C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL FOR SEPTEMBER 4 & 11, 2022 UNIT ONE, LESSON FOUR: TOPIC – TYPES OF REVIVAL

By | September 10, 2022
C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL FOR SEPTEMBER 4 & 11, 2022 UNIT ONE, LESSON FOUR: TOPIC – TYPES OF REVIVAL
CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH Nigeria & Overseas
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
THEME: REVIVAL: REDISCOVERING THE PATH TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY
Unit One: The Meaning And Purpose Of Revival
September 4 & 11, 2022
LESSON 4
TYPES OF REVIVAL
MEMORY SCRIPTURE
I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite one’s (Isaiah 57:15b).
The wind of revival can take any form, whether to an individual, or a group of people. The end-point should be that people are renewed and rededicated. Are you ready for it?
BRIEF COMMENT
God always wants His people to be upright and spiritually alive with Him, as they desist from whatever can hamper stead intimate walk with Him in righteousness and holiness (Gen. 17:1). After all, they are different from the people of the world; they are royal priesthood, holy nation and special people to God (1 Pet. 2:9), showing forth His praise to the world. However, it is a pity that most times, God’s people don’t stay by their callings; they drift away into darkness, and mingle with the world, gradually moving away from God into acute idolatry. May God save us!
In the bid to correct His backsliding people, God spoke through Isaiah in chapter 57:15b. He firstly made them realise who He is: a holy God, who dwells in the high and holy place (cf. 6:1ff; Rev. 4:1-11). God is holy and those to worship Him must do so in holiness, truth and in spirit (Jn. 4:24; cf. Matt. 5:48; I Pet. 1:15,16). Furthermore, God is selective and classical with respect to who He abides with. Yes, He is the God of all flesh, yet He knows His people… He dwells with him who has a contrite and humble spirit (Isa. 57:15). This in a way reveals part of the personality and attributes of God, who is faithful and pure in all His ways. He doesn’t contaminate, neither can He be contaminated.
Righteousness is the only basis by which the sinful man may be justified in the sight of the high and exalted One. But like her Gentile neighbours, the apostate Israel lacked the standard of holiness required by God, which could enable them to stand in His awesome presence and be accepted into fellowship with Him.
Only those who are lowly in spirit and contrite in heart can be revived by God. In spite of inhabiting eternity and dwelling in high, heavenly and holy place, this same Almighty God has chosen to live with those who are meek, lowly and humble in heart. He has chosen to redeem the penitent, revive the contrite in spirit, and dwell in the hearts of all who believe in His name. Therefore, properly position yourself for God’s revival by being humble and contrite. God help you.
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS FOR WEEK ONE
Mon. Aug. 29: Revival Lifts Up From The Depth (Psa. 71:20)
Tue. Aug. 30: Revival Brings Increase And Comfort (Psa. 71:21)
Wed. Aug. 31: Revival Brings Joy In God’s Praise (Psa. 71:22)
Thur. Sept. 1: Revival Brings Redemption (Psa. 71:23)
Fri. Sept. 2: Revival Brings Restoration (Psa. 80:18)
Sat. Sept. 3: Revival Occurs In Righteousness (Psa. 119:37)
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
1. God brings revival, but it is our responsibility to seek and pray to Him for it.
2. Looking unto men, we only get what men can do or give; we get what money can do when we focus on it, but by looking unto God, we get what God can do-Revival (Psa. 121:1,2). There will never be any revival until we are willing to admit our desperate new for God.
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 15:1ff, Acts 3:17ff
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
AIM: To show the different types of revival that we have; deliberately classified under corporates and personal.
OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, it is expected that the learners should be able to:
i. buttress the urgency of revival need at least this end-time;
ii. show that revival is needed individually (personal) and collectively (corporate);
iii. defend the fact that it takes conscious and deliberate effort to call for both personal and corporate revival; and
iv. show that unity of purpose among God’s people brings genuine revival.
