THE
CHURCH OF PENTECOST – 2018 BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE
WEEK
17 – SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 29, 2018.
TOPIC: THE
ROLE OF DIRECTIVE PROPHECIES IN THE ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN, GENERAL SECRETARY AND
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS DIRECTOR
Review of Previous Week’s
Lesson (5 Minutes)
a. What did you learn
last week?
b. How did you apply it
to your life?
Main Text: Acts
6:3-7; Acts 13:1-3
Memory Verse: Beloved,
do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God;
because many false prophets have gone out into the world. – 1 John 4:1
Introduction
The need for divine
guidance in the selection of key leaders in the Church is very important. This
guidance, however, takes several forms. These include prayerfully nominating
candidates and casting of lots on them (Acts 1:21-26), direct prophecy (Acts
13:1-3) and direct appointments (Acts 6:3). All these forms of selecting
leaders were used in the early Church as shown in the Acts of the Apostles.
Today’s study will focus on the role of directive prophecies in the selection
of principal officers such as Chairman, General Secretary and International
Missions Director. A directive prophecy is any prophetic utterance that seeks
to give direction to the leadership of the Church to act in a specific way. In
the selection of leaders, a directive prophecy can mention the name of a
particular person who should be given a specific ministerial assignment or who
should occupy a particular office of the Church.
Questions for Discussion
1. What was the
qualification for those who were to be chosen for leadership? Acts 6:3
2. How were Barnabas and
Saul called to missions? Acts 13:2
3. Why does the Bible say
we should not believe every spirit but test them? 1 John 4:1
4. Does Acts 13:1-3 mean
that if someone had not spoken audibly at a church, directive prophecy has not
taken place? Discuss.
5. How can we, as a
church make good use of directive prophecies without giving room for false
prophecies to divide us?
Conclusion
Directive prophecies are
important because they are intended to speak the mind of God to us clearly. The
Bible, however, warns that all prophecies should be tested (1 Thes. 5:20-21).
The reason is that there is the possibility of prophets making a mistake while
prophesying (1 Kings 13:1-24, Jer. 23:25-32). This can create confusion in the
Church especially in matters of choosing leaders. In order to minimize such
weaknesses and make the best use of directive prophecies, the Constitution of
the Church of Pentecost directs that, any form of prophecy or revelations
concerning candidates for consideration to such positions as Chairman, General
Secretary and International Missions Director should be communicated verbally
or in writing to the Executive Council through the Chairman of the Church. This
is to ensure that such prophecies are tested before they are made public.
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THE
CHURCH OF PENTECOST – 2018 HOME CELL OUTLINE
WEEK
17 – SUNDAY EVENING, APRIL 29, 2018.
TOPIC: HARD WORK PAYS!
Review of Previous Week’s
Lesson (5 Minutes)
a. What did you learn
last week?
b. How did you apply it
to your life?
Main Text: 2
Thessalonians 3:6-15
Memory Verse: For
even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to
work shall not eat. – 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
Introduction
The first day of May is
annually declared for the celebration of workers the world over. It serves as a
platform where the efforts and hard work of workers are acknowledged and
workers are motivated to continue to give of their best in the discharge of
their duties. God’s word encourages hard work. In today’s discussion, the
Apostle Paul commands the church in Thessalonica to encourage hard work and
frown on idleness.
Questions for Discussion
1. What kind of command
did Paul give to the Thessalonian church? Verse 6
2. What example did Paul
and his fellow workers set for the Thessalonian believers? Verses 7-9
3. What is the difference
between being busy and being a busybody? Verse 11
4. How do you
differentiate between hard work and laziness?
5. Discuss the rule Paul
gave to the believers in verse 10
Conclusion
Paul commanded the
Thessalonian believers to stay away from anyone who was idle and disruptive.
Using his own life and that of his fellow workers as good examples, Paul showed
that though they had the right to elicit help from the churches, they chose to
rather fend for themselves by labouring day and night. Being busy is actively
doing something that is fruitful and yields productive results. However, a
busybody is one who roams about aimlessly with no focus and sense of purpose.
The lazy one is also always idle. This leads to unfruitfulness. These are the
ones Paul strongly admonishes to settle down and earn the food they eat.
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READ
THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR GUIDE
Week
17 (Sunday 29th April to Saturday 5th May, 2018)
- Sunday: 2 Kings 24-25
- Monday: 1 Chronicles 1-2
- Tuesday: 1 Chronicles 3-5
- Wednesday: 1 Chronicles 6-7
- Thursday: 1 Chronicles 8-10
- Friday: 1 Chronicles 11-13
- Saturday: 1 Chronicles 14-16
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