1. GOD’S WILL FOR HIS PEOPLE (PART I)
LESSON 18
GOD’S WILL FOR HIS PEOPLE
(PART I)

2. Opening Prayer Before lesson
Dear heavenly Father, like any law, your laws tell me what to do and what not to do. I don't always like that. But, Father, show me that your laws stand forever no matter how I feel about them. Thank you for sending someone to obey them for me. Jesus lived perfectly so that I could be set free from all my guilt! You've done that for me just because you love me. Now let me show my love for you. Help me to see your laws as a guide that will help me love you. Help me see that by obeying your law, I'm freeing you to bless my life and make me a happier, more content person. Help me, for Jesus' sake, Amen.
Before lesson
Dear heavenly Father, like any law, your laws tell me what to do and what not to do. I don't always like that. But, Father, show me that your laws stand forever no matter how I feel about them. Thank you for sending someone to obey them for me. Jesus lived perfectly so that I could be set free from all my guilt! You've done that for me just because you love me. Now let me show my love for you. Help me to see your laws as a guide that will help me love you. Help me see that by obeying your law, I'm freeing you to bless my life and make me a happier, more content person. Help me, for Jesus' sake, Amen.

3. THE GIVING OF
GOD’S LAW
Opening Illustration: Water is all around us. It can be found in many different places. List some of those places. (lakes, streams, rivers, springs, plants, clouds) Gold can also be found in different places. Can you list a couple? (streams, veins in rocks, jewelry stores.) Many things can be found or located in more than one place. As surprising as it might seem, that’s also true of God’s law. We are going to begin the study of God’s Law by finding out where God has written his law.

4. The Giving of God’s Law
God gave the world His Law in two ways:

5. Romans 2:14-15
14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to verse 15, where did God write the Law?
Answer: He wrote it in people’s hearts.
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6. The Giving of God’s Law 1. He wrote it in people’s hearts.
God gave the world His Law in two ways:
1. He wrote it in people’s hearts.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
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7. Deuteronomy 10:4
4 The LORD wrote on these tablets what he had written before, the Ten Commandments he had proclaimed to you on the mountain, out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, where else did God write his law?
Answer: He wrote it on stone tablets at Mt. Sinai
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8. The Giving of God’s Law 1. He wrote it in people’s hearts.
God gave the world His Law in two ways:
1. He wrote it in people’s hearts.
2. He wrote it on stone tablets at Mt. Sinai
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
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9. Ephesians 4:18,19
18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: Verse 18 tells us that people can be darkened in their understanding of God’s law. According to the second half of that verse what causes this?
Answer: sinful ignorance and hardening of their hearts.
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10. The Giving of God’s Law 1. He wrote it in people’s hearts.
God gave the world His Law in two ways:
1. He wrote it in people’s hearts.
2. He wrote it on stone tablets at Mt. Sinai
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
[Click to next slide]
because people’s sin made them forget some of God’s Law or misunderstand it.

11. The Giving of God’s Law
This picture describes what has happened since humankind fell into sin. Adam and Eve had pure hearts. They knew God’s will and also wanted to carry it out. Sadly they chose not to obey God’s will and that sin has darkened people’s heart ever since. It has also distorted peoples understanding of the law. Therefore God had to rewrite his law on stone tablets so that his will was clear.

12. His Word in My Life
Evaluate: It’s better not to study God’s law too much, because the more I know, the more God will expect of me.
God expects us to keep his law. He wrote it in our hearts. He wrote it in the Bible. So he won’t accept any excuses. Not to study God’s law, thinking he will accept that as an excuse, is foolishness.

13. THE REASON FOR GOD’S LAW
Illustration: Think about your last time you were at a public swimming pool in some park or at a motel. What is usually posted on a big sign near the pool? (A list of rules) What are some of those rules and why are they posted? (no glass containers – bare feet could easily be cut by broken glass; no running– on the cement deck you could trip and get hurt or knock someone else down; no diving in the shallow water – could break your neck; no dunking another person – could drown someone.)

14. Romans 7:7
I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to the first half of this passage, what did the law do for the apostle Peter?
Answer: It showed him that he was sinful.
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15. The Reason for God’s Law
1. The Law serves as a
mirror or
curb to
for
All people (S.O.S.)
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: Just as we look at a mirror to see how we look, we also look at the mirror of God’s law to see how sinful we are. The law also serves as a curb to keep sinful behavior in check, just like a curb or guard rail keeps cars from going off the road. The law serves these two purposes for all people believers and unbelievers. A good way to remember this purpose is by using the letters S.O.S. The law Shows us Our Sin.
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16. Psalm 119:105
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, what does God’s Word which would include his law do for us?
Answer: It lights our way by giving guidance.
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17. The Reason for God’s Law
1. The Law serves as a
mirror or
curb to
for
All people (S.O.S.)
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: Remember that the law only serves as a guide for believers since they are the only ones who can live truly God pleasing lives. Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.”
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2. The Law serves as a
guide to
show believers how to live a God-pleasing life.

