COLOSSIANS 1, 2 A SECRET GOD CAN T KEEP SESSION 5 LEAD IT: HIGH SCHOOL Note: We apologize in advance for a sevenpage Lead It guide. The session isn t as long as seven pages suggests; it s simply a lot of info (good info!) and extra options to include on the pages. GOALS As students experience this session in Colossians, they will be introduced to the mystery Paul wrote about in Colossians. explore God s grand plan for the ages, which was put in place before the ages began. see how this grand plan applies to their lives. MATERIALS: Group a white board and colored pencils MATERIALS: Each Student student journal pages for Session 5 Colossians Scripture sheets a Bible, pen, and notebook Optional: If you chose the Post-it option under Taking It Inward, you ll need five blank Post-it notes per student. Prayer Remind your students of a prayer request and promise found in the book of James: If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 Then simply do that very thing ask for wisdom as you prepare your hearts to explore Colossians. Review To stay connected to the big themes in Colossians, ask a few review questions. Based on our study last time, what are two or three benefits we can enjoy because of what God has done for us? Among all the truths we uncovered about God in Session 4, what was the common theme we saw? God initiated all the action. Last week we made the point that Satan hopes we ll forget all the great truths about God from Colossians. How many of them can you remember off the top of your head? -God can fill us with the knowledge of His will. (1:9) -God has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (1:12) -God has rescued us. (1:13) -God reconciled us by Christ s physical body to present us holy in His sight. (1:22) -God made us alive with Christ. (2:13) -God forgave us all our sins. (2:13) Bonus: What specific word does the Bible (NIV) use to describe what God did to get us out of the dominion of darkness? -rescued (1:13) NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 5 1
OPEN Transition into study by discussing one or two of these questions: What s the best mystery book you ve ever read or movie you ve ever seen? What are some things you think of when you hear the word mystery? How good are you at keeping secrets? Have you ever blown a surprise birthday party? Do you think God has any secrets? What are some secrets He could be keeping from us? After a few minutes of discussion, get your group ready for an adventure as they dive into the best mystery of all. Share that this is an intense session but that they will emerge with an understanding of a key theme of the Bible an understanding that will give them great benefit. DIGGING IN Ask your students to come up with a symbol they can use to mark the following words. (You could even have a quick drawing contest.) 1. Knowledge (along with related words like wisdom, understanding, learn ). Suggestions: an owl; a one-room school house, an apple 2. Mystery. Suggestions: a magnifying glass; a Sherlock Holmes hat Then have your students read two chunks of Colossians and invite them to use their symbols to mark knowledge (along with related words like wisdom, understanding, learn ) and mystery wherever they appear. While they re reading make two columns on your whiteboard and label them Knowledge and Mystery. Colossians 1:3-10 Colossians 1:25 2:4 After a few minutes, draw your students attention to the references to knowledge that they marked and ask for the following: Take one minute and write on your journal page the top three references to knowledge that speak to you in some way. After one minute ask for students to share their choices. List these on the board as they re shared, and ask students to note others choices on their journal pages as well. Your list may look something like this, but don t worry if it s not as detailed: Info on Knowledge Chapter 1 -The Colossians understood God s grace in all its truth. (v. 6) -They learned it from Epaphras. (v. 7) -Paul prayed that God would fill them with the knowledge of His will. (v. 9) -This knowledge comes through spiritual wisdom and understanding. (v. 9) -Growing in the knowledge of God pleases God. (v. 10) -God chose to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery. (v. 27) -The way to be presented perfect in Christ is to be taught with all wisdom. (v. 28) Chapter 2 -Paul wants to encourage the Colossians in heart and unite them in love so that they ll have the full riches of complete understanding. (v. 2) -In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (v. 3) -The Colossians were in danger of being deceived by fine-sounding arguments the opposite of treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (v. 4) 2 NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 5
Then ask: What do all these references to knowledge tell us about a relationship with God? After a few minutes, draw your students attention to the references to mystery that they marked and ask for the following: Take one minute and write on your journal page two or three clues to the mystery. Look for background and anything that solves the mystery. After one minute ask for students to share their choices. List these on the board as they re shared, and ask students to note others choices on their journal pages as well. Your list may look something like this, but don t worry if it s not as detailed: Info on the Mystery Chapter 1 -It s been kept hidden for the ages. (v. 26) -It s now disclosed to the saints. (v. 26) -God chose to make it known to the Gentiles. (v. 27) -It s Christ in you, the hope of glory. (v. 27) Chapter 2 -It s God s mystery. (v. 2) -It s Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom/knowledge. (v. 2) -As we have complete understanding of this mystery, we won t be deceived by fine-sounding arguments. (v. 4) Now help the group process the facts on the board by discussing these questions. Does it sound like God was holding back on sharing some information? So what s the big mystery? Why is it a mystery? What can we gain by understanding this mystery? CROSS CHECKING To help answer that last question, ask a volunteer to read aloud Paul s prayer in Colossians 1:9 10. Then ask a few questions: Do you want to grow in the knowledge of God s will and in the knowledge of God? Are you willing