C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. Eternal Plan of God for Man For  June 23rd, 2019. LESSON TWELVE  : TOPIC – CHRIST: OUR DELIVERANCE FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION

C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. Eternal Plan of God for Man For  June 23rd, 2019. LESSON TWELVE  : TOPIC – CHRIST: OUR DELIVERANCE FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION

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C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Eternal Plan of God for Man.
June 23rd, 2019.

LESSON TWELVE
CHRIST: OUR DELIVERANCE FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the only Escape Route from the disaster that would visit the world in the end. Don’t joke with accepting His lordship, now.


MEMORY SCRIPTURE
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

BRIEF COMMENT
The gospel is the same word as good news. Nevertheless, the word “good news” is related. To a hungry man, the availability of food is good news, while to a drowning man, the arrival of a good swimmer to his rescue is his own good news.

It is no longer news that those who do not accept Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour are fit for eternal doom already, if they die without Christ. They are called the finally impenitent, and that is suicidal. Jesus Christ declared Himself as way, the truth and the life (Jn. 14:6), and that is indeed the truth. It is clear enough that no man can escape eternal doom/damnation without passing through Him. He alone is the escape route from eternal damnation.

Acts 4:12 makes it clear that there is no other name under heaven by which we “MUST” be saved. Every other route leads to eternal doom. Religion only exposes the inherent sinfulness of man, as the need for man to live to please God, but fails to offer permanent solution to do this, because of man’s obvious inability to do God’s holiness. Jesus is the only Key to eternal life, and that is Redemption, as against Religion (Jn. 3:16ff).

As Acts 4:12 was relevantly applicable to the first-century audience of Apostle Peter, in the context of our Memory Scripture, so is it to us today. Christ — His blood, His Name, His power — is the only deliverance from eternal damnation.

DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS FOR WEEK ONE
Mon.   17:   The Only Deliverer from Sin (Matt. 1:21)
Tue.    18:   The Unwavering shall be Saved (Matt. 10:22)
Wed.   19:   The LORD’S Salvation in Zacchaeus’ Household (Lk. 19:1-10)
Thur.   20:   The Confessions that Brings Salvation (Rom. 10:9)
Fri.      21:   The Grace of Christ Saves Us (Eph. 2:8)
Sat.     22:   The Only Looking that Secures Salvation (Heb. 12:1-2)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHS
1.   Jesus is the only way out of the disaster that shall visit the earth and its inhabitants in the end. Accept His Lordship. NOW!
2.  After the rapture take place, the leftovers will face serious persecutions, tribulations, and ultimately, eternal burning in hell. The only way to be free from this eternal doom is to have gone with the rapture wand the only way to be part of that is JESUS CHRIST, and Him alone.

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES : John 14:1-6; 15:1-6

AIM AND OBJECTIVES
AIM:    To show and emphasise that Jesus is the only escape route from eternal damnation to eternal life.

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, the learners should:
i.   have realized and be able to defend that eternal damnation is imminent and the only way out is to run to Jesus for eternal safety.
ii.  be readily and stoutly defending the fact that every other route leads to destruction; Jesus is the only way, the truth and life; and
iii. be more committed to the course of propagating the gospel of Christ as the only way out of the doom looming over the world.

INTRODUCTION
TEXTUAL SOURCE: ACTS 4:8-12; ROMANS 10:4-13
We have discussed so much in this Sunday School series (January – June 2019) about the events that would bring the age to a permanent close to usher in eternity, both in heaven and in hell, as the case may be, with each individual, depending on our different attitudes to Christ, now.

It therefore behoves on us to study how we can escape the sorrowful, saddening, gloomy aspect of the expected eternity that God Himself doesn’t want man to experience. The only way out is SALVATION — accepting the REDEMPTION God has purchased for us through, and in Christ Jesus. How? This is what this oneweek lesson aims to expatiate, by the grace of God.

Meanwhile, salvation is more than just a theological term. In simple terms, it denotes deliverance from almost any kind of evil, whether physical or spiritual. The Oxford Advance Learner’s dictionary says it is the state of being saved from the power of evil. The Henry Bible Dictionary goes deeper to say that it is the whole process by which man is delivered from all that interferes with the enjoyment of God’s highest blessing. The root idea in salvation is deliverance from dangers or evils, battle (Exod. 15:2), trouble (Psa. 34:6), enemies (2 Sam. 3:10), sin (Ezk. 36:29), and many more others (2 Sam. 22:3; Psa. 57:3,6:4; 106:45). The Scripture reveals salvation in three folds: the past; the present; and the future (Rom. 5:9-10; 13:11; 2 Pet. 1:9).

How are these made possible is the focus of this one week lesson. May God help us. Amen.

INTRODUCTION TO EACH DIVISION
DIVISION I:  CHRIST: OUR DELIVERANCE FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION.
This is the only division of this lesson, and is purposed to show Christ as our only deliverance from eternal damnation that will inevitably come upon the earth at the end of the age. It has been laid out under two different headings: (A) Source of Salvation; and (B) Process of Salvation. The Bible texts picked to facilitate the effective discussion of this lesson are Acts 4:8-12 and Romans 10:4-13. It promises to be a great time of study as we realise and embrace the only route of escape from the looming eternal damnation Jesus Christ, so that we become more confident of our heritage in Him, and as such, be more committed to propagating the good news.

I.   CHRIST: OUR DELIVERANCE FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION
     A.   SOURCE OF SALVATION
     B.   PROCESS OF SALVATION

LESSON EXPOSITION
I.    CHRIST: OUR DELIVERANCE FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION (Acts 4:8-12; Romans 10:4-13)
The Bible makes it very clear that damnation is coming on the world of sin as consequence of the fall and depravity of man. Worse still, the punishment/judgment would be eternal. That’s serious. However, the Bible proffers solution: Accept Jesus as personal Lord and Saviour, and escape the doom. How?

