1. THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT (God’s Gift of Life) You shall not murder. What does this mean? We should fear and love God that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need. Lesson 14

2. Aim: What does God teach us about his wonderful gift of life?

3. 1. Why is the gift of life very important? Genesis 2:7 7 Then the L ORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 1. It is a gift from God.

4. 1. Why is the gift of life very important? 2 Corinthians 6:1,2 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. Hebrews 9:27 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

5. 1. It is a gift from God. 2. It is my only opportunity to come to faith 1. Why is the gift of life very important?

6. 2. Who alone has the right to determine when God's gift of life should end? Deuteronomy 32:39 “See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand. Psalm 90:3 You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” GOD

7. 2. Who alone has the right to determine when God's gift of life should end? Romans 13:4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. GOD’S REPRESENTATIVES IN GOVERNMENT

8. 2. Who alone has the right to determine when God's gift of life should end? Genesis 9:5,6 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. 6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind. MUST ANSWER TO GOD!!

9. 3. How do we sin against God's precious gift of life? Proverbs 23:20a,31-33 20 Do not join those who drink too much wine … 31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. MISUSE OR OVERUSE OF DRUGS, ALCOHOL, TOBACCO

10. 3. How do we sin against God's precious gift of life? Matthew 27:5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. SUICIDE

11. 3. How do we sin against God's precious gift of life? Genesis 4:2-15 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the L ORD. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The L ORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. MURDER 6 Then the L ORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the L ORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The L ORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to re-ceive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the L ORD, “My punish-ment is more than I can bear. … 15 But the L ORD said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the L ORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

12. 3. How do we sin against God's precious gift of life? 2 Samuel 11:2-17 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her… MURDER 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” 6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house. 10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?” 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” 12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” 16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died. EVEN IF YOU PLAN FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR YOU

13. 3. How do we sin against God's precious gift of life? Exodus 21:29 29 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. MURDER BY CARELESSNESS

14. 3. How do we sin against God's precious gift of life? Exodus 21:18 “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, Exodus 21:19 the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.

15. 3. How do we sin against God's precious gift of life? Exodus 21:26 “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. Exodus 21:27 And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth. VIOLENCE

16. 4. How does God want us to honor his precious gift of life? 1 Thessalonians 5:14,15 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. ENCOURAGING BEBE HELPFUL PATIENT DOING GOOD

17. 4. How does God want us to honor his precious gift of life? Ephesians 4:31,32 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ENCOURAGING BEBE HELPFUL PATIENT DOING GOOD KIND COMPASSIONATE FORGIVING

18. 4. How does God want us to honor his precious gift of life? Luke 10:33-35 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ ENCOURAGING BEBE HELPFUL PATIENT DOING GOOD KIND COMPASSIONATE FORGIVING CARING

19. 4. How does God want us to honor his precious gift of life? Matthew 25:35,36 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ENCOURAGING BEBE HELPFUL PATIENT DOING GOOD KIND COMPASSIONATE FORGIVING CARING CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE’S NEEDS

20. SUICIDE CAN BE… A very selfish act. The person only thinks of how sad or miserable he or she is, and not about how he/she might be loved or needed by others. A cause of extreme grief for the person’s friends and family. For the rest of their lives they will wonder, “Could I have stopped him/her?” An act of unbelief. God says, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Suicide says, “God, I don’t trust that you will help. This is my solution.” The result of problems of mental health. Some disorders are so severe that a person doesn’t know what he/she is doing.

21. TWO CASE STUDIES… “George” had a business and lost it through his own poor management. He tried to hire someone through the Internet to beat up a former employee whom he blamed for his business failure. The “hit man” he hired turned out to be a police officer, and he was arrested. He was released on bail. A day before his trial he shot himself. His parents (who had been covering up and making excuses for him) were completely devastated. Their pastor (who had tried to contact George) did a private funeral and stressed that God has not forsaken the family. Still the parents were so overcome with grief they refused any visits or counseling by the pastor.

22. TWO CASE STUDIES… “Oswald” was a ‘wild child’ because his parents didn’t discipline him when he was a child or a teenager. He got involved with drugs and alcohol and had other mental health problems. He would terrorize his family. Once he shot the windows out of his own house. One day, after many threats, he shot himself. Their pastor said he would do a private funeral to counsel the family, but the family refused. They found a pastor from a different church and had him read poems and letters from the family about what a great husband, father and uncle Oswald was.

23. WHAT TO DO… If you feel bad, depressed or hopeless, get help. Call a pastor, friend or counselor. Remember, nothing is so bad that God doesn’t have a solution. Suicide is never a solution. For those around you, it is like a bomb going off, and nobody can ever pick up all the pieces. If you know someone who is at risk for suicide, encourage. Befriend them in their needs. Even get help for them. (Police can detain someone if he/she is a risk to him/herself.)