to put in some serious detective work to make it happen? If God did fill you with the knowledge of His will, would you be willing to do it? In other words, if God asked you to do something, would you go for it? Explain: If they said yes to those questions, the next exercise is a chance to put that yes into action. Point out the benefit of knowing and understanding the mystery of God: You won t be deceived by fine-sounding arguments (2:2 4). Challenge them to spend the next few minutes seeking to know and understand the mystery. For this next exercise, students will need their journal pages, Bibles, pens and Scripture sheets. Have students find a place of solitude perhaps a corner of the room, a hallway, or an empty room nearby. Allow around 20 minutes for them to work through the activity below. Group Option: If the learning styles represented in your group don t lend to solitude, consider dividing into groups of 2-3 and divvy out the passages in the exercise to the groups. Have students work together in their smaller NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 5 3
groups and then present their information to the larger group. Encourage creativity in how they present the information. Making a timeline on your whiteboard might be a helpful visual you wish to include. You can get super specific and look up actual dates (For example, Isaiah was a prophet around the 740s BC) or just have a more generic timeline with events listed in order. Before you begin, share the following: We have quite a few verses to look up. But here s the thing: All of these verses give clues to the mystery Paul talked about in Colossians. And by spending time in these passages, we will be giving ourselves a chance to know and understand the mystery and experience all the promises Colossians 1 says we ll experience the following: grow in the knowledge of God be filled with the knowledge of His will keep ourselves from being easily deceived. Not a bad deal, right? Note: Before students disperse you may want to explain that a Gentile refers to any person or nation that wasn t Jewish. While students work in solitude, draw a chart on the white board, with 5 rows and 2 columns. Label the left column Era and the right column Mystery Explained. In the Era column, number the rows from 1 to 5. If you are doing this as a group activity, you will want to draw the chart ahead of time. Here s the exercise your group will be doing (along with possible responses in italic). Read these passages from your Bible, write what you learn about God s unfolding plan in the right column. 1. Quick Overview of God s Plan 2 Timothy 1:8 10 God s grace was given in Christ before the beginning of time. But it s only now been revealed through the appearing of Jesus. 2. The Plan in Motion Genesis 12:1 3 Genesis 26:2 6 Genesis 28:10 14 (Look for the relationship between God s people and all nations.) God said that all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abram (Abraham). God told Isaac (Abraham s son) to stay put and that through his offspring all nations on earth would be blessed. The Lord told Jacob (Isaac s son and the father of all Israel) that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him and his offspring. Israel the nation that grew out of Abraham s, Isaac s and Jacob s offspring lived in the Promised Land and obeyed God that is, for about a generation. After that, they lived for many generations in and out of favor with God. Sometimes they obeyed, sometimes they blew it badly. Eventually they split into two nations, Israel and Judah. Finally, because of their disobedience, God kicked both nations out of the Promised Land. Israel was wiped out by Assyria. Judah was taken into slavery in Babylon. But God never forgot about His people. It was during this time that Isaiah brought them the following words from God. Isaiah 49:5 6 3. Prophetic Hints at the Plan God said that His people, the Jews (identified here as Jacob & Israel) would be a light to the Gentiles and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. 4 NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 5
Matthew 10:5 8 Matthew 28:18 20 4. The Plan Implemented Jesus first tells His disciples to go to the lost (The beginning of Jesus ministry) sheep of Israel, not the Gentiles. Jesus later tells His disciples to go and make (The end of Jesus ministry) disciples of all nations (not just Israel). After Jesus went up to heaven, God used Paul and others to write letters of encouragement to all the new churches and believers. These letters like a news commentary that follows a major event like an election or a flood helped people understand the magnitude of what had happened because of Jesus, as well as how it could impact their daily routines. Ephesians 3:1 6 Galatians 3:23 29 Romans 16:25 27 5. The Plan Explained This mystery is that through the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus) the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Jew, Greek, slave, free, male and female are now all one in Christ. By belonging to Christ, we are now Abraham s seed. God s mystery was hidden for long ages past, but was revealed and made known through the prophetic writings so that all nations might believe and obey Him. TAKING IT INWARD After several minutes of solitude (or working in small groups if you chose that option) discuss these questions. You can work through them as a group or allow students to respond individually before discussing as a group. Did you have any idea that you were part of a plan that was set in motion before the beginning of time? Think back to the point when you became a follower of Christ. Do you now get a sense that you were saying yes to something bigger than you thought at the time? Spend some time digesting all you ve just discovered. Write down any Wow! thoughts or conclusions. You may want to journal a prayer or write a paragraph of your thoughts. What questions do still you have about this mystery? Jot them in the space below. Ask your students what they learned about the mystery in each Bible era, and write their responses on the board. There is space for them to record this info on their journal pages. Your board will begin to look something like the chart below. Era Mystery Explained 1. Before Time: God had this plan in place all along. 2. 3. 4. 5. Plan In Motion: God told Abraham, the father of Israel, that eventually all people would be blessed through him. Prophetic Hints: God reminded Israel that He would use them to bring light to all people. Plan Implemented: Jesus ministry on earth launched the full fruition of God s plan to bring light to all people. Plan Explained: Jesus is the point of the mystery! To be sure we don t miss it, God made sure it was emphasized throughout the New Testament that the gospel is for Gentiles too! NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 5 5