A.   SOURCE OF SALVATION (Acts 4:8-12)
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
i.   The Source of salvation is God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
ii.  In Old Testament, God is called the Saviour, showing Him as the source of salvation (1 Chro. 16:35).People cried to Him for salvation and deliverance (Psa. 22:5). He is the only Lord and Saviour (Isa. 43:11; 45:15,21; Mic. 7:7), even Israel’s salvation (Exo. 15:1-2; Isa. 12:2), and Salvation of all nations (Psa. 67:2; Isa. 49:6; 52:10).
iii.  Jesus Christ is our Saviour, because in His name, is Salvation (Acts 4:12; 10:43; Rom. 10:13).
iv.  Jesus is called Saviour; the Saviour of the church (Eph. 5:23); our Saviour (Tit. 1:4). He came to deliver us from sin, its power and its effects/consequences (Matt. 1:21; Acts 5:31).
v.  He came to save the lost: (Lk. 15:3-10; 19:10),even the lost world (Jn. 3:16-17; cf. 1 Jn. 4:14).
vi.  God has made provision, once and for all, for all we need for life and godliness, and to escape the impending eternal doom, in Christ Jesus. He should be forever praised.

B.   PROCESS OF SALVATION (Romans 10:4-13)
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).
i.   His humiliation consisting in His incarnation, suffering and atoning death (Jn. 1:14ff; 1 Cor. 1:18; 15:2-3; Phil. 2:6-8; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 5:9).
ii.  His resurrection from the dead and ascension to the heaven (Acts 5:31; Rom. 10:9; 1 Pet 1:3-5).
iii. Salvation is the ultimate Gift from God. A gift of His love (Rom. 5:8-9; Til 3:5; 1 Jn. 4:9-10), grace  (Eph. 2:5,8; Tit 2:11), and mercy (Tit. 3:4-5; 1 Pet. 1:3).
iv.  This salvation has requirements:
*     Hearing the Gospel (Acts 2:37).
*     Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ with your heart (Jn. 3:16; Acts 2:37-38; 3:19; 16:31; Rom. 10:9-12; Eph. 2:8.
*     Confess Christ publicly (Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10).
*     Not trying to earn salvation, but receive it (Zech. 4:6; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5).
*     Studying the Scripture (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:15b).
*     Forsake all for Christ’s  sake (Lk. 14:33; Phil 3:7-8).
*     Longing/hoping/patiently waiting for the salvation of God (Psa. 119:81, 174; Lam. 3:26; 1 Thess. 5:8-9).
*     Pray for our total, complete salvation (Psa. 85:7).
*     Rejoice in the salvation of God (Psa. 9:14; Isa. 25:9b).
*     Proclaim the salvation to others (Psa. 67:2; 96:2; 1 Chro. 16:23).
*     Work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).
*     Grow in the salvation through His Word (1 Pet. 2:2).
v.   You cannot escape the damnation coming on the world, if you are not ready to follow the Way (process) God has provided for this to be possible. You cannot be saved in your own way. You just have to follow God’s specification in Christ Jesus.

LESSON DERIVED
1.    Today is your salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). God shall cloth you with salvation (2 Chro. 6:4-16). This should moderate our living in this world.
2.    Are you prepared for the salvation of our Lord Jesus? God has done His part through Christ and the church is doing her part. Don’t waste this opportunity for eternity with Christ.

QUESTIONS
1.   What is salvation?
2.   Link Jesus with our immediate and ultimate salvation.

SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1:
i.   Salvation is the finished work of Christ on the cross, aimed at redeemed man from the ditches of sin and eternal death.
ii.  The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as God in man, the Word-incarnate, to deliver man from Satan’s grip, is called Redemption. But Salvation is accepting that Gift from God. This is evident in John 3:16.
iii. We therefore must key into this salvation by accepting the redemption that God has purchased for us through, and in Christ Jesus.
iv.  That is God’s only designed way of saving man from eternal destruction.

ANSWER TO QUESTION 2:
i.   Acts 4:12.
ii.  The death of Jesus name on the cross of Calvary brought immediate salvation, which the only way to key into it is by accepting Him as our personal Lord and Saviour.
iii.  However, John 3:16 does not only refer to our immediate salvation, but also points to our ultimate salvation; … should not perish but have everlasting life.
iv.  This indicates that, by accepting and confessing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are immediately saved from being slaves to sin and Satan, and we will also be ultimately saved from eternal damnation that will come at the end of the age.

LIFE APPLICATION
In the study of “The Apocalypse” and “Escatology” it is biblically proven that a great disaster, the greatest doom ever in the history of the universe, is around the corner, at the end of the age. This great disaster is outrightly inevitable. However, God has arranged a narrow way of escape for only those who would be diligent and careful enough to follow this way. It is like an environment flooded by many waters, sweeping off every living creature. And there happens to be a set lucky people who have not yet been swept off by the flood, and then suddenly, an helicopter is flown to them to rescue “only those that will maximize the opportunity to escape.” Jesus Christ is God’s helicopter sent to save us from the inevitable eternal disaster. We must therefore embrace Him and hold tightly unto Him as our only route of escape.

CONCLUSION
We have come to the end of the twelve lesson of the January to June 2019 series of Sunday, by God’s grace. We have been tremendously blessed by God, through His human agents (the Sunday School teachers), reminding us of the great inevitable disaster coming upon the earth, at the end of the age. We have also been reminded, and warned, that the only way to avoid being involved in this upcoming eternal death is to cling tightly unto Jesus, our immediate and ultimate Saviour.

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