Sunday School Manual February 2020

DATE: – SUNDAY 2ND FEBRUARY, 2020

TOPIC: – THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (Part 5)

BIBLE PASSAGE: – Psalm 103: 1 – 22

MEMORY VERSE: – “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion fails not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness” (Lamentation 3:22-23)

INTRODUCTION: – God’s compassion, mercy, grace, kindness and forgiveness are united with His truth, holiness and justice. The fact that God is gracious and compassionate shows that His final act will not be punishment for any person unless they spitefully and continually reject His patient love and mercy.

LESSON OUTLINES

1) God Is Patient And Slow To Anger (Ex.34:6; Num.14:18; Rm.2:4; 1Tim.1:16). God first demonstrated this character trait in the garden of Eden after Adam and Eve defied his direct command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God chose not to destroy the human race as He had a right to do (Gen.2:16-17). Instead, He continued forward in the plan He had already laid out to restore His relationship with humankind (1Pet.1:20; Rev.13:8). God was also patient in Noah’s time, while the ark was being built (1Pet.3:20) and the rest of humanity (outside of Noah’s family) was living in total rebellion against God. And God is still patient with the sinful human race. The reason God is now holding back His judgment on the world is because He is patiently giving everyone the opportunity to repent and saved (2Pet.3:9).

2) God Is truth(Deut32:4; Ps.31:15; Isa.65:16; Jh.3:33). Jesus called Himself “the Truth” (Jh.14:6), and the Holy Spirit is known as the spirit “the Spirit of Truth” (Jh.14:7). Because God is completely trustworthy and true in all He says and does; His Word is also described as truth (2Sam.7:28; Ps.119:43; Isa.45:19; Jh.17:17). It reveals things as they are and shows us the right way to do things. Therefore, the Bible teaches that God does not tolerate lies, dishonesty or deception of any kind (Num.23:19; Tit.1:2; Heb.6:18). God’s character is the basis of all that is true and right. There is no other “truth” outside of God. There is no other “truth” outside of god. There is no other “right way” apart from what God determined is right. In fact, there is no other way to God the Father but through His Son, Jesus – the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jh.14:6).

3) Is Faithful (Ex.34:6; Deut.7:9; Isa.49:7; Lam.3:23; Heb.10:23). We can trust God completely, He will do everything He has revealed in His Word, fulfilling both His promises and His warnings (Num.14:32-35; 2Sam.7:28; Job 34:12; Acts 13:23; 32 – 33, 2Tim.2:13). He will never fail His people or the nature of His character. God’s faithfulness should being extraordinary comfort to those who trust Him. But it should bring great fear of judgment to all who do not accept Jesus as the forgiver of their sins and leader of their lives (Heb.6:4-8; 10:26-31).

4) God Is Just (Duet.32:4; 1Jh.1:9). This means that God keeps in balance the moral order of the universe and is totally right in the way He treats and deals with human kind (Neh.9:33; Dan.9:14). God’s perfect justice is the reason He cannot look away and excuse sin. Sin is “lawlessness” toward God (1Jh.3:4) and so completely opposed to His perfect nature that it requires the most extreme penalty; death (Rm.5:12). It is a penalty that human kind has earned, and it must be paid. But God Himself mercifully chose to provide the perfect payment for that penalty through His Son Jesus. Jesus now provides forgiveness and spiritual freedom for those who trust Him (Rm.6:23). Still god is angry of sin because of His love for righteousness (Rm.5:3-6). In the end He will also show His wrath against every form of wickedness (Rm.1:18), especially idolatry (1kgs.14:9,15,22), unbelief (Ps.78:21-22; Jh.3:36) and unjust treatment to other people (Isa.10:1-4; Amos 2:6-7). Jesus Christ who is called the “Righteous One” (Acts 7:52; 22:14) also loves righteousness and hates evil (Mk.3:5).

However, God’s justice does not contradict His love. Infact, it was to satisfy His perfect justice that He sent Jesus into the world as His perfect gift of love (Jh.3:16; 1Jh.4:9-10) and His sacrifice for sin on our behalf (Isa.53:5-6; Rm.4:25; 1Pet.3:18). His acts of justice and love, working together, provided the only way to restore us to a right relationship with God (2Cotint.5:18-21).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

God’s final and complete revelation of Himself is through His son Jesus Christ (Jh.1:18; Heb.1:1-4), and His word (Jh.1:14). That is to say, if we want to fully understand the “personality”, character and nature of God, we must look at what the Word of God reveals about Jesus because “in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily’ (Col.2:9).

QUESTIONS

  1. Does God’s justice negate his love?
  2. How can we know God more?


DATE: – SUNDAY 9TH FEBRUARY, 2020

TOPIC: – KINDS OF PEOPLE ON EARTH (Part 1)

BIBLE PASSAGE: – 1 Corinthians 2: 1 – 6

MEMORY VERSE: – “but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Corinthians 2:14).

