Adult
Sunday School Lesson Plan
MORNINGSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
Lesson Date: March 21, 2010
Focal Scripture Passage: Exodus 3:1-22
AIM: To lead adults to discover how God called Moses to a personal relationship with Him and revealed Himself to Moses, and to tell how God called them to Himself and ways He has revealed Himself to them.
INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Before class: Bring a cell phone or other telephone to class. If possible, set an alarm on the phone so it will ring about a minute after you begin teaching. If that is not possible, prearrange with a class member to call your phone just after you begin teaching. Write “God’s Call” on the marker board or chalkboard.
When class begins: Tell the class today’s lesson from Exodus 3 is titled “God’s Call.” Hold up the telephone and tell the class most of us receive several calls each day. Tell them a telephone is a very handy device, which allows us to receive calls from people. Ask: “How do you know when to answer the phone?” (when it rings, beeps, or vibrates). Your phone should ring now. Tell the class a phone without a ringer is useless – you would never know when someone was calling. Ask: “Are you required to answer the phone when it rings?” (no, you can ignore the call).
Tell the class the ring tells you someone is calling, but not who is calling or what they are calling about. Ask: “How do you find out who is calling?” (either with caller ID or by answering the phone). Typically, when you answer the phone, the person calling identifies himself. Ask: “After the person calling has identified himself, do you know why he is calling? Do you know the subject of the call?” (not usually; the person calling must tell you why he is calling).
In summary, when the phone rings you know someone is calling, when the caller identifies himself you know who is calling, and when he tells you the reason for the call you know why he is calling. Some calls can change your life. Tell the class in today’s lesson they will learn that Moses received a very important call that changed the course of his life.
HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):
1. Review.
a. Remind the class that in Exodus 1 they learned about “Israel’s Desperate Situation.” Ask: “What was so bad and desperate about Israel’s situation?” (they were slaves in Egypt and their baby boys were sentenced to death).
b. Remind them that in Exodus 2 they learned about God’s “Miraculous Preservation” of Moses’ life. Ask them to tell how God preserved Moses life. Remind them that after killing an Egyptian, Moses fled to Midian (locate on the map) where he married and raised a family. He stayed in Midian 40 years.
c. Read Exodus 3:1. Moses cared for his father-in-law’s flock. Point out Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai) on the map.
2. God Called Moses.
a. Ask a volunteer to read Exodus 3:2-4.
b. Ask: “What unusual sight did Moses see?” (a bush that was burning, but not being consumed by the fire). Moses was a shepherd. He had probably seen brush fires and burning bushes before, but this bush was not being burned up. This was God’s “ringer” to get Moses’ attention. Tell the class if you struck a match they would see it quickly burn up. That would not be surprising, but if you struck a match and it burned brightly for an hour without being burned up, that would get their attention.
c. Ask: “What did Moses do when he saw the burning bush?” (he turned aside to go and investigate). Moses went to “pick up the phone.”
d. Ask: “What did God do?” (verbally called to Moses from the bush).
e. Ask: “Did Moses answer God’s call?” (yes; he said “Here am I”).
3. God Identified Himself.
a. Ask a volunteer to read Exodus 3:5-6.
b. Ask: “When Moses answered God’s call, how did the Lord identify Himself?” (“I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”).
c. Ask: “Did Moses really believe he was speaking to God?” (yes). Ask: “How do you know?” (he hid his face because he was afraid to look upon God).
d. God called to Moses and identified Himself, but Moses still did not know why God called him.
