Middle/High School Sunday School Lessons by. rfour.org

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1 Middle/High Schl Sunday Schl Lessns by rfur.rg Year 2: Sessin 3 Jnah and Jesus Class 9: Luke 4:1-15 Jesus In The Wilderness CONCEPTS that will be cvered in the lessn Discuss why smething is tempting Highlight hw Jesus is able t keep his mind fcused n Gd and nt the tempting tests Nte what ministry lks like when a persn is fully fcused n Gd (as cmpared t, say, Jnah) Materials needed: 1. Mvie clip (available n rfur.rg) frm Mneyball 2. Electrnics that shw the vide clip 3. Bibles fr students t search thrugh OPENING PRAYER OPENING QUESTION THE LESSON One f the things we d every class is ask and answer the pening questin at the beginning f class because it helps us 1. Learn mre abut each ther and 2. Helps warm us up fr sme f the ideas in the upcming lessn. S we re ging t d that nw. S here s the pening questin fr tday s class. I [the teacher] will ask the questin and then t give yu sme time t think f an answer, I will answer first. Once I answer the questin, we ll g arund the circle and each f us will answer. When it s yur turn, start with yur name and then answer the questin t the best f yur ability. Here s this week s questin: What test did yu mst recently take that yu think (r knw) yu did well n? TRANSITION TO VIDEO CLIP In tday s scripture stry, Jesus faces three temptatins. We will talk abut hw the Greek wrd that gets used fr temptatin can als mean test and what that means in terms f understanding the stry. But t start with, let s think abut why smething is tempting and ther things are nt tempting. Fr instance, if I said There are tw chices fr dessert tnight: Ice cream and dirt, which ne f thse chices wuld nt be tempting? Right, the dirt. Because nne f us wuld like eating it. S smething that is tempting is smething that we might actually like. 1 This material is the cpyrighted prperty f rfur.rg. It is als free. Please use, imprve and share this material. But d nt ever pay fr it, sell it r require r give any persnal infrmatin fr it

2 Nw, that desn t mean we initially want the tempting thing that is being ffered, but we wuld like it. T help us think abut hw smething can be tempting, but nt necessarily what we want, let s watch the fllwing vide clip frm the mvie, Mneyball. In it, the general manager named Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt) f the Oakland A s (that s a baseball team), is lking fr a first baseman wh can hit, but wn t cst his team t much mney when they hire him. Billy thinks they ve fund the right player, named Sctt. The prblem is, Sctt (played by Chris Pratt) is a hurt catcher, nt a first baseman. Let s see if he finds Billy Beane s prpsal tempting. WATCH Vide clip ASK TELL Des it sund like lts f ther teams are asking Sctt t play fr them? (N, they are nt) D yu think Sctt is wrried abut his future? (seems likely; the scene tries t prtray that stress at the beginning f the clip where Sctt s wife is ding bills at the kitchen table) Despite being wrried abut his future and having n jb ffers, is Sctt very excited abut Billy s ffer t play first base? (npe, nt at all) Is the scut wh is with Billy excited abut Sctt playing first base? (npe, nt at all) Des it sund like the fans wuld be excite abut Sctt playing first base? (nt accrding t Sctt r the scut) Despite his indecisin and lack f excitement, and that he prbably desn t want t play first base, hw tempted d yu think Sctt is abut Billy s ffer t play first base fr the Oakland A s? (pretty tempted) Tday s scripture stry, Jesus temptatin in the wilderness, happens directly after Jesus is baptized. In it, he is tempted t d three different things. After we read the stry, we ll discuss why Jesus might ve liked t d thse three things (that is: why thse things were tempting t Jesus), even if he ultimately didn t want r chse t d thse things. As we read the stry, I als want yu t keep in mind that Greek wrd that is translated as temptatin can als be translated as test. Think f the stry, then, as a test f temptatins. Let s see what happens. READ Luke 4:1-15 (recmmendatin: Have class read it alud; ne persn per verse) 1Jesus, full f the Hly Spirit, returned frm the Jrdan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where fr frty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nthing at all during thse days, and when they were ver, he was famished. 3The devil said t him, If yu are the Sn f Gd, cmmand this stne t becme a laf f bread. 4Jesus answered him, It is written, One des nt live by bread alne. 5Then the devil led him up and shwed him in an instant all the kingdms f the wrld. 6And the devil said t him, T yu I will give their glry and all this authrity; fr it has been given ver t me, and I give it t anyne I please. 7If yu, then, will wrship me, it will all be yurs. 8Jesus answered him, It is written, Wrship the Lrd yur Gd, and serve nly him. 9Then the devil tk him t Jerusalem, and placed him n the pinnacle f the temple, saying t him, If yu are the Sn f Gd, thrw yurself dwn frm here, 10fr it is written, He will cmmand his angels cncerning yu, t prtect yu, 11and On their hands they will bear yu up, s that yu 2 This material is the cpyrighted prperty f rfur.rg. It is als free. Please use, imprve and share this material. But d nt ever pay fr it, sell it r require r give any persnal infrmatin fr it

