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Lesson Series

10. The Life of Paul

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© David A. Jones.
All rights reserved.

OBJECTIVES: To teach that:
1. God desires to direct the lives of His creatures.
2. The call of God today comes through the call of the Gospel.
3. Obedience to God is the key to blessing.
4. Thankfulness and worship characterize the life of those who trust the Word of God.
5. The obedient response of Abram illustrates the type of response God requires of sinners today.

SCENE 1. VISUAL AIDS: Figure of Abram in his house in Ur with a sign containing the words of Genesis 12:1, instructing Abram to leave his city and his kinsfolk. In one corner, a patch with a figure representing the city of Ur.

DEVELOPMENT:
- Abram is called to take a step of faith that would affect him for the rest of his life.
Cmt. It is important to emphasize at the beginning of the lesson that when God enters a person’s life, it is to bring about permanent change and not something temporary.
- God desires to direct the life of His creatures, and for this reason He called Abram.
- Abram was originally from Ur of the Chaldees, a city of great importance in ancient times.
- It is believed that in Ur, the moon was worshipped from a great tower-temple called a ziggurat.
Cns. God is Sovereign and is Truth, and He wants everyone to know Him as such in order that each person worships Him in spirit and in truth.
Cmt. The changes in Abram’s life were not only geographical, that is, from one locality to another, but also spiritual. His faith changed his behaviour from what his life had been before as an idolater to a worshipper.
Lsn. God enters the life of each person with a call. Today, God calls through the Gospel that is preached through His servants, including Sunday School teachers.
- The call of Abram came with a promise of blessing.
Lsn. The result of obedience is blessing. The person who does not respond to God’s invitation loses the blessings that result from obedience.
Sug. Apply the details of the instructions given to Abram to the students as indicated in the following:
LEAVE …where you are. It requires action.
YOUR LAND ... because there is a better place, Heaven.
YOUR KINDRED ... earthly relationships must take second place to the new life to which you are being called.
YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE ... leaving your own family in order to form part of a new family. If your
relatives and friends accompany you in your decision, all the better!
TO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU ... a place of beauty, although still unknown.

SCENE 2. VISUAL AIDS: Abram on the road to Haran with Sarai, his father Terah, his servants, his nephew Lot and family, etc. Later on, remove Terah from the group that is going to the Promised Land.

DEVELOPMENT:
Note: Some expositors think that Terah, the father of Abram, was called first, but only traveled as far as the Euphrates river where he founded the city of Haran in honour of his deceased son.
When Terah did not go any further than Haran, Abram was called.
- The years Terah lived in Haran were apparently lost years, since he decided to stay there without taking into account the will of God for him.
Cmt. Using chronological tables, some have concluded that Abram left Haran before his father died. This makes his departure for Canaan all the more outstanding.
Cmp. Genesis 11:31 and Genesis 12:5 show that the partial obedience of Terah hindered him from fully enjoying the blessing of God, blessings that afterwards Abraham was able to enjoy.
Cmt. The main lesson of this story is the faith of Abram, and how he responded in obedience to the voice of Jehovah.
Def. Submission can be defined as yielding one’s will to do the will or desire of another person. Exm. Abram submitted his will to do the will of God.
Sug. It would be useful for the students to understand that the definition of obedience is submission of the will of one person to that of another.
- Abram stayed for a period of time in Haran, 964 kms. north of Ur, traveling on later towards Canaan.
- Abram’s father was named Terah, a name that is translated “hindrance”. Thankfully, he did not hinder Abram, who eventually continued his travels toward Canaan.
- With faith in the Word of God, Abram left for Canaan, trusting only in God, and “not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). He took with him everything he had because he did not plan to return.
Lsn. When a person responds to the call of God, it means a lifetime commitment, without any thought of returning to the old life (Hebrews 11:15).
- Abram placed himself confidently in the hand of God. God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
- Abram traveled on without knowing the destination to which the Lord was leading him.
- Abram was noted for his faith and he is mentioned in various scriptures as a man of faith.
- He is named among the “heroes of faith” outlined in Hebrews 11. This chapter speaks more about Abram than any other individual.
Lsn. All students will be able to think of times when they have submitted to what someone else wants. They can also think of times when they have obeyed the directions of their parents and what happened as a result of their obedience.
Sug. Analyze some cases when they may have disobeyed.

