Preschool
I am the light of the world (John 9:5).
God of the Living
Memory Verses
Primary
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5).
Junior
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5).
Background Scripture: Mark 12; Exodus 3:1-16
Lesson Scripture: Mark 12:24-27; Exodus 3:6, 13-15;
Introduction
Behold, God speaks! The heavens declare the power of his handiwork. All creation verifies his masterful planning and control. Believing in the great, eternal God unlocks the potential for right living that lies dormant just below the surface of every heart. Trusting in self and the man-made devices engulfing the hearts and minds of mankind today deadens people to a belief in the living God. Being sanctified and committed to the will of God will result in being prepared for the most important and notable event of all time—the judgment and resurrection. By belief and obedience, we receive the eternal reward of life everlasting with God.
Key Verse
In him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).
Lesson Scripture
Mark 12:24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
Exodus 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Isaiah 63:15 Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
Studying the Lesson
The resurrection of the dead will include everyone who has lived, from the beginning to the end of time. Eternal resurrection challenges the finite mind of man. Man has always grappled to intellectually understand eternal, spiritual resurrection.
Mankind tries to bend eternal truth and constrict it into the limited, finite perception of time on earth. The mind of man understands spiritual concepts best through observing the natural world controlled by the laws of God. However, we are challenged to understand a heavenly existence: no time, no families, no working to make a living, no sweating, no intemperance, and no fear. All will be loving, joyful, and reverential to God.
God explicitly states that He has always existed. He is the one and only eternal, loving power for good. He explains throughout the Word of Truth that He has made a way through sacrificial substitution for all who believe in Him to be saved. If we die saved, we know we will also resurrect saved (1 Cor. 15). God promises this in his memorial to all generations in Exodus 3:15.
God is merciful to those who choose to allow his forgiveness to thoroughly cleanse their lives. He will restrain our foolish, selfish, destructive tendencies and will fill our deep inner cry for immortality. He will make an eternal covenant with us to redeem us from destruction through his Spirit, his peace, and his saving grace. He will assure us of his approval through implanting his Spirit within us and quietly guiding and directing us with his living power.
Even though man may refuse to accept and acknowledge God and his design in creation, God is still lovingly holding out the golden scepter of forgiveness throughout time.
Practical Truths for Today
All nature speaks of a master Designer. The entire universe shows pattern and a mighty, controlling power. As the song states, “God hangs the sun on nothing at all, Suspends the earth in space; He charts the path of each star in the sky, Each one in its rightful place.” 1 As man studies the laws of physics, he becomes aware of this almighty power. It is like a tremendous engine, controlling everything that is happening on earth and in space. Part of God’s created light is the spirit within man. That spark of light, the soul within man, recognizes all the intricate detail as a miraculous manifestation of the will and mind of God. When a person loses his belief in God, true light and life recede from their actions.
Nevertheless, mankind doubts God and theorizes and tests every part of God’s creation. We choose to believe the truth of the Bible or to search for some other answer.
Christian faith is not something that can be tangibly grasped, nor can it be physically seen. Faith and belief in a living God can be felt within our innermost being and is easily observed in demeanor and action. We believe in the Bible because it contains the spoken words of Jesus, the Son of God. It also does not contradict the laws of nature. The theories of evolution can be disproven through studying the Word of Truth in humble faith. We do not have the luxury of having Jesus physically walking beside us, but we do have the Bible. The Bible is our roadmap to heaven and is the source of spiritual life and direction, the way to eternal life and assurance of resurrection to heavenly eternity. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). The remainder of Hebrews 11 lists the amazing results of our forefathers’ unwavering belief in the God of the living. The spiritual resurrection is based upon faith. We cannot see God, yet we know He exists because our belief in the truth of God’s Word empowers us to live righteously and godly in this world.
Without a belief in God powered by faith, our existence on earth and our use of time will carry little purpose. Serving and obeying the requests of the Creator fills our lives with inspiration and gives us profitable activity and a reason to be involved with our fellow men. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:3-7). Through the medium of love, our belief in God leads us to interact with others as we walk through this life. It helps us understand how to make proper choices between good and bad. A deep, sincere belief in God guides our understanding and acceptance of God’s plan for our life. It will condition us so we can be led beside the still waters in preparation for drinking eternally from the water of life in heaven. “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1).
Questions
- How can we encourage ourselves to focus more on the eternal, living God when we live in such a materially-minded environment today?
- How do we help someone who struggles with completely believing in the regenerative power of salvation through repentance?
- Will the power of God continue to work in any area of someone’s life even if they stop believing in his power to change them?
- 1 Mosie Lister, “He Has Time,” Lord of All
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).