SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 02 September 19, 2004

A Heritage of Faith with Abraham
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 11:8-22, 12:1-3
Optional Readings: Jeremiah 29:11-13, Matthew 7:7-11
Memory Verse: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart." Jeremiah 29:13

      The first lesson focused on faith, this lesson focuses sharply on Abraham's faith. What is this faith? It is an active trust in God, a believing what God said and acting on it. This faith/trust in God is found in a relationship with God. God is the one who takes the initiative. God created us to have a trusting/faith relationship with himself. When first man and first woman (Adam and Eve) decided NOT to trust and obey God they fell out of that perfect friendship with God. Something died inside them but God came looking for them and provided clothes for them at the same time he told them the terrible consequences of their disobedience. Through the centuries that followed, God was always looking for people who would respond to his seeking of them by seeking him themselves. Abel, Enoch and Noah and now Abraham were some examples.

      Look at the Memory Verse. God longs for us to seek him. We see this in Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd, who goes out looking for his lost sheep. Word received: "Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you." (Jeremiah 11:12) That is what I want the children to know, that if they call upon me as Abraham did that I will hear and answer them. When they seek me, they will find me.

      God knew what was going to happen and he had a plan and it started with Abraham, a plan to create a people, a nation who would know him personally, obey him and eventually, through Jesus, make it possible for everyone to come to know him personally. "He destined us in love to be his children through Jesus Christ...before the foundation of the world." (Ephesians 1:4-5)

      Abraham lived about 4,000 years ago, about 2,000 years before Jesus. This is how much Abraham knew about God when he started out. (Hold up Bible showing Genesis 1 11.) There was nothing wrong with knowing only that much because he walked with God. He was God's friend.(Isaiah 41:8) As children we can know this much (show whole Bible). Adults may know more than children but there is lots we don't know. A little child can't know all that his father knows, but it is enough for a little child to know that his father knows. (That's what God wants for us.) But just like Abraham we can walk with God and be God's friend.

      Abraham trusted God and believed him when God called him to leave his family and everything he knew to go -- NOT KNOWING -- where he was to go -- and HE WENT!. Word received: Walk by faith with me. You don't yet know how you are going to get there. That is OK. Abraham didn't either. Start out.

      Abraham obeyed. "By faith Abraham obeyed."
Word received: Obedience.
Word received: "By faith Abraham obeyed...and he went out, not knowing where he was going. " (Hebrews 11:8) By faith Abraham obeyed. His faith in me led him into obedient action. That is what I want your faith in me to do: lead you into obedient action.

      Abraham lived in tents. (vs.9) He left the big city of Haran, and lived in the land of promise (Canaan) as a temporary resident, an ex-patriot, an exile, the rest of his life. As it says in vs.15, he could have gone back to his former life, but he didn't. That faith continued, to a greater or lesser degree in his son, Isaac, grandson Jacob, and great grandson Joseph. The stories survived and were passed down so that we can know God's purposes for us. All these were living by faith when they died. Faith and obedience to Jesus and our heavenly Father lead us to places we otherwise would not have gone. Word received: You too are a stranger in this world. (See Hebrew 11:9)

      When we trust and obey Jesus we become citizens of another kingdom, another city -- the heavenly Jerusalem. What would it be like to live in a tent all the time? Where was Abraham's home? Where is your real, lasting home? When there is a conflict between our temporary home on earth and the home, the city God has prepared for those who love him in heaven, which do we need to choose? Abraham looked for a city whose foundation and builder is God. God is in charge and he will lead us there if we let him. Our eyes are on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus is the one who works in us to accomplish God's purposes. It's his work in us that does it, not something we muster up on our own.

      What are some other ways Abraham and Sarah trusted and obeyed God? They trusted God to provide the promised son of Sarah. They stopped trusting for a while and tried to help God out and produced another son, Ishmael by Sarah's servant girl. (That was acceptable custom in those days.) That caused a LOT of trouble. We have to recognize that we can't manipulate God. When God gives a leading in a circumstance, that's what we have to be obedient to. Prompt obedience is better than delayed obedience. This was just like Rebecca trying to help out God with his promise to Jacob (Genesis 28:23). What is important is who God is, not who we are. God is glorified in taking the most impossible situation and working his power to produce results. God did give the promised son -- after a long time when humanly speaking it was impossible.

      Abraham trusted God when God asked Abraham to give back to him, Isaac, the promised son who was to be the ancestor of countless millions. He had already sent Ishmael away. Word received: Faith is trusting me in the circumstance.

      God wants us to trust him with everything -- even the promises he has given. He wants to be first. Jesus talks about loving him more than our own family, our dearest treasure. Many Christian parents have had the experience of giving their children back to God. Sometimes God gives the gift back (like Isaac) and sometimes not. (Torre gave the scholarship back to God, God took it and later gave back a better one.) God doesn’t want us to trust or love some good thing he has given us more than we trust or love him. Has God ever asked you to give something back to him? What happened?

      What we see in Abraham being willing to do, to sacrifice his son, God took on himself to do in Jesus, his son. Abraham was trusting that God would fulfill his promise through Isaac. (Hebrews 11:17-19) In Jesus, God himself paid the price for our salvation and then raised Jesus from the dead. That is part of a Christian perspective on Abraham. Hebrews is part of the Christian perspective on Abraham. Paul also uses Abraham as an example of how we are saved, how we get in a right relationship with God. We are set right with God as a gift, by faith/trust in him, trust that acts on that trust. Word received: I want to have the same kind of relationship with you that I had with Abraham. Word received: When I call you, I want you to obey as Abraham did. Will you listen and obey?

      How is God calling you? How are you responding? Jesus talked about the difference between those who only SAY the words, "Lord, Lord" and those who DO the will of the Father in heaven. One is like the house built on sand and the other who obeys the words of Jesus like a house built on rock.

      God has a job for us to do. Word received: Call on the children and adults to be willing to go forward at my word to the hungry hearts that are waiting for them. Peter and the others (Acts 10:17-33) were willing to go at my bidding. I sent them on that journey just as I sent Abraham on his journey.

      God is in charge. He wants us to be willing to live under his direction, to accomplish his purposes.

      Finally, we have an audience, a cheering section as we "run the race" of life. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Peter and Paul are cheering us on to seek and follow God with all our hearts. They left us the witness of their lives. (Hebrews 12:1-2) "Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin...and run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus..." These are the people who are around us at Holy Communion as we pray "and all the company of heaven."

       Prayer: Lord, show me how to be obedient and trust you in my situation. Help me to recognize when you are calling me and respond.

TEACHER IDEAS for Lesson 2
Please read the study guide first.
God over the Memory Verse with them and see if they understand it, and if they know it.
1. Abraham knew God as a best friend. (This is not a relationship of equals, but a close one.)
2. Abraham trust and believed God.
3. God wants us to be friends with him like Abraham was.
4. God hears us when we talk to him. When God asks us to do something (when he talks to us) he wants us to obey him.

Find a way to share the WORDS with the children. This is what God said to the teachers.

Activities and object lessons;

      A faith walk: blindfold each child by turn (if they are willing) and ask them to trust you to lead them around without getting hurt, not knowing where they are going. They have to trust you.

Challenge and prayer to close: Before praying you might ask if anyone has a sense that God is asking them to do something. Ask them if they have talked to someone who is more experienced in the Lord about it to find out if it is really God.