The Darkness Within. Lesson Title: The Darkness Within. Focus Passage: Luke 11:33-54

Transcription

1 The Darkness Within (Week 24 Quiet Time Passages: Luke 11:29 13:9) Lesson Title: The Darkness Within Focus Passage: Luke 11:33-54 Key Objective: That students would understand that we are all sinners and we need God to create a new heart within us and that students would have a desire to be genuine in their walk with God and not live a double life. Teaching for Excellence: Sometimes something as innocent as a writing utensil can become a distraction. Youth workers know it sounds silly, but if you ve taught for any length of time, you know it is true. Wait until the pen or pencil is needed before you pass them out. Giving students a pen or pencil before it is needed is handing them the temptation to be distracted and to distract others. We could very easily write a book titled, Creative Ways to Misuse a Pen based on the times we forgot to follow this advice. I m sure you have at least a few examples of this phenomenon as do most teachers! Preparation for Today s Lesson 1. A French (coffee) Press and some coffee. 2. Camp lantern or a bright flashlight and a box suitable to cover it 3. Blindfolds 4. Handout (included with this lesson) 5. Pens or pencils 6. Apple (Take a few bites out of an apple and then let it sit out for about a week. One side of the apple will look fresh and appetizing and the other side will look rotten and brown.) 7. A timer or bell to signal when Small Group time is done. Getting Your Students Interest Option #1: Object Lesson: French Press Teacher s Note: Use a French Press (coffee machine) and some coffee to illustrate the fact that we cannot get rid of our own sin. We need a Savior who can create a clean heart within us. A French Press is a portable coffee maker. If you do not own one, you can pick one up fairly inexpensively or ask a college-age person. They are fairly popular with that age group. Life Step Lesson 24 Page 139

2 Tonight I d like to introduce you to some unique coffer made by a rather unique coffee machine. [Put some coffee in the bottom of the French Press and then fill the container with hot water.] Let s allow the hot water to represent our life and the coffee to be symbolic of sin in our life. You will notice that the water and the coffee grounds are mixed together. In the same way, sin gets into our lives. Now I m going to press the filter down through the water. The coffee grounds will collect at the bottom of the press. That s like using our willpower to push sin down. We try to make ourselves look holy and righteous, but the problem is that the sin is still there. The fact is the coffee grounds are still at the bottom of the press. What can we do? Even if we pour the coffee out into a cup and refill the press with fresh clean hot water, the coffee at the bottom will change the color of the water, not the other way around. We cannot clean ourselves up and become righteous and holy like God is, because our hearts are filled with sin. We must ask God to completely change us. We need to ask Him to create His heart in us. [Demonstrate this by emptying out the coffee and the grounds. Pour fresh, clean hot water into the press.] Option #2: Object Lesson: Glass Jar and Ping Pong Balls Teacher s Note: Place four or five ping pong balls inside a glass jar and screw the lid on. After you ve introduced the concept, unscrew the lid and pour water over the ping pong balls. We all have sin in our lives. We can do nothing to get rid of the sin in our lives. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, He has the power to overcome the sin in our lives. As I pour water into the jar, the balls which represent sin come floating to the top and come out of the top of the jar. The truth of the Word of God will expose our sin and when we confess it, God will take it out of our lives. The water of the Word of God cleanses us as we allow it to work in our lives. But what will happen if we are not reading or listening to the Word of God? Introducing the Lesson It is very important that each of us is genuine. There is no reason for us to put on a mask and pretend we are something that we are not. There is no reason to be a hypocrite and say the right words but not mean what we say. We don t need to act one way in front of church people and another way when we get home. In Luke 11, Jesus is speaking to a large crowd of people. In fact, he began with a crowd that continued to grow [Have student read Luke 11:29.] Many of the people may have gathered because they were looking for a miraculous sign. Jesus explains that they don t really need a miraculous sign, but instead, they need to know the truth of God (Luke 11:29-32). There were also some Pharisees in the crowd (Luke 11:37). The Pharisees were very critical of Jesus and His ministry. They were not receptive to God s message through Life Step Lesson 24 Page 140