4. God Told Moses Why He was Calling.
a. Read Exodus 3:7-9.
b. Ask: “According to verses 7 and 9, what had God seen and heard?” (He saw the affliction of the Israelites in Egypt and He heard their cries for deliverance).
c. Ask: “According to verse 8, what was God going to do for the Israelites?” (bring them out of Egypt and settle them in a very good land). Point out Egypt and Canaan on the map.
d. Tell the class at this point Moses knew who was calling and he knew God was concerned about the Israelites in Egypt, but he didn’t know what impact that had on his life.
e. Ask a volunteer to read Exodus 3:10-12.
f. Ask: “What did God want to do with Moses?” (use him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt).
g. Tell the class Moses answered when God called. God identified Himself and said He had a job for Moses to do. Ask: “Have you ever tried to get out of a task someone called and told you to do?” (probably). That is exactly what Moses did. He said he wasn’t worthy or equipped for such a monumental task.
h. Ask: “How did God reassure Moses?” (He promised to be with Moses; He also promised Moses would bring the Israelites back to that mountain to worship Him).
5. God Revealed Himself to Moses.
a. Read Exodus 3:13-15.
b. Tell the class Moses had questions. If someone called you on the phone and gave you a big job to do, you would have questions, too.
c. Ask: “What did Moses ask in verse 13?” (What is your name; when I go to the Israelites, who will I say sent me?).
d. Ask: “How did God answer? What did He reveal about Himself?” (He said, “I AM THAT I AM”).
e. The Hebrew word translated “I AM” literally means, “to exist.” It is the root from which God’s personal, covenant name Yahweh (or Jehovah) is derived. It speaks of God’s eternality, unchanging nature, and personal presence. God is – He exists. Belief in this fact is essential for a relationship with Him (Heb. 11:6).
f. God revealed Himself to Moses as the eternal, all-powerful, self-existing God.
6. God Gave Moses Specific Instructions and Told Him What to Expect.
a. Read Exodus 3:16-22.
b. Lecture on those verses using the following outline:
· In verses 16-17, God told Moses exactly what he was to say to the elders of Israel.
· In verse 18, God told Moses the elders would believe his report. He said Moses and the elders were to go directly to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He told Moses what to say to Pharaoh.
· In verses 19-20, God told Moses what to expect when they took their demand for freedom to Pharaoh. He said Pharaoh would not let them go until God brought terrible plagues upon the Egyptians.
· In verses 21-22, God told Moses when the Israelites finally did leave Egypt the Egyptians would give them gold, silver, and valuable clothing. God was going to cause the slave nation of Israel to leave Egypt with great wealth and riches.
PERSONAL APPLICATION: This chapter contains the first words Moses spoke to God. Tell the class God called to Moses and instigated a personal relationship with him. Write the word “Relationship” on the board below “God’s Call.” Ask: “Has God ever called you into a personal relationship with Him?” Tell the class God is still calling people to Himself. The Bible says, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9), and “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). Jesus said it this way: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).
Tell the class not only did God establish a personal relationship with Moses, He also revealed some things about Himself, His nature, and His character to Moses. Write the word “Revelation” on the board below the word “Relationship.” Ask: “Has God ever revealed anything about Himself to you?” God is still revealing Himself to people today, primarily through His Word. When they read and study God’s Word they learn more about God. He wants us to know Him; He has chosen to reveal Himself to us.
Tell the class not only did God begin a relationship with Moses and reveal Himself to Moses, He also gave Moses a job to do – He gave Moses a responsibility to fulfill. Write the word “Responsibility” on the board below the word “Revelation.” God gave Moses responsibility, and God is still giving His children responsibility today. Ask: “Has God ever given you a job to do for Him?” Along with the responsibility God gave Moses a wonderful assurance of success.
Ask if any volunteers will tell the class when and how God called them to Himself. After allowing time for responses, ask if any volunteers will tell ways He reveals Himself to them.
Ask: “Has God given you a job to do? Are you doing what He told you?”
Lead a closing prayer in which you thank God for calling sinners to salvation and revealing Himself to us. Thank Him for giving us work to do for Him and ask Him to go with us and enable us to faithfully do whatever task He has given us.
CONCLUSION: Tell the class to listen for God’s call every day this week. He may call through the words of scripture, the words of the preacher, or even through the words of a friend. When they sense His calling, urge them to do like Moses and answer.
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