NBC Sunday School Manual For Novenber 13, 2022 :Topic – Christ is Wisdom

By | November 13, 2022

NBC Sunday School Manual For Novenber 13, 2022 :Topic – Christ is Wisdom

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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON (NBC)

November 13, 2022

TOPIC: CHRIST IS WISDOM

Devotional Reading: Psalm 16

Background Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7; Acts 19; Ephesians 1:15-23

Lesson Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

GOLDEN TEXT
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17.

Objectives: By the end of the lesson, class members should be able to:

1. State what interested Paul most about the brethren in the church in Ephesus.
2. Discuss Paul’s specific prayer for the brethren in Ephesus in verse 18.
3. Make a verbal commitment to God to grant them a deeper understanding of the Christian faith.

INTRODUCTION
Sometime ago, I read an interesting and inspiring story from a devotional material. It is said that the School of Divinity at the University of Chicago organises an annual programme called The Baptist Day. Each year, the School invited a notable speaker to deliver a lecture on any chosen topic. In 1886-1965, the School invited a renowned German-American existentialist philosopher and theologian, Dr Paul J. Tillich, to speak. Unfortunately, his plan was to discredit the authenticity of Jesus’ resurrection. Dr Tillich was a man who was well respected and of great intellectual disposition. As he lectured, he cited relevant places from various scholars and argued that Jesus’ resurrection w purely historical. Of course, as characteristic of such Baptist Day lectures, the audience would want to ask questions after the lecture. Surprisingly, an elderly preacher, blessed with the wisdom of God, slowly stood up but before he ask Dr Tillich a question, he brought out an apple from his bag and began to eat it. The elderly man then continued with his question, “Sir, I have never read the books you quoted, and I cannot recite the scriptures in the original Greek or Hebrew; but let me ask this: the apple I just ate, was it bitter or sweet?” Dr Tillich looked straight into the elderly preacher’s eyes and with keen intellectual ability, he said, “I cannot possibly answer that question because I have not tasted your apple.” The elderly preacher then calmly told the lecturer “Neither have you tasted my Jesus.” In a moment, the crowd of listeners excitedly rose up in praise of the elderly man’s wisdom.

Today’s lesson is part of Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the brethren in the church in Ephesus. He prayed to God to grant them a deeper understanding of Christian faith and the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they would know Him more. He pointed that non-Christians cannot fully comprehend the extent of Christ’s power and understand other spiritual truths. It is only those who are led by the Spirit of God that can understand the mystery of God, which is fully embedded in Christ.

THE LESSON EXPLAINED

A. Prayer of Thanksgiving and Revelation. Ephesians 1: 15-17
Today’s lesson is a continuation of last week lesson of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He explained that God, the Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ, chooses and blesses believers with all manners of spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:1-14). As a result, he had reasons to be thankful to God for these faithful believers, whose faith in Christ and love for fellow believers were commendable (Eph. 1:15-16). He prays for them regularly that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to grow more in the knowledge of Christ (v. 17). By the Spirit of wisdom, Paul means the fullness of the Holy Spirit that implants spiritual wisdom in the hearts of believers and instructs them in the way of the Lord Christian living. In addition, the Spirit of wisdom leads to all truths and opens to the believers the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which are hidden in Christ who is the wisdom of God. By praying for revelation in the knowledge of Christ, Paul was asking God to grant the believers the full revelation of Christ, His righteousness and other benefits in Him.

It is obvious from the passage that Paul’s heart was glad to hear of the faith and love of these Christians in Ephesus. He was moved to pray to the Father to give them the Holy Spirit who will make them wise and reveal God to them so that they will know Him more. Having a theological or intellectual knowledge of Christ is not sufficient, the only way to know Christ more intimately and personally is in spending quality time with Him in prayers and studying the Bible with pure motive.

DISCUSSION TIME
1. Why is it important for believers to strike a balance between the wisdom of God (revelation of the Holy Spirit) and the wisdom of this world (intellectual ability)?

2. State some specific instances where you exhibited the wisdom of God in resolving personal issues.

B. Prayer for the Power of God. Ephesians 1:18-20
Paul’s prayer for the brethren in Corinth was in stages. Having thanked God for the faith and love of the Ephesian saints (v. 15), he prayed for them for wisdom and revelation. Particularly in verse 18, he prayed for the enlightenment to know the extent of God’s power. He said, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” Paul’s prayer in this verse is very important because through the eyes of the heart (spiritual revelation), believers will be able to understand the following:

▪︎ The hope of God’s calling.

▪︎ The riches of His glorious inheritance.

▪︎ The incredible greatness of His power for those who believe (v. 19).

Unfortunately, not many believers understand and appreciate the benefits in Christ. However, Paul emphasised that the power of God is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exercised when He raised Jesus from the dead and set Him above the universe.

Believers should know that the power God demonstrated when He raised Jesus from the dead is also at work in us. Therefore, we have immeasurable benefits we share in Christ’s incredible power, glory and riches as long as our “eyes” are enlightened. When believers’ eyes of understanding are opened, they have insights into God’s power, plans, thoughts and actions for us.

DISCUSSION TIME
1. Why is it important for believers to strike a balance between the wisdom of God (revelation of the Holy Spirit) and the wisdom of this world (intellectual ability)?

2. State some specific instances where you exhibited the wisdom of God in resolving personal issues.

C. God’s Exalted Power. Ephesians 1:20-23
As Paul concludes Chapter 1 of his prayer for the Ephesian church, he did not mince words in emphasising the power of God, which He exerted in Christ when He was raised from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. However, in the preceding verse, Paul described the power as the working of his might and strength (v.3), and thereafter assured them that Christ can make innumerable spiritual blessings available to those who believe. According to verse 21, Christ has dominion over all things whether living or non-living, whether in this age or in the age to come. He said in verse 22, “And God place all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Christ rules over everything in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:10). The passage summarises how the Father placed Christ over all things:

▪︎ He raised Him from the dead.

▪︎ He exalted Him at His own right hand.

▪︎ He set Him far above all principality, power, might and dominion.

▪︎ He made His name greater all names in this world and in the world to come.

▪︎ He put all things under His feet.

▪︎He gave Him the headship over the Church, which is His body.

The lesson is a reminder that Christ is the Head of the Church while the believers make up the body. It is therefore important that every believer work together to promote the Lord’s business while we are still on this earth. We should also be joyful and confident that God is omnipotent (allpowerful) and omniscient (all-knowing). His power is beyond what we could fully understand.

DISCUSSION TIME
1. If Christ is the Head of the Church, why are there differences in doctrines?

2. What can we individually and corporately do to ensure that the power of Christ is acknowledged by unbelievers?

Commitment: Make a personal commitment to God to grant you better understanding of Christian faith.

Fellowship and Ministry building Activity:
▪︎ Imagine Paul writing these words to you and your church. Give examples of how faith in Jesus Christ and love for others are hallmarks of your church. Share with someone and give thanks to God for the opportunity.

Prayer Points
1. Pray for the grace to shun the wisdom of this world and embrace the wisdom of God.

2. Pray that the eyes of your understanding be opened so that you can know all that God has planned for you.

3. Pray for the grace to trust in the power of Christ at all

Take Home: Write down three lessons you are taking home from today’s lesson:

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