C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON LESSON 9 FOR NOVEMBER 13 & 20, 2022 : TOPIC – EFFECTS OF TRUE REVIVAL (I)

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

I will repay you

FOR THE YEARS THE LOCUS HAVE EATEN.

JOEL 2:25

True repentance brings lasting joy and peace to the repentant.

Spirit-filled messages of the Gospel, coupled with the conviction of sinners by the Holy Spirit in their hearts, usually breed uninterrupted revival. Part of our memory scripture says, Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart. Peter’s Holy Spirit-inspired Pentecostal message cut the hearers to their heart and elicited transformation. The impact a preacher’s effort, but basically, the role of the Holy-Spirit in ensuring the Word penetrates and permeates the hearts of the listeners, for the desired result-inward genuine revival.

The people, having been convince, said to Peter and the rest of the apostles “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” This conviction by the Holy Spirit breeds true repentance which leads to confession and forgiveness of sin, and consequently, true revival. This is different from prosperity and financial motivational messages which only message the listeners’ ego and stimulate their ungodly ambitions. Rather than breeding true repentance from sin, such stimulate their emotions. Instead of the genuinely breaking down in tears as a result of seeing their spiritually hopeless and helpless state and need for salvation, they respond with emotional chants like “ride on pastor”, “preach it sir”, “tell them”, “on-point, pastor”, etc. May God save His church from these end-time traits, and restore true revival amidst us.

DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS FOR WEEK ONE

Mon. 7: Peter Preaches Christ (Acts 2:29-36)

Tue. 8: Peter’s Message Stirs Inner Revival (Acts 2:37)

Wed. 9: Peter Leads Them To Repentance (Acts 2:38)

Thur. 10: Peter Baptises New Converts (Acts 2:41a)

Fri. 11: Products Of Revival: New Converts (Acts 2:41b)

Sat. 12: Proper Revival Breeds Church Expansion (Acts 2:44-47)

1. Revival is more of an inward impart of God’s move through His Word in man’s life, than the outward effects that signals show of the shame.

2. True revival is made possible when the Holy-Spirit, by the true Word of life, convicts the hearers of their sins and/or lukewarmness. This conviction breeds true repentance that leads to confession and forgiveness of sin, and consequently, true revival.

AIM: To show that true revival has tremendous effects on individuals, the church, society, and the world at large.

OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, it is expected that the learners should:

i. be showing signs of recognising the dire need for true revival;

ii. be able to discuss how revival helps renew interest in the things of God;

iii. be able to explain how revival how revival helps to restore lost divine blessings to God’s people; and

iv. have renewed hunger and thirst for true revival that would regularly lead them into passionate waiting on God for it.

Glory and honour be unto our God for the blessings of the previous lesson, where God specifically exposed to us some revival killers, and also showed to us ways to overcome them. May we become and continue as agents of true revival, and not its antagonists, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lesson 9 is here to unveil to us some of the EFFECTS OF TRUE REVIVAL, and will be the first of the lessons dedicated to be discussed in this unit. It is believed that there would not be a counterfeit of anything that its original doesn’t exist. This lesson would further help us decipher and distinguish between true revival and jamborees.

It is therefore our prayer that the Lord will illuminate our hearts through His Word, and make our hearts ignite the fire of this true revival He is bringing to His Church, this season, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

This lesson, like others, have two divisions, I and II, which are further subdivided into A and B, respectively.

This section talks about the renewed lifestyle in Christ that allows the sinners to surrender to the Lordship of Christ the Saviour, in genuine repentance and conversion, and the rededication of strayed lives unto Him alone. Genuine revival breeds a renewed interests in the things of God. The zeal to serve God and know Him more is established and renewed, as the case may be. These are the first serious evidences and effects of true revival.

This second section deals with the other effects of true and genuine revival, which include the restoration of both natural and supernatural blessings. When man does not know God, or strays away from Him, he forfeits the blessings, benefits and privileges attached to knowing and relating with Him. But when man realises his errors, repents and traces his steps back home to the Saviour, his lost privileges, benefits and blessings are restored to him, both natural and supernatural.

LESSON OUTLINE

November 13, 2022

I. RENEWED INTERENTS IN THE THINGS OF GOD

A. RENEWED LIFESTYLE IN CHRIST

B. RENEWED INTEREST IN GOD’S THINGS

November 20, 2022

II. RESTORATION OF DIVINE BLESSINGS

A. NATURAL BLESSINGS WILL BE RESTORED

B. SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS WILL BE RESTORED

LESSON EXPOSITION

1. RENEWED INTERENTS IN THE THINGS OF GOD (Acts 2:37-47; 4:1-31)

One of the signs that follow true revival is increase in the zeal and passion of the people towards the things of God (Psa. 122:1; Isa. 2:3). People whose love for God had previously waned would be re-energised from within, through the fire of revival that consumes them inside out (Psa. 69:9; Jn. 2:17). Your attitude to the things of God shows the level of the revival fire you carry. Receive the grace to make amends where necessary, now! Amen.

