RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT’S MANUAL 28TH APRIL 2019 – BEWARE OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY

*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 friendship suits me well,
Both young and old 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 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: ‘’Jesus said to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” – – Matthew 22:37

BIBLE PASSAGE: Exodus 20:3-5

Exodus:20.3
” You shall have no other gods before Me.
Exodus:20.4
” You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness [of anything] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth;
Exodus:20.5
you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth [generations] of those who hate Me,

INTRODUCTION:

An idol is anything that replaces the one true God in our lives. It can be anything that appeals to our own heart more than God does, and anything that takes significant amount of our time leaving us with little or no time to spend with Him.

While the scriptures condemn idolatry in strong terms (Jeremiah 25:6; Exodus 20:5), many Christians engage in idol worshipping today without knowing it.

LESSON OUTLINES
1. Forms of modern day idolatry
2. Consequences of modern day idolatry

FORMS OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY

Unlike the past, where idol worship is bowing down to statues and objects typical of pagans in many cultures, modern day idol worship rather, is expressed through various insatiable pursuits and cravings of man, driven by his sinful nature.

This shifts all attention to him, leaving God out of the equation (Isaiah 42:8). It is also expressed by portraying and painting God contrary to sound and total biblical precepts but revealing Him to suit personal values and ideologies (2Timothy 4:3).

Quite often, modern day idolatry takes the form of self-worship expressed through aggressive pursuit and realisation of goals and dreams in which God is excluded. Also Read – Rccg Open Heavens Sunday 28th April 2019

This may also include ‘materialism’ – a great or excessive regard for worldly possessions (1Corinthians 7:31; Colossians 3:5); ‘pride and ego’ – which often takes the form of obsession with careers, business or job in order to raise social status (Ecclesiastes 2:21-23; Proverbs 8:13); ‘idolizing fellow humans’ – reverencing renowned individuals above God e.g. music stars/actors, footballers, ministers of God, politicians, spouse, etc,; ‘naturalism and the power of science’ – this clings to the illusion that man is the lord of his world due to scientific and technological breakthroughs (2Peter 3:10-13); ‘self-indulgence’ – through alcohol, drugs, excessive watching of television, excessive and abnormal use of the social media (Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, etc.), clubbing/partying, pornography, gambling among other things (1Corinthians 10:31).

CONSEQUENCES OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY

Just like the conventional idolatry, modern day idolatry will incur divine curse upon the perpetrators (Daniel 4:30-33). It usually leads to a deviation from the laws and teachings of the Lord (2Timothy 4:3-4; 3:1-4) and loss of zeal for the things of God (2Timothy 4:10).

Generational departure from the one true God (Hosea 4:17) and eternal separation from God (1Samuel 2:29-36) are other consequences to watch out for.

CONCLUSION
The worship of ‘self’, is the basis of all modern idolatry. God warns against it (Exodus 20:3). It is a lifelong battle in Christian life that must be resisted (Ephesians 6:11; 2Timothy 2:3).

QUESTIONS
1. Mention at least five forms of modern day idolatry.

2. What are the consequences of modern day idolatry?