THE NEW MAN (Part 4)
Memory Verse: “…how
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went
about doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because
God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 (NIV).
LESSON OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS
Our focus today will be on i). being like the Lord; and
ii).
the result of being like the Lord in the Ministry.
We should, at the end of the lesson,
each desire to be like the Lord.
LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The world recognizes the principle, Like father, like son. God expects that
we resemble Him too, if He is our Father and we His children, I Pet.1:15-16. And this applies also
to our Ministry – we are to be like the Lord Jesus.
WE
NEED TO NOTE THAT
The Scriptures also record cases of
people who behaved like their father. For instance:
·
Moses was the way-maker at the Red Sea
just as the Lord made the way for us back to the Father from the jungle of the
world. (John 14:6).
·
Paul, like the Lord Jesus, went about
expanding the kingdom of God on the earth, binding demons and setting captives
free. (Isa. 61: 1-3).
·
On the other hand, Judas was a true son
of his own father the devil. In acting as a betrayer, he was no different from
the devil who betrayed the divine trust placed on him by planning to topple God
from His throne. (Isa.14:12-15).
LESSON
OUTLINE 1: LIKE FATHER LIKE SON IN POWERFUL MINISTRY
Let us see a summary of the Lord’s
Ministry as recorded in Acts 2:22;
10:38; & Isa. 61:1-3.
Do
these passages tell us in what ways we are to seek to be like Him in our
Ministry?
Consider the areas of
i.
Preaching and teaching
ii.
Healing and delivering the oppressed.
Does
He really expect us to be like Him in all of these areas? See Mark 16:15-18.
We shall only be fulfilling His
commission to us by so doing, and He has sent us His word of encouragement in
this regard – see Matth. 28: 18-20 à He will be
with us to the end.
What
then could be the hindrances that may prevent us from being like the Lord in
the Ministry?
We can think of fear, lack of faith,
laziness, fear of men (including caring more for what our friends may think of
us), sin, lack of anointing, not asking/seeking/knocking.
LESSON
OUTLINE 2: PRODUCING PROOFS OF A POWERFUL MINISTRY
What
are some of the marks, or proofs, of a powerful Ministry?
Let us see what is recorded about the early
Church in the book of Acts.
i.
They were tireless in evangelism and
bearing fruit, Acts 2:36-41; 4: 7-14.
ii.
Divine healing, indeed signs and
wonders, accompanied their preaching,
Acts 3: 1-8; 4: 29-30.
iii.
Not making room or excuses for sin, Acts 5: 1-11.
iv.
Striving for the unity of the body of
Christ based on the truth of the Gospel,
Acts 15: 1-11.
v.
Planting Churches/turning homes into
churches, Acts 18: 1-11.
vi.
Spreading the Gospel beyond our
immediate environs, Acts 19:1-7.
What
other proofs can you think of from the book of Acts?
SUMMARY
“If you remain
in me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given
you” John, 15:7.