Lesson 1 "Only by going can you arrive; only by studying can you know."

Lesson 1 "Only by going can you arrive; only by studying can you know." There is a proverb: "Only by going can you arrive; only by studying can you know." If you want to arrive, you must go. If you want to know, you must study. This is the reason we have begun this course. In order to know more about God, we must study about Him. We learn about God in the Bible: God s Word. "Only by going can you arrive; only by studying can you know." God bless you richly and draw you closer to Himself through His Word. The Beginning This tea cup is certainly beautiful. The color and shape are lovely. There is no way that this tea cup came into being on its own. Of course, there must be somone who made the tea cup. Look around you! The trees and flowers are certainly beautiful! Look up at the hills or mountains! Nature is so amazingly beautiful! Is it possible the it all simply just came into being by itself? There is no way. This earth is full of truly beautiful creations--there must be Someone who made this world. There is no end to the wonders of creation. Think of the beauty of the scenery of Ha Long Bay! Think of the tremendous displays of nature s beauty throughout the country of Vietnam! Yes, the world is full of examples of tremendous beauty--there must have been Someone to make this world. The proof in the sky. The "witnesses" are the trees, mountains, and birds! In the beginning of his Word, God teaches us about the creation of the world. When we hear God teach us about His creation, God emphasises his power and perfection. (Please Read Genesis 1:1-2:4) 1

Genesis 1:1-2:4 (selected verses) 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good... God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night". And there was evening, and there was morning the first day. 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water... And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky". And there was evening, and there was morning the second day. 9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas". And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so... And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning the third day. 14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning the fourth day. 20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground everything that has the breath of life in it I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning the sixth day. 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. 2

Questions: 1. Through this chapter of the Bible about creation, God displays himself to us. When we read these verses above, what are we able to learn about God? 2. In what way does God show us that humans are very important? 3. What part of Creation do you like best? 4. How does creation help us to trust in God more? 5. Evolution is a theory that many American schools teach. Evolution teaches that God did not create the universe. Evolution teaches that the universe (and all life) evolved in many stages over millions of years. Evolution also teaches that human beings evolved from apes. How can we know if Evolution is true or not? Do you Agree or Disagree? (For each question, please write T or F ) 1. God created heaven and earth in 7 days. 2. One "day" that God created the earth could mean several million years. 3. God created people just like He created the rest of creation. 4. God created light before he created the sun. 5. We see creation now exactly how it was when God created it in the beginning. 3

Lesson 2 Whatever Vegetable, There Is A Worm You are my family. When I call you my family, I speak the truth. We are all descendants of our ancestors: Adam and Eve. If we are descendants of Adam and Eve, do we resemble Adam or Eve? We must answer that we are very much like both of our ancestors, Adam and Eve. The proverb says, Whatever Vegetable, there is a Worm. [our English equivalent is: like father, like son. Point: we are like our ancestry] Today, God teaches us about our ancestors so that we can understand where we came from and where we are headed. Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?" Who is talking to Eve here?. As God teaches us in the Gospel of John, the serpent here is satan--"when he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies!" His question may sound innocent, but behind the question we must recognize what satan is really asking: Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?" Satan wanted to create doubt in the mind of Eve. Satan came to Eve under the guise of friendship. Satan came with the appearance that he wanted to help Eve--but in fact, he wanted to lead her to not believe the Word God had spoken. The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. " "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Here, Satan says that God does not tell the truth. He wants Eve to think that God is selfish and does not want the two people to attain this wonderful knowledge--knowing good and evil. He wanted Eve to think she was missing something that God did not give her, as if God wanted to keep her ignorant and without understanding. From thousands of years ago until the present, the lie of satan has been: "God and his will is not good." The plan of satan in the beginning really has not changed. Just like he came to Eve, he comes tous with the same kinds of tempations: "You are missing something--do not listen to God, listen to what you want. Do not follow what God wants (because it is boring), do what you want! If you follow what God wants, you are missing out on the fun, understanding; you are missing out on life!" So, on any day, he comes to tempt you and me, using selfishness in our own hearts. Satan perhaps does not use fruit any more with us; but now in 2007 he can use T.V., D.V.D.s and the computer (internet) to lead us away from what God wants. 4

