C.A.C Sunday School Manual For August 4, 2024 : Lesson 28: Topic – THE MIRACLE-WORKING GRACE

2024 SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

UNIT 4: GOD GIVES POWER AND REVELATION GIFTS

THEME: SPIRITUAL POWER AND GIFTS FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST

LESSON Twenty-Eight

4th August, 2024

TOPIC: THE MIRACLE-WORKING GRACE

*MEMORY SCRIPTURE*

God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will (Hebrews 2:4).

Jesus is still working miracles among His people, and is still giving believers the gift of miracle working. Only sceptics assume that the gift no longer exists.

BRIEF COMMENT

God confirms the Gospel of Jesus Christ with miraculous signs and G wonders that accompany the preaching of the Gospel (cf. Acts 9:31-42; 14:1-20). These miracles highlight Christ’s power and grace, drawing more believers into the body of Christ. This gift is exemplified in the lives of the Apostles and Church fathers, like Apostle Ayo Babalola, Prophet Orekoya, and Prophet David O. Babajide. It accompanies genuine gospel preachers during evangelism, emphasising the essential role of miraculous signs and wonders in fostering belief (John 4:48). The primary purpose of this gift is to gather converts through evangelism for Christ, not for personal gain. It strengthens believers and guides unbelievers toward embracing the truth (Acts 2:22). The gift of working miracles attracts people to the gifted who must lead them to Christ, the Source of the miracles.

DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS

*Mon. July 29:* The Heavens Reveal God’s Miraculous deeds (Psa. 19:1-6)

*Tue. “30:* The Earth Is Miraculously Fashioned By God (Job 38:4-11)

*Wed. “31:* The Miraculous God Shakes Egypt (Psa. 78:44-51)

*Thur. Aug. 1:* The Miraculous God Never Changes (Heb. 13:8)

*Fri. 2:* Miracle Draws People To God (Jn. 11:38-45)

*Sat. 3:* Miracles Glorify Christ (Acts 19:20)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

1. The miraculous and wonderful God gives the gift of working of miracles to believers as He deems fit.

2. The miracle-working grace is good. However, when the gifted fails to strengthen believers and bring unbelievers to the saving knowledge of Christ via the gift, the gift has lost its essence.

*BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE:* Psalm 105:23-42; Mark 16:15-20

*AIM AND OBJECTIVES

*AIM:* To show the importance and usage of the miracle-working grace.

*OBJECTIVES:* By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

*i.* show that God is miraculous, and gives His people the grace to work miracles on His behalf; and

*ii.* differentiate between magic and miracle and show that magic can never be miracle.

INTRODUCTION

*TEXTUAL SOURCE: EXODUS 7:1FF; JOHN 11:38FF; ACTS 8:9FF; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:10,28,29; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:12*

May God be praised for assisting us in learning about the gifts of Healing and Deliverance. God never wants His people to be held captive by the devil or his minions, knowing fully well that the devil, our enemy, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for whom to devour. God desires to free the captives of the mighty; hence, the gift of deliverance power.

In today’s lesson, we shall be discussing another power gift: THE MIRACLE WORKING GRACE. The miraculous works of God started right from the beginning (the Creation of the heavens and earth). The Bible is filled with accounts of God’s miraculous works, which are also evident in the natural world we live in. Man is a miracle. How do you explain the creation of a living being from dust? The same God Who had done and still does all these things thought it appropriate to grant believers the ability to work miracles as one of His gifts. Moses was made a god to Pharaoh as a result of this gift (Exo. 7:1), and Jesus Himself is a Wonder (Isa. 9:6). His virgin birth was also a miracle. This same gift was present in the lives of our fathers of faith in Christ Apostolic Church, and is still readily evident today.

As we study this divine gift, may we experience beyond expectations the reality of this gift (miracle-working) in our midst, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

LESSON OUTLINE

*I.* POWERED BY THE MIRACLE-WORKING GOD

*II.* PERFORMS MIRACLES, NOT MAGIC LESSON EXPOSITION

*I. POWERED BY THE MIRACLE-WORKING GOD (Exo. 7:1; Jn. 11:38ff; 1 Cor. 12:10,28,29; 2 Cor. 12:12)

So the LORD said to Moses: “See, I have made you as god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet” (Exo. 7:1).

a) God is miraculous in His deeds (Psa. 104:30; 148:5). By means of His supernatural power, He created, shaped and beautify the earth from void and deformed earth as well as light from darkness (Gen. 1-2:2).

b) 1 Cor. 12:10,28,29: The Greek word for miracles in this context is dunameis (literally, “powers”) (cf. Acts 8:7, 13; 19:11, 12). It refers to a higher faculty that is more appropriately branded miraculous and is only given to selected people in the Church. as

c) Exo. 7:1: This gift was seen in Moses’ life as God made him as god to Pharaoh. The gift of working miracles is backed up by God. Of course, miracles don’t happen without clear instructions from God (vv. 8-10) that are obeyed (vv. 19-20; 8:5-8,16-17:9:8-10).

