Central thought: Believers must maintain the Christian values in our changing world.
Hymn: Onward Christian Soldiers Marching as to war
Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Jude 3-4, 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15, Galatians 1:6-9
Introduction: The society is dynamic and as a result, some things that were considered immoral before are now viewed as moral. For the sake of the salvation of our nation, and in the world in general and for the posterity (the generations yet born) to which we owe a duty, the church of today must uphold the unchanging Gospel of Christ in the midst of this dynamic society. Today, there is conflict and confusion in the world filled with wrong values and the Christian must dare to be different in this world of rapidly changing values. We are in the world but not of the world (John 17:16). Christian values are not for the church alone but that the world may see Christ through us.
Lesson objectives: To discuss some aspects of our unchanging world in relation to scripture.
Question 1.) Discuss the following and relate them to the scriptures.
A.) Doctrine of Holiness and Sanctification- Psalm 96:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, Hebrews 12:14
Holiness is living above sin, a life of dedication to God, while sanctification is being set apart for God’s use. God has enjoined us to be holy as he is holy. (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:15-16) i.e. Becoming like God in purity.
Both are daily demands in our walk with the Lord. It means consciously living above sin, having been empowered by Christ to do so. Today, the cliché “it does not matter” is a common phrase among some Christians. The doctrine of holiness was laid down by God himself, therefore it is not an optional thing. Holiness has been relegated to the background by some believers by their life style under the guise of grace. It is not unusual to see Christians who practice holiness to be mocked and given names. This is contrary to scriptures (Psalms 96:9). God is to be worshipped in holiness since He called us unto holiness and not uncleanness. (1 Thessalonians 4:7). This issue of holiness is very vital and a major criterion to see Him. Hebrew 12:14… without holiness it is impossible to see God. If one is not living right (holy), he/she is not likely to be set apart for God’s use, no matter what the present world is trying to make us believe.
B.) Christian Integrity Proverbs 11:3, Genesis 39:4, 22, 23
Integrity has to do with a consistent character and attitude in words and action. Christian integrity is strictly, steadfastly adhering to scriptural principles. It is being pure. Christian integrity in some settings today it is a thing of the past. It is said by some that integrity is no more profitable, but this is a lie. It is a laid down truth that the integrity of the righteous shall guide them. A person of integrity remains the same whether in private or in public. Joseph is an example of someone who had integrity. Even in the absence of Potiphar and the prison keeper, he did what was right. It is unfortunate the today, some believers cannot be trusted especially with money, power and fame. Integrity is necessary for a person to become trustworthy. Believers should not compromise and betray the trust reposed in them. Whoever walks in integrity walks securely (Proverbs 10:9).
C.) Bribery and Corruption Ecclesiastes 7:7, Exodus 23:6-8, Deuteronomy 16:19, 20.
“Thou shall not wrest judgement, thou shall not respect persons, neither take a gift, for the gift doth blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the righteous” “That which is altogether just shall thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” Deuteronomy 16:19-20. Corruption is a vice or situation when an individual uses his/her position of trust for dishonest gain. Bribery is illegal payment to a persons in official positions as a means of influencing their decision. Corruption is not practiced by unbelievers alone. Some believers are also guilty of these practices, and it ought not to be so.
In some ways churches have encouraged corrupt persons by making them sit on exalted seats in the congregation because of the huge donations they are expected to make; this is a wrong practice. Some Christians give bribes to get themselves out of difficult situations. Had Apostle Paul done the same, Noble Felix would have set him free but he chose to suffer affliction for Christs sake (Acts 24:26); this is the right thing to do. Christian conduct should be above board and free of any bias.
D.) Ministerial calling and economic consideration 2 Timothy 4:10, 1 Timothy 6:10, 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
From the great commission, the Lord Jesus laid down a principle of “freely you received freely you give” Matthew 10:8. Also, the disciples were admonished to carry no extra belonging because God, was their sufficiency (Matthew 10:9-11). The call of God is personal and for a purpose. Moses, Joshua, the prophets and the New Testament disciples and Apostle Paul, are all examples of men that heeded the call of God. Their engagement in the ministry was because of the call of God upon their lives and not for pecuniary selfish reasons. Therefore leadership in the work of God should be based on spiritual endowment and calling, and not on the basis of tribe/race, family alignment or other extraneous connections. The church and its advertisements should point men to Christ, who is the Lord of the church.
