C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON LESSON 9 FOR NOVEMBER 27 & DECEMBER 4, 2022 : TOPIC – EFFECTS OF TRUE REVIVAL (II)

By | November 27, 2022
C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON LESSON 9 FOR NOVEMBER 27 & DECEMBER 4, 2022 : TOPIC – EFFECTS OF TRUE REVIVAL (II)
CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
Nigeria & Overseas
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
THEME: REVIVAL REDISCOVERING THE PATH TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY
JULY – DECEMBER, 2022
Unit Three: The Products And Prospects Of Revival
NOVEMBER 27 & DECEMBER 4, 2022
LESSON 10
TOPIC: EFFECTS OF TRUE REVIVAL (II)
MEMORY SCRIPTURE
Therefore “Come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17)
It is only when we stand and live for the Truth that falsehood can be identified and silenced in our communities.
BRIEF COMMENT
The Corinthian church, no doubt, was joining herself with unbelievers and idolaters; unequally yoking with them to commit all manners of immoralities. They were gradually forgetting that God expects that in their lives, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17), hence Paul’s plea to them to come out from among them and be separate; from the filthy, immoral, and ungodly practices of unbelievers (Rom. 1:28ff). As believers in Christ, they must come out and be separated from vain, idolatrous and wicked world, and all its corrupting influences (cf. Isa. 52:11). God has never been happy with His people yoking with the sinning world, and so would not hesitate to deal with them, if they mingled with the world.
Try to take some lessons from the incidence of November 25:1-9, God abhors His children the moment they begin to have unhealthy and ungodly romance with idolaters and workers of iniquity. Those who will have the promises of God fulfilled on them must come under the conditions of these promises: if they are not separate, if they touch the unclean thing, God will not reckon with them, though they may be in the church doing all church rituals.
God’s expectation for His people is proper and steady sanctification of body, soul and spirit. We must not unite with sinners, nor encourage or support any of their idolatrous or wicked practices (Exo. 23:2; Lev. 11:14; 1 Pet. 1:15,16). Revival brings us to right intimacy with God, having separated from works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). Sinners are laboured and heavy-laden, having nothing to do with God, until they repent and personally accept Christ. Separation unto the holy God is a mark of a truly consecrated life that has truly experienced revival. May the Holy Spirit help us to abstain from all fleshly lust, so as to be who God wants us to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS FOR WEEK ONE
Mon. 21: Revival: Restoring The People of Covenant (Acts 3:24-26)
Tue. 22: Revival: The Revived Shall Revive Others (Lk. 1:13-17)
Wed. 23: Revival: Satanic Oppositions To It (Neh. 4:2, 3)
Thur. 24: Revival: We Must Cry To God (Psa. 85:6,7)
Fri. 25: Revival: Hope In God Alone (Psa. 23:3,4; 138:7)
Sat. 26: Revival: Comfort for the Contrite (Isa. 57:14-21)
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
1. True revival must expose, correct and rebuke sin to serve as a deterrent to others, who may want to toe the wrong path.
2. The history of revival is wavy. Sometimes the people are inclined to God and His Word, and at other times, they fall down the curve. We can’t climb and remain on top of the ladder of holiness, if we would be sparing the rod for the wayward child.
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Number 16:49; 1 Chronicles 13:10
AIM AND OBJECTIVES:
AIM: To show that the place of discipline cannot be over-emphasised in achieving true and lasting revival in our churches.
OBJECTIVES: At the end of this two-week lesson, learners should:
i. be able to show that God hates sin; and that Christians must abstain;
ii. have begun to take drastic measures in dealing with sin in their lives, and are determined to expose sin in their midst;
iii.be running away from any act of syncretism, as we wait for the end-time revival; and
iv. be getting dethatched from all ungodliness to cleave to Jesus more than ever before in close relationship with Him.
INTRODUCTION
TEXTUAL SOURCE: LEVITICUS 10:1-4; ACTS 5:1-11; 8:5-24; 17:16-34
Hallelujah! God graciously took us through the ninth lesson in this series of the Sunday school last week, as we studied: EFFECTS OF TRUE REVIVAL (I), where we learnt that true revival brings renewed interest in the things of God. We also learnt that when we are revived, we are restored into divine blessings. Let us seek God more in order to enjoy more of His blessings, both natural and spiritual.
This week and the next, by the grace of God, we shall discuss EFFECTS OF TRUE REVIVAL (II), under which we will learn the importance of exposing sin in our midst. We shall spotlight the case of Nadab and Abihu; how God Himself exposed and rebuked them, the same way He did to the couple who tried to deceive the Church and the Holy Spirit in Acts 5:1ff.
We also need to re-examine the importance and benefits of exposing darkness. Simon the sorcerer draws out attention. Yes, he joined the church, but did he really understand the divine expectation to forsake all, even his past associations with the dark world, for Christ’s sake? We shall also talk about how, as Christians, we can avoid/overcome the Athenian spirit. May we not be left out of the wind of revival of unalloyed commitment to the Lord Jesus blowing this time, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
INTRODUCTION TO EACH DIVISION:
This lesson is divided into two sections, I and II. Each of the section is further divided into A and B.
DIVISION I—EXPOSING AND REBUKING SIN
To show how much hatred God has for sin, He sent fire to destroy His own priests because they violated the rule of engagement in respect to the sacrificial system in ‘His house’. Offering strange fire is an act of illegality and indiscipline, and as such, it is an aberration that can hinder revival. The part B of this division sees the cleansing of the century Church by the Holy Spirit.
The couple, Ananias and Sapphira collided to deceive themselves and the Church (for God cannot be mocked), for which they paid with their lives. The result was the great fear that greeted everyone who heard of this incidence. Sin must be exposed and rebuked for us to experience true revival.
