RCCG YAYA Sunday School Students Manual 17 November 2024 Lesson 12: Cultural Christianity
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TOPIC: Cultural Christianity (RCCG Sunday School Manual For Young Adults And Youths (YAYA)
MEMORY VERSE: “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” – Acts 11:26 (KJV).
BIBLE PASSAGE: Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV) (Scroll down for RCCG Sunday School 17 November 2024 HYMN)
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Also Read:
– RCCG Sunday School Teacher Manual 17 November 2024 – A Wholesome Christian Life
INTRODUCTION: The Christian faith is the experience of daily living in a dynamic and new personal relationship with God (Romans 10:9-10; John 1:11-13). The very term “Christian” was coined in the city of Antioch as a way to identify the first followers of Christ (Acts 11:26). The first disciples were so much like Jesus that they were called little Christs by their detractors. It is unfortunate that nowadays, some people have made Christianity represent an ideology or a social class rather than a lifestyle of obedience to God. Today, there are two shades of Christianity: Cultural Christianity and Biblical Christianity.
LESSON OUTLINES:
- Cultural Christianity Described
- Identification Marks.
1. CULTURAL CHRISTIANITY DESCRIBED
Cultural Christians are nominal believers who superficially identify themselves as “Christians” but do not truly adhere to the tenets of the Christian faith (Matthew 15:8). They wear the label “Christian” without personal conviction that Jesus is Lord (2 Timothy 3:5).
Cultural Christianity is more social than spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). A cultural Christian identifies with certain aspects of Christianity, such as the good works of Jesus (John 6:26-27), but rejects the spiritual aspects required to be a biblically defined Christian (Romans 8:5). Some people consider themselves Christians because of family background, charity giving, place of residence, Christian name or title, churchgoing or social environment. Others identify as Christians as a way of declaring a religious affiliation. Cultural Christianity is not true Christianity. There was no such thing as cultural Christianity in the days of the early church.
CLASS ACTIVITY 1: According to the text of the lesson (Mathew 7:21-23) what will be Jesus’ justification for labelling some ‘‘Christians’’ workers of iniquity on the last day?
2. IDENTIFICATION MARKS
The following are some identifying marks of cultural Christians:
- They deny the inspiration of Scripture or parts of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).
- They ignore or downplay true repentance as the first step toward knowing God (Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:38).
- They focus on Jesus’ love and acceptance to the exclusion of His teaching on hell, obedience, and self-sacrifice (Mark 9:43; Luke 12:5).
- They tolerate or even celebrate ongoing sin while claiming to know God (1 Corinthians 5:1-2).
- They redefine scriptural truths to accommodate culture (Numbers 23:19).
- Claiming God’s promises while ignoring the requirements included with them (Psalm 50:16).
- They deny or minimise Jesus’ claim that He is the only way to God (John 14:6).
- They perform enough religious activity to gain a sense of well-being without a true devotion to Jesus (Romans 8:9).
- They see protection and blessing as goals to be achieved, rather than by-products of a love relationship with God (Mark 12:30).
- They are lukewarm and choose the church to attend based on any or all of the above (Revelation 3:15-17).
CLASS ACTIVITY 2: Students should examine themselves in the face of the aforementioned identification marks, and share with the class, the biblically acceptable option they would embrace going forward.
CONCLUSION: Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23 should be a wake-up call to cultural Christians.
QUESTIONS:
- Describe cultural Christians in two sentences.
- Mention four ways to identify a cultural Christian.
FURTHER READING:
Sunday: 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (KJV)
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
Monday: Revelation 3:15-17 (KJV)
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Tuesday: John 3:15-18 (KJV)
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Wednesday: John 1:11-13 (KJV)
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Thursday: 1 John 3:9-10 (KJV)
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Friday: Deuteronomy 11:13-17 (KJV)
13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. 16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; 17 And then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.
Saturday: Galatians 5:16-17 (KJV)
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
ASSIGNMENT: Write five (5) differences between a true Christian and a cultural Christian. (2X5=10 Marks).
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 friend friendship suits me well,
Both young and 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 be 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?