3 will nt dash yur ft against a stne. 12Jesus answered him, It is said, D nt put the Lrd yur Gd t the test. 13When the devil had finished every test, he departed frm him until an pprtune time. 14Then Jesus, filled with the pwer f the Spirit, returned t Galilee, and a reprt abut him spread thrugh all the surrunding cuntry. 15He began t teach in their synaggues and was praised by everyne. ASK TELL Verse 1 wh/what led Jesus int the wilderness? (the Hly Spirit) And what was in the wilderness? (challenging temptatins/tests) Verse 2 -- Hw lng was Jesus in the wilderness (40 days. Nte: 40 is a symblic number fr the Hebrews that means a cmplete amunt. ) In verse 3, what s the first test/temptatin? (t turn stne int bread) a) Aside: Is that smething that ften tempts yu!? (just checking) In verse 4, when Jesus replies It is written any thughts abut what writing he is referring t? (yes, the Hebrew scripture r what we call the Old Testament) In verse 7, what is the secnd test / temptatin? (t wrship the devil and then receive all srts f glry and authrity) In verse 8, when Jesus replies, It is written, any thughts abut what writing he is referring t? (that s right same answer! The Hebrew scripture r what we call the Old Testament) In verse 9 and 10, what is the temptatin? (there s a number f them, depending n hw yu read it: There s a challenge there fr Jesus t prve he is the Sn f Gd, there is the temptatin t quit by way f death and then verse 10 is abut tempting/testing Gd t rescue Jesus) In verse 12, when Jesus replies, It is said, any thughts abut where that saying might be? (that s right same answer! The Hebrew scripture r what we call the Old Testament) In verse 13, what had the devil finished? (every test) But will the devil return? (yes, at an pprtune time) S, d yu think there will be mre tests / challenges fr Jesus? (yes) And when thse temptatins arise, based n hw Jesus respnded previusly, hw d yu think Jesus will respnd t thse ther temptatins? (by saying n and mst likely by replying with smething frm the Hebrew scripture) Verse 14 and 15, hw well f a jb des it sund like Jesus is ding in his ministry? (a pretty gd ne!) T repeat an earlier idea, the wrd temptatin here als translates as test. And the tests appear t be abut seeing what chices Jesus will make when tempting ptins are placed befre him, ptins that are different than what he knws he shuld chse. S, what are thse ptins? Let s lk at the tests Jesus faces. a) Initially, the first test lks like it s abut hunger and survival that Jesus shuld feed himself since he hasn t eaten in a lng amunt f time. But Jesus respnse t the test lets us knw that he s clear that fd/survival is nt his mst imprtant pririty (at least in that mment). Instead, what we re learning abut Jesus in this stry is that paying attentin t Gd is mre imprtant t him than even fd. b) The secnd test is Jesus being ffered an easy way ut. The, Just d this ne thing and yu will get everything 3 This material is the cpyrighted prperty f rfur.rg. It is als free. Please use, imprve and share this material. But d nt ever pay fr it, sell it r require r give any persnal infrmatin fr it

4 that yu want and need c) Jesus respnse, thugh a little cryptic, reveals a clarity f mind that understands yu have t wn smething befre yu can give it away. In ther wrds, Jesus des nt frget that Gd made everything and, therefre, what the devil is ffering is nt the devil s t give, but fr Gd t give. d) The third test I think is mstly abut quitting and/r expecting Gd t take care f things. e) Ever had the temptatin t give up and let smene else figure ut what t d, shuld anyne else care t figure ut what t d? That s what this test seems t be abut. S, why test Jesus? T help us think abut this, let s lk at wh didn t take any tests. a) I think the Jnah stry lets us knw hw a lack f testing turns ut. b) When the ging gets tugh fr Jnah, he runs away. c) When running away desn t wrk, he desn t try very hard t d what Gd directed him t d: Offer Nineveh a change t ask fr Gd s frgiveness. d) But what if he had had sme testing befrehand? If he had had sme practice f chsing Gd s ptins when under stress? e) Which makes me think that the reasn fr the testing is t help Jesus. f) After all, Jesus is led t the time f testing by the Hly Spirit. g) The testing then lets Jesus see that when the ging gets tugh, he is able t stay clear abut why he is ding what he is ding. h) In ther wrds, the tests let him knw that s he ready fr ministry. S, hw did Jesus pass these tests? Simply put, he knew his Bible a) Every time Jesus faces a challenge, he has a scripture passage that he uses t help him say n t the temptatin. b) And, ne f the reasns that Jesus was able t use the scripture passages as a way t help him keep this thinking straight was because he knew the scripture passages well. c) This same apprach can be used by us, as well, which is ne f the reasns why we read and discuss the scripture stries in every class, because I knw that they are helpful t us in many ways, including helping us t t remember hw t invite Gd int stressful situatins that we might be experiencing. As an example f hw this wrks, we're ging t d sme scripture passage remembering in the fllwing activity. EXPLAIN ACTIVITY The way this will wrk is that I m ging t read (utlud) t the class a situatin. And then, as a class, I want yu t try and name a similar situatin frm ne f the Bible stries that we ve read this year (yu are als welcme t refer t ther Bible stries that cme t mind, but the situatins are specifically written t refer t stries frm this year). Yu can either lk up the stry in the Bible r just reply by memry. Nte: This isn t a cmpetitin, but a grup activity. DO ACTIVITY First situatin Situatin: Yur class is given a challenge. Yu are t build a twer ut f spaghetti ndles, tape, and 6 feet f string in 20 minutes. The class has been split int grups t see wh can build the tallest building in thse 20 minutes. 15 minutes have passed and the grup yu are in is nt ding well. The twer wn t stay up, tw classmates have stpped participating and the ther students in the grup are yelling at each ther. 4 This material is the cpyrighted prperty f rfur.rg. It is als free. Please use, imprve and share this material. But d nt ever pay fr it, sell it r require r give any persnal infrmatin fr it

