Show Me the Gospel Discovering Christ and the Gospel Story

Show Me the Gospel Discovering Christ and the Gospel Story A Family Devotional Guide Patrick Marrie

Abraham and the Gospel (Week 4) Lesson 1 After the great flood, only 8 people were left on the earth; Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives. Can you imagine being the only family on the earth? Noah lived another 350 years. Altogether, Noah lived to be 950 years old (Gen. 9:28-29). Noah s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, eventually had children of their own and the population of the earth continued to grow. In time, there were people of many different nations scattered over the earth (Gen. 10-11:9). Perhaps the most significant of Noah s descendants was a man named Abram. Abram, a descendant of Noah s son Shem, was born in the city of Ur in the nation of the Chaldeans. The Chaldean people did not know God and worshipped idols. Even Abram s father Terah was a worshipper of false gods (Jos. 24:2). In spite of all of this, Abram found favor with God. Like Noah, Abram would hear God s mighty voice! The Lord had said to Abram, Leave your country, your people and your father s household and go to the land I will show you (Gen. 12:1). Along with these instructions, God made a promise to Abram. God said, 3

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Gen. 12:2-3). So Abram left just as God had instructed him to. He took his family and all his possessions and they set off for a land God had promised (Gen. 12:4-5). Abram did not know where this promised land was or how long it would take to get there, but like Noah before him, he trusted God (Heb. 11:8). Big Picture: Questions Called by God. After Noah s family was saved by God through the ark, did all the generations after them follow God s word? Explain. No, even Abram s dad worshipped idols What could be a reason for God instructing Abram to leave the city of Ur and the Chaldeans? The people there were not a good influence and worshipped other gods. 4

Lesson 1 continued Who are the best friends and influences in your life? Christian friends. The Church. In what ways do you think Noah and Abram are similar? They both demonstrated that they trusted God by what they did. They both heard God s voice. Does God speak to us today? If so, how? Yes, by his word (The Bible) Today s story ends with somewhat of a mystery. What do you think God s promise to Abram is all about? From what we know, how might it be related to the gospel message? (Discuss as you close this lesson and we will touch on this idea later in the week). 5

Lesson 2 As the years passed, Abram walked faithfully with God. However, Abram grew concerned that he still had no children (Gen. 15:2-3). How could God keep his promise, to make Abram into a great nation, if he had no children? Hearing his concern God said to Abram, Look up at the heavens and count the stars if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be (Gen. 15:5). Wow! What do you think was going through Abram s mind? As many children as there are stars in the sky. Was this possible? Abram believed it was. He believed anything was possible for God. The Bible said, Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6). While Abram was resting in God s assurances, his wife Sarai was broken hearted. Sarai was almost 80 years old and had never had a baby of her own. She had all but given up on the possibility that she would ever have a child. Then one day, in her sadness, she came up with a solution of her own. Sarai said to Abram, The Lord has kept me from having children. Go sleep with my maidservant: perhaps I can build a family through her (Gen. 16:2). Abram agreed to Sarai s plan, and a short time later, their maidservant Hagar gave birth to a son. They called him Ishmael. At his birth, Abram was 86 years old. (Gen. 16:4,16). 6

Years later, when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers (Gen. 17:1-2) At the sound of God s voice Abram fell face down and God said to him, You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations (Gen. 17:4-5). God also said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her (Gen. 17:15-16). Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time he had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah had bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him (Gen. 21:1-5). 7

Big Picture: Questions God s Covenant with Abraham. What was God s promise to Abraham? He would make him the father of a great nation. What made it so hard for Abraham and Sarah to believe God s promise? They had never had children and they were very old. (Gen. 15:2-3) Did Abraham have faith in God s promise? Yes (Gen. 15:6) Did Abraham s wife trust in God s promise? No. In fact, she believed God was keeping her from ever having children (Gen. 16:2) In time, God blessed Abraham and Sarah with a son. What was his name? Isaac Have you ever wanted something special from God? Is it sometimes hard to wait for God s blessings? (Discuss as you close this lesson and we will touch on this idea later in the week) 8

