Background (this is the eleventh of 39 lessons)
Two important things to remember from the book of Joshua are (1) how the people all said, "AMEN" and (2) agreed not to be afraid of sacrificing unintentional sin even when people around them were sacrificing intentional sin. This is evidence that people in the Old Testament were living by different standards. The next 30 lessons after Joshua teach The Pattern of Sound Teaching by teaching 30 lessons to explain the difference between intentional and unintentional sin, so we can line our witness testimony up with the Chief Cornerstone by sacrificing unintentional sin.
In the book of Judges, students learned that they would be mixing with people who were seeking prosperity and denying God's grace. People were Awakened in 1 Chronicles to build a city with God's grace that pray and thank, praise, and God and not seek prosperity. In the book of 2 Chronicles, students will learn that we need to Awaken and build our temple by fearing the lord and sharing God's mercy.
In the book of Psalms a psalmist taught a lesson psalmist teaches us how to put on the armor of God and be a witness to God's grace. When we put on the armor of God, we will not fight back against the people who are denying God's grace and seeking prosperity.
We need to remember the promised return of Christ because Christ will judge all men in righteousness. We cannot let our fears hinder us from being a light. The book of Lamentations describes an example of what it looks like to suit up with the armor of God. Mourning and lamenting sin are examples of how to react.
The book of Obadiah describes an example of the promise of the wrath of God for people who deny God's grace and chase prosperity.
Learning Objective for Psalms:
I can build my temple by lining up my sacrifice with a self-efficacious mindset that is committed to achieving prosperity.
Essential Questions:
What does it look like to turn away from God?
What does it look like not to mourn or repent unintentional sin?
Why is Obidiah God's ambassador?
Definition:
Ambassador -
high self-efficacy -
The Issue:
Students will read pages 27-30 in The Pattern of Sound Teaching.
After students read the information ask them, "What do you want to talk about?"
After students read pages 27-30 in T
ith God's grace and not prosperity. In the book of Psalms, a psalmist teaches us how to put on the armor of God and be a witness to God's grace. When we put on the armor of God, we will not fight back against the people who are denying God's grace and seeking prosperity.
Learning Objective for Psalms:
I can learn to be a witness who accepts God's grace.
Essential Questions:
What is the armor of God?
How can I be a witness who sings about God's grace?
How can I control my mind?
Definition:
Psalmist - A witness who sings about God's grace by putting on the armor of God instead of seeking prosperity.
Bully - Someone who seeks to harm or intimidate those whom they perceive as vulnerable.
Defense - Resisting attack
Offense - Fighting back
book of Psalms - Lesson nine
Students will read pages 20-23 in The Pattern of Sound Teaching.
After students read the information ask them, "What do you want to talk about?"
The Issue:
The book of Psalms is where God knows we are going to be fighting a spiritual war, so He tells us to put on our armor (1) a shield, (2) feet that only go toward peace, (3) a helmet of salvation, (4) a belt of truth, and (5) a breastplate that guards our heart. Because God knows we are going to be fighting a spiritual war, He gives us a weapon: the sword of the spirit. We are to sing about God's grace as a psalmist would sing. This is how we are to accept God's grace. We learned in the previous book of 1 Chronicles that we cannot let our emotions get in the way. By putting on the armor of God, we will be able to continue to sacrifice unintentional sin. When someone bullies or picks on another person, we are to sacrifice the desire to get even, and this is what it looks like to sacrifice unintentional sin. This is how we can build our temple with the Chief Cornerstone, Christ. In looking at being saved by grace through faith, we need to think about how the people who are denying God's grace will try and turn people who are accepting God's grace against God. In the Old Testament, people were told to sacrifice unintentional sin and separate away from the people committing intentional sin. Now we are told to look at the sacrifice Christ made and to live among people committing intentional sin. In living among people committing intentional sin, we need to all suit up with the armor of God. Because God knows we are going to be fighting a spiritual war, He gives us a weapon to use: the sword of the spirit. We need to sing like a psalmist about God's grace and not let our emotions get in the way. We need to remember the promised return of Christ because Christ will judge all men in righteousness. We cannot let our fears hinder us from being a light.
