SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 23 April 3, 2005

God's Faithfulness and Love for Us
Theme: A Journey with Abraham
Theme Verse: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews 11:8 NIV
Readings: Hebrews 11:17-10; Luke 24:36-49 Review Genesis 22:1-18
Optional: Romans 5:8-11
Memory Verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

      God's purpose is always LIFE. Look at the memory verse, John 3:16, to see that God's underlying purpose and main goal in the whole story of his actions in human history is LOVE. What great love he had to want to bring us back to himself. That is what is best for us. He always knows best. God LOVED (agape love as an act of the will) the world (which He had made) SO MUCH that he GAVE his only Son so that whoever believes (puts their trust) in him should not perish (die apart from God) but have eternal LIFE (not only life after death but a new quality of life in this world). John 3:17 says that God's purpose in this was not to condemn the world but to RESCUE all who put their trust in Jesus, the Son.

      [Remember that Jesus said, "I and the Father are ONE." "God was IN Christ, reconciling the world to himself."] The cross was not something that the Father did to the Son but something that Jesus, the Son, came into the world to do (Revelation 13:8), to make himself an offering for sin as the Lamb of God (Philippians 2:8). Jesus is both the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and the offering -- the Lamb of God. He is the Giver and the Gift. Jesus himself said, "I lay down my life for the sheep." "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord and have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again, this charge I have from my Father." (John 10:18) Notice that Jesus' statement ends with resurrection!

      The story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 has two main sides. 1.) One side (foreshadowing) is that it points beyond itself to God sending his Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for sin -- to make atonement for sin, the Lamb of God in our place. This is so that we could have life. The cross is God's provision to deal with sin and give new life. 2.) The other side is Abraham's great trust and obedience toward God. There were other times where the Bible tells us about Abraham having trouble believing God (about a son) and arguing with God (about Sodom). This time he seems not have done either in spite of the seeming contradiction. The passage in Hebrews explains why he believed that God, who gave him Isaac, would provide and that God, who miraculously gave him Isaac, could also raise him from the dead. A word received: Abraham trusted Me, obeyed Me and I "credited it to him as righteousness." I want you to trust Me as Abraham did. The same behavior is possible for you by believing what I say and obeying -- then your faith will grow. After the testing of Abraham, God provided a lamb as a substitute offering and life for Isaac. After the testing of Jesus, God provided a substitute for us in Jesus' death on the cross and then raised him to life forever so that through giving our lives to Jesus and trusting him we too might have life -- now and for eternity.

      God met Abraham in the moment of extremity when he was about to sacrifice Isaac and God met the disciples grieving in the Upper Room (Luke 24), when they were at the end of their rope,--with hope, with joy and with love. God also meets us at that place of extremity with his faithfulness and love. (Do you have and example of this to share?)

      In Luke 24:36-49 Jesus surprises his disciples with joy, incredible joy -- that he really, truly is alive again. Abraham must have experienced the same joy when he received Isaac back again after giving him to God. This whole passage shows the Lord's great love and patience with his disciples. See how gentle Jesus is with them after they had seen him die a horrible death. He even invites them to touch him, not just see and hear him and proves he is not a ghost -- he can eat and be touched. He is really alive again! A word received: My love is just as great for you as for my disciples. If anyone doubts that God really loves you, look at what Jesus did for you! Think how difficult it was for Jesus, for his heavenly Father. Think how difficult it was for Abraham to obey God.

       The Scriptures are the key to understanding God's ways.

      Jesus tells them, reminds them, of what he had told them before the crucifixion (Luke 24:44-49), "that everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures." For example, look at how Isaiah 53:7 is fulfilled. If you are not familiar with it read Isaiah 52:14-53:12. Now they could see how everything fit together and he summarized the good news (read Luke 24:44-49). A word received: As you actively seek My Holy Spirit and read My word I will open the Scriptures for you too. Stop and pray that you will be faithful in doing this and that the Lord will open the Scriptures for you too.

KEY WORDS

       "Justified" "Reconciled" "Atonement"

      Now look at Romans 5:8-11. How amazing it is that Christ died for us while we were still rebellious sinners and before you and I were even born or thought of! That is God's amazing love. Romans 5:1 uses the word "justified". Go back to Romans 4:24. It will be reckoned to us (as righteousness) who believe (faith, trust) in him who raised Jesus from the dead, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Romans 5:9 says "we are justified by his blood." Justified means put back into a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus and what he did for us on the cross. The wages of sin is death and the Judge of all the earth paid the price for our sins himself so that we who accept this gift might be put back in a right relationship with God and receive the gift of life, new life in Jesus.

      Another verse says Jesus is the atonement for our sins. A simple way of understanding that is to say "at-one-ment." In the Old Testament sin was dealt with, covered, forgiven, paid for by making an atonement with a sin offering. This offering/ sacrifice represented the people it was made for and was done in their place. See Numbers 29:5, "a sin offering to make atonement for you" In Romans 5:10-11 Paul uses that word to describe what Jesus did for us. He paid the penalty for our sin so that we might be forgiven and made right with God and receive forgiveness and new life. (Romans 5:11, "we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement…")

      Romans 5:10 talks about being "reconciled" to God by the death of his Son--while we were still his enemies because of the rebellion of sin (going our own way; doing our own thing). It means that when we accept the gift Jesus offers, we are no longer God's enemies but can receive his gift of new life. Because he loves us he paid the price so that we can no longer be enemies but become God's beloved children. With his forgiveness God also wants to give us his Holy Spirit so we can have the power to live this new life.

       Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your great love for me. You gave your son so that I could live! Show me how to live in you.

Deuteronomy 30:14-20, "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses."
THEREFORE CHOOSE LIFE! so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life."

Teaching Ideas for Lesson 23

Please read the Study Guide first.

      Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.

      Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.

      Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.

Basic points of the lesson for little ones.
1. God has such great love for us. He gave His only Son so that we could live.
      2. God want us to trust Him. Then He can show us His way. God's way is always best.
      3. God wants to "open the scriptures" to us too. Our part is to read the Bible daily and ask our Father in Heaven to guide us by His Holy Spirit to understand Him and His ways.
      4. As we follow Jesus' way, and seek His Holy Spirit, He will work in us and our faith will grow.
      5. God always wants us to choose life. That means to choose Him and His ways. His way is always best for us.