Lesson 3 Can you imagine the joy that Abraham and Sarah felt after Isaac was born? Sarah had almost given up all hope that she would ever have a child and then God, in their old age, blessed she and Abraham with a son. More than that, their son was the son of promise. Isaac was the child through which God had promised to make Abraham into a great nation. The child through which kings would be born and all the peoples of the earth would be blessed. It appeared the greater blessings were just ahead, yet the next request God made of Abraham would challenge his faith in God s promise more than ever before. In later years, God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham! Here I am, he replied. Then take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about (Gen. 22:1-2). Early the next morning, Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will 9

come back to you. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, Father? Yes, my son? Abraham replied. The fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham! Here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you 10

have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba (Gen. 22:3-19). Big Picture: Questions Abraham and Isaac on the Mountain. What do you think was going through Abraham s mind when God made the request to sacrifice Isaac? He was probably shocked and confused What do you think about God s request? Did it seem unfair? Did it seem wrong? It seemed out of character for God. It seemed that he may be going against his promise. 11

Lesson 3 continued When they reached the bottom of the mountain, why do you think Abraham told his servants that he and Isaac would both be back? (Read Gen. 22:4) Perhaps he did not plan to sacrifice Isaac or maybe he trusted God would somehow make things work out When they were headed up the mountain, what did Isaac notice was missing for the sacrifice and what was Abraham s response? A lamb, Abraham said God will provide When Isaac realized his father was going to sacrifice him, how do you think he felt? He probably was scared and confused In the end, God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. At first glance, this is one of the most challenging stories in all the bible to understand. Why do you think God made this most difficult request of Abraham? (Discuss as you close this lesson and we will touch on this idea later in the week). 12

Lesson 4 Show Me The Gospel Show Me the Gospel: Christ Connection! Our walk with God can be challenging at times. Don t you think? I imagine men like Abraham and Noah thought this to be true. As we look at the stories of the Bible, we not only see the challenges set before people, but we also get to see how they overcame them. Like Noah, Abraham was a man of faith. Abraham trusted God even though he may have not fully understood God s greater plan for his life. Not only did Abraham trust God to lead his footsteps, but he also believed in God s wonderful promises if he obeyed his words. What is your definition of faith? (Read Heb. 11:1) Let s take a deeper look into this week s story. First, we will work to understand why God asked Abraham to do the things he was required to do. Next, we will examine God s covenant with Abraham. Covenant is another name for an agreement. 13

Lesson 4 continued What was God really promising Abraham if he obeyed his word? Abraham s Call The Lord had said to Abram, Leave your country, your people and your father s household and go to the land I will show you (Gen. 12:1) What was Abraham s homeland like? That s right! Abraham s homeland was a Godless place. Even Abraham s father Terah worshipped idols. God wanted Abraham to separate himself from these people. We serve a holy God. From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, God has been working to keep us from sin. The Bible says, But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Starting with Abraham, God intended to set his people apart from the evil of this world. By setting them apart, he would be able to teach them his ways and bless them beyond anything they could hope for 14

Lesson 4 continued or imagine. So, by faith, Abraham went just as God had instructed. By trusting God, Abraham created room for God to work in his life. Abraham may not have always fully understood God s plans, but he trusted God that all things would work out for good. Read Romans 8:28 How do you work to be set apart for God? What do you and your family do to ensure that you are living according to God s purposes? (Discuss this as you close the lesson and we will touch on this idea later in the week). 15

