Lesson 13: THREAT TO CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP: GREED

TOPIC: THREAT TO CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP: GREED

TEXT: Joshua 7:1-26.

AIMS:

1. To teach that ungodly desire is like a cancer to a Christian fellowship.
2. To teach that both the pain, the cure and the scar from such disease could linger forever.

INTRODUCTION

The vocal language of greed is “more”, wanting more, desire for more. It is a selfish desire to have more of something.

Achan was a single man whose action caused the entire children of Israel to have a significant ugly event in the record of their testimonies. Israelites have had grand breaking testimonies of how God delivered nations into their hands and subdued great kings before them, but when they met Ai, a very small one for that matter, the story changed. Unlike the previous nations, the Israelites were overpowered by the inhabitants of Ai, some were killed, and the rest fled for their lives because a man sinned.

Achan had coveted a goodly Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, he took them among the spoils that is meant to be separated unto God, and then hid them in the earth within his tent. We will discover that Achan was not the only one who shared in the excruciating repercussion that came has a reward, his children and all that he had also took part in it.

DISCUSSION:

1. Why is it expedient to do away with greed in a Christian fellowship?
2. Explain how terrible and dangerous the repercussion of Achan’s misbehaviour was.
3. To what extent should a Christian fellowship detest greed?
4. If there’s a sense of greedy person in our fellowship, what measure should we take to handle such, knowing fully well that we all might likely share in the repercussion(s)?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Godliness with contentment is a great gain, so also is the repercussion of every ungodly desire for more of something.

You might be the only one benefiting from your wrongful desire today, it is like a seed sown, the season of harvest is imminent, your generation might not be able to consume the repercussions (fruits) it would bring. Learn from Achan today.

MEMORY VERSE: 1 Timothy 6:6