E.) Use of tongue. James 1:26, 3:5, 6, Proverbs 12:18, 15:47, 18:21, 21:23
Talking is part of our daily life, but we do not need to talk all the time. There is also a time to be silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Words have the power to heal and to hurt. The Christian value is that when somebody says something offensive, we should respond with gracious words. The tongue is a small member of the body but capable of igniting great fire. For us believers, our tongue out to be health and a tree of life. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and whosever keeps his mouth keeps his soul from trouble; enough of negative, frivolous and aimless talking that are allowed in comedial presentation at Christian functions and gatherings. We must also discourage the use of certain worldly unprintable expressions that have crept into Christian vocabulary. Our mouths must speak what we believe, give life a place and not death etc. Choose the right words to speak at the right time (Proverbs 25:11).
F.) Evangelism and soul winning. Mark 16:15-16, 2 Corinthians 5:17-23
Evangelization is the major task that Christ left for His disciples and followers. This is paramount to the heart of God. It is the act of preaching the gospel/telling others of the love of God with the aim of getting them saved. This ministry of reconciliation is largely abandoned today in-favor of funfair, entertainment, and indoor activities. Most churches do not organize open air crusades, even when some do, the day is dedicated to fun fair and entertainment, and little or nothing of the gospel of salvation is preached, which defeats the whole purpose of the gathering. It is not uncommon to find comedians and musicians taking center stage and the message of Christ and His saving grace marginally mentioned. Jesus’ command to the church is to go and preach the gospel to the world. This mandate remains fresh even for today’s believer.
G.) The second coming of Christ and final judgement: Matthew 24:24- 31
In recent times, there is a shift of emphasis from the second coming of Christ and final judgement to more mundane things. Emphasis is now on the individual’s physical wellbeing and prosperity here on earth. Before now, Christians had all their focus on the kingdom of God, the second coming and their message was so centered. The reverse is the case today. In some congregations, nothing or very little is said about preparing for Jesus’ return. The word of God stands sure; Jesus is coming again. However, we do not know the time except God the Father (Matthew 24:26); One thing we know is that, the signs of Jesus’s second coming are being fulfilled and it is obvious that the time is winding up. No believer should be ignorant of this fact. The important question we must ask is, are we ready? Beyond a congregational awareness and preparation, the individual must as never before take heed to him/her self to make his/her election sure. The believer must live every minute, before the coming of the Lord Jesus.
H.) Existence of Heaven and hell.
Over the generations, different heretical teachings have emerged at various times, persuading men to think God is too loving to cast anyone into the lake of fire, and others have interpreted the meaning of hell to be just grave. We must understand that the Bible referred to hell and the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15, 21:8). Heaven has been erroneously said to mean, affording the luxury of this earth. Some sect also claim that they will inherit the earth. It is instructive to note that the Bible declares that “this earth and the heaven will pass away, and shall be melted with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10-14). Scripture is clear that as earth is real, so is heaven. Heaven is a place and not a concept (John 14:2-3, Acts 1:9-11). Heaven is the throne of God, the abode of God and the eternal home of all believers. Hell is the place reserved for the devil and all who lived and died without Christ (Matthew 25:4). This is the truth of the word of God.
I.) Virtue of Love and Patience. Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:29
It was love that bounded the early church to the extent that none lacked among them; those that were more endowed, had everything in common with others. They even sold their land and gave the proceeds (Acts 2:44-47). Only Jesus’ love could do that in man. Over the decades, this virtue is gradually waning because of messages that make everyone a suspected enemy. In our today’s church, it becomes difficult for brethren to trust one another. It is the consciousness of the enemy that has greatly eroded the love of Christ in the church. We are one big family In Christ and we should treat ourselves as such, putting outside all prejudice. Jesus said, that by this (love) shall all men know that you are my disciples (John 13:35).
We should obey our Lord’s command “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), and even that we love our enemies, pray for them (Matthew 5:43-44), and give them food when they are hungry (Romans 12:20, Proverbs 25:21).
Patience is another Godly virtue that is eroding gradually today. Many scriptures abound where God instructed us to wait on Him. The waiting period is not always easy and the duration varies from one believer to another. The duration of time an individual is to wait is not stated, but in waiting an individual has to be patient. The word patience has been defined as: being content to wait, not losing one’s temper while waiting. Job understood this principle when he said “for all the days of my appointed time will I wait until my change come” (Job 14:14). He that believeth shall not make haste (Isaiah 28:16). This generation like never before, is full of young persons who are in a hurry to make it and so do not mind whatever it takes them to make it. The Bible says do not make haste to be rich (Proverbs 28:20-22). There is virtue in waiting and lessons to be learnt for every waiting period. Believers must be careful to teach the younger generation this great value of patience. In various ways we all need this virtue, e.g. being patient to receive answers to prayers and patience is required to effectively disciple the young convert. A lot of patience is required to see God’s word come to pass in our lives. Some believers out of haste have rushed out of God’s plan at the nick of time and at the verge of their breakthroughs. Our prater is that God grant us the patience to wait on Him. Amen.