5 Questin: What Bible stry have we read recently that is similar t this? Answer: The twer f Babel stry where the peple try t build the tallest building, but then end up experiencing a breakdwn in cmmunicatin Questin: Nw that yu ve identified the situatin that yu are in where there is a breakdwn in cmmunicatin, what stry have we recently read where cmmunicatin difficulties are vercme where many f the peple spke different languages, but they understd everything the disciples were saying? Answer: Pentecst Questin: And what were the disciples ding tgether befre everyne culd understand them? Answer: Praying Reslutin: Unless yur class is a Sunday schl class, asking yur classmates t pray with yu is nt ging t help the situatin (mst likely). Hwever, that desn t mean yu can t pray. In yur mind, ask Gd fr understanding abut the situatin and what wrds yu might be able t share with the grup s that they can all wrk tgether again. Then be still in yur mind and see what thughts and bservatins cme t mind. Then, like Peter did in the Pentecst stry, share what cmes t mind with the grup. Secnd situatin Yu are 23 years ld. And the church yu are attending is lking fr sme leaders t help with the middle and/r high schl Sunday schl classes / yuth grups. Thugh yu are thrughly equipped and prepared t help ut with a situatin like this (because yu ve been a student in this class and knw yu can dwnlad and print all these same lessns frm rfur.rg), the timing f the class is incnvenient fr yu because yu d rather be ding smething else during that time (a sprts team meets then, yu like t sleep in, etc). Yu chse t nt help ut. Questin: What Bible stry have we read recently that is similar t this? Answer: Yep, Jnah ging in the ppsite directin that Gd asked Jnah t g in. Questin: Nw, it s pssible that Gd wasn t calling yu t teach the Sunday schl class. Just because there s an pprtunity, desn t mean yu have t d it. But the activity that yu ve been ding isn t turning ut s gd fr yu. Yu gt injured playing yur sprt f chice. Yu can t sleep in because the dg needs t be walked and the neighbr cuts their grass n Sunday mrning. And, the church yu are attending has specifically asked yu fr help. Yu say yes. Yu learn leadership skills. The students are actually enjying the class. Church members tell yu their appreciatin. There is much rejicing. What Bible stry have we read recently that is similar t this? Answer: Either the secnd Jnah stry r even tday s stry. Yu understd that the initial things that seemed gd weren t actually the mst imprtant things that yu culd d. And, then, the results f helping ut with the Sunday schl class were impressive. Reslutin: 10 years after yu led the Sunday schl class / yuth grup, a new grup f 23 year lds face the same decisin as yu did. And because f yu, they are equipped and ready t help lead their wn church s Sunday schl classes / yuth grups. Well dne, future-yus! Third situatin Due t inept plitics, increase in ppulatin f ver 150% in just 60 years (2.5bn t 7bn), increase in manufacturing, and unchanging habits f many peple, is causing glbal weather temps t increase. Additinally, the plar caps are melting and the water levels are rising. Questin: What Bible stry have we read recently that has a similar ending as the just-mentined situatin? 5 This material is the cpyrighted prperty f rfur.rg. It is als free. Please use, imprve and share this material. But d nt ever pay fr it, sell it r require r give any persnal infrmatin fr it

6 Answer: Yep, Nah and the fld -- where peple were fcused n all srts f things, but nt Gd, and subsequently, the water levels rse. Questin: In bth the Nah stry and when Jesus calms the strm, what tl did we see the characters use that helps them t address the situatin? Answer: wrds! Right! In bth situatins, the persn wrks with Gd, using what they ve learned frm Gd and what Gd has directed them t d in rder t best respnd t the situatin. Even when the situatin is verwhelming, because the peple are paying attentin t Gd first, then the situatin is reslved, smetimes even in unexpected ways. Reslutin: Remains t be seen TELL Well dne with yur answering! When we learn abut Gd and the faith stries and then apply thse stries as reminders t put Gd first in ur wn lives, then, as we see with Jesus at the end f tday s stry, amazing things can happen. And that s the gd news fr tday CLOSING PRAYER 6 This material is the cpyrighted prperty f rfur.rg. It is als free. Please use, imprve and share this material. But d nt ever pay fr it, sell it r require r give any persnal infrmatin fr it