Christ the Ruler

Teaching Goal:  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the truth and the way to God the Father.

Scripture:

John 14:6  Jesus answered:  “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 8:31-32  Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 7:16-17  Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own.  It comes from him who sent me.  If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”

John 3:5  Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Materials:

• Inaccurate ruler copied onto heavy paper, one each (**See page 3 of downloadable PDF for a copy of inaccurate rulers.)
• Scissors
• A regular ruler
• Pen or pencil, paper

Option: Purchase a 6-inch ruler for each participant.  Write “Jesus” on the back and let each person keep the ruler as a reminder of the activity.

1. Play theme song
2. Pray
3. Review last lesson
4. Lesson and Discussion

• Words written in bold are when the leader is speaking. Feel free to use your own words.

ACTIVITY: (Give each participant a piece of paper, a pencil and the inaccurate ruler – **provided on page 3 of downloadable PDF**. Do not let them know the ruler is inaccurate.)  I am going to give you directions to draw an image on your piece of paper.  Be careful to follow the directions exactly. 

1. Draw a triangle with three sides. Make each side 6 inches long.
2. Draw a square with 2-inch sides inside the triangle.
3. Draw a cross inside the square using a 2-inch vertical line and 1-inch horizontal line.

Double-check your work and make sure you followed the directions correctly.  Does your triangle have three sides each six inches long?  Is there a 2-inch square inside the triangle?  Is there a 2-inch vertical and 1-inch horizontal cross inside the square?

I know you all did your best and you think you drew the image correctly, but your drawing is wrong.  If you followed the directions correctly, how could your drawing be wrong?  Listen to answers.

Pull out the correct ruler and measure their images.  Then compare the correct ruler with their rulers.  Your image is wrong, because the ruler you used had the wrong measurements.

This lesson is designed to help us evaluate Christianity as a true standard for living. All other standards that people use result in a distorted or incorrect world view.

There are many different religions in the world.  Can you name some of the different religions?  Listen.  Christianity. Islam. Buddhism.  Hinduism.  Taoism.  All these religions claim to be the truth.  Listen to what Jesus says in the Bible.  Invite a volunteer to read John 14:6.  Jesus says He is the only way to heaven, but other religions do not believe Jesus is the only way to heaven.  Can both Christianity and these other religions be true?  Listen.  If Christianity is true, then the others are wrong.  If Islam or the others are true, then Christianity is wrong.

How can you really know Jesus is the Son of God and Christianity is true?  Invite a volunteer read John 8:31-32.  Jesus says if we follow his teachings (serving, honesty, giving, caring), then we will know what is true. 

Jesus is saying that if we live like a Christian and follow his teachings, then we will know if what he says is true.  We will know if living like Jesus brings peace, assurance, and blessing.

Invite a volunteer to read John 7:16-17.  Do what God teaches us to do in the Bible.  Then Jesus says we will know in our hearts if he is the Son of God or a false god.

Just like we drew the wrong images because we used the wrong ruler, other religions make wrong claims because they are based on false gods, not the one true God. 

Close in Prayer