By Sunday Akanni Moshood
One of the numerous vital things that won't make us forget former Christ Apostolic Church President, Late Pastor E. H. L Olusheye in a hurry is how God powerfully used him to bring about the Sunday School in Christ Apostolic Church.
Before the CAC-owned Sunday School was launched by Pastor Olusheye in 1977 after he returned from overseas (alongside Pastor S.O Akinsulure), the church basically relied on sermons and Bible Classes organised by various assemblies, which moves in various directions.
Additionally, history has it that some CAC churches were even using Sunday School materials from Assemblies of God and the Baptize Church.
However, after the inauguration of the Sunday School department in 1977, Christ Apostolic Church can now boast of an organised Sunday School programme which cut across the length and breadth of the church. That is, the same topic a CAC assembly somewhere around Ibadan is treating, is the same one being treated in a CAC church in faraway Kano.
And God has been working wonders in the church using this programme.
However, we get to observe that some CAC members in various assemblies are not yet participating and attending Sunday School classes faithfully.
Therefore, as the new Sunday School series is starting in all Christ Apostolic Churches Worldwide from Sunday 21st 2018, God laid it in my heart to make members see good reasons they shouldn't miss Sunday School classes in their various assemblies this year.
Here are some of them:
1. It Is Part Of The End-Time Revival God Promised: God already promised that CAC will be very instrumental in the End-Time Revival He is bringing up in this end time.
And my father in the Lord Pastor J. B Ogungbuji will always tell us that if you are still waiting to see a blind person receiving their sight, or a dead person coming back to life before you believe the end-time revival is currently going on in CAC, you are missing alot!
The end-time revival is already going on in CAC, and God keeps using the Sunday School to achieve lots of things. Many lives are being revived regularly by the lessons in the Sunday School!
In 2014 when we treated the issue of Giving and Receiving, something happened during the youth convention at Ikeji-Arakeji (Lagos and Ogun batch). When it's time for giving, the youths were surprisingly coming out in mass to donate huge money SACRIFICIALLY to the Glory of God.
One of the pastors there was stunned, and he asked surprisingly 'Is this really CAC?'
That is it! These lessons have revived lots of lives, bringing them to the knowledge of God and His will for their lives.
In 2016 we treated Discipleship Lessons From The Old And New Testament; last year (2017), we examined the Life Of Christ. Can't you see the changes in the lives of many members in your assembly? Can't you see that many CAC members are now walking better with God. Yes! God has been reviving lives through the Sunday School - don't be left out this year!
2. For Renewal: One of the reasons many of our members (especially our elderly ones) are not taking the Sunday School too serious is because they thought they already know alot about the scriptures.
However, we need to understand that the Word of God is powerful and unique. Unique in the sense that, it is new everyday. When you continually give yourself to the Word of God, you learn fresh things everyday.
So, renew your knowledge in the things of God this year by participating actively in the Sunday School. Remember, NO ONE CAN OUTGROW THE WORD OF GOD!
3. Revelation: Pastor I. D. O Akinpelu (Minister in Charge, His Fame House, Akesan, Lagos) made it known that God told him 2018 is a year of 'promise fulfilment celebration', and one of the three required forces that will help us secure God's promises, is the force of 'revelation, information and divine instruction'.
The Sunday School is Holy Spirit-inspired, and it contains lots of revelations, information and instructions that will help you key into God's programme for your success and destiny fulfilment this year.
4. Repostioning: Sure, many CAC members are powerful prayer warriors (and this is one of the good things that distinguishes us from some others). However, we need to know that 'prayer' and 'principles' are two different things. If we only pray without knowing and applying the right required principles, things might not move in the direction we desire.
The reason many of us are still struggling, despite praying regularly, is because we aren't in the 'right position where things works' (in other words, we aren't applying the right principles).
God will surely use the Sunday School to influence us to stay in the right position where His rain of blessings will fall on us.
See you in the Sunday School class!
Brother Sunday Akanni Moshood is Sunday School teacher, an usher and the Youth Leader of CAC, Oke-Iye District, Ajangbadi, Lagos