FOCUS Lesson 2: Jesus Rules, Part 1

FOCUS Lesson 2: Jesus Rules, Part 1 Objective: The point of the lesson is that your students interactions with Christ be radically affected by understanding His absolute supremacy. Focus Scripture: Colossians 1:15-18 Overview: A major part of maturing as a teenager is learning how to view authority. During this stage in their lives, growing physically, mentally, and socially allows students more opportunities to exert their own will and control over situations. Will they rebel against authority or humbly let it guide them? This Scripture hammers the simple yet awesome truth that Jesus is the creator and supreme ruler over all creation. He is the sovereign authority in all matters everything we can see and even what we cannot see belongs to Him and is within His realm of power. In the last lesson, students learned that they are to continually grow in their knowledge of Christ as part of His kingdom. This lesson will deepen their understanding by opening their eyes to the majestic splendor of their King. He is worthy of total devotion, trust, awe, and obedience. TEACHER PREP VIDEO Teacher Prep Videos are short videos designed to help you grasp the main point of the lesson as you prepare to teach. To access your Focus Lesson Two Teacher Prep Video, click on the URL below and view the video entitled Focus Lesson 2: Jesus Rules, Part 1. www.youthministry360.com/focus-prep-videos Bible Background The Bible Background is a simple and straightforward way to help you prepare to teach the lesson. The Details Who wrote Colossians? The Apostle Paul identified himself as the author. His companion, Timothy, probably served as his scribe (1:1). Tychicus probably delivered the letter to Colossae (4:7). When was it written? Most people believe the date was sometime between A.D. 61 and 63, during Paul s first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28:17-31). What was the purpose for the writing of these books? Paul was writing to combat the spread of false teachings among the church at Colossae. The exact heresy being refuted is not certain and may have been a blend of multiple influences. The legalism, mysticism, and asceticism corrupting the pure faith in Colossae were moving attention away from Christ, placing it instead on self-discipline and the awe of other spiritual things. Ultimately, this letter s purpose is to emphasize the supremacy of Christ over everything. Any teaching, philosophy, ritual, or lifestyle that distracts from Jesus as the sole focal point of one s life is dangerous and should be avoided. Everything about a believer s new life should be focused on the one and only begotten Son of God, the uniquely divine yet fully human Jesus Christ. The Main Point COLOSSIANS 1:16-17 This passage is an in-your-face, no apologies description of Jesus Christ as the utterly supreme ruler of creation. Though He s infinitely superior to anything our limited minds can grasp, Jesus has chosen to enter into personal relationship with each one of us who trust Him through faith. In the next lesson, we ll dig deeper into what it means to have been separated from God and reconciled to Him through Christ. In this lesson, we ll dwell on the overwhelming greatness of the God of the universe, eternally pure and holy, all-knowing, all-powerful, always-present, choosing to make Himself known to His people the Church not just in knowledge but also in relationship. Most students probably agree that Christ lived a perfect life as a man and that He is also 100 FOCUS // Lesson Plan // L2 // P1

