C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON December 2, 2018. UNIT III: MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, LESSON TEN: TOPIC – OVERCOMING SLAVERY WITH CHRIST’S LOVE.

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C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON December 2, 2018. UNIT III: MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, LESSON TEN: TOPIC – OVERCOMING SLAVERY WITH CHRIST’S LOVE.
C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
UNIT III: MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
December 2, 2018.
LESSON TEN:
OVERCOMING SLAVERY WITH CHRIST’S LOVE.

PART II.
PRACTICAL RESPONSE FROM SOME CHURCHES (Acts 11:19-30).
J.E. Adams tried to explain responsibility and he said, it is respond ability. That is, the ability to respond, or react to the situation on ground, or to any stimulus. We are true image-makers for God when we positively respond to His moves and revelations. For instance, Daniel could read the finger of his God even in far away Babylon. The Hebrew girl responsibly responded to God when He wanted to express His love to Naaman. Are you ready? Don’t let God down.
A. LOVE TOOK THEM TO THE GENTILES (vv. 19-21)
Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only (v. 19).
i. The Gospel of salvation and redemption brought unto the world by the Lord Jesus Christ was for the entire world. Yet, long after He had gone, only the Jews were still being reached by the gospel.
ii. Many of the disciples never fully understood the differences between Judaism and the new live, brought to mankind, by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, and the universality of God’s love. The Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15,16) was not fully understood. The events of Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:20-40) and Peter in Caesarea (Acts 10:1ff) did not affect the spiritually myopic and culturally enslaved religionists.
iii. Acts 11:20. Some persecuted brethren who were natives of Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch — a gentiles land and “spoke to the Hellenists (Grecians, Gentiles) preaching the Lord Jesus”
iv. The responsibility of man is to preach the gospel. It is God that works mightily in the hearts of the people whose harvest are ripe and are being supervised by God. Do we preach in love today, or lifelessly like Jonah? Brethren who might not have Jews preached to the Gentiles and the grace of God plus the faith on the people facilitated the conversion.
v. Love motivated them to preach and the people gladly received the Word (Jesus Christ) and were saved. Jesus Christ is the greatest gift that God has given and must be share by those who receive it.
vi. Love of God manifested in Christ must be shared without discrimination and when people are converted, we are one before God (Gal. 3:26-28).
vii.How do we say we love when we don’t demonstrate it and still go ahead discriminating and prejudicing against some people, seeing them as slaves, outcasts who can’t share in the love of God. That is a demonstration of how narrow-minded and parochial we are. Christians all over the world who still believe in slavery, racism, tribalism, and schism are seriously guilty here.
B. LOVE MOTIVATED THEIR ACTIONS (vv. 22-30)
Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go as far as Antioch (v. 22).
i. A Church (local congregation) had now been established in Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:19-21). A look at the names of the leaders shows Jews and Gentiles converts being leaders. No slavery.
ii. The Headquarters Church in Jerusalem heard about the news of the Holy Spirit’s move and immediately sent an experienced, tested and trusted disciple to go and see them — Love In Action. Consider the activities of the man called Barnabas (Acts 9:26,27; 11:24) and you would see his stuff. How do we react to news of glorious events from other assemblies?
iii. Barnabas (son of consolation/comfort) came, watched, ministered and eventually counselled them (11:23). He understood their strength, went away and later brought one with a gift different from his to strengthen the Church — Love in Action (Acts 11:25,26). Imagine the impact of the fellowship on all of them — The church and the visitors. No discrimination; no enslavement!
vi. Not too long, the younger Church in Antioch also became responsible and were able to share God’s love, material gifts, with other brethren, event in older Church (11:27-30).
v. Later, the Church became the Missionary Headquarters of the Apostolic works of missions, for the Jews and the Gentiles — Saul and Barnabas, being the first of missionaries. They were motivated by the love of God to go to the whole World.
vi. The church of God today must resolve to do everything within her reach in the spirit of love and justice to help quench the fire of human trafficking, modern human slavery, terrorism and all sort of abuse, carried out against humanity.
LESSON DERIVED
1. Love for God and the unreached people should take us beyond our boundaries — language, culture and tribe. After all, Jesus came and died for all.
2. The Church of God is a “going” (to the world) and “sharing” one. We received God’s grace and gifts which are not to be hoarded but shared with all men.
QUESTIONS
1. Man is usually narrow-minded. How can we avoid making out culture and our denominational peculiarities more important than the gospel (Acts 15:1,2; 18-20, 24-29)?
