SUNDAY, January 21, 2018: EPIPHANY 3
Liturgical Colour: GREEN
7.15 A.M: Pre-Service Bible Study 03
Conductor: The Revd Canon Festus Ajayi
SUB-THEME/1: Introductory Studies.
TOPIC: We are created for His purpose.
TEXTS: Gen 1:26-28; Ex. 8:1; Ps.8:3-8; Rev. 4:11 (KJV).
AIMS:
- i) To realise the whole essence of our creation/existence and
- ii) To also realise the need to seek to please God earnestly.
INTRODUCTION: Christians should ask themselves: “Why was I created?” Many don’t seem to know the reason(s) for their existence and so, they live as they please or as situations or men dictate. God created man in His image with specific purpose in mind (Gen.1:27-28; 2:15; Psa.8:4-8; Rev.4:11). God acts with purpose and He usually makes His purposes known to those concerned. He made known His purpose for the Israelites’ freedom from the Egyptian bondage in Exo.8:1; made known what Samson would do as well as the purpose for sending His only Son into the world. Despite these, mankind still ignore or abuse the purpose of God for their lives.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
-
- a) From our texts, what do you think are God’s purposes in creating man?
- b) Why and how may we achieve these purposes? Why? – Prov.4:4; John 14:23; 15:10, 14; How? – Hab.2:2; Luke 5:4; John 4:35.
- How are the purposes of God for mankind being abused in our contemporary world? Exo.32:1-4; Deut.8:11-17; Rom.1:21-23; 25.
- Discuss practically the factors and forces that militate against our fulfilling God’s purposes and what we must do to prevail against them? Cf. John 10:10a; II Peter 1:9; James 1:25.
- What are the consequences of living outside the purpose of God for mankind? Deut.8:19-20
CONCLUSION:
Beside the general purpose of God in creating mankind, there are more specific purposes for individuals especially, those regenerated by faith in Christ. The primary purpose of God in creating us is to worship Him and then rule over all other creatures. When we fail in these, we are likely to incur His wrath or expose ourselves to the wiles of the Devil.
SONG: Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive glory honour and power. For Thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they art, and were created (Rev. 4:11).
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: When we fulfil God’s purpose is when we to receive God’s blessings.
MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 1: 26.
Then God said, “Let us make humankind[a] in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.