percent divine. But have your students ever really let the fact that they can be in relationship with this perfect and divine creator sink in to transform their lives? Paul wanted Christ-followers to have a clear picture of Jesus rightful authority. He s not just our friend and Savior; He s our King, the head of the Body. Give your students time during this lesson to marinate in the glorious power of Christ until their hearts and minds are saturated with this humbling fact. So why is this such a big deal for your students? Paul laid out a timeline stretching both to infinity-past and into the eternal future. Jesus existed before everything and will exist beyond the lifetime of this earth. (Be sure to clarify any confusion about Jesus being the firstborn of creation and of the dead this doesn t mean that He was created first, or at all; it simply means that He has rights to everything, just as the firstborn son would have claim to the family inheritance in ancient culture. Everything belongs to Him even we do. This is a life-changing truth once it s recognized and internalized.) Again, many students will easily agree that everything was made by God. But today, help them recognize that everything was also made for Him. We were created for a purpose He took joy in creating us and intends for our lives to be spent for His pleasure and according to His will (as we learned in the last lesson). Wrap Up Are you and your students spending your lives honoring Christ? Remember back in lesson 1 we learned that part of serving God was not only to react in obedience to Him, but to know Him well enough to proactively anticipate His desires and seek to please Him. Jesus is the head of the Body we as the Church are His Body. So just as the head possesses the mind, eyes, nose, ears, and mouth to direct, inform, and nourish the body, Christ likewise empowers, guides, and sustains His people. Obeying Him should not be considered a chore or obligation; it should be as natural as your body s movement according to the will of the head. If everything was created by Christ, belongs to Christ, is held together by Christ, and was made for Christ, then we should not only respect and obey Him but also be devoted to Him in joy and thankfulness (a truth introduced in the last lesson). Encourage your students to meditate on this awesome reality; let it overwhelm them. Help them consider how truly amazing it is that the all-powerful creator of the universe is more than worthy of our total personal devotion. Lesson Plan The Lesson Plan contains four elements: The Lead In, which is a creative, interactive activity that introduces the theme of the lesson; The Main Event, which is the heart of the lesson and contains the Bible Study section; The Bonus Round, which is simply an additional Bible Study activity that supports the main thrust of the lesson, and The Last Word, which focuses on driving home the application of the lesson s biblical truth. The Lead In Title: Power On Display Goal: The idea is for students to begin thinking about God s incredible creation as evidence of His power. Set Up: Access the Power On Display PowerPoint to facilitate the activity. The slideshow is found in your Lesson 2 folder on your Focus Lesson Disc. As always, if you do not have the means to show a PowerPoint presentation, you can simply print the Power On Display PDF. (The PDF is designed to be printed in full color, but if you want to save ink, select the grayscale setting in your print dialogue box.) If you want to add an additional element, you may also choose to play Indescribable by Chris Tomlin from his Arriving CD or from The Best of Passion (so far). You can download the MP3 from itunes or amazon.com if you don t have access to either CD. >> decide how you will display the images. If you are going to show a PowerPoint display, you will play it later in the activity. If you printed out the PDF, go ahead and tape each of the pages in prominent locations around the room. (If you re playing Indescribable, prepare to play the song.) If space is limited, students can take turns passing the images around the group after you explain the activity. >> explain that for the next few minutes everyone is going to reflect on God s unique power over His creation. Play the Power On Display slideshow or direct the students attention to the various pages around them. >> encourage students to simply look at each image and read the statement, spending no more than 20 seconds with, each scene before moving to the next image. If you have music, start the music, allowing it to play in the background while students reflect. (The song will run for approximately four minutes.) FOCUS // Lesson Plan // L2 // P2

>> gather everyone back together and ask students what these images made them feel or think about. Consider asking questions like: Which image did you like the best? Why? Are you an outside or inside person? Do you like nature? If so, why? Where is a place you have been where you really saw God s hand in creation, or encountered a beauty that made you praise God? Why is it hard to sometimes stop and be appreciative or in awe of the world God has crafted around us? >> after a brief discussion, explain that most people take the awesome nature of God s existence and His incredible power over everything for granted. Explain that today we ll focus on the One who not only made everything, but holds everything together. The Main Event Title: Jesus Rules, Part 1 Goal: The idea is for your students to understand that Christ alone is worthy of whole-hearted affection and obedience. Set Up: You ll need copies of the Student Guide and pencils or pens for the students to write with. If you wish, arrange to show the PowerPoint slideshow. The slideshow corresponds with some of the questions, but it s intentionally sparse so that you can customize it based on how you choose to teach the lesson. >> set the stage for your students. Using the Bible Background, quickly remind students about Paul s reason for writing Colossians and review the basic point from the previous lesson. >> while you distribute the Student Guide and something to write with, ask students to name the advantages or disad, vantages of being the oldest child or only child. After quick responses, clarify that today we ll focus on Jesus as the firstborn over creation. Explain that in biblical times, being firstborn meant that one had not only honor and privilege but also responsibility and authority over a family. Add that in that culture, it was the father s will that the oldest son inherit exclusive rights to all of the land and possessions. What it does not mean is that Jesus was created or born. Jesus has always existed, as we will soon see. Have a volunteer read aloud Colossians 1:15-18, then lead a discussion using these questions: What does it mean that Christ is the image of the invisible God? o Answer: Christ came as both God and man, clearly revealing the character of our heavenly Father and how we should live as part of His family (John 14:6-11). Now that you know what it means to be the firstborn in biblical culture, what do these verses tell us about Jesus as the firstborn of all creation? o Answer: Everything is under His authority and everything belongs to Him. What difference does it make to recognize that not only was everything made by Jesus but also through Him and for Him? o Answer: Everything can and should be used according to His will. Our whole lives, including everything around us and in our possession, should bring honor to Him. It s ridiculous to act as if we have the right to control our own lives; He made us so He knows what s best. We belong to Him. How does this fact change the way you look at creation? In other words, have you ever looked at a sunset and thought how beautiful it was? How does it make you feel knowing that you, and the sun, and the trees were all made for Jesus pleasure and glory? Pretty cool, huh? >> direct students attention to the Student Guide. Instruct them to look at the five categories on the top portion of the page. Explain that every 20 seconds you ll call out the name of one of these categories. During that time, students are to write down as many things as possible described by each heading. (For example, under Things In Nature, students might write down mountains, trees, stars, people, etc.) After processing through these categories, call on some students to read out some of the things they listed, having other students add to them. When you have finished all the categories, ask them the following questions: What does Paul say is under Christ s authority? o Answer: Everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones and powers, rulers and authorities, the Church, and even death. FOCUS // Lesson Plan // L2 // P3