DIVISION II—EXPOSING AND DEALING WITH DARKNESS
God has never joked with the issue of idolatry and syncretism since the beginning of the world. In this division, what comes to the fore is the life of Simon, the sorcerer, whose sorcery was exposed, challenged and rebuked by the Apostles. The result was the humility and soberness that suddenly came upon him. The B part expounds the danger of “fashion en vogue” craze. The Athenians were enmeshed in the philosophy of gospel rationalisation, which Paul, by the grace of the Lord, faced vehemently and technically to deliver the people from. His exhortation and zeal were not a waste, as some of them were saved and cleaved to Jesus, the Giver of true knowledge—fruits of revival!
LESSON OUTLINE
November 27, 2022
I. EXPOSING AND REBUKING SIN
A. STRANGE FIRE EXPOSED AND REBUKED
B. STRANGE ATTITUDES EXPOSED AND REBUKED
December 4, 2022
II. EXPOSING AND DEALING WITH DARKNESS
A. MAGICAL POWERS EXPOSED
B. ATHENIAN SPIRIT OVERCAME
LESSON EXPOSITION
I. EXPOSING AND REBUKING SIN (Leviticus 10:1-4; Acts 5:1-11)
To expose is to make known; to bring something to light. The emphasis here, is to expose sinful and shameful actions for the purpose of rebuke, and if possible, punishment. For sin not to reign in, and our members (cf. Rom. 6:11-14), it must be revealed with the light of the truth, by the Holy Spirit, and instantly dealt with. Else, it becomes like the little fly in the apothecary ointment (Eccl. 10:1).
A. STRANGE FIRE EXPOSED AND REBUKED (Lev. 10:1-4)
So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD (v.2).
i. vv. 1-4: Nadab and Abihu were divinely consecrated priests (Exo. 28:1; 41). What a privilege! They were God’s anointed, but refused to remain continuously consecrated (cf. Exo. 19:22).
ii. v. 1: …and offered profane fire before the LORD. What an effrontery! These two refused to walk worthy of the their calling (cf. Eph. 4:1); they offered unauthorised, artificial and ill-motive service to God.
iii.v. 2: God cannot tolerate such impudence. Illegality cannot stand for too long. To show their errors and serve as deterrent to others, God devoured them. True revival exposes and punitively deals wirh sin.
iv. It is dangerous to alter the Faith (Deut. 4:2; Prov. 22:28; 30:6; Rev. 22:19). True revival must expose, correct and rebuke sin (1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2), so as to curb others who may want to toe the same line. Speak out courageously against indiscipline!
v. vv. 3-8: The offence of these two brothers was so grievous that even their family were banned from mourning them. They wasted themselves. God’s holiness does not parley with sin. Revival makes people hate what God hates with passion (cf. vv. 8-10).
vi. We may not know that we are playing with fire when we cover those sinful acts of our loved ones, and even our own, in our homes and churches. The case of Achan should readily come to our own minds, where his action implicated all his family members, and they were destroyed (Josh. 7:10ff). It is high time we watched one another’s back!
B. STRANGE ATTITUDES EXPOSED AND REBUKED (Acts 5:1-11)
Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and brethren his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things (v.5).
i. vv. 1-3: The early Church, was getting stronger, all-round, with members voluntarily ‘working for the Lord’. Then, Satan crept in, to pollute her (cf. Gen. 3:1; 2 Cor. 11:3). Don’t become a revival killer!
ii. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was not keeping back what was theirs, but pretending to be faithful. That isn’t ordinary lie! Were they really converted? Were they really part of the spiritual circumcision (cf. Rom. 12:1ff)? Sadly, many are mere attendees in churches today.
iii. v.4: Lying unto men is lying unto the Holy Spirit (cf. Matt. 25:40,45). The Holy Spirit searches the heart to discover, expose and punish sin (Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 2:10,11). Can you hide from Him (Psa. 139:1ff)?
iv. vv. 5-10: It takes a godly, revived leader to curb sin before it festers among God’s people (Neh. 5:1-12). Are you tolerating sin?
v. The Holy Spirit never condones sin; He removed this cancer from His congregation. Sin must not be allowed to fester amidst us (Isa. 63:10; Eph. 4:30). Revival breeds discipline!
vi. v.11: So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. True revival instils seriousness with the things of God in people. Premised on the fear of God (Prov. 1:7).
vii. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7). The fall of the leading horse into the ditch should serve as an example to the others behind. The Christian life’s journey calls for fear and trembling, so as not to unequally yoked with sinners, and so perish with them (cf. Num. 25:1-9; Phil. 2:12).
LESSONS DERIVED
1. God’s work cannot be done anyhow. The revived follow God-given specifications that mustn’t be altered. Don’t risk the wrath of God.
2. God cannot be mocked. The revived never claim to be what they aren’t, so as not to get what they don’t bargain for.
WORK TO DO
In today’s parlance, what can be classified as strange (profane) fire?
SUGGESTED ANSWER TO WORK TO DO
* Fire is strange if not ordered by the Lord; anything done against God.
* Fire can mean doctrine; it is strange if not according to God’s Word and will. The standard of God stands sure (2 Tim. 2:19).
* Anything done against the gospel of Christ is strange fire.
* Message can be profane, dressing, words can be profane.
* False doctrines, teachings, e.g. Jesus is not coming back again, the Bible is old and therefore needs a contemporary one, what you wear doesn’t matter, “hyper grace”, etc.
* Human sacrifice on the altar to draw crowd, fighting even on the altar, pastors and elders can have two or more wives, having immoral affairs at Prayer Mountains, vigils, using talking drum to speak corruptly, partying in the church, and brings comedians to the pulpit to perform, etc.

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