3 His Son, Jesus. Although they heard Jesus words, it was as if their spiritual ears were clogged. They could not receive the truth that Jesus was teaching. Jesus points out their hypocrisy and ours. Teaching the Word [Read Luke 11:32-33 together.] Teacher s Note: Light the camp lantern or turn on the flashlight and put it in an obvious place. Cover it briefly and then remove the box. Explain that the light that Jesus is referring to is the light of God s Truth in the person of Jesus Christ. Wouldn t it be ridiculous to light this lantern and then cover it up? Jesus did not come to hide the truth, but to explain truth from God s perspective. God s truth is reality. Man s truth is tainted and twisted. Jesus has come to share the truth of God. He is the light of the world. Since He is the light, He has come to shine so that others may be able to see. Since Jesus is teaching the light of the truth, why is it that some people did not agree with Him? In fact, some people were claiming that Jesus was from Satan! [Have several students share the reading of Luke 11:14-23.] Shouldn t everyone be able to see the truth, just as everyone can see the light shining? Have you ever noticed how some people hear the truth and it makes sense to them? They see that it is true. They immediately embrace it. They are excited about it and stake their life on it. Other people hear the truth, but it doesn t seem to have any meaning to them. Sometimes you will find a person whose parents are Christians, who grew up in the church, and have heard the truth their entire lives. Yet it seems to mean absolutely nothing to them. When they come to Sunday School or church, it is only because they have to come. When someone talks about the Bible, they just roll their eyes. If this is God s truth and it is infinitely and eternally important, why do some people not care? [Ask students what they think.] This is the situation that Jesus faced. Many people, especially the religious leaders, did not listen to the truth that Jesus was teaching. In fact, they criticized it, rejected it, and sometimes even attributed it to Satan! Why was this happening? Jesus explains why this is happening in the following verses. [Assign a student to read Luke 11:34-35 together.] Teacher s Note: As you explain this principle, blindfold one or more students. Demonstrate that the problem is not with the Light (the Truth); the problem is with the eyes of the one who is looking at the light. The principle is this: if a person has eyes that are filled with light, his whole person is filled with goodness and truth. However, if the person s eyes are filled with darkness, then that person is going to be filled with darkness. The Pharisees and other religious leaders put a lot of energy into following a set of man-made rules. They thought that if they followed this set of rules, then they would Life Step Lesson 24 Page 141

4 be seen as good and righteous. They had the same problem that we all have. On the outside they were trying to look good, but on the inside they were filled with darkness. They were rule-makers who were also rule-breakers, because everyone has sinned. They were very concerned about looking good and having the appearance of being perfect, but the reality was that they were evil and filled with darkness. What did Jesus think about this? Is it a good idea for us to look good on the outside try to act good when people are watching but know that inside things are not right with God? [Allow for student response.] Object Lesson: Apple Look at this apple that I took a few bites out of several days ago. One side of the apple looks fresh and appetizing and the other side looks seriously rotten. On the outside, the Pharisees looked good, but they were full of sin on the inside. In just a minute we will all take a look at Luke 11:39-41, where Jesus describes the hypocritical Pharisees as cups and dishes that are nice and squeaky clean on the outside but are caked with old food and grime on the inside. Is this describing me? Am I like this too? This is a question I have to constantly ask myself. How about you? Small Groups: We are going to break into Small Groups now and use the Student Worksheet. You can write down the answers to the questions. When you are finished, we will get back together to talk about what you found. [Set a time limit on the Small Group time according to your time allotment for class.] Applying God s Truths Teacher s Note: Gather the students back together. If you have time, go through the woes in Luke 11 and talk about the meaning of each. Make sure you allow time for their answer to the last question on the handout. What were the various woes of the Pharisees? [Have each group respond.] What do you think the woes of today would be? [Write down any similarities on the board.] The Pharisees were posers. They were hypocrites. We don t want to be like them! [Show the apple again.] Is this your life? Do you try to look good on the outside but yet are full of sin on the inside? Do we know how to say the right words and act the right way in front of our parents or people from church, but then when we are out of their sight, we act in a different way? God wants us to live all-out, 100% for Him. He doesn t want us to be a fake or a hypocrite. Why should we put on an act and displease the One Who gave His life for us? [Read Hebrews 4:13.] We might be able to fool people, but we cannot fool God. Nothing is hidden from His sight. Why try to hide from Him? Come before Him now and confess your sins to Him. Let Him know that you want to live for Him. Ask God to create a clean heart in you. Ask Him to give you a desire to do what is right and to seek the truth of the Word of God. Ask Him to help you to be REAL and to impact others around you. [Close in prayer and remind the students that you will make yourself available after class for any who want to talk.] Life Step Lesson 24 Page 142

5 Have you ever been lost? How did you feel? Think about it this week as you read Luke in your quiet time. The next time we get together we want to hear your stories. Life Step Lesson 24 Page 143

6 The Darkness Within Luke 11:33-54 In this passage, the woe is a pronouncement of judgment for the things the Pharisees were doing that made God angry. Write down what it was that they were doing WOE (11:42): WOE (11:43): WOE (11:44): WOE (11:46): WOE (11:47): WOE (11:52): If Jesus were to speak today to us in our culture, what do you think the woes would be? What are we doing in our culture that displeases God? See if your group can come up with the top three. WOE WOE WOE LIFE IMPRINT: Ask God to create a clean heart in you. Ask Him to give you a desire to do what is right and to seek the truth of the Word of God. Ask Him to help you to be REAL and to impact others around you. Have you ever been lost? How did you feel? Think about it this week as you read Luke in your quiet time. The next time we get together we want to hear your stories. Life Step Lesson 24 (Student Worksheet)