18. His Word in My Life
Evaluate: Now that I’m a Christian I no longer need God’s law to serve as a curb or a mirror.
Even though I am a Christian, I am still a sinner. I still have a sinful nature that is darkened in its understanding of God’s law. Therefore I need to be made aware of my sin and need for forgiveness.

19. WHY
OBEY
GOD’S LAW
Illustration: A young American, living in Singapore, went out one night and sprayed paint on some cars. The police saw what he did and arrested him. He was tried and convicted of vandalism. The judge sentenced him to be caned – whipped with a bamboo rod on his bare backside, a very painful punishment. For the rest of the time that he lived in Singapore, he was a model of good behavior. His attitude toward the law changed as a result of the caning. He shoed a lot more respect for all the laws of the city.
What does God want our attitude toward his law to be? Does he want us to obey him because we are afraid that we will be severely punished – like that American in Singapore – if we don’t? Or is there some other attitude God wants us to have? Let’s find out.

20. Exodus 20:2
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, how does God identify himself as he introduces the 10 commandments?
Answer: “I am the Lord your God.”
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21. Why Obey God’s Law God introduces His commandments with the words:
“I am the LORD YOUR God.”
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: Remember when we see the title “LORD” reminds us of his love and forgiveness. He is ours and we are his.
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22. Why Obey God’s Law
The Lord is OUR God, we belong to Him, because:

23. Psalm 100:3
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, who made us?
Answer: God
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24. Why Obey God’s Law The Lord is OUR God, we belong to Him, because:
1. He created us.
This is chiefly the work of God the
Father.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: We ascribe the work of creating us to God the Father.
[Click to next slide]

25. 1 Corinthians 6:20
20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, what did God do for us?
Answer: He bought us at a price. (Remember the price paid to buy us back from sin death and the devil was Jesus death.)
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26. Why Obey God’s Law The Lord is OUR God, we belong to Him, because:
1. He created us.
This is chiefly the work of God the
Father.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: We ascribe the work of redemption to God the Son.
[Click to next slide]
2. He bought (redeemed) us.
This is chiefly the work of God the
Son.

27. 1 Corinthians 6:11
11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, by whom were we sanctified and justified in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ?
Answer: God the Holy Spirit
[Click to next slide]

28. Why Obey God’s Law 3. He sanctified us, set us apart for himself.
Holy Spirit.
This is chiefly the work of God the
The Lord is our
Creator
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: We ascribe the work of sanctification to God the Holy Spirit.
[Click to next slide]
our
Redeemer
our
Sanctifier

29. 1 John 4:19 19We love because he first loved us.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, why do we love?
Answer: Because God first loved us.
[Click to next slide]

30. of God’s great love for us.
Why Obey God’s Law
God’s children try to obey God’s Law because
of God’s great love for us.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
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31. A Summary of God’s Law LOVE
In one word, God’s commandments are summarized with the word
LOVE
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
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The 1st table of the Law says:
The 2nd table of the Law says:
Love God above all
Love your neighbor

32. THE
FIRST
COMMANDMENT
Illustration: What kinds of items do people put into a safe? (money, jewelry, important papers) Why do they put these things into a safe? (to keep them from being stolen, to keep them from burning up in a fire, to keep them from being lost) A safe protects and keeps secure whatever valuables are in it. Each of God’s Ten commandments is like a safe. Each protects something that is very important. Now let’s see how God protects his glory in the first commandment.

33. The First Commandment You shall have no other gods.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
[Click to next slide]

34. Matthew 4:10
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' "
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, what place does God want to be in our lives
Answer: He wants first place in our lives.
[Click to next slide]

35. The First Commandment You shall have no other gods.
God requires in this commandment that He be
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
[Click to next slide]
first in our lives.

36. Proverbs 8:13
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, how does a person express that they fear or respect the LORD?
Answer: By hating evil.
[Click to next slide]

37. The First Commandment You shall have no other gods.
God requires in this commandment that He be
first in our lives.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
[Click to next slide]
We fear God above all things when we
hate the things God hates and love the things God loves.