Eve s sin wasn t just not following God s command, but her sin was not trusting God. She didn t believe what God had said to her and her husband. She doubted God s love, and instead, believed the lie of Satan. [like father like son]. We have eaten the fruit by falling into temptation every time we have doubted the love of God. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Adam and Eve ate the fruit in order to know good and evil. Satan lied to them, but in one way, they new good and evil. The knew that good is what they had just lost. Evil is the thing that now ruled over them. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." The proverb says: "If you add up wrong, you may have to sell the water buffalo." The first sin had so many horrible consequenses! The first consequence of sin was. When these two people heard God coming near, we see an additional consequence of sin was. God called Adam: "Where are you." Did God really not know where Adam was?. And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." God asked who had destroyed the wonderful Father-child relationship. God asked if the people had eaten the fruit which He had forbidden. Maybe God did not know if the people had eaten so he had to ask Adam? Not at all! But God called the two people to repent. Did Adam repent? Did Eve repent? [Like father like son]. How often we also have blamed others for the mistakes we have made! The most important thing to Adam and Eve was the sin they had committed. But the most significant thing to God was the hearts that had given birth to sin. We must remember that this isn t just a story this is our family history. [like father like son]. Adam and Eve were no longer perfect they now had sin. You and I are the ancestors of Adam and Eve. The sin in the hearts of Adam and Eve which destroyed the perfect Father-child relationship is the same as the sin in your heart and my heart. 5

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Because of this, God cursed the serpent. The serpent wouldn t walk anymore, but would crawl on his belly and eat dust all his life. The serpent would crawl on his belly so the people would remember that this was the creature that led the human race down so low to his level. Crawling on his belly would show that the ultimate victory would not belong to the serpent Satan would fail. In verse 15, God began his plan. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. Previously, Eve thought that Satan was a friend of hers, but satan was no kind of friend at all. Satan is the enemy of hte human race and God announced ahead of time that he and the woman would be against each other. This enmity would not end with Eve and Satan alone, but his offspring and hers would be against each other. There would always be opposition between those who follow the will of satan and those who follow God s will. This is why there is opposition between Christians and those who do not believe. This opposition leads to the one offspring to whom God here refers to as He. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." This opposition culminates between satan and our Savior, Jesus Christ. God fortold: "and you will strike his heel." We see this prophecy fulfilled when we remember Jesus upon the cross suffering adn dying indeed Satan struck Jesus heel when Jesus suffered and died on the cross. But Satan s strike is without impact, because "He will crush your head." The foretold crushed head means defeat for Satan. Through a human, sin entered into the world. But also through the offspring of a human, Jesus, God caused sin, death, and Satan to fail. Just as God has taught us, The reason the Son of God came was to destroy the devil s work. Adam and Eve were sinful and needed a Savior so badly! [Like father like son]. Just like our ancestors, Adam and Eve, we need Jesus so much! Our Savior Jesus live a perfect life and destroyed the evil work of Satan. Jesus is the only Way to heaven. Thank God that He is not only our Creator, but He is also our Savior! 6

Questions: 1. Who brought sin into the world? 2. After the first sin, humankind became different in what ways? 3. In what way did the first sin destroy the Father-child relationship between God and Adam and Eve? 4. In what way did the first sin destroy the Father-child relationship between God and us? 5. In what ways does Satan tempt us today? 6. What does repent mean? 7. After the first sin, what promise of God gives hope to Adam, Eve, and us? (Which promise of God promises that our Savior will come into the world?) 1. Adam and Eve are everyone s ancestors. Do you Agree or Disagree? (For each question, please write T or F ) 2. God s judgement on Adam and Eve was unfair. 3. Satan uses T.V., D.V.D., and computers to tempt us. 4. "[Like father like son]," spiritually speaking, means that because of Adam and Eve, everyone born has sin. 5. I have sin due to the nature I was born with. 6. I need a Savior. 7. Jesus came into the world to save Adam and Eve. 8. God gives forgiveness to all people who are good. 9. I have the power to fix the problem of my own sinful nature. 7

Lesson 3 After The Rain The proverb says, After the rain, the sun shines again. We can think of this proverb in a spiritual way. Before we hear about the shining light of God, we first need to spend some time in the rainy weather of our sin. I. Every religion shows that there is some kind of a problem that humankind has with God. The Bible uses the term sin to describe this problem. In your way of thinking, what is sin? According to the Bible, sin is a problem more serious than any other which has taken a dreadful toll on everything on the earth. A. The Bible uses various words to describe sin. 1. Transgression Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 2. Lawlessness 1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 3. Wickedness and evil Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 4. Knowing the good we should do, but don t do it James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. B. The Bible describes many ways we sin. 1. Mark 7:21-23 21 For from within, out of men s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean. 8

