RCCG Sunday School Student’s Manual 12th March 2023 – Lesson 28.
TOPIC: Christianity And Wealth
MEMORY VERSE: 1 Chronicle 29:12 (KJV)
Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
BIBLE PASSAGE: Luke 12:15-21 (KJV)
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
LESSON INTRODUCTION: Wealth is the abundance of valuable possessions or money. When we have wealth, we have more than we need to sustain a normal life. The Bible contains several examples of people blessed by God with great wealth; Abram (Gen. 13:2), Jacob (Gen. 30:43), Solomon (1Kings 10:23), Joanna (Luke 8:3) and Joseph of Arimathea (Matt. 27:57) among others. We shall consider what the Bible says about wealth and what should be believers’ disposition towards it.
LESSON OUTLINES
1 BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES
2 BELIEVERS’ DISPOSITION
1. BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES
The view of Christians on wealth should be derived from the scriptures. This is because wealth and honour come from God (1Chronicles 29:12). God often blesses his children with wealth when they please him (Deut. 28:1-5). The Bible establishes the facts that wealth and riches shall be in the house of the man that fears God (Ps. 112:1-3); money answers all things (Eccl. 10:19); to enjoy one’s wealth is a gift from God (Eccl. 7:12) and it makes many friends (Prov. 19:4).
However, the Bible also contains several warnings about wealth, among which is the fact that the love of money is the root of all evil (1Tim. 6:10); riches should not be trusted (Prov. 23:5; Luke 12:15); wealth gotten through the wrong means shall diminish (Prov. 13:11); all men will die and leave their wealth to others (Ps. 49:10); those who pursue wealth at the expense of other core values of life will never be satisfied (Eccl. 5:10a).
2. BELIEVERS’ DISPOSITION
Christians should note that wealth has never been an accurate barometer of a person’s standing with God. Some righteous people are poor (Luke 16:20-23) while some wicked people are rich (Ps. 73:3, 12). How then should believers handle wealth? While it is not sin for wealthy believers to enjoy their riches (Eccl. 5:19; 3John 2), they should also see wealth as an investment entrusted to them by God (1Chronicles 29:12). This wealth must be used to enhance good and pursue God’s purposes.
Wealthy believers can initiate charities and scholarship programmes, promote care for orphans, widows and less privileged (1Jn. 3:17-18; James 1:27), and be instrumental in advancing God’s kingdom (Luke 8:3; Rom. 16:3). It is important that believers prove themselves as faithful stewards, by channeling their wealth to godly legacies (1Corinthians 4:2; Matt. 6;19-20).
CONCLUSION
In a bid to be wealthy, believers should always note their first care should be for God’s kingdom and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33).
QUESTION
- Mention three (3) things the Bible says about wealth.
- How should believers handle wealth?
QUESTION
- Mention four (4) factors responsible for poverty.
- How can believers break free from poverty?
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RCCG Sunday School manual is used in Sunday School Classes in the RCCG.
The RCCG Sunday school manual is written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye and is available online for easy access. See the previous RCCG Sunday school Manual for 2023 here
