C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL FOR SEPTEMBER 5 & 12, 2021 LESSON THREE : TOPIC – MAD RUSH FOR WORLDLY WEALTH

THEME: IN TIME LIKE THIS

UNIT ONE : MAN’S DISCONNECTION

Date : 5th & 12th, September, 2021.

Lesson : FOUR

TOPIC : MAD RUSH FOR WORLDLY WEALTH

Memory Scripture : A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished

(Proverbs 28:20).

But those who desires to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition (1 Tim. 6:9).

Nowhere does the Bible denounce riches. God promised riches to the patriarchs and to Israel, if they would follow Him with all their hearts. The possession of wealth isn’t inherently evil, but the Bible only tells men very plainly what the dangers of eager haste of covetousness and the love of money are. Get-rich-quick schemes always come with some forms of sin involved, also at the expense of others — crafts, disingenuous ways, greed, violations of honesty, deceit, fraud, rituals, killing, etc. And at the end of it all, such monies and their owners never last to enjoy them. An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end (Prov. 20:21).

The Lord wants us to be faithful. To work is not evil! There are so many who think work is some sort of evil activity that came with the fall of man into sin. Work is something that God gave man in the garden before the Fall. Therefore, to do faithful work puts us in a position for God to bless and increase us. That was why the Lord says here that the faithful man will abound with blessings. Those blessings may include financial riches, prosperity, sound health, good home, etc. May God help us to once again embrace the spirit of faithful work, and shun the get-rich-quick methods that always involves sin, guilt and punishment (1 Tim. 6:9). Amen.

Devotional Bible Readings For Week One

Mon. Aug. 30: Don’t Be Over-ambitions (Rom. 12:16)

Tue. ” 31: Don’t Take Bribe (Exo. 23:7-9)

Wed. Sept. 1: Don’t Steal Another Man’s Wages (Lev. 19:13)

Thur. Sept. 2: Don’t Stress Yourself To Be Rich (Prov. 23:4)

Fri. Sept. 3: Those Rushing After Wealth Fall Flat (1 Tim. 6:9)

Sat. Sept. 4: The Love of Money Breeds Evil (1 Tim. 6:10)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

1. Never join the companion of the godliness for wealth sake, so that you don’t enter into foolish lust that can wreck the ship of your salvation.

2. God promises good wealth to those who aren’t distracted by delusions for quick wealth, but warns the covetous who tilt towards get-rich-quick ideas, of their coming doom. He who pursues godless gains eventually wakes up in the belly of the archenemy of our soul, Satan.

AIM: To show that haste at getting rich distorts judgment, narrows perspective, shortens one’s time, running the greater potential, and brings natural and divine judgment.

OBJECTIVES: By the time this lesson is completed, the readers should be:

i. able to establish from God’s perspective that no excuse for being impatient, most especially, as it relates to making wealth in life, is tenable to God;

ii. able to show from the Word of God that impatience in any form destroys, kills, and beings regret;

iii. showing signs of being more convinced that it is only God that gives lasting wealth with true rest of mind; and

iv

more conformity to the instructions of God in His Word as to how to make legitimate wealth.

We appreciate God for the valuable lessons we learnt in lesson three, LOVE WAXES COLD. The lesson has shed more light on what true love is, what makes love wax cold, and the negative results of it. Let the love of God dwell in us richly. True love must not be allowed to wax cold in us, for whatever reasons, God helping us.

Lesson 4, which is the last lesson in Unit I (Man’s Disconnection), is all about a time like this, when everybody wants to become wealthy at all cost. The mad rush for wealth is so prevalent in this generation that even little children are becoming highly overambitious, wealth-wise. Incidences, such as ritual killings, kidnapping for ransom, money rituals, sophisticated fraud, among others have proved the prevalence of this cankerworm in this generation. May God save us. Amen.

This lesson sheds Light on one of the end-time dangers and the way in which the devil accomplishes his plans on many people, especially, the youths, both male and female. In this lesson, we shall be looking at the prevalence, reasons and results of the menace, as well as ways to get the blessings of God that add no sorrow

May the Lord God Almighty deliver us. Amen.

This lesson has two major divisions, I and II; these are further subdivided into parts, A and B respectively.

This section aims helping us to know what is really going on now about getting rich-quick syndrome that has seriously eaten-up the whole world. No place (spiritual or circular) is excluded. Impatience for God’s timing, or thinking that God is slow in action pushes so many into, looking for a way of cutting corners and making it quick which makes them get involved in ungodly schemes of getting prosperous, overlooking the dangerous end result May God help us. We shall not fail God in any form.

This section helps us to know that there are ways to God blessings. Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven (Prov. 23:5). And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day (Deut. 8:18). Wealth flies away towards heaven like an eagle, which man can capture it? No man. But it is only God that gives power (He allows and gives freely the ability) to get wealth. These come by remembering your God and obeying Him to letter. Then he will bring to fulfillment upon you, the covenant of wealth He made with your fathers.

I. WHY THE MAD RUSH FOR WEALTH? (Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 21:25; 28:20; Ecclesiastes 5:10-15; 1 Timothy 6:9, 10; Hebrews 11:24-26)

Do you desire to get rich quickly? Repent! It is a sinful desire, and it will ruin your life. It will distort your judgment, create temptations for your soul, and bring both supernatural and natural laws against you financially. Instead, work hard at a Honourable and useful job or business and wait for natural and supernatural blessings to multiply you (Prov. 28:19, 21-22).

