RCCG Sunday School Student Manual 5 December 2021 – Lesson 15
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TOPIC: Spiritual Knowledge (Part 2) (RCCG Sunday School Student Manual 12 December 2021)
MEMORY VERSE: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” – John 5:39
Also Read: Open Heaven 12 December 2021 – Comply With The Word
BIBLE PASSAGE: Proverbs 2:1-11 (KJV) (RCCG Sunday School Student Manual 12 December 2021)
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
INTRODUCTION: In the first part of this topic, we learnt about the desire of every maturing Christian to know more about the mysteries of God. The mysteries of salvation, of the bride of Christ, of godliness, of future life and of the incarnation of Jesus Christ are not taught to babies. To know these mysteries and similar ones requires that one should know Christ intimately with the resultant effect that one will love Him more and glorify Him alone. In this second part of the topic and in the next part, we shall be studying on how to obtain spiritual knowledge in some details.
LESSON OUTLINES:
- SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
- SEEK AND STUDY THE TRUTH
1. SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
How can we know the mysteries of eternal life? Jesus Christ Himself gives a clue:
“Search the scriptures (Jn.5:39). Searching is indeed a way of obtaining spiritual knowledge since the scripture is the word of God (2 Tim.3:16). God has a purpose in causing His word to be put down in writing (Ps.68:11).
One of the reasons God caused His word to be written down is so that those who are desirous to know more about Him may search the scriptures and learn (Rom.15:4). One of the things they will learn as they search the scriptures is that God is a consuming fire (Heb.12:29) and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God (Heb.10:31). Consequently, they will learn to fear Him (Deut.17:19). This will lead them to the path of wisdom; since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. In other words, searching the scriptures will make one wise (2Tim. 3:15). With the wisdom obtained through spiritual means, one becomes well equipped to bear spiritual fruits (James 3:17) which are necessary for abiding in Christ. Abiding in Christ enables one to know Christ the more, and as we learnt last week, astray from the truth (Matt. 22:22).
2. SEEK AND STUDY THE TRUTH
A higher step than searching the scriptures is seeking after the truth. Searching may be done lightly, superficially, but seeking implies a very serious and determined search as if for a hidden treasure one is looking (Prov.2:3-5). Seeking surely brings good result. In fact, those seeking after spiritual knowledge cannot remain ignorant for long because the Bible says that only men of understanding ever do any serious seeking (Prov 15:14). Many men of faith consider faith to be enough, but the scriptures encourage even men of faith to seek knowledge too (2 Pet. 1:5). In fact, we are encouraged to spend not only our time but our money also in our quest for spiritual knowledge. We are to pay to obtain it if need be (Prov.23:23).The happiness it brings is priceless (Prov.3:13)
There is so much falsehood around the world today being paraded as truth (2 Cor 11:14), that even when you think that you have found the truth, it will be worth your while to study the truth in order to be sure it is divine truth. Studying the Scriptures is more than reading or searching it: it involves analysing it, comparing scriptures with scriptures, rightly dividing the word of truth. This may consume time but its reward is ‘divine approval (2 Tim.2:15). Also, the more you study the truth, the easier it will be for you to live holy (Ps.119:9) because souls are purified by obeying the truth (1 Pet.1:22).
CONCLUSION:
In the search for spiritual knowledge, we begin to see why others failed and learn their from errors (1Cor.10:11).
QUESTIONS:
- How is seeking different from searching?
- Why must we study the truth?
FURTHER READINGS:
Monday: Isaiah 34:1 (KJV)
Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
Tuesday: Acts 17:11 (KJV)
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Wednesday: Job 5:9 (KJV)
Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
Thursday: Job 11:7 (KJV)
Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
Friday: John 15:3 (KJV)
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Saturday: John 17:17 (KJV)
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Sunday: Proverbs 2:3 (KJV)
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
ASSIGNMENT: Students should identify five (5) dangers in not growing in the Word of God.
RCCG Sunday School HYMN
- O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Thy friendship suits me well,
Both young and old will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?
