RCCG Sunday School Teachers Manual Lesson 6: 12 October 2025

7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

MEMORY VERSE:

“Wherefore the Lord said, forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” Isaiah 29:13.

INTRODUCTION

The word “vain” means empty or without value. “Worship” is reverence and adoration directed towards God, be it the lifting of hands, spoken words, or sung songs.

Worship should not be a mere ritual, but an expression of love, and submission to God even in the time of adversity (Job 1:20-21). Unlike common beliefs, it neither begins nor ends with the singing quota of our Christian gatherings.

Vain worship is unacceptable before God and it is an attitude abhorred by Him. This lesson uncovers vain worship and highlights the biblical direction for true worship.

TEACHER’S DIARY

LESSON AIM:

To teach the church, the correct approach to worship.

TEACHING OBJECTIVES:

Through this study, students are expected to:

Understand the term “vain worship.”
Identify some pointers to vain worship.
Know the concerns for vain worship.
Embrace a call to true worship.

TEACHING PLAN:

To achieve the above-stated objectives, the teacher should

Allow the students to recite the memory verse, read the Bible passage, contribute to the discussion, and do class activities and assignments.
Allow the Assistant Teacher to see to the wellbeing of the class, and mark attendance and assignment.
Teach the lesson outline, summarise, conclude, evaluate the lesson and give assignments.

TEXT REVIEW: Matthew 15:7-9.

A. According to the scripture above, Jesus described the evidence of vain worshippers with reference to the writings of the Prophet Isaiah.

Identify these five (5) pieces of evidence
i. …
ii. …
iii. …
iv …
v …

TEACHING METHOD:

The Lecture Method.

TIME MANAGEMENT:

The teacher should apply the two-lesson outline teaching time.

LESSON OUTLINE 1: POINTERS AND CONCERNS

A. Certain human manifestations point to vain worship:

Vain worshippers place importance on being seen outwardly by all as reverencing God (Luke 18:10-12).
It is only about superficial Worship such as honouring God with lips or maintaining a ‘holier-than-thou’ appearance with neither connection of the heart nor inner transformation (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 23:27-28).
It is saying the right things but not truly engaging with God (Matthew 15:8).
It is being legalistic i.e. following human traditions and prioritising rituals and man-made commandments to take precedence over true devotion to God (Mark 7:6-9).

B. One concern for those who promote vain worship is that they cannot continue in deception forever (Galatians 6:7-8). This is because:

God rejects worship that does not come from the heart (Amos 5:21-23, Matthew 7:21-23).
Focusing on traditions rather than personal faith weakens the relationship with God (Galatians 1:14).
Vain worshippers are also, often led into misguided religion, in which they risk replacing godliness with human practices (Colossians 2:8).

CLASS ACTIVITY 1:

What other things have you observed about vain worshippers?

LESSON OUTLINE 2: A CALL TO TRUE WORSHIP

A. God has called us to authentic worship which begins with true repentance and renewal of mind (Acts 3:19). Hence:

True worship, does not start or end in church but is evident in every aspect of life (John 4:21-23).
It is therefore a lifestyle that must be lived daily (Romans 12:1).
Our Lord, Jesus Christ explains that it must be done “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

B. True worship comes from the heart and is based on God’s truth (Philippians 3:3). Also:

It aligns with the will of God and is evidenced by love, obedience and reverence (1 Samuel 15:22; 2 Samuel 23:15-16).
It always exercises genuine faith, devotion, and a commitment to God’s word (Psalm 119:37-38).
We must submit to the leading of God, this gives Him pleasure and no true worship can be better than that (Romans 8:14).

CLASS ACTIVITY 2:

What will you regularly do to offer acceptable worship to God?

CONCLUSION: RCCG Sunday School Teachers Manual 12 October 2025

Desist from ritualistic and fruitless worship; God can only be worshipped acceptably in spirit and in truth.

EVALUATION:

Compare and contrast vain and true worship.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Father, I receive the grace… worship You in Spirit and in Truth.

ASSIGNMENT: RCCG Sunday School Teachers Manual Lesson 6

State five (5) pointers to vain worship (2×5=10)

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RCCG Sunday School Teachers Manual Lesson 6: 12 October 2025