord revolved around spreading The Good News to as many as would hear it. This was his personal purpose.

And, he would not do it for any form or fashion to appease men; “not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” Paul was a highly-educated man who was “yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers,” (Acts 22:3). He was also known for being a world traveler, a man of several languages. He could have boasted in these and in the “wisdom” he had obtained.

Yet, in Philippians 3:8 of all his accolades he states, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” The “cross of Christ” and the message it carries is what mattered most to Paul. He didn’t want anything he says or does to contradict or take away from that primary message making it “of none effect.” Paul was against division just as Christ was.

Conclusion:

Anything that brings division in the church hurts the body of Christ.

For more information check out a recent article titled “Why Are We Fighting One Another?” (www.wordforlifesays.com, June 16, 2014).

Below are activities to help reinforce this week’s lesson. Enjoy!

Wordsearch: A Call to Unity Wordsearch Answers: A Call to Unity Wordsearch Answers

Crossword: A Call to Unity Crossword Answers: A Call to Unity Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: A Call to Unity Word Scramble Answers: A Call to Unity Word Scramble Answers

Draw the Scene: PDF: A Call to Unity Puzzle_2 (Don’t forget cardstock is best when making a puzzle)

Below are more Resources/Links/Activities (The Bible is full of examples for unity. Though some may not be the same verse or lesson, any of these ideas can be easily adapted to this week’s lesson. Enjoy!):

Let your students put together one of these printed out (on cardstock) from Free Coloring and Crafts. They can move them and play with them and just have fun. I used brads instead of string (my preference, it seemed easier). There are several options to choose from. Using the puppet as an illustration, your students can see how being “perfectly joined” allows it to move has a whole body. Enjoy! Below is one I put together:

“Bible Games that Teach Oneness” (You will definitely appreciate these ideas: Body Connections, Community Puzzle and more will enhance this week’s lesson nicely. Enjoy!)

“Classroom Activities to Build Unity” (Your students will enjoy these activities that get the body moving while teaching unity at the same time: Hula-Hoop Relay, Elbow to Elbow and more. Enjoy!)

“Christian Unity” (I absolutely love this idea found under object lesson. Have students lie down on a big piece of cardboard and draw an outline of their body. Then, cut it into pieces like a big “body puzzle.” Click on this one for more. Enjoy!)

“Unity of Believers” (Can candy such as licorice teach children about sticking together? You bet it can! Click to find out more about this idea. Enjoy!)

“U is for Unity Bible Alphabet Coloring Page”

“Teaching Kids About the Body of Christ” (Here are several activities to reinforce this week’s lesson. I especially like the Activity #2: All One Part . . . One Big Part. Enjoy!)

“He Sent Me to Tell the Good News Without Using Big Words” (I put this one on here because this poster, which I think would be easily replicated, hits the nail on the head with verse 17 of the lesson. Enjoy!)

“Handprint Heart” is an easy, put together craft that will exemplify unity for your students. Enjoy!

“Paper Doll Chain” never goes out of style when teaching unity and togetherness. Click here and your students can make their own for a nice reminder of today’s lesson. Enjoy!)

“No Sew Unity Banner” (Although this one is done with fabric this idea can be easily replicated with construction paper cut outs. Enjoy!)