Theme: CHURCH
Lesson: THE CHURCH, A NUCLEAR FARM
Scripture Reference:
1 Cor. 3:9
As there is nuclear family of the world, the Christian Church is a spiritual nuclear farm cultivated by God on earth and aimed at producing fruits for the upkeep of the life of the extended farm which is the whole wide world. (See our lead text) As already established, the Church is a believing community of people presented as a farm or vineyard on earth in Scripture. As such, it is narrowed down to believing you and I who are typified as trees or crops the owner planted.
The consequent question is, ‘what is the seed the owner intends to cultivate in this farm?’ We trust God for the best species. According to ‘Matt. 13:24′, Jesus Christ says that the seed God planted in this farm is a good variety which should be watched over, lest, the enemy comes to pollute with bad type while we are negligent (Matt. 13:24,25). The good seed must come from above to be devoid of impurity of the wisdom of the world system as anything from there is above all – in purity and power. (See John 3:31) The good seed is, metaphorically, the word of God and the fertile farm is the believers’ hearts. (See Luke 8:11)
Through the good seed God has planted in the Church (Christians, the nuclear farm), the extended farm (the unbelievers in Christ), God can feed and secure till the day of Christ’s manifestation. It is upon our shoulders as deposits of this divine treasure (the Gospel of Christ – 2Cor.4:7) to add taste to our world as divine salt and also enlighten the darkened hearts of unbelievers as divine lights in the way we live our lives here on earth. (See Matt.5:13-16) God is not different from His word since He is Spirit (John 4:24) and His word, Spirit (John 6:63). When the principles of His word taught by Jesus Christ is, therefore, at work in and around us, God is undoubtedly in and around us. Amen! What a peaceful and a prosperous place we would have! The answer to the prayer, “Thy will be done on earth, as is being done in heaven, would be realistic” (see Matt.6:10b) Come on, brethren, are we producing well enough as ‘good seeds’ so that God may meet the hunger need of the extended farm (the unbelievers)?
No wonder the inability of our neighborhood to quit sin – sexual immorality, indecent dressings and actions, witchcraft, kidnapping, insurgency, envy, rivalry, drunkenness, rape, bullying, lusts, etc. The reason is because people are not fed with the bread and fruit of Heaven which are resident in us – God’s nuclear farm.
EVALUATION:
1. According to ‘2Tim.2:20″ and ‘1Cor.3:9’, the world is both God’s big house and farmland. Who are those living in that house and what are the crops in that farm?
2. God says, we are co-labourers with Him in ‘1Cor.3:9’ and kicks against our accepting enslavement of any kind in ‘1Cor.7:23’. How may we be enslaved today?
3. When God’s farm produces fruits here, how will God Who is Spirit take the fruits to His place in heaven?
4. God tells us in ‘Acts 17:24,25’ that He does not lack anything and so does not depend on our services. So, how then do we serve Him?
Benediction:
May today’s devotional inspire us to yearn more for ways to become benefactors like never before in King Jesus’ name. Amen!
VIA:
Michael Ekperikpe (MSN)
READ AND REAP BIBLE ENTERPRISES
P/S:
-Any issues to commit to God in prayer?
-Any seemingly difficult Scripture(s)?
Feel free to share with me. Remember, ‘Iron sharpens iron’