Look at the lists you just made. What on those lists are under Christ s authority? o Answer: Really, everything. How does Christ s authority over your life affect you on a daily basis? How does it give you confidence, or hope, or assurance? o Answer: Answers will vary. What are some things that may seem as if they re not under Christ s authority? o Answer: Evil, sin, death, disease, crime, injustice, natural disasters, war, poverty, government, celebrity (maybe everything feels out of control to students), and so on. What comfort comes from knowing that even the invisible spiritual realities and everything in this world are under Christ s power, even if it doesn t feel like it? o Answer: We can trust that He knows what s best for our lives and is aware of the hard or painful experiences we endure. All good things come from Him. What conviction comes from this same reality that Christ is the rightful King over everything as its creator? o Answer: We often live in rebellion to what Christ has revealed in His Word and through His Spirit. (We ll explore both the consequences of sin and Christ s all-sufficient work in salvation in the next lesson.) Begin wrapping up the discussion by instructing students to draw a circle at the top of their Student Guides, encircling all five of the categories. Explain that the circle is a simple way of representing Christ s reign in the world and in their lives. Explain that anything and everything they could ever think of, see, and experience... everything in the world and in their lives is under Christ s authority. Christ is Lord over all things! >> remind students that Christ is not only in control of all of these, holding them together and sustaining them, but, that He is above all of these. Christ must be first! He must be before any other area of our lives where we may be tempted to give more priority than Jesus rightfully deserves. Bonus Round (Optional Activity) Title: More Of Jesus Goal: The idea is for your students to see Jesus power and authority, a notion that may not be as familiar as that of the friendly teacher and humble servant. Set Up: None. >> ask people to share any words or descriptions that come to mind when they think of Jesus. Ask: How would you describe Jesus to someone in one or two words? >> explain that during the Main Event your class established that Jesus is the creator, sustainer, and king of everything. Clarify that now students will look at several Scriptures in order to get a bigger picture of exactly who Jesus is. Assign students to look up and read the following verses: John 1:1-5 Authority over creation John 2:12-17 Authority over religion Matthew 4:17-24 Authority over life, sickness, demons Matthew 28:16-20 All authority in heaven and on earth Mark 4:37-41 Authority over nature Luke 18:15-17 Authority over kingdoms Luke 23:33-34 Authority to forgive sin Revelation 19:11-16 Authority over eternity >> lead students in a short discussion using the following questions:, Which of these pictures of Jesus are the most familiar? Which are the most unlike the way we normally think of Jesus? How does seeing Jesus strength, power, and authority change your understanding of how to relate to Him in your daily life? Where do you take Jesus absolute authority in your life for granted? How can you start honoring Him in everything? FOCUS // Lesson Plan // L2 // P4

The Last Word Title: Words Can t Say Goal: The idea is for your students to express their awe of and devotion to Christ. Set Up: You will need the Student Guide one last time. If you used the song in The Lead In, you may choose to replay Indescribable while students have a time of response. >> explain that everyone has some kind of response to Jesus authority, either awe and worship or rebellion and indif ference. Clarify that during this time, you simply want to allow students to express their personal feelings as they reflect on the fact that they ve been created by and for Christ. >> direct students attention back to their Student Guides. Have them use the framed section on the bottom of their, sheet and instruct them to write a prayer, song, poem, or draw a picture that reflects their response to Christ s greatness and authority in their lives. It can be as simple as a few words, or as detailed as a drawing or a sketch. Encourage those students who don t express themselves artistically to simply have a time of silence where they really think about Christ s rule and authority over them, and all things. >> after allowing time for reflection and creative responses, allow anyone to share if they would like to do so. Con, clude by challenging students to continue to reflect on the awesome reality of the all-powerful creator having first place and being personally involved in leading their lives. Explain to students that you ll be posting two of the Focus E-votions to encourage conversation between lessons. Decide ahead of time how you will post these, whether through email, Facebook message, Facebook group page, or through your youth group s website. Challenge students to check in, read and think about the content, and to interact (if there s a method for interaction such as a Facebook wall, comment section on a blog, and so on). WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU... Do you have questions about a lesson? Something that worked particularly well you want to share? Something that didn t work you want to bring up? We value your feedback! Please do not hesitate to email us with your questions, comments, or concerns, at feedback@youthministry360.com. FOCUS // Lesson Plan // L2 // P5