Sunday School

I got an idea when I was out hunting this year. I go hunting. I got some deer.

God, sweet, isn't it? That's crazy, isn't it? Did you get a turkey? I got one of them, too. And I got a deer. And I got another big buck.

Now, he's out there. But we're not going to go there until I'm 100 done. OK.

So we're now sitting out there in my tree stand. This time of the year is kind of like one of my favorite times of the year. A lot of people like the fall, not because winter's coming, but because of something that happens to the trees.

Yeah, something happens to the trees. I think it's pretty neat, because when you're bull hunting this time of year, when you first go out there in September, there's one thing about them. And then every week you go out there, something begins to happen, and you see it gradually taking place to the trees.

But it is you. They fall. But what happens to the leaves? They change color.

They change color. Two parts. Right.

They change color. Why do they change color? Who knows why they change color? Yeah. Because it's fall.

Because it's fall. OK. You got the answer? Because there's this stuff that's, like, keeping them green, and then in the fall it dies, so that's why they change color.

Wow, this is like a scientific answer. This is bigger than my lesson. OK.

Right. There's some stuff in them and everything, and then that stuff goes away, and then what happens to the leaf? What does it do before it falls? It what? You know? Dies. Yeah.

Dies. You know what? In the Bible, you may not believe this, but God says that you and me are like leaves. He says we're like leaves.

There's things about leaves that are like you and me. We're going to read a verse in Isaiah, chapter 64. It has the word theft.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and here's my part I want to talk to you about today. God says we do all things as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. So that's how we're like a leaf.

We do all things, like the leaf does, as a leaf. And it's because of our iniquities. They take us away like the wind.

Just like when that leaf falls off the tree, and the fall winds blow, and that leaf goes on and on and on. I sit there in my tree stand, and I'm watching leaves fall from the tree, and the wind blows, and they go for a long, long ways. They just go like this, across the field that I'm watching, and way, way, hundreds of yards away before it hits the ground.

That's what the Bible says. That's what God says about us. We fade like a leaf.

We die because of the fall. The man in the leaves sits in the garden. He brought death to all things, including you and me.

There was never leaves like that in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden never had leaves that just got, you know, we say they're pretty in the fall, but really they're dying. They're turning colors, like you said.

But in the Garden of Eden, that never happened, because there was no sin until after Adam sinned, and then it came to fall. That's why you and me. We fade like a leaf.

And our mission is to carry the wind. Like the wind. And then where are we going to be? That's the question, boys and girls.

Where are we going to be out there in eternity? Where is that wind going to carry your soul and mine when we fade like a leaf? Now think about that. Well, I've got some leaves. Here's one.

I want you to hold on to this one. Don't break it. Very important leaf, Jackson.

This one here is huge. That one came out of a plant in my house. I picked it.

No one's here to tell me. Here's that one for you. And here I got a huge one for this one.

And one for you. There. And one for you.

Man, we couldn't all sit around the table like we did last Monday night when we were talking about this. Here's one for you. These two are just so small.

Okay, now, another lesson that we had a while ago with the children was a lesson on magnifying glasses. Okay, who's got a leaf? Here, you take this one. I want you to look at the leaf.

Don't try to break it. Okay? Very careful with these guys. Who else has got a leaf? Here's a little big one.

Right here. Anybody else got one? No more leaves? You got a leaf? Try that. See if it works.

Okay, look the leaves over. Now, you know what you're looking for when you're looking at the leaf? What God says. Who else has one? Here's what you're looking at.

You're looking at, listen to me. You're looking at that leaf to see how it's like you. Because God said that the leaves are like you and me.

There's a real big way that they're like you and me. And the fact that they fade, we fade like the leaf did. All the leaves in your hand are dead.

They already faded. Except that one, I picked it before it even died. Anyway, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

That's the real big reason. That's the biggest reason that I know that you and me are like leaves. Pass them on to your neighbors, but nobody gets a chance to kind of look at them all.

Okay? You know how to use a magnifying glass? Magnifying glass makes things look bigger and clearer. Right? Yeah, like this. Hold back and forth until it focuses again.

Okay? And look at them leaves and think in your mind and talk to your neighbor about how you are like that leaf. Or how that leaf is like you. Okay? Now I'm going to ask you.

Have any of you guys ever seen a a leaf that never ever turns color, falls, and dies and the wind blows away? Yeah. And then, what's it called? A house plant. The rubber kind? The plastic one? And the real one? Okay.

What would happen if you stuck a house plant outside? You know, I trust you. I bet it would. I'm not an expert on plants, so I don't know.

I can't really clarify that. But, there's plants that are outside all the time. All the time.

And their leaves never turn color. What do they call them? Hydrants. Hydrants.

What do they call them? They're in a I think I can say species by themselves. Okay, and what are the particular species? Right? And what are they called? What's the group that they're classified in? And what's the first group classified in? You know? Outward greens. Yeah.

Okay? While you're looking at your leaves, I'm going to read you this verse in Jeremiah 17. Okay? In Jeremiah 17, verse 8, here's what it says. Then we've got to move along.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out the roots by the river and shall not see when the heat comes, but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of the drought neither shall it cease from yielding fruit. Her leaf shall always and forever be green. That's like an evergreen.