INTRODUCTION
TEXTUAL SOURCE: GENESIS 16:1FF; 17:1FF; 18:1; EZRA 7:10; NEHEMIAH 8:1FF; LUKE 15:1FF;;ACTS 2:1FF
All glory to God Almighty for how He has helped us, in His faithfulness and mercy, to dig deep in His Word, so that we can be revived by His grace in last week Sunday school lesson, titled: THE END-TIME CHURCH NEEDS REVIVAL.
In Rev. 22:11c,…he who is righteous, let him be righteous still… Continuity in Christ is inevitable, and backsliding is not acceptable. Those that are doing must continue in the Lord until the end, to receive the crown of life in eternity with God. Also, those who are growing weary need revival. The only way to have a genuine revival is to call upon the God of revival, after self-discovery. Luke 13:5 says, …unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
This week, we want to discuss: TYPES OF REVIVAL. What most people term “Revival” today is not, at all, but noise-making and physical exercises. Revival goes beyond clapping of hands, holding crusades and spiritual meetings or organising days of prayer meetings and vigils with expectation of miracles. Revival is all about spiritual re-awakening leading to a regretful or sorrowful heart, which leads to repentance and continuous walk with Christ-a heart that is sorry and full of repentance for the wrong deeds against God and humanity through God’s Word. Man-made revival is what is common today, and not the God-made. It is obvious that we need revival today in the face of division, self-centeredness, fake religiosity, and acrimonious. But sadly enough, many are ignoring the power of true revival. May God help us.
INTRODUCTION TO EACH DIVISION
This lesson is divided into two sections, I and II, Each of the sections is further divided into A and B.
DIVISION I: PERSONAL REVIVAL:
Revival is a means of renewal and reawakening in the Lord. It is the sovereign performance of God, in which He reinstates His own backsliding people to repentance through the Word of God and fervent prayer, coupled with faith and obedience, and also bring the sinful and godless sinner to the feet of Christ begging for mercy. Personal revival is a spiritual illumination and awakening of Spirit that results in unceasing revelation of Christ in your day to day life. Right from OT through to NT, God had been doing the work of revival by restoring individual from the state of backsliding, if they realise and call upon Him. This division I emphasis personal revival.
DIVISION II: CORPORATE REVIVALS
Corporate Revival is triggered by a genuine unity amongst group of people who saw the need for it. Just as the Holy Spirit filled the whole church at the Pentecost and then added three thousand more to their number (Acts 2:4,41). Revival is most especially God’s work on a corporate scale, beginning first in church and then extended to community. It is essential that we pray collectively to God for revival. We should ask humbly and wait for His good answer. It is a corporate revival when a godless nation hears the gospel and was convicted and turn to Christ like the Ninevites and Samaritans. This division expatiates corporate revivals.
LESSON OUTLINE
I. PERSONAL REVIVALS
A. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
B. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
II. CORPORATE REVIVALS
A. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
B. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
LESSON EXPOSITION
I. PERSONAL REVIVAL (Genesis 16:1ff; 17:1ff; 18:1ff; Ezra 7:10; Luke 15:1ff)
Anything personal is individual, and relates only to the person in question. Revival becomes personal when it is carried out on a single person, i.e., an individual who is sinful suddenly realises his sinfulness and retraces his steps back to God. Example is the prodigal son in Luke 15. What he experienced is personal revival; between him and God. David said, Against You, You only, have I sinned (Pss. 51:4).
A. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (Gen. 17:1ff; Ezr. 7:10)
I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless (Gen. 17:1b).
i. God had promised Abram and Sarai a child. Time flew bye, and it seemed the promise wasn’t coming true on time; their faith in God somehow waned.
ii. Abram, like Adam (3:17), followed Sarai unwise plan to dance to their godless customs dictation, i.e. use Hagar to get the promised child. He should have sought God’s counsel before taking the step, but he didn’t. Do you allow God to lead you, or you take your decisions alone, only to call Him later to align with your error?
iii. Humanly speaking, Abram practiced the culture of the day, but to God, it is impatience, disobedience and lack of trust. Abram tried to “help God,” and the whole plan flopped. He needed revival. In fact, for 13 years (15:16; 17:1), he heard nothing spectacular from God.
iv. God graciously came to him in 17:1, and was like saying, “If I will continue with you and overlook what you have done, I will re-consecrate you, rededicate my covenant and renew my promises with you. And for this reason, walk before me and be blameless.”