INTRODUCTION: – The Bible typically divides all humans into two basic categories using personal relationship with God as yard stick. These are (1) Those who do not have a personal relationship with God and are still following their sinful ways and (2) those who have accepted God’s forgiveness and are living daily in a personal relationship with Him through faith un the Lord Jesus Christ. Ideally, those who follow Christ are expected to be completely submitted to him and relying on His power to resist the pull of their human nature towards sin. But many are only following Christ afar off’ (Matt.26:58), thus giving head to the warmth of the fire of sin (Mark 14:54).

LESSON OUTLINES

1) The Natural Man/Woman – This is an unspiritual (in the sense that he/she does not have the spirit of God in him or her). He/she has not been spiritually renew, transformed or “born again” (Jh.3:3-7). Such a person is still controlled by natural instincts (2 Pet.2:12), the part of the human nature that resists, opposed and defiles God is still governing such a life (Rom.8:5-8). This kind of person does not have the Holy Spirit within him/her (Rom.8:9), but lives under Satan’s rule and influence (Acts 26:18). Such lives basically in selfishness, pursuing his/her own pleasure and interests and ignoring the commands of God and the welfare of others and ignoring the commands of God and the welfare of others, such a person is cruel to others and rebels against God and His laws. Such lives independent of God, not submitting to Him and His Word (Rom.5:10; 8:7).

Such lives after the flesh; desiring, taking pleasure in, being occupied with and trying to satisfy the corrupt desire of the sinful human nature.

Such living includes immoral behaviours, selfish ambition, jealousy, envy, covetousness, hatred, drunkenness, anger, malice and any other attitude or choices of behavior that do no please God (Gal.5:19-21). Obscurity, pornography, drug addiction, mental or emotional pleasure from sexual images in movies, plays, magazines, books, internet and television have a great hold on countless people’s lives.

The set of people not only commit sin but also have pleasure in those that do them (Rom.1:32).

And since such is living under Satan’s rules and influence, they consequently, continues to be a slave to his or her own passions, limitations and desires (Eph.2:3). Individuals in this category prefer friendship with the world over friendship with God, thus, making themselves enemies of God (Jam.4:4). They reject the true and right ways of God’s Spirit (1Corint.2:14). Since they are not able to understand who God is, how He works and why, God also gave them up to uncleanness, allowing them to completely go their own way, experiencing the full effects of their lust and vile affections (Rom.1:24; Eph.5:3).

But the end of the natural man is the second death-spending eternity in hell fire. God will not automatically save those who do not hear His message, nor will they have a second chance after death (Heb.9:27).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Today, many experience the great harm a society suffer when it saturates itself with all kinds of crude and godless examples that fill so many of our venues of entertainments e.g. movies, books, internet, magazines, theaters, and television. Yet many people (both old and young ) approve of and take pleasure in what will destroy them in the end. Even many Christians today find themselves drawn into this hopeless and destructive path, using a number of misguided excuses. They may call it harmless fun, a means of socializing, an experiment that teaches reality or helps them to relate to the culture. But being entertained by watching other people sin and engage in ungodly actions, even though you yourself do not participate, does not please God and more than those who are sinning directly. The end result of such path is spiritual and eternal destruction on the judgment day (2Thess.2:12).

QUESTIONS

  1. Who is a natural man?
  2. In what ways can one be a partaker of another man’s sin?

DATE: – SUNDAY 16TH FEBRUARY, 2020

TOPIC: – KINDS OF PEOPLE ON EARTH (Part 2)

BIBLE PASSAGE: –  ROMANS 8:1 – 17

MEMORY VERSE: – “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”

INTRODUCTION: – Every man is born natural; sinful in nature (Ps.51:5). Ever since sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve (Gen.3), every person is born with a selfish desire to go his or her own way and satisfy his or her own pleasures, even if it causes pain and suffering for others (Rom.5:12). This sinful behavior can be overcome only by accepting God’s forgiveness, provided by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins and by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, who works through those who devote their lives in Christ.

LESSON OUTLINES

1) The Spiritual Man/Woman

This is a person who has been spiritually renewed and transformed through a personal faith in and relationship with Christ Jesus. Such a person has the Holy Spirit dwelling within (Rom.8:9, 11). This person is spiritually minded and understands the truth about what God has given and made available to all who receive the Spirit and His wisdom (1Corint.2:11-13) and he or she lives by the leading of the Holy Spirit (Rom.8:4-17, Gal.5:16-26). Individuals who are guided by the Spirit of God have yielded their lives to Jesus Christ and His leadership, and they strive daily to follow Him with the help and power of the Holy Spirit who lives in and through them (1Corint.6:19; 2Tim.1:14). As a result, they are able to resist ungodly and destructive desires and passions; and to overcome the influence of their sinful nature (Rom.8:13-14).

2) How To Become A Spiritual Man/Woman

Every Spiritual man/woman was once a natural man living in sin and fulfilling the lust thereof. But, there must be a turning point at which he or she turns from sin to God for forgiveness and transformation.