You know what? That's how God designed, first of all, when He created man. That's what He wanted us to be like. Like Adam and Eve.

He never wanted them to die. He never planned for them to sin. He never made them sin and die and fade like a leaf.

They were to be like the evergreen things and never die. All will be green and full of life and flourish and bring fruit for God. That's how God intended it to be.

Boys and girls, listen. Your soul can be like the evergreen leaf. You can never turn away from your soul.

Your soul will never fade for your body will fade and die and your soul can live forever if you know Christ as your Savior. You can be like that evergreen tree. Okay, now.

What do you see in that leaf? How does that leaf like you? There's rips and tears, kind of like sin. That's good. I didn't expect that one.

Where's your leaf? Oh, you're casting out. Okay, you guys first. How does that leaf like you? Has brown spots? You don't have any brown spots.

How does that leaf like you? Says me? Okay. Okay, how about someone over here? Who's got it? How does it like you? Yeah? Okay. That's what you see in that leaf? The leaf has died, hasn't it? That's because of Adam's sin, right? Yeah, that's right.

Anybody else? Who else has a leaf? Raise your hand if you've got a leaf. You've got a leaf? Here. How does that leaf like you? You took it.

Give me an answer. Wrinkly. That's going to happen one of these days, isn't it? Okay, here's the deal.

I like to use this leaf right here. This young man's got one. Okay, see this right here? Right here, right? No, no.

What's that? You've got one of them? You've got one of them? You've got one? A stem. Where's your stem? Oh, your stem's behind you? Okay. Where's your stem? Yeah, right here.

Stand up here. Come here. Right here.

Turn your back when you're up. Right here. That's a stem.

That's a spine. It's like the leaf. Okay.

This is strong. A lot of muscles there. Okay.

So the leaf has a spine. That's thin, right? I said spine, like this? There you go. Put me in.

So, has God listened? Has God worked right? The leaf has a spine? We have a spine? No? Okay, what else? This young man said it earlier. Right here. See these things going off? Off the spine? What kind of things do you have going off of your spine? You've got your spine in the back of your head.

What goes off the spine? Yeah. Yeah, before that though. Look at the leaf.

See these things going off the spine? You know what they're called? If you touch them, you'll get... If people touch them, then you giggle. Ribs. Ribs.

Let's call them ribs. We called them something else one night, but we're going to call them ribs this time. Okay.

Now. Let's see, what's in between... Yeah, well... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

Yeah. Now, with the magnifying glass, that's where this comes in. Give me that magnifying glass, please.

With the magnifying glass, you know there's a lesson in God's words about the magnifying glass? Yeah. Now, look at this, somebody. If I go like this, put my good eye in it, in between those ribs, I see something that carries fluid all throughout the leaf.

And what's that called? What carries fluid in your body? All those different parts of your body. What is this? Yeah, but what... That's the fluid there. What's the... What's the blood in it? Yeah.

And what comes up from the heart goes all over. Little things go all over your body like this. Think you're 64,000 miles away.

Yeah, yeah. Hey, there you go. Maybe she said that.

I didn't hear. Is that how you spell hay? Where do you eat? Eat before I... Okay, whatever. Okay, so.

So far, we've got the word right. Okay. See how we were right to leave? Okay.

Now. Let's see. Yeah.

Especially with the magnifying glass, you can see this. If you look real close, you've got the spine, you've got the ribs, you've got the veins. And then what is hooked to the veins? All this right here.

All that stuff right here. It all ties the whole thing together and makes it look like a leaf instead of a skeleton. What will that be? Lash? Or? Or? Or? In.

Right arm. In. Yeah.

So. That word is pretty accurate, isn't it? When we think of the leaf like that, huh? And you know what? Every leaf that I gave you, it's just like everyone sitting in this room today and in this whole world. There's another way that people, all people in general, are like the leaf.

Okay? This is the last one I'm going to talk about. The last thing. How is that? Yeah? Right? But look at this now.

How are people like the leaf? Look at this one. Look at this one. Hold up your leaves.

Look at each other's leaves. How are we like these leaves? All together. You.

Well, different, man. All different shapes and sizes and colors and everything like that. We'll just say we're different.

Okay? Are you still different? I'm not smarter than a first grader. I don't claim to be. Okay? Okay.

Now, we see all of this and all of the ways that we're like the leaf. Even in the different ways when we're all like the leaf. But remember, what's the very first way? What's the biggest way that boys and girls and men and women are like the leaf? Ready? Yeah.

Just like you read it. The biggest way is this. God says, you do all things like the leaf.

And the reason you say is the next part of the verse. Your iniquity, your sin that carried you away from God. The leaf was once attached to the tree.

The tree is kind of like God in the story. Take the leaf away from God and leave God. You and me, we've been separated from God because of our sin and iniquity.

That's why we stay like the leaf and the wind is going to blow us away. But I'm thankful to have that verse from Jeremiah 17 and 8 that we have the opportunity right now in our lifetime to be like the evergreen. Be like the evergreen.

We can have everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our sins can be forgiven. God is a great God of forgiveness.

He will forgive you through the Lord Jesus if you get saved and trust Him as your Lord and Savior. And then you too can have eternal life and be like the evergreen and have a faith even when your body goes away and fades and dies and you're sold. You're sold, Lord.

Amen.