v. Abram promptly followed the renewal instructions by God. Look at the blessings that followed. Revival draws the hand of God upon the revived. Covering sin never helps (Prov. 28:13). Confess, repent and return to the God of revival.
vi. Ezra 7:10: Another example of personal in the OT is Ezra who knew that you can only revive others when you are first revived, yourself. He was deeply revived by doing three things. He studied and understood the Law, because knowledge is power (cf. Hos. 4:6; Phil. 3:9ff).
vii. Then, he observed, i.e. practised the insight he got from God’s Word. The more you practise, the more it becomes part of you.
viii.Finally, he taught others, Truly, revived teachers of the God’s Word are very careful with their lives lest they be victims of what they teach (cf. Jas. 2:12; 3:1). True teachers maintain high integrity.
ix. Revival is an extraordinary manifestation of God in one’s life. For Abraham, it is walk before me be perfect. No more; no less. That marks the beginning of total transformation and the means to deliverance and full restoration.
B. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT (Lk. 15:1ff)
And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son’ (v. 21).
i. Asking his still-alive father for inheritance was untimely, callous, wayward and ungodly. Impatience with God and living independent of Him are serous acts of rebellion (Deut. 21:18-21).
ii. v. 13: …and took his journey into a far country… He separated himself from his father, just as many believers who are drifting and derailing from God because of worldly things today. Beware!
iii. vv. 14-16: He regretted his foolish decision that reduced him to less than his father’s slaves vacuum that worldly pleasures can’t fill (Jer. 2:13).
iv. 13:1-5,15-19: To repent is to have a change of mind, and that is the beginning of revival. …he came to his senses… (GNT). Was he senseless? Sin has a way of dulling man’s sense of the consciousness of God, and paralyses God’s image in him.
v. The first step in any spiritual revival is being broken. The prodigal son was broken, like the experience of Paul (Acts 9:4-6). No one can make progress in seeking God without first tearing down the accumulation of unwanted things pitching him against God in life.
vi. vv. 18-20: I will arise, I will go, I will say and I will never stop, are great steps to true revival. He discovered himself changed his mind toward his father, and his situation changed. As we change to God in sincere repentance, we are ready for revival.
vii. Jesus did not come for those who are in health but for those who are sick. No wonder, as the true Shepherd, He could leave 99 sheep to look for just one lost sheep, and the father of the Prodigal boy never gave up on him until he came back home.
LESSONS DERIVED
1. Revival starts in us when God begins to deal with our sinful, rebellious and unholy attitudes. We must open up to Him to restore our love and commitment to Him.
2. No one will ever repent until he comes to his senses, and to the waiting Father who is ready to welcome him back home.
WORK TO DO
To think independently of God is the beginning of backsliding. It draws one away from God (Isaiah 53:6). Explain.
SUGGESTED ANSWER TO WORK TO DO:
i. Thinking independently of God could mean different things in different quarters: To some people, or could mean, there is no God, God is powerless, “I am self-sufficient and don’t need God” mentally, etc.
ii. Also it could suggest making plans without God (Isa. 30:1), making alliances without God, (Isa. 30:2), and, finding refuge without God (Psa. 16:1; 37:40).
iii. Anyone with any of these these thinking must have gone astray from the truth, or being in the verge of leaving the faith. Such person won’t be able to apply the truth to his or her daily living, and won’t obey the truth. Consequently, this kind of attitude or thinking leads to moral lapses and failure, also known as backsliding.
iv. The moment we start to think that we do not need Cod we degenerate into backsliding; our hearts slip away before our feet start to wander.
v. To think independently of God shows that you believe you have nothing to do with God. Is there anyone who does not need God? No, not anyone. For we all enjoyed His benefits — rain, breath, foods, life, air, etc.
vi. It is a thought that emanates from foolishness (Psalm 43).
vii. Pride, is thinking we can live independent of God. It is thinking we are cleverer than God. Disgrace and destruction are the end result of pride (Pro. 11:2).
viii.Do you prove too know. It is wrong to be too wise in your own eyes.

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