Returning to the Value of Life
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
All this week, we have focused on the Sanctity or Value of Life in our VBS. Australia was our setting. Each night, we learned something about the Outback which pertained to life and its value.
Show slide of Uluru
The first night we were in the Outback learning about the interior of Australia. It is home to ten deserts with temperatures often reaching 122 degrees in certain areas. One of the amazing features of the Australian Outback is the Uluru. The Uluru is the world’s biggest single rock. It is taller than the Statue of Liberty, the Great Pyramid, and even the Eiffel Tower. The Outback is also home to the Australian Aboriginal people.
Show slide of the Great Barrier Reef
The second night, we learned about the Great Barrier Reef. I will tell you more about that in just a few minutes.
Show slide of Australia’s coast
The third night was focused on Australia’s coast. 9 out of 10 Australians live on the coasts of Australia.
Show slide of Eucalypt Forest
On night four, we traveled to the Eucalypt Forest. It is where the Koala bears live. We learned how eating a eucalyptus leaf is poisonous to humans and most animals, but not to the Koala bear.
Show slide for Coober Pedy
We concluded the week with a visit to one of the most unique towns in the world. The name of the town is Coober Pedy. What makes this town unique is that it is completely underground. 95% of the world’s opals are mined in Australia and they are mined in Coober Pedy. The town and the mine is located in one of the hottest locations of Australia. Consequently, the Australian who live and work there built their town underground away from the heat. The town has a hotel, bank, restaurant, library, and several churches along with many homes called “dugouts.”
Each of our travels led us to discussions about life, its value, and how life relates to God. So, for a few minutes, let’s head to the Outback, to God’s Word, and learn some important facts about life.
God Created Life
God Created Life
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
As you read the rest of Genesis 1-2, you find how God created everything we see and know in the universe. Their are many who choose dispute God’s account of creation. However, when you begin to study all the different cultures and tribes of earth, you find that each has their own story of creation that often sounds quite familiar. For example, all this week we have learned about Australia. As you may already know, the Aborigines are a native people to Australia. Listen their account.
In the beginning, the land was not like it is today. It was free from life and empty. During the Dreamtime (Creation), the Spirits (plural) made the land and people. They made rivers, hills, rocks, plants, and animals. They made laws about how people were to behave.
Does that sound vaguely familiar? There are many aspects of their story that meet the same descriptions given by God in Genesis. In fact, their story starts with the exact some words of the Bible - “In the beginning.” Just like Genesis, they describe a universe that was without form and void (free from life and empty). Then the Spirit’s (God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) made the land and people. Remember the name God is in the Hebrews “Elohim” and is plural. God then made all that we see such as land, animal, birds, sea creatures, and us.
You see all tribes knew the truth of creation. However, at the tower of Babel, men rebelled against God and He dispersed them throughout the entire earth. Over time, sinful men in conjunction with Satan’s efforts, have changed the story of creation. Even now, men are not just changing it, they are replacing it with false theories such as evolution.
Evolution has to be the most insidious and bizarre of all man’s attempts to explain the existence of life. It is theory taught and accepted in all our public schools, zoos, and museums. As we know, it involves the idea of us coming from apes. Theoretically (remember it is unproven theory), we didn’t start out as humans but as some apelike creature. It contends that apes and monkey evolved first and, eventually, into an ape-like man who is our ancestor. The thing is this. Evolutionist cannot produce the ape-like man that is the link between monkeys and men. It is often referred to as the missing link. All attempts to produce a missing link have been debunked. Here are some examples we shared with the kids on Monday.
Lucy
Show slide of Lucy
Lucy was found in Ethiopia in 1974. In fact, the only thing found of Lucy was some bones. Evolutionist proclaimed she was the missing link saying she could walk upright possessing a hairy body with human hands and feet. Later, however, it was proven that Lucy’s bones were indeed a normal ape’s bones. Upon measuring the bones, it was proven that she couldn’t walk upright no better than any normal chimpanzee or orangutan. And, then, on top of all that, evidenced surfaced that the scientist who discovered Lucy actually ground away parts of the bone and glued them together to make it appear that she could walk upright. It was an absolute hoax.
