RCG Sunday School Student Manual 28 January 2024 – Lesson 22
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TOPIC: Modern-Day Idolatry (RCCG Sunday School Student Manual 28 January 2024)
MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” – Matthew 22:37 (KJV)
BIBLE PASSAGE: Exodus 20:3-5 (KJV) (RCCG Sunday School Student Manual 28 January 2024)
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Also Read:
– RCCG Sunday School Teacher Manual 28 January 2024: Modern-Day Idolatry
LESSON INTRODUCTION: An Idol is anything that replaces the One and only True God in our lives. It can be anything that appeals to our own heart more than God does, and anything that takes a significant amount of our time leaving us with little or no time to spend with Him. While the Scripture condemns idolatry in strong terms (Jeremiah 25:6), many Christians engage in idol worship today without knowing it.
LESSON OUTLINES:
- FORMS OF MODERN-DAY IDOLATRY
- CONSEQUENCES OF MODERN-DAY IDOLATRY
1. FORMS OF MODERN-DAY IDOLATRY
Unlike the past, where idol worship is bowing down to statues and objects typical of pagans in many cultures, modern-day idol worship is expressed through various insatiable pursuits and cravings of man, driven by his sinful nature. These shift all attention to man, leaving God out of the equation (Isaiah 42:8). It is also expressed by portraying and painting God contrary to sound and total biblical precepts but revealing Him to suit personal values and ideologies (2 Timothy 4:3).
Quite often, modern-day idolatry takes the form of:
- Self-worship – expressed through aggressive pursuit and realisation of goals and dreams in which God is excluded.
- Materialism – great or excessive regard for worldly possessions (1 Corinthians 7:31).
- Pride and Ego – which often takes the form of obsession with careers/ business to increase social status (Ecclesiastes 2:21-23; Proverbs 8:13).
- Idolising fellow humans – reverencing renowned individuals above God e.g. music stars/actors, footballers, ministers of God, politicians, spouses, etc.
- Naturalism and the power of science – this clings to the illusion that man is the lord of his world due to scientific and technological breakthroughs (2 Peter 3:10-13).
- Self-indulgence – through alcohol, drugs, excessive watching of TV, excessive and abnormal use of social media, clubbing, and gambling among other things (1 Corinthians 10:31).
CLASS ACTIVITY 1: From your understanding of modern-day idolatry mention other forms of present-day idolatry not in the aforementioned.
2. CONSEQUENCES OF MODERN-DAY IDOLATRY
- Deviation from the laws and teachings of the Lord (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
- Loss of zeal for the things of God (2 Timothy 4:10).
- Generational departure from God (Hosea 4:17).
- Eternal separation from God (1 Samuel 2:29-36).
- Incurring a divine curse (Daniel 4:30-33).
Students should share with the class the consequences suffered for any form of idolatry they engaged in.
CLASS ACTIVITY 2: Students should share with the class the consequences suffered for any form of idolatry they engaged in.
CONCLUSION: Self-worship is the basis of all modern-day idolatry. It is a lifelong battle in Christian life that must be resisted (Ephesians 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:3-4).
QUESTIONS
- Mention at least five forms of modern-day idolatry.
- What are the consequences of modern-day idolatry?
ASSIGNMENT: Mention five ways of avoiding modern-day idolatry (2×5=10 marks).
RCCG Sunday School HYMN
- 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. - 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. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee. - 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. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?