C. The Bible clearly explains what sin does to us in many ways: 1. Sin totally corrupts us. Genesis 8:21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done." After the rain 2. Sin makes us worthless. Romans 3:10-12 10 As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. 3. Sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. 4. Sin makes us its slave. John 8:34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." 5. Sin makes us hostile to God. Romans 8:7 The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 6. Sin deceives us. Romans 7:11 "For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death." 7. Sin trips us up. Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 8. Sin kills us. Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. 9

D. The Bible describes sin not only as thoughts we think, words we speak, or actions we do, it also says that it is the very nature with which we were born. We are sinners not only because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. Psalm 51:5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me E. The Bible teaches us about God s anger over sin. 1. God not only hates the sin, he also hates the sinner. Ephesians 2:3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. Proverbs 16:5 The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Psalm 5:5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. 2. Sin places people under God's awesome curse. a. God demands perfection. Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. b. God curses all those who are not perfect. Galatians 3:10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." c. God's curse is the eternal punishment of hell. Matthew 25: 41, 46 41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire 46 prepared for the devil and his angels. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. 10

3. A closer look at hell. a. Hell lasts forever. b. Hell never lessens the punishment. Isaiah 66:24 And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind. c. Hell takes away all hope. Proverbs 11:7 When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing. c. Summary: Hell has nothing good and everything bad. II. All other religions teach that human beings must do something in order to be right with God, through one or more various ways. (Such as, meditation, doing good actions, humility, reincarnation). There is only one religion teaches that God himself solved this problem for human kind -- That indeed God himself saved us. The Christian faith certainly is a unique message.... The Sun Shines Again! The proverb says, After the rain, the sun shines again. After we have seen the rain of sin, we eagerly look forward to the bright shining sun of God s forgiveness which he gives to you and me. A. God s plan of salvation--the saving of our souls is a gift that God gives. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1. The wonderful motivation [reason pushing] for God to do this is Grace (the love of God we do not deserve). Grace is the special love God for those who have not earned it in any way. Ephesians 2:4-5 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. 11

2. The way God saved us: He sent his Son to save us, not by being our example and showing us how to save ourselves, but by taking our place and becoming our SUBSTITUTE. Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written; "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Isaiah 53:4-6 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, B. The cost of God saving us. 1. Jesus' substitutionary death. a. Jesus suffered the full punishment for sin. Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" - which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" b. Jesus paid for all sin. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. c. Jesus paid for all people. 1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 2 Corinthians 5:19 That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 12

2. Jesus' substitutionary life. a. Jesus lived a perfect life. Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. b. He lived that perfect life for us. 1 Corinthians 1:30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. C. The proof that God saved us. 1. The most important proof: The resurrection of Jesus Christ Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. 1. Two additional proofs: a. Jesus descended into hell as the Victor Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. b. Jesus ascended into heaven in glory Luke 24:50-51 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Ephesians 1:20-21 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. III. Three important conclusions. 1. When it comes to salvation, there are no other ways, only Jesus. John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 13

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. 2. Trusting in our own goodness, in addition to trusting in Jesus, discredits Jesus and ruins our salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Romans 4:4-5 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. Hebrews 10:17-18 17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 3. Because Jesus has done everything we can be sure of our salvation. John 3:16 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. For Further Study You can read about the crucifixion and death of Jesus in the Bible. We can read about these significant events in: Mathew 26 and 27 Mark 14 and 15 Luke 22 and 23 14

Questions: 1. The proverb says, "After the rain, the sun shines again." What does this proverb mean? 2. God tells us the "bad news" first, then the "good news." As we have said, "After the rain, the sun shines again." First of all, what is the bad news that God shares with us? What is the Good News God tells us? 3. In your mind, why is the Savior Jesus Christ important? 4. What did Jesus do to save you? a. b. 5. Jesus taught, "If not through me, no one can come to the Father." What does this mean? 6. Jesus Christ has done so much for me. For example: 1. Bad words and bad thoughts are sins. 2. No one is perfect. Do you Agree or Disagree? (For each question, please write T or F ) 3. Whoever does good things will go to heaven. 4. God loves me because I believe in Him. 5. Through Jesus, I am a righteous person. 6. All the religions teach the same. 7. We can only be saved through Jesus Christ. 15