Church of God Mission International – CGMI – ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL – Topic: UNDERSTANDING DIVINE PLACEMENT 24 July 2022
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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL
DATE: SUNDAY JULY 24th, 2022
TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING DIVINE PLACEMENT
TEXT: Genesis 2: 7-8; 1 Sam 2: 27-28; Psalm 75:6-7; ROM 13:1
CENTRAL THOUGHT: The gifts and calling of God are without repentance
HYMN: S, S & S 201, “Spirit Divine! Attend our Prayers”
INTRODUCTION:
Divine placement is a statement of fact that all things are where they are by
the special act of God, and they are devoid of accident or functional error, therefore, are intentionally placed by God. God has no favourites; He has
equal love for all His people. No preference for any person or category of persons. He is a good God. Where ever He positions any of His people, is
for their total wellbeing. When this is well understood, there will be less competition, comparison, and envy among believers.
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
To know:
- what is divine placement;
- how we, as believers, are expected to treat our calling/positioning;
- the dangers of not fulfilling God’s purpose where He placed us; and
- the benefits of fulfilling God’s purpose where ever He places us.
BIBLE TRUTH:
Q1(b). READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTUREs AND INDICATE INSTANCES OF DIVINE PLACEMENT.
(i). ESTHER: (Esther 1: 10-12, 15-21;2:15-17).
This is an account of Esther, a Jewish orphan girl, who was carried into exile when the Persian Empire invaded
Jerusalem. In the process of time, the incumbent Queen of Persian empire was accused of dishonouring the King, she was found guilty and was deposed
and banished. Esther was chosen to be the new Queen of Persian Empire.
Later on Haaman became envious of the
Jews and hatched a plot to eliminate all the Jewish people in the Empire, and cunningly made the King to endorse a written law to that effect. Before the King’s order was carried out, it came to
the knowledge of Esther’s cousin
(Mordecai) who was a guard in the King’s palace. He then informed the Queen about the pending doom that was to befall the Jews in the land. Queen Esther, in her capacity as the wife of the King, pleaded with the King to spare her life and her people, and the king acceded her
request and Haaman was executed while all the Jews were saved from his evil plan. We see the position of Queen
Esther as a divine placement for the purpose of averting the calamity that was to befall the Jewish nationals in the land of Persia.
Also Read:Open Heaven 24 July 2022 Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – VISA TO HEAVEN
(ii) ADAM: (Genesis 2:7-8)
Adam was the first man created by God on earth. The Lord formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the
man became a living soul. God then planted a garden and physically positioned Adam in the garden to dress it. We see divine placement because Adam had no idea of the existence of a
garden anywhere, until God placed him in the garden of Eden to dress it.
(iii) SAUL: (1Sam. 9: 15-17)
God Himself was the one who decided to place Saul in the exalted position of the King of Israel.Even the Seer (Prophet
Samuel) was not aware of God’s plan until God instructed him to install Saul as King of Israel. It was not Saul’s expectation to be king; when it was revealed to him, he saw both his tribe and family as not qualified to produce a king how much more, he becoming the king of Israel. Saul said: Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? So, Saul’s kingship was a divine placement. But for God, Saul’s tribe was not in any
way qualified to aspire for the position, not to talk of his own family that was the smallest family in their tribe.
(iv) DAVID: (1Sam. 16: 1, 6-13)
When God rejected Saul as the king of lsrael, He again directed Prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse, from where He had decided to raise another King in
the place of Saul, for Israel. When Samuel arrived, Jesse called out all his sons-lanky and vibrant men, but none of them was chosen by God. David, who
was eventually anointed king, was in his duty post attending to his fathers’ sheep. It was not until Samuel asked Jesse if those were all his children that he
remembered David, the shepherd boy, who was still out in the bush with the sheep. Samuel ordered that no one should sit down until David was present. Immediately he arrived, God confirmed his kingship and he was anointed by Samuel. So, David’s position as king in Israel was a divine placement.
Q1(c). IS GOD STILL PLACING/POSITIONING PEOPLE TODAY? DISCUSS.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever God does not change. Without controversy, God is still positioning people today. It is not a functional error or sudden decision of some believers to relocate from their place of residence to another location, or
from their place of assignment, business, institution etc., to another area. Even ministerial posting placement is another example.
This is where the individual concerned needs Personal confirmation/clarification from God in the place of prayer. When we carefully examine where we are and changes/relocation/repositioning that have taken place in our
lives, we will always discover the hand of God in them all. It is therefore necessary for us to always yield ourselves to God in
obedience to His will (Acts 16:6-8), always desiring to discover His purpose of placing us where we are in order to accomplish same to His praise and glory.
Q2.HOW ARE WE, AS BELIEVERS EXPECTED TO TREAT OUR CALLING POSITIONING
Rom. 12: 1; Rev. 3:11; John 15: 16-17; 1 Pet. 5:5.
With the understanding that our calling or positioning is of God, we should hold fast to His word. In 1Sam. 15: 22, God made it clear that total obedience to His
word from the heart, was much more important to Him than sacrifice. God wants us to offer ourselves to Him daily, laying aside our own desires, to follow
Him, putting all our energy and resources at His disposal and trusting Him to guide us in all we do, in recognition of the fact that He truly loves us and wants the
best for us. We should joyfully give ourselves as a living sacrifice for His service and learn to demonstrate His love in our relationship with other
believers and our neighbours.
Q3. WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF NOT FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE WHERE HE HAS PLACED US? 1Sam. 16: 14;
15: 28; Esther 4: 13-24; Matt. 27:3-5; Rev. 3: 16.
Non-fulfilment of God’s purpose where He has placed us is a sign of irresponsibility and ignorance of God’s will for our lives. The first danger is that the Spirit of God will leave the individual,
this will allow other spirits (demons) have access into such one. Sometimes this will result in frustration and dabbling into ungodly acts.When pride, and
arrogance set-in, such wouldn’t see the need to return to God and repent from his errors, and this may lead to loss of salvation. What a tragedy!
Q4. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE WHERE HE HAS PLACED US? Phil. 2:9-11;Heb.6: 10-12; 12:2.
When we are able to fulfil the purpose of God where He placed us, He regards us as those who have overcome and we become entitled to many benefits
First accruing to overcomers.
we will receive a commendation from God: “Good and faithful servants…”(Matth 25: 21 & 23)
and He will promote us by making more opportunities available to us to consolidate our successes, and finally receive us into His rest.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION:
God is still positioning His children to serve Him in different capacities. Where we are is most appropriate. It does not matter where; all He requires of us is faithfulness in our service. We must therefore be faithful to Him who appointed us. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful that promised)” (Heb
10:23. KJV).
.
MEMORY VERSE: (REV. 3: 11)
Behold i come quickly: hold that fastwhich thou hast that no man take thy crown.
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