Neanderthal
Show slide of Neanderthal
Many of you have seen pictures of Neanderthal men. The first Neanderthal was found in the Neander valley in Germany beginning in 1856. What did they find? Do you suppose they found an entire skeleton or skeletons? Nope. They found only some skulls, shoulder bones, and hip bones. That was it. Nothing more. The Neanderthal was declared the missing link. He was an apelike man who was stooped over, hairy, primitive, and swinging a club. The real truth is Neanderthals were just people who sometimes lived in caves. They are nothing more than our distant relatives. Most likely, these distant relatives moved into Europe sometime just after the tower of Babel incident. And, just like today, they were affected by such ailments as rickets and arthritis which cause poor posture. If you think about it, living in a cave that are cold and damp with little sunlight along with a poor diet is the perfect conditions for rickets and arthritis. Living in a cave doesn’t make a human an ape. There are still many tribal people today who live in caves. We know from studying Neanderthals that they were intelligent. They buried their loved ones and conducted elaborate funerals. They made tools and worked with skins and leather. They played instruments. Just recently, a flute was discovered among Neanderthal archeological digs. They even wore jewelry. The Neanderthal is not the missing link.
Here is the last one even though there are many other examples.
Nebraska Man
Show slide of Nebraska Man
He was discovered in Nebraska, hence the name, in 1922. Can anyone tell me how much of the Nebraska man they found? They found one tooth! That was it. Boom! He was the missing link. Evolutionist have tried their best to use this one tooth to prove that men evolved from apes. In the end, it was proven that the toot was not even from a man or an ape. It was the tooth of a rare species of pigs. Yet, somehow, that pig’s tooth became a whole ape like man. In fact, an artist (evolutionist) drew not just the Nebraska man, but also his entire surroundings from one pig’s tooth.
There are few others that have been offered as the missing link. All of them have been disproven. There is no missing link because there is no missing link. God created us in His image. There is no proof of an evolutionary process.
As I was teaching the kids on Monday this lesson, I showed them this picture.
Show them the picture of the swirly line.
I asked the kids if they could tell me what this swirly line is. Can any of you tell me what this swirly line is? Don’t answer if you were in on the lesson Monday! So no cheating. Anyone? There is no way to tell what it is until you have more context. Some claim to know what it is, but can they really know? They cannot.
However, if you give you more context, you will know. Look at that swirly line in its context.
Show them the picture of the monkey’s tail.
Now it is clear what this swirly line is a monkey’s tail.
The only way to interpret anything in nature is within in the context of God’s Word. You can find all the missing links you want. In the end, they are not missing because God already provided the context.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
You see God man unique and different than the animals.
We noted from this next slide that animals cannot do what we can do.
Show slide noting the difference between men and animals
Animals cannot write books.
Animals cannot cook a full course meal.
Animals cannot talk in full sentences.
Animals cannot play a concert on a piano.
Animals cannot use the Bible to know right and wrong.
Animals cannot appreciate a sunset or a beautiful painted picture.
Animals cannot build amazing things like computers and spaceships.
Animals cannot have a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Only men can do those things because men are created in God’s image. God created men with capabilities the far exceed those of animals.
God created men and women for relationships.
This brings us to the second night and our next point.
God Created Amazing Life
God Created Amazing Life
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
This was memory verse for Tuesday evening. Remember the entire week used Australia as our guide showing us how God values life. We began the evening talking about the Great Barrier Reef.
We watched a video showing the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
Show picture of the Great Barrier Reef
Here are some interesting fact about the Great Barrier Reef.
It sometimes called one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World.
It is the largest reef in the world. It is so big you can place 70 million footballs fields within its borders. It is bigger than the entire country of Italy.
It is so big it can be seen from space.
It has some really cool animals such as whale sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, sea snakes, and much more.
Show picture of the a whale shark
It also has some really dangerous animals such as the stonefish, the blue-ringed octopus, and the box jellyfish.
Show picture of a blue-ringed octopus
Here’s the thing. All of these animals and the reef itself are absolutely amazing, but they are no where as amazing as the human body, you. It is why the Psalmist cried out “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” That is like saying, “I am WOW! I am a one-of-a-kind creation! I am a God’s masterpiece. Therefore, I am going to praise and honor Him for His incredible creation that is me!”
In fact, if you read the context of Psalm 139:14, it says.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
God designed each of you in your mother’s womb. He knitted you together.
When you begin to think about the human body, you discover that God made each and every part with a special purpose.
Show picture of bones
BONES - they are stronger than steel or concrete (4x’s stronger than concrete). They come in different sizes. The smallest bone is the size of a grain of rice. It is located in your ear. The longest bone is in your leg and is designed to carry you around each day.