A. REASONS FOR IMPATIENCE (Deut. 8:18; Prov. 21:25; 28:20; 1 Tim. 6:9,10; Heb. 11:24-26)

For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessaloniaca — Crescents for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia (2 Tim. 4:10).

i. Deut. 8:18: Lack of trust in God who gives the power to make wealth results in not wanting to wait for His time. Not being ready to seek first God’s kingdom and its righteousness, but the “added things” (Matt. 6:33; Heb. 13:14), some have opted for ungodly means of getting wealth, damning the consequences.

ii. 1 Tim. 6:10: The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. When a man loves money more than God, those around him, and even his own life, he can do anything to get it (cf. Matt. 6:24, 25).

iii. Not being ready to wait for God to give His blessing in due season, in His own way (cf. Psa. 104:27).

iv. Prov. 28:20: The desire to conform to the worldly pattern of hastening to be rich (cf. 2 Cor. 6:14-18), like the Israelites who impatiently asked for a king because they wanted to be like their neighbouring nations (1 Sam. 8:1ff). The same finished Demas (2 Tim. 4:10).

v. 21:25: Laziness is another reason for pursuing ungodly wealth. The lazy want to live big, yet they don’t work. To meet their lustful taste, they go for shortcuts. God is watching! No wonder the desire of the lazy man kills him.

vi. 1 Tim. 6:9: Unbridled desire to be rich that leads the overambitious into terrible temptations and snares, like get-rich-quick scams, money rituals, fraudulent practices, kidnapping, ritual, rape, etc. (cf. 23:4-5; Matt. 6:25-34).

vii. Not caring at all what the effects of one’s action might be on others (cf. Rom. 12:10). People who pursue wealth at all cost care less about what happens to others, as long as they get what they want — selfishness.

viii. Heb. 11:24-26: Non-readiness to endure hardship or wilderness experiences that precede promotion (cf. Rom. 5:3-5). They prefer get it quick, anyhow!

ix. Being hasty to be rich is a great risk to men, because it tempts them to engage in illegitimate means. Patience is a moral quality; another name for self-control. Be patient.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition (1 Tim. 6:9).

i. Ecc. 5:10: They will not be satisfied. Money/wealth doesn’t satisfy the greedy, or lovers of it. The more he pursues, the more evasive it becomes, until he plunges into the bottomless pit of destruction (cf. Matt. 6:27,28).

ii. v. 12: Restlessness (cf. Isa. 48:22; 57:20-21). By the time they think they have got the so called abundance, real worries begin to eat them up: ” What do I do with these money?” “How do I keep getting the means to service this wealth?” “Ah! Death will soon come. What becomes of my hereafter?” “How do I secure my wealth from theives?”, etc.

iii. The above can result in high BP or worse conditions, and even sudden mysterious death (v.17; cf. Job 20:12-19).

iv. vv. 13-15: God causes such ill-gotten wealth to perish without traces. There are cases of billionaires yesteryears begging at the doorsteps of their one-time slaves/servants (Job 20:5-11, 20-22; Psa. 37:35-37).

v. 1 Tim. 6:9,10: Though everyone is tempted in some ways, those who strongly desire wealth “fall” to temptation they can’t resist. The urge to “get-rich-quick” leads to disaster, shipwreck and outright destruction, as in the case of Demas (2 Tim. 4:10).

vi. They fall into a trap or snare (Grk. pagida). A trap used to capture an animal lured in by bait. Satan uses baits in order to lure Christians away, from lives of holiness and contentment. Those who unduly pursue riches can’t resist such baits (cf. Psa. 119:110; 2 Tim. 2:26), hence their doom.

vii. God’s wrath is always on anyone who short-cuts to become rich (Job 20:5-9; Eccl. 5:8-13). Unrepentant greed brought generational curse on Gehazi (2 Kgs. 5:20ff; Psa. 52:5-7).

viii. Of course, there can be no peace for the wicked, including those who pursue wealth at all cost, throughout their lifetime (Isa. 48:22; 57:20-21), and ultimately in hell (Rev. 20:15; 21:8,27).

ix. The result of every actions is important. Impatience can never birth to joyful end, but disaster and regret. Think twice before you rush in to get wealth at all cost, because it can be terrible and irreversible dangerous.

1. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Always work pray and wait for God’s time for your life.

2. There is nothing hidden under the sun. Definitely we shall reap what we sow. Fear God and abstain from ungodly pursuit of wealth.

Is it possible to be prosperous/wealthy in the Lord without resorting to ungodly means? How?

i. Sure. Because God is the only one who gives power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant (blessings) which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deut. 8:18.

ii. Deut. 15:6 says, “For the Lord God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many to many nations, but you will not borrow…”

iii. 1 Chronicles 29:12 says, “Both riches and honour come from you, and you rule over all, and in your hand is power and might; and it lies in your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.”

iv. With all these scriptures above, it is glaring that God still blesses people with wealth/prosperity, because He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Of course, He is the One who gives power to make wealth (Deut. 8:18), since He owns everything, including silver and gold (money in whatever currency)(Psa. 24:1ff; Hag. 2:8).

v. But those who do not have faith, or believe in God (the Owner of all) and His timing think He is slow, or cannot even give wealth. So, they resort to getting wealth using means. The end is better imagined than experienced.