The Book of Exodus The Pattern of Justification and Sanctification

MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE TODAY FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS

Please watch the Video Before Reading the Lesson Plan

    3 of 39 lessons                                           Theme: Faith

Background Information:

We asked in the book of Genesis, “How can the creation, humanity, know how to repair the broken relationship with the Creator, God?"

Statement of Faith to Say Amen to for the Book of Exodus:

I can be awakened to know that being saved by grace through faith sacrifices self-righteous behaviors.

Essential Question:

How can I be saved by grace through faith when the world teaches self-righteous behaviors?

Book of Exodus:

Have students read pages 17-24 in The Rock of Faith.

After students read the information ask them, "What do you want to talk about?"

Remember the Issue:

Remembering that we love because God first loved us is important (1 John 4:19). When the world teaches us self-righteous behaviors, God will “stir up” our spirit to awaken us to turn to God and away from the world. This is how we are offered spiritual gifts from God.

Remember the Truth Jesus Brought:

Abraham’s descendants, the Hebrews, were enslaved by the Egyptians. The Egyptian government treated the Hebrews unfairly and harshly to work seven days a week as slaves, and they were beaten and treated as less important people. Jesus brought the truth of how we are not to treat people as being less important than ourselves. The book of Exodus begins with the Hebrews (Israelites) being held captive in Egypt. Remember, God told Abraham in the book of Genesis that Abraham’s descendants, the Hebrews, would be held captive for 400 years in a land where they were sojourners. This happened, and at the end of 400 years, Moses led the people out of Egypt. God performed miracles to free the Hebrews. The miracles were a way for God to awaken the Hebrews and to “stir up” the Hebrews’ hearts to realize how faith includes a sacrifice (choice). The miracles were also a way for God to awaken the Pharaoh and his servants to know that God knows what is in their hearts. God searches a person’s heart and knows why a person makes a choice.

Remember the Rock God Established:

Moses asked the Pharaoh ten times if the Hebrews (Israelites) could leave Egypt so they could worship and sacrifice to the Lord. Each time Moses asked to leave, the Pharaoh said, “No!” Each time Moses asked to leave, a plague was inflicted upon the Egyptians: (1) The water turned to blood (2) Frogs came from the Nile River (3) Lice (4) Swarms of flies (5) Death of cattle and livestock (6) Boils and sores on the Egyptians skin (7) Hail rained down in the form of fire (8) Locusts sent from the sky (9) Three days of complete darkness (10) Death of firstborn Egyptian children.

Before the first miracle, Moses went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord said. He threw down a rod before the Pharaoh and the Pharaoh’s servants, and the rod became a serpent. The Pharaoh’s sorcerers in Egypt threw down their rods, and their rods also became serpents. Then the rod of the Lord swallowed up the Pharaoh’s rods. Pharaoh's heart was hardened because he did not listen to Moses, and he turned not to God. Pharaoh refused to listen to Moses or turn to God, and the Pharaoh said he did not know the Lord, and he would not let Israel go. Pharaoh is an example of having faith in the world and not God. Pharaoh refused to obey God. With each plague, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened more. The Pharaoh had self-righteous behaviors. The Pharaoh would not choose God over his false gods. The Pharaoh finally let the Hebrews leave after the Egyptians endured the ten plagues. After Pharoah let the Hebrews leave, he changed his mind and had the Egyptians chase the Hebrews. The Egyptians had the Hebrews trapped against the Red Sea with no way to escape. God parted the Red Sea and the Hebrews passed through it. When the Hebrews were safe on the other side, God closed the Red Sea on the Egyptians. The Hebrews were awakened by the miracles of God to realize that faith includes a sacrifice (choice). This is how the Israelites were saved by faith. The Pharaoh was awakened by the miracles of God to know that God searches a person's heart. The Pharaoh is an example of someone who was not saved by faith because he continued to make sacrifices (choices) with worldly love.

God gave Moses directions to build the Ark of the Covenant, a portable chest that contained the Ten Commandments of God. God’s Spirit, or presence, dwelt in the Ark of the Covenant. God’s holiness was witnessed around the Ark of the Covenant, and the Hebrews were able to witness how God is different from humanity. The Hebrews were learning how to be credited with righteousness by a Holy God. Next, God told Moses to make an altar and sacrifice to Him. God then established a conditional covenant with His commandments. The Ten Commandments were linked to the sacrifice, and when people would obey God’s commandments and sacrifice, God would protect them from people who were serving false gods with self-righteous behaviors. The Hebrews were saved by faith because they had faith that God’s love for them would protect them when they did not serve false gods with self-righteous behaviors. This includes a binding covenant promise made with love.

When Jesus came, He established the new covenant. Now we are saved by grace through faith. The Rock of Faith was built in the pre-church age with the sacrifices (choices) that the Israelites made when they obeyed God’s commandments. Jesus established the new covenant on The Rock of Faith that God built in the pre-church age. The new covenant is a better covenant with better promises. The new covenant promised that God would put his laws in the minds and hearts of humanity. Jesus added love to the law with his sacrifice. With the new covenant, we are to build an internal temple where the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit can reside and dwell. We are to have righteous behaviors that reflect the sacrifice Jesus made. Righteous behaviors are a reflection of accepting God’s grace, sharing God’s mercy, repenting, covenant faithfulness, and listening to the Holy Spirit. Lessons six through thirty-six will present a pattern of sound teaching from Jesus to remember how to have righteous behaviors. In the next lesson, God teaches the Israelites how to be holy because God is holy. Just as the Israelites had to remember how to be holy because God is holy, we are to remember that now the kingdom of God is within us, and the world will not teach us righteous behaviors.

Activity:

Please complete the BLOG activity below.

Conclusion:

The Hebrews did not have a temple to worship in or anyone to teach them to sacrifice until they exit.

Next Lesson:

God teaches the Hebrews to be witnesses who do not let false gods influence their sacrifice (choice).

BLOG:

The first foundational spiritual stone pillar of sanctification used to frame Jesus' church is awakening to accept the spiritual gifts offered by the Spirit of God. To answer the question for the blog, visit the website and review lessons 8, 13, 18, 23, 28, and 33 to identify the spiritual gift offered by each church. Then fill in the chart below. The first lesson 8 has been completed. (Cheat tip: A chart in the video lists each gift, but by looking at lessons 8, 13, 18, 23, 28, and 33 to identify the spiritual gift that is offered by each church, the pattern of justification and sanctification can be identified in The Pattern of Sound Teaching.) For the blog, please list the six spiritual gifts God offers for faith in Jesus in the comments section below.

Church of Laodicea	Spiritual Gifts	Witness	Prophet	Prophet
Church of Ephesus	Grace
Church of Smyrna	__________ (13)
Church of Pergamos	__________ (18)
Church of Thyatira	__________ (23)
Church of Sardis	__________ (28)
Church of Philadelphia	__________ (33)