SCENE 3. VISUAL AIDS: Figures of Abram and those who accompany him stopped in a field in the land of Canaan where Abram builds an altar to express his gratitude to God.

DEVELOPMENT:
- Abram and those who are with him have finished a very long and difficult journey.
Sug. Together with your students try to imagine what the travel conditions would have been like and the necessity of wholly trusting in the Living God to journey without a map.
- Having arrived in Canaan, the Lord appeared to Abram and promised him the land. It would belong to him and his descendants even though he was 75 years of age and still did not have a son.
- Abram was conscious of the good hand of God guiding him to his destination. On arrival he built an altar in the presence of all those who accompanied him and offered a sacrifice to show his gratitude.
- In this way, Abram acknowledged the goodness of God in bringing him to the place about which God had spoken.
Lsn. When someone is converted today, that person’s thankfulness to the Lord ought to be evident.
Cns. Gratitude is shown in different ways. Believers have the privilege of sacrificing their own wellbeing or comfort to benefit others so that the Lord may be honoured and glorified.
Exm. Many people have left the security of their employment to take the gospel to other places. Some of these have suffered martyrdom for the cause of Christ.
- God fulfilled His word to Abram as He promised. He always does this when there is obedience to His Word.
Cmt. The faith of Abram affected many others who would learn of the value of trusting in God and getting to know the gracious character of God in His dealings with those who rely on Him.
- Abram continued to live in tents throughout his life in the Promised Land.
- It was not a concern to him that he had left behind a house in Ur.
- He had also left behind the great temple of Ur, known as the “house of great light”, and in simplicity before his altar he honoured the “God of Glory” (Acts 7:2).
ABRAM’S TENT indicated that he was a pilgrim in this world.
THE ALTAR showed that he worshipped the true God.
Apl. These two distinguishing features of the life of Abram ought to be evidenced in the life of every
believer.
- We are just passing through this world and the main purpose of our time here is to live for the glory of God.
Cns. In the midst of a selfish society, faith in action is the exception rather than the rule.
- This whole lesson is applicable today, firstly in a person’s conversion to Christ and then in his
submission to the will of God. It is further seen in a life given over to God for His service.

SCENE 4 VISUAL AIDS: Figure of a man kneeling, bowed down in an attitude of contrition before a figure of the cross. Another figure of the same man kneeling but looking up to a text with the words of Ephesians 2:8 written out. A third figure of the man delivering clothing to a needy person with the words of Ephesians 2:10 written out.

DEVELOPMENT:
- The first figure is of a person kneeling in contrition before the cross as if listening with interest to the preaching of the gospel with its emphasis on the cross.
Apl. God called Abram as an individual. Each person must decide in his/her own heart what to do with the message of the Word of God, which offers salvation through faith in Christ.
- The gospel demands a complete yielding of one’s will and life to Christ, with no half-way measures.
- The second figure is of the man looking happy as he observes the text “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The decision has now been made. He has placed his faith in Christ.
- No one can see inside the heart of another, just as no one could see Abram’s attitude of heart. It was evidenced when he left for the Promised Land.
- The third figure is of the individual giving clothing or food to a needy person. This person has learned that salvation is not BY works but rather BY faith.
- A saved person learns that although GOOD WORKS DO NOT SAVE, we are saved or “CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Lsn. Ask the students who profess to be saved if there is evidence of salvation in their lives. The teacher ought to have in mind some appropriate ideas of actions that illustrate the presence of the life of Christ in an individual. These acts are such things as kindness, comforting words, a helpful disposition, and being generous with one’s time and abilities. It would include the use of one’s possessions, obedience to parents, self-control, the use of clean language, etc.
Cns. Another evidence of the new birth is the desire to tell others of the Saviour.