Lesson 5 Show Me The Gospel Show Me the Gospel: Christ Connection! As we end this week, let s look at God s plan for Abraham s life and the promises he made to him. In doing so, we might just discover that we are all heirs of that exact same promise. God s Covenant - God said to Abraham, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Gen. 12:2-3). When God made this promise to Abraham, he and his wife Sarah were old and had no children. Yet God said, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore (Gen. 22:17). This may have been hard for Abraham to believe, but in his heart, he knew God was more than able to make this promise come true. Who was this great nation of people God intended to start with Abraham and his descendants? In the Bible, these people 16

Lesson 5 continued came to be known as the Hebrews. The Hebrews were the children of Abraham and his wife Sarah. They lived in the promised land of Canaan. The very land that God had led Abraham to many years before. The Hebrews were known for worshipping the one true God even though the nations around them worshipped idols and many false gods. In time, the Hebrews would have a king and be known as the nation of Israel. With kings ruling Israel, God s words to Abraham were fulfilled. I will bless her (Sarah) so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her (Gen. 17:15-16). Can you name the greatest king of Israel? Which king did you mention? Saul, David, Solomon? These were all kings of Israel, and descenants of Abraham too, but the king of all kings was Jesus! Are you seeing the big picture yet? God s promise to Abraham, that he would make him into a great nation, only started with the birth of Isaac. As the years passed, the 17

Lesson 5 continued descendants of Abraham grew by the hundreds, the thousands, the millions, even more than the stars in the sky! Then one day, a child, from the family of Abraham, was born in a manger. He grew up and lived a perfect life. He preached that he was that the fulfilment of God s promise to Abraham. You see, when God said to Abraham, all nations of the earth will be blessed through you, he was speaking of Christ Jesus (Gen. 12:3) Jesus birth, life, death on the cross, and resurrection was central theme of God s promise to Abraham. This was God s plan from the beginning, that through Abraham s descendants would one day come the savior of the world. That s good news. That s the gospel! In fact, because of this gospel, even you and I can be children of Abraham and heirs to the promises of God (Gal. 3:29, Rom. 8:17) As we approach the end of this week s story, let s remember one last powerful scene. Do you remember Isaac s question to his father Abraham as they walked up Mt. Moriah for the sacrifice? Isaac asked, 18

Lesson 5 continued Father where is the lamb for the sacrifice? To which Abraham replied, God himself will provide the lamb (Gen 22:7-8). Without full understanding, Abraham s words would ring true through eternity for he was speaking of the Christ. Jesus is the perfect lamb for which all people of the earth have been waiting for and through which all people of the earth can be blessed. Abraham s words were confirmed, when on the banks of the river Jordan, John the Baptist said these words as Jesus approached, Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). In closing While sharing the story of Abraham and Isaac with my own family, my oldest daughter said, Dad, I can t believe that God would ask anyone to sacrifice their child. It just doesn t seem like something God would do. Quite honestly, I fumbled for the right response to match her perception of the loving God we serve. With the weight of her question and a full heart, these words came to mind. Baby, God never intended for Abraham to sacrifice his son because God was going to sacrifice his. 19

Lesson 5 continued It is unimaginable that anyone would be asked to sacrifice their son for anything or anyone. Yet God, from the very beginning, intended to do the unimaginable for us. What an amazing love. What great news. That s the gospel! The unfolding plan of God, through his son Jesus, to bring us back to him. The gospel is the story of God s love for us. 20

Closing Prayer Dear heavenly Father, We are amazed at your love for us! That you would give your one and only Son to save us and bring us back to you. We are thankful for Jesus. His birth, his life, his death, and resurrection. And we know that one day, because of his resurrection, we will live with you in heaven for ever and ever. With all our heart, we thank you. In Jesus name, Amen! Digging Deeper God s Promises Abraham s Mighty Faith Heb. 11:17-19 Children of the Promise Gal 3:27-29, Acts 3:25, Gal 3:9, Gal 3:16, Gal. 4:28 A Holy Nation Set Apart 1 Pet. 2:9, II Cor. 6:14-18, 7:1 Rom. 1:1, Rom. 8:28 21