A. RENEWED LIFESTYLE IN CHRIST (Acts 2:37-47)

Then those who gladly received his Word were baptised, and that day about three thousand souls were added to them (v. 41).

i. vv. 14-41: The Word preached to these people permeated their hearts, and produced true conversion. Total conversion (2 Cor. 5:17) is germane for revival!

ii. v. 37: what shall we do? When the Holy Spirit convicts a man, he sees his hopeless state, and realises his need for God. That can only happen under the atmosphere of true revival. The Word preached by revived vessels elicits positive responses from listeners.

iii. v. 38: True revival breeds genuine repentance, leading to forgiveness of sin, and paves the way for move of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk. 13:1-5)!

iv. v. 39: The promise of the Holy Spirit is not for gentiles or sinners, who have not repented, but for those who truly forsake their sins and repent of them. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit sparks off the needed revival.

v. vv. 40:41,47: Conversion of souls to Christ should be the target of our outreaches, if they are truly anchored by genuinely revived vessels. True revival makes this achievable (2 Tim. 3:16; 4:2).

vi. vv. 42-47: Under the atmosphere of true revival, the Church experiences expansion, unity and fellowship in love, including sound doctrine.

vii. True revival produces righteousness and holiness. After the people had repented of their sins, and are forgiven, the Holy Spirit, who did the work of conviction earlier, now energies and helps them live a holy and righteous life according to the Word of God (Phil. 2:13).

B. RENEWED INTEREST IN GOD’S THINGS (4:1-31)

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (v. 20).

i. vv. 13ff; When true revival takes place, the children of God are divinely empowered towards the expression of such great fire inside of them, since they have encountered, and are experiencing true revival.

ii. vv. 1ff: An effect of true revival is increased zeal and zest for God’s business. Despite the threats that greeted the Apostles exploits, their zeal for God and His business did not decrease. Jesus is our perfect example (Lk. 2:49; Jn. 2:17; Psa. 69:9; 122:1).

iii. vv. 17-20: One major effect of true revival is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2:4; Joel 2:28-29), which would not allow Peter and John to give up preaching, despite the beatings.

iv. vv. 21-23: No amount of threat could silence these anointed of God, who were hungry, and on the fire for God, for exploits. That is the impact of true revival.

v. vv. 24-31: They had the right response to the situation at hand, and this led them deeper in oneness and commitment to corporate prayer, with prompt answer. That could only take place when true revival is in place.

One who carries the fire of true revival is not easily discouraged from kingdom endeavours (Prov. 24:10). No height of threat from any quarters scares them away from carrying out divine instructions and assignments, most especially, THE GREAT COMMISSION, because they carry the great revival fire, beyond any human or demonic threats (1 Jn. 4:4; Col. 1:27).

LESSONS DERIVED

1. True revival is more internal than external. It is an awakening of man’s spirit to the consciousness of God.

2. True revival breeds both inward and outward manifestations of the supernatural.

True revival cannot happen without unforgettable landmarks. Discuss!

i. True great life events are remembered for their great unforgettable impacts in the lives of the people involved.

ii. Great impactful events become a regular memorial for the record and history made in such epoch-making occurrences.

iii. The great impact of events such as the 1930 revival among other history-making events in the history of Christ Apostolic Church is being referred to from generation to generation, and would continue for many more generations centuries to come, if Jesus tarries.

iv. Events of low, or no significance at all soon fade off and the memories quickly go into extinction. Truly great events at times become annual festivals, anniversaries, and other forms of celebrations, because of the huge impacts felt by the people in history. The same is true of genuine revival.

v. True revival leaves powerful indelible landmarks of repentance, conversion to Christ, renewed interest in God, and it engenders spiritual great awakening and rejuvenation in the lives of those who witness it. The Jews of Exra’s days were not the same again as they put away their pagan alliances, even in marriage, for the sake of their covenant with YAHWEH. True revival in action!

vi. Hos could those who were touched by the Pentecost message preached by Peter forget such? It is impossible. Even the Jailor in Acts 16, how could he forget that experience in his life time? Therefore, true revival cannot happen without unforgettable landmarks.