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Sun. 27/4/2014

Quarter’s Theme:THE HOLY SPIRIT

Unit 3 Theme: Intimacy With The Holy Spirit (Lessons 9-12)

SOUL WINNERS CROWN COMPETITION MONTHS

27/4/2014  LESSON  9

SPIRIT-INSPIRED PERSONAL DEVOTION AND CHRISTIAN SERVICE

Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 236, 240

Devotional Reading: PSALM 63:1-8

Topic For Adults

BE RENEWED IN THE INNER MAN

Topic For Youths

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING

Scripture Lesson

PS. 42:1-2; JOSH. 1:7-8; JN. 4:20-24

 

Memory verse:    But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (Jn. 4:23) NKJV   

 

DAILY BIBLE READING

Bow Your Knees To God

Eph. 3:14-19

Many Christians are selfish in their prayers. They pray only for themselves without remembering others. Let us know that it is part of our devotion to God to be interceding for others. Paul usually did this for his converts. His prayer point today is that believers should be strengthened, through the Spirit, in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. There are some believers that are becoming weak as a result of the challenges they are passing through. We need to always intercede for them that the Holy Spirit should strengthen them so that they will not become preys in the hand of the devil.

Point of Emphasis:     Remember to intercede for others when you pray.

Prayer Point:              Pray for your Church, ministers of God, brethren, family etc.

BACKGROUND

 As a Christian, we really need the power of the Holy Spirit and His anointing to be
able to have a fruitful and impactful Christian service. Many Christians struggle
to please God and some ministers struggle in their ministries because they are trying to do God’s work with their own strength. This week’s lesson wants to encourage us to allow the inspiration and leading of the Holy Spirit in our Christian service and personal devotion to God.

 

NOTES ON THE TEXT

1.      THIRST FOR GOD – PS. 42:1-2

For any Christian who wants to get connected to God always and who wants to cultivate personal devotional life that will make him or her to be vibrant and refreshing spiritually, such a person needs to thirst for God both day and night. However, it is discovered that we live in a world that is full of hustle and bustle, ups and downs, that make it difficult for Christians to live a life of personal devotion unto God. How then can they break even?

The answer to the above poser is not far-fetched. Any Christian who will live a life of sincere devotion to God needs the help, power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The reason is that there are many things that want to engage the believers’ attention in this world and prevent them from having and spending qualitative time in the presence of God. Some have even abandoned mid-week services in the pursuit of those worldly materials. It takes a man of the Spirit, who yields himself to the leading and control of the Holy Spirit, to be able to maintain personal dynamic devotional life.

God’s plan for us in our relationship with Him is the one expressed by the Psalmist in Psalm 42:1-2. The Psalmist compared his thirst and longing for God, even in a dry land, like that of a hart or deer. The hart is not only fond of feeding near some water for the benefit of drinking but when he is hard hunted and being wearied, it will take to some river or brook for protection. In the same manner, having being pursued, tired and nearly ready to give up the ghost, the Psalmist panted for God, for the living God, for Him who can give life and sustenance. Likewise, in the midst of so much responsibilities, job description and many things that are engaging our attention, we need the help of the Holy Spirit to help us to be thirsty after God, so that we will not become dry or dead spiritually.

II.    MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD – JOS. 1:7-8

A Christian who will know God’s will and do them must not be far from the studying and meditating on the Bible. But what we see today is that so many things have taken the thirst and quest to study the Bible away from many Christians. Some Christians can spend hours watching television without thinking of studying the word of God for few minutes. Such people need the help of the Holy Spirit, who will ginger them up and create the interest in them to read the Bible.

For some others, they are discouraged from further studying and meditating on the word of God because they don’t usually understand what they read. Such need to always invite the Holy Spirit to come and explain the word of God to them because He is the One who inspired those people who wrote or penned down the Word of God (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

Christians should know that for them to be blessed by God and to have good success in life (whether physical or spiritual), their devotion to the study and meditation on God’s word must be taken seriously. This is the instruction God gave to Joshua (Jos. 1:7-8). The book of the Law refers to the Bible and it is from it that Joshua and the people were to take all those precepts by which their lives were to be governed. For Joshua to be a successful leader, he must consult the Law constantly and incessantly through meditation and must do according to all that the Word bids him to do. If he kept God’s word, God would keep him also in body and soul. Know that those who are obedient to God in His word, lack no manner of thing that is good. The more they meditate on God’s word, the more the Holy Spirit helps them to know more of God. The more they live holy lives, the more they are enthusiastic to live to please God in their devotional life and Christian service and the more God will be compelled to give Himself for their success.

III.   WORSHIP GOD IN THE SPIRIT – JOHN 4:20-24

Worship means the act of paying honour, reverence and homage to God. It involves prostrating and kneeling for God as a token of reverence. In another sense, it means to render religious service or honour, and in the strict sense, to perform sacred services, to offer gifts and to worship God in the observance of the rites instituted for His worship. This means all our Christian services, the tithe and offerings we give, the songs we sing, the clothes we wear etc, are all forms of worship to God. But how does God want us to worship Him?

Jesus answered this question in the book of John 4. The first thing is that we must worship Him everywhere. We must not restrict His worship to the Church on Sundays but we must worship Him in our houses, places of work and everywhere. We must also worship Him all days. Second, true worshippers must worship in spirit (v. 23). The word ‘Spirit’ in verse 23 is opposed to religious ceremonies and to the pomp of external worship. Rather, it refers to the mind, the soul and the heart. It means they shall worship God with a sincere mind with the simple offering of gratitude and prayer, with a desire to glorify Him. Spiritual worship is that where the heart is offered to God. Third, they must worship in truth, that is, in the true way of direct access to God through Jesus Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit who guides believers into all truth.

CONCLUSION

A carnal man cannot please God. Many Christians find it difficult to please God, to do His will, to pray, to study the Bible, to go to Church, to give to God etc, because they are not living a life of Spirit inspired devotion to God. They do things in the flesh and before long, they are bored. You need the help of the Holy Spirit to succeed as a Christian. Therefore, be inspired by the Holy Spirit in all that you do.

QUESTIONS

1.     How and why does the hart pants after the water brook?

2.     Describe how a Christian can thirst after God today.

3.     What are those things involved in the meditation on the Bible?

4.     Define worship.

5.     Mention the important components of acceptable Christian worship unto God.

 

For Audio Version, please click the link below.

http://hu.lk/hyuhgoaw11xc

French

DIMANCHE 27/04/2014

FLECHIS TES GENOUX DEVANT DIEU

EPH. 3:14-19

Beaucoup de chrétiens sont égocentriques dans leurs prières. Ils ne prient que pour eux seuls sans se souvenir des autres. Sachons que cela fait partie de notre dévotion à Dieu d’intercéder en faveur des autres. Paul faisait d’habitude cela pour ses convertis. Son axe de prière pour aujourd’hui est que les croyants doivent être fortifiés, par le Saint-Esprit, dans l’homme intérieur afin que Christ puisse vivre dans leur cœur par la foi. Il y a des chrétiens qui deviennent affaiblis des suites des défis qu’ils traversent. Nous avons besoin d’intercéder toujours en faveur d’eux que le Saint-Esprit les fortifient afin qu’ils ne deviennent pas des proies dans la main du diable.

Point essentiel : Souviens d’intercéder en faveur des autres quand tu pries.

Axe de prière : Prie pour ton église, les ministres de Dieu, les frères et sœurs, les familles, etc.