2. Giving and sharing are to be practiced by Christians and indeed, by the local assembly (to believer and non-believers) Discuss.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1
Yes that is ma` he is narrow-minded. Only few are on the opposite, that is, who are broad-minded or large-hearted.
What is the meaning of narrow-mindedness? It means to be partial, biased, to be filled with sentiment and selfish tendencies. Other words that can go for narrow-mindedness are prejudice, intolerance, parochial ism, pig-head, etc. We can avoid our narrow-mindedness that makes us place highest value on our own things more than the things of others (our denomination, language, tribe, colour, culture, etc) as we jettison selfish tendencies and became broad-minded.
Be a global Christian. Learn to prefer others to yourself (Romans 12:10). Be a missionary not reactionary.
We have to allow the gospel, which is love in truth and practice in all our undertakings. It must supersede our cultural practices and denominational affiliations or inclinations.
Receive the heart of God, which is overlaid with the golden love of Christ.
We should realise that we are not citizens here, our commonwealth is in heaven. Therefore, we must desire to go back home (Phil. 3:20,21).
Above all, endeavours to demonstrate love in action not in word.
ANSWER TO QUESTION 2
Refer to Division 2 B (iv).
The church is the house of God and God is the greatest giver. So the house of God is a house of givers. The implication is, anyone who is a member of that house is a giver.
No wonder the incredible distribution that took place in the early church and the attitude of some churches in the new testament to giving and sharing (Acts 4:32-37).
The Antioch church gave generously and likewise the Macedonia church. The church can’t stop giving food to the hungry, life to the lifeless, hope to the hopeless, sight to the blind, Good news to mourners, love to the outcast and down-trodden.
The church must give assistance to all that need it — believers and believers alike. Doing so we should win the whole world to God.
Every local assembly must realize this and endeavours not to shun it, it is God’s will and purpose for His body – He is a giver par excellent.
To stop giving as a local church, is to paralyze a part of the body of Christ. Just as a fruit tree loves producing fruits for everyone to eat, so also the church must be readily available to give and share with people, not its members alone but the entire world.
We need to ask for the grace and provision to do this more effectively and passionately as a church. The leadership of the local assembly must be ready to cooperate with God in this bid.
LIFE APPLICATION
The missionary God has always shown us throughout the history of human race that he is not sentimental, or sectional. For instance, He made His Son, Jesus Christ, to seek asylum, in Egypt, why should Egypt be the place of refuge for God’s son, if not for His love to bring everyone into the commonwealth? He brought in some women we consider outcast into his own lineage: the likes of Rahab, Ruth, etc. He allowed his people to be exiled in lands where ordinarily and traditionally, they wouldn’t have gone, if they were given options. Why? To show forth his GLORIOUS praise and AMAZING love to the end of the earth. We need to sharpen our missionary instinct and allow the word and love of God to permeate our hearts for other people and the entire world. Be a global Christian and say no to sentiment, prejudice and all hate tendencies.
CONCLUSION
We have come to the end of the tenth lesson of this love series of the Sunday School. We thank the Lord who has opened our eyes to His divine agenda for humanity. We have been able to see that God has a glorious agenda of love for the entire human race not for just a section, or group of people but for all. We have seen how He used the likes of Peter and some churches, who cooperated with Him to defeat the monster of slavery and spiritual domination among His people. It is believed as God’s people, henceforth, we will cooperate with God to spread his love-centered gospel to every nook and cranny of the earth without giving recourse to any such things as tribalism, schism, prejudice, racism, etc. May the Holy Spirit assist us as we resolve to do all these to the glory of God and benefits of mankind. Amen.
READING ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE SECOND WEEK
Mon. Nov. 26: The True and Other Gospel (Acts 15:1)
Tue. Nov. 27: Barnabas and Saul Challenged Enslavement (Acts 15:2)
Wed. Nov. 28: The Gentiles’ Conversion Reported (Acts 15:3,4)
Thur. Nov. 29: Pharisees Version of the Gospel (Acts 15:5)
Fri. Nov. 30: The Great Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:6-17)
Sat. Dec. 1: The Verdict: No Spiritual Domination (Acts 15:18-22)
C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON December 2, 2018. UNIT III: MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, LESSON TEN: TOPIC – OVERCOMING SLAVERY WITH CHRIST’S LOVE. C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON December 2, 2018. UNIT III: MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, LESSON TEN: TOPIC – OVERCOMING SLAVERY WITH CHRIST’S LOVE. Reviewed by Muyiwa Abodunrin (Muyilight) on December 02, 2018 Rating: 5

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