d) Jn. 11:38ff: Jesus is the perfect manifestation of this gift. See the miraculous He did in the raising of Lazarus.

e) 2 Cor. 12:12: Paul had this gift as one of the signs of an apostle. In Rom. 15:18, he used these miraculous gifts to further the gospel and bring the Gentiles to Christ (Heb. 2:4). Compare it with what obtains today.

f) The raisings of Dorcas (Acts 9:36ff) and Eutychus (20:7ff) definitely show this gift manifested, as do perhaps such exceptional cures as that of the life-long cripple at the Temple gate (3:1ff) and Aeneas of Lydda (9:32-35).

g) Some of the results of the manifestation of the miracle-working grace are that it strengthens the feeble-hearted believers, and unbelievers become aware of God’s power and come to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus.

*II. PERFORMS MIRACLES, NOT MAGIC (Exo. 7:8ff; Acts 8:9ff; 1 Cor. 12:28-29)*

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues (1 Cor 12:28).

a) 1 Cor. 12:28: God appoints those He gives this power gift. It is a gift esth apart from the gift of prophecy that can quickly make one popular, and the devil subtly uses it to easily destroy those who cannot manage it well because of pride.

b) v. 29: Not all are workers of miracles. It is not a gift for all. So, stop coveting it at all costs. Many have become magicians as a result of their use of means. Don’t be another Simon the Sorcerer who sought to buy the gift, obviously for selfish reasons, but met his Waterloo (Acts 8:20-24).

c) Acts 8:9ff: While magic is artificial and has a cost, miracles are genuine events. God performs miracles; the devil creates magic to imitate miracles. A duplicate of an original is never truly an original. A lot of people have turned to sorcerers because of their insatiable desire to become miracle-workers at all costs.

d) Exo. 7:8ff: The Egyptian magicians faked God’s miracles but succumbed to God’s superior power in the end (8:18-19). Miracles remain, but magic fades away soonest.

e) 9:11: No magic can withstand miracles. May God deliver His Church from charlatans using means to perform supposed miracles and deceive people away from Christ. May the genuine gift of miracles like in the early Church and in the days of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, Prophet Daniel Orekoya be restored in our midst.

f) Many people impatiently seek miracles and may confuse them with magic, even within the Church. Avoid this impatience, as the devil introduces deceptive practices, even in the Church. Steer clear of these deceitful schemes. Note: God still performs real miracles.

LESSONS DERIVED

1. God is the Source and power of miracles. Just follow His instructions and miracles will happen.

2. Miracles will always stand the test of time while magic will always fade away in the end. Don’t be deceived by charlatans in the Church today.

QUESTIONS

1. Explain the place of obedience as regards the working of miracles.

2. Differentiate between miracle and magic.

*SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

*ANSWER TO QUESTION 1*

* Refer to part Ic of the lesson exposition.

* Total obedience is required for anyone who wants to be gifted with this miracle-working grace.

* According to John 5:19-21, Jesus does what He saw the Father do. We must be ready to do what Jesus did (does), if we are going to experience the miraculous.

* Obeying God’s instructions will result in the manifestation of God’s miracles in our churches.

* Obeying the Great Commission would bring about God confirming His words with miraculous signs and wonders.

ANSWER TO QUESTION 2

* God perfor.n. niracies, while the devil creates magic to imitate miracles and deceive the unsuspecting to hell.

* Miracles remain, while magic fades away soonest because, miracles are real, while magic is fake.

* Miracles strengthen our faith in God while magic deceives. Miracles bring people to God, while magic turns people away from God.

* Magic cannot stand against miracles, just as Satan cannot withstand the Almighty God.

LIFE APPLICATION

The miraculous God is still performing miracles. In 1930, during a T meeting in Oke-Oye, Ilesa, Apostles Joseph Ayo Babalola brought a dead child back to life. The mother of the revived child, filled with joy, spread the news throughout Ilesa, and soon a large crowd from different religious backgrounds gathered to see the Apostles in Oke-Oye. Babalola used prayer bells and consecrated water for these miracles, leading to many conversions and a profound impact on the community. Within 3 weeks, he reportedly cured numerous lepers, visually impaired, and the lame. The revival also caused a shift in church attendance, with members of other churches transferring their allegiance to Babalola’s movement. Even patients from Wesley Hospital sought healing from him.

CONCLUSION

God be praised in perpetuity. This lesson came at a perfect time. It is important to note that God is miraculous; not everyone can perform miracles. However, God bestows this gift as He sees fit. Magic can never be equated with miracles. We must not be taken in by charlatans who have infiltrated the Church.