Show picture of nose
NOSE - can tell the difference between one trillion different smells. The tiny hairs inside your nose protect you by keeping out dirt and germs. Even snot is special. Yes, the wonderful oozing mucuos has a purpose. It keeps the lining of your nose moist warming the air you breathe so not freeze your lungs.
Show picture of DNA
DNA - the coded information that determines so many things like if you have red hair, black hair, brown, or blonde. It determines if you have small feet or big feet. No one has the same coded information that you have. It is what makes us uniquely us.
I could go on with more information about our hands, our eyes, and our mouth. All uniquely designed by God for specific purposes. Take one last example from our mouth. This is something we learned. It was something I did not know. Did you know the mouth produce enough saliva each day to fill a whole quart jar? In fact, over the course of a lifetime, your mouth produces enough saliva to fill two whole swimming pools.
Nothing about our bodies happened by chance. It is not the product of any evolutionary process. Instead, it was wonderfully designed by God. From our bones to our saliva, God thought of everything. God makes no mistake.
Yes, there are those who are born blind, deaf, and sometimes with limited mental abilities. Even they are “fearfully and wonderfully made” for His glory. Frankly, we all have our limitations. Sin affect is felt by everyone. Because of sin, there no person born into this world capable of meeting God’s glory.
However, we know that...
God Values Each Life
God Values Each Life
On Wednesday evening, we moved from the Great Barrier Reef to the Australian coast. 9 out of 10 people live on the coast of Australia. It makes sense when we realize that Australia is like one great big island with 10 different deserts spread across it.
Show picture of Sydney harbor
Sydney is one of its famous cities. Many have seen pictures and will recognize the Sydney Opera House. It’s roof looks like seashells or sails on a ship. There are 10,000 beaches along the coast. Visiting a new beach every day would take you 27 years to get to them all. Australians love surfing, sailing, snorkeling, and anything beach related. However, one of the favorite things to do is have a barbie. Do you know that a barbie is?
Barbie is an Australian word for barbecue. Australians shorten words making them more fun and casual.
Mate = friend
Bloke = guy
Sheila = girl
Bikkies = cookies
Nana = bananas
Uni = University
Even though Australians may talk differently or enjoy life differently than us here in America, God values them just as He does us. God values each person no matter who they are or where they are from. Unfortunately, not all people have been treated with the same value as God by others. Again, sin is the culprit.
In the Bible, we often talk about how wonderful Christ’s birth was as He came into this world. However, Christ’s birth did have a dark element to it. There was at least one very evil and wicked man that we don’t often talk about.
The happy part is recorded in Luke 2:1-7
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Beth-lehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
If you continue reading, we learn about the shepherds. Fast forward a year or two, we find Jesus and his parents living in a house now. The manger is long gone. It is about this time, that some wise men from the east show up asking some questions. They end up before the wicked king named Herod. These wise men had seen a special star which led them to see Jesus. After consulting with some scholars, King Herod told them they would find Jesus in Bethlehem. He then instructed them to return to him after finding the baby. He wanted to know where this future king was located. Herod wanted to kill him!
You know the rest of the story. The wise men do indeed find Jesus. They worship Him presenting Him with the wonderful gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, in a dream, God warned the wise men not to return to King Herod, so they went home another way.
However, this did not stop Herod. There was only one problem though for Herod. Since the wise men did not return and identify the baby, he had no way of knowing which baby born in Bethlehem was Jesus. So Herod orders his soldiers to slaughter all children two and under in the village of Bethlehem. As might know, Jesus was not there. God also warned Joseph and instructed him to take Jesus to Egypt escaping Herod’s evil.
Herod’s act was the one of the most evil acts ever committed by men. The slaughter of innocent children is horrifying. Yet, in the midst of all that evil, came God’s grace to all men. You see God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was spared so that He might give His own life willingly for all people and their salvation. This thought brings us to day four and the most important point of the entire week.
