Children sts Lesson 49 Christ Teaches Against Division in The Church
Text: Luke 9:46-56
The church is the assembly of people who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. They have one purpose and one goal. This goal is to worship God in truth and holiness and promote Christ’s kingdom on earth till He comes in the rapture. The New Testament church started with the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. He went about doing good and saving sinners. Those who responded to His call, He made them His disciples. After His death, resurrection and ascension, His disciples continued with the church. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, the church grew and has become a big gathering of saints. This growth is expected to continue till Jesus comes. During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught His disciples many important truth and principles that should govern their lives and fellowship to fulfil His purpose for the church.
One of such principles is His teaching about the danger of division in the church. The will of God for the church is that we all remain united, live holy, preach the gospel to draw sinners into the kingdom and prepare for the coming of the Lord.
Some children like to separate themselves from other children, may be because their parents are rich. Some may be because they are brilliant and are doing well in their academics than others. They form clique while they look down on others. God expects us to esteem others better than ourselves and live a humble life. Is your life a channel of blessing unto others, or are you still living in selfishness and pride? God wants you to be like Jesus.
- PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH DIVISION IN THE CHURCH: Luke 9:46-50; 1 Corinthians 3:4,5
There are many religious groups with different beliefs springing up everywhere, but God expects the church to be one. Division among friends of Jesus will lead to loss of fellowship and presence of God. There will be no growth and this can lead to backsliding among the members. A divided church cannot receive answer to their prayers nor experience the manifestation of the power of God. This is why Jesus warns us of the danger of allowing disunity among us.
The church is not the building we see. Everyone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour belongs to the Church of Christ. As the body is one, so also the church should be one. Every part of our body is important. We cannot separate our eyes from our nose likewise, there should be no division among the Church if the Church is to function effectively. There should be no case for comparison or superiority complex among boys and girls, as the disciples of Jesus exhibited when they asked Jesus who was the greatest among them (Luke 9:46).
We should regard others better than ourselves and treat everyone equally. There is need for sanctification of heart if saved boys and girls will remain as one. Children must ensure that they do not cause division or quarrelling among members of the church but should work towards the unity of the Church (Ephesians 4:3).
2.PURPOSE AND PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH: Luke 9:55,56; John 17:17-23; Psalm 133:1-3
Jesus has purpose for establishing His church and He prayed so that that purpose will be fulfilled. He spent time to pray for the church to be one so that they can continue to evangelize the world and win many souls to the kingdom. Their unity must be based on
(i) knowing and experiencing the love of the Father and the fellowship of Christ.
(ii) separation from the world.
(iii) sanctification and holiness of life.
(iv) receiving and believing the word of God.
(v) obeying the word and desiring to lead sinners to Christ.
Friends of Jesus must unite with one another to make Christ’s purpose to be fulfilled. They should be a source of encouragement to one another. It is only then that we can witness growth as well as enjoy God’s blessings.
- PRACTICAL LESSONS FROM CHRIST’S TEACHING: Luke 9:46-56; Mark 9:33-40; John 13:3-5,12-15.
Jesus demonstrated to His disciples the kind of heart every one of them should possess. He took a child to His side and told them that if they want to be great, they have to humble themselves like a little child and treat others the same way they will treat Him, their Master. In the same chapter, John tried to stop another person who was casting out demons because he was not one of the twelve. This act was condemned by Jesus.
The man casting out demons was using the same name of Jesus and this shows that he was not against Christ but was for Him. You should not look down on other friends of Jesus because they do not attend the same assembly or church as yours. If you find other children who are living a holy life and preaching the gospel, you should not look down on them, but rather encourage them (Acts 18:24-28).
Disunity does not encourage love among children; rather, it breeds division and hatred. James and John wanted to command fire to destroy the Samaritans because they did not receive Jesus (Luke 9:54). Jesus again had to correct them, reminding them that He came to save lives. If we are to be like our Master Jesus, we must behave like Him in everything. It does not matter how people treat us, we must never retaliate or hurt them in any way (Romans 12:21). We should overcome evil with good.
From Christ’s teaching against division in the church, we learn that:
(i) We should be humble and treat others the way we would treat Christ, irrespective of age, colour, social status of the children or their parents, tribe or educational level.
(ii) We should not discourage other friends of Jesus, who are not in our own local assembly, from serving Christ.
(iii) We should always have the mind of helping others and saving them.
(iv) The Lord can use people other than those who are members of our church.
(v) We should learn to overcome evil with good.
QUESTIONS:
1. The church is________________________________
2. What are the problems associated with growth in the church?
3. What lessons can we learn from Christ’s teaching on division among friends of Jesus?
4. The unity that Jesus prayed for is based on_________________and__________________
5. How can a sinner become a member of the church?
MEMORY VERSE: “And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us” (Luke 9:49,50).
LESSON: Jesus wants His church to be united in order to fulfil His goal of saving the world.
THOUGHT: I will unite with the church to fulfil Christ’s purpose for the world.
ACTIVITY: Sword drill: John 17:21; 10:38; Ephesians 4:3; Mark 9:40
CONGREGATIONAL SONG: GHS 75 – THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION
CHORUSES:
(1) Give me love for my brethren
(2) I will love, I will love
(3) We are heirs of the Father.
HOMEWORK: Visit children who were absent from the church.
BIBLE WORD SEARCH
Find the meaning of these words. You can use your dictionary:
- Exalt
- Unity
- Exhibit
- Superiority
- Ascension.