RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT’S MANUAL LESSON FORTY-FOUR SUNDAY 1ST JULY 2018 – LIFE

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT’S MANUAL
LESSON FORTY-FOUR SUNDAY 1ST JULY 2018 – 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 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 saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” – John 14:6

BIBLE PASSAGE: John 15:5-19

John:15.5
“I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John:15.6
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw [them] into the fire, and they are burned.
John:15.7
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
John:15.8
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John:15.9
” As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
John:15.10
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John:15.11
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and [that] your joy may be full.
John:15.12
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John:15.13
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
John:15.14
“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
John:15.15
“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
John:15.16
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
John:15.17
“These things I command you, that you love one another.
John:15.18
” If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before [it hated] you.
John:15.19
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

INTRODUCTION:
From time immemorial, people have been asking: ‘’Why was I born? Why did God make me? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? What is the meaning of life? What is life itself’’. Various people give various answers. Some say, ‘’Life is the union of soul and body’’. This may be true of humans, but not of plants. Some say it is the period between birth and death. This of course is not true, for life exists before birth and after death. Only Jesus has the answer (John 11:25; 14:6). The Bible speaks of three kinds of life: Physical life, which was given to man at the time of creation; Spiritual life, which is the new life that God gives to the believer in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1); Eternal life, which is the nature of the Lord God Himself.

LESSON OUTLINES
1. What is the origin and purpose of life?
2. How long is the life span and with what can life be compared?

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN AND PURPOSE OF LIFE?
Where did we get life? The answer of course is, from our parents. Where did they get it? From their parents. Inevitably one goes back to Eden and the creation of man (Genesis 2:7). It is easy to see that all life comes from God (1John 5:11-20). No wonder Jesus said, ‘’I am the life’’, since Jesus is God.
Life is a moment of time to prepare for the long, long, eternity. In this brief, fleeting time called life, we are to accomplish our divinely appointed assignments. We also have to answer one question ‘’Where do I wish to spend eternity? Is it forever with the Lord Jesus in Heaven or with Satan in a burning hell? The purpose of life is to let you personally choose the abiding place of your soul. Have you made the choice yet?

HOW LONG IS THE LIFE SPAN AND WITH WHAT CAN LIFE BE COMPARED?
Before the flood that destroyed the first world, the length of life of man was an average of 846 years (Genesis 5). After the flood, the life span was reduced to 393 years (Genesis 11). At the time of Moses, there was a further reduction to 70-80 years (Psalm 90:10).
In comparison:

1. Life is like a journey (Genesis 47:9). We are travelling on this journey whether we like it or not. Birth is an automatic start. To some, it is a long journey but to some, it is short. Whether it is long or short, provided it ends in Jesus, then, all is well that ends well.

2. Like is like a dream (Psalm 73:20). Most dreams last at most a few minutes and soon after waking up, most dreams are forgotten. Similarly, some people live and are forgotten as soon as they die. Nevertheless, those who live for Christ live forever. For example, how many of the contemporaries of the Apostles are remembered today?

3. Life is like a shadow (Ecclesiastes 6:12). A shadow is a poor imitation of the real thing. Similarly, our physical life is a very poor imitation of eternal life just as seventy years is a poor imitation of eternity.

4. Life is like a vapour (James 4:14). How quickly it vanishes away! This is why it is wise to lose this life in order to inherit the next because the next life never vanishes.

5. Life is like a tale (Psalm 90:9). Life is like an interesting story that is soon told and people look for another form of entertainment. However, when we have been in Heaven for a thousand years, we shall just be beginning eternity and our joy will just be starting.

6. Life is like water split on the ground ( 2Sam 14:14). In a moment, the earth absorbs the moisture and it disappears.

7. Life is like a flower (Job 14:2). First we see the blade, then the leaves and afterwards the beautiful bud. Slowly, it opens and we gasp at its beauty. Then it withers and is gone, gone so soon, so quickly.

CONCLUSION
To choose Christ is to choose life, for Christ is life (Pillippians 1:21)

QUESTIONS
1. With what can you compare life?
2. What is the purpose of life?