After students read pages 20-23 in The Pattern of Sound Teaching to learn how to suit up with the armor of God. The armor of God does not teach us to fight a war with weapons, punishment, or revenge but with integrity and forgiveness. This battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers and spirits of the dark heavenly realm. Satan will do anything to have you deny God's grace. The way to accept God's grace is to suit up with the armor of God.
Examples of how to wear the armor of God are listed below. We will use Jezabel as an example of someone who is chasing prosperity. There is an example below of how you can suit up with the armor of God against someone who is chasing prosperity.
Use these weapons to stay in control of your mind:
Shield of Protection - Defense - As it is written in Psalm 33: 20, "Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield (King James Version, 1986). we can find safety and refuge in God's shield of protection. Jezebel will make you feel like she is your only protector and punisher. She will lie and say, "There is no friend for you except for me." If you put your faith in Jezebel, you will let her treat you like a dog and then come back to her wagging your tail. To be a witness who sings about God's grace, you need to have faith that God will punish people like Jezebel who are denying that God protects people. When Jezebel tries to make you feel like she is your protector, you are to hide behind a shield of protection.
Feet that only go toward peace - Defense - As it is written in Psalms 36:4, "For their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood" (King James Version,1986). Jezebel's feet run to intentional sin. When Jezebel tries to get you to run with her to trouble and conflict, you are to have feet that only go toward peace.
Helmet of Salvation - Defense - As it is written in Psalms 140: 6-7, "I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle" (King James Version, 1986). The helmet protects our head in a literal sense and our mind in a figurative way. The battle is in the mind because we decide if we will have faith in God or not. When Jezebel tries to get you to fight back with her you have to put on the helmet of salvation, so your mind will not be paranoid and wretched.
Belt of Truth - Defense -As it is written in Psalms 145: 18. "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth" (King James Version, 1986). Jezebel will say, "These are my lips, and no one is going to tell me what to say because who is Lord over Jezebel? None!" The belt of truth keeps everything together. God's plan includes Jesus who brought truth and grace. We choose to have faith in the truth or lies.
Breastplate of Righteousness - Defense - As it is written in Psalms 4: 4-5, '4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord" (King James Version, 1985). Jezebel will try and get you to react to her bullying. She wants you to react fast with anger. The key is to think before acting. Act in a way that will bring peace.
Sword of the Spirit - Offense - Psalms 149: 6 describes how God's grace is as a double edge sword as it is written, "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand" (King James Version, 1986). The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Jezebel will try and provoke you to react to her evil plans. The sword of the spirit is an offense whereas doing nothing is an offense. The word of God tells us that revenge is the Lords. As it is written in Psalms 94: 1-2. "O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud" (King James Version, 1986). We are not to take revenge, but to leave room for God to render revenge. This is how doing nothing is an offense.
ACTIVITY:
Students will play the following game: poison. Students play a game called poison - This game is an example of how when we live among intentional sin, we will come into contact with it. Intentional sin is like poison.
Students will join hands and make a circle around a trashcan. The trashcan is an intentional sin that someone in the group commits. If you touch the trashcan, you are the person whom the intentional sin was committed against. You touching the trash can be compared to how people who want to win the game will push you into the trash can just as people who are seeking prosperity will push you down to get it. After being pushed down, we can get up and brush the dust off and move on to try and change the law to control intentional sin or we can lay in the dust and become wretched.
The point of the game is that now we are all to live among each other and not separate from one another. When we do this, people will commit intentional sins against us it is unavoidable. This game shows you that everyone will be injured by intentional sin and how intentional sin is like poison.
