RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER’S MANUAL LESSON THIRTY-TWO SUNDAY, 8TH APRIL 2018: DIVORCE: NOT AN OPTION
*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?
OPENING PRAYER
Father, we rebuke every evil spirit and the peril of end time behind divorce in the name of Jesus Christ.
MEMORY VERSE: “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” Matthew 5:32
BIBLE PASSAGE: Matthew 19:3-13
Matthew:19.3
The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for [just] any reason?”
Matthew:19.4
And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made [them] at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’
Matthew:19.5
“and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
Matthew:19.6
“So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Matthew:19.7
They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
Matthew:19.8
He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
Matthew:19.9
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
Matthew:19.10
His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with [his] wife, it is better not to marry.”
Matthew:19.11
But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only [those] to whom it has been given:
Matthew:19.12
“For there are eunuchs who were born thus from [their] mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept [it,] let him accept [it.”]
Matthew:19.13
Then little children were brought to Him that He might put [His] hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.
INTRODUCTION:
Divorce is one of the major problems facing homes today. Divorce is granted to the unbelievers for many reasons such as adultery, cruelty, desertion, drunkenness, and neglect to provide, conviction of criteria, separation, bigamy, incompatibility etc. However, is divorce permissible for Christians? Let us approach this this lesson by attempting to an we a number of questions.
TEXT REVIEW: MATTHEW 19:3-13
Whatever thing which was not in the beginning was not from God because God was the beginning. His word was in the beginning. It was in the beginning God created all things including marriage. Gen. 1:1; John 1; Gen. 1:27,28.; 2:18. The “beginning” was not subject to human pressure like Moses who was pressurised by people to give a commandment, to give a bill or writing of divorcement to put the wife away. Matt 19:7-8. Deut 24:1-2 gave the details of the reasons for the bill. However, verse 4 of this chapter even considered certain aspect of the bills as “abominable to God and could lead the land to sin.” The “beginning” Himself said in Matt 19:8 ‘but in the beginning it was not so”. The consequence of doing what God did not say or commanded would be previous. Such act should be avoided. Jesus is the beginning- Rev. 1:8, Therefore, it is wisdom to do what was in the beginning – Prov. 1:7-8.
LESSON OUTLINES
1. Some Common Questions And Answerd
2. Counsel for Partners in a Shaky Marriage
SOME COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Question 1:
Is there any scriptural ground for divorce?
Answers
i. There’s one and only one one reason and that’s fornication. Matt. 19:9.
Question 2:
What does the word “fornication” mean in this passage?
Answers
i. The basic meaning is illicit sexual relationship with a third party.
Question 3.
i. The “innocent partner” should be ready to forgive the “guilty partner” Matt. 16:14-15.Prov.28:13.
ii. Divorce was not the original plan of God for human beings.
Question 4:
How long is a marriage contract?
Answers
i. Until death breaks it. Matt. 19:6.
ii. In marriage, God performs a miracle when two individuals become one person.
iii. Only God is permitted to break that union by taking one of the partners in death.
Question 5:
Can the ‘innocent partner’ in a divorce re-marry ?
Answers
i. It’s doubtful if there is such a thing as an innocent partner in the sight of God.
ii. It’s most likely that the “innocent” partner had failed in some ways.
Question 6:
Why should people avoid divorce like a plague?
Answers
Divorce represents a tragedy that has undermined the home, the very basic of society.
Misery always follows in its path, broken homes, bruised and broken hearts, bewildered, homeless children, delinquent youth, loneliness, tears and at times suicide or insanity.
The couple should consider the welfare of the children who would suffer most and the shame connected with divorce and the scandals that it engenders.
Many Christians look at divorce as sinful, regardless of the circumstances because it is a public admission of utter failure which belittles the power of Christ. Phil. 4:13
Economic disaster often follows divorce and it is the cause of lack of love and happiness in marriage.
Question 7
Can there be love when there is no respect?
Answers
i. The answer is yes, for God loves the unlovely sinner, whom He cannot respect.
ii. Love that is unselfish and Godly can be deep and powerful even with those whom we cannot respect.
iii. With such a love, our marriages would last for life. 1Pet.4:8
CLASS ACTIVITY 1
Explain how love and respect can mutually grow together.
COUNSELS FOR PARTNERS IN A SHAKY MARRIAGE
QUESTION
What biblical counsels are available for partners in a shaky marriage?
ANSWER
i. The husband and wife should renew their solemn vow of, for better for worse till death do them part.
ii. Both should get it right with the Lord first by returning to the Lord in prayer.
iii. Both should get it right with each other.
iv. Both or offending partner should confess sin and genuinely repent.
v. Mutual sharing and understanding would help marriage work.
vi. Spending quality time in prayer both as individual and couple would work wonders. James 5:16
vii. Husbands should assume the status of responsibility and provide for the Family. 1 Tim 5:8.
viii. Wives should be subject to their husbands. Eph. 5:24
ix. Husbands and wives continue to be attracted to each other in genuine love.
x. Genuine love should be allowed to radiate all through the spheres of the marriage.
xi. Determine in godliness to allow the marriage to work despite odd is a good pill for a recovery.
CLASS ACTIVITY 2 Mention those counsels which couples should avoid or reject in marriage.
SUMMARY
Do not give room or consider divorce was a way out of marriage.
CONCLUSION
Genuine love in marriage covers multitude of sins and prevents eventual break up.
CLOSING PRAYER
Father, let divorce be a thing of the past in our society. Please come and heal broken hearts and marriages.
ASSIGNMENT
Identify five (5) negative counsels which may ruin marriage. Give right counsel to counter such negative counsels.