J.) Humility and forgiveness. James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5-6, Mark 11:25-26.
Humility is the example that Jesus left for the church to emulate. We must follow the example that Jesus laid down for us (Philippians 2:4-9). There is a general belief that when an individual is humble, he is taken for granted but this is not correct. Some Christian leaders have made themselves mini gods and are so elevated by the church system that even their members find it difficult to have access to them. The Lord Jesus washed the feet, cleansed, and commanded the disciples to continue in the same manner (John 13:4-16). It appears there was no “remarkable distinction” between Jesus and the disciples hence the Jews needed Judas to identify Jesus with a hypocritical kiss (Mark 14:43-44, Matthew 26:47-48, Luke 22:47-48). Our leaders must follow the Master’s example and break down the walls of hierarchy they have erected between them and the flock that God has put under them. Humility for the leader involves showing example to the congregation, and the members are to be careful not to take the humility for granted. We should be careful the way we introduce our leaders/preachers because introducing such with much encomium could stir up pride in the individual. Some leaders arrogantly walk with glamour and galore into a service with so much distraction and in some cases, whatsoever was going on, is stopped even if the word is being preached just to pour encomium on the “man of God” as they welcome him. This calls for repentance from both the pulpit and the pew. 1 Peter 5:5 should be every believers watch word.
In the Old Testament Moses preached retaliation, “Life for life, eye for eye, and tooth for tooth”. Exodus 21:23-25. In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus preached forgiveness until seventy times seven (i.e. there is nothing that should not be forgiven) Forgive and do not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26). In the church today, people keep malice and bear grudges; living in unforgiveness. Jesus sounded a clear warning that, if we do not forgive, our heavenly father will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15); our prayers will also be hindered (Mark 11:25). We do not forgive because the person who wronged us begged our forgiveness, or is entitled to be forgiven. We forgive because it is a command which is not predicated on any condition of the offender asking for our forgiveness. We must let go because unresolved anger creates hurt, bitterness and depression. Forgiveness is the readiness/willingness to forgive and let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. To forgive is to pardon, to wave any negative feeling for someone because of the hurt they caused. It includes the ability to restore the relationship to the state it was before the strain. Today, some believers treat offenders as enemies and even wish them death; this ought not to be so.
K.) Premarital sex and pregnancy before marriage. Hebrews 13:4
Some youths engage in premarital sex because of lust, submission to societal/customary beliefs. Premarital sex and pregnancy outside marriage is clearly against scriptural teachings. Many have been lured into this immoral lifestyle. Hebrews 13:4 says the marriage bed must be kept pure. God will judge all sexual immorality. Chastity and purity in our churches should be upheld. Virginity is not a thing of the past. Let our young ones be encouraged to wait patiently.
L.) Same sex relationship/Marriage. Romans 1:22-24, 6-32
The marriage institution is ordained by God, as a union between a male and a female to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:3-19; 1 Corinthians 7:2). This definition has been abused by the world to mean union of two consenting adults agreeing to live as husband and wife; either as male to male (gay or homosexuals) or female to female (lesbians). In Leviticus 18: 22-25, God condemned such acts, and regards them as abomination (Leviticus 20:13); those who commit such are worthy of death (Romans 1:26-32). Believers must stand up everywhere to resist this satanic practice and it should never be embraced. The class should mention others.
Daily Living Application
If governments of this world can because of the health of their citizens set up agencies to regulate the production of foods, water and drugs, and these agencies in spite of intense pressure and attacks stand their grounds against faking and counterfeiting, the church must not do anything less. The purity and completeness of the Gospel must be preserved and upheld and we must be relevant and deliver souls from eternal destruction.
Memory Verse
Hebrews 12:28, 29
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve god acceptably with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire”.
Daily Devotional Guide
Monday: Uphold Christian Integrity
Genesis 39:4, 22-23, Proverbs 10:9, 11:3
Tuesday: Eschew bribery and corruption
Exodus 23:6-8, Deuteronomy 16:19, 20, Ecclesiastes 7:7
Wednesday: Uphold the purpose of the call to ministry
1 Corinthians 4:1, 2; 1 Timothy 6:10, 2 Timothy 4:10
Thursday: Utter gracious words with your tongue
Proverbs 12:18, 15:47, 18:21, 21:23. 25:11, James 3:5, 6
Friday: Evangelism, the supreme task
Mark 16:15-16, 2 Corinthians 5:17-23
Saturday: Uphold the virtue of love and patience
Matthew 5:43-44, 22:29, Proverbs 25:21, 28:20-22, Romans 12:20