38. Psalm 73:25
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, what seems to be the Psalmist’s greatest treasure on earth?
Answer: God
[Click to next slide]

39. The First Commandment You shall have no other gods.
We love God above all things when we
consider Him to be our greatest treasure and devote our whole life to serving Him.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
[Click to next slide]

40. Psalm 37:5
5 Commit your way to the LORD ; trust in him and he will do this:
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage how does a person commit their way to the LORD?
Answer: By trusting him.
[Click to next slide]

41. The First Commandment You shall have no other gods.
We trust God above all things when we
take Him at His Word.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
[Click to next slide]

42. The First Commandment You shall have no other gods.
The sin against the first commandment is called
idolatry
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
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which means
putting someone or something ahead of God.

43. The First Commandment
People commit idolatry when they …

44. Exodus 20:4-5
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage what is one way a person can commit idolatry?
Answer: By worshiping a false God or idol. (A representation of a created thing)
[Click to next slide]

45. The First Commandment People commit idolatry when they …
1. Worship any
false
god, or
idol.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: See if you can come up with examples of idols.
[Click to next slide]

46. John 5:23
He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, what happens if a person does not believe that Jesus is true God.
Answer: Then they don’t believe in the Father or the triune God.
[Click to next slide]

47. The First Commandment People commit idolatry when they …
1. Worship any
false
god, or
idol.
Any religion which does not accept Jesus as the Son of God or does not trust in Him as the Redeemer from sin has a
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: See if you can think of some religions which don’t accept Jesus as the Son of God.
[Click to next slide]
false god

48. The First Commandment People also commit idolatry when they …
2. Respect, love, or trust in anything or anyone more than they
Respect, love, or trust in God.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration:
[Click to next slide]

49. People also commit idolatry when they …
The First Commandment
People also commit idolatry when they …

50. Matthew 6:24
24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage what can a person worship instead of God
Answer: money
[Click to next slide]

51. 1 John 2:15
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, what else can a person worship instead of God?
Answer: the world
[Click to next slide]

52. Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage what else can a person trust instead of God?
Answer: Their own understanding
[Click to next slide]

53. Jeremiah 17:5
5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD .
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage what else can a person depend on instead of God?
Answer: Their own strength or abilities
[Click to next slide]

54. Matthew 10:37
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
[Have your youth read the passage]
Question: According to this passage, what else can a person love more than God?
Answer: Relatives
[Click to next slide]

55. The First Commandment People also commit idolatry when they …
2. Respect, love, or trust in anything or anyone more than they
Respect, love, or trust in God.
Examples:
Money, the world, our strength etc.
[Have your youth record the answer]
Illustration: Remember that God demands a perfect record in order to be with him in a heaven. Jesus achieved that through actively obeying all of God’s commands for us.
[Click to next slide]
It takes a perfect record to be fit to live with God.
Who has achieved this?
For whom?
Jesus only Us
Roman 5:19 – By the obedience of the One shall the many be made righteous.

56. His Word in My Life
Evaluate: It’s wrong for me to want to make as much money as I can.
No, it’s not wrong to want to make a lot of money. God doesn’t say that being rich is a sin. But if I’m so busy making a lot of money that it leads me to skip the study of God’s Word, then the making of money has become a sin by taking first place in my life above God. Or, if the money I make is used by me for my own pleasure instead of for serving God and my fellow human beings, then wanting to make a lot of money is also a sin for the same reason.

57. His Word in My Life
For each of the following examples from Jesus’ life, tell how he saved us from our sins against the First Commandment by keeping it perfectly for us.
a. Jesus is tempted by the devil.
He put God’s Word above any command of the devil
He was willing to do what God wanted, rather than what he wanted.
He placed himself completely into God’s care because he trusted God.
Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus’ last words on the cross commend his spirit to God.

58. ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK
Study carefully the notes you have taken in class; be sure you understand them.
Study carefully questions in the Catechism.
Complete the “Working with God’s Word” section.
Memorize the First, Second, and Third Commandments and “What Does This Mean?”
Memorize these Bible passages:
VIP - 1 John 4:19 – “We love because He first loved us.”
John 14:15 – “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.”
Matthew 22:37 – “Love the Lord your God with with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
6. Complete Worksheet #18 .

59. Key Truths Lesson Eighteen
God wrote his law on man's _______________ and on two tables of ________________. The Law serves as a mirror to S O S The Law serves as a _______________ to show us how to live a God-pleasing life. We try to obey God's Law because of God's great _______________ for us. The first commandment requires that God be _______________ in our lives. Only _______________ did that perfectly and he did that for _______________ .

60. Key Truths Lesson Eighteen
God wrote his law on man's HEART and on two tables of STONE. The Law serves as a mirror to SHOW OUR SIN. The Law serves as a GUIDE to show us how to live a God-pleasing life. We try to obey God's Law because of God's great LOVE for us. The first commandment requires that God be FIRST in our lives. Only JESUS did that perfectly and he did that for US.