Just as nobody in the game wants to touch the trash can, nobody wants to be hurt by intentional sin. When we are hurt by intentional sin, it is easier to seek revenge than offer forgiveness. Just as when you get back into the game to play again, you will try and get the other person to touch the trashcan and not you this is how you become wretched. The part that we have to be careful about is that we do not confuse tolerance with forgiveness. We have to judge sin and be at peace with our decision. Will you tolerate another person's sin like the people in the game continue to hold hands and circle around the trashcan after someone is affected by intentional sin? When someone touches the trashcan, it is because someone pushed them into the trashcan? Maybe, because it is a game you can answer yes. However, in real life will you be at peace if you watch innocent people be pushed aside by someone else to gain prosperity? Will you tolerate a person's intentional sin, to seek a prosperity message?
BLOG PRAYER
Are you a witness or a false teacher? Read the following six ways that you can choose to be a witness or a false teacher. Then write in the blog an example of how you have been a witness or a false teacher.
First way to choose to be a witness or false teacher:
A psalmist is a witness for people who hide behind a shield of protection. People hid in the Old Testament by obeying the law of Moses and being protected with miracles. Today we should never question the miracles in the Old Testament. Are you a witness who teaches people about God's miracles?
or
Are you a false teacher who lies about God's protection? "Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Shlea" (Psalms 3:2).
Second way to choose to be a witness or false teacher:
A psalmist is a witness whose feet only go toward peace. A person cannot hide the intent of their heart. When a person shares the mischief in their heart, do not let your feet go to that person.
Are you a false teacher who blesses God with their mouth and curse God in their heart? "Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts" (Psalms, 28:3).
Third way to choose to be a witness or false teacher:
A psalmist is a witness who puts on the helmet of salvation. The helmet protects our head in a literal sense and our mind in a figurative way. We decide if we are going to accept God's gift of salvation or not. Jesus beat death! He arose from the dead and showed everyone the road to salvation. The Lord is going to be praised. Do people realize that if we stay in the dirt who will praise God? The dirt in the ground will not praise God.
Are you a false teacher who denies that we can be delivered from death? "Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him" (Psalms, 71:11).
Fourth way to choose to be a witness or false teacher:
A psalmist is a witness who puts on the belt of truth. A belt holds all the uniform together, and truth will hold all the armor of God together. Gods plan includes him sending Jesus who brought truth and grace. We choose to tell the truth or lies.
Are you a false teacher who chooses to tell lies and says, "These are our lips, an no one is going to tell us what to say." As it is written in Psalms 12:4, "Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is Lord over us?"
Fifth way to choose to be a witness or false teacher:
A psalmist is a witness who puts on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate guards our hearts, and we choose if we will obey God's commandments and protect our hearts. People should be able to see that God's plan is to protect our hearts with his commandments.
Are you a false teacher who says God's commandments are outdated, and nobody obeys the commandments anymore because God is not even checking to see if people obey His commandments? "Yet they say, "The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it" (Psalms, 94:7).
Sixth way to choose to be a witness or false teacher:
A psalmist is a witness who looks forward to the day of the Lord with the sword of the spirit. The sword of the spirit is a way to fight back when we are exhausted from defending ourselves with the previous armor. When people turn to the word of the Lord for protection against the people who are ignoring the word of God with genuine mourning. The Lord will fight back for them with the sword of the spirit.
Are you a false teacher who stirs people up to speak lies against God? "For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain" (Psalms, 139:20).
Read Psalms 119 out loud and discuss how the book of Psalms includes prayers about the armor of God. Students can write a prayer to God about how to protect them from fighting back against their enemy.
Next Lesson:
The next intermediate lesson teaches discusses the relationship between the sacrifice that Christ made and the sacrifice that we are to make today. As it is written in Psalm 51: 16-17, “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (King James Version, 1986). The book of Lamentation teaches us how to make a sacrifice with the heart and not the blood of animals. When people turn to the word of the Lord for protection against the people who are ignoring the word of God with genuine mourning this is how to fight with the sword of the spirit.
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