Post-it Note Option: Tracking down the mystery is a great way to gain understanding of God s grand plan for the ages. It can even help you understand how the Bible is organized. Give each student five Post-it notes (one for each era in the chart below). Using the Post-it notes, ask students to tab in their Bibles the beginning of each era in God s plan (see the Scripture references in the chart). They may want to write a short note on each Post-it, describing each era in the plan. Then ask students to close their Bibles and look at the tabs to discuss the following observations: There s a huge span between tabs 2 and 3, which represents the events surrounding God s relationship with Israel a huge part of God s plan. Yet, which part of the Bible do we tend to neglect today? Why do you think that is? The pace picks up as we get into the New Testament part of the Bible. What does this say about us and the era we re living in? What can we learn about God in all of this? Spend some time discussing the So what? factor: How would you rate this information on a Wow! scale, with 1 being Sigh no big deal and 10 being WOOHOO!? (Insert dramatic expression!) Explain your rating to the group. Ask the students to look back at their Scripture sheets where they ve marked references to mystery and wisdom. Paul gave reasons why he wanted us to have this wisdom and understand the mystery. Ask them to find these by looking for the phrase so that, and write them in the space provided on their journal pages. -So that everyone may be presented perfect in Christ. (1:28) -So that we won t be deceived by fine-sounding arguments. (2:4) Then discuss the following questions: Paul said that our understanding of this mystery will keep us from being deceived by fine-sounding arguments (2:4). What are some fine-sounding arguments going around today? -Any rationalization we use to convince ourselves (or others) to cave to temptation. -Any arguments from the secular world, like: The Bible is full of contradictions; it can t be trusted. Jesus was a great moral teacher and reformer, but He wasn t God s Son. -Any thought or idea that tears down our identity in Christ, like: God doesn t love me. The things I ve done can never be forgiven. Would anyone like to share an example of when they have found themselves deceived by such an argument? Or observed one of these arguments in action? Why does understanding God s mystery keep us from being deceived by these fine-sounding arguments? How does this work? Let the discussion be wide open, but if the group gets stuck point out: 1. When we have a strong sense that we re part of something huge (like being included in God s plan before time began), we operate out of a position of strength rather than weakness. Our faith can be incredibly real, not a worn-out cliché. 2. This mystery is an awesome picture of God s pursuit of sinful people. The more accurately we see this picture, the more we experience God s love. The more we experience God s love, the less likely we are to trade that experience for a fine-sounding argument. Why do you think Paul was so eager to write the Colossians with this information? Apparently some of his readers were ready to trade the Good News about Jesus for a fine-sounding argument. 6 NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 5
To Paul, they were rejecting a plan that had been in the works for all ages and was just then coming to fruition! You could compare this to a child s parents paying into a college fund for 18 years so that he could go to college for free and then the child opts not to go to college! PUTTING INTO PRACTICE Close your time with one or both of the options below. Option 1 Ask your students to imagine this scene: You re invited to a special event that includes a meal that s prepared only once a year. In preparing the meal, the chef orders the finest food from all over the world, buys special ovens and tools for baking, and sets a table with the best silverware and linens. But because you didn t carefully read the invitation to the event, you didn t know that food was going to be served. So you stopped at the Pizza Buffet on the way and stuffed yourself with a greasy, single-topping pizza. When you get to the event, you re so full you re almost sick, and you can t eat any of the gourmet meal. What s a three- to five-word warning from this scenario that could help you remember to enjoy all that God has prepared for you since before time began? Here are two thought-starters: Read the invitation! Don t trade the gourmet for the buffet. Option 2 Make a really big deal that your group worked hard solving such a mysterious topic. And acknowledge that some of them might still have a lot of questions. In fact, this session may raise more questions than it answers. For example: Why didn t God just start with Jesus from the get-go? Why was there a gradual rollout starting with Abraham? Why was this mystery kept hidden for the ages? What happened to the Gentiles who died before the mystery was fully revealed? Don t feel obligated to answer these or other questions in the session. Help your students understand the payoff God promises comes from understanding the mystery and that takes time and energy on the part of anyone who wants to grow in the knowledge of God. Encourage your students to hunt down more about the mystery in their personal study this week. Refer to your Leader Prep (see Putting Into Practice ) for resources that can help you and your group dig deeper. Before prayer, close by asking the group to create their Colossians Takeaway something that will motivate them to explore God s mystery so that they won t be deceived by fine sounding arguments. NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 5 7