God Offers Eternal Life
God Offers Eternal Life
On Thursday, we opened our lesson talking about Eucalypt Forest and Koala bears. One interesting fact we learned about Koala bears is this. A baby Koala bear is only the size of jelly bean when it is born. They born with no hair, no ears, and completely blind. For the next six months, they live in their mother’s pouch. During that six months, they grow hair, ears, and begin to develop sight. After leaving their mother’s pouch, they live another six months close to mom before going off on their own. For the first year, they are completely dependent upon their mother’s care. Each Koala bear mother takes extremely good care of their babies. They are reminder to us how God loves each person born into this world. He cares deeply for them. He cares so deeply that He made it possible for each person to be His very own child through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember that each person born into the world is born already a sinner. Yes, God made each person in His image and placed the first man and woman in a perfect world. God created men and women for relationships. At that time, their relationships were perfect. There was complete harmony between God and people. Additionally, men and women (only the two at that time) were united together in their relationship with God and each other. Everything was just as God intended. It was perfect.
It was perfect until Adam disobeyed God.
Disobedience to God’s command is called SIN.
God told both Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As we know, the disobeyed that command and sinned.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
This event is often called the Fall of Man. Adam went from being perfect with perfect relationships to being a sinner with wrecked relationships. Adam FELL from perfection. And, as Romans 5:12 says, from that moment on people were no longer perfect. Each of Adam’s and Even’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on were born sinners. Thus, every person born into this world is born a sinner - including you and me. We all are born with a nature to disobey God’s commands.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Sin is big problem. Sin ruins relationships. It separates us from God ruining our relationship with Him.
God is holy meaning He has set Himself apart from sin. Our sin then keeps us away from Him not just during our life on earth, but for all of eternity. Sin completely wrecks our relationship with God.
Sin also ruins our relationship with others. The word SIN has a tell-tale letter in the middle. It is the letter “I.” When we sin, we choose ourselves and what we want over what God wants and even over what others need. Living a life of wrecked relationships is not fun.
Yet, God realized our problem and understood our need. He desires to renew His relationship with us and help live a life of renewed relationships with others. He loves us.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
His love was demonstrated by Him sending the most precious and sacred thing He possessed, His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us. Christ came. He was born in a manger, took on a human body, and lived on earth. He lived a perfect life. He always obeyed God the Father. Everywhere He went, He loved people. He cared for them. He valued them. He healed the sick. He ate meals with the poor and the outcast. In the end, He made the biggest sacrifice ever for people. He gave His life for us. He died for us.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from God forever in Hell. Jesus came to take the punishment that you and I deserve for our sin. He died on the cross in the place of sinners, was buried, and sealed in a tomb. However, praise God, the most amazing thing ever took place. Christ did not stay dead! As God, He resurrected Himself on the third day and walked out of that tomb.
Why did Christ do all this? Why did He come as a baby, living a life among us only to be crucified and place in a tomb? Why did He resurrect Himself from the dead? He did it so He could offer you the gift of eternal life. It is a gift that is free and ready to be received.
How does a person receive this wonderful spiritual gift? Tell God you are sorry for your sins (repent), and believe in Jesus and that His death on the cross paid for your sins, and believe that He rose from the dead. If you will, God forgives your sins.
To be forgiven means God will look at you as if your sins have been erased. God places your sin on Jesus and resurrects you spiritually restoring your relationship with Him. As He does, you become part of His great family and receive the wonderful gift of eternal life.
If you have not accepted His gift, let me encourage you to do so this morning. Restore your relationship with Him by admitting your sin and believing in all that Christ has done for you. It will change your life completely.
Let me conclude with this last thought concerning life.
God Desires to Use Your Life
God Desires to Use Your Life
After Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, Christ ascended back to Heaven. Before His ascension, Christ gave each of His followers a special purpose or reason for life. Those who believe in an evolutionary process, the molecules to man evolution theory, do not have good reason or purpose for living. They think random chemicals have evolved into people and thus we are the product of a collection of random chemicals. Our understanding of the past always influences the way we presently live. With no real life purpose, people don’t need to do anything except try to get the best out of this life, no matter what it costs.
God Word shows us truth. The truth is that we were created in God’s image and we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We know and understand we can have the gift of eternal life and, for this reason, our live have value.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God has a purpose and plan for each person’s life. His purpose is for His glory and not our own. Right now, His purpose for each believer’s life is to be a witness of right relationships with Him and with others. It means we tell others about His wonderful plan of redemption. It involves each of us working together as a local church ensuring that message gets to as many people as possible. We become His hands and His feet as we do as He wants us to do. We are the body of Christ and we can accomplish amazing things for Him. It is reason why I love the local church just as Christ loves the local church. He values our lives and He desires to use us in accomplishing His will. It is the true purpose for every person born into this world.