RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT’S MANUAL 19TH JULY 2020

TOPIC: THE BOOK OF LIFE

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.

4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.

5. 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.

6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?

MEMORY VERSE: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books, according to their works.” — Revelation 20:12

BIBLE PASSAGE: REVELATION 20:1-15

Revelation:20.1
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Revelation:20.2
He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is [the] Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
Revelation:20.3
and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
Revelation:20.4
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then [I saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received [his] mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation:20.5
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.
Revelation:20.6
Blessed and holy [is] he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Revelation:20.7
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
Revelation:20.8
and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number [is] as the sand of the sea.
Revelation:20.9
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
Revelation:20.10
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet [are.] And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation:20.11
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
Revelation:20.12
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
Revelation:20.13
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Revelation:20.14
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation:20.15
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

READ >> OPEN HEAVENS 19 JULY 2020

INTRODUCTION: The scripture establishes that there are two kind of eternity: eternal life and eternal damnation (Revelation 20:6). The Scripture also establishes that there are ‘Books’ are there is in ‘Book’; which is the ‘Book of life’ (Revelation 20:12).

This Book of life is different from ‘the Book of the living’ mentioned in Psalm 69:28. This ‘Book of life’ according to the Bible is the same with the ‘Lamb’s Book of life’ (Revelation 21:27).

God is the greatest Recorder and Rewarder. He knows those who are His and has their records. He also has the records of those who do not belong to him (2Timothy 2:19).

LESSON OUTLINES

1. THE ‘BOOKS’ VERSUS THE ‘BOOK OF LIFE’
2. WHO WILL NOT BE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE?

THE ‘BOOKS’ VERSUS THE ‘BOOK OF LIFE’

The ‘Book of life’ is described in Revelation 3:5 as the Book containing the set of names of those that will live forever with God in Heaven.

At the great white throne judgment, sinners will be judged according to their deeds in ‘the Books’ everyone who goes for this judgment does not have his name in the book of life and such is doomed for eternal damnation (Revelation 20:11-15).

The ‘Book of life’ contains the name of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus (Revelation 5:9; 21:27). Saints who have laboured faithfully like those referred to by Apostle Paul in (Philippians 4:3) have the assurance of being registered in the Book of life.

There is a proportionate reward for the works of the Saints whose names are written in the book of life (1Cor. 3:13-14).

To have your name written in the book of life, you mist be born again. However, for your name to remain, you must be sanctified, steadfast in the faith, faithfully serving the Lord (Heb. 12:14; 1Cor. 15:58) and remain in the Lord to the end (Matthew 10:22b, 1Thess. 4:14-16).

Any ‘believer’ that sins and refuses to repent or falls away from the faith (apostasy) will have his/her name blotted out of the Book of life (Hebrew 6:4-6; Revelation 3:5).

WHO WILL NOT BE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE?

First, the Bible says that anyone who refuses to accept Christ as lord and Saviour is already condemned (John 3:18; 5:24). People who indulge in the works of the flesh will not be found in the Book of life (Gal. 5:20-21).

The abominable, unbelieving, lairs, sorcerers, idolaters, etc. (Revelation 21:8, 27) will not have their names in the Book of life. (Romans 1:29-32; 1Timothy 1:9-11; Colossians 3:5-8; 1Corithians 6:9-10) tell us about sinful acts that can prevent people’s names from being in the Book of life.

CONCLUSION
It is true that being born again is the prerequisite for eternal life but we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Our greatest joy should be that our names are in the book of life. We must make Heaven our priority in all we do (Luke 10:20).

QUESTIONS
1. What are the differences between the ‘Books’ and the ‘Book of life’?
2. Who will not be in The book of life?