CGMI ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL DATE: SUNDAY 21ST JULY, 2024 | Topic: LIVING THE LIFE OF FAITH ( Part 1 )
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CGMI ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL
CENTRAL THOUGHT: The believer is expected to live a life of faith.
DATE: SUNDAY 21ST JULY, 2024
HYMN: S. S & S 642. When we walk with the Lord
TOPIC: LIVING THE LIFE OF FAITH ( Part 1 )
TEXT: Heb 2:4; 11:1- 6; Rom. 10:17.
INTRODUCTION:
“….Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see….”( Heb 11:1 , NIV ). Living by faith is the opposite of living by sight.
Walking by the world’s wisdom involves basing are words, action and lives on information gathered by the physical senses. ….what we see, hear, touch and comprehend with our minds. In other words we believe only what we find physical evidence for and base our lives on such information. In contrast, living by faith is based on an inward sureness and certainty of things not due to physical evidence but our confidence in God’s word.
Life application Bible comments that “the beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character He is who He says and the end point is believing in God’s promises. He will do what he says. When we believe that God will fulfill his promises even when we don’t see those promises materializing yet we demonstrate true faith”.
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
- To understand what living by faith means.
- Appreciate how faith comes.
- Understand what the scripture means by ” The righteous shall live by his faith”.
BIBLE TRUTH:
Q1. HOW DID THE LIVES OF THE FOLLOWING DEMONSTRATE LIVING BY FAITH?
(a) Abraham ( Genesis 12:1-9 )
Abraham lived in Ur of the chaddeans, a great center of trade and commerce in his time. He was called to give up his country and livelihood and go to a land that God will show him . He had no idea of what the land would look like, he had never been there! But he trusted God and obeyed . Abraham’s life was not stressless despite the call. Twenty five years of childlessness is enough to destroy the faith of many but Abraham persevered and in the end, he indeed is a father of many nations.
Like Abraham God’s call upon our lives may involve giving up on our secure lives, jobs , plans, etc. for what we may not have full details of. Are we willing to give up what we are used to , break away from the control/strings of our families and secure terrains to embrace what God calls us to, and this without physical evidence or details of what it involves? This is living by faith.
(b ) Joseph ( Gen 50: 20 – 26)
Joseph had a dream early in his life which he declared to his parents and brothers. Despite betrayal by his brothers and life as a slave in Egypt Joseph maintained a closed walk with God and refuse to sin against Him. Joseph faith in God shaped his words and actions despite the adverse and contradicting circumstances he found himself in. Eventually, he became Prime Minister of Egypt, where the Isrealites settled and flourished. Before his death , he made the sons of Isreal swear an oath to carry his bones out of Egypt and back to Canaan.
This was based on his faith in God’s promise to his great grandfather Abraham hundreds of years earlier ( Gen 15: 12- 16 ). This looked very unlikely at that time since Isreal was welcome in Egypt and in favour with King Pharaoh. But Joseph had faith in God’s word and was not deceived by circumstances and made plans for his bones by faith!
( c ) Heroes of faith. Heb 11
The Old Testament is full of stories of men and women who experienced great victories because of their exercise of faith in God …….. Joshua and Deborah…… Daniel was saved from the mouth of lions …… Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego were delivered from the fiery furnace . In contrast, others were maltreated and tortured and many were killed and no miraculous deliverances occurred. John the Baptist was beheaded just to please a young girl who impressed a king with her dance. The challenges we face differ as does God’s plans and purposes for our lives.
What matters is for us to ensure that whatever we face , our thoughts, words and action spring from our inward faith in God’s word we can leave the rest to His Sovereignty.
Q2 HOW DOES FAITH COME? ( Joshua 1:8, Rom. 10:17; Col. 3:16 ).
Faith comes by “hearing” the word of God. This implies the preaching and teaching of the word of God rather than motivation, thoughts and philosophies of men. To “hear” the word of God goes beyond mere mental comprehension of what it says . We hear the word, when the Holy Spirit reveals the reality, the meaning, the implication and it’s relevance to our situation, to our spirit man . It is the inward knowledge that gives us a certainty and makes us sure of the reliability of God’s word and moves us to be willing to obey or act on it . Growing in faith comes from a daily study of God’s word with a sincere hunger and thirst for the revelation of His word and willingness to obey. As we study the word , God reveals Himself and His plans for specific areas of our lives to us.
As we grow in our understanding and faith in God’s character and ways we are more willing to base our hopes, expectations, plans and lives on His revealed word. This is living by faith in the contrast to acting based on our circumstances.
Q3. WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE MEAN BY “THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH? ( Heb 2:4 )
For some Christians , their actions are based on circumstances, tradition, the expectation of those around them and the desire to conform to what others are doing and avoid friction.
God designed that the life of the righteous should spring from their faith in Him. He expects that our desires, expectations for the future, plans and actions should be based on God’s word. Note the phrase “his faith”. There is a limit to how much we can rely on the faith of others in the spiritual life. The individual’s experience of God..
Hs power, provision, guidance, protection is a function of the “measure of faith” the righteous exercise in God’s Word. You can not experience God beyond the areas you exercise faith in Him.
Many of us live by faith in ourselves, our families, our positions or status, our salaries or earnings and not in what is written in God’s word concerning us. For example, God’s word says He will supply our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Do you find it easy believing God to supply a need that is above your income? We measure ourselves by the world’s standards and forget our true identity which is that , we are God’s children. The Father expects us to base all our actions on our faith in Him. This alone pleases Him.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION:.
God is only pleased when we consciously live by faith in every area of life. A life of faith does not come by chance. It springs from a close walk with God including continual revelation of God’s word. Of course, God will not reveal His word to just anybody. We must be devoted to Him and sincerely hunger for His word realizing that it is the only way we can become what He designed us to be. Then we must act on the word , obey it , base our plans and actions on it. That way we will please God and receive His commendation.
MEMORY VERSE:
Heb. 2:4b( NIV )
The righteous shall live by his faith”.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
MON: Abraham lived by faith. Gen 12:1-9
TUE: Joseph lived by faith. Gen 50: 22-26.
WED: Faith subdued kingdoms. Heb. 11:32 – 34.
THUR: Women exercised faith. Heb. 11:35.
FRI: Other heroes of faith. Heb 11: 36 – 38.
SAT: The righteous shall live by his faith. Heb 2:4.
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