It is very important to know that this turning point is not in change of religion or change of Church denomination or being given a title or recognition in the Church or being incorporated into the Church workforce. The turning point is rather in: –

  1. Acknowledgment of one’s sinfulness and depravity and the need to be saved or delivered from sin (Ps.51:3).
  2. Confession of sin to God, with penitence and sobriety (Ps.51:4; Prov.28:13). You don’t need to necessarily confess your sin to any man; be it clergy or laity. The confession must be done whole heartedly to God.
  3. Forsaking of the sinful ways and turning to God for mercy (Prov.28:13)
  4. Accepting by faith the forgiveness and salvation, which God provide through His son; Jesus Christ (Jh.3:3,5,7), he or she is then “born again and spiritually renewed” (Rom.12:2).
  5. Surrendering totally his or her life to Christ, such that he/she becomes a new person spiritually (2Corint.5:17).

The Holy Spirit then comes in to dwell in such a person and transforms him/her from inside out, giving him/her a new nature that is filled to overflowing with the life of God (2Pt.1:4). Such a person is made right with God through faith in Christ (Phil.3:9), who gave His own life to pay the penalty for our sins (Gal.2:20-21).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Those who accept God’s forgiveness and by faith yield their lives to Jesus are “born again” (John3:3-8), and completely renewed from inside out. Through the creative command of God, they are transformed spiritually. The cease to be natural, they have become spiritual.

QUESTIONS

  1. Describe a Spiritual man/woman
  2. How can one become spiritual person?

DATE: – SUNDAY 23RD FEBRUARY, 2020

TOPIC: – KINDS OF PEOPLE ON EARTH (Part 3)

BIBLE PASSAGE: – Romans 8: 1 – 17

MEMORY VERSE: – “For if you live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13)

INTRODUCTION: – Although born-again Christians have received the new life of God’s Spirit, they still have the presence of the sinful human nature with its pull toward rebellion against God (Gal.5:16-21). This sinful nature cannot be made good; it must be put to death spiritually – mortified (Rom.6:6; Gal.2:20; 5:24) and overcome through the help and power of God’s Spirit (Rom.8:13). Christ followers overcome their human nature by denying themselves daily (Lk.9:23-24; Rom.8:12-13; Tit.2:12).

LESSON OUTLINES

Distinction Among Christians

1) The Spiritual Christians: These are Spirit-filled followers of Christ (Jh.3:5; Rom.8:9; 1Corint.6:19; 2Corint.1:22; 1Jh.4:13). They are not after the demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s gift, they are more particular on bearing fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:22-24). They live daily a God centered, spiritually focused life that reflects the evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in-dwelling them. This lifestyle is identified by Christ-like, godly character or manliness that is produced and developed in Christians as they allow the Holy Spirit to direct and influence their lives. Through the Holy Spirit’s Power, Christians are able to overcome and destroy sin’s power-particularly the acts of the sinful nature, and to enjoy the benefits of their personal relationship with God (Rom.8:5-14).

The spiritual Christians were not made automatically, but they through their submission and surrender to the Holy Spirit are transformed from carnal and worldly Christian to Spiritual. These they do by

  1. Self Denial: – This is what must be done on a daily basis (Mtt.16:24, Lk.9:23). This requires putting aside all selfish desires and ambitions, rather choosing God’s way and accepting His will (Tit.2:12).
  2. Self Discipline: – Truly temptation must come (Lk.17:1) forever Jesus Christ our Lord was tempted in all points, yet without sin (Heb.4:15), a spiritual Christian will use self-discipline to avoid and resist all sinful temptation (1Corint.9:27, Rom.13:14; Gal.5:16; 1Pt.2:11).
  3. Submission: -Spiritual Christians make a willful and definite choice to remove from their lives anything that could compromise their relationship with God or cause them to defy or displease Him (Heb.12:1) by submitting their desires, will and purposes to god, choosing rather to do His will always (H.7:17; Ps.40:8; 143:10; Mtt.26:42; Jh.5:30; Heb.13:21).
  4. Self-Crucifixion: – By the power of the Holy Spirit within them, Christians wage war against the sinful nature (Rom.8:13-14; Gal.5:16-18), crucifying it (Gal.5:24) and mortifying or putting it to death daily (Col.3:5). In fact, they consider themselves “dead to sin” i.e. free from its control and unresponsive to its influence (Rom.6:11).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

By the process of self-denial and total surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s purifying and developing work, Christians are set free from the power and control of their sinful nature (Rom.6:13; Gal.5:16). As they surrender to the Holy Spirit, He lead them to think, speak and act in accordance to the principles, standards and examples of God’s Word. Thus, helping them to follow and accomplish God’s purposes and overcome the sinful nature and to always be in agreement with the written Word of God.

In this way, Christians can truly live.

QUESTIONS

  1. Describe a spiritual Christian.
